Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

ab348

Huh. Who would have thought that a sound system would be so hard to fix? But then I remembered my experience back in the '80s with my Toyota MR2 and it's pathetic little sound system. The OEM thing Toyota supplied was made by a company called Fujitsu Ten and was a 2-speaker (!) AM/FM/cassette unit. It's one special feature was that it could handle AM Stereo signals, which were a relatively new thing at the time and which did not last very long.

I forget exactly what the problem I originally had was, but the dealer could not do anything other than order a replacement head unit. It took weeks if not months to arrive. That one had a problem almost immediately and they went through the routine again. That one was DOA out of the box and they had to source a 4th one, which finally seemed to be OK. But all in all, I was without a working radio for about 4 months. So much for legendary Toyota quality!

imidazol97

ab348 said:

So much for legendary Toyota quality!

All cars put on their wheels one lug nut at a time: they all have problems.

qbrozen

But I understand where ab348 is coming from. Granted, the stereo isn't made by Toyota (or Honda, as in my case), but its a consumer perception. I've bought a new Ford, a new Chrysler, and a new Honda, all within 18 mos of each other. You'd probably have a hard time finding many people who would have guessed the Honda is the only 1 of the 3 that is in need of repair, and its the newest. I'm not drawing conclusions from it, and I certainly understand things happen ... just making an observation that it could mar a brand in someone's mind.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

Further to your question, we would like to clarify that the offer was for a $500.00 dealer credit for parts and service. Since you own the AudiCare plan, we can make an exception and send you a $500.00 cheque.

Great. That's a relief.

I was thinking last night how bad things usually come in 3's. You've had a clutch problem with a car that shouldn't have had a clutch problem, you've had a windshield chip on a brand new car, so what will be the next in the series?

Thanks for noting the Audi problem is over.. I was thinking the same thing, what will number 3 be. Well, I just had #3. The garage door came down on the trunk lid. By the way, that little round part of the emblem is really cheap plastic. A detail guy can't do it apparently, it is on the crease and will need paint. Exactly $500 to fix, when money comes in it usually goes out...so there goes the Audi money.

I usually put up the garage door when I start the car, but the garage was dark so I put it up before I got in. . I got in the car, did some paper work, my wife asked me a question I had to really think about, I put the car in reverse, pressed the garage door opener button forgetting it was up - had a senior moment - and it came down on the trunk.
I didn't see it in the rear camera because it was up. I think I just pressed the remote automatically, not realizing I already put it up. It is a tiny dent, but costly.

Has to go in at noon Wed, ready next day at 5. I never win, but, life goes on and worse things could happen. But why do they happen on a new car?

The good news is Safelite filled the windshield and I really don't know where the mark was. The fellow told me it will never be perfect, but they can replace the window with the exact same glass as it has now for about $650, and the cost of the liquid repair can be applied to that - $100! He said to order real Mercedes glass would cost about $1500, but that could be done. The real MB glass has MB, written on it, so I am glad this seems to be working.

I joined Angies List to get the name of a good collision shop. This one is further than I hoped, but got 15 A ratings, and lots of excellent comments. The one that is nearby that I was going to use had 3 Cs. For $10 a year I think Angies list was good. If you get to signing up and then decide not to join they give you 30% off..$7 a year....could save $100s.

nyccarguy

@abacomike‌

"I would never have had the patience to do what you did, driver"

You wouldn't have had the chance. His A4 is 2 years old and has 10K miles on it. If it were yours, you would have traded it in already:)

@qbrozen‌

I think the point of the 3.6R is smoothness. If they'd give the option of the DI Turbo 4 they put in the Forester & WRX it would be sweet. I think the CVT is very well suited to my Legacy's 4 cyl engine.

Funny you should say that about your Mustang, T&C, and Fit. At one point, my brother in law owned a 2006 Civic LX & a 2006 Dodge Durango SLT (HEMI ARGH ARGH ARGH). Guess which one had the engine replaced at 75K miles (under warranty)? He's still got the Durango BTW.

@tommister2‌

I've said before, our Pilot is nothing special, but it really works well for us. I'd have a very hard time replacing it, especially given it only has a little over 56K miles in 3 1/2 years and I only owe about $12K on it. My wife does want a power lift gate though:)

abacomike

@driver100‌

OK, driver, enough!  I thought I was the only one around here with constant drama in my life.  Welcome to the club.  I sincerely hope you are finished with your drama for the rest of you winter get-away.

