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  1. M

    MSI K9A2GM-FIH & XP SP2 issues

    I just went with reinstalling XP, chipset drivers, XP SP2, then the updated device drivers and the rest of my stuff. All's good now. Thanks for chiming in, though.
  2. M

    MSI K9A2GM-FIH & XP SP2 issues

    OK - so my MSI K9A2GM-FIH system was running 'OK' but had a 'svchost.exe' process that kept sucking up the system RAM until it topped out at over 2GB. Since Windows decided to simply migrate over to the new MSI devices rather than crash and demand a new installation when I swapped mobos (from...
  3. M

    Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe GR

    Sorry I took so long to get back here. I swapped the ASUS mobo out for the MSI I'd ordered and it's been running like a champ ever since - with the original HDD and Crucial Ballistix RAM. As for the ASUS mobo? It's back in its box and chillin' on the 'gonna toss it out someday' pile of...
  4. M

    WD 40 flat tire fix

    Ah yes - an old 'Redneck Off-Roading Event.' Oddly enough, the first time I saw that was with a 44" Super Swamper off a 15" rim. Nothing quite like seeing a mondo tire like that jumping off the ground and shaking in what seems like slow-motion.
  5. M

    What the HELL am I doing wrong with my brakes?

    W3rd. That's why hoses tend to give up sooner if there's an oil leak. Did you bleed or flush? I ask because a friend of mine had a similar problem with his Mazda's brakes. Turns out, he'd topped off the master cylinder with power steering fluid when he grabbed the wrong (although very...
  6. M

    All season tire recommendation.

    I just put a set of Arizonian Silver Edition Plus tires on my wife's '01 Grand Prix GT. Great tires. I had a set of Arizonian Rocky Mountains on my '95 Honda Civic VX Hatchback before I swapped out the stock rims and went with some Nitto NeoGens for it - which I've not been unhappy with any of...
  7. M

    Are these prices reasonable for a full front brake job?

    Replacing pads and rotors IS a 30-minute job... with the right tools. Having a lift, air tools, and all of the right parts on-hand can have the car up, brakes changed, and the car back on its wheels in 30 minutes. Turning the rotors adds another 15 minutes, depending on how badly out-of-round...
  8. M

    With all things considered, which company do you believe produces the better car - BMW or Audi?

    Are you serious? You honestly can't see it? http://news.cnet.com/i/bto/200...Audi_A4_SilverLED_.jpg http://www.deanteamvw.com/imag...s/2008jetta340x227.jpg Crazy. "Machs nicht" to me - I'll most likely never own a car from either company.
  9. M

    Extended Warranty

    It's kind of a trade-off. If you don't buy it, something bad will happen to your car that a warranty would've covered. If you do buy it, the car will run for 300,000 miles without anything major going wrong. I bought the extended warranty on my Ram, and nothing happened during the time...
  10. M

    With all things considered, which company do you believe produces the better car - BMW or Audi?

    Not even close. Porsche/VW/Audi are no different than a German version of Lincoln/Mercury/Ford. Case(s) in point: Porsche Cayenne, VW Touareg, Audi Q7 - they all share the same platform. Audi A4 and VW Jetta - same platform. Audi A6 and VW Passat, same platform. VW Beetle and Audi TT -...
  11. M

    Are these prices reasonable for a full front brake job?

    They're hosing you. First of all, disc brakes are 'self-adjusting,' so that's a BS fee. Only old-school drum brakes require periodic 'adjustment.' And Honda Accords never came with drums on the front. As lupohki said, the high pitch whine is only the pads letting you know they need to be...
  12. M

    Is your car lowered?

    Of course the lowered version looks better. Just be prepared for fender rubbing and a noticeably stiffer ride.
  13. M

    Insurance cost for a Acura TL/TSX

    Wow - I don't pay that much ($200/month) for all 4 of my cars combined... and it's full coverage on all of them. Over the years I've a couple of tickets, a break-in, a deer strike, an accident, and 3 cars damaged by hail storms. Look around for a better deal, and play them all against each...
  14. M

    Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe GR

    Never say never. I woke up to a BSOD this morning. Oh well... it was worth a shot. Since this problem's been plaguing this machine since inception and persisted despite new RAM, RAM settings, and a new HDD, I'm pretty sure I've almost got it narrowed down. If it persists with the new mobo...
  15. M

    Are these rust spots normal after a car wash?

