what did you do to your Sonic today?
- Thread starter firstorbit84
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JTee2017
Well-known member
Just did a double drain/fill on the transmission fluid to change out the old on daughter 2014 Sonic . .. 70K miles. Was pretty black. Showed her hubby how to do it so I don't have to again. There are several videos on YouTube for anyone that wants to know where the drain plug and Fluid level check plugs are. The car must be level to check the fluid level. Also must run the engine and cycle through P-N-R several times while not moving after refilling each time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB4Pe-BEJOQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB4Pe-BEJOQ
SUPERDAD3114
New member
Finally I have done what I wanted with gauges!!! As you’ll see in my October sonic of the month entry, I have done quite a bit of stuff to the performance and handling of the car. I have always wanted gauges to be able to read all that I want to read. I was torn for the longest on what to do finally I made up my mind on these Aeroforce Interceptor Gauges. I got those and the A Pillar from ZZP around 500 for the pillar and both gauges. It was literally the easiest thing besides an intake that I have done to this car. Switch speaker from old pillar to new and switch the clips over to the new. Then plug into obd port and run the cables thru the dash to the gauges and they have a lot of different things to view as you can see in the pics I have MAF air lbs/min, boost, coolant temp and oil temp. I have other things being read as well that I can simply toggle thru. A little pricy compared to what others have done with the ultra gauge but I wanted something that looked like it could come from the factory while minimizing headaches of tapping lines for gauges.
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dbratboy92
New member
Replaced my cylinder head and turbo because of a bad head gasket and cracked exhaust housing
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dbratboy92
New member
Finally I have done what I wanted with gauges!!! As you’ll see in my October sonic of the month entry, I have done quite a bit of stuff to the performance and handling of the car. I have always wanted gauges to be able to read all that I want to read. I was torn for the longest on what to do finally I made up my mind on these Aeroforce Interceptor Gauges. I got those and the A Pillar from ZZP around 500 for the pillar and both gauges. It was literally the easiest thing besides an intake that I have done to this car. Switch speaker from old pillar to new and switch the clips over to the new. Then plug into obd port and run the cables thru the dash to the gauges and they have a lot of different things to view as you can see in the pics I have MAF air lbs/min, boost, coolant temp and oil temp. I have other things being read as well that I can simply toggle thru. A little pricy compared to what others have done with the ultra gauge but I wanted something that looked like it could come from the factory while minimizing headaches of tapping lines for gauges.
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Please tell me you disabled your airbags before mounting shrapnel on top of them?
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Mr.turner85
New member
Replaced my cylinder head and turbo because of a bad head gasket and cracked exhaust housing
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Where you get the head and what it run you? Or did you just have it machined?
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dbratboy92
New member
I'm a gm tech so I got the parts at cost. Gm cost on the head itself loaded with all new valvetrain is under $500 cost I think it lists for $700. The turbos are about 500 as well. At 150,000 mines out of warranty. A temp sensor actually on the head or block would of avoided blowing the head gasket.
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dbratboy92
New member
But if you look at the pic of the new head the cams have surface rust on them. Brand new gm cams. And they aren't coated with oil. I used to think the best parts you can buy were oem genuine but now I just wish someone would make aftermarket parts for these.
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SUPERDAD3114
New member
LOL
opcorn: that's goodZZP wouldnt make anything that would potentially harm any driver.
Plus the airbag is literally right where that airbag label is so when it deploys it would deploy towards me and the gauges would be behind the airbag. If anything was to happen the gauges would be pushed toward the dash/windshield.
dbratboy92
New member
LOL
ZZP wouldnt make anything that would potentially harm any driver.
Plus the airbag is literally right where that airbag label is so when it deploys it would deploy towards me and the gauges would be behind the airbag. If anything was to happen the gauges would be pushed toward the dash/windshield.
I never thought about how the airbags actually come out but I have always steered away from a pillar gauges for that reason.
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dbratboy92
New member
LOL
ZZP wouldnt make anything that would potentially harm any driver.
Plus the airbag is literally right where that airbag label is so when it deploys it would deploy towards me and the gauges would be behind the airbag. If anything was to happen the gauges would be pushed toward the dash/windshield.
I have decided I'm going to go with these gauges from maxtow. They're marketed to the truck guys but they seem like quality stuff and I think the blue on black will match my frock gauges in my car well.
SUPERDAD3114
New member
Yeah every side curtain airbag I see, it kinda looks as if the a pillar just pushes out and the airbag deploys. It doesnt blast thru the pillar.
Also, if I was in a bad enough accident to where the gauges are going to turn into shrapnel, then the shrapnel might be the last thing I have to worry about.
SUPERDAD3114
New member
I have decided I'm going to go with these gauges from maxtow. They're marketed to the truck guys but they seem like quality stuff and I think the blue on black will match my frock gauges in my car well.
Yeah those are nice. I just went with these because they are easy plug and play. But, as far as matching, look at my bottom one. that matches my gauges a lot better. At the time, I didn't get to fool around with it. But, last night I figured it all out. The bottom one is on the invert setting where it's a dark background with light letters where the top is light background with dark letters. So I did both to look like the bottom one in the pic to look closer like the factory gauge
Palmaris
New member
Yes, that might be close to the time where I felt some shaking as well. It was never bad but it was noticeable. I just changed the rotors on my car and its pretty much gone away now. I changed it at 119'000 kms.
It was the rearward control arm bushings that make that shaking on my last two gm vehicles. Sonic and Ion.
Gimpster
New member
1.) Installed Moog sway bar end links, now the car doesn't sound like an old steam train as it drives on bumps.
2.) Changed the oil.
3.) Changed the (manual) transmission fluid to 2.5q of AMSOIL Syncromesh. Cold shifting is much improved. The oil that drained out has more yellow metal in it than I cared to see, but the fill was original for sure from 60k/5yrs ago.
4.) Installed an AEM intake I got cheap.
2.) Changed the oil.
3.) Changed the (manual) transmission fluid to 2.5q of AMSOIL Syncromesh. Cold shifting is much improved. The oil that drained out has more yellow metal in it than I cared to see, but the fill was original for sure from 60k/5yrs ago.
4.) Installed an AEM intake I got cheap.
Been over a month since I got back to the states. All I've done so far is put DDM short shifter on. That cap over the nut is a pain in the butt, just like everyone said. Also bought an ultra gauge but need to mount it somewhere. Got an idea right over the middle left vent