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

Funny you should say that about your Mustang, T&C, and Fit. At one point, my brother in law owned a 2006 Civic LX & a 2006 Dodge Durango SLT (HEMI ARGH ARGH ARGH). Guess which one had the engine replaced at 75K miles (under warranty)? He's still got the Durango BTW.

OH, AND I got extended warranties on the T&C and stang, but not on the Fit! Oh boy.

tommister2

@nyccarguy I agree. There's not one special thing but the overall package works really well. Luckily ours is a 2012 EX-L so we do have the power lift gate. I won't say anything to your wife

tommister2

@qbrozen to me it's just made worse that the dealers handle the situation so poorly. You even have proof on video and they won't do anything for you. That's ridiculous!

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Thanks for noting the Audi problem is over.. I was thinking the same thing, what will number 3 be. Well, I just had #3. The garage door came down on the trunk lid.

/

Wow. I'm sorry to hear that. I was just joking about the adage that things come in 3's.

roadburner

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

Further to your question, we would like to clarify that the offer was for a $500.00 dealer credit for parts and service. Since you own the AudiCare plan, we can make an exception and send you a $500.00 cheque.

Great. That's a relief.

I was thinking last night how bad things usually come in 3's. You've had a clutch problem with a car that shouldn't have had a clutch problem, you've had a windshield chip on a brand new car, so what will be the next in the series?

Thanks for noting the Audi problem is over.. I was thinking the same thing, what will number 3 be. Well, I just had #3. The garage door came down on the trunk lid. By the way, that little round part of the emblem is really cheap plastic. A detail guy can't do it apparently, it is on the crease and will need paint. Exactly $500 to fix, when money comes in it usually goes out...so there goes the Audi money.

I usually put up the garage door when I start the car, but the garage was dark so I put it up before I got in. . I got in the car, did some paper work, my wife asked me a question I had to really think about, I put the car in reverse, pressed the garage door opener button forgetting it was up - had a senior moment - and it came down on the trunk.
I didn't see it in the rear camera because it was up. I think I just pressed the remote automatically, not realizing I already put it up. It is a tiny dent, but costly.

Has to go in at noon Wed, ready next day at 5. I never win, but, life goes on and worse things could happen. But why do they happen on a new car?

The good news is Safelite filled the windshield and I really don't know where the mark was. The fellow told me it will never be perfect, but they can replace the window with the exact same glass as it has now for about $650, and the cost of the liquid repair can be applied to that - $100! He said to order real Mercedes glass would cost about $1500, but that could be done. The real MB glass has MB, written on it, so I am glad this seems to be working.

I joined Angies List to get the name of a good collision shop. This one is further than I hoped, but got 15 A ratings, and lots of excellent comments. The one that is nearby that I was going to use had 3 Cs. For $10 a year I think Angies list was good. If you get to signing up and then decide not to join they give you 30% off..$7 a year....could save $100s.

Don't feel too bad; my wife, son, and I have all clipped the basement garage door by backing out a bit too soon. My wife and son used the X3- me, I nailed the door with the Thule bicycle rack on the 2002. My wife's incident was the only one that required bodywork; she scraped up the rear roof spoiler enough that we had to get it repainted.

imidazol97

roadburner said:

Don't feel too bad; my wife, son, and I have all clipped the basement garage door by backing out a bit too soon. My wife and son used the X3- me, I nailed the door with the Thule bicycle rack on the 2002. My wife's incident was the only one that required bodywork; she scraped up the rear roof spoiler enough that we had to get it repainted.

In the pattern of true confessions, I backed the leSabre into the garage so that the left door opened between the two cars when it was the primary car. Somehow I misread the distance and got the right side mirror against the wood strip with the plastic seal for the door. As I went backwards it swedged the mirror harder against the wood even though the mirror is foldable. It distorted the plastic hood around the mirror, cracked it, and dislodged the glass from the 3 moving pins that do the adjusting.

