Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

roadburner said:

I think newer BMWs now default to “On.” Luckily I’ll be able to code it to “Off” if/when I get one.

I'd let "The Guy" do it.

We once had a president who got it right when he said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.

jmonroe

imidazol97

abacomike said:

imidazol97 said:

abacomike said:

Also, the car is brand new and thus the batteries are not fully charged.

If the batteries aren't fully charged after a couple of 20 minute drives to the dealer and others by now, that car needs to go back for a refund.

The S/S system on my Malibu can't be turned off. But early posts in the forums helped determine that stopping by braking hard to slow and then letting up on the pressure on the pedal just before a dead stop kept the system from engaging. Later I learned that the dual temp control could block it because one side of the interior wasn't up to temp control requested.

Now it's rare that S/S engages. However there is a device that plugs into the ALDC where scanners are connected. It fakes the system into thinking the hood is open or some similar ruse while the car is being started, and then reverts to normal operation. Device just unplugs when car needs to go in for service. It's like the nannie devices some insurance companies want you to plug in to track your driving mannerisms.

It's available for many models. Why didn't I come up with something like that. I could be a billionaire by now.

My car needs to go back for a refund to the dealer because the batteries aren't fully charged after a short trip here and there? You are kidding, right? I have put on 199 miles on the new car in the 3 weeks I have had it. It sits in its parking space 95% of the time. I hardly go anywhere. Also remember that the car originally sat on lot at Brunswick, GA, for 8-10 weeks while the port was closed. I really don't think the batteries are fully charged yet.

Yup. Tongue in cheek.

If the batteries weren't up to snuff when the car was being prepped after sitting at the dock of the bay, the dealer should have charged them by idling the car or by using a charger. If your drives are several miles to the dealer and back, the charging system should have that puppy up to 90% easily.

What you might want to do is run the remote start every few days. That will give more run time for the alternator to charge the battery(s). I used to do that with the Malibu in the winter because I drove the Cobalt when there was anything on the ground. It would run 10 minutes two times in a row and turn itself off automatically. Every 7 days or so; that kept the battery charged.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

roadburner said:

I think newer BMWs now default to “On.” Luckily I’ll be able to code it to “Off” if/when I get one.

I'd let "The Guy" do it.

We once had a president who got it right when he said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.

jmonroe

Some people end up with very costly repair bills....when they try that!
It wasn't a president but Churchill, and he didn't have a complex modern day $50000+ car.
Don't know if you should do the repair if you can't attribute the quote correctly.

venture

FDRoosevelt

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

roadburner said:

I think newer BMWs now default to “On.” Luckily I’ll be able to code it to “Off” if/when I get one.

I'd let "The Guy" do it.

We once had a president who got it right when he said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.

jmonroe

Some people end up with very costly repair bills....when they try that!
It wasn't a president but Churchill, and he didn't have a complex modern day $50000+ car.
Don't know if you should do the repair if you can't attribute the quote correctly.

Maybe it’s a Canadian news thing but I’ve heard our ex-president say that immediately after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor so many times I’ve lost count. People who repeat it only get credit for being a parrot.

jmonroe

stickguy

Mike just needs to gas that baby up, and hit the rural highway for an italian tune-up. Run it up to 100 for a half hour, and the batteries will be just fine. and the carbon cleaned off the valves!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4UhOeYYXAA

snakeweasel

abacomike said:

explorerx4 said:

Here is CT, those plate frames are technically illegal.
You are not supposed to have any part of your plate obstructed.
There was a story in the paper about someone who got cited for it, which is why I know about it.

Miami Beach has a special city ordinance that states that any license plate frame that hides or obscures the name of the State is illegal and they issue tickets for violations. I don't know of any other cities that have a similar ordinance down here - but it does make sense.

Most states, if not all, have laws prohibiting anything that obstructs any identifying information on a license plate. Are you sure it's a city ordinance and not them enforcing state law?

abacomike

snakeweasel said:

abacomike said:

explorerx4 said:

Here is CT, those plate frames are technically illegal.
You are not supposed to have any part of your plate obstructed.
There was a story in the paper about someone who got cited for it, which is why I know about it.

Miami Beach has a special city ordinance that states that any license plate frame that hides or obscures the name of the State is illegal and they issue tickets for violations. I don't know of any other cities that have a similar ordinance down here - but it does make sense.

Most states, if not all, have laws prohibiting anything that obstructs any identifying information on a license plate. Are you sure it's a city ordinance and not them enforcing state law?

About 9 months ago, there was a special report on local news about it. You might be correct about enforcement of a state law, but I was pretty sure it was exclusive to Miami Beach.

imidazol97

I think washers and dryers have been covered. So a new topic here.

