Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

jmonroe1

suydam said:

Life is much simpler paying someone else who knows what they’re doing. Speaking of Best Buy, visiting son declares the guest bedroom too cold, would like a space heater. It’s Black Friday, a day I never set foot in a mall if I can help it. But Best Buy has an order online, pickup in store service (as do many stores now) and is very close to me. Walk into the store, pickup line is right by the entrance, only one person in front of me. Show photo ID and walk out with item. Less than 10 minutes there and back. Very nice.

Paying a so called "professional" to get it done doesn't necessarily ensure that the job was done right. A few years ago the dishwasher needed repaired while it was still under warranty. Mr. Pro had to take out the dishwasher to replace the pump. This embical strong armed the shut off valve under the sink and broke the valve stem internally but he didn't know that until he disconnected the water line from the dishwasher. Water is now flowing full pipe onto the kitchen floor. It's a good thing Mrs. j saw this happen and immediately ran down to the basement to shut the water off at the meter. According to Mrs. j, this embical was damn near hyper-ventilating and was very impressed that she knew what to do and how quickly she did it. Now, before you guys also get impressed with her handy work, she knew exactly what to do because we practiced this very scenario several times just to make sure she knew how to do it. So, if any credit is due, give it to me.

After his expert fix, when I came home, I had to fix the valve. While I was under the sink, I noticed this clown had also broken the drain stub on the disposal unit where the dishwasher drain is connected. Do you really think for one minute that I was going to have this "Sears Authorized Service Center" come to my house to make the repair ? I'll answer that, HELL NO I DIDN'T. However, I did called Sears and made it perfectly clear that they better never ever send that outfit to our house again.

I could give many more examples of what happens when a so called "pro" comes to your rescue but I've ranted enough for one post.

jmonroe

imidazol97

jmonroe1 said:

After his expert fix, when I came home, I had to fix the valve. While I was under the sink, I noticed this clown had also broken the drain stub on the disposal unit where the dishwasher drain is connected. Do you really think for one minute that I was going to have this "Sears Authorized Service Center" come to my house to make the repair ? I'll answer that, HELL NO I DIDN'T. However, I did called Sears and made it perfectly clear that they better never ever send that outfit to our house again.jmonroe

You fixed the valve?!!!!!! I would have had Sears have a company fix the valve--they could bill it to Mr. Pro.
And same for the drain that was broken.

You're very mellow about this stuff...

driver100

imidazol97 said:

@driver100
1)I am not clear why the rear wireless camera has to be wire free. Why not wire a 12 volt power lead into the line for the rear lights on the licence plate? Or into a line for a marker bulb? That would have power but not necessarily during daylight. Hmmm. Does your car have autoleveling shocks on the rear?

2)The rear camera can transmit wirelessly to the receiver in the front of the vehicle obviating the need for wiring being run through the trunk, past the rear seat and to the front then up to the mirror area. But, the power to the rear camera would bypass needing a solar cell and controls for the charging--followed eventually by replacing the rechargeable battery which may not be an AAA or AA.

3)Also is there power to your mirror? Auto headlight sensor in the mirror, e.g.? Or does it have auto dimming on the mirror when it senses light from the rear while sensing darkness through the windshield, telling it to use the electrochemical dimming layer? If there's 12 v up there, why not tap into that which would be powered whenever the car is turned on.

1) No problem if they tap into brake lights to get the camera to work. That will probably require some drilling. Seems to me the solar just has to be attached, no one has had a problem with a lack of energy.

2) Yes, rear camera sends signal to the monitor - needs no wiring.

3) Base model C250, though it does have a spoiler built into the lip of the trunk...very nice and sporty. No controls on the mirror , however there is a small console above the mirror with some lights....maybe could wire into there????????
If you know, that sounds like a possibility....or I have to ask at Best Buy or a shop that can install it. One thing I did learn, my excellent indie European Car Garage (also works on Lexus the sign says, didn't know they were European ) said they don't do any aftermarket stuff, which I thought was very professional.

imidazol97

I recall the appliance servicing company that diagnosed my bad circuit board/evaporator fan on the Whirlpool under Lowes warranty. The serviceman ordered the hard-to-get part but another guy took it out of his parts box he picked up for that day's visits when he had gotten the part in. He didn't notice the part was gone until he got to our house.

I called Lowes warranty department and raised heck. They told me what they'd said before while waiting for the part to get here. AND they magically got another part quickly from Whirlpool. They by passed the appliance service company. But the service company put it on and apologized again for the problems getting the part and the service visit without the part in hand.

driver100

ab348 said:

Power to the rear camera could be had by tapping into the backup light circuit. My backup camera only comes on when the car is put into reverse.