I used an online parts locator, found a mirror in Toledo at a wrecking yard that matched the accessories (Muth mirror with LED turn signals and memory). $20 for shipping and some price for the mirror and I had a replacement. It was not the same color. Couldn't find one of those to buy from anywhere. I waited and my wife backed into a post at Walmart next to the handicapped parking. So when they repainted the rear bumper, I had them paint and install the mirror for me. I didn't even have to try spray paint and installing it myself.

ab348

imidazol97 said:

ab348 said:

So much for legendary Toyota quality!

All cars put on their wheels one lug nut at a time: they all have problems.

Well, the MR2 had more than its share in 4 years of ownership. Aside from the radio woes, the passenger door window fell off its track within the first few months. The clutch linkage always had a clunk/rattle in it that nobody could fix. The radio antenna assembly fell out of its housing (it was the type that mounted on the roof at the top of the A-pillar). There was a large threaded bung on the exhaust manifold, apparently tapped for a sensor that wasn't used here, that would periodically back out. When it did that you were basically running with a 1" hole in the manifold and if you didn't immediately catch it and somehow re-tighten the red-hot bung, it would fall out. Apparently Loctite would not last in that location. That was always fun. The rusties got to it in year 3 and required some body work on the front valance. The throwout bearing on the clutch was starting to give up the ghost when I sold it. And then finally there was a coolant leak in the cylinder head that required a rebuild of the entire top end after the dealer botched the original repair. That's all I can recall nearly 3 decades later.

explorerx4

@driver100, I'd look for a paintless dent removal service and get their opinion. They can fix dents on creases. We had one fixed years ago. Avoid repainting, if possible.

imidazol97

explorerx4 said:

@driver100, I'd look for a paintless dent removal service and get their opinion. They can fix dents on creases. We had one fixed years ago. Avoid repainting, if possible.

X2

abacomike

@driver100‌

As as a quick fix, assuming the dent in the trunk does not include any paint damage, I agree.  But repainting the trunk after the dent is removed is quite simple because the trunk lid is not very large and easy to remove for painting.

i would think the dent in the trunk included some paint marring - if so, best to have the trunk repainted.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

roadburner said:

Don't feel too bad; my wife, son, and I have all clipped the basement garage door by backing out a bit too soon. My wife and son used the X3- me, I nailed the door with the Thule bicycle rack on the 2002. My wife's incident was the only one that required bodywork; she scraped up the rear roof spoiler enough that we had to get it repainted.

In the pattern of true confessions,

Most people don't like to admit to these incidents. I wasn't sure about mentioning it, but, we are all human and unfortaunately things can happen.

In my defence, the garage door at home has a beam and wouldn't have closed down on the car. I did assume this one would never close on the car. It's the law back home. Today I saw a motorcycle rider without a helmet on I-75. Back home you have to wear a helmet if you are driving a motorcycle...passengers too! I thought the stone hit my windshield like a bullet...hate for a motorcycle guy to get hit in the head with a stone.

You have to look for the silver lining....it's a wake up call and may make me more careful when it really matters....same for everyone who has had a similar incident.

driver100

abacomike said:

@driver100‌

As as a quick fix, assuming the dent in the trunk does not include any paint damage, I agree.  But repainting the trunk after the dent is removed is quite simple because the trunk lid is not very large and easy to remove for painting.

i would think the dent in the trunk included some paint marring - if so, best to have the trunk repainted.

I figure the dent guy will be over $100 and it might not look right. Plus, he won't be able to fix and get an emblem. My collision guy could have his detail guy do it, but, he said it won't be perfect. This way it should be good as new. The emblem was $18, the collision guy said he never heard of an MB part that cost less than $50. This is thin plastic that bends and I think it is glued on.

driver100

I have one short sales story that took place when I went in to the collision shop. They have about 20 rough looking used cars for sale outside. The guy before me asked if the collision shop owner sold the used cars. He said he was looking after them for a friend - and rolled his eyes. The supposed customer said he was looking for a used car for under $1500!

The shop owner said even if he could find a car that was in running order at that price he would have to put at least $3500 into it to get it in good order. He had a Jetta with 100k miles but it didn't have window handles and one rear window didn't work, and that he was selling for $3500, so you get some idea. He had a car he paid $3000 for at the auction but it is burning oil - lots of oil and he is going to return it.

