Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

boomchek said:

driver100 said:

boomchek said:

@bwia I would track the car via GM's onstar. Assuming subscription is active the car can be located through the service. If not, then pay to activate it and track it down. Like others said get possession of it first and then deal with disposing it in order to pay off the loan.

How did you find your way back....and become a new member again....when others who are here continuously can't do it? Nice to have you back. What are you doing? How is the baby....probably 9 or 10 by now?

Thanks @driver100 , nice to be back too.

I disappeared off the forums for a few years due to work schedule (working crazy hours plus saving to buy a bigger home). The hard work earned me a manager position at a used car lot (I was basically running the place on my own), which gave me enough experience to get a manger position at a Honda dealership, which I'm at now. I finally work semi normal hours now and have a bit more time, and we finally bought our place big enough for our family of 4 (went from 1 bedroom condo to 3 bedroom townhouse). Not easy with homes in Vancouver costing an arm and a leg.

We have 2 kids now, my baby son is now 9 years old, and turned into a real car guy, and we have a 3 year old daughter.

I used my old log in here and although at first it said there's no such user name, I went to create a new account and somehow it just logged me in and everything is still intact how I left it a few years ago.

Good to see a lot of familiar names still around.

@boomchek, let me also join in with welcoming you back. I'm sure you know that my welcome-back wishes far out-weigh those of the others but we let everyone in here say their piece. Nice to hear that your hard work has paid off. I know I could never have put up with life in the car biz. I have also noticed that your writing has improved too. Not quite to my level but there ain't too many that can claim they are in my category.

Good luck in the biz and with your family. Stick around. With you and me in here this place could become even more special than it is now (think about it).

jmonroe

Notice too, Boomcheck has been away for about 5 years but was able to sign in with his same account, other regulars can't use their original name and have to add a 1.

When you're one better than the original that's when you know you've arrived.

jmonroe

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

RainX suggests wiper blades should be changed at 6 months. Generic sites say 6 months to a year. I think I change them about every 2 years even before storing the car for half a year. Isn't 6 months a bit much?

Most aftermarket blades don't last 6 days on my cars before I get rid of them. Every set I've tried has been a disappointment and don't last very long, always go back to OEM.

I think I agree with getting some OEM parts. When I was doing oil changes on the '15 Genny I could not find filters at any of the auto parts stores unless they special ordered them and if I agreed to that I never heard of the company. So I went to the dealer and got them. I was very surprised that they cost less than 8 bucks at the dealer for an OEM filter. I couldn't find wiper blades either for the '15 Genny at the auto parts. Dealer price was $35 for both and like with a lot of cars today they were different sizes.

My experience with the GM cars I used to own was that OEM belts, hoses and batteries were always better than the aftermarket jobs. I'm convinced they were made to better specifications. Last month Son #1 put the jinx on me when he had to replace the battery in his 2016 Kia van. Two weeks later I had to replace the battery in Mrs. j's 2012 Legacy but it was more than 2 years old. Some things are worth the extra cost, if there even is one, but I don't go cart blanche with that thought.

jmonroe

I once went for a factory job at Goodyear....thank goodness they didn't hire me or I would have ended up making tires for the rest of my natural life. That was in the 70s, and one thing I learned about tires and it is probably true of wiper blades and other parts too;
1st quality tires go to the manufacturer even though they don't pay much for them. That is to keep the manufacturer happy and because most people will replace their tires with the same tires.
2nd best quality tires go to generic dealers who buy from several tire makers. That way their tires will be in demand, and have to be good to compete with other brands.
3rd best tires go to their own dealers....that is franchised Goodyear dealers. They have no choice of ordering another brand, and the people who come in already like the brand.

BTW....I thought a battery should last for at least 5 years.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

boomchek said:

driver100 said:

boomchek said:

@bwia I would track the car via GM's onstar. Assuming subscription is active the car can be located through the service. If not, then pay to activate it and track it down. Like others said get possession of it first and then deal with disposing it in order to pay off the loan.

How did you find your way back....and become a new member again....when others who are here continuously can't do it? Nice to have you back. What are you doing? How is the baby....probably 9 or 10 by now?

Thanks @driver100 , nice to be back too.

I disappeared off the forums for a few years due to work schedule (working crazy hours plus saving to buy a bigger home). The hard work earned me a manager position at a used car lot (I was basically running the place on my own), which gave me enough experience to get a manger position at a Honda dealership, which I'm at now. I finally work semi normal hours now and have a bit more time, and we finally bought our place big enough for our family of 4 (went from 1 bedroom condo to 3 bedroom townhouse). Not easy with homes in Vancouver costing an arm and a leg.

We have 2 kids now, my baby son is now 9 years old, and turned into a real car guy, and we have a 3 year old daughter.

I used my old log in here and although at first it said there's no such user name, I went to create a new account and somehow it just logged me in and everything is still intact how I left it a few years ago.

Good to see a lot of familiar names still around.

@boomchek, let me also join in with welcoming you back. I'm sure you know that my welcome-back wishes far out-weigh those of the others but we let everyone in here say their piece. Nice to hear that your hard work has paid off. I know I could never have put up with life in the car biz. I have also noticed that your writing has improved too. Not quite to my level but there ain't too many that can claim they are in my category.

