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Sounds like the doctor is back in.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4
ha. well, i'm certainly endangering myself. My arms are scraped to hell. Dash frames are sharp!
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
I thought I'd have to also pull out a dashboard---this on my MINI because of a noisy HVAC fan--groan....an 8 hour job for someone who does it for a living, probably 12 hours for me, and one heavy freakin' dash when it comes off! BUT...as I was down there listening to it, something occurred to me: "Hey, wait a minute, I hear the noise AND I hear the fan motor"...thus inspired, I switched the controls from "mixed" dash and floor to only "floor" and voila! Noise goes away. Soooo what I must have is a fluttering diverter---a considerably easier proposition. Or I can hit the button that says "ignore" (don't you wish there was such a thing?) and just use the floor setting for city driving and "mix" for freeway, when I won't hear the noise.
These early MINIs are wonderful cars to drive but I seem to be patching something up every month. Right now, I'm keeping up but I do worry that this car is going to get out of hand.
I plotted various repair and parts costs over at my friend's Porsche shop and by and large a Mini Cooper is roughly the same cost to repair and maintain than a Porsche Carrera of the same year--presuming no catastrophic failures that is.
e.g. Mini clutch --$2250
Porsche Carrera -- $1950
Mini alternator -- $720 + 2.3 hrs = $1,030 Porsche alternator $100 + 1.3 = $1,275\
Total of both repairs: Mini $3280
Porsche $3225
@qbrozen (and Shifty), I moved the buying a Grand Caravan thread over to Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan 2005+.
Free Kindle book at Amazon:
Exposed: Auto Repair's Dirty Little Secrets to Rip You Off!: Catch Dishonest Mechanics and Beat Them at Their Own Game!
linky
The link is still live when I posted this but probably won't last much longer.
Meant to post this here.
My daughter brought her Escape in for oil change/tire rotation.
They told her it should have induction system cleaning($130), front brakes lubed(they were dry, $50), rear drums cleaned ($50), 3 of 5 bulbs in CHMSL need to be replaced ($30).
Told her to never have the induction cleaning done, skip rear brake cleaning, get fronts lubed (just in case, most braking uses the fronts), get the bulbs fixed. I fixed that CHMSL once before. One bulb was bad and a couple others fell out. It was a big pain to fix, so I told her the get that done
Well, the rip off book was pretty lame. I could only manage a few paragraphs.
Too bad you paid so much for it, Steve! I heard it went on sale the day after you bought it.
Q, how did your HVAC repairs end up going on the van?
Fan got replaced but then we realized that the AC quit. Taking it back in the morning since it was working even with the noisy fan. Fuse looks okay but didn't check the relay(s).
And we did the deal on the '09 Grand Caravan. With all the cars around here I'm starting to feel like Andre1969.
I'm still tweaking the Mazdaspeed a bit; I have a James Barone Racing rear anti-roll bar with billet bushing mounts on order. A fellow BMW CCA instructor swears that the bars's stiffest setting will dial out ALL of the understeer. As I've said before, the FSD struts/shocks and the Hypertech tune have really made the car much more enjoyable to drive- whether cruising or attacking a twisting rural two lane. The JBR bar should be the final modification. . It shouldn't take more than 45 minutes to install, I'd think...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
"The Auto Care Association, Automotive Oil Change Association, Service Station Dealers of America and Tire Industry Association have joined forces to call on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take immediate action to have Kia withdraw a technical bulletin warning consumers not to use non-OEM filters, which the associations claim is a violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (MMWA)."
Two years ago, the four associations submitted a complaint to the FTC regarding a technical service bulletin from Kia that authorizes dealers to deny warranty coverage simply based on the use of an aftermarket filter without any determination that the filter actually caused the problem with the vehicle."
Trade Associations Insist That FTC Take Action Against Kia (aftermarketnews.com)
That's quite interesting. I have heard of instances where a non-OEM filter can cause problems on certain Audi engines, so I think it's possible.
In the early '80s some aftermarket filters for the Mitsubishi 4 cyl. would actually blow apart.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
That's all well and good if each individual circumstance can be substantiated to find that an oil filter is the root cause. I think the point of the compliant is that Kia's actions have no basis in fact-finding and are instead designed to influence consumer choice via fear-mongering.
No personal experience, but the stories I have heard about Hyundai/Kia warranty practice is that they will use absolutely any reason-legitimate or not-to ashcan a warranty, and that sounds like what is going on here. Everyone likes to cite Magnuson-Moss, but the fact of the matter is that most car companies and dealers know that the average customer doesn't have the stomach for a prolonged legal battle and they act accordingly.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
I think a car company has a perfect right to set standards for oil filters; however to suggest that no aftermarket oil filter meets their standard seems unreasonable, and to neglect to provide a list of approved oil filters leaves the customer in the dark. At the very least they should set forth a list of specifications for the oil filter and then let oil filter manufacturers respond in their packaging.
An interesting read.
It begins with a guy complaining about an upsell attempt at Tire Kingdom and expands to include anecdotes about cars that were tinkered with when they were just brought in for a tire replacement. I included the story of my Tire Kingdom fiasco late in the thread...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
I don't think I could visit a place called Tire Kingdom.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
I had no choice; it was the only Tire Rack installer on Hilton Head Island, IIRC...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
maybe if the mechanics wore turbans and there were palm trees in the bays--
or they were all dressed as knights and every hour on the hour they jousted.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
That would be very cool--they could use driveshafts as jousting spears (or whatever you call those long pointy things)
I bet Tire Kingdom has a logo with some little cute guy with a crown on his head (tilted) as he winks or stands arms akimbo. I miss corny stuff like that.