I am not complaining, the owner had to deal with this guy, but I would get frustrated having someone like that waste my time. The owner did say if he could get decent cars he could even buy for $1500 he could sell dozens of them every day.

snakeweasel

ab348 said:

bwia said:

Can't teach old dogs new tricks?

Well, I have to give my daughter her driving props. She recently purchased a town house with a tiny single car garage, that is suitable for perhaps a Smart for 2 or a FIAT 500. Yet she is able to park her Ford Escape Titanium in that tiny garage with about two inches to spare on either side.

How doe she get in/out of the vehicle with so little room?

Maybe like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnKoGN2oaTk

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

I have one short sales story that took place when I went in to the collision shop. They have about 20 rough looking used cars for sale outside. The guy before me asked if the collision shop owner sold the used cars. He said he was looking after them for a friend - and rolled his eyes. The supposed customer said he was looking for a used car for under $1500!

The shop owner said even if he could find a car that was in running order at that price he would have to put at least $3500 into it to get it in good order. He had a Jetta with 100k miles but it didn't have window handles and one rear window didn't work, and that he was selling for $3500, so you get some idea. He had a car he paid $3000 for at the auction but it is burning oil - lots of oil and he is going to return it.

I am not complaining, the owner had to deal with this guy, but I would get frustrated having someone like that waste my time. The owner did say if he could get decent cars he could even buy for $1500 he could sell dozens of them every day.

Those people obviously never heard of Craigslist.

I did a search of Tampa CL for under $1500 and got 4950+ hits.

I like this one with 75k miles.

stickguy

I agree. even up here $3,500 will get you a decent condition car. That guy would have gone nuts for my TL!

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

I have one short sales story that took place when I went in to the collision shop. They have about 20 rough looking used cars for sale outside. The guy before me asked if the collision shop owner sold the used cars. He said he was looking after them for a friend - and rolled his eyes. The supposed customer said he was looking for a used car for under $1500!

The shop owner said even if he could find a car that was in running order at that price he would have to put at least $3500 into it to get it in good order. He had a Jetta with 100k miles but it didn't have window handles and one rear window didn't work, and that he was selling for $3500, so you get some idea. He had a car he paid $3000 for at the auction but it is burning oil - lots of oil and he is going to return it.

I am not complaining, the owner had to deal with this guy, but I would get frustrated having someone like that waste my time. The owner did say if he could get decent cars he could even buy for $1500 he could sell dozens of them every day.

Those people obviously never heard of Craigslist.

I did a search of Tampa CL for under $1500 and got 4950+ hits.

I like this one with 75k miles.

That car looks a little funny for 75k miles. It seems to me the trunk doesn't close properly. The rear left fender looks like it has a coating on it. The front end forward looks a little droopy.

Maybe someone can sell a car for $1500....as is. But a lot can't buy a car, clean it up, get it road worthy, and make a profit at $1500. What profit would there be after all the trouble of buying it, fixing it up, storing it, expenses etc....?

driver100

stickguy said:

I agree. even up here $3,500 will get you a decent condition car. That guy would have gone nuts for my TL!

Yes, but your TL was a one in a million. Really, there isn't enough profit for a dealer to sell cars for $3500. You'd get very few good cars at that price,,,,,and the profit isn't enough to keep a lot going. Think of the expenses, a lot, employees, money tied up in inventory, cost to repair cars, guaranty.....etc etc. And you were the seller so you are selling directly to the customer with no expenses.

Yes, the customer should have tried CL. Seller direct to buyer would get the price down, but still, there aren't too many gems for $1500.

houdini1

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

roadburner said:

Don't feel too bad; my wife, son, and I have all clipped the basement garage door by backing out a bit too soon. My wife and son used the X3- me, I nailed the door with the Thule bicycle rack on the 2002. My wife's incident was the only one that required bodywork; she scraped up the rear roof spoiler enough that we had to get it repainted.

In the pattern of true confessions,

Most people don't like to admit to these incidents. I wasn't sure about mentioning it, but, we are all human and unfortaunately things can happen.

In my defence, the garage door at home has a beam and wouldn't have closed down on the car. I did assume this one would never close on the car. It's the law back home. Today I saw a motorcycle rider without a helmet on I-75. Back home you have to wear a helmet if you are driving a motorcycle...passengers too! I thought the stone hit my windshield like a bullet...hate for a motorcycle guy to get hit in the head with a stone.

