Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

stickguy

explorerx4 said:

@stickguy,
Lets see how that mower works in 5 years.

the old one? that will be in the dump long before then. The new EGo, probably still mowing my lawn unless I get too decrepit to do it in which case it will be mowing my son's lawn.

abacomike

One of the major pitfalls of living in Southern California, especially the desert, as well as living in South Florida, is the fairly frequent findings of skin cancer by my dermatologist on various parts of my body. I do not sit in the sun and, in fact, make a serious effort to avoid contact with the sun.

My first type of skin cancer was discovered by a dermatologist in Palm Desert, California back in 1992. All were basal cell carcinomas which usually didn't require surgical removal - but rather scrapings. When I moved to South Florida, I had to have some basal cell carcinoma removed from my forehead which required Mohs surgery where they remove the cancer cells by cutting into unaffected skin until microscopically they find no additional cancerous cells. Mohs surgery often takes many hours to complete because they have to keep checking skin cells removed from the affected area to make sure they got all the cancerous cells. Often they have to go back and remove more tissue to put under the microscope.

About three weeks ago, my dermatologist did a biopsy on a small growth (about the size of a dime) on my back. It came back from the laboratory as a Squamous Cell Carcinoma. He scraped it in his office after numbing it up with an injection. He advised me to change the dressing every day by applying petroleum jelly to the wound until the site was healed. Since the site was on my back and I could not apply a dressing due to the location, I have been going to my Primary Care Physician's office which is about 1/2 a mile from my condo. It's been over two weeks since the surgical procedure but it has not healed. So I went back to the dermatologist yesterday and he said it could take up to 4+ weeks to completely heal. Because I live alone and do not have any neighbors on my floor who I am familiar with, it is difficult to manage.

This type of cancer is usually associated with repetitive sunburns. I rarely ever took off my shirt when I was younger when in the sun except to go swimming in the pool at our beach club in Atlantic Beach, NY. My dermatologist said that is probably how the cancer was formed after many years of exposure. Same is true for golfers who develop many skin cancers.

The only reason I brought this up was to caution everyone about sun exposure and the increasing frequency of skin cancers in the USA. Many sunscreens do not sufficiently block ultraviolet rays from getting to your skin cells.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

The mower I have I think is 3 years old. Does not look too old, so I assume the original owner of the house bought it when he got the house. Which was November 2020 I believe, so really the mower was probably used for 2 seasons. Also, it has always just had ethonal free gas mixed with Staybil used in it. So really, no reason it should not be fine. I even ran it dry last fall, and just put a small amount of staybil in the tank to lube it.

I watched a bunch of videos on this engine this morning, and pulled some pieces off to look at suggested fixes. Sadly the easy one (stuck choke) was not a problem. It is, however, very messy (oil/gas gunk). Needs a serious wash with brake clean before trying anything.

It looks like a bit of a pain disconnecting all the wires and hoses to the carb to even try and get it off the engine. And of all the videos I watched on cleaning/repairing it (all of which of course started with it on a workbench, ignoring the minor detail of getting it off the engine) the overwhelmingly common opinion, is that the B&S carb on this engine is crapola. Turns out, it is entirely plastic, and very problematic with clogging (and pieces breaking). Plus the carb jet is overly tiny (leading to easy clogging). Most shops apparently hate them and would just put on a new one (for whatever that costs).

With enough time and patience (time I got!) and the usual 5 trips to the store for parts and new tools, I might be able to get it apart, cleaned and back together ok, and installed without breaking anything else. Maybe. Or I could take that $ and just but a better new mower.

Also, since it is relevant, I used this last year since it came free with the house, but I absolutely despised this mower. I don't like that self propelled feature, and it was very awkward to use in tight spaces. And did not work (or run) all that well. I thought about replacing it anyway and selling the old one, even when it still ran.

so my plan is to wander down to Lowe's, but an EGo battery model, and stick the old one aside until I am bored some day then I will take it apart and see if I can make it work then sell it. and never but gas powered lawn stuff again. I detest small engines like that.

cost wise, if I had to take this to a shop and pay them to do all the tune up work, that will probably be a minimum of $150 depending on if it needs a new carb, plus X weeks @$40/week to have the lawn mowed while I wait. Won't take long to be ahead of the game just buying it now!

Sounds like you need a “go-to” guy to do all those little things that would take you too much time to do yourself. Over the years I have developed a list for most things.

That’s one thing that takes some time when you move.

ab348

stickguy said:

battery now for yard equipment is the far superior option, certainly for normal size (1/4-1/3 acre) residential lots. I compared today gas to battery. for equivalent features, at the same price point, the battery tended to have more power (torque) rated. so you aren't saving any money getting a gas unit up front, and paying more to run the thing with gas and upkeep. Plus the annual spring hassle.

It's all good until the battery refuses to hold a charge.

stickguy

I am still trying to find some people. Slow process. Got most of the medical ones taken care of. Found a landscaper to try out. No luck with a small engine place (had 2 good ones real close to the old house). Did find a plumber and can use the HVAC people prior owner used.

abacomike

I have begun to notice new car dealerships have much larger inventories of new cars on their lots. Additionally, prices on new cars are beginning to decline due to reduced sales - or as we were taught in my economics classes, supply and demand is what determines the prices of goods and services. With supplies increasing and demand decreasing, it was inevitable that prices would decline. I do not, however, expect prices to return to where they were a few years ago before the pandemic (% of discount off MSRP, that it). My Genesis dealer is selling G80's and G70's at a discount now - not a big discount, but a discount none the less. Interest on car loans have been increasing as well - another reason for reduced demand. My research shows that car loans are averaging 4.9% from banks, and 3.9% from manufacturer's finance subsidiaries, for 60 month terms and slightly lower for 36 month terms.

Luckily I bought my G90 in March of 2021 at 1.9% for 60 months. I am sure glad I decided to keep the car at least until its warranty is expired in 2026.

stickguy

I started getting emails again with sales from car dealers. That must be a sign.

stickguy

@ab348 said:
It's all good until the battery refuses to hold a charge.

Just buy a new one. Gas Mowers only last 3 years now anyway it seems. And this one comes with a 3 year battery warranty. They don’t tend to just fail anyway. If they degrade a bit just don’t hold a charge as long.

kyfdx

My 7 yr old Honda takes two or three pulls, the first time in the Spring. After that, it's first pull, every time.
The previous Honda (1991-2016) would take two pulls, the last few years. The mower shop gave me $50 for it, when I bought the new one, serviced it, and put it up for $179. Sold it in a week.

explorerx4

My Son in Law is using a 30+ year old gas mower that is a hand me down from my mom.
Just had my Honda walk behind serviced for the first time. I've had it 7 or 8 years.
Unless things change, a new battery is going to cost almost as much as a new gad mower.
Battery mowers are lighter, quieter and easier to store the gassers.

stickguy

they had a couple of Hondas there. Not sure if they still have well designed engines or if they cheaped out too with crappy B&S units. But I think they were $600+ for a walk behind Honda.

explorerx4

The engine is not the problem with the current (last year being made) Honda mowers.
There are other design issues that can fail early.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

I have begun to notice new car dealerships have much larger inventories of new cars on their lots. Additionally, prices on new cars are beginning to decline due to reduced sales - or as we were taught in my economics classes, supply and demand is what determines the prices of goods and services. With supplies increasing and demand decreasing, it was inevitable that prices would decline. I do not, however, expect prices to return to where they were a few years ago before the pandemic (% of discount off MSRP, that it). My Genesis dealer is selling G80's and G70's at a discount now - not a big discount, but a discount none the less. Interest on car loans have been increasing as well - another reason for reduced demand. My research shows that car loans are averaging 4.9% from banks, and 3.9% from manufacturer's finance subsidiaries, for 60 month terms and slightly lower for 36 month terms.

Luckily I bought my G90 in March of 2021 at 1.9% for 60 months. I am sure glad I decided to keep the car at least until its warranty is expired in 2026.

In times like this cash is king. I’ve only bought 3 new cars in the last 15 years. One was at 1.9% for 60 months, one for zero% for 60 months and one for cash. I couldn’t see paying current interest rates.

Historically interest rates are not extraordinary. When I bought a truck back in 1986 interest rates were something like 7-8%. I was too dumb to realize how high that was and there was not the same ease of research as there is now so I probably got taken.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

they had a couple of Hondas there. Not sure if they still have well designed engines or if they cheaped out too with crappy B&S units. But I think they were $600+ for a walk behind Honda.

I’ve had a bunch of Briggs & Stratton engines in various riding mowers and they always lasted a long time. I probably changed the oil more often than average but nothing special. I currently have 6+ years of field mowing on an Ariens lawn tractor which still starts and mows.

tjc78

I have a mower in the garage. It hasn’t run since 2020 and I don’t think i drained the gas. Im sure it needs a new carb.

stickguy

after googling and watching some Youtube videos, it seems to be an issue with the newer engine. Basically they cut every corner (many plastic internal parts among other things) and the carbs were a particular problem.

I think we all had old ones that were made out of real metal and built to last even with all kinds of abuse. They used to the gold standard for quality. Now, they are a famous name built to the lowest price point to sell $199 mowers at WalMart and Lowes.

imidazol97

Remove and drain the float bowl on bottom of carb. Then reFill mower tank with a mixture of Stabil and fresh gasoline. Let it stand a week.
Then try to start it.

My Toro is 28 years old. It starts on 3rd pull in spring after refilling with fresh gas. I put Stabil in before storing and run the engine dry.

Toro starts on first pull every time. It has a Briggs and Stratton motor. I've replaced the primer button twice.

Son bought an Ego mower. Slightly more than 1 year it wouldn't selfpropell. He left for a week and more on business and the thing quit on his wife completely. She took it to an Ego repair authorized facility. They replaced the mower or the whole handle with the electrons/wiring in it--she's not sure other than it worked when she went to get it a week later.

Now the battery is starting to weaken. From the beginning he had to use two batteries to mow the whole yard: the large one that came with it and one of his other batteries for the other tools he bought that are Ego.

imidazol97

I've had a Moh's surgery on a cheek where the dermo biopsy wasn't clear if it was basal or squamous mixed. Took 4-5 hours. Large patch. Almost invisible line where the existing skin was pulled together. I made the mistake of looking at the "wound" when they had done the 3rd cycle of cutting. Deep. Size of thumb. I don't think that one was sun damage from driving tractor on the farm. I think it was from radiation from lab work I did for my graduate degree.

Then 15 years later I had a basal cancer cut off the top of nose. My regular dermo had removed one by biopsy and got it all because it was so small. For the other The surgeon made a long cut up the nose and pulled that skin together leaving an almost invisible scar. These dermotological surgeons are stars at doing this stuff.

stickguy

imidazol97 said:

Remove and drain the float bowl on bottom of carb. Then reFill mower tank with a mixture of Stabil and fresh gasoline. Let it stand a week.
Then try to start it.

My Toro is 28 years old. It starts on 3rd pull in spring after refilling with fresh gas. I put Stabil in before storing and run the engine dry.

Toro starts on first pull every time. It has a Briggs and Stratton motor. I've replaced the primer button twice.

Son bought an Ego mower. Slightly more than 1 year it wouldn't selfpropell. He left for a week and more on business and the thing quit on his wife completely. She took it to an Ego repair authorized facility. They replaced the mower or the whole handle with the electrons/wiring in it--she's not sure other than it worked when she went to get it a week later.

Now the battery is starting to weaken. From the beginning he had to use two batteries to mow the whole yard: the large one that came with it and one of his other batteries for the other tools he bought that are Ego.

3 year battery, 5 year machine warranty. Hopefully that outlasts my need for it!

this year was the first time I think that I actually ran it dry. so should not be bad gas. I am willing to bet the tiny jet just got clogged up. I could dump the gas out of the tank and drain the carb bowl and buy an aerosol spray Staybil sells that you spray in the tank. though if it doesn't work, that is $10 down the drain!

explorerx4

@stickguy,
Have you ever tried starting fluid?

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

I've had a Moh's surgery on a cheek where the dermo biopsy wasn't clear if it was basal or squamous mixed. Took 4-5 hours. Large patch. Almost invisible line where the existing skin was pulled together. I made the mistake of looking at the "wound" when they had done the 3rd cycle of cutting. Deep. Size of thumb. I don't think that one was sun damage from driving tractor on the farm. I think it was from radiation from lab work I did for my graduate degree.

Than 15 years later I had a basal cancer cut off the top of nose. My regular dermo had removed one by biopsy and got it all because it was so small. For the other The surgeon made a long cut up the nose and pulled that skin together leaving an almost invisible scar. These dermotological surgeons are stars at doing this stuff.

Do they still burn some cancers off with liquid nitrogen?

imidazol97

My dermotologist has paid his yacht payments (or his Mercedes lease) from freezing actinic keratoses off my arms and face. Those are precancerous sites. I think Medicare must pay for the freezing on a geometric scale that increases rapidly the more they freeze.
Those things hurt after a while, nevermind the occasional one that gives a severe pain while being frozen.

Michaell

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

I've had a Moh's surgery on a cheek where the dermo biopsy wasn't clear if it was basal or squamous mixed. Took 4-5 hours. Large patch. Almost invisible line where the existing skin was pulled together. I made the mistake of looking at the "wound" when they had done the 3rd cycle of cutting. Deep. Size of thumb. I don't think that one was sun damage from driving tractor on the farm. I think it was from radiation from lab work I did for my graduate degree.

Than 15 years later I had a basal cancer cut off the top of nose. My regular dermo had removed one by biopsy and got it all because it was so small. For the other The surgeon made a long cut up the nose and pulled that skin together leaving an almost invisible scar. These dermotological surgeons are stars at doing this stuff.

Do they still burn some cancers off with liquid nitrogen?

I can tell you that they do.

I had a Mohs surgery a few years back for a spot near my right ear. Used a piece of skin from my shoulder as a graft - the docs did pretty good work, as you can't tell there were any issues with the original spot.

I did ask them for a picture of my surgery when they had removed all the cancerous areas - you know the saying, "I need (fill in the blank) like I need another hole in my head?". Well, I had that extra hole in my head for a while - you can see some of the cranial bone in the photo.

Now, I see the dermatologist 1x or 2x a year, and if they find something small and worrisome, they'll burn it off with the liquid nitrogen. They've been encouraging me to get some sort of "blue light treatment" (what is this, K-Mart?), but I've held off. I can manage the discomfort of the freezing process. I had a biopsy done on my right forearm with my last visit, but since I didn't get any "GET IN HERE, NOW" messages, I figure it was benign.

explorerx4

I also had Mohs about a year and a half ago.
It was small and the surgeon did a great job.
My new derm had a hard time finding where it was done.

roadburner

My 42" ZTR has a B&S twin and the 54" has a Kawasaki twin; I just make sure that I add a fuel stabilizer before the final cut. They always start after a few seconds of cranking. I do like our EGO push mower and cordless blower as they are easier for my wife to use(she actually asked to help out with the yard).

jmonroe1

houdini1 said:

tjc78 said:

@jmonroe1 said:

C’mon guys, let’s get back to dishwashers.

jmonroe

I’ll bite… just today my wife said that the 10 year old basic Frigidaire at the shore works better and is easier to load than our top line 3 rack Kitchen Aid at home. While I totally disagree I just shrugged my shoulders.

Arguing with a woman is like reading the software agreement. In the end you just ignore everything and click, "I agree".
————————————————
This reminds me of the closing costs on a house. Like I’ve said before, in the end, you just don’t give a damn anymore…all you want are the keys and garage door opener’s.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

kyfdx said:

My 7 yr old Honda takes two or three pulls, the first time in the Spring. After that, it's first pull, every time.
The previous Honda (1991-2016) would take two pulls, the last few years. The mower shop gave me $50 for it, when I bought the new one, serviced it, and put it up for $179. Sold it in a week.

————————————————
I have a Huskvarna mower that’s about 7 years old with a Honda engine. Just like the Briggs and Stratton engines, in every mower I’ve ever had before this Honda job, I run it dry in the fall (never used Stabil), then fill it with gas in the Spring and off it goes. Never more than 2 pulls. Once it’s running for a few minutes, I stop it, put in a few ounces of lacquer thinner then do the same thing the following Spring. This has always worked for me but now I have “a guy” to do my grass cutting.

Not to let the mower think I’ve forgotten about it I plan on starting it up this year too just for fun.

jmonroe

sda

I saw this at Lowes today. I haven't seen this color before. Sharp car.

Sandman6472

In my youth here in South Florida, I went to the beach a lot and since I have fair skin, burned quite a bit. The last time I went to Ft. Lauderdale beach, made the mistake of using baby oil & got some serious burns on my body. So much so that the folks had the doctor come over to treat my skin. It was awful & hurt like hell...think I was in bed for a few days and my skin really hurt. Took many baths to help the pain. Since then, hardly stay out in the sun long. Did get burnt on my head/face back at our sons graduation from Phillips Exeter back in 2004. It was on June 6th and was a cool/rainy weekend in New Hampshire. That Sunday, they had graduation outside and it warmed up a bit with some sun. Should've worn my hat but that night, my face was like a lobster and the top of my head was burnt where my hair was thinning. My face peeled a few days later and again, the burn hurt.
So far, have been lucky with no after effects as of yet. Now, when I do go in a pool, limit the time and always wear a hat. No sense looking for more trouble!

Sandman6472

Am hoping that Hyundai will still have cheap financing once the new 2024 Kona comes out. Hoping to purchase one and would like to finance some of the cost. Have always paid cash after financing my Datsun B210 back in 1981 but this time, plan to finance some also. Luckily, this won't happen until years end at the earliest as the vehicle has not come to market here yet. I don't really like being a first year buyer though I did it with the 2006 Civic & the 2015 VW Golf but this time, would prefer not to repeat this. But do want a 2024 model so we'll see how things progress here. Since I don't drive much at all, can really wait a few more years but just not sure I want to wait that long as the vehicle is already in it's ninth year of ownership.

snakeweasel

Oh the humanity! One of the drivers managed to slam the light pole pillar in an empty parking lot. From what I hear it was the second Audi he banged up this week.

Maybe he has a thing that he hates about Audis. Maybe they should only give him other cars to drive.

He's helping Audi by selling a lot of OEM replacement parts for them due to repairs. VW has a lot of aftermarket support as I am finding out with our Tiguan repair estimate just supplemented to nearly $5,600 for a rear-end ding. That's another good thing about Audi, exclusivity so that Insurance companies don't have the option to put cheap aftermarket parts on.

So basically your saying that Audi locks you into paying for overpriced parts and won't allow aftermarket parts.

tjc78

@Sandman6472 said:
Am hoping that Hyundai will still have cheap financing once the new 2024 Kona comes out. Hoping to purchase one and would like to finance some of the cost. Have always paid cash after financing my Datsun B210 back in 1981 but this time, plan to finance some also. Luckily, this won't happen until years end at the earliest as the vehicle has not come to market here yet. I don't really like being a first year buyer though I did it with the 2006 Civic & the 2015 VW Golf but this time, would prefer not to repeat this. But do want a 2024 model so we'll see how things progress here. Since I don't drive much at all, can really wait a few more years but just not sure I want to wait that long as the vehicle is already in it's ninth year of ownership.

Unless they really change the Kona I don’t see you being happy with it after driving the Golf for this long.

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

@Sandman6472 said:

Am hoping that Hyundai will still have cheap financing once the new 2024 Kona comes out. Hoping to purchase one and would like to finance some of the cost. Have always paid cash after financing my Datsun B210 back in 1981 but this time, plan to finance some also. Luckily, this won't happen until years end at the earliest as the vehicle has not come to market here yet. I don't really like being a first year buyer though I did it with the 2006 Civic & the 2015 VW Golf but this time, would prefer not to repeat this. But do want a 2024 model so we'll see how things progress here. Since I don't drive much at all, can really wait a few more years but just not sure I want to wait that long as the vehicle is already in it's ninth year of ownership.

Unless they really change the Kona I don’t see you being happy with it after driving the Golf for this long.

He could get the electric version, that’s got some zip.

Michaell

tjc78 said:

@Sandman6472 said:

Am hoping that Hyundai will still have cheap financing once the new 2024 Kona comes out. Hoping to purchase one and would like to finance some of the cost. Have always paid cash after financing my Datsun B210 back in 1981 but this time, plan to finance some also. Luckily, this won't happen until years end at the earliest as the vehicle has not come to market here yet. I don't really like being a first year buyer though I did it with the 2006 Civic & the 2015 VW Golf but this time, would prefer not to repeat this. But do want a 2024 model so we'll see how things progress here. Since I don't drive much at all, can really wait a few more years but just not sure I want to wait that long as the vehicle is already in it's ninth year of ownership.

Unless they really change the Kona I don’t see you being happy with it after driving the Golf for this long.

He’s looking at the trim with the turbo engine… plenty of pop.

tjc78

@Michaell said:
He’s looking at the trim with the turbo engine… plenty of pop.

It’s more than that. It’s not a very engaging drive. I had about 400 miles seat time in a current generation

Michaell

tjc78 said:

@Michaell said:

He’s looking at the trim with the turbo engine… plenty of pop.

It’s more than that. It’s not a very engaging drive. I had about 400 miles seat time in a current generation

I test drove one for about 15 minutes - I thought it was OK, but 400 miles trumps that.

stickguy

the 1.6T version? I did test drive one, and it was nice.

same basic car I believe as my Elantra sport, and that was definitely fun to drive.

Sandman6472

Agree with Stick here, the 1.6t engine has probably more get up and go than the 1.8t I've got now. They also have an N model which has the 1.6t engine in it. A kid around the corner has a current N-line one and says it's pretty fast when she stomps on the accelerator. And I've seen the pics of the new 2024 model coming out and it looks to be very nice.
All I know is that I don't want another Golf. But need something small with some get up & go. The new Kona seems to fit the bill nicely. A Mini Cooper Countryman maybe a bit more than I'm looking to spend. Think the new Kona will be the most economical as this next vehicle is one that I'm gonna have for at least eight to ten years. So, I need the ext vehicle to look good & give me a fun driving experience all for around $32K, give or take. And it has to be 175" or less.

28firefighter

The N and N-Line are very different. The N has a 2.0 Turbo and lots of sport bits putting out 276hp and 289 lb/ft of torque. The N-Line is the 1.6T engine with an appearance package. Not the same.

stickguy

my Sport was basically the old N Line. still quite quick and fund to drive.

Sandman6472

As long as it has the 1.6t engine, think I'd be just fine. Now if the exterior & interior pics look as good in the real world as they do in them, again...think I'll be good. Don't really have a lot to choose from with the variables I have in place, so I need something that's fun to drive, economical, fun to drive, fits in my space, has a decent infotainment system, decent build quality & is fun to drive, think I'll be just fine. Best thing is there really is no time table here so can take my time if need be & all the while, squirrel away more to pay a big chunk off upfront.
With the mileage I've been putting on these last few years, this could indeed be the last vehicle I ever buy so it's gotta put that sh-t eating grin on my face the minute I see it/drive it. Am sure I can get that same feeling I got when I first took the Golf out on the road!

andres3

snakeweasel said:

Oh the humanity!
One of the drivers managed to slam the light pole pillar in an empty parking lot. From what I hear it was the second Audi he banged up this week.

Maybe he has a thing that he hates about Audis.
Maybe they should only give him other cars to drive.



He's helping Audi by selling a lot of OEM replacement parts for them due to repairs.

VW has a lot of aftermarket support as I am finding out with our Tiguan repair estimate just supplemented to nearly $5,600 for a rear-end ding. That's another good thing about Audi, exclusivity so that Insurance companies don't have the option to put cheap aftermarket parts on.

So basically your saying that Audi locks you into paying for overpriced parts and won't allow aftermarket parts.

Overpriced, maybe, but at least there's quality control on the parts. Insurance companies have no interest in quality, and they don't mind if someone has to go to 10 different sources for a warranty repair because they used 10 different manufacturers in a previous repair. I'd prefer a single source (OEM) thank you very much.

And anyone can make aftermarket parts, I imagine many choose not to because they don't sell in the same quantity your typical Camcord does. I don't think Audi is doing anything special to stop them other than making sensitive sensors.

sda

I am a firm believer in demanding OEM parts, including windshields if there are sensors or if it is the the noise insulating type. Even when our 06 TL had a minor bump up and required a new front bumper cover it was replaced as OEM and the fit is spot on.

jmonroe1

@sda said:
I am a firm believer in demanding OEM parts, including windshields if there are sensors or if it is the the noise insulating type. Even when our 06 TL had a minor bump up and required a new front bumper cover it was replaced as OEM and the fit is spot on.

————————————————
I guess you have to know what aftermarket parts will be OK to use. I think I told this tale about when I was about to replace Mrs. j’s 2012 Legacy Limited with a whacked passenger side mirror (her specialty) with a 2018 Legacy Limited in 2019. I guess I made the mistake of getting a trade in price with the whacked mirror because the dealer over discounted the value of the car with the whacked mirror. As it turned out he did me a favor and I got an unbelievable good price (more than 2K more from Carvana than what the dealer offered me and he didn’t budge from his price…not even one dollar). However, I didn’t tell Carvana about the whacked mirror.

Instead, I decided to go to my nephew who at the time worked for a body shop at a fairly large mega dealer at their Subie dealership. I asked him if he could get me a price on an OEM Subie passenger side mirror. Of course he could but he wanted to know why I wanted and OEM mirror vs. an aftermarket job. I told him I didn’t want any problem when Carvana showed up to get it. He proceeded to tell me they used this one particular aftermarket outfit for mirrors and never had a problem with them (they fit perfectly, worked perfectly, etc. etc.) so I went with an aftermarket unit and had him paint it and my price was around one third of an OEM unit (I think that was just under $140 with tax, IIRC). If I didn’t know him the price would have been a little more than one half of an OEM unit.

I know I had the advantage of knowing someone but like he said when a car is more than 2 years old most insurance companies will only pay for an aftermarket unit but if the customer wants an OEM they have to pay the difference which he said almost never happens but he was aware of a couple times when the customer was willing to pay the difference.

The hilarious part of this is when the Carvana guy came to get the car. As he was walking around the car he remarked that even the mirrors were in one piece with no scratches. Which he said is somewhat rare. When he said that, Mrs. j damn near fell over. The table was reversed this time because I’m the one that gave her one of those looks without the Carvana guy noticing.

jmonroe

sda

This time did you chase Mrs J around the table? Never mind. I know there are good aftermarket parts, some are great, some not so,
but still prefer OEM if possible.

Sandman6472

When Mrs. Sandman directed me out of the garage back in 2017 & I broke the side mirror, I went to VW to get a new one as I didn't go through our insurance. Paid a hefty price for the OEM mirror but was happy to do it as I knew I'd have no issues with it down the line. Been fine ever since & glad I went with an OEM part.

venture

My Subaru dealer is offering around $3,000 off of MSRP on Legacy's on their website. Things are loosening up.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

Oh the humanity!
One of the drivers managed to slam the light pole pillar in an empty parking lot. From what I hear it was the second Audi he banged up this week.

Maybe he has a thing that he hates about Audis.
Maybe they should only give him other cars to drive.

He's helping Audi by selling a lot of OEM replacement parts for them due to repairs.

VW has a lot of aftermarket support as I am finding out with our Tiguan repair estimate just supplemented to nearly $5,600 for a rear-end ding. That's another good thing about Audi, exclusivity so that Insurance companies don't have the option to put cheap aftermarket parts on.

So basically your saying that Audi locks you into paying for overpriced parts and won't allow aftermarket parts.

Overpriced, maybe, but at least there's quality control on the parts. Insurance companies have no interest in quality, and they don't mind if someone has to go to 10 different sources for a warranty repair because they used 10 different manufacturers in a previous repair. I'd prefer a single source (OEM) thank you very much.

And anyone can make aftermarket parts, I imagine many choose not to because they don't sell in the same quantity your typical Camcord does. I don't think Audi is doing anything special to stop them other than making sensitive sensors.

Overpriced defiantly, but there are aftermarket parts makers that make high quality parts that can be of better quality than OEM parts.

jmonroe1

@venture said:
My Subaru dealer is offering around $3,000 off of MSRP on Legacy's on their website. Things are loosening up.

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Why are you keeping tabs on a Subie dealership? Are you going to be posting on the CCBA board soon?

jmonroe

snakeweasel

Sandman6472 said:

When Mrs. Sandman directed me out of the garage back in 2017 & I broke the side mirror, I went to VW to get a new one as I didn't go through our insurance. Paid a hefty price for the OEM mirror but was happy to do it as I knew I'd have no issues with it down the line. Been fine ever since & glad I went with an OEM part.

When my wife broke the drivers side mirror on the Hyundia I got an aftermarket one. Saved a lot of money and installed it myself. Haven't had any issues with it. I also replaced the heater blower and regulator with after market parts, no problems so far and it has been a few years.