Yes, most of them work that way. Like I say, it probably requires drilling a hole, solar might be less invasive, but, not a big deal.

driver100

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

Good to know ab......I have never noticed a car from another province, with only a rear plate. I don't know why, they don't require a front and back plate everywhere.

Cost of supplying 2 plates instead of 1, and since police are usually chasing cars instead of catching misdeeds with the offender driving towards them, it isn't particularly useful. In those places that require 2, many owners don't like the look of the front plate messing up the design and leave them off as well.

So mny people are caught these days because someone gets a video of a license plate....why not require a front one? Often I see cars doing illegal things, and I could have got a license plate number if there was one on the front. If the car is designed right it doesn't take away from a license being on the front....unless you have a 58 Edsel...in which case it looks like they forgot to add a license plate holder until the last minute....

....and cost, that is charged to the buyer and keeps prisoners working.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

tjc78 said:

Driver, even with the wireless setup to the camera, the monitor can be hard wired.

Any decent stereo shop could run the wire and tap into a switched 12V source to power the monitor.

Not sure why you are having so much trouble finding someone.

tjc............thanks for the very valuable information. No one really explains that. The only store I can think of that sells backup cameras and where you could probably ask some questions...and they install is Best Buy. I'll go there after Black Friday is over. Another concern my wife just mentioned is, the monitor has to be small and indiscreet, so go where it won't be in the way.
*Also indie shops that sell audio or tinting etc., but, they usually have older stuff and charge more for it.

Your life would be so much simpler if you learned how to do your own wrenching when you were younger like some of us in here.

jmonroe

Yeh, like learn how to save money by doing my own oil changes.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

suydam said:

Life is much simpler paying someone else who knows what they’re doing. Speaking of Best Buy, visiting son declares the guest bedroom too cold, would like a space heater. It’s Black Friday, a day I never set foot in a mall if I can help it. But Best Buy has an order online, pickup in store service (as do many stores now) and is very close to me. Walk into the store, pickup line is right by the entrance, only one person in front of me. Show photo ID and walk out with item. Less than 10 minutes there and back. Very nice.

Electric heaters are a bug for me. So much dishonest marketing. Any 1500 watt heater on a standard household circuit will put out about 5200 btus no matter how much you pay for it. Anything beyond the cheapest unit is a waste IMO.

My sister in law has to buy stuff on Black Friday. Most years she buys TVs, has so many she gives them to children and grandkids. This year she bought an Echo device that shows video so if you look up how to make a recipe you can watch it.......it will probably never get used.

One year I was looking for a space heater. She just bought one that the Mormons use, special sale to midnight, regular $200, until midnight half price - $100. I checked it out, everything they say about it is a scam. They claim the magical 1500 watts is superior. They all use 1500 watts, even toasters. Anyway, the best one they recommended was about $30....I think it was a Sunbeam.

jmonroe1

imidazol97 said:

jmonroe1 said:

After his expert fix, when I came home, I had to fix the valve. While I was under the sink, I noticed this clown had also broken the drain stub on the disposal unit where the dishwasher drain is connected. Do you really think for one minute that I was going to have this "Sears Authorized Service Center" come to my house to make the repair ? I'll answer that, HELL NO I DIDN'T. However, I did called Sears and made it perfectly clear that they better never ever send that outfit to our house again.jmonroe

You fixed the valve?!!!!!! I would have had Sears have a company fix the valve--they could bill it to Mr. Pro.
And same for the drain that was broken.

You're very mellow about this stuff...

Yeah, I guess you can say I'm a pasty about this kind of stuff but there were extenuating circumstances. I wanted to make the repair before they could send someone out. Didn't like the idea of a bad valve stem staying in the valve and possibly start leaking when I went to bed. I was lucky that I kept a few old shut of valves just in case. I used a valve stem from one of my saved valves so that fix didn't cost me a dime. Now, the dishwasher stub, that required a trip to Lowe's to get a dishwasher tail piece for the other sink bowl. That only cost a couple bucks so I decided I better do it rather than tell Mrs. j not to use the dishwasher untill Sears sent a "pro" to make that fix. What do you think would have happened to me if I told Mrs. j to do the dishes by hand untill some outfit "scheduled" a service call? Nope, that was not going to happen.

jmonroe

driver100

imidazol97 said:

I recall the appliance servicing company that diagnosed my bad circuit board/evaporator fan on the Whirlpool

