Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

jmonroe

roadburner said:

imidazol97 said:

PF_Flyer said:

... NAP TIME

Everytime I see someone having mulch delivered or buying more than 3 bags at Lowes,
I want to tell them they're buying themselves a job. Wheel barrowing that stuff is work.

Agreed. We mulch one small area of the landscaping that takes three bags; everything else is covered with slate chips.Landscaping and yard work is one of my textbook definitions of Hell.

Again you and Son #1 have something in common. While he doesn't have slate chips he has black marble chips. Yeah, you two could have a few ice teas together and talk about tracking till the sun sets.

I also don't like yard work. So much so that I have had a lawn service for fertilizing since I can't remember when. However, since I can't talk Mrs. j into cutting the grass I do that but I can see an end to that in my near future.

jmonroe

roadburner

tjc78 said:

This is a very civil community compared to many others on the net. I've had a few run-ins in years past in other discussions, but I don't think anything got really ugly. There are times you just have to agree to disagree!

Back in the early days Edmund's had some truly nutty hosts as well as some moronic policies. One host(who thankfully quit) would jump on you like a ton of bricks if you drifted even one one-hundredth of a degree off topic. Another would not let you correct another participant no matter how stupid/wrong his/her posts were.

What used to really irritate me was the rule that you couldn't post links to other automotive forums, so for example, if somebody asked how to change the trunk lock actuator in an E39 5 Series you couldn't cite them to a great board that would answer their question. I know, I tried.

And Isell was right; a popular game among many of us troublemakers was trying to get a real jerk mad enough to detonate and subsequently get banned.

One thing I used to do was start topics that would either create a furor or dupe the clueless. Some examples:

Straight men driving Golf Cabriolets- ever seen one?
Survivor Town Hall Edition; Who's off the island?
Daewoo Nubria vs. S Class and 7 Series- Has Germany met its match?

The last one sucked in quite a few rubes...

driver100

jmonroe

(1) We have a retired school administrator that used to sell cars after he retired from doing that and is now totally retired.jmonroe
(2) We have a retired guy that sold books that nobody else wanted.
(3) We have a young guy that got his MBA from the same school that you got yours from.
(4) We have a guy that threatens to retire but is driving a school bus until he does.
(5) We have a guy that is a retired Honda salesman and has a handle to let you know what he sold.
I can go on and on but you get the idea. Oh, wait, here's one you'll really like.
(6) We even have a retired judge that likes BMW's and is an instructor at a race track.

LMAO
JMonroe, you have a good memory and a wild sense of humor...made my day....retired guy that sold old books nobody else wanted! jmonroe

driver100

Who was that poor fellow who got deleted for showing his scars, when he wasn't believed? At least no one has done something like that again, but, the poor guy was just showing what he had said was true!

Remember how we had to stay right on topic........this works better because good conversations don't stay on track...they go off course at times, keeps things alive. That is the way real life conversations are.

abacomike

Jmonroe - that guy who was a school administrator and then sold cars, started out as an Unemployment Insurance Claims Examiner with the New York State Department of Labor.  He's one of those multi-talented guys who liked variety in his life. 

fezo

roadburner said:

tjc78 said:

This is a very civil community compared to many others on the net. I've had a few run-ins in years past in other discussions, but I don't think anything got really ugly. There are times you just have to agree to disagree!

Back in the early days Edmund's had some truly nutty hosts as well as some moronic policies. One host(who thankfully quit) would jump on you like a ton of bricks if you drifted even one one-hundredth of a degree off topic. Another would not let you correct another participant no matter how stupid/wrong his/her posts were.

What used to really irritate me was the rule that you couldn't post links to other automotive forums, so for example, if somebody asked how to change the trunk lock actuator in an E39 5 Series you couldn't cite them to a great board that would answer their question. I know, I tried.

And Isell was right; a popular game among many of us troublemakers was trying to get a real jerk mad enough to detonate and subsequentlyget banned.

One thing I used to do was start topics that would either create a furor or dupe the clueless. Some examples:

Straight men driving Golf Cabriolets- ever seen one?
Survivor Town Hall Edition; Who's off the island?
Daewoo Nubria vs. S Class and 7 Series- Has Germany met its match?

