Yesterday, I vacuumed my wife's 3's engine compartment; it was full of grime and road dust. No more! As I inspected the fluid levels, I noticed that the PS fluid (ATF) was a trace low. I'll have to buy some and top up.
I also noticed that the right side stiffener plate on the top of the shock tower had a rusty, corroded area on its surface. The left side stiffener plate surface was unblemished.
Then I noticed that the weatherstrip on the cowl grill at the rear of the engine compartment had come loose from its mounting surface, for about 2" at each end. It appeared to me that when the hood was closed the unfixed end of the weatherstrip may have rolled out of position due to the hood closing on it and allowed water to contact the stiffener, at least on the right side.
I soon saw that this was a job for my trusty Permatex BLACK SILICONE Adhesive Sealant (part #16B), available at Pep Boys. I squeezed out a line of adhesive at the two ends of the cowl grill channel on which sits the weatherstrip, and following the directions, placed a heavy steel weight on each end of the weatherstripping to clamp the two surfaces together for 30 minutes. I then removed the weights, saw that bonding had occurred, and closed the hood. Full cure and maximum strength occurs in about 24 hours. Time will tell if that resolves the problem. The good news is that the damage appears to be only cosmetic, not structural. Of course, without actually magnafluxing the part in question, that statement must remain nothing more than an assumption.
When I told my wife what I had just done, she said, "That's nice but it's too bad you didn't vacuum the inside of the car, too."
Sometimes I don't think my wife realizes what a treasure I am.
Happy Motoring!
I also noticed that the right side stiffener plate on the top of the shock tower had a rusty, corroded area on its surface. The left side stiffener plate surface was unblemished.
Then I noticed that the weatherstrip on the cowl grill at the rear of the engine compartment had come loose from its mounting surface, for about 2" at each end. It appeared to me that when the hood was closed the unfixed end of the weatherstrip may have rolled out of position due to the hood closing on it and allowed water to contact the stiffener, at least on the right side.
I soon saw that this was a job for my trusty Permatex BLACK SILICONE Adhesive Sealant (part #16B), available at Pep Boys. I squeezed out a line of adhesive at the two ends of the cowl grill channel on which sits the weatherstrip, and following the directions, placed a heavy steel weight on each end of the weatherstripping to clamp the two surfaces together for 30 minutes. I then removed the weights, saw that bonding had occurred, and closed the hood. Full cure and maximum strength occurs in about 24 hours. Time will tell if that resolves the problem. The good news is that the damage appears to be only cosmetic, not structural. Of course, without actually magnafluxing the part in question, that statement must remain nothing more than an assumption.
When I told my wife what I had just done, she said, "That's nice but it's too bad you didn't vacuum the inside of the car, too."
Sometimes I don't think my wife realizes what a treasure I am.
Happy Motoring!
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