The garbage disposal unit stopped working....got a new one a few weeks ago. Ordered a new fridge a week ago. Last night had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner......4 year old Bosch dishwasher never shuts off, can't cancel. Service call costs $80 includes 15 minutes, then $25 per quarter hour. That's without the cost of new parts and how long to fix....could be $300 to $400. Went to Home Depot and bought a Maytag....it even has a button to CANCEL a cycle....ingenious.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

I recall the appliance servicing company that diagnosed my bad circuit board/evaporator fan on the Whirlpool

The garbage disposal unit stopped working....got a new one a few weeks ago. Ordered a new fridge a week ago. Last night had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner......4 year old Bosch dishwasher never shuts off, can't cancel. Service call costs $80 includes 15 minutes, then $25 per quarter hour. That's without the cost of new parts and how long to fix....could be $300 to $400. Went to Home Depot and bought a Maytag....it even has a button to CANCEL a cycle....ingenious.

I hope you tripped the breaker that supplies power to the dishwasher before you decided to get a new one. I've seen cases where removing power then reconnecting it will reset the device to working conditions again.

jmonroe

cdnpinhead

Generally the helpless people are of a younger generation, but obviously not always.

roadburner

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Saw an interesting episode of Wheeler Dealers last night. They bought a 2004 E36 M3 with a SMG auto transmission and converted it into a manual. Of course they made it look easy but it involved drilling, programming the ECU and a bunch of other stuff. The interesting part for me was that BMW was built with all the mountings needed for the conversion at the factory. All they had to do was put in a clutch pedal. The SMG was really a manual with an electric shift solenoid.

There was also a hydraulic pump that moved the shift forks. I drove several and never could come to terms with the shift quality. If you
Back in the '80s and '90s lots of 2002s, Bavarias and CS coupes were converted to manuals; it was an easy 1-2 day job if you had a donor car- I should know, I had a manual Bavaria parts car and sold the transmission, driveshaft, pedal cluster, and master/clutch reservoir to a fellow CCA member. I was a dead easy job- and was completed over the weekend.

As I recall, the pump was going to cost $4000 to replace which is what prompted the conversion.

I haven't watched that episode, but I suspect it's another example why you don't let nitwits come close to your BMW. Odds are the car didn't need a pump, but rather just the motor(which BMW doesn't sell separately. However, a rebuilt motor is available for under $400. There's also a relay which might play up as well. Another cheap fix.

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

suydam said:

Life is much simpler paying someone else who knows what they’re doing. Speaking of Best Buy, visiting son declares the guest bedroom too cold, would like a space heater. It’s Black Friday, a day I never set foot in a mall if I can help it. But Best Buy has an order online, pickup in store service (as do many stores now) and is very close to me. Walk into the store, pickup line is right by the entrance, only one person in front of me. Show photo ID and walk out with item. Less than 10 minutes there and back. Very nice.

Paying a so called "professional" to get it done doesn't necessarily ensure that the job was done right. A few years ago the dishwasher needed repaired while it was still under warranty. Mr. Pro had to take out the dishwasher to replace the pump. This embical strong armed the shut off valve under the sink and broke the valve stem internally but he didn't know that until he disconnected the water line from the dishwasher. Water is now flowing full pipe onto the kitchen floor. It's a good thing Mrs. j saw this happen and immediately ran down to the basement to shut the water off at the meter. According to Mrs. j, this embical was damn near hyper-ventilating and was very impressed that she knew what to do and how quickly she did it. Now, before you guys also get impressed with her handy work, she knew exactly what to do because we practiced this very scenario several times just to make sure she knew how to do it. So, if any credit is due, give it to me.

After his expert fix, when I came home, I had to fix the valve. While I was under the sink, I noticed this clown had also broken the drain stub on the disposal unit where the dishwasher drain is connected. Do you really think for one minute that I was going to have this "Sears Authorized Service Center" come to my house to make the repair ? I'll answer that, HELL NO I DIDN'T. However, I did called Sears and made it perfectly clear that they better never ever send that outfit to our house again.

I could give many more examples of what happens when a so called "pro" comes to your rescue but I've ranted enough for one post.

jmonroe

Had the Home Depot “expert” install a ceiling fan because I didn’t want to be juggling it on the end of a ladder. When he was done he turned it on and...nothing. He couldn’t figure out why. He said he’d come back the next day to figure it out. Never saw him again.

Finally I went to the thermostat, reset it and presto! Fan has worked fine ever since but I still haven’t heard back from that clown.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

suydam said:

Life is much simpler paying someone else who knows what they’re doing. Speaking of Best Buy, visiting son declares the guest bedroom too cold, would like a space heater. It’s Black Friday, a day I never set foot in a mall if I can help it. But Best Buy has an order online, pickup in store service (as do many stores now) and is very close to me. Walk into the store, pickup line is right by the entrance, only one person in front of me. Show photo ID and walk out with item. Less than 10 minutes there and back. Very nice.

Electric heaters are a bug for me. So much dishonest marketing. Any 1500 watt heater on a standard household circuit will put out about 5200 btus no matter how much you pay for it. Anything beyond the cheapest unit is a waste IMO.

My sister in law has to buy stuff on Black Friday. Most years she buys TVs, has so many she gives them to children and grandkids. This year she bought an Echo device that shows video so if you look up how to make a recipe you can watch it.......it will probably never get used.

One year I was looking for a space heater. She just bought one that the Mormons use, special sale to midnight, regular $200, until midnight half price - $100. I checked it out, everything they say about it is a scam. They claim the magical 1500 watts is superior. They all use 1500 watts, even toasters. Anyway, the best one they recommended was about $30....I think it was a Sunbeam.

Well, the Mormon one is worth the money because like the Amish ones...it will get you into heaven.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

I recall the appliance servicing company that diagnosed my bad circuit board/evaporator fan on the Whirlpool

The garbage disposal unit stopped working....got a new one a few weeks ago. Ordered a new fridge a week ago. Last night had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner......4 year old Bosch dishwasher never shuts off, can't cancel. Service call costs $80 includes 15 minutes, then $25 per quarter hour. That's without the cost of new parts and how long to fix....could be $300 to $400. Went to Home Depot and bought a Maytag....it even has a button to CANCEL a cycle....ingenious.

Why not just open the door?

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Saw an interesting episode of Wheeler Dealers last night. They bought a 2004 E36 M3 with a SMG auto transmission and converted it into a manual. Of course they made it look easy but it involved drilling, programming the ECU and a bunch of other stuff. The interesting part for me was that BMW was built with all the mountings needed for the conversion at the factory. All they had to do was put in a clutch pedal. The SMG was really a manual with an electric shift solenoid.

There was also a hydraulic pump that moved the shift forks. I drove several and never could come to terms with the shift quality. If you
Back in the '80s and '90s lots of 2002s, Bavarias and CS coupes were converted to manuals; it was an easy 1-2 day job if you had a donor car- I should know, I had a manual Bavaria parts car and sold the transmission, driveshaft, pedal cluster, and master/clutch reservoir to a fellow CCA member. I was a dead easy job- and was completed over the weekend.

As I recall, the pump was going to cost $4000 to replace which is what prompted the conversion.

I haven't watched that episode, but I suspect it's another example why you don't let nitwits come close to your BMW. Odds are the car didn't need a pump, but rather just the motor(which BMW doesn't sell separately. However, a rebuilt motor is available for under $400. There's also a relay which might play up as well. Another cheap fix.

They mentioned that a regular 3 series pump would be $400 but because this was a M3 pump it was $4000.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

I recall the appliance servicing company that diagnosed my bad circuit board/evaporator fan on the Whirlpool

The garbage disposal unit stopped working....got a new one a few weeks ago. Ordered a new fridge a week ago. Last night had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner......4 year old Bosch dishwasher never shuts off, can't cancel. Service call costs $80 includes 15 minutes, then $25 per quarter hour. That's without the cost of new parts and how long to fix....could be $300 to $400. Went to Home Depot and bought a Maytag....it even has a button to CANCEL a cycle....ingenious.

I hope you tripped the breaker that supplies power to the dishwasher before you decided to get a new one. I've seen cases where removing power then reconnecting it will reset the device to working conditions again.

jmonroe

I did everything humanly possible. I held in the start button for 3 seconds and waited one minute for it to clear....did that about 30 times. Saw on Youtube to flip the breaker.....may get it to reset. Did that 2 or 3 times with the dishwasher off, and then a few times with it on. No matter what I do, it shows 001 minute remaining in the cycle. It is possible Mrs D stopped it just before it was finished....that really messes up a Bosch. After the garbage disposal, the fridge, dealing with Lowes, now this.....I can't stand to look at the stupid thing...it is going to be out of here next Friday.

driver100

cdnpinhead said:

Generally the helpless people are of a younger generation, but obviously not always.

This is how I stay so young......act helpless and immature.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

suydam said:

Life is much simpler paying someone else who knows what they’re doing. Speaking of Best Buy, visiting son declares the guest bedroom too cold, would like a space heater. It’s Black Friday, a day I never set foot in a mall if I can help it. But Best Buy has an order online, pickup in store service (as do many stores now) and is very close to me. Walk into the store, pickup line is right by the entrance, only one person in front of me. Show photo ID and walk out with item. Less than 10 minutes there and back. Very nice.

Electric heaters are a bug for me. So much dishonest marketing. Any 1500 watt heater on a standard household circuit will put out about 5200 btus no matter how much you pay for it. Anything beyond the cheapest unit is a waste IMO.

My sister in law has to buy stuff on Black Friday. Most years she buys TVs, has so many she gives them to children and grandkids. This year she bought an Echo device that shows video so if you look up how to make a recipe you can watch it.......it will probably never get used.

One year I was looking for a space heater. She just bought one that the Mormons use, special sale to midnight, regular $200, until midnight half price - $100. I checked it out, everything they say about it is a scam. They claim the magical 1500 watts is superior. They all use 1500 watts, even toasters. Anyway, the best one they recommended was about $30....I think it was a Sunbeam.

Well, the Mormon one is worth the money because like the Amish ones...it will get you into heaven.

Amish, that's what it was. btw....the heaters have nothing to do with the Amish....some sleazy company that uses that as their innocent sounding cover story.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

I recall the appliance servicing company that diagnosed my bad circuit board/evaporator fan on the Whirlpool

The garbage disposal unit stopped working....got a new one a few weeks ago. Ordered a new fridge a week ago. Last night had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner......4 year old Bosch dishwasher never shuts off, can't cancel. Service call costs $80 includes 15 minutes, then $25 per quarter hour. That's without the cost of new parts and how long to fix....could be $300 to $400. Went to Home Depot and bought a Maytag....it even has a button to CANCEL a cycle....ingenious.

Why not just open the door?

Opening the door is what screws it up....if it is in mid-cycle. Mrs D tries to be efficient, and opens the door before the cycle has finished. Then I have to get out the manual and try to reset it. Press START for 3 to 5 seconds, then wait 1 minute for it to display 00, means it has reset. This time no reset, shows 001 and no matter what I do, it shows 001 and water keeps spraying inside.
It toast, it is gone, a new one will cost me less than going to a psychiatrist.

omarman

It toast, it is gone, a new one will cost me less than going to a psychiatrist.

Does the Amish psychiatrist come with a free couch?

imidazol97

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

I recall the appliance servicing company that diagnosed my bad circuit board/evaporator fan on the Whirlpool

The garbage disposal unit stopped working....got a new one a few weeks ago. Ordered a new fridge a week ago. Last night had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner......4 year old Bosch dishwasher never shuts off, can't cancel. Service call costs $80 includes 15 minutes, then $25 per quarter hour. That's without the cost of new parts and how long to fix....could be $300 to $400. Went to Home Depot and bought a Maytag....it even has a button to CANCEL a cycle....ingenious.

So does my Whirlpool washer. Oh, same company!!!

Mine doesn't have a rinse only cycle, but I decided I'd live with that missing, but it does have the X button.

ab348

I had to order a new laptop today. The one I use the most is maybe 6 years old and lately it has become slower and slower. Last night around midnight it spontaneously rebooted - not unusual as Windows does that sometimes after updating itself, so I ignored it at the time. This morning it accepted my sign-on and the just sat there with a black screen for an hour. I powered it off, powered up, same result. Did it a third time and it finally booted, but the desktop had no labels under the icons and it was acting strange. Dell diagnostics said the hard disk was failing. Rebooted again and everything finally looks normal but I figure it is on borrowed time. Ordered a new Dell, this time with a SSD hard drive. Hope the old one lasts until it gets here. Not looking forward to moving everything over.

Also bought a new little bedroom TV to replace the Sony that died after 3 years. Cheap TCL Roku job. My 55” one I bought last year for the living room is quite good and a real bargain.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

cdnpinhead said:

Generally the helpless people are of a younger generation, but obviously not always.

This is how I stay so young......act helpless and immature.