Good luck in the biz and with your family. Stick around. With you and me in here this place could become even more special than it is now (think about it).

jmonroe

Notice too, Boomcheck has been away for about 5 years but was able to sign in with his same account, other regulars can't use their original name and have to add a 1.

When you're one better than the original that's when you know you've arrived.

jmonroe

Says the newbie who has 216 posts!

fintail

I've had less than perfect experiences with the OEM Valeo wipers on the MB W212 E-class - to the point that I stripped out the factory blades and replaced them with Bosch Icon rubber (used the Bosch rubber in the much slimmer Valeo blade holder). The OEM blades for this car get juddery and chattery within a few months, I have tried several sets on different cars, even replaced under warranty, same results. It appears to be a design issue. The Bosch/Valeo hybrid did the trick, silent operation.

I am not sure if the W213 E like driver's E400 has the same issue.

Most bikers overestimate their skill IMO, I wouldn't want the typical rider trying speed runs on a Hayabusa.

henryn said:

I have wondered myself, more than once, why it is that you can’t buy high quality long lasting wiper blades. The ones coming on new cars do seem to work very well, and last. It seems to me there would be a market for such quality in the after-market category. The wiper blades on my 2016 T&C are (I believe) the originals. I certainly haven’t changed them in the 20 months I have owned the minivan. And they still work better than anything I could purchase at the auto parts store.

On the subject of cheap speed and motorcycles, you are not mentioning the level of skill needed from the rider to achieve those numbers. With a fast car, especially if it has an automatic transmission, the average driver with very little practice can achieve those numbers. Or at least come very close. On the fast motorcycle, most definitely not so.

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

Guy bought a car and was told Apple CarPlay was on it. It's not. https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/52954/bmw/x/my-dealer-lied-to-me-about-included-features-in-the-car

It can be downloaded for $300 IIRC.  You contact customer service and you pay with a credit card.  You then download it through BMW Assist on your car.

graphicguy

28firefighter said:

graphicguy said:

Yeah....I’m sure resale would be garbage. I can’t imagine getting free cappuccinos or loaner cars while waiting for service. But, if I were in the market right now, I’d head over to their dealership to check it out.

And probably need a shower after you left.

Good point! Never even been in a Kia Dealership.......EVER! But, if it's anything like the Hyundai and Nissan dealerships I've been to, it would be a tough slog to get they price they advertise.

That said, I would think it would have mostly sales people just starting out as either a car sales career, or a stepping stone for something else. Their inexperience would either infuriate me, or make me feel like the wise old car buying sage.

driver100

fintail said:

I've had less than perfect experiences with the OEM Valeo wipers on the MB W212 E-class - to the point that I stripped out the factory blades and replaced them with Bosch Icon rubber (used the Bosch rubber in the much slimmer Valeo blade holder). The OEM blades for this car get juddery and chattery within a few months, I have tried several sets on different cars, even replaced under warranty, same results. It appears to be a design issue. The Bosch/Valeo hybrid did the trick, silent operation.

I am not sure if the W213 E like driver's E400 has the same issue.

Most bikers overestimate their skill IMO, I wouldn't want the typical rider trying speed runs on a Hayabusa.

henryn said:

I have wondered myself, more than once, why it is that you can’t buy high quality long lasting wiper blades. The ones coming on new cars do seem to work very well, and last. It seems to me there would be a market for such quality in the after-market category. The wiper blades on my 2016 T&C are (I believe) the originals. I certainly haven’t changed them in the 20 months I have owned the minivan. And they still work better than anything I could purchase at the auto parts store.

On the subject of cheap speed and motorcycles, you are not mentioning the level of skill needed from the rider to achieve those numbers. With a fast car, especially if it has an automatic transmission, the average driver with very little practice can achieve those numbers. Or at least come very close. On the fast motorcycle, most definitely not so.

I don't have any issues with my wiper blades on the E400. It is 21/2 years old but only has 14000 miles on it, and the wiper blades don't get snow on them or even extremely cold temperatures. Tose things can make aa difference. I imagine the wiper blades in cars with good intermittent wipers hold up better as there is less friction rubbing against a dry window.

But, like the guy said, how come they can get a guy on the moon but they can't make a decent windshield wiper?

ab348

The OEM blades on the ATS are made by Denso in Japan and are a sleek-looking design with a hidden catch for the wiper arm. A couple of times since I got the first ATS in 2014 the dealer has had some deal on in their service department where they throw in a "free" set of blades with your maintenance. Since oil changes and the like are free with Cadillac the blades came with the deal. But I discovered when I picked up my car the first time this went on that they were AC Delco aftermarket blades, with a big ugly metal universal attachment point in the middle of the beam. Thankfully they put the OE ones they took off in the trunk so I replaced them as soon as I got home. The had the same deal on this past April and when they mentioned it when writing up the work order I told them not to put them on and just throw them in the trunk. So now I have 2 sets of the Delcos sitting in the garage. Recently I discovered that Rockauto has the OE Denso blades at a screaming deal of a price, so I will buy from them when the need arises.

henryn

driver100 said:

I don't have any issues with my wiper blades on the E400. It is 21/2 years old but only has 14000 miles on it, and the wiper blades don't get snow on them or even extremely cold temperatures. Tose things can make aa difference. I imagine the wiper blades in cars with good intermittent wipers hold up better as there is less friction rubbing against a dry window.