You have to look for the silver lining....it's a wake up call and may make me more careful when it really matters....same for everyone who has had a similar incident.

Seems odd they don't have garage door beams in Florida. It has been the law in Kansas for at least 30 years.

robr2

driver100 said:

That car looks a little funny for 75k miles. It seems to me the trunk doesn't close properly. The rear left fender looks like it has a coating on it. The front end forward looks a little droopy.

And that's why its $1500!!

stickguy

the beams won't save your trunk lid if it is just slightly hanging over, since they are set right at ground level. there is an auto reverse feature, but some of them aren't set sensitive enough to not cause a dent.

mako1a

henryn Houston, TX said:
I finally just gave up on using a flash drive, and instead carry CDRs loaded with MP3 files.

I meant to respond earlier, but got busy. I too like MP3s on a memory stick. You can put thousands of songs on that tiny thing and playback will sort any way you like. By song A to Z or by artist A to Z or random play. At least it does in my Mustang.
I was surprised to hear you're having such trouble with a late model Ford as I thought they had their sound systems sorted out. Good luck on the fix.
I know I don't use SYNC to its full capacity (how do folders work?), but what I use works great.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

I have one short sales story that took place when I went in to the collision shop. They have about 20 rough looking used cars for sale outside. The guy before me asked if the collision shop owner sold the used cars. He said he was looking after them for a friend - and rolled his eyes. The supposed customer said he was looking for a used car for under $1500!

The shop owner said even if he could find a car that was in running order at that price he would have to put at least $3500 into it to get it in good order. He had a Jetta with 100k miles but it didn't have window handles and one rear window didn't work, and that he was selling for $3500, so you get some idea. He had a car he paid $3000 for at the auction but it is burning oil - lots of oil and he is going to return it.

I am not complaining, the owner had to deal with this guy, but I would get frustrated having someone like that waste my time. The owner did say if he could get decent cars he could even buy for $1500 he could sell dozens of them every day.

Those people obviously never heard of Craigslist.

I did a search of Tampa CL for under $1500 and got 4950+ hits.

I like this one with 75k miles.

That car looks a little funny for 75k miles. It seems to me the trunk doesn't close properly. The rear left fender looks like it has a coating on it. The front end forward looks a little droopy.

Maybe someone can sell a car for $1500....as is. But a lot can't buy a car, clean it up, get it road worthy, and make a profit at $1500. What profit would there be after all the trouble of buying it, fixing it up, storing it, expenses etc....?

If you expect a $1500 car to be perfect you will indeed be disappointed. It will either be old (that caddie is a 92'), miled up or need at least the selling price in repairs. The trick is to find one that isn't all three.

I agree that it's tough for a dealer to fix a $1500 car up to be perfect but especially down there in Florida there are a lot of snow birds "donating" low mile old cars to the market every day as they trade them in for wings and harps.

driver100

houdini1 said:

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

roadburner said:

Don't feel too bad; my wife, son, and I have all clipped the basement garage door by backing out a bit too soon. My wife and son used the X3- me, I nailed the door with the Thule bicycle rack on the 2002. My wife's incident was the only one that required bodywork; she scraped up the rear roof spoiler enough that we had to get it repainted.

In the pattern of true confessions,

Most people don't like to admit to these incidents. I wasn't sure about mentioning it, but, we are all human and unfortaunately things can happen.

In my defence, the garage door at home has a beam and wouldn't have closed down on the car. I did assume this one would never close on the car. It's the law back home. Today I saw a motorcycle rider without a helmet on I-75. Back home you have to wear a helmet if you are driving a motorcycle...passengers too! I thought the stone hit my windshield like a bullet...hate for a motorcycle guy to get hit in the head with a stone.

You have to look for the silver lining....it's a wake up call and may make me more careful when it really matters....same for everyone who has had a similar incident.

Seems odd they don't have garage door beams in Florida. It has been the law in Kansas for at least 30 years.

It seems anything goes in Florida, carry a gun if you like, don't wear a helmet on a motorcycle, yak on your cell phone while driving, texting is probably ok. I don't know if they have a drivers test after a certain age. But, it's still a great place to be.....little chance of rain and high 70s to 80 until at least Sunday.

driver100

stickguy said:

the beams won't save your trunk lid if it is just slightly hanging over, since they are set right at ground level. there is an auto reverse feature, but some of them aren't set sensitive enough to not cause a dent.