Why do you think he directed that comment to you? I thought he was talking to me. Now that I think about it, I can see where it fits you better.

jmonroe

roadburner

RB's Movie Ratings:

1. My wife, son, and I give Knives Out three thumbs up; it's funny and smart. Plus, a Polaris Silver 3.0CS appears in several scenes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWBgjM8grvw&fbclid=IwAR1cc5b6NnoP4dn83Jze0lm4GvXS4-jGIlu2hBCH8LsWgQS5ydx8oM4HmG0

2. The Irishman is just a breathtaking movie. As fans of Goodfellas and Casino, my son and I loved every minute of the film. My bride liked it as well, but she's not an aficionado of crime movies like my son and I are. Absolutely stunning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHXxVmeGQUc&fbclid=IwAR3liy9t0PIjIPMQxYDv1M2r2trEzVr_A1huJy1MZhMe1fjxZcaC1arae2s

Coming up: Reviews of Ford vs. Ferrari and possibly Midway.

fintail

I've always found it amusing how states can't agree on front plates. I guess this lets people pretend they have "freedom". Front plates don't bug me, I don't have a problem with such regulations, and on my old car with year of manufacture plates, having a pair is something to show off.

I sometimes see cars with front plates mounted on the tow hook, especially Subarus and BMWs:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

So mny people are caught these days because someone gets a video of a license plate....why not require a front one? Often I see cars doing illegal things, and I could have got a license plate number if there was one on the front. If the car is designed right it doesn't take away from a license being on the front....unless you have a 58 Edsel...in which case it looks like they forgot to add a license plate holder until the last minute....
....and cost, that is charged to the buyer and keeps prisoners working.

fintail

If I was going to con people in the name of "help", I wouldn't go after the young ones

That being said, my grandma, in her 90s and sharp as a tack, likes to tell me about the scammers who call her, she can spot it a mile away.

cdnpinhead said:

Generally the helpless people are of a younger generation, but obviously not always.

fintail

I wonder if they could source an OEM unit from a junkyard car, and retrofit it into yours? It might involve replacing the entire COMAND unit, but as the cars age, these parts become less expensive, especially when used (I am not aware of any significant durability issues with said parts). Might be something to look into.

driver100 said:

3) Base model C250, though it does have a spoiler built into the lip of the trunk...very nice and sporty. No controls on the mirror , however there is a small console above the mirror with some lights....maybe could wire into there????????
If you know, that sounds like a possibility....or I have to ask at Best Buy or a shop that can install it. One thing I did learn, my excellent indie European Car Garage (also works on Lexus the sign says, didn't know they were European ) said they don't do any aftermarket stuff, which I thought was very professional.

oldfarmer50

Here’s how they design cars. Reminds me of the SUVs coming out left and right.

https://youtu.be/WPc-VEqBPHI

driver100

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

I recall the appliance servicing company that diagnosed my bad circuit board/evaporator fan on the Whirlpool

The garbage disposal unit stopped working....got a new one a few weeks ago. Ordered a new fridge a week ago. Last night had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner......4 year old Bosch dishwasher never shuts off, can't cancel. Service call costs $80 includes 15 minutes, then $25 per quarter hour. That's without the cost of new parts and how long to fix....could be $300 to $400. Went to Home Depot and bought a Maytag....it even has a button to CANCEL a cycle....ingenious.

So does my Whirlpool washer. Oh, same company!!!

Mine doesn't have a rinse only cycle, but I decided I'd live with that missing, but it does have the X button.

That is another thing. Friends said their dishwasher doesn't have a rinse cycle, but their next one has to have one. We hardly ever use a rinse....dishes get done at the end of the day, but, there are times when that is a must. The new Maytag has almost every button and setting, and the light shows what cycle it is working on....how nice is that!

driver100

ab348 said:

I had to order a new laptop today. The one I use the most is maybe 6 years old and lately it has become slower and slower. Last night around midnight it spontaneously rebooted - not unusual as Windows does that sometimes after updating itself, so I ignored it at the time. This morning it accepted my sign-on and the just sat there with a black screen for an hour. I powered it off, powered up, same result. Did it a third time and it finally booted, but the desktop had no labels under the icons and it was acting strange. Dell diagnostics said the hard disk was failing. Rebooted again and everything finally looks normal but I figure it is on borrowed time. Ordered a new Dell, this time with a SSD hard drive. Hope the old one lasts until it gets here. Not looking forward to moving everything over.

Also bought a new little bedroom TV to replace the Sony that died after 3 years. Cheap TCL Roku job. My 55” one I bought last year for the living room is quite good and a real bargain.

Best Buy had 58 inch Insignia TVs that were rated pretty good....for $199 today....if you don't mind lining up yesterday afternoon!

You're sure you didn't have the black screen of death. I had that once.....used youtube to bring my laptop back from the brink.

driver100

fintail said:

I wonder if they could source an OEM unit from a junkyard car, and retrofit it into yours? It might involve replacing the entire COMAND unit, but as the cars age, these parts become less expensive, especially when used (I am not aware of any significant durability issues with said parts). Might be something to look into.

driver100 said:

3) Base model C250, though it does have a spoiler built into the lip of the trunk...very nice and sporty. No controls on the mirror , however there is a small console above the mirror with some lights....maybe could wire into there????????
If you know, that sounds like a possibility....or I have to ask at Best Buy or a shop that can install it. One thing I did learn, my excellent indie European Car Garage (also works on Lexus the sign says, didn't know they were European ) said they don't do any aftermarket stuff, which I thought was very professional.

Interesting idea. It would be too time consuming to look into for me....or maybe I am just not motivated enough. So far, I am leaning toward getting a camera that fits on the license plate frame......and I like this idea of a small monitor that could attach to the windshield or a monitor built into a mirror....and that gets hardwired into the console on the roof....between the sun visors.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

fintail said:

I wonder if they could source an OEM unit from a junkyard car, and retrofit it into yours? It might involve replacing the entire COMAND unit, but as the cars age, these parts become less expensive, especially when used (I am not aware of any significant durability issues with said parts). Might be something to look into.

driver100 said:

3) Base model C250, though it does have a spoiler built into the lip of the trunk...very nice and sporty. No controls on the mirror , however there is a small console above the mirror with some lights....maybe could wire into there????????
If you know, that sounds like a possibility....or I have to ask at Best Buy or a shop that can install it. One thing I did learn, my excellent indie European Car Garage (also works on Lexus the sign says, didn't know they were European ) said they don't do any aftermarket stuff, which I thought was very professional.

Interesting idea. It would be too time consuming to look into for me....or maybe I am just not motivated enough. So far, I am leaning toward getting a camera that fits on the license plate frame......and I like this idea of a small monitor that could attach to the windshield or a monitor built into a mirror....and that gets hardwired into the console on the roof....between the sun visors.

Why don’t you just have your wife ride backwards so she can tell you what you’re about to run over? Most wives would be glad to tell their husbands what their doing wrong.

tjc78

Front plates ... I drug my mom to PA to get her new RAV4. Naturally they don’t use a front plate so there is no holder installed.

They gave us one, but I have to drill into her bumper to mount it.

I’m hoping there are some indicators/dimples in the plastic noting where it goes to make it easy

tjc78

@driver100
Once one appliance goes they all follow if they are the same age. Happens often.

Our dishwasher ran three times Thanksgiving Day!

@jmonroe
I would have done the same as you and just fixed it myself.

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

Front plates ... I drug my mom to PA to get her new RAV4. Naturally they don’t use a front plate so there is no holder installed.

They gave us one, but I have to drill into her bumper to mount it.

I’m hoping there are some indicators/dimples in the plastic noting where it goes to make it easy

Some dealers will mount a plate holder, some just drill into the plastic. Either way i’ve Never seen any special accommodations made by the manufacturer. Short-sighted on the part of car makers.

My old Corvette had a front holder built into the bumper and you could buy an insert for states where no front plate was required. Why can’t they do that today?

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

fintail said:

I wonder if they could source an OEM unit from a junkyard car, and retrofit it into yours? It might involve replacing the entire COMAND unit, but as the cars age, these parts become less expensive, especially when used (I am not aware of any significant durability issues with said parts). Might be something to look into.

driver100 said:

3) Base model C250, though it does have a spoiler built into the lip of the trunk...very nice and sporty. No controls on the mirror , however there is a small console above the mirror with some lights....maybe could wire into there????????
If you know, that sounds like a possibility....or I have to ask at Best Buy or a shop that can install it. One thing I did learn, my excellent indie European Car Garage (also works on Lexus the sign says, didn't know they were European ) said they don't do any aftermarket stuff, which I thought was very professional.

Interesting idea. It would be too time consuming to look into for me....or maybe I am just not motivated enough. So far, I am leaning toward getting a camera that fits on the license plate frame......and I like this idea of a small monitor that could attach to the windshield or a monitor built into a mirror....and that gets hardwired into the console on the roof....between the sun visors.

Why don’t you just have your wife ride backwards so she can tell you what you’re about to run over? Most wives would be glad to tell their husbands what their doing wrong.

Not a bad idea. Maybe I could put Trixie on the back shelf and she could bark if I am going to hit something.

driver100

tjc78 said:

@driver100
Once one appliance goes they all follow if they are the same age. Happens often.

Our dishwasher ran three times Thanksgiving Day!

@jmonroe
I would have done the same as you and just fixed it myself.

That makes sense....that is probably why all these stores have sales.....if you buy all 4 appliances together. I guess the washer and dryer will be next....hope that isn't until next year.

driver100

Hard to find a decent looking front license plate holder. This was one of the better ones!


This one is ugly;

ab348

For whatever reason, one of my Buicks (I think the Regal, since it was built in Germany and they didn't know what market it was headed to) came with a black plastic front plate holder in a plastic bag from the factory in the trunk. I still have it out in the garage somewhere.

Funny thing about that car - the rear plate pocket was designed for a Euro plate, long but not too tall. You could put a North American plate there, but if you tried to surround it with a license plate frame, it wouldn't fit properly.

snakeweasel

oldfarmer50 said:

ab348 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Saw an interesting episode of Wheeler Dealers last night. They bought a 2004 E36 M3 with a SMG auto transmission and converted it into a manual. Of course they made it look easy but it involved drilling, programming the ECU and a bunch of other stuff. The interesting part for me was that BMW was built with all the mountings needed for the conversion at the factory. All they had to do was put in a clutch pedal. The SMG was really a manual with an electric shift solenoid.

I saw that a little while back. Not exactly a job for the faint of heard. While the mountings and such were there, it is not a job for the typical shade tree mechanic. That is what has become the problem with the newest WD episodes, they no longer fix/refurb cars, they go far beyond what most DIYers would want to tackle. I really don't need to see how a diesel injector pump is rebuilt.

What I like about that show is that they make their repairs look so simple you’d think you could do them in your own garage. I’m sure that Ant has a team of professionals telling him just how to do every step. Wouldn’t make much of a show to have him breaking stuff, throwing tools and cursing.

It would make a very good show, I think it was called "Home improvement".

stickguy

the Driver story on the camera proves one of my theories. When you are car shopping, make a list of must haves, and don't under any circumstances talk yourself into skipping any, especially for "a deal".

front plates? I bought a couple cars new in PA (Hyundais) and they came with a mount in the trunk. On the Sonata they forgot to install it and I did not notice until I got home. when the plates arrived I decided it was easier to do myself then to go find a dealer. Nervous about drilling into the bumper but it was painless. There were alignment tabs so almost impossible to put on wrong, and just some self tapping screws. easy peasy.

on the Jetta, that came from PA (dealer trade) and the salesguy just put the mount on for the princess. they do so many the cordless drill just sits on the front counter.

snakeweasel

jmonroe1 said:

several times just to make sure she knew how to do it. So, if any credit is due, give it to me.

jmonroe

You must work in management.

stickguy

had a car dilemma over T'day. My father came down (with his newer Sentra) and after dinner left to go to my daughters house (she handled overflow crowd this year, so no hotel rooms needed) and reported the "tire pressure" light came on. They came back in the AM, and I pulled out the gauge. 3 tires all normal in mid-30s, and LF was sitting at 14 PSI. Oops. so I filled it up, and called the tire store for an appointment (pro tip, black friday, bad time for a quick appointment!). Took a few hours to get to it, but turned out to have a small screw in the tread, which they could fix.

since he had to drive back 2 hours on the highway, definitely wanted taken care of first. Just ended up staying for lunch when they weren't expecting to, but better than a blowout on the NJ Turnpike!

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

cdnpinhead said:

Generally the helpless people are of a younger generation, but obviously not always.

This is how I stay so young......act helpless and immature.

I do the same thing but I still feel old. Oh the aches and pains and the occasional health scare.

snakeweasel

roadburner said:

Coming up: Reviews of Ford vs. Ferrari and possibly Midway.

I watched "The 24 Hour War" on Netflix the other day. It's a documentary on the Ford/Ferrari rivalry at Le Mans. It's a very well put together documentary and very informative. I would recommend it.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Friends said their dishwasher doesn't have a rinse cycle, but their next one has to have one. We hardly ever use a rinse....dishes get done at the end of the day, but, there are times when that is a must. The new Maytag has almost every button and setting, and the light shows what cycle it is working on....how nice is that!

For rinse I just have to remember to turn it off after it runs 4-5 minutes during the first wash...

When we bought it I liked it because the button plate faced front rather than upward under the counter edge.
It also has 4 or 5 difference wash cycles. Almost always use sensor wash. This one had the quality interior finish but wasn't stainless steel.

Michaell

Latest COAL post up this morning:

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1985-honda-accord-lx-my-first-grown-up-car/#comment-877737

suydam

Very happy to have a backup camera yesterday during my quick trip to the mall. Parking lot was jammed, and people and families were walking right behind my car as I was backing out. Twice I was surprised by the sudden appearance of a young family member popping out from behind another car right after I thought the coast was clear. Definitely a must have for any vehicle I’m looking at.