I would agree with you that snow and ice would be tough on wiper blades. But disagree with "less friction rubbing against a dry window". I would expect the opposite to be true, less friction on a wet window. Water, rain water, may not be the greatest lubricant, but I would expect it to be better than "dry".

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

boomchek said:

driver100 said:

boomchek said:

@bwia I would track the car via GM's onstar. Assuming subscription is active the car can be located through the service. If not, then pay to activate it and track it down. Like others said get possession of it first and then deal with disposing it in order to pay off the loan.

How did you find your way back....and become a new member again....when others who are here continuously can't do it? Nice to have you back. What are you doing? How is the baby....probably 9 or 10 by now?

Thanks @driver100 , nice to be back too.

I disappeared off the forums for a few years due to work schedule (working crazy hours plus saving to buy a bigger home). The hard work earned me a manager position at a used car lot (I was basically running the place on my own), which gave me enough experience to get a manger position at a Honda dealership, which I'm at now. I finally work semi normal hours now and have a bit more time, and we finally bought our place big enough for our family of 4 (went from 1 bedroom condo to 3 bedroom townhouse). Not easy with homes in Vancouver costing an arm and a leg.

We have 2 kids now, my baby son is now 9 years old, and turned into a real car guy, and we have a 3 year old daughter.

I used my old log in here and although at first it said there's no such user name, I went to create a new account and somehow it just logged me in and everything is still intact how I left it a few years ago.

Good to see a lot of familiar names still around.

@boomchek, let me also join in with welcoming you back. I'm sure you know that my welcome-back wishes far out-weigh those of the others but we let everyone in here say their piece. Nice to hear that your hard work has paid off. I know I could never have put up with life in the car biz. I have also noticed that your writing has improved too. Not quite to my level but there ain't too many that can claim they are in my category.

Good luck in the biz and with your family. Stick around. With you and me in here this place could become even more special than it is now (think about it).

jmonroe

Notice too, Boomcheck has been away for about 5 years but was able to sign in with his same account, other regulars can't use their original name and have to add a 1.

When you're one better than the original that's when you know you've arrived.

jmonroe

Says the newbie who has 216 posts!

I'm not worried about the numbers, sometimes it's best to get a fresh start.

As for battery life, I agree that a battery should last 5 years. When I mentioned to Son #1 that he could probably get a pro-rated adjustment on his battery from the dealer, he brought up a good point that the dealers battery was more than likely a lot more than a replacement would be at the auto parts. So, by the time the adjustment was made there wouldn't be much of a savings, if any. On top of that he didn't want another battery like the OEM anyway since it failed early. I told him the early OEM failure was probably a fluke but he didn't want to find out. And another on top of that, he didn't want the inconvenience of going to the dealer the next day (it was Sunday morning when his battery failed). He just wanted to replace it and be done with it right now. But I still thanked him for jinxing his mothers battery when it died 2 weeks later. :@

jmonroe

stickguy

I don’t think you get time or miles warranty on tires or battery from new. Not like aftermarket.

roadburner

Mr_Shiftright said:

snakeweasel said:

fintail said:

Russian roulette for those of us in densely populated areas. Left turners in front of bikes seem to be prevalent lately.

roadburner said:

If you want cheap speed for $15k you can get a Suzuki Hayabusa which will get you to 60 in 2.7 seconds and do the quarter mile in the high nines. 

For $4,500 I bought a 1996 Speed Triple 900 with the Triumph/Sebring 3-into-1 exhaust; it runs the quarter in the mid-10s.

Those Triumph Triples are nice bikes, lots of power coming from it. Even a Street Triple  puts up some pretty impressive stats.

Yes, a car turning in front of a bike is, I believe, the most common type of motorycle/car accident. The common excuse is the usual "I didn't see it".

I cover the front brake and roll the throttle back a bit any time an oncoming car has an opportunity to turn left in front of me. Ditto for whenever a car is looking to pull out from a side street.
Assuming a driver sees you and will act in a rational manner is a sure way to get killed on a bike.

oldfarmer50

Mr_Shiftright said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

More common than you'd think. Same with Corvettes---over 50% automatics.

I thought it was more like 80%.

It may have gone up. I think there was a 65% take rate for automatics in 2015. So yeah, by now with that by-golly-wing-ding 8 speed automatic, it probably is close to 80%.

This is too sad to contemplate.

For 2018 it's over 77% across all trim levels and even the Z06 are 72% automatics.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

28firefighter said:

graphicguy said:

Yeah....I’m sure resale would be garbage. I can’t imagine getting free cappuccinos or loaner cars while waiting for service. But, if I were in the market right now, I’d head over to their dealership to check it out.

And probably need a shower after you left.

Good point! Never even been in a Kia Dealership.......EVER! But, if it's anything like the Hyundai and Nissan dealerships I've been to, it would be a tough slog to get they price they advertise.

That said, I would think it would have mostly sales people just starting out as either a car sales career, or a stepping stone for something else. Their inexperience would either infuriate me, or make me feel like the wise old car buying sage.

We delivered cars to a local Kia dealer and noticed a lot of people milling around the sales floor. Some with children. I commented that it looked like a day care center and a coworked stated that this dealership hired people to just come in and sit around as props so the store looked busy. Kinda sleazy.

dino001

oldfarmer50 said:

We delivered cars to a local Kia dealer and noticed a lot of people milling around the sales floor. Some with children. I commented that it looked like a day care center and a coworked stated that this dealership hired people to just come in and sit around as props so the store looked busy. Kinda sleazy.