I think the beam is at least a foot high, so it would have caught the bumper area and it would have stopped the door from coming down.....I am pretty sure.

I was looking at the work order and I noticed the garage owner puts my VIN number in the system and he knows everything about my car...all the standard and optional equipment. I don't see heated windshield. At the windshield place he said the windshield contained the wiper sensors and lane change warning. Is that blind spot warning.....and why would that be in the windshield, should be in the mirrors? If it is lane change that could be the one that tells you if you are drowsy and going over the lines I guess.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

I have one short sales story that took place when I went in to the collision shop. They have about 20 rough looking used cars for sale outside. The guy before me asked if the collision shop owner sold the used cars. He said he was looking after them for a friend - and rolled his eyes. The supposed customer said he was looking for a used car for under $1500!

The shop owner said even if he could find a car that was in running order at that price he would have to put at least $3500 into it to get it in good order. He had a Jetta with 100k miles but it didn't have window handles and one rear window didn't work, and that he was selling for $3500, so you get some idea. He had a car he paid $3000 for at the auction but it is burning oil - lots of oil and he is going to return it.

I am not complaining, the owner had to deal with this guy, but I would get frustrated having someone like that waste my time. The owner did say if he could get decent cars he could even buy for $1500 he could sell dozens of them every day.

Those people obviously never heard of Craigslist.

I did a search of Tampa CL for under $1500 and got 4950+ hits.

I like this one with 75k miles.

That car looks a little funny for 75k miles. It seems to me the trunk doesn't close properly. The rear left fender looks like it has a coating on it. The front end forward looks a little droopy.

Maybe someone can sell a car for $1500....as is. But a lot can't buy a car, clean it up, get it road worthy, and make a profit at $1500. What profit would there be after all the trouble of buying it, fixing it up, storing it, expenses etc....?

If you expect a $1500 car to be perfect you will indeed be disappointed. It will either be old (that caddie is a 92'), miled up or need at least the selling price in repairs. The trick is to find one that isn't all three.

I agree that it's tough for a dealer to fix a $1500 car up to be perfect but especially down there in Florida there are a lot of snow birds "donating" low mile old cars to the market every day as they trade them in for wings and harps.

Oldfarmer, you are the master of the $1500 car and/or hooptie. Ever consider getting into the used car business or becoming a curbsider? I think it would be fun to sell cars on your own lot, but, it must be a really difficult business, and you would really have to know what you were doing.

graphicguy

OldFarmer......I sort of like that $1,500 Caddy. Probably been wrecked and repaired the cheapest way possible because it was going to go away to begin with.

But, if the miles are correct, and it runs right, well worth $1,500, IMHO.

Driver....good to hear that Audi FINALLY came around and did the right thing. I don't know why they insist on being so combative with their customers. Regardless of brand, that never works out well for any company, when they refuse to follow the reasonable path. There is no way they could possibly think you or your wife were at fault for a clutch failing way prematurely. It's a shame that you had to force their hand.

I don't know how they could possibly think it was good for them to stonewall you. But, that's similar to what they did to me, too. So unfortunately, not really a surprise.

roadburner

@graphicguy- I think Audi's "Penny wise, Pound foolish" strategy of dealing with customers will hurt them in the long run- me, I've essentially crossed Audi off my shopping list permanently- the Louisville dealer doesn't exactly inspire confidence and based on what I've read here-and elsewhere I would not want to deal with the suits higher up the food chain either...

jayrider

roadburner said:

@graphicguy- I think Audi's "Penny wise, Pound foolish" strategy of dealing with customers will hurt them in the long run- me, I've essentially crossed Audi off my shopping list permanently- the Louisville dealer doesn't exactly inspire confidence and based on what I've read here-and elsewhere I would not want to deal with the suits higher up the food chain either...

Just make sure you stay away from the standard transmission and all should be well.

fezo

Ha! Telling roadburner to stay away from standard transmissions! Haven't had a good laugh like that in a while. He's less likely to go with an automatic than I am!

roadburner

fezo said:

Ha! Telling roadburner to stay away from standard transmissions! Haven't had a good laugh like that in a while. He's less likely to go with an automatic than I am!