Now tire shop staff are "team members".
definition of a "team member": We pretend that we are making collective decisions but in fact you just take orders from your manager.
sounds like we found our business calling.
Medieval Times Lube & Tire
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
"Free mead in the waiting room, and please let us know if our outdoor bathrooms don't meet your expectations".
Hey, a good friend of mine home brews mead. From what others say, it is some good stuff! So... that base is COVERED!
As I mentioned in another topic, I had a minor fender-bender in my Mazdaspeed3. It looked like my insurer was going to haul the car to a local body shop where the Devil is definitely NOT in the details(while the paint and bodywork was very good, the manager couldn't understand why I wanted factory securing clips/plugs and other trim parts- and not aftermarket pieces that stood out like sore thumbs).
Fortunately, there is an excellent Mazda shop @25 away, and I was able to intercept my car and get it towed there(it was also a shop "approved" by my insurer).
I have to say that that they did a fantastic job. On top of that the shop was great to work with. Since the car is over seven years old and has 140k miles on the clock I knew the HID bulbs were living on borrowed time. I asked them if I could bring in 2 new D2S bulbs and have them installed while the front clip was being replaced- "No problem." was their reply. So my car is back as good as new and I don't have to dread pulling the front clip to R&R a dead HID bulb...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
I am truly blessed to have access to an excellent BMW dealer and an excellent Mazda dealer(not to mention 3 great indie techs)- unlike thse poor souls:
Warranty Repair Horror Stories
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
A good dealer makes all the difference, and this is why shopping strictly for price to save a couple hundred dollars might not be the best choice.
I'm like you, very proactive when it comes to people working on my car. I want to know who is doing what and I inspect the work as soon as I get the car back.
One is really good - great reviews all over the net. Unfortunately his shop is booked up a solid month in advance. The other shop got me in this morning and they seemed to know what they were doing, even if they were younger (meaning 20 years younger than me, lol). So got the front brakes done, a new hardware kit for the right rear brakes and an oil change. There was a great older guy (75 but looks 50) hanging out in the waiting room when I walked back to the shop after a leisurely breakfast. During our long gab fest I learned that his son is friends with the shop owner and does all their work. So I've found an indy mechanic - he uses Mitchell 1, Alldata and some other package whose name I forgot that lets him talk to mechanics around the country for sticky problems. He's only had one car (a BMW) that he wasn't able to pull a code for. The owner wound up towing it to El Paso (about 50 miles).
That's about how the whole town works I think. My cell phone acted up so I took it to a small shop. Naturally the phone started working in the parking lot. The guy said that since I had PagePlus, I should go to another shop if I decided just to get a new phone. Then he gave me the name and phone number of his brother who owns the shop.
Pretty much found my banker and insurance agent the same way.
A Mechanic and a Gentleman: An Odyssey into the Automotive Repair Experience
I just had one of those "why I don't work on cars much anymore" days.
All I wanted to do was put my new license plates on. How hard is that?
Okay--insert screwdriver into first license plate bolt.
Nope, not moving.
Okay, take hand-held impact tool and slam with hammer.
Nope.
Apply penetrating oil. Let soak. Have sandwich.
Re-apply various tools.
Nope, not budging.
Get out drill.
Drill away.
Bolt comes loose but spins out backing nut on license plate bracket, ripping rubber holder for backing nut.
Take off entire bracket.
Glue in new larger backing nut.
Search for appropriate size bolt and washer
Nope. Only three sizes in toolbox. Too big. Too small. Too medium.
Drive to hardware store
Glue in backing nut.
Attach license plate, clean up tools, driver, solvents, nut and bolt box, rags, drill.
GEE THAT WAS EASY!
Put some of that red stuff on the threads when I put them back in (with a screwdriver).
That'll hold me for a while. Maybe I'll play with one of those chip kits when it warms up a bit. I have the chip protected with some clear packing tape.
Well you can call neener...neener all day long on me, but your day of grief will come.
3 Ways Big Data Is Helping To Build Better Cars (Forbes)
"The average new vehicle today has about 2,000 functional mechanical components, and upwards of 100 million lines of software code. As vehicles become more intelligent, automakers are using software to provide updates for vehicles. Usually the car body is not modified during the vehicle life cycle, but software in the vehicle needs to be updated on a regular basis to ensure the connectivity with its environment or to improve the vehicle’s functionality or performance." (my emphasis)
I feel your pain, shifty!
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
I hate it when the most mundane job becomes a PITA!
I recently decided to change the air filter on my CRV. Easy job, right?
Nope! It wouldn't line up and it took me an HOUR!
Cut my hand in the process and lost a 10 MM socket "somewhere".
I hope my neighbors didn't hear me!
I have a large, professional tool box loaded with tools. some go back to high school and many have never been used.
Among them are THREE 1/2 - 9/16th flare nut wrenches. A Mac, a Craftsman and an SK.
None have ever been used and more than likely never will.
Don't ask or I'll tell you about my Fox Valley Dwell Tach and Timing Light!
So why did that one sentence come out BOLD? I didn't do it!
Lesson #7 from Shiftright's Book of Disasters-- "when attempting to remove small rusted fasteners, use penetrating oil prior to extraction and if possible use an impact tool, not a straight leverage/steady pressure tool. "
Or the snap I once heard when a motor mount bolt broke off in the block!