The last one sucked in quite a few rubes...

I remember those, particularly the Golf Cabriolets one. End of that keyboard.

I didn't make jmonroe's top 6 either, imid. We can sulk together.

jmonroe

abacomike said:

Jmonroe - that guy who was a school administrator and then sold cars, started out as an Unemployment Insurance Claims Examiner with the New York State Department of Labor.  He's one of those multi-talented guys who liked variety in his life. 

That sounds like you're bragging again.

Mike nobody can say you ain't diversified and led a boring life.

jmonroe

abacomike

jmonroe said:

Jmonroe - that guy who was a school administrator and then sold cars, started out as an Unemployment Insurance Claims Examiner with the New York State Department of Labor.  He's one of those multi-talented guys who liked variety in his life. 

That sounds like you're bragging again. Mike nobody can say you ain't diversified and led a boring life. jmonroe

Nope - you're right.

roadburner

fezo said:

roadburner said:

tjc78 said:

This is a very civil community compared to many others on the net. I've had a few run-ins in years past in other discussions, but I don't think anything got really ugly. There are times you just have to agree to disagree!

Back in the early days Edmund's had some truly nutty hosts as well as some moronic policies. One host(who thankfully quit) would jump on you like a ton of bricks if you drifted even one one-hundredth of a degree off topic. Another would not let you correct another participant no matter how stupid/wrong his/her posts were.

What used to really irritate me was the rule that you couldn't post links to other automotive forums, so for example, if somebody asked how to change the trunk lock actuator in an E39 5 Series you couldn't cite them to a great board that would answer their question. I know, I tried.

And Isell was right; a popular game among many of us troublemakers was trying to get a real jerk mad enough to detonate and subsequentlyget banned.

One thing I used to do was start topics that would either create a furor or dupe the clueless. Some examples:

Straight men driving Golf Cabriolets- ever seen one?
Survivor Town Hall Edition; Who's off the island?
Daewoo Nubria vs. S Class and 7 Series- Has Germany met its match?

The last one sucked in quite a few rubes...

I remember those, particularly the Golf Cabriolets one. End of that keyboard.

I didn't make jmonroe's top 6 either, imid. We can sulk together.

Who started the Most Annoying Person in Town Hall topic? I remember that ruffled some feathers.
Also, before Edmunds could track your ip a fun trick was to create a fake participant with a name that looked very close to an existing member, such as "feso" or "abacomlke" and post as that member. Over on the old Inside Line blog there was a real goofball with a numerical screen name. Somebody created a fake account(substituting a small L for a 1) and posted as that guy. He imitated that guy so well a lot of people thought it was the real guy. Hilarity ensued.

andres3

PF_Flyer said:

graphicguy said:

Debi...if you're still reading, I am so sorry to hear of Mako's passing. My condolences.

I remember him being around here since I have...mid '90s or thereabouts. I always enjoyed him.

As others have said, there's a pretty strong "virtual" friendship with all of us here.

He will be missed.

It's that whole circle of life thing. Very sorry to hear Deb.

I've met a number of folks from our community here and the friendship is more than virtual. Common memories back to the days of Town Hall illustrates that WE are the community here, given the web site changes we've gone through together over the years. How did we get by when we couldn't post photos and videos??

Anyone remember when things looked like this?
https://web.archive.org/web/19961221090329/http://www.edmunds.com/edweb/twnhall/townhall.html

Interesting speed limits was one of the first topics of discussions. It seems like speed limit policy moves like molasses.

andres3

I got banned from one particular discussion topic forum on Edmunds, I think it had to do with the advertising revenue insurance companies used to pay to advertise here. I've been anti-insurance since I first got screwed over in 2002 or 2003.

Wait, never mind, I got screwed over way before that. I was on my parents policy when I was in college, but I remember shenanigans having to be corrected back then too. So since the late 90's.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

Who was that poor fellow who got deleted for showing his scars, when he wasn't believed? At least no one has done something like that again, but, the poor guy was just showing what he had said was true!

