[debbie]

hi everyone!

imm new to this forum.a friend of mine told me about it and im glad he did.this is a terrific site and i hope to come here as often as possible!

i just have a few questions(they may sound silly i know,i dont know much about cars heh heh!)

its been snowing like crazy here and i wanted to get my car washed in the auto car wash but im afraid i might break the antenna.ive got a 95 dodge intrepid and the antenna is not retractable.im wondering of any of you have the same antenna and whether its okay to use tha auto car wash - would it damage the antenna or not?

oh and one final q - (i promise!)!should i get my car rust proofed?they spray some kind of a liquid and its supposed to stop the car from rusting in the winter.i was wondering whether any of you have got that done and if its advisable or not?

thanks so much!


debbie

 

[97purple_trep]

Welcome to the forums Debbie!!

I live out here in cali. so Im not one to answer your 2nd question.

About the antenna, I know that mine isn't retractible. However, the whole thing screws off of the base, and when I go to the wash, they take it off.

 

[Si]

Hi Debbie..

Like the homey said above, you can unscrew the antenna.. and put it back on again after the car has been washed.

About the Rust prevention, if you are going to go ahead with something like that I would really recommend you to do it on a nice hot dry day, reason been if the layer of spray they put on goes over damp areas its likely to trap it there and so actually encourage rust..

Many cars have rust weak points, on Treps its usually under the doors and under the hood, I stopped the rust with a chemical called Rust-Mort, It neutralizes rust....

I hope this helps.

Si

 

[debbie]

thanks so much!

I had no idea I could unscrew the antenna.Im going to give it a try tomorrow morning(its too cold to step foot outside the house tonight!!)

i just called the rust proof people again and they said they have to drill holes near the doors and pump in some sort of chemicals and all.that just sounds weird!!but everyone seems to be getting it done these days and even though my car is in good shape(my dad just bought it for me 3 weeks ago) - im pretty sure one winter in the mid west will take good care of that so i guess ill give it a shot!

see ya!

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Welcome to DI.Net

I have never had any of my cars rustproofed before. Personally, I think it is a waste of money.

Here is what I think you should think about before doing it.

How long do you plan on keeping the car? If you plan on keeping it 5+ years, then maybe it would be worth it?

However, I get bored quickly and get a new car every few years. If you are this type of person, I say don't worry about it.

Just my opinion.

On another note, I'm glad to see another person from IL If we get more, maybe we can have a big meet in the spring with Stratusphere

 

[IntrepidXJ]

On another note.....when I had my 98 Intrepid, I could not get the antenna off by unscrewing it because it was on there pretty good (and I was too lazy to go get a wrench)

Anyways, I did go thru the car washes a few times with it on, and had no problems.

I still recommend taking it off before you go thru if you can

 

[p3]

Originally posted by Intrepid99:

However, I get bored quickly and get a new car every few years. If you are this type of person, I say don't worry about it.

You are like me Randy, im 18 and i have had 3 cars already ....my cars history has been in the midwest and its starting to rust (a very little bit) in a couple places, so if its not that expensive, i would get it done.

 

[debbie]

hi everyone!

okay i officially got my car rust proofed today.they seemed pretty professional and they did a good job.they sprayed the car from the inside and the outside with some sort of chemicals which are supposed to stop any rust from eating into the body of the car.my car had no rust anywhere but this is just a precaution to make sure the wonderful weather we get in Illinois doesent mess up my car too much!

intrepid99,this is my first car and i think im going to be keeping it for a few years so thats why i decided to go for it!i doubt whether my dad will buy me another car if i mess this one up !!

on another note,something really weird has happened to my transmission lights.you know,the lights are supposed to light up at night so you can see the "park,drive,reverse" etc when you change gears.well,since last night the light has disappeared.all the other interior lights are working fine but the transmission one has gone south!!anyone know what the problem could be??

ps - i hope to take pictures of my car real soon!its nothing like the cars you all have but im hoping to fix it up when i get some money!

 

[DMAG]

Hi Debbie, again welcome to DI.NET.

About the trans lights, if all your other lights are working, I'm sure it's just a burnt out bulb. Most if not all the gauge lights lights run on the same circuit. So, if only one light goes out, that most likely indicates a burnt out bulb.

Just as a side note: I haven't seen this many responses to questions in a long time. You are lucky to be one of the few female members. You are getting preferential treatment! LOL!

Enjoy the site and good luck with your Intrepid.

 

[p3]

Originally posted by Intrepidatious:
I haven't seen this many responses to questions in a long time. You are lucky to be one of the few female members. You are getting preferential treatment!

There is more than one female member? Debbie is the only female member post i have seen.

 

[Warlord187]

Hello Debbie! Welcome to the boards. I'm originally from the West Michigan area (moved to Detroit area about a year ago). West Michigan is know for it's lake effect snows. I've had my current car through one winter with no problems. I used to have a '91 Sundance that went through many winters with no rust. Personally, I think rust proffing is a waste of money. But, it looks like you have already done it, so I guess that little extra protection isn't going to hurt anything.

As for the antenna...I've used the auto wash many of times and have never taken my antenna off. I've had absolutely no problems with it.

Hopes this helps. And again, welcome to the boards.

 

[mlfca]

My (99 base) antenna was bent by a car wash.

 

[1mz-fe]

for the amount of effort required to remove the antenna i'd recommend doing it.

 

[debbie]

thanks for all the responses everyone!
and if im the only female on this forum,then i get to have all you guys to myself even better!! heh heh!

i tried taking the antenna off but it was really difficult.got my dad to try it as well and he gave up after 5 mins telling me to use my hands and take it to one of those coin washes!

since some of you are suggesting i take it off and the others are like it shouldnt be a problem...im kinda confused! but i think ill stay on the safe side and try to unscrew the antenna tomorrow morning with some sort of a tool.

thanks for the info on the trans light - i was worried its going to cost me a lot!im trying to save up to get a cd player after christmas (though im still kinda hoping my dad will get me one after all the hints ive been dropping around the house!!).

on a side note, do you guys have some sort of get together in illinois ? it would be great to meet some of you one day!

anyway ill see you all later!thanks again!

[ December 19, 2001: Message edited by: debbie ]

 

[1mz-fe]

Originally posted by debbie:
i think ill stay on the safe side and try to unscrew the antenna tomorrow morning with some sort of a tool.

get a mexican fit-all, a pair of pliers or a vise grip. it shouldn't be that hard to take off.

 

[Warlord187]

Originally posted by debbie:

since some of you are suggesting i take it off

 

[Warlord187]

Originally posted by pimped3point3:
There is more than one female member? Debbie is the only female member post i have seen.

If I remember correctly, Texas R/T is a female.

 

[DMAG]

Originally posted by debbie:
thanks for the info on the trans light - i was worried its going to cost me a lot!

No problem! Anytime!

p.s. OK, I'm pushing it.

 

[p3]

Originally posted by Warlord187:

all i have to say is leave it up to you to pick that out, heh heh

 

[Djnrg]

I dont think rust proofing your car is a waste of time at all. I live up in Ontario, Canada, and we get a lot of snow, sleet and ice, and so they use a LOT of salt on the roads. I take my car to rust check and they do it for about 100 bucks Canadian, and it works great. No rust on my car at all, other than a little bit on the hood when I bought it. If you plan on keeping the car for a few years, I would definitely recommend it, but then again, I guess it depends on where you live. Also, as the first gens are getting a bit old now, I would recommend rust proofing even more, as the paint starts to chip and wear down.... just my 2 cents...