Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

abacomike

@oldfarmer50 said:

"Mike are you considering a move up there? Sounds pretty nice. They say north Florida actually has seasons."

I would love to, but way over my head financially.  A house in my brother's community is about $650,000 - $750,000.  Then there's $5500 in taxes.  Compared to where I live, it costs me $1000 a month to live which includes association fees of $457 a month, $750 a year in taxes, all utilities, cable, insurance, etc. I have no mortgage.  So it would be above my means.  Remember, I live on a modest pension and a small social security stipend.

Yes. Some of the trees here are beginning to change colors, but most trees are pine trees and stay green year round.  Not much in the way of palm trees like we have where I live.  Winters are cold where winters are mild to warm where I live.

Sure, I'd love to live up here, but cannot afford it.

imidazol97

said:

how Tanaka (or Honda)

Here again we're bashing something near and dear to my heart that doesn't deserve it. LOL
I love my Tanaka blower and Tanaka string trimmer. They are not exploding!!!

It's the Takata air bags that weren't tested correctly and IIRC the humidity affects the propellant making it explode at a different expansion rate affecting how the metal housing breaks open instead of peeling open. The shrapnel is hard on the people in its way. The problem sounds like they are not sealed correctly. I hope the airbags in my 13-year old leSabre will work correctly.

IIRC Honda or Takata went to junkyards to retrieve airbags to study the problem but didn't report it.

imidazol97

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Don't know. Some kid left them on the bus.

I'll bet you find some interesting things left on the bus.

About $5k worth of cell phones a week.

henryn

abacomike said:

@oldfarmer50 said:

"Mike are you considering a move up there? Sounds pretty nice. They say north Florida actually has seasons."

I would love to, but way over my head financially.  A house in my brother's community is about $650,000 - $750,000.  Then there's $5500 in taxes.  Compared to where I live, it costs me $1000 a month to live which includes association fees of $457 a month, $750 a year in taxes, all utilities, cable, insurance, etc. I have no mortgage.  So it would be above my means.  Remember, I live on a modest pension and a small social security stipend.

Yes. Some of the trees here are beginning to change colors, but most trees are pine trees and stay green year round.  Not much in the way of palm trees like we have where I live.  Winters are cold where winters are mild to warm where I live.

Sure, I'd love to live up here, but cannot afford it.

North Florida is approximately the same north latitude as where I am in Houston (29.64N). Tallahassee is 30.39N, Gainesville is 29.69N. And we don't really have "seasons" here, the joke is that we have two seasons, summer and not-summer. I expect where you live (around Miami, correct?), you have only summer.

I suspicion there are plenty of places in North Florida that would not cost more than where you live in South Florida. I rather suspect that overall North Florida is cheaper than South Florida. Just sounds to me like your brother is in a really upscale area.

stever

A friend of mine was in a fender bender in Memphis back in, oh, 1980. Someone had brake failure in a beater and four cars got damaged. I got called to give my friend a lift since his car was gonna get towed. The call was pretty exciting in itself - first time anyone ever called me from a car (some ham operator had a radio rigged to bounce off a repeater and make phone calls).

Anyway, I hop in my CJ-5 and head over and my bud has crap in his trunk he wants to take out. The cops are directing traffic but it's a 4 lane meeting a 4 lane, so I ease into the intersection next to his car and load up the Jeep.

The next day the paper ran a blurb about the wreck, including the tag line - "a fifth car was involved in the accident".

Yeah, involved in moving junk from the trunk, lol.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

@oldfarmer50 said:

"Mike are you considering a move up there? Sounds pretty nice. They say north Florida actually has seasons."

I would love to, but way over my head financially.  A house in my brother's community is about $650,000 - $750,000.  Then there's $5500 in taxes.  Compared to where I live, it costs me $1000 a month to live which includes association fees of $457 a month, $750 a year in taxes, all utilities, cable, insurance, etc. I have no mortgage.  So it would be above my means.  Remember, I live on a modest pension and a small social security stipend.

Yes. Some of the trees here are beginning to change colors, but most trees are pine trees and stay green year round.  Not much in the way of palm trees like we have where I live.  Winters are cold where winters are mild to warm where I live.

Sure, I'd love to live up here, but cannot afford it.

Ha ha $5500 on a $750k home? I pay that on my little shack. A mile away in the low rent city next to my town they pay $12,000. (But they do get free garbage pick up).