Remember how we had to stay right on topic........this works better because good conversations don't stay on track...they go off course at times, keeps things alive. That is the way real life conversations are.

That was Mack. I thought banning a dying man was kind of cold.

driver100

Yes, Mack.....thanks. I agree, he was only defending himself at the time.

driver100

roadburner said:

fezo said:

roadburner said:

tjc78 said:

This is a very civil community compared to many others on the net. I've had a few run-ins in years past in other discussions, but I don't think anything got really ugly. There are times you just have to agree to disagree!

Back in the early days Edmund's had some truly nutty hosts as well as some moronic policies. One host(who thankfully quit) would jump on you like a ton of bricks if you drifted even one one-hundredth of a degree off topic. Another would not let you correct another participant no matter how stupid/wrong his/her posts were.

What used to really irritate me was the rule that you couldn't post links to other automotive forums, so for example, if somebody asked how to change the trunk lock actuator in an E39 5 Series you couldn't cite them to a great board that would answer their question. I know, I tried.

And Isell was right; a popular game among many of us troublemakers was trying to get a real jerk mad enough to detonate and subsequentlyget banned.

One thing I used to do was start topics that would either create a furor or dupe the clueless. Some examples:

Straight men driving Golf Cabriolets- ever seen one?
Survivor Town Hall Edition; Who's off the island?
Daewoo Nubria vs. S Class and 7 Series- Has Germany met its match?

The last one sucked in quite a few rubes...

I remember those, particularly the Golf Cabriolets one. End of that keyboard.

I didn't make jmonroe's top 6 either, imid. We can sulk together.

Who started the Most Annoying Person in Town Hall topic? I remember that ruffled some feathers.
Also, before Edmunds could track your ip a fun trick was to create a fake participant with a name that looked very close to an existing member, such as "feso" or "abacomlke" and post as that member. Over on the old Inside Line blog there was a real goofball with a numerical screen name. Somebody created a fake account(substituting a small L for a 1) and posted as that guy. He imitated that guy so well a lot of people thought it was the real guy. Hilarity ensued.

That is hilarious....I think I will become roadbumer

snakeweasel

Well the other day just before i was going to get my emissions test the darn check engine light goes on.

Well since I can't get the emissions test while the light was on got the code read. It was "Intake manifold runner stuck". Checked a few places and the intake manifold needed replacement, the dealers said between $800 and $1,100, my indie guy stays $700 so I go with the indie guy who I trust and has worked on my car before with good results.

So yesterday I put the bike rake on the car and the bike on the rack and drive to my mechanic. I drop the car off get my bike and ride the rest of the way to work. Later that morning my mechanic calls with some bad news, seems that the thermostat housing was bad and would need replacing soon and suggested to do it now since the engine was apart, I agreed. But he had some good news as the intake manifold runner was not stuck just that the motor activating it was bad so all they had to do was clean the system and replace just the motor part. All in all it came out to be about $75 less than originally thought.

Rode my bike back from work picked up the car and drove home. Now I have to drive the thing for 60 to 100 miles for all the sensors to register then take it back to my mechanic to reread the codes to make sure everything is OK for the test.

Now the car is running a heck of a lot smoother, it was running a bit rough at idle in drive and accelerating that I chalked up to it being over 8 years old with 108K miles but now is smooth as silk.

ab348

roadburner said:

Over on the old Inside Line blog there was a real goofball with a numerical screen name. Somebody created a fake account(substituting a small L for a 1) and posted as that guy. He imitated that guy so well a lot of people thought it was the real guy. Hilarity ensued.

Enough time has passed that I had forgotten about Inside Line. (removes hat, holds over heart, bows head)

That was the only thing that drew me back to Edmunds on a regular basis other than the forums/Town Hall. I found it quite entertaining and interesting even if a lot of the writers were obviously biased towards/against certain makes.