Pretty much...

Mr_Shiftright

I've done a LOT of math on "fixer-uppers" and it's been my experience over the years that in most cases, you're better off buying the best car you can for as much as you can afford.

I was looking at a 2001 Dodge Dakota 4X4 pickup last week. Great price. Clean body and interior.

But then I started looking more closely. Hmmm....needs four tires. Front tires worn very irregularly, 1/2 of tread worn to steel, other half ok. That's some front end repair for sure.

Overdrive button hanging out of stalk.

AC doesn't work

Heater fan doesn't work

Engine sounds good, but erratic idle. No valid smog certificate

tail lights, panel lights not working

driver's side window barely goes up and down.

So now I'm thinkin'---why not just pay $4000 for a clean one that's smogged and ready to roll?

henryn

driver100 said:

It seems anything goes in Florida, carry a gun if you like, don't wear a helmet on a motorcycle, yak on your cell phone while driving, texting is probably ok. I don't know if they have a drivers test after a certain age. But, it's still a great place to be.....little chance of rain and high 70s to 80 until at least Sunday.

You should try Texas. The last legislature passed a law banning texting while driving, and our wonderful governor vetoed it. I mean seriously, people should be allowed to text while driving???

I can somewhat understand the no helmet thing. That is, mostly, a personal choice, and if you want to kill yourself, more power to you. But if you're texting while driving at 70 mph in a 4,000 pound automobile, you're likely to take out a lot of other people when you run off the road and hit the local Starbucks.

Mr_Shiftright

You have to understand---this is a state that allows guns in bars. What could possibly go wrong?

Having driven a few 2014 cars loaded with tech, I have to say that some of it is downright brilliant, but some of it is terribly distracting. There is simply too much going on.

I don't want to have to involve myself at a level better suited to the pilot of a small plane. Flying is intense. I would hope driving to be less so.

driver100

graphicguy said:

I don't know how they could possibly think it was good for them to stonewall you. But, that's similar to what they did to me, too. So unfortunately, not really a surprise.

I am on the borderline with Audi now, but, before I was a loyal and pleased customer. So, I got what I asked for originally, but, now I am leary. We'll see what happens over the next 2 years. When I read some reports looking for clutch info I found some real Audi horror stories.

henryn

mako1a said:

henryn Houston, TX said:
I finally just gave up on using a flash drive, and instead carry CDRs loaded with MP3 files.

I meant to respond earlier, but got busy. I too like MP3s on a memory stick. You can put thousands of songs on that tiny thing and playback will sort any way you like. By song A to Z or by artist A to Z or random play. At least it does in my Mustang.
I was surprised to hear you're having such trouble with a late model Ford as I thought they had their sound systems sorted out. Good luck on the fix.
I know I don't use SYNC to its full capacity (how do folders work?), but what I use works great.

This isn't going to get fixed. Many other people have encountered the same problem, and Ford has no answers. Their basic mistake was using WinCE for the Operating System.

What happens is this: I like to carry multiple memory sticks. One has my collection of late 50's early 60's Do Wop, one has my hard rock (Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, etc), another for Easy Listening (everything from Frank Sinatra to Patsy Cline to Simon and Garfunkel). When you swap out the flash drive, sometimes (not everytime, but fairly often) the Sync system (AKA WinCE) refuses to recognize the new flash drive. And nothing short of pulling the fuse (hard reset) will make it recognize any flash drive after that.

If you do google searches, and spend some time reading, Ford definitely knows about the problem. And they even have a solution: Pull the fuse temporarily.

driver100

roadburner said:

@graphicguy- I think Audi's "Penny wise, Pound foolish" strategy of dealing with customers will hurt them in the long run- me, I've essentially crossed Audi off my shopping list permanently- the Louisville dealer doesn't exactly inspire confidence and based on what I've read here-and elsewhere I would not want to deal with the suits higher up the food chain either...

Audi is getting better, if they are planning on becoming #1, and they are...and they are the worlds most profitable car maker - they will have to get better reliability and customer relations.

RB, you are very limited in the number of cars you will be able to buy that are suitable for the track, and are manuals. Manual transmissions are going the way of the dinosaur. Kids don't learn on them and don't want to learn. I drove the Passat with manual today and it was the best thing about driving it....its a good car but the real fun is in shifting the gears.

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

I've done a LOT of math on "fixer-uppers" and it's been my experience over the years that in most cases, you're better off buying the best car you can for as much as you can afford.

I was looking at a 2001 Dodge Dakota 4X4 pickup last week. Great price. Clean body and interior.

But then I started looking more closely. Hmmm....needs four tires. Front tires worn very irregularly, 1/2 of tread worn to steel, other half ok. That's some front end repair for sure.

Overdrive button hanging out of stalk.

AC doesn't work

Heater fan doesn't work

Engine sounds good, but erratic idle. No valid smog certificate

tail lights, panel lights not working

driver's side window barely goes up and down.

So now I'm thinkin'---why not just pay $4000 for a clean one that's smogged and ready to roll?

The collision shop/used car lot guy said the cheapest car he had was $3500, but it needed a few $1000 put into it. A cheap used car is a real gamble. They look all nice and innocent sitting there on a lot and you think, how much can go wrong. Well, when you see what a clutch can cost to fix you can see how costly repairs can be. Since I am not mechanically minded I would only buy a used car from an aquaintance, someone that I know the reason for selling - like an estate sale in Florida, a dealer that will guaranty and certify the car and who has a good reputation. I have owned my fair share of used cars, most were good, but when you get a bad one it can be a real money pit.

robr2

henryn said:

I can somewhat understand the no helmet thing. That is, mostly, a personal choice, and if you want to kill yourself, more power to you.

I look it another way - it's a personal choice but only if you actually die. If you don't, it's no longer a personal choice as you are going to be a drain on the social and insurance systems as you will need expensive care for a long time.

Mr_Shiftright

Especially modern cars. If say you saw an ad that said:

"2006 Mini Cooper convertible for sale. Pristine condition, low miles. Needs new automatic transmission"

"2006 Porsche Boxster pristine, low miles, needs engine work"


In reality, both those cars are worth nothing. They are totaled, done, finito, to the wrecker.

robr2

henryn said:

What happens is this: I like to carry multiple memory sticks. One has my collection of late 50's early 60's Do Wop, one has my hard rock (Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, etc), another for Easy Listening (everything from Frank Sinatra to Patsy Cline to Simon and Garfunkel). When you swap out the flash drive, sometimes (not everytime, but fairly often) the Sync system (AKA WinCE) refuses to recognize the new flash drive. And nothing short of pulling the fuse (hard reset) will make it recognize any flash drive after that.

If you do google searches, and spend some time reading, Ford definitely knows about the problem. And they even have a solution: Pull the fuse temporarily.

Have you ever thought of just going on craigslist and getting a used iPod instead of putting up with the memory stick issue?

driver100

henryn said:

driver100 said:

It seems anything goes in Florida, carry a gun if you like, don't wear a helmet on a motorcycle, yak on your cell phone while driving, texting is probably ok. I don't know if they have a drivers test after a certain age. But, it's still a great place to be.....little chance of rain and high 70s to 80 until at least Sunday.

You should try Texas. The last legislature passed a law banning texting while driving, and our wonderful governor vetoed it. I mean seriously, people should be allowed to text while driving???

I can somewhat understand the no helmet thing. That is, mostly, a personal choice, and if you want to kill yourself, more power to you. But if you're texting while driving at 70 mph in a 4,000 pound automobile, you're likely to take out a lot of other people when you run off the road and hit the local Starbucks.

In Canada the government pays for our medical expenses. So, if the guy on the motorcycle slides across the pavement and hits a tree at 90 mph....we have to pay for his medical expenses.
So, we care about such things. If that same guy pays his own medical expenses, or if his insurance covers him, then I guess it is his decision.

Allowing texting while driving is insane. I read people who text are addicted, they absolutely have to be doing it...even while driving.

Mr_Shiftright

What was that recent survey result? The average person checks their cell phone something like 75 times a day? Or was it 58? Something like that. More than you'd think.

ray80

Mr_Shiftright said:

What was that recent survey result? The average person checks their cell phone something like 75 times a day? Or was it 58? Something like that. More than you'd think.

Hhmm let me check, I think theres an app for that