More like sad.

pensfan83

The closest Jeep dealer to us is like that as well. Very old school with their "when can ya come in?" responses to price quotes, focusing on payments, acting annoyed when you demonstrate even the slightest bit of knowledge on the product, sale, etc. I would only use them for test drives.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

28firefighter said:

graphicguy said:

Yeah....I’m sure resale would be garbage. I can’t imagine getting free cappuccinos or loaner cars while waiting for service. But, if I were in the market right now, I’d head over to their dealership to check it out.

And probably need a shower after you left.

Good point! Never even been in a Kia Dealership.......EVER! But, if it's anything like the Hyundai and Nissan dealerships I've been to, it would be a tough slog to get they price they advertise.

That said, I would think it would have mostly sales people just starting out as either a car sales career, or a stepping stone for something else. Their inexperience would either infuriate me, or make me feel like the wise old car buying sage.

We delivered cars to a local Kia dealer and noticed a lot of people milling around the sales floor. Some with children. I commented that it looked like a day care center and a coworked stated that this dealership hired people to just come in and sit around as props so the store looked busy. Kinda sleazy.

Where do I apply for that job? Do you have to supply your own kids?

driver100

henryn said:

driver100 said:

I don't have any issues with my wiper blades on the E400. It is 21/2 years old but only has 14000 miles on it, and the wiper blades don't get snow on them or even extremely cold temperatures. Tose things can make aa difference. I imagine the wiper blades in cars with good intermittent wipers hold up better as there is less friction rubbing against a dry window.

I would agree with you that snow and ice would be tough on wiper blades. But disagree with "less friction rubbing against a dry window". I would expect the opposite to be true, less friction on a wet window. Water, rain water, may not be the greatest lubricant, but I would expect it to be better than "dry".

I agree with you henryn. What I said could be taken two ways.....I meant the intermittent wipers probably hold up better than a non-intermittent wiper or a poorly moving intermittent wiper because they pass on the dry windshield less often. I agree, water would act as a lubricant and create less friction...

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

boomchek said:

driver100 said:

boomchek said:

@bwia I would track the car via GM's onstar. Assuming subscription is active the car can be located through the service. If not, then pay to activate it and track it down. Like others said get possession of it first and then deal with disposing it in order to pay off the loan.

How did you find your way back....and become a new member again....when others who are here continuously can't do it? Nice to have you back. What are you doing? How is the baby....probably 9 or 10 by now?

Thanks @driver100 , nice to be back too.

I disappeared off the forums for a few years due to work schedule (working crazy hours plus saving to buy a bigger home). The hard work earned me a manager position at a used car lot (I was basically running the place on my own), which gave me enough experience to get a manger position at a Honda dealership, which I'm at now. I finally work semi normal hours now and have a bit more time, and we finally bought our place big enough for our family of 4 (went from 1 bedroom condo to 3 bedroom townhouse). Not easy with homes in Vancouver costing an arm and a leg.

We have 2 kids now, my baby son is now 9 years old, and turned into a real car guy, and we have a 3 year old daughter.

I used my old log in here and although at first it said there's no such user name, I went to create a new account and somehow it just logged me in and everything is still intact how I left it a few years ago.

Good to see a lot of familiar names still around.

@boomchek, let me also join in with welcoming you back. I'm sure you know that my welcome-back wishes far out-weigh those of the others but we let everyone in here say their piece. Nice to hear that your hard work has paid off. I know I could never have put up with life in the car biz. I have also noticed that your writing has improved too. Not quite to my level but there ain't too many that can claim they are in my category.

Good luck in the biz and with your family. Stick around. With you and me in here this place could become even more special than it is now (think about it).

jmonroe

Notice too, Boomcheck has been away for about 5 years but was able to sign in with his same account, other regulars can't use their original name and have to add a 1.

When you're one better than the original that's when you know you've arrived.

jmonroe

Says the newbie who has 216 posts!

I'm not worried about the numbers, sometimes it's best to get a fresh start.

As for battery life, I agree that a battery should last 5 years. When I mentioned to Son #1 that he could probably get a pro-rated adjustment on his battery from the dealer, he brought up a good point that the dealers battery was more than likely a lot more than a replacement would be at the auto parts. So, by the time the adjustment was made there wouldn't be much of a savings, if any. On top of that he didn't want another battery like the OEM anyway since it failed early. I told him the early OEM failure was probably a fluke but he didn't want to find out. And another on top of that, he didn't want the inconvenience of going to the dealer the next day (it was Sunday morning when his battery failed). He just wanted to replace it and be done with it right now. But I still thanked him for jinxing his mothers battery when it died 2 weeks later. :@

jmonroe

Your son is right. He must have got his common sense from his mother.
So, did you try for a new battery through the dealer...or did you start from scratch and get one at another garage? Any idea of what the difference in cost would be?

ronsteve

dino001 said:

stickguy said:

The inspections are included with every service. I get a nice color coded chart with everything checked off, and measurements for tires and brakes noted.

Almost positive air filter is no sooner than 3 years. And cabin, 2 or 3 maybe. But those items are cheap.

Obviously if you drive in a dusty area it would be more often, but it's quite possible air filters last 3 years in normal conditions. This differs from brand to brand. As you mentioned, cabin filters are usually cheap, but their replacement can be sometimes a royal PITA. Depends on a particular design.