So Edmunds killed one of their sites outright (IL) and tried to do the same to the other (Town Hall) at various times over the years. And of course the moderating got so severe at one point that an alternative forum had to get set up. Glad things are better now.

roadburner

ab348 said:

That was the only thing that drew me back to Edmunds on a regular basis other than the forums/Town Hall. I found it quite entertaining and interesting even if a lot of the writers were obviously biased towards/against certain makes.

So Edmunds killed one of their sites outright (IL) and tried to do the same to the other (Town Hall) at various times over the years. And of course the moderating got so severe at one point that an alternative forum had to get set up. Glad things are better now.

IL used to be a real free-for-all; that's what made it such a hoot. When Edmunds switched over to the new format participation dropped by a huge amount- in the old IL it wasn't unusual to see over 100 comments in response to a Long Term Test blog post; now 20 or so comments is an above average response.

roadburner

snakeweasel said:

Well the other day just before i was going to get my emissions test the darn check engine light goes on.

Well since I can't get the emissions test while the light was on got the code read. It was "Intake manifold runner stuck". Checked a few places and the intake manifold needed replacement, the dealers said between $800 and $1,100, my indie guy stays $700 so I go with the indie guy who I trust and has worked on my car before with good results.

So yesterday I put the bike rake on the car and the bike on the rack and drive to my mechanic. I drop the car off get my bike and ride the rest of the way to work. Later that morning my mechanic calls with some bad news, seems that the thermostat housing was bad and would need replacing soon and suggested to do it now since the engine was apart, I agreed. But he had some good news as the intake manifold runner was not stuck just that the motor activating it was bad so all they had to do was clean the system and replace just the motor part. All in all it came out to be about $75 less than originally thought.

Rode my bike back from work picked up the car and drove home. Now I have to drive the thing for 60 to 100 miles for all the sensors to register then take it back to my mechanic to reread the codes to make sure everything is OK for the test.

Now the car is running a heck of a lot smoother, it was running a bit rough at idle in drive and accelerating that I chalked up to it being over 8 years old with 108K miles but now is smooth as silk.

It's great to have a shop staffed with an actual mechanic as opposed to a doofus who only knows how to replace parts.

verdugo

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

Who was that poor fellow who got deleted for showing his scars, when he wasn't believed? At least no one has done something like that again, but, the poor guy was just showing what he had said was true!

Remember how we had to stay right on topic........this works better because good conversations don't stay on track...they go off course at times, keeps things alive. That is the way real life conversations are.

That was Mack. I thought banning a dying man was kind of cold.

I missed all of that as I was on vacation at the time. I got a chance to follow up with Mack via email. Glad I was able to talk to him before he passed.

suydam

I'm out on a little trip out to SoCal before our move and as a rental I got a Nissan Versa Note. I really didn't know anything about this vehicle but it's growing on me. I'm doing a lot of driving that involves negotiating narrow streets and parking lots as well as freeway stretches to get to various places. It handles all of this with ease. It has good visibility, and fits well in the tiny condo space allotted to a second car out here. Great gas mileage. I'm about to find out how it handles a Costco supply trip. Basically I've got a 4 day road test with it in exactly the conditions I'll be driving in. I think we could buy a very nicely equipped one for the amount we sold the Accord, which is also attractive.

isellhondas

verdugo said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

Who was that poor fellow who got deleted for showing his scars, when he wasn't believed? At least no one has done something like that again, but, the poor guy was just showing what he had said was true!

Remember how we had to stay right on topic........this works better because good conversations don't stay on track...they go off course at times, keeps things alive. That is the way real life conversations are.

That was Mack. I thought banning a dying man was kind of cold.

I missed all of that as I was on vacation at the time. I got a chance to follow up with Mack via email. Glad I was able to talk to him before he passed.

Mackabee was a good guy but from what I hear he went off track as his illness progressed and as a result
said a few things that got so intense he got banned after several warnings. The only thing I saw was something that he called another poster in Spanish. We have lost quite a few along the way and one has to wonder if they are still with us.