    When real rust actually pokes through the paint like that, it's too late to do anything 'small' about it. You've got trash on your paint... especially since it wipes away with some mild scrubbing. Chances are, it probably showed up when you used the foaming brush (and came off someone else's...
  16. M

    Is your car lowered?

    My ruling is that it's not actually a 'truck' unless it's taller than I am (I'm 6'5"). :D
  17. M

    Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe GR

    I wasn't blaming the design of the mobo - I said I was convinced mine had issues... big difference there. Besides, I could've received one that had a bad capacitor or some other flawed component that just gave up. As I've learned with auto parts over the years, 'New' doesn't necessarily mean...
  18. M

    POLL: does your household have more cars than drivers?

    So - are any of those cars in your sig yours? If so, those are some very nice rides (and a perfect example of hypocrisy). If not, then apparently you admire vehicles that are not good for the environment. Kind of a double-edged sword, eh? ;)
  19. M

    Is your car lowered?

    If you run right now... and never look back... you just might make it out of here. ;)
  20. M

    Saw my first GTR last night

    Overall - nice-looking car. I like the throwback to the 240-280Z with the rear window/C-pillar treatment. The nose... yeesh - they could've done a much better job with that. I'd have to have a Black or Gun Grey car to be happy with that ugly-ass 'hole' in the nose design that seems to be the...
  21. M

    POLL: does your household have more cars than drivers?

    Quote: "if it's not money waste, are you people talking about materials waste in building them?" I think the point trying to be made by 'wasted money' by purchasing a Hybrid lies in the money you will lose on the deal. Hybrids get great gas mileage, but all of the money you'll save while...
  22. M

    Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe GR

    OK - I'm convinced this mobo has issues. I got XP installed while writing the last post, and I've spent the past 3 hours just trying to get the chipset drivers installed. The machine would run like it only had 64MB RAM while it was loading the chipset drivers. And finally after it got...
  23. M

    Is your car lowered?

    W3rd! Lowering, while it may look cool for some cars, is asking for trouble in the way of having to change your driving habits. Speed bumps will feel like mountains and might even keep some of your car when they're done with you. Of course, you'd expect someone with a screen name like mine...
  24. M

    Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe GR

    Alrighty then - Either the full-format, or the reset to default setting on the BIOS busted it loose... it's installing now. Keep 'em crossed. Otherwise, I'll be making someone a hella-deal on a low-mileage ASUS M2N SLI-Deluxe on eBay in the next few weeks. ;)
  25. M

    What five games have eaten the most of your life?

    SimCity series (Amiga500 & PC) Need For Speed - Porsche Unleashed & High Stakes Wings (Amiga500) Whiplash Monster Truck Madness & MTM II Unreal Tournament GOTY And these days: Spider Solitaire
  26. M

    What happens when you engage 4wd at speed?

    Bignate's correct - locking manual hubs only connects the axle-end of the driveline. Shifting into 4-Hi engages the front axle at the transfer case. In fact, if you have manual locking hubs, and don't go 'wheelin' very often, it's recommended to lock your hubs and drive around for a few miles...
  27. M

    Ratcheting wrenches - are they worth it?

    Ratcheting wrenches are the best new tool innovation to come along in a long time. My recommendation though - don't try to use them when busting frozen nuts and bolts loose... just like using a breaker instead of a ratchet and sockets, use a standard combination or box wrench to bust 'em...
  28. M

    Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe GR

    OK, new HDD - no effect. Snagged a Seagate Barracuda 500GB SATA drive, and no change. XP Installer is freezing at the '35 minutes - installing devices' point. Of course, that's after a 'quick format' of the 100GB 'C' partition. I'm going to try a full-format and see if that doesn't make...
  29. M

    Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe GR

    Yeah - I've tossed that idea around as well. I'll pick up a new HDD on the way to my pal's house this afternoon and give that a shot - worse case scenario, I'll have more drive-space for another machine if it doesn't work out.
  30. M

    POLL: does your household have more cars than drivers?

    Two drivers here, 4 vehicles. 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4: Me 1995 Honda Civic VX hatchback: Me 1980 Jeep CJ-7: Me 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GT: Wife If I had my way, I'd also own an '05 GTO and a V-Rod. The Jeep was a daily driver until I lifted it and blew the tranny (has since become...
  31. M

    Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe GR

    I'm quite disappointed. I bought this board for a friend about a year ago, built the system, and he had crash issues once he got some stuff installed and kicked off WoW. Each time it crashed on him, it would roach the MBR. The first crash I witnessed was while installing SP2. But I've since...