Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

Thanks @abacomike ....we're all enthusiasts here. The only times we are happier than when we buy a new car, is when one of the Edmunds community does.

I'll keep everyone posted.

If interested, this is Kia's phone app for iPhone and Android phones.....

https://owners.kia.com/content/owners/en/kia-owner-portal.html/

Haven't used it yet. So, not sure all that it does. I heard (not sure) I can start the car remotely via the app in addition to the FOB. Don't know for sure, though.

Another quirk I forgot to mention....my car has an electronic shifter (as does my Acura, only it uses buttons vs the shift lever the Stinger uses). Park is at the very top of the shifter, which is to be expected. But, if you want to put it in reverse, instead of pulling the shifter back, towards the rear of the car, you push it forward. Conversely, if you want to put it into drive, you pull the gear lever down, towards the back of the car if you want to go forward.

Weird....again, may be a set up option I can change it with that I'm unaware of.

I think the Audi I drove today was like that...with an unnecessary double ‘Park’ setting and an e brake.

explorerx4

@roadburner,
You let the salesperson control the conversation.
Don't talk money until you drive what you are interested in.
Then you can start the game.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

Neither does my 52-yr-old Dodge. Then again, I’m not sure it has any at all.

roadburner

The ADM just killed my interest; they can keep it.

roadburner

In other news, I decided on a TV; I'm just waiting for the price to drop a bit more, but I'm going with a 75" Sony Z9F.

driver100

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

28firefighter said:

An hour of time at $125 to diagnose, an hour of labor at $125 to replace the reservoir, and probably $50 for the part. Plus $20 for the loaner.

I'll say $320 + tax.

It is an indie garage and somewhere in the discussion he said $75 to get to the diagnosis part.

For $1.99 you can get a crescent wrench at Harbor Freight and do it yourself.

jmonroe

Not really. You have to remove a lot of bolts along the front brace. Then there are electrical wires and tubes attached, plus the container is completely hidden way down below....then the wheel well cover blocks your view. Maybe in a Gennie it just hangs down where you can get at it.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

stickguy said:

these days I think getting all the covers off, without breaking all the clips, is the hardest part of the job. But, DIY is the way to go if possible.

my latest help out project at the princess' house was electrical. They have a basic overhead bulb fixture with a pull chain over the washer. And it is pretty much the only light in the area. Well, the BF yanked on the chain and snapped it off. So I got to R&R the unit. No chain left inside to grab, so off with the old, and one with a new one. I think it cost a whopping $3.49 at Lowes. Labor, as always, was comped. I don't want to think what an electrician would have charged to show up and do the job.

Passed my QC test. For electric, that means you turn it on and it turns on, and no sparks shoot out of the fixture. Passed on the first try!

Which is worse? Doing electrical or doing plumbing?

Electrical is worse.....less chance of electrocuting yourself doing plumbing.

driver100

explorerx4 said:

@driver100,
You don't give your kids any money, why should we give you any?

I give my kids money.....just not planning on leaving them any. Just leaving a few unpaid bills.

pensfan83

If I had to pick the lesser of 2 evils I'm more comfortable with plumbing, albeit basic plumbing like a water tank, toilet or faucet.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

I had Chryslers that leaked....through the windows and in the trunk. My 76 Dodge had a rear window blow out when the defroster was put on.

explorerx4

We have get out vehicles emissions tested every 2 years, although they waive the first 2 year test.
Wife's MKC is 4 years old and needs new tires.
The emissions testing place is mostly a tire dealer, so i asked for quote to replace the tires.
Guy says 'Between $200 and $500'.
Told him I'm not interested in paying $500 a tire, so he came back with a not great option, not even direct replacements, so I'm going to pass buying there.
Should have figured out something was up when the only other 2 people in there left grumbling.

driver100

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

Neither does my 52-yr-old Dodge. Then again, I’m not sure it has any at all.

I keep mopping up washer fluid in the garage. That container must hold about 8 gallons of fluid.
Actually, I think some leaked and now the source has gotten larger and more is coming out.

driver100

explorerx4 said:

We have get out vehicles emissions tested every 2 years, although they waive the first 2 year test.
Wife's MKC is 4 years old and needs new tires.
The emissions testing place is mostly a tire dealer, so i asked for quote to replace the tires.
Guy says 'Between $200 and $500'.
Told him I'm not interested in paying $500 a tire, so he came back with a not great option, not even direct replacements, so I'm going to pass buying there.
Should have figured out something was up when the only other 2 people in there left grumbling.

How many miles on those tires?
Tires between $200 and $500! It would be interesting to see the $200 ones....are they used?

jmonroe

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

28firefighter said:

An hour of time at $125 to diagnose, an hour of labor at $125 to replace the reservoir, and probably $50 for the part. Plus $20 for the loaner.

I'll say $320 + tax.

It is an indie garage and somewhere in the discussion he said $75 to get to the diagnosis part.

For $1.99 you can get a crescent wrench at Harbor Freight and do it yourself.

jmonroe

Not really. You have to remove a lot of bolts along the front brace. Then there are electrical wires and tubes attached, plus the container is completely hidden way down below....then the wheel well cover blocks your view. Maybe in a Gennie it just hangs down where you can get at it.

Did you ever stop to think if you had a Genny you wouldn't have this problem. Never mind, we know the answer. You're happy taking it to The Guy so don't worry about it, maybe.

jmonroe

imidazol97

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

Neither does my 52-yr-old Dodge. Then again, I’m not sure it has any at all.

I keep mopping up washer fluid in the garage. That container must hold about 8 gallons of fluid.
Actually, I think some leaked and now the source has gotten larger and more is coming out.

Are you sure it's not engine coolant?

stickguy

driver100 said:

explorerx4 said:

We have get out vehicles emissions tested every 2 years, although they waive the first 2 year test.
Wife's MKC is 4 years old and needs new tires.
The emissions testing place is mostly a tire dealer, so i asked for quote to replace the tires.
Guy says 'Between $200 and $500'.
Told him I'm not interested in paying $500 a tire, so he came back with a not great option, not even direct replacements, so I'm going to pass buying there.
Should have figured out something was up when the only other 2 people in there left grumbling.

How many miles on those tires?
Tires between $200 and $500! It would be interesting to see the $200 ones....are they used?

I assume that is per tire. And $200 should already be a respectable tire. $500 is fancy Porsche performance tire money.

jmonroe

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

Neither does my 52-yr-old Dodge. Then again, I’m not sure it has any at all.

I keep mopping up washer fluid in the garage. That container must hold about 8 gallons of fluid.
Actually, I think some leaked and now the source has gotten larger and more is coming out.

Are you sure it's not engine coolant?

I think he went to bed. He'll tell you in the morning if he know the difference.

As for plumbing or electrical, I can do both but sweating is more time consuming than stripping wires and attaching wire nuts. Working in a panel doesn't bother me either, just have to be careful. Sounds like you guys should have come over to the flip house, you might have enjoyed that and then you could have made up your minds on a daily basis. Too late now, it's sold.

Just curious, but why do you have recess your range receptacle. I have electric and it's surface mounted. It's not like you ever see it unless you slide out the range. Which I never do. If it ain't broke I ain't fixing it.

jmonroe

venture

oldfarmer50 said:

venture said:

I gave the CrossTrek to my daughter. We went to a place that does that kind of stuff, not the DMV. They charged me $146 to transfer the title. Their fee was $71.50. That seems like a lot doesn't it; especially since it took them about 10 miuntes?

I heard that AAA can do that in PA. A few years ago I was negotiating with a guy from there who was selling a car here in NY for his mother. The sticking point was NY’s arcane title transfer system which required him to get lawyers and go to probate court to sell the car. He lamented that it was so much easier in PA. Needless to say the deal fell apart.

Consider yourself lucky.

It was relatively painless...clear up to the time she said what the bill was. I guess there is always a worse story out there. I just think $71.50 for 10 minutes work is a lot. It isn't a MB being worked on after all.

driver100

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

28firefighter said:

An hour of time at $125 to diagnose, an hour of labor at $125 to replace the reservoir, and probably $50 for the part. Plus $20 for the loaner.

I'll say $320 + tax.

It is an indie garage and somewhere in the discussion he said $75 to get to the diagnosis part.

For $1.99 you can get a crescent wrench at Harbor Freight and do it yourself.

jmonroe

Not really. You have to remove a lot of bolts along the front brace. Then there are electrical wires and tubes attached, plus the container is completely hidden way down below....then the wheel well cover blocks your view. Maybe in a Gennie it just hangs down where you can get at it.

Did you ever stop to think if you had a Genny you wouldn't have this problem. Never mind, we know the answer. You're happy taking it to The Guy so don't worry about it, maybe.

jmonroe

I don't remember ever having an actual problem on any of our BMWs, one Audi or MBs, and we have had about
10 since 1999. We'll see how the Gennie does at 30k miles.
I happened to look on CCBA one day and I saw where you only have 5000 miles on your car...not much goes wrong at 1000 miles a year, and Mrs JM says you have to keep your car until it gets to 200000 miles since car engines last that long.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

For those of you who don't follow the CCBA topic, I was trying to duplicate graphicguy's success with buying a Kia Stinger. In my case it was an AWD GTS- a special edition that comes with a mechanical LSD and allows you to disconnect the front axle just like the BMW M5 and the Mercedes-AMG E63 S. The GTS I was looking at had been on the lot for 148 days as of yesterday. Here's my sordid tale:

Well that didn't take long...

It's obvious that:
A. I lack graphicguy's winsome demeanor, or
B. Kia of Elizabethtown is not interested in selling the GTS, or
C. Both A and B
Here's how it went down- I pulled in and parked my M235i in a customer spot right in front of the showroom. There weren't any other customers around, as best I could tell. The GTS was parked nose first in a customer spot next to the service lane; it didn't appear to have been driven recently. When I walked up to it I saw it had an ADM "Mop n' Glow" sticker attempting to add $4,000 to the price- those always p*ss me off. At this point I'm approached my Mr. Man Bun(MMB) The conversation went something like this:

MMB: Can I help you?
Me: I like that GTS but it's considerably more than I'm prepared to spend.
MMB: Really?
Me: Yes, If I'm going to spend that much money I'd be looking at a CPO M2C.
MMB: M2? That's a Mercedes, right?
Me: No, it's a BMW. The thing is, the GTS is the only Stinger I'll consider because it's the only AWD model with a mechanical limited slip- and no one wants to find me a RWD GT2.
MMB: How much do you want to spend?
Me: At this point no more than $35,000
MMB: Okay, well thanks for stopping by.

No wonder the car has been sitting for 150 days...

I don’t get that logic. Do they think gullible millionaires are just waiting in the wings to scoop up those lot queens? I bypassed my local Ford dealer when I was Mustang shopping in 2015. They had a 2014 sitting out front for over a year like it was a potted plant. I knew there was no deal to be had there.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

Neither does my 52-yr-old Dodge. Then again, I’m not sure it has any at all.

I keep mopping up washer fluid in the garage. That container must hold about 8 gallons of fluid.
Actually, I think some leaked and now the source has gotten larger and more is coming out.

Are you sure it's not engine coolant?

I have thought about that but the engine ran at normal temperature yesterday. The liquid is blue like the windshield washer blue color. It also leaks in the front corner right below the reservoir. But, it could be the rad....hope not. Mopped it up some more this morning.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

Neither does my 52-yr-old Dodge. Then again, I’m not sure it has any at all.

If it does, it’s probably made out of metal like the interior of my old Plymouth Satellite.

I miss that car.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

I had Chryslers that leaked....through the windows and in the trunk. My 76 Dodge had a rear window blow out when the defroster was put on.

That was just the interior wash feature.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

Neither does my 52-yr-old Dodge. Then again, I’m not sure it has any at all.

I keep mopping up washer fluid in the garage. That container must hold about 8 gallons of fluid.
Actually, I think some leaked and now the source has gotten larger and more is coming out.

Are you sure it's not engine coolant?

I have thought about that but the engine ran at normal temperature yesterday. The liquid is blue like the windshield washer blue color. It also leaks in the front corner right below the reservoir. But, it could be the rad....hope not. Mopped it up some more this morning.

If blue liquid is leaking out of your radiator something is really wrong.

tjc78

Pretty sure Mercedes coolant is a bluish / purple color.... HMM

@fintail, am I correct?

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

Neither does my 52-yr-old Dodge. Then again, I’m not sure it has any at all.

I keep mopping up washer fluid in the garage. That container must hold about 8 gallons of fluid.
Actually, I think some leaked and now the source has gotten larger and more is coming out.

Are you sure it's not engine coolant?

I have thought about that but the engine ran at normal temperature yesterday. The liquid is blue like the windshield washer blue color. It also leaks in the front corner right below the reservoir. But, it could be the rad....hope not. Mopped it up some more this morning.

If blue liquid is leaking out of your radiator something is really wrong.

What color is rad fluid? I took the car in this morning...it is a 30 minute drive at 80 mph and the temp gauge stayed at normal....doesn't seem to be the rad. They gave me a $20 loaner car......an Altima, white not black like JMonroes chick magnet car. Not bad, haven't driven FWD in awhile.....very imprecise steering, ride OK, car seems solid.........not nearly as pleasant to drive as the C250. Feels more like an appliance that gets you from A to B. Haven't noticed if it has a backup camera - haven't backed up yet.

driver100

The manual doesn't really say how often radiator coolant should be changed. I checked a few sites and according to MB World, it should be changed at 15 years or 150000 miles (if car is 2002 or newer). Rule of thumb is between 30k and 100k for most cars depending on the manual.

graphicguy

roadburner said:

In other news, I decided on a TV; I'm just waiting for the price to drop a bit more, but I'm going with a 75" Sony Z9F.

Oohhhh...nice TV. I had its predecessor (only a 65”) which I gave to my son when I got the OLED.

BTW, I posted over at CCBA thread about your ordeal with Kia. If you decide to go to Superior Kia here in Cincinnati, if you want, you can let me know. The GM at Superior Kia used to be the GM at Superior Acura, where I bought all my TLs/TLXs. He’s a good guy. Not sure it would make a difference, but worth a shot. I could do a quick intro.

dino001

roadburner said:

For those of you who don't follow the CCBA topic, I was trying to duplicate graphicguy's success with buying a Kia Stinger. In my case it was an AWD GTS- a special edition that comes with a mechanical LSD and allows you to disconnect the front axle just like the BMW M5 and the Mercedes-AMG E63 S. The GTS I was looking at had been on the lot for 148 days as of yesterday. Here's my sordid tale:

Well that didn't take long...

It's obvious that:
A. I lack graphicguy's winsome demeanor, or
B. Kia of Elizabethtown is not interested in selling the GTS, or
C. Both A and B
Here's how it went down- I pulled in and parked my M235i in a customer spot right in front of the showroom. There weren't any other customers around, as best I could tell. The GTS was parked nose first in a customer spot next to the service lane; it didn't appear to have been driven recently. When I walked up to it I saw it had an ADM "Mop n' Glow" sticker attempting to add $4,000 to the price- those always p*ss me off. At this point I'm approached my Mr. Man Bun(MMB) The conversation went something like this:

MMB: Can I help you?
Me: I like that GTS but it's considerably more than I'm prepared to spend.
MMB: Really?
Me: Yes, If I'm going to spend that much money I'd be looking at a CPO M2C.
MMB: M2? That's a Mercedes, right?
Me: No, it's a BMW. The thing is, the GTS is the only Stinger I'll consider because it's the only AWD model with a mechanical limited slip- and no one wants to find me a RWD GT2.
MMB: How much do you want to spend?
Me: At this point no more than $35,000
MMB: Okay, well thanks for stopping by.

No wonder the car has been sitting for 150 days...

I think you definitely played it wrong, if you were really interested in it. Places like those are clearly like boiler rooms, if you go in one wanting to get anything done, you have to play the game for a little while before you drop the hammer. Make them invest some time in you first, so then they hate seeing you walking away. Make them ask that infamous question "what can I do to..." and answer with "drop the price by X, remove mop and glo". When they say no, go home. You can't start with "you guys are doing it all wrong" at the opening salvo and expect the response "well, sir what else can we do for you, braid your hair and give you pedicure perhaps?".

dino001

driver100 said:

The manual doesn't really say how often radiator coolant should be changed. I checked a few sites and according to MB World, it should be changed at 15 years or 150000 miles (if car is 2002 or newer). Rule of thumb is between 30k and 100k for most cars depending on the manual.

Many modern coolant systems are now "lifetime", which in car manufacturer lingo is around 150k miles, but can even go further (it's basicaly beyond their research scope). You'd only change one if you had a leak or blown head gasket.

dino001

Did I miss Graphic's story how he dealt and bought the Stinger? Went back several pages and didn't find anything..

driver100

Thanks for the info, it has 30k miles on it now, at 6k miles a year it will need it done in 20 years. Ooops, they say 15 years so 15-6=9 more years....I put it in my calendar.

graphicguy

dino001 said:

Did I miss Graphic's story how he dealt and bought the Stinger? Went back several pages and didn't find anything..

I think I posted the details over in CCBA thread. Reader’s Digest version....

I took the rest of my 2019 PTO between Christmas and New Years kicking tires on various cars. Really wasn’t in the market. On Jan 2 I happened into the Kia dealer. They had a Singer GT2 which I really liked. Leftover 2019 (2020s are now at the dealers). Wasn’t looking to make an offer, but they goaded me to make one. I made what I considered a “I’m not seriously buying anything” offer, and they took it.

They low balled my Acura on a trade. So, I have both sitting in my garage.

28firefighter

dino001 said:

Did I miss Graphic's story how he dealt and bought the Stinger? Went back several pages and didn't find anything..

Check over on Chronic Car Buyer's Anonymous.

nyccarguy

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

Neither does my 52-yr-old Dodge. Then again, I’m not sure it has any at all.

I keep mopping up washer fluid in the garage. That container must hold about 8 gallons of fluid.
Actually, I think some leaked and now the source has gotten larger and more is coming out.

Are you sure it's not engine coolant?

I have thought about that but the engine ran at normal temperature yesterday. The liquid is blue like the windshield washer blue color. It also leaks in the front corner right below the reservoir. But, it could be the rad....hope not. Mopped it up some more this morning.

If blue liquid is leaking out of your radiator something is really wrong.

What color is rad fluid? I took the car in this morning...it is a 30 minute drive at 80 mph and the temp gauge stayed at normal....doesn't seem to be the rad. They gave me a $20 loaner car......an Altima, white not black like JMonroes chick magnet car. Not bad, haven't driven FWD in awhile.....very imprecise steering, ride OK, car seems solid.........not nearly as pleasant to drive as the C250. Feels more like an appliance that gets you from A to B. Haven't noticed if it has a backup camera - haven't backed up yet.

Hopefully your temperature gauge isn't broken in addition to the radiator

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

Neither does my 52-yr-old Dodge. Then again, I’m not sure it has any at all.

I keep mopping up washer fluid in the garage. That container must hold about 8 gallons of fluid.
Actually, I think some leaked and now the source has gotten larger and more is coming out.

Are you sure it's not engine coolant?

I have thought about that but the engine ran at normal temperature yesterday. The liquid is blue like the windshield washer blue color. It also leaks in the front corner right below the reservoir. But, it could be the rad....hope not. Mopped it up some more this morning.

If blue liquid is leaking out of your radiator something is really wrong.

What color is rad fluid? I took the car in this morning...it is a 30 minute drive at 80 mph and the temp gauge stayed at normal....doesn't seem to be the rad. They gave me a $20 loaner car......an Altima, white not black like JMonroes chick magnet car. Not bad, haven't driven FWD in awhile.....very imprecise steering, ride OK, car seems solid.........not nearly as pleasant to drive as the C250. Feels more like an appliance that gets you from A to B. Haven't noticed if it has a backup camera - haven't backed up yet.

Most is either green or orange...sometimes red. I wouldn’t know if MB has a special color as I only drive appliances.

houdini1

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

Neither does my 52-yr-old Dodge. Then again, I’m not sure it has any at all.

I keep mopping up washer fluid in the garage. That container must hold about 8 gallons of fluid.
Actually, I think some leaked and now the source has gotten larger and more is coming out.

You should hire someone to come out and set a pan or pot under the car.

oldfarmer50

dino001 said:

driver100 said:

The manual doesn't really say how often radiator coolant should be changed. I checked a few sites and according to MB World, it should be changed at 15 years or 150000 miles (if car is 2002 or newer). Rule of thumb is between 30k and 100k for most cars depending on the manual.

Many modern coolant systems are now "lifetime", which in car manufacturer lingo is around 150k miles, but can even go further (it's basicaly beyond their research scope). You'd only change one if you had a leak or blown head gasket.

I never believed that. If nothing else the corrosion inhibitors wear out. Then again everything is plastic these days so maybe it doesn’t matter. I’m going on the experience of replacing many radiators in the past.

roadburner

BMW coolant is blue, and I change it every two years. It didn’t become a “lifetime fill” until BMW started paying for maintenance for the first three years.

driver100

nyccarguy said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

Neither does my 52-yr-old Dodge. Then again, I’m not sure it has any at all.

I keep mopping up washer fluid in the garage. That container must hold about 8 gallons of fluid.
Actually, I think some leaked and now the source has gotten larger and more is coming out.

Are you sure it's not engine coolant?

I have thought about that but the engine ran at normal temperature yesterday. The liquid is blue like the windshield washer blue color. It also leaks in the front corner right below the reservoir. But, it could be the rad....hope not. Mopped it up some more this morning.

If blue liquid is leaking out of your radiator something is really wrong.

What color is rad fluid? I took the car in this morning...it is a 30 minute drive at 80 mph and the temp gauge stayed at normal....doesn't seem to be the rad. They gave me a $20 loaner car......an Altima, white not black like JMonroes chick magnet car. Not bad, haven't driven FWD in awhile.....very imprecise steering, ride OK, car seems solid.........not nearly as pleasant to drive as the C250. Feels more like an appliance that gets you from A to B. Haven't noticed if it has a backup camera - haven't backed up yet.

Hopefully your temperature gauge isn't broken in addition to the radiator

I was watching for steam from the engine as I drove 80 mph.

driver100

houdini1 said:

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

See, I should have bought the 2016 C300 a few weeks ago. Noticed a blue puddle on the garage floor last night. Thought it might be laundry detergent bottle that got knocked over. Hoping it wasn't anti-freeze.
Nope, windshield washer fluid. I can't see inside the container to see where it leaks out. The whole area is blocked off so you can't see much. It seems like a fairly common thing to happen, lots of info about how to fix it.
Have an appointment at the indie Euro garage tomorrow morning.

My lowly Chevy Malibu has never had a washer fluid leak. None of my other GM's has had one either.

My 20 year old Chrysler doesn’t leak either.....a CHRYSLER!

Neither does my 52-yr-old Dodge. Then again, I’m not sure it has any at all.

I keep mopping up washer fluid in the garage. That container must hold about 8 gallons of fluid.
Actually, I think some leaked and now the source has gotten larger and more is coming out.

You should hire someone to come out and set a pan or pot under the car.

Don't know what we would do without your sage advice houdini.

Actually, I could probably put the pan or pot under it myself.....but, each time I mopped up I thought, there can't be any more in there.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

dino001 said:

driver100 said:

The manual doesn't really say how often radiator coolant should be changed. I checked a few sites and according to MB World, it should be changed at 15 years or 150000 miles (if car is 2002 or newer). Rule of thumb is between 30k and 100k for most cars depending on the manual.

Many modern coolant systems are now "lifetime", which in car manufacturer lingo is around 150k miles, but can even go further (it's basicaly beyond their research scope). You'd only change one if you had a leak or blown head gasket.

I never believed that. If nothing else the corrosion inhibitors wear out. Then again everything is plastic these days so maybe it doesn’t matter. I’m going on the experience of replacing many radiators in the past.

It has chemicals in it that are released to inhibit rust etc. I would definitely do 10 years or 100000 miles, I don't think they are going to make those numbers up. In fact, they make more if you changed the anti-freeze more often. Keep in mind too, it should be tested about every 10k miles to make sure it is still good....simple testing.

imidazol97

@driver100
Is this at the Mercedes dealer? They gave you an Altima?

@oldfarmer50
I wonder if MB coolant has to be registered. They probably have a sensor that tests the coolant and if is not MB certified the car dumps it all out and overheats to let the owner k now they made a mistake.

driver100

imid....it is bmw that you have to register....I don't know about registering.
The car is at a Euro Indie Garage.....the sign says they fix Audi, Mercedes, VW, BMW and Lexus etc. Not sure which Lexus is European.

graphicguy

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

Thanks @abacomike ....we're all enthusiasts here. The only times we are happier than when we buy a new car, is when one of the Edmunds community does.

I'll keep everyone posted.

If interested, this is Kia's phone app for iPhone and Android phones.....

https://owners.kia.com/content/owners/en/kia-owner-portal.html/

Haven't used it yet. So, not sure all that it does. I heard (not sure) I can start the car remotely via the app in addition to the FOB. Don't know for sure, though.

Another quirk I forgot to mention....my car has an electronic shifter (as does my Acura, only it uses buttons vs the shift lever the Stinger uses). Park is at the very top of the shifter, which is to be expected. But, if you want to put it in reverse, instead of pulling the shifter back, towards the rear of the car, you push it forward. Conversely, if you want to put it into drive, you pull the gear lever down, towards the back of the car if you want to go forward.

Weird....again, may be a set up option I can change it with that I'm unaware of.

I think the Audi I drove today was like that...with an unnecessary double ‘Park’ setting and an e brake.

Kind of felt the Audi influence in the way the shifter works, as well as the feel and look of the buttons on the Stinger.

graphicguy

@Michaell...tried to fix my siggy but it doesn’t show up in my posts.

imidazol97

In the past some said after changes, you had to sign out of Edmunds, and then sign back in. Then the changes would show. I've had trouble changing my signature despite that.

fintail

On newer cars there is a bluish/purple coolant, yes. I am not sure if it is the only one, but I know I have seen it.

Less specific for old cars. I keep a container in the trunk of the fintail just in case, and I just buy stuff off the big box shelf.

tjc78 said:

Pretty sure Mercedes coolant is a bluish / purple color.... HMM

@fintail, am I correct?

oldfarmer50

Oh oh, the experts are right, MB coolant is BLUE. I learned something and you have more to worry about. Maybe Imidazol97 is right, you should have registered your antifreeze.