PF_Flyer

suydam said:

I'm out on a little trip out to SoCal before our move and as a rental I got a Nissan Versa Note. I really didn't know anything about this vehicle but it's growing on me. I'm doing a lot of driving that involves negotiating narrow streets and parking lots as well as freeway stretches to get to various places. It handles all of this with ease. It has good visibility, and fits well in the tiny condo space allotted to a second car out here. Great gas mileage. I'm about to find out how it handles a Costco supply trip. Basically I've got a 4 day road test with it in exactly the conditions I'll be driving in. I think we could buy a very nicely equipped one for the amount we sold the Accord, which is also attractive.

We have a little over 60K on our Note. I think you'll be happy with the amount of Costco supplies you'll be able to fit inside.

henryn

snakeweasel said:

Well the other day just before i was going to get my emissions test the darn check engine light goes on.

Well since I can't get the emissions test while the light was on got the code read. It was "Intake manifold runner stuck". Checked a few places and the intake manifold needed replacement, the dealers said between $800 and $1,100, my indie guy stays $700 so I go with the indie guy who I trust and has worked on my car before with good results.

So yesterday I put the bike rake on the car and the bike on the rack and drive to my mechanic. I drop the car off get my bike and ride the rest of the way to work. Later that morning my mechanic calls with some bad news, seems that the thermostat housing was bad and would need replacing soon and suggested to do it now since the engine was apart, I agreed. But he had some good news as the intake manifold runner was not stuck just that the motor activating it was bad so all they had to do was clean the system and replace just the motor part. All in all it came out to be about $75 less than originally thought.

Rode my bike back from work picked up the car and drove home. Now I have to drive the thing for 60 to 100 miles for all the sensors to register then take it back to my mechanic to reread the codes to make sure everything is OK for the test.

Now the car is running a heck of a lot smoother, it was running a bit rough at idle in drive and accelerating that I chalked up to it being over 8 years old with 108K miles but now is smooth as silk.

You didn't specify, so I'm going to assume this is on the Sebring? For most cars, a replacement thermostat housing is about $10. Something I routinely replace whenever I'm in the vicinity and have things apart anyway.

imidazol97

"Mackabee was a good guy"...

For me that sums it up.
I had conversations off forum with Mack and can't bring myself to delete from my other email account the hundred or more emails and forwarded emails he sent. May he rest in peace.

driver100

I am not a big fan of used cars unless you really knew the previous owner, or are buying from a trusted dealer, or you just can't afford a new car (a good part of my life).
Titan Certified is a company that tests oil and transmission fluids. They say if you buy a car and salt water reaches cast iron or aluminum components it never leaves and can't be detected by normal testing.

They claim up to 14% of used cars for sale with over 90k miles would fail their tests because of such contaminates, and up to 8% of cars with over 50k miles on them.

Cars that have been submerged in salt water can be cleaned up and can look normal, but have very poor reliability. No one does internal tests of motors or transmissions for something like salt water. Cost of the test is about $100.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

"Mackabee was a good guy"...

For me that sums it up.
I had conversations off forum with Mack and can't bring myself to delete from my other email account the hundred or more emails and forwarded emails he sent. May he rest in peace.

Thank you for the memory and for that information. It wasn't a closed book for me........but, that is reassuring to know.

Mr_Shiftright

driver100 said:

I am not a big fan of used cars unless you really knew the previous owner, or are buying from a trusted dealer, or you just can't afford a new car (a good part of my life).
Titan Certified is a company that tests oil and transmission fluids. They say if you buy a car and salt water reaches cast iron or aluminum components it never leaves and can't be detected by normal testing.

They claim up to 14% of used cars for sale with over 90k miles would fail their tests because of such contaminates, and up to 8% of cars with over 50k miles on them.

Cars that have been submerged in salt water can be cleaned up and can look normal, but have very poor reliability. No one does internal tests of motors or transmissions for something like salt water. Cost of the test is about $100.

------------------------------------

I always advise people who are suspicious of cars that might have been flooded to pop off a door panel. Detailers will rarely go in there to remove sediments that collect at the bottom of the door.

driver100

Mr S...that door panel idea is a good one.

I was reading about a Rolls Royce Wraith today. Over $300k but no one buys a stripped down model, so probably at least another $100k in options. Some points of interest:

*Starlight headliner with 1340 stars in the roof.......all hand drilled. and each fibre optic strand hand installed - takes 3 days.