Does anyone use a battery powered lawn mower? Thinking about getting one for the kids at their new house.
It looks like Home Depot with their Ryobi house brand is a good bet.

Michaell

imidazol97 said:

I think washers and dryers have been covered. So a new topic here.

Does anyone use a battery powered lawn mower? Thinking about getting one for the kids at their new house.
It looks like Home Depot with their Ryobi house brand is a good bet.

I use a corded electric mower; as my yards are fairly small, it works well for me.

stickguy

Ryobi is a good brand. Just get one with more power and use time.

snakeweasel

explorerx4 said:

@Venture,
We've got 4 cars and also got $50.

We've got three cars and a motorcycle covered by three different insurance companies and I think the combined amount was around $40.

explorerx4

I have a small rechargeable lawn mower which I use to mow a sloping portion of my yard and also as a trim mower.
Very light and folds up and can be stored standing on end.
It's a 40 volt Worx brand, but tall grass gives it trouble. Does cut very well though.
My son in law still uses my mothers old hand me down gas mower, which is at least 40 years old.

snakeweasel

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

roadburner said:

I think newer BMWs now default to “On.” Luckily I’ll be able to code it to “Off” if/when I get one.

I'd let "The Guy" do it.

We once had a president who got it right when he said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.

jmonroe

https://youtu.be/88WKa6D4U3w

snakeweasel

imidazol97 said:

I think washers and dryers have been covered. So a new topic here.

Does anyone use a battery powered lawn mower? Thinking about getting one for the kids at their new house.
It looks like Home Depot with their Ryobi house brand is a good bet.

My neighbor has one and he seems to like it, battery has enough juice to get the yard mowed. Plus its quite than my gas mower.

snakeweasel

I was catching up on posts and read a few about the post office which reminded me of this.

https://youtu.be/kljzWkFl8jw

tifighter

I have had the E-go mower for five years now. Does every thing I need it to, and stores upright in the garage when I don't need it. 100% would buy again.

tifighter

fintail said:

Oh god you don't have a loathsome personalized plate too, right?

tifighter said:

stop/start, LOL...

No. I don't think I've seen any personal plates in Tacoma. In Bellevue, on the other hand...

28firefighter

I have applied for a personalized Wild on Washington plate for the ZHP...will see if I get it. My first ever.

Given the process and the complexity, I’m sure I’ll hear back sometime during the Tokyo Olympics.

snakeweasel

ab348 said:

Maybe it would look better if it wasn't so cluttered.

Well ab348 is this better?

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

I think washers and dryers have been covered. So a new topic here.

Does anyone use a battery powered lawn mower? Thinking about getting one for the kids at their new house.
It looks like Home Depot with their Ryobi house brand is a good bet.

Better be a small lawn.

oldfarmer50

Michaell said:

imidazol97 said:

I think washers and dryers have been covered. So a new topic here.

Does anyone use a battery powered lawn mower? Thinking about getting one for the kids at their new house.
It looks like Home Depot with their Ryobi house brand is a good bet.

I use a corded electric mower; as my yards are fairly small, it works well for me.

This is what I should have for my lawn.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

roadburner said:

I think newer BMWs now default to “On.” Luckily I’ll be able to code it to “Off” if/when I get one.

I'd let "The Guy" do it.

We once had a president who got it right when he said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.

jmonroe

Some people end up with very costly repair bills....when they try that!
It wasn't a president but Churchill, and he didn't have a complex modern day $50000+ car.
Don't know if you should do the repair if you can't attribute the quote correctly.

Maybe it’s a Canadian news thing but I’ve heard our ex-president say that immediately after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor so many times I’ve lost count. People who repeat it only get credit for being a parrot.

jmonroe

Then it might have been FDR's Speech writer;

Apparently, Churchill said it too;
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8231990-we-have-nothing-to-fear-but-fear-itself

...........and a few people said it many years before that;
https://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/24468

driver100

snakeweasel said:

ab348 said:

Maybe it would look better if it wasn't so cluttered.

Well ab348 is this better?

Must be your neighbors....that's not the same patio!

oldfarmer50

snakeweasel said:

I was catching up on posts and read a few about the post office which reminded me of this.

https://youtu.be/kljzWkFl8jw

I wouldn’t want that business’s worker’s comp bill.

roadburner

oldfarmer50 said:

Michaell said:

imidazol97 said:

I think washers and dryers have been covered. So a new topic here.

Does anyone use a battery powered lawn mower? Thinking about getting one for the kids at their new house.
It looks like Home Depot with their Ryobi house brand is a good bet.

I use a corded electric mower; as my yards are fairly small, it works well for me.

This is what I should have for my lawn.

These two puppies work fine for me:



On another site there was an Eco-Weenie bragging about how he was saving the planet by using a push mower; I told him that I have 2.5 acres to mow and he's welcome to bring his push mower and have at it.

fintail

I've seen a number in Bellevue, lame puns about gasoline/emissions/electricity. I suspect these people are like vegans or crossfitters when it comes to talking about their cars

tifighter said:

No. I don't think I've seen any personal plates in Tacoma. In Bellevue, on the other hand...

qbrozen

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Michaell said:

imidazol97 said:

I think washers and dryers have been covered. So a new topic here.

Does anyone use a battery powered lawn mower? Thinking about getting one for the kids at their new house.
It looks like Home Depot with their Ryobi house brand is a good bet.

I use a corded electric mower; as my yards are fairly small, it works well for me.

This is what I should have for my lawn.

These two puppies work fine for me:



On another site there was an Eco-Weenie bragging about how he was saving the planet by using a push mower; I told him that I have 2.5 acres to mow and he's welcome to bring his push mower and have at it.

you have 2? does someone cut it with you at the same time?

I love my 52" Gravely ZTM. Tough to say how much I cut. Excluding the easement and drainage basin, it is probably somewhere between 2 and 2.5 acres, which takes about 2 hours. So pretty quick. I do the basin like once a month, which takes a longer time.

tifighter

fintail said:

I've seen a number in Bellevue, lame puns about gasoline/emissions/electricity. I suspect these people are like vegans or crossfitters when it comes to talking about their cars

tifighter said:

No. I don't think I've seen any personal plates in Tacoma. In Bellevue, on the other hand...

I saw one once that said 'Love Hz' and I mean, that's actually a pretty good effort.

fintail

That's not too bad, I suppose.

I swear I saw "AMPEDUP" or very similar, which created an audible eyeroll.

Maybe I'll get an X and do "300SL" just for the laughs.

tifighter said:

I saw one once that said 'Love Hz' and I mean, that's actually a pretty good effort.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Michaell said:

imidazol97 said:

I think washers and dryers have been covered. So a new topic here.

Does anyone use a battery powered lawn mower? Thinking about getting one for the kids at their new house.
It looks like Home Depot with their Ryobi house brand is a good bet.

I use a corded electric mower; as my yards are fairly small, it works well for me.

This is what I should have for my lawn.

These two puppies work fine for me:



On another site there was an Eco-Weenie bragging about how he was saving the planet by using a push mower; I told him that I have 2.5 acres to mow and he's welcome to bring his push mower and have at it.

I figured you’d be mowing with something like this:

https://youtu.be/p8jKL3B0J4I

ab348

Elon needs to start focusing on a Tesla ride-on lawnmower. Yeah, it would cost $30K, but just imagine the speed!

The house across the street from me was owned for a few years by a couple who were all into saving the planet. The first year they were here the hubby tried mowing their lawn with a reel-type manual push mower. That was like watching Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the mountain, just torture. Second year he gave that up and bought some sort of battery-powered push mower. That worked except it seemed very heavy and he had trouble wrestling it around. It was on the curb a year or two later with a "free" sign on it - he told me the battery ran down too quickly. Before they finally sold the place he was using a corded electric mower.

kyfdx

When I was a kid, we had a reel mower. I made it one pass across the yard, then never touched it again. My stepfather called it an "armstrong" mower.

ab348

snakeweasel said:

ab348 said:

Maybe it would look better if it wasn't so cluttered.

Well ab348 is this better?

Much improved, well done! Now, since it appears that tree stump cannot be easily removed, you need to commission a bronze plaque to screw to the top surface. Something like "This patio designed and built by Snakeweasel Landscaping Services - 2020 A.D.".

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

I wouldn’t want that business’s worker’s comp bill.

Wow, that is nuts. Hard to believe it is still tolerated in these times of lawsuits and risk management.

snakeweasel

ab348 said:

snakeweasel said:

ab348 said:

Maybe it would look better if it wasn't so cluttered.

Well ab348 is this better?

Much improved, well done! Now, since it appears that tree stump cannot be easily removed, you need to commission a bronze plaque to screw to the top surface. Something like "This patio designed and built by Snakeweasel Landscaping Services - 2020 A.D.".

Actually it's not a tree stump but just a log next to the fire pit. My wife wanted it there so she can sit next to the fire. My guess is after the first time it will be regulated to the fire wood pile.

qbrozen

I was dumb enough to buy a manual mower. Just needed something small to take care of the 500 sq ft or so of grass that is fenced in with the pool. Gave up on that after 2 attempts. Never knew they were so tough to push around. Also tried a corded trimmer that has a wheel attachment to impersonate a mower. That also failed. A buddy then gave me his gas push mower. I previously gave mine to a cousin when we moved here and I was paying landscapers the first couple of years, then I gave my small riding mower to that same buddy because it wasn't going to serve any purpose here.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

you have 2? does someone cut it with you at the same time?

I love my 52" Gravely ZTM. Tough to say how much I cut. Excluding the easement and drainage basin, it is probably somewhere between 2 and 2.5 acres, which takes about 2 hours. So pretty quick. I do the basin like once a month, which takes a longer time.

I bought the Dixon 42” back in the late ‘90s and bought the Cub Cadet 54” around 2007. I knew I wouldn’t get anything trading in the Dixon, so I just kept it. I use it for smaller areas and areas where the Cub kicks up too much dust when it’s really dry.
When my son lived at home we did run both at the same time.

graphicguy

imidazol97 said:

I think washers and dryers have been covered. So a new topic here.

Does anyone use a battery powered lawn mower? Thinking about getting one for the kids at their new house.
It looks like Home Depot with their Ryobi house brand is a good bet.

Not a lawn mower but an electric snow blower. The downside, it’s mostly made of plastic, yet the batteries are still heavy and it’s hard to push and guide. The good news, I never had to use it this year. I’m thinking about going back to a plain old Toro gas powered snow blower, though.

Unless it’s one of those electric riding mowers, I’d probably do a hard pass on it.

driver100

What weenies....you guys need one like mine;

driver100

snakeweasel said:

I was catching up on posts and read a few about the post office which reminded me of this.

I wonder what happened to the last guy!

ab348

qbrozen said:

I was dumb enough to buy a manual mower. Just needed something small to take care of the 500 sq ft or so of grass that is fenced in with the pool. Gave up on that after 2 attempts. Never knew they were so tough to push around.

It seems odd that they all seem so tough. I remember when I was just a little kid, probably 10 years old or so, we had one of those push reel mowers. It wasn't exactly easy, but 10 year-old me could use it without killing myself. I remember being impressed at how fast the reel spun with just a little movement of the wheels. Of course you have to use them often when the grass is growing quickly as they do not like tall grass.You would think that 50 years of development would have improved the breed but perhaps not.

ab348

I bought a corded electric snow thrower/blower (SnowJoe brand, China special) a couple of years ago and have actually been impressed. It can handle 6"-8" of snow no problem, even heavy stuff. It has been very useful for the smallish area I have.

roadburner

driver100 said:

What weenies....you guys need one like mine;

I’d wager you’d need to call “a guy” just to get one of mine started- never mind operate it.

stickguy

I never got a snow blower. And was happy that this past winter, I did not have to use my snow shovel once!

graphicguy

ab348 said:

I bought a corded electric snow thrower/blower (SnowJoe brand, China special) a couple of years ago and have actually been impressed. It can handle 6"-8" of snow no problem, even heavy stuff. It has been very useful for the smallish area I have.

I think part of the issue with mine is it has batteries. And, it takes two of them. And, they're heavy. And, they don't provide enough power to throw my snow very far, so I have to go over the same area 2x-3x.

I'm selling it. But, who knows? The next place I live I may not even require a snow blower.

But, at this rate, with real estate so tight around this area, I may be in my current home another year or more.

driver100

roadburner said:

driver100 said:

What weenies....you guys need one like mine;

I’d wager you’d need to call “a guy” just to get one of mine started- never mind operate it.

Actually, I call the guy to do the whole lawn...my days of cutting lawns are over.
I believe in helping the economy too.

ab348

graphicguy said:

I think part of the issue with mine is it has batteries. And, it takes two of them. And, they're heavy. And, they don't provide enough power to throw my snow very far, so I have to go over the same area 2x-3x.

Yeah, I have a fundamental distrust of battery-powered household equipment after a few bad experiences so I went with the corded one, which actually is fine for the way I use it. I did have to buy a heavier-gauge outdoor extension cord since the thing allegedly has a 15-amp motor though.

ab348

After about 6-8 months elapsed total time (about half of that actually working on it) the neighbors up the street abandoned their DIY attempt at building a stacked stone wall at the front of their property and hired pros. Man, these 4 or 5 guys did an impressive job in just a few days. The result looks beautiful enough that I'm wondering if I should do the same. No idea how much though I am presuming it isn't cheap.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

I was dumb enough to buy a manual mower. Just needed something small to take care of the 500 sq ft or so of grass that is fenced in with the pool. Gave up on that after 2 attempts. Never knew they were so tough to push around. Also tried a corded trimmer that has a wheel attachment to impersonate a mower. That also failed. A buddy then gave me his gas push mower. I previously gave mine to a cousin when we moved here and I was paying landscapers the first couple of years, then I gave my small riding mower to that same buddy because it wasn't going to serve any purpose here.

I remember my grandparents having a push reel mower. The trick was to get some momentum going. But that was in the days of real (or is it reel) men.