I remember with my Accord, the recommendation from Honda was straight-up "You should take it to a dealer for the cabin filter replacement." Can't remember how much it usually set me back, but it was apparently un-profitable enough I had to specifically ask for it when it was due. Also can't recall if that was something I had done every 15K or 30K.

The Volvo was so easy-peasy that it was only a $69 job, parts and labor. And never a hassle to get them to do it every 15K (that was spec).

Won't be worrying about cabin for a bit in the RDX because that was done when the dealer had it. Only upcoming non-routine concern is brake flush, which I'll have them check on before my next visit. (Looks like it was dealer-serviced in its previous life, maybe there is some way they can get their hands on the specifics?)

explorerx4

The original battery in the Mustang lasted 6 years, I'm on my 3rd 100 month battery since then.
2nd set of OEM wipers. They still work!

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

boomchek said:

driver100 said:

boomchek said:

@bwia I would track the car via GM's onstar. Assuming subscription is active the car can be located through the service. If not, then pay to activate it and track it down. Like others said get possession of it first and then deal with disposing it in order to pay off the loan.

How did you find your way back....and become a new member again....when others who are here continuously can't do it? Nice to have you back. What are you doing? How is the baby....probably 9 or 10 by now?

Thanks @driver100 , nice to be back too.

I disappeared off the forums for a few years due to work schedule (working crazy hours plus saving to buy a bigger home). The hard work earned me a manager position at a used car lot (I was basically running the place on my own), which gave me enough experience to get a manger position at a Honda dealership, which I'm at now. I finally work semi normal hours now and have a bit more time, and we finally bought our place big enough for our family of 4 (went from 1 bedroom condo to 3 bedroom townhouse). Not easy with homes in Vancouver costing an arm and a leg.

We have 2 kids now, my baby son is now 9 years old, and turned into a real car guy, and we have a 3 year old daughter.

I used my old log in here and although at first it said there's no such user name, I went to create a new account and somehow it just logged me in and everything is still intact how I left it a few years ago.

Good to see a lot of familiar names still around.

@boomchek, let me also join in with welcoming you back. I'm sure you know that my welcome-back wishes far out-weigh those of the others but we let everyone in here say their piece. Nice to hear that your hard work has paid off. I know I could never have put up with life in the car biz. I have also noticed that your writing has improved too. Not quite to my level but there ain't too many that can claim they are in my category.

Good luck in the biz and with your family. Stick around. With you and me in here this place could become even more special than it is now (think about it).

jmonroe

Notice too, Boomcheck has been away for about 5 years but was able to sign in with his same account, other regulars can't use their original name and have to add a 1.

When you're one better than the original that's when you know you've arrived.

jmonroe

Says the newbie who has 216 posts!

I'm not worried about the numbers, sometimes it's best to get a fresh start.

As for battery life, I agree that a battery should last 5 years. When I mentioned to Son #1 that he could probably get a pro-rated adjustment on his battery from the dealer, he brought up a good point that the dealers battery was more than likely a lot more than a replacement would be at the auto parts. So, by the time the adjustment was made there wouldn't be much of a savings, if any. On top of that he didn't want another battery like the OEM anyway since it failed early. I told him the early OEM failure was probably a fluke but he didn't want to find out. And another on top of that, he didn't want the inconvenience of going to the dealer the next day (it was Sunday morning when his battery failed). He just wanted to replace it and be done with it right now. But I still thanked him for jinxing his mothers battery when it died 2 weeks later. :@

jmonroe

Your son is right. He must have got his common sense from his mother.
So, did you try for a new battery through the dealer...or did you start from scratch and get one at another garage? Any idea of what the difference in cost would be?

I didn't bother calling the Subaru dealer for a price for Mrs. j's 2012 Legacy. I went to the auto parts and got a pretty good battery there because I have had success in the past with their batteries. All in I spent just under $140 for a battery that has more CCA than the OEM and it has a two year over the counter full replacement. I can't remember what the full warranty is. If that battery fails after 2 years I'm going to use it to my advantage. I'm going to tell Mrs. j that once a car starts to eat batteries the car can no longer be trusted because other electrical problems are sure to follow. Since she knows I'm pretty much of an electrical wizard she'll probably believe me.

I've tried the conventional ways to convince her she needs a new car over the last couple years so this might be my last resort but it will take a little while longer. The car is going to be worn out in two years anyway. It already has 33,732 miles on it.

jmonroe

explorerx4

@jmonroe,
If you want her to buy a new car, you should have told her you bought a new battery, but not actually do it, before telling her the rest of the story about 'other electrical problems'. Could have saved $140 toward the new car.

snakeweasel

henryn said:

On the subject of cheap speed and motorcycles, you are not mentioning the level of skill needed from the rider to achieve those numbers. With a fast car, especially if it has an automatic transmission, the average driver with very little practice can achieve those numbers. Or at least come very close. On the fast motorcycle, most definitely not so.

Oh come on, shifting a motorcycle is just like shifting a car, only upside down and backwards.

Seriously a summer's worth a serious riding will give you the skills to be able to shift well enough to start getting close to those numbers. Now the Honda Goldwing can give you some decent numbers and you can get it in a DCT version, so skill in shifting is removed. Aprilla has a bike with a CVT that gives ok figures. But if you reallly want to go no shift and get great performance there are plenty of electric bikes that will put performers almost every car out there.

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

@jmonroe,
If you want her to buy a new car, you should have told her you bought a new battery, but not actually do it, before telling her the rest of the story about 'other electrical problems'. Could have saved $140 toward the new car.

You are more devious than I am.

jmonroe

snakeweasel

fintail said:

Most bikers overestimate their skill IMO, I wouldn't want the typical rider trying speed runs on a Hayabusa.

I'll agree to that and add that the same can be said for most drivers.Best to start small and work your way up.

Me I prefer cruisers. My big beef with sports bikes are the seating positions, not good for extended rides.

snakeweasel

roadburner said:

fintail said:

Russian roulette for those of us in densely populated areas. Left turners in front of bikes seem to be prevalent lately.

If you want cheap speed for $15k you can get a Suzuki Hayabusa which will get you to 60 in 2.7 seconds and do the quarter mile in the high nines. 

For $4,500 I bought a 1996 Speed Triple 900 with the Triumph/Sebring 3-into-1 exhaust; it runs the quarter in the mid-10s.

Those Triumph Triples are nice bikes, lots of power coming from it. Even a Street Triple  puts up some pretty impressive stats.

Yes, a car turning in front of a bike is, I believe, the most common type of motorycle/car accident. The common excuse is the usual "I didn't see it".

I cover the front brake and roll the throttle back a bit any time an oncoming car has an opportunity to turn left in front of me. Ditto for whenever a car is looking to pull out from a side street. Assuming a driver sees you and will act in a rational manner is a sure way to get killed on a bike.

I agree 100% on that. Ride like everyone is trying to kill you.

snakeweasel

explorerx4 said:

The original battery in the Mustang lasted 6 years, I'm on my 3rd 100 month battery since then. 2nd set of OEM wipers. They still work!

The battery on the sebring lasted 7 years but it is a pain to replace. It's behind the wheel well and you practically have to take the front end apart to replace it. Supposively it's to protect the battery from the engine heat.

boomchek

jmonroe1 said:

boomchek said:

driver100 said:

boomchek said:

@bwia I would track the car via GM's onstar. Assuming subscription is active the car can be located through the service. If not, then pay to activate it and track it down. Like others said get possession of it first and then deal with disposing it in order to pay off the loan.

How did you find your way back....and become a new member again....when others who are here continuously can't do it? Nice to have you back. What are you doing? How is the baby....probably 9 or 10 by now?

Thanks @driver100 , nice to be back too.

I disappeared off the forums for a few years due to work schedule (working crazy hours plus saving to buy a bigger home). The hard work earned me a manager position at a used car lot (I was basically running the place on my own), which gave me enough experience to get a manger position at a Honda dealership, which I'm at now. I finally work semi normal hours now and have a bit more time, and we finally bought our place big enough for our family of 4 (went from 1 bedroom condo to 3 bedroom townhouse). Not easy with homes in Vancouver costing an arm and a leg.

We have 2 kids now, my baby son is now 9 years old, and turned into a real car guy, and we have a 3 year old daughter.

I used my old log in here and although at first it said there's no such user name, I went to create a new account and somehow it just logged me in and everything is still intact how I left it a few years ago.

Good to see a lot of familiar names still around.

@boomchek, let me also join in with welcoming you back. I'm sure you know that my welcome-back wishes far out-weigh those of the others but we let everyone in here say their piece. Nice to hear that your hard work has paid off. I know I could never have put up with life in the car biz. I have also noticed that your writing has improved too. Not quite to my level but there ain't too many that can claim they are in my category.

Good luck in the biz and with your family. Stick around. With you and me in here this place could become even more special than it is now (think about it).

jmonroe

Thanks again everyone, nice to be back. Yeah, sometimes you just have to put fun on hold to get what you want out of life.

explorerx4

@jmonroe1,
I learned it from jmonroe.

tjc78

snakeweasel said:

explorerx4 said:

The original battery in the Mustang lasted 6 years, I'm on my 3rd 100 month battery since then. 2nd set of OEM wipers. They still work!

The battery on the sebring lasted 7 years but it is a pain to replace. It's behind the wheel well and you practically have to take the front end apart to replace it. Supposively it's to protect the battery from the engine heat.

I’ve done one of those for my SIL... not a great idea on Chrysler’s part 

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

28firefighter said:

graphicguy said:

Yeah....I’m sure resale would be garbage. I can’t imagine getting free cappuccinos or loaner cars while waiting for service. But, if I were in the market right now, I’d head over to their dealership to check it out.

And probably need a shower after you left.

Good point! Never even been in a Kia Dealership.......EVER! But, if it's anything like the Hyundai and Nissan dealerships I've been to, it would be a tough slog to get they price they advertise.

That said, I would think it would have mostly sales people just starting out as either a car sales career, or a stepping stone for something else. Their inexperience would either infuriate me, or make me feel like the wise old car buying sage.

We delivered cars to a local Kia dealer and noticed a lot of people milling around the sales floor. Some with children. I commented that it looked like a day care center and a coworked stated that this dealership hired people to just come in and sit around as props so the store looked busy. Kinda sleazy.

Where do I apply for that job? Do you have to supply your own kids?

Truth be told, that's what I do about half the time. Sometimes I drive cars too.

henryn

snakeweasel said:

Oh come on, shifting a motorcycle is just like shifting a car, only upside down and backwards.

Seriously a summer's worth a serious riding will give you the skills to be able to shift well enough to start getting close to those numbers.

I didn't make myself clear enough, obviously. My bad.

I was not thinking of shifting on the motorcycle. I was thinking of trying to achieve a hard launch. Back about 45 years ago, I owned a Kawaski triple. Fastest machine of any kind that I have ever driven or ridden. Just for grins, I would sometimes take it out to the illegal Saturday night street races. Trying to get off the line, hard launch, was downright scary.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

28firefighter said:

graphicguy said:

Yeah....I’m sure resale would be garbage. I can’t imagine getting free cappuccinos or loaner cars while waiting for service. But, if I were in the market right now, I’d head over to their dealership to check it out.

And probably need a shower after you left.

Good point! Never even been in a Kia Dealership.......EVER! But, if it's anything like the Hyundai and Nissan dealerships I've been to, it would be a tough slog to get they price they advertise.

That said, I would think it would have mostly sales people just starting out as either a car sales career, or a stepping stone for something else. Their inexperience would either infuriate me, or make me feel like the wise old car buying sage.

We delivered cars to a local Kia dealer and noticed a lot of people milling around the sales floor. Some with children. I commented that it looked like a day care center and a coworked stated that this dealership hired people to just come in and sit around as props so the store looked busy. Kinda sleazy.

Where do I apply for that job? Do you have to supply your own kids?

Yes, two kids or one son-in-law.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

@jmonroe1,
I learned it from jmonroe.

explorerx4 said:

@jmonroe1,
I learned it from jmonroe.

jmonroe doesn't exist anymore. That guy was too hard-nosed. @jmonroe1 is more mellow. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get jmonroe to mellow out.

jmonroe

ab348

Here’s a fairly remarkable piece of film courtesy of the Niels Garage website of a pit stop during the 1932 Targa Florio. Pretty good for the times!

https://www.facebook.com/NielsGarage/videos/343514759717569/

stickguy

cabin filter change on an Accord is something a 5 year can do. Very easy if you are willing to look in the manual for how to do it (or these days, Youtube). RDX is just is easy, so don't pay the dealer to do it. My old TL was a little more complicated, and needed a screw driver.

the only one I would not do was the Volvo S40. The was in the driver's footwell, and you had to remove the brake pedal to do it. Not to mention contorting into that small space. Dealer I think was 1+ hour labor to do the job. I looked at it and said I was not doing it. I have no clue if in the 7 years/115K miles of it's life until I sold it if that filter was ever changed.

tjc78

stickguy said:

cabin filter change on an Accord is something a 5 year can do. Very easy if you are willing to look in the manual for how to do it (or these days, Youtube). RDX is just is easy, so don't pay the dealer to do it. My old TL was a little more complicated, and needed a screw driver. the only one I would not do was the Volvo S40. The was in the driver's footwell, and you had to remove the brake pedal to do it. Not to mention contorting into that small space. Dealer I think was 1+ hour labor to do the job. I looked at it and said I was not doing it. I have no clue if in the 7 years/115K miles of it's life until I sold it if that filter was ever changed.

My 03 Avalon was a process that involved quite a few screws.   Every other car, the longest part was emptying the glove box in order to drop it all the way down to access the filter. 

Mr_Shiftright

oldfarmer50 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

More common than you'd think. Same with Corvettes---over 50% automatics.

I thought it was more like 80%.

It may have gone up. I think there was a 65% take rate for automatics in 2015. So yeah, by now with that by-golly-wing-ding 8 speed automatic, it probably is close to 80%.

This is too sad to contemplate.

For 2018 it's over 77% across all trim levels and even the Z06 are 72% automatics.

Well that 8-speed automatic must really be somethin' then. Haven't driven one.

explorerx4

Kind of funny bringing up changing cabin air filters.
My son in law changed the one in my daughter's 2017 Fusion.
It was filled with pink insulation and nuts.
Same car where we found the Possum under the hood when on vacation.
I asked him if he checked the filter in his 2017 Explorer.
He said he didn't want to do it because it was so complicated.
It brought back my memory of changing it my 2011, same design.
Never was sure if I got it put back together correctly.
Possum.

Mr_Shiftright

henryn said:

snakeweasel said:

Oh come on, shifting a motorcycle is just like shifting a car, only upside down and backwards.

Seriously a summer's worth a serious riding will give you the skills to be able to shift well enough to start getting close to those numbers.

I didn't make myself clear enough, obviously. My bad.

I was not thinking of shifting on the motorcycle. I was thinking of trying to achieve a hard launch. Back about 45 years ago, I owned a Kawaski triple. Fastest machine of any kind that I have ever driven or ridden. Just for grins, I would sometimes take it out to the illegal Saturday night street races. Trying to get off the line, hard launch, was downright scary.

Oh, the Kawa Triple----the "Widow Maker". Yeah, hang on if you gas that real fast.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

28firefighter said:

graphicguy said:

Yeah....I’m sure resale would be garbage. I can’t imagine getting free cappuccinos or loaner cars while waiting for service. But, if I were in the market right now, I’d head over to their dealership to check it out.

And probably need a shower after you left.

Good point! Never even been in a Kia Dealership.......EVER! But, if it's anything like the Hyundai and Nissan dealerships I've been to, it would be a tough slog to get they price they advertise.

That said, I would think it would have mostly sales people just starting out as either a car sales career, or a stepping stone for something else. Their inexperience would either infuriate me, or make me feel like the wise old car buying sage.

We delivered cars to a local Kia dealer and noticed a lot of people milling around the sales floor. Some with children. I commented that it looked like a day care center and a coworked stated that this dealership hired people to just come in and sit around as props so the store looked busy. Kinda sleazy.

Where do I apply for that job? Do you have to supply your own kids?

Yes, two kids or one son-in-law.

jmonroe

I'll give them the son in law for free.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

explorerx4 said:

@jmonroe1,
I learned it from jmonroe.

explorerx4 said:

@jmonroe1,
I learned it from jmonroe.

jmonroe doesn't exist anymore. That guy was too hard-nosed. @jmonroe1 is more mellow. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get jmonroe to mellow out.

jmonroe

It is really a bad sign when he starts talking about himself in the 3rd person.

driver100

explorerx4 said:

Kind of funny bringing up changing cabin air filters.
My son in law changed the one in my daughter's 2017 Fusion.
It was filled with pink insulation and nuts.
Same car where we found the Possum under the hood when on vacation.
I asked him if he checked the filter in his 2017 Explorer.
He said he didn't want to do it because it was so complicated.
It brought back my memory of changing it my 2011, same design.
Never was sure if I got it put back together correctly.
Possum.

What a cute little guy......looks real comfortable.

driver100

tjc78 said:

stickguy said:

cabin filter change on an Accord is something a 5 year can do. Very easy if you are willing to look in the manual for how to do it (or these days, Youtube). RDX is just is easy, so don't pay the dealer to do it. My old TL was a little more complicated, and needed a screw driver.

the only one I would not do was the Volvo S40. The was in the driver's footwell, and you had to remove the brake pedal to do it. Not to mention contorting into that small space. Dealer I think was 1+ hour labor to do the job. I looked at it and said I was not doing it. I have no clue if in the 7 years/115K miles of it's life until I sold it if that filter was ever changed.

My 03 Avalon was a process that involved quite a few screws.   Every other car, the longest part was emptying the glove box in order to drop it all the way down to access the filter

. 

I don't get it. Why would they ever make air filters so hard to get at....and the same with batteries? Things like that should be designed so that you can get at them easily. Engineers who have pride in their work should care enough to make things as user friendly as possible.

I have said the same about plumbing too. Panels in a bathroom should all be removable so that you can get at all the pipes and plumbing....without removing tiles and drywall to get at the problem.

abacomike

Mr_Shiftright said:

Oh come on, shifting a motorcycle is just like shifting a car, only upside down and backwards.

Seriously a summer's worth a serious riding will give you the skills to be able to shift well enough to start getting close to those numbers.

I didn't make myself clear enough, obviously. My bad. I was not thinking of shifting on the motorcycle. I was thinking of trying to achieve a hard launch. Back about 45 years ago, I owned a Kawaski triple. Fastest machine of any kind that I have ever driven or ridden. Just for grins, I would sometimes take it out to the illegal Saturday night street races. Trying to get off the line, hard launch, was downright scary.

Oh, the Kawa Triple----the "Widow Maker". Yeah, hang on if you gas that real fast.

The last bike I owned was a Honda 1000 Custom with “overdrive”.  In addition to 5 speeds, you would kick down on the overdrive gear with your left heel and you were in a totally different gear ratio.  I loved that bike!

stickguy

engineers are working with space limitations, need to balance weight, stuff like that. Too many don't care about owners down the line that have to deal with problems. especially German ones!

benjaminh

stickguy said:

engineers are working with space limitations, need to balance weight, stuff like that. Too many don't care about owners down the line that have to deal with problems. especially German ones!

Apparently Volvo too.

I wonder where this is on my TLX. Maybe I'll search youtube at some point.

fintail

Definitely re: car drivers. But there's a difference in what happens when you mess up that also makes it hard to be apples to apples. Of course, when the same license lets you drive an automatic Geo Metro or a Veyron or a 42' behemoth motorhome or an unstable brotruck or a box van and the same endorsement puts you on a Vespa 150 or a turbo Busa or a 900lb whale cruiser, I suppose none of it will change.

Sportbikes seem made for the under 40 crowd. Now that I am roughly that age, I don't think I could do one for more than 15 or so minutes. I still want a vintage sportbike though, but it would be more of an ornament. A supermoto style dual sport would probably fit me best, I like the upright position, while still not being too heavy. Electric bikes are also enticing, but they aren't a value for what you get.

I think BMW has some rev matching and clutchless shifting tech now, while still operating as a normal manual bike. The Aprilia Mana was automatic - I looked at one once, kind of neat, but I read it could be fussy and adds weight in odd places. I have a few friends who ride, and some of their stories about being around local driving talent have me not rushing to get back into it.

snakeweasel said:

I'll agree to that and add that the same can be said for most drivers.Best to start small and work your way up.

Me I prefer cruisers. My big beef with sports bikes are the seating positions, not good for extended rides.

stickguy

TLX has the same setup as the RDX, in the back of the glove box. Unlike the Accord or Odyssey, no need to drop the door. If this takes you more than 2 minutes to do, you are not trying very hard. Super easy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei0zuigWjEQ