There must be areas up there that don't have such a high buy-in.

abacomike

@henryn

Yes, Ponte Vedra is quite upscale.  My brother lives in the Nocatee area of Ponte Vedra in the Del Webb community (built by Pulte Builders).  His house is a ranch with 2850 square feet of living space (4 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, a great room, full dining room, large dining area off the huge kitchen and a screened in patio).  The house's rear abuts a pine tree forest preserve.  All marble floors and columns and 16 foot ceilings in the great room.  

The Del Webb Ponte Vedra community is gated and has a huge country club facility with swimming pools, tennis, dining facilities, etc.  My brother bought here 5 years ago at 1/2 the current build price of his home.  The community is immaculate with forest preserves throughout.  The community is about 47% built out.

TPC Sawgrass is about 10 minutes from here as is the Mayo Cllinic.  The community is about 20 minutes east of of I-95, 18 miles north of St. Augustine and 17 miles south of South Jacksonville in northern St. John's County.  It is about 4 miles from the beach.

I would move here in a minute if my income could support a $300,000 mortgage - but alas, no can do.

Winters are cool up here - 30's and 40's at night and 60-70 during most days.  Summer's are as hot and humid as south Florida.  

Winters where I live range 65-70 at night (with 50-60 or lower for very short durations when cold fronts make it through) and 75-80 during the day (55-65 when cold fronts come through).  I use my A/C 50% of the time in winter.

driver100

Hey Mike...taxes $700 a year....don't ever move!

btw...have you considered buying one of these lights for your MB?

abacomike

driver100 said:

Hey Mike...taxes $700 a year....don't ever move! btw...have you considered buying one of these lights for your MB?

If you are referring to the illuminated Mercedes Star, I have one on my car.  Until you reminded me, I forgot I had one.  I drive at night so very seldom that I didn't remember that when my car was built, they added that and the driver's assistance package.  Rear spoilers and the illuminated star are options that are added at the port of entry along with the comfort box in the trunk for small packages.

graphicguy

Craig...I agree with you. Takata is in a very precarious situation that I doubt they can recover from.

driver....you are so right about boats. It's not the purchase price that gets you. It's everything else. My Coastal Cruiser had dual 350 V8s. When they are in or near the water most of the time, regardless of how water proof components are, repairs were often and maintenance quite high. That doesn't account for the electronics (as Mike pointed out, these boats had pretty sophisticated GPS systems), required lighting, safety equipment, and what essentially is a house on the water, and what that entails to keep everything working properly. Then there's not only the fuel for the motors (which were quite thirsty), but fuel/batteries for the hot water heater, electricity, stove, HVAC, etc. You pay for that while docked. But, if you're traveling on the water, all those things still need juice. You par for that. Docking fees, waste disposal fees, insurance, and on and on and on.

One summer, I let a friend captain the boat for awhile after his continued insistence. Result? He hit a rather small log on the river. The boat itself didn't have a problem with it, but the two props that ran over it bent. You have to pull the boat out of the water. Pull the old props off. New props back on. Lower back into the water. B.O.A.T stands for "Bust Out Another Thousand".

Loved it the years I had it. Glad I no longer have it.

Heard from Cadillac Customer Service yesterday. They asked me how they could resolve my issues. Not like I haven't told them, and wrote to them....oh....probably about a gazillion times. But, I said I want them to buy the car back. Again, they asked if I would do a new for new trade. I told them "sure". "I want a 2016 CTS-V with no money out of my pocket."

I don't think the Customer Service rep knows what a CTS-V is, but she said she would communicate my offer to purchase my car back, or give me a CTS-V. I think we all know what that answer will be.

imidazol97

graphicguy said:

B.O.A.T stands for "Bust Out Another Thousand".

LOL

dino001

Graphic, I understand that CTS-V was more like cry through tears act. You probably are right - odds of them doing the right thing are so slim that you could easily pull their chain, because there is no way it would make it worse. Wouldn't you take a similarly equipped, or similar MSRP new CTS with no money out-of-pocket? I know I would. I'd sell it right away, even as some loss, it would end this catastrophy and get you seeds to move on. Eeeeh, there is no way they'd go for that anyway.

[Deleted User]

stever said:

The next day the paper ran a blurb about the wreck, including the tag line - "a fifth car was involved in the accident".

Yeah, involved in moving junk from the trunk, lol.

So THAT'S what everyone is talking about when they say "junk in the trunk". Now it all makes sense.

abacomike

tyguy said:

The next day the paper ran a blurb about the wreck, including the tag line - "a fifth car was involved in the accident". Yeah, involved in moving junk from the trunk, lol.

So THAT'S what everyone is talking about when they say "junk in the trunk". Now it all makes sense.

What's happening with the knee?

[Deleted User]

abacomike said:

The MSRP of his boat was $185,000. Then there is insurance and then the cost of storage and maintenance.

Cost of ownership is one of the reasons I like our personal watercraft over a boat. Our Yamaha WaveRunner hit 5 years old this summer and the only "repair" I've had is replacing the battery for the first time in July. The only maintenance costs have been annual oil changes at $30 in materials. Insurance is a few hundred dollars a year for the two. Both will consume about 8 to 9 gallons of gas a day combined unless we go on cruising outings for distance, and then less than 30 gallons max. They're stored year round in one of our garage bays.

The personal watercraft builders have really upped their competitive game and today's engines are the most advanced on the water with double overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder, 4 stroke, engine control sensors, etc. They just go and go without much attention.

I wouldn't want to spend much time on one in the open ocean, though

abacomike

@graphicguy:

Yes, owning a boat is a very costly venture.  Paying for the new boat is one thing, but running it and maintaining it and mooring/storing it are even more costly.  Just imagine pulling up to the pump for a fill-up @ $3.00 a gallon X 120 gallons.  Then every so many hours of operation you have to change the oil and filters.  And then after longer hours of operation, there's tune ups and overhauls.  

He he has a 5 year warranty on the boat and engine, but that's only if the engine sputters or quits or the boat frame is defective.  Nope - not in my budget.

Besides, I'd buy a plane long before I'd consider a boat.  Neither is in my foreseeable future - only the memorial service for me is in my foreseeable future.

As for Cadillac, if they offered me a 2016 brand new car, that would satisfy me.  But I know that it is more of a principle for you.

stever

The "boat" on top of my Tercel in my profile photo cost me $350 in 1974. Spent a lot of money on gas taking it across town or to remote places that no cabin cruiser could hope to go. Sold it in 1998 for, iirc, $250. One of ten or so we had. Kind of jonsing for one right now but a little stripper this time I can hang from the living room ceiling (my house is too small for a mahogany Chris Craft).

Junk in the trunk, rubber suits, skirts, racks, dry tops, strippers - that's paddling talk.

[Deleted User]

abacomike said:

tyguy said:

stever said:

The next day the paper ran a blurb about the wreck, including the tag line - "a fifth car was involved in the accident".

Yeah, involved in moving junk from the trunk, lol.

So THAT'S what everyone is talking about when they say "junk in the trunk". Now it all makes sense.

What's happening with the knee?

Thanks for asking, Mike. I'm starting to spend more time at work these days, so that's a good sign things are improving. I hit a plateau in improvement a couple of weeks ago that last through Monday and it really frustrated me. I was stuck at 9 degrees through 115 degrees and no amount of effort would result in progress.

After consulting with the therapist, my wife helped me "break" the knee over the weekend. I dosed heavy on the pain killers with a ramp up that gave me two hours of peak blood saturation, and then during that time my wife helped to push and pull the knee beyond the limits. Hurt like crazy even with the pain killers. I joke with friends that my wife laughed through the whole thing, but in reality, she hated the experience more than I did. She doesn't like causing pain.

So, Monday I went in for formal PT, and the measurements came to 2 degrees through 129 degrees! Progress! My goal is 0 through 140, so more work to be done, but I have another 7 weeks to get there before the tissues really lock in place.

abacomike

What's happening with the knee?

Thanks for asking, Mike. I'm starting to spend more time at work these days, so that's a good sign things are improving. I hit a plateau in improvement a couple of weeks ago that last through Monday and it really frustrated me. I was stuck at 9 degrees through 115 degrees and no amount of effort would result in progress. After consulting with the therapist, my wife helped me "break" the knee over the weekend. I dosed heavy on the pain killers with a ramp up that gave me two hours of peak blood saturation, and then during that time my wife helped to push and pull the knee beyond the limits. Hurt like crazy even with the pain killers. I joke with friends that my wife laughed through the whole thing, but in reality, she hated the experience more than I did. She doesn't like causing pain. So, Monday I went in for formal PT, and the measurements came to 2 degrees through 129 degrees! Progress! My goal is 0 through 140, so more work to be done, but I have another 7 weeks to get there before the tissues really lock in place.

That's good news.  I remember I told you it would take months to get back to a more normal status for your knee - but you said it was only a partial replacement so it would be less time.  I responded "patience" and "true grit" would be necessary.  I am happy you took my advice.

Keep healing and improving.  I have faith in you.

fezo

abacomike said:

Mixed diving?  Is that when you and your wife (or significant other) take turns driving?

It's the automotive equivalent of Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/gm-recalls-suvs-tells-owners-125901229.html How;s this for a story. The fact that it's GM is just coincidence. We recommend that you don't use your wipers until repairs are done. I had a wiper motor die an excruciating death years ago, I was In Connecticut at the time heading for Jersey. What was I supposed to do? I suppose we could have pulled into the nearest hotel. My girlfriend at the time would have been OK with that but not having the couple of hundred dollars on me (or probably even the cash for a hotel) kind of killed that. What a screech that thing made. And she didn't stop me for months and not on those grounds.

qbrozen

Don't think I gave an update on the T&C since we've been so busy, and largely without internet service. Got a call on Tuesday that it was done. They replaced the fuse box. Yeah, it works... so far. We'll see if this repair holds up. Glad to be rid of that horrid Cherokee.

Picked up my CTS last night from its short hibernation at my dad's after returning both rental trucks. SSSOOOO nice to sit in that again. My back and my right foot are happy again.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

tommister2 said:

Bummer. Do people change the driveshaft to reduce weight? I guess you have read about Ford using that as a reason to deny racing- pluwarranty claims?

The OEM driveshaft is two piece, which apparently isn't durable enough for drag racing. The aftermarket(and Ford Racing) sell one piece replacement driveshafts. That would be a huge red flag if one had a warranty claim.

Why would Ford sell a driveshaft that would void the warranty?

driver100

abacomike said:

@graphicguy:

.

As for Cadillac, if they offered me a 2016 brand new car, that would satisfy me.  But I know that it is more of a principle for you.

In my opinion, here is what is wrong with that deal....it will be in the fine print. The clock started ticking on GGs warranty from the time he bought the first car. If he took a new 2016 model the clock probably would have started from the time he got the first car, because this would be considered part of the original warranty.

The only way I would even consider a deal like that would be 1)the warranty starts when I get the 2016 model 2) if for any reason I decide I still want my money back due to any problems with the car, I want a full refund.

Since there is no way they would go for that, the only real solution is for GG to get his money back.

BTW....GG, has there been any kind of progress report from the Lemon Law people?

stickguy

Q, this mean you finally got into your new place?

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Hey Mike...taxes $700 a year....don't ever move!

btw...have you considered buying one of these lights for your MB?

If you are referring to the illuminated Mercedes Star, I have one on my car.  Until you reminded me, I forgot I had one.  I drive at night so very seldom that I didn't remember that when my car was built, they added that and the driver's assistance package.  Rear spoilers and the illuminated star are options that are added at the port of entry along with the comfort box in the trunk for small packages.

Mercedes is running a contest in Canada right now. You do something on Facebook and you could win a lighted MB emblem. I don't do facebook, but if I got one of those lights for free I wouldn't mind one.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

Why would Ford sell a driveshaft that would void the warranty?

If it is from Ford Racing and installed by a Ford dealer, it is covered.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

Q, this mean you finally got into your new place?

Yes. We finally closed yesterday. It has been a long hard journey with issues all the way up until the end (and still some issues to deal with), but we are homeowners once again and sleeping in a house once again. Even in our own bed finally last night, albeit without blankets since we have not yet located the box with them.

Thanks for asking.

imidazol97

qbrozen said:

albeit without blankets since we have not yet located the box with them. :)v.

LOL. The joys of moving. After moving a few times back in the early 80's, I got heartburn everytime I saw a UHaul truck with the "Adventure in Moving" logo spread all over it.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

If it is from Ford Racing and installed by a Ford dealer, it is covered.

It depends on the particular item; not everything Ford Racing sells will keep the warranty in place. Most manufacturers have similar philosophies. For example, Mazdaspeed sold several items for my MS3 that didn't void the warranty- and they didn't have to be installed by a dealer either: sport springs, forged Rays wheels, cold air intake, and catback exhaust. However, they also sold a set of coilovers which were not warranted.

abacomike

I filled up with Shell PUG this morning.  As I was approaching the gasoline station, a message came up on my NAV screen telling me I was using reserve fuel and wanted to know if I wanted the GPS to search for a gas station.  Problem was I had 3/8 of a tank when I left my brother's house.  Now, my gas gauge was dropping quickly to "E".  I pulled into She'll and it took 15.8 gallons which means there was still 6.4 gallons in the tank prior to fill-up.

I get in the car, start it, and gas tank gauge shows empty.  I was on my way to meet my brother at his Mercedes Dealer in Jacksonville.  When I got there I mentioned to the service mgr. the problem.  He plugged in the diagnostic plug and it showed an error message - a miscommunication from the float sensor in the tank.  To fix it, they rocked the car.  Problem solved.  They hand washed my car and off I went with my gauge showing a full tank.

imidazol97

abacomike said:

I filled up with Shell PUG this morning.  As I was approaching the gasoline station, a message came up on my NAV screen telling me I was using reserve fuel and wanted to know if I wanted the GPS to search for a gas station.  Problem was I had 3/8 of a tank when I left my brother's house.  Now, my gas gauge was dropping quickly to "E".  I pulled into She'll and it took 15.8 gallons which means there was still 6.4 gallons in the tank prior to fill-up.

I get in the car, start it, and gas tank gauge shows empty.  I was on my way to meet my brother at his Mercedes Dealer in Jacksonville.  When I got there I mentioned to the service mgr. the problem.  He plugged in the diagnostic plug and it showed an error message - a miscommunication from the float sensor in the tank.  To fix it, they rocked the car.  Problem solved.  They hand washed my car and off I went with my gauge showing a full tank.

You shouldn't be having those kind of problems from your car. Time to trade it in.
Just kidding.
But it may be the beginning of a fuel tank sensor gauge contact problem. Lots of
cars have had them in the recent years. Replace sensor and it's good to go if it
happens again.

I thought you were going to comment about gas prices. Here in Midwest prices went from $2.19 as typical high to $2.59. Seems 10 or so refiners decided to do maintenance work or repair on their individual refinery parts. Production output reduced--price goes up. Convenient. They also put something out in media blaming North and South Carolina for the price increases here. As if N. and S. Carolina don't have enough problems without being blamed for price manipulations.

abacomike

@imidazol97:

I paid $2.69.9 for Shell PUG.  My brother said it was $2.49.9 last week.  So, yes, gas prices are rising quickly.

houdini1

Wow, that is some expensive gas !!

houdini1

For those of you interested in climate change, there is a very interesting exchange between Sen. Ted Cruz and Sierra Club President Aaron Mair in a Senate Judiciary hearing today. Video on Breitbart.

driver100

houdini1 said:

Wow, that is some expensive gas !!

His brother lives in an exclusive neighborhood. $269 a gallon is outrageous, even if it is a an expensive place to live though.

abacomike

driver100 said:

Wow, that is some expensive gas !!

His brother lives in an exclusive neighborhood. $269 a gallon is outrageous, even if it is a an expensive place to live though.

OK!  OK!  I forgot to put the decimal in.  I corrected the typo!  

stickguy

I got RUG at the gulf station yesterday. $1.78. Hard to argue with that.

qbrozen

roadburner said:

qbrozen said:

If it is from Ford Racing and installed by a Ford dealer, it is covered.

It depends on the particular item; not everything Ford Racing sells will keep the warranty in place. Most manufacturers have similar philosophies. For example, Mazdaspeed sold several items for my MS3 that didn't void the warranty- and they didn't have to be installed by a dealer either: sport springs, forged Rays wheels, cold air intake, and catback exhaust. However, they also sold a set of coilovers which were not warranted.

But would the dealer install the coilovers? At least while under warranty? And, of course, it didn't void the warranty to have them, they just didn't warranty the actual coilovers, correct? They couldn't void the whole warranty for suspension parts.

graphicguy

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

@graphicguy:

.

As for Cadillac, if they offered me a 2016 brand new car, that would satisfy me.  But I know that it is more of a principle for you.

In my opinion, here is what is wrong with that deal....it will be in the fine print. The clock started ticking on GGs warranty from the time he bought the first car. If he took a new 2016 model the clock probably would have started from the time he got the first car, because this would be considered part of the original warranty.

The only way I would even consider a deal like that would be 1)the warranty starts when I get the 2016 model 2) if for any reason I decide I still want my money back due to any problems with the car, I want a full refund.

Since there is no way they would go for that, the only real solution is for GG to get his money back.

BTW....GG, has there been any kind of progress report from the Lemon Law people?

Driver...should have updated. In the state of OH, you have to go through the BBB arbitration, first. Arbitrator's decision is binding on Cadillac but not me. If I don't like the decision, then Lemon Law Attorney can be used. It's been in front of the arbitration BBB for months. Cadillac simply doesn't respond to their inquiries. As I told them, "don't wait for Cadillac to call you. You call them." They're going to do what they're going to do. I still think it's going to take legal action against Cadillac to get them to admit to the car's issues.

I think this is why you don't hear of many Cadillac buybacks. Their whole strategy is to out wait the consumer, in the hopes we will just give up. Wrong guy to try that with. Power steering only acts up once in awhile now. But, getting into a rental car (ANY rental car, regardless of price) just reinforces the difference between correctly operating steering, and the junk they keep telling me is "operating as designed".

CUE is still not working. Stalling seems to have stopped, for now.

But, there's a terrible sound coming out from the right front suspension, that the dealership says is a result of the car being on a lift so much. Not sure if they thought that was funny or were serious, but in brief, this $60K Cadillac has been nothing but trouble since they day it first graced my driveway.

The fight continues on.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

But would the dealer install the coilovers? At least while under warranty? And, of course, it didn't void the warranty to have them, they just didn't warranty the actual coilovers, correct? They couldn't void the whole warranty for suspension parts.

Installation would depend on the individual dealer; as for coilovers voiding the entire warranty, it shouldn't- but never underestimate the creativity of a lazy dealer looking for a way to avoid warranty work. Back in 2009 in one county where I was working I met a pretrial officer who had bought a brand new Cobalt SS. He added some fog and driving lights and several months later the car's engine started missing and stalling. The dealer wouldn't touch it unless the guy removed all the lighting(or paid them to do it)- they gave him some cr*p about how they wouldn't be able to diagnose it properly. He went up the GM food chain and they backed the dealer all the way. He ended up going to an indie shop who diagnosed it in less than 30 minutes- a bad engine wiring harness that had not been touched during the lighting installation. He paid to have it replaced, GM wouldn't reimburse him, and GM loses another customer for life due to a short-sighted dealer.

andres3

imidazol97 said:

robr2 said:

snakeweasel said:

imidazol97 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Tough times indeed.
http://abc7.com/news/car-stuck-on-cruise-control-goes-airborne-on-210-freeway-in-rialto/994845/

Just turn off the ignition key. Shift into N for neutral.

Shifting into neutral would be the best, however I would turn of the ignition as a last resort. Turning of the ignition would lose you some things like power steering and brakes which you would need.

Since most cars today have electric power steering, it's possible that it would still operate just fine.

Yes--turn off the key for 3 seconds to stop the engine then turn the key back to ON without cranking the engine and all accessories, including power steering, are active again were the steering electric. The truck looked like an older Nissan to me which, however, probably has hydraulic steering. In that case, a moving truck would be easily steered without power assist. The brakes would work without the vacuum assist but require strong pressure.

Somehow this truck thing doesn't ring right as runaway. The dispatcher told the person things to do and he didn't do them if I remember the transcipt correctly. During the time people were talking about toyota's runaway acceleration, which most people seem to care little about now, there was a Prius driver whom the toyota folks ridiculed as faking runaway acceleration.

I don't think it was just Toyota people that ridiculed most of the "runaway acceleration" drivers.

driver100

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

@graphicguy:

.

As for Cadillac, if they offered me a 2016 brand new car, that would satisfy me.  But I know that it is more of a principle for you.

In my opinion, here is what is wrong with that deal....it will be in the fine print. The clock started ticking on GGs warranty from the time he bought the first car. If he took a new 2016 model the clock probably would have started from the time he got the first car, because this would be considered part of the original warranty.

The only way I would even consider a deal like that would be 1)the warranty starts when I get the 2016 model 2) if for any reason I decide I still want my money back due to any problems with the car, I want a full refund.

Since there is no way they would go for that, the only real solution is for GG to get his money back.

BTW....GG, has there been any kind of progress report from the Lemon Law people?

Driver...should have updated. In the state of OH, you have to go through the BBB arbitration, first. Arbitrator's decision is binding on Cadillac but not me. If I don't like the decision, then Lemon Law Attorney can be used. It's been in front of the arbitration BBB for months. Cadillac simply doesn't respond to their inquiries. As I told them, "don't wait for Cadillac to call you. You call them." They're going to do what they're going to do. I still think it's going to take legal action against Cadillac to get them to admit to the car's issues.

I think this is why you don't hear of many Cadillac buybacks. Their whole strategy is to out wait the consumer, in the hopes we will just give up. Wrong guy to try that with. Power steering only acts up once in awhile now. But, getting into a rental car (ANY rental car, regardless of price) just reinforces the difference between correctly operating steering, and the junk they keep telling me is "operating as designed".

CUE is still not working. Stalling seems to have stopped, for now.

But, there's a terrible sound coming out from the right front suspension, that the dealership says is a result of the car being on a lift so much. Not sure if they thought that was funny or were serious, but in brief, this $60K Cadillac has been nothing but trouble since they day it first graced my driveway.

The fight continues on.

GG, thanks for the update. It would seem that the BBB is getting nowhere, and really, they don't have a lot of clout. So, when do the Lemon Law people step in? Do they wait until BBB has completely given up trying to get an answer from GM?

That one about the noise being there because of their having the car on the lift to fix it is hilarious. I guess that is your fault for bringing the car in so often.

Obviously, the BBB has done all they can do....they don't even get a reply, I think it is time for the Lemon Law people to try to get some results.

stickguy

the BBB should just treat Caddy as non-responsive, and have the hearing in abstentia. Which will work out to GGs favor, since they won't be able to defend themselves!

see what happens if they issue a arbitration finding that they need to buy it back (which GG obviously accepts). I bet it still requires a lawsuit to get them to do it.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Why would Ford sell a driveshaft that would void the warranty?

If it is from Ford Racing and installed by a Ford dealer, it is covered.

I wonder if that applies to other mods like sway bars or aftermarket wheels?

houdini1

In that case, I am thinking treble damages !

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

I filled up with Shell PUG this morning.  As I was approaching the gasoline station, a message came up on my NAV screen telling me I was using reserve fuel and wanted to know if I wanted the GPS to search for a gas station.  Problem was I had 3/8 of a tank when I left my brother's house.  Now, my gas gauge was dropping quickly to "E".  I pulled into She'll and it took 15.8 gallons which means there was still 6.4 gallons in the tank prior to fill-up.

I get in the car, start it, and gas tank gauge shows empty.  I was on my way to meet my brother at his Mercedes Dealer in Jacksonville.  When I got there I mentioned to the service mgr. the problem.  He plugged in the diagnostic plug and it showed an error message - a miscommunication from the float sensor in the tank.  To fix it, they rocked the car.  Problem solved.  They hand washed my car and off I went with my gauge showing a full tank.

Now that's the old school mechanic stuff I love abet aided by the diagnostic computer. A real old time mechanic would have rocked the car first...or hit it with a hammer.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

I got RUG at the gulf station yesterday. $1.78. Hard to argue with that.

Just filled up with PUG at $2.54.

driver100

houdini1 said:

In that case, I am thinking treble damages !

I think he has reached the point of 10X damages......plus extra punitive damages so it never happens again.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

houdini1 said:

In that case, I am thinking treble damages !

I think he has reached the point of 10X damages......plus extra punitive damages so it never happens again.

I think he should sue the BBB as well for dragging this out.

nyccarguy

Sorry I'm a few days late to the car company pride & prejudices discussion. There was a time where I would have considered myself severely brand loyal (fanboy is the term used online I believe) and would ONLY consider vehicles produced by Honda, Acura, & BMW. On the other side I was severely prejudiced against American vehicles (specifically GM) and Toyota/Lexus. As I've grown up and become wiser (I'm 39 now) about cars anyway, I appreciate more cars and would absolutely consider buying a much broader spectrum of cars than I would have back when I joined edmunds back in the late 1990s.

Every car company has had way more than its fair share of problems, recalls, & TSBs. None of companies are perfect.