*The RR logos on the wheels are free spinning and are weighted so they are always upright when the car is stopped

*6.6 litre V12 engine with 624 hp, 590 pd ft of torque, and 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds

*2 tone silver paint is $22k option, illuminated Flying Lady is $4600, Starlight headliner $15k.

*Car is hand built, only robots are in the paint shop

*Flying Lady recedes into car when it is locked. Lambs wool carpets are part of the $45k Wraith package.

graphicguy

isellhondas said:

verdugo said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

Who was that poor fellow who got deleted for showing his scars, when he wasn't believed? At least no one has done something like that again, but, the poor guy was just showing what he had said was true!

Remember how we had to stay right on topic........this works better because good conversations don't stay on track...they go off course at times, keeps things alive. That is the way real life conversations are.

That was Mack. I thought banning a dying man was kind of cold.

I missed all of that as I was on vacation at the time. I got a chance to follow up with Mack via email. Glad I was able to talk to him before he passed.

Mackabee was a good guy but from what I hear he went off track as his illness progressed and as a result
said a few things that got so intense he got banned after several warnings. The only thing I saw was something that he called another poster in Spanish. We have lost quite a few along the way and one has to wonder if they are still with us.

Yes...yes, we have.

Brentwood was a guy I remember following quite a bit. I think he worked tirelessly on real world trade values. Wonder what happened to him? Qbrozen has stepped in to that roll.

I remember you doing a propper spanking to a guy who had serveral screen names, but PCH101 was the one I remember most. He was constantly denigrating those who were in the car sales industry. He as a master negotiator, allegedly. Found out later on, he bought a dog Dodge Stealth...and not even the hot one. He bought the tame one, and proceeded to get fleeced by a dealer in the process. That provided for fun and games.

Mack as a great guy, as was Mako. Miss them!

Figure I've been around here about 20 years.

isellhondas

PF_Flyer said:

suydam said:

I'm out on a little trip out to SoCal before our move and as a rental I got a Nissan Versa Note. I really didn't know anything about this vehicle but it's growing on me. I'm doing a lot of driving that involves negotiating narrow streets and parking lots as well as freeway stretches to get to various places. It handles all of this with ease. It has good visibility, and fits well in the tiny condo space allotted to a second car out here. Great gas mileage. I'm about to find out how it handles a Costco supply trip. Basically I've got a 4 day road test with it in exactly the conditions I'll be driving in. I think we could buy a very nicely equipped one for the amount we sold the Accord, which is also attractive.

We have a little over 60K on our Note. I think you'll be happy with the amount of Costco supplies you'll be able to fit inside.

So, are you making "notes" on your Note?

driver100

isellhondas said:

PF_Flyer said:

suydam said:

I'm out on a little trip out to SoCal before our move and as a rental I got a Nissan Versa Note. I really didn't know anything about this vehicle but it's growing on me. I'm doing a lot of driving that involves negotiating narrow streets and parking lots as well as freeway stretches to get to various places. It handles all of this with ease. It has good visibility, and fits well in the tiny condo space allotted to a second car out here. Great gas mileage. I'm about to find out how it handles a Costco supply trip. Basically I've got a 4 day road test with it in exactly the conditions I'll be driving in. I think we could buy a very nicely equipped one for the amount we sold the Accord, which is also attractive.

We have a little over 60K on our Note. I think you'll be happy with the amount of Costco supplies you'll be able to fit inside.

So, are you making "notes" on your Note?

I thought it was the singing kind of note.


I thought they were for people who love Karaoke.

abacomike

driver100 said:

Mr S...that door panel idea is a good one. I was reading about a Rolls Royce Wraith today. Over $300k but no one buys a stripped down model, so probably at least another $100k in options. Some points of interest: *Starlight headliner with 1340 stars in the roof.......all hand drilled. and each fibre optic strand hand installed - takes 3 days. *The RR logos on the wheels are free spinning and are weighted so they are always upright when the car is stopped *6.6 litre V12 engine with 624 hp, 590 pd ft of torque, and 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds *2 tone silver paint is $22k option, illuminated Flying Lady is $4600, Starlight headliner $15k. *Car is hand built, only robots are in the paint shop *Flying Lady recedes into car when it is locked. Lambs wool carpets are part of the $45k Wraith package.

There is a Rolls Royce Wraith on display at the Boca Raton Town Center Mall.  The MSRP is $368,000.  They have had 3 in two-tone paint schemes on display in the past 6 months.  To be honest, the one paint color scheme is much richer looking. Those suicide doors in the front are a big minus for me.  The Ghost 4 door sedan has rear suicide doors which are not a negative to me.  

When a car costs as much as a new home, it's time to reconsider one's priorities.

oldfarmer50

,

snakeweasel said:

Well the other day just before i was going to get my emissions test the darn check engine light goes on.

Well since I can't get the emissions test while the light was on got the code read. It was "Intake manifold runner stuck". Checked a few places and the intake manifold needed replacement, the dealers said between $800 and $1,100, my indie guy stays $700 so I go with the indie guy who I trust and has worked on my car before with good results.

So yesterday I put the bike rake on the car and the bike on the rack and drive to my mechanic. I drop the car off get my bike and ride the rest of the way to work. Later that morning my mechanic calls with some bad news, seems that the thermostat housing was bad and would need replacing soon and suggested to do it now since the engine was apart, I agreed. But he had some good news as the intake manifold runner was not stuck just that the motor activating it was bad so all they had to do was clean the system and replace just the motor part. All in all it came out to be about $75 less than originally thought.

Rode my bike back from work picked up the car and drove home. Now I have to drive the thing for 60 to 100 miles for all the sensors to register then take it back to my mechanic to reread the codes to make sure everything is OK for the test.

Now the car is running a heck of a lot smoother, it was running a bit rough at idle in drive and accelerating that I chalked up to it being over 8 years old with 108K miles but now is smooth as silk.

So it's the Sebring giving you trouble. Do you have the 2.7L sludger or the obsolete 2.4L like in my wife's PT?

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

I am not a big fan of used cars unless you really knew the previous owner, or are buying from a trusted dealer, or you just can't afford a new car (a good part of my life).
Titan Certified is a company that tests oil and transmission fluids. They say if you buy a car and salt water reaches cast iron or aluminum components it never leaves and can't be detected by normal testing.

They claim up to 14% of used cars for sale with over 90k miles would fail their tests because of such contaminates, and up to 8% of cars with over 50k miles on them.

Cars that have been submerged in salt water can be cleaned up and can look normal, but have very poor reliability. No one does internal tests of motors or transmissions for something like salt water. Cost of the test is about $100.

I find it hard to believe that most cars submerged in salt water would make it to 90k miles. Sounds like scare tactics to make you buy their service.

mako1a

mako1a said:

I would like to inform all my husbands friends here that my husband has passed away. He was in the hospital for over 10 weeks for a serious medical condition and he did not recover. I have had this computer to a computer guy twice now, so I could log on, so that I could let you all know what has happened to him. I'm not sure that this is the best way to let you all know this but it is the only way that I can, so sorry it couldn't have contacted you's much sooner. Debi

I would like to thank you all for your kind thoughts. Dave valued your friendship and I can see why. Such nice people. I am saying good by now, Debi

abacomike

mako1a said:

I would like to inform all my husbands friends here that my husband has passed away. He was in the hospital for over 10 weeks for a serious medical condition and he did not recover. I have had this computer to a computer guy twice now, so I could log on, so that I could let you all know what has happened to him. I'm not sure that this is the best way to let you all know this but it is the only way that I can, so sorry it couldn't have contacted you's much sooner. Debi

I would like to thank you all for your kind thoughts. Dave valued your friendship and I can see why. Such nice people. I am saying good by now, Debi

Thanks, Debi.  Go in peace with your life knowing there are many in this world rooting for you.   Mike

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

I am not a big fan of used cars unless you really knew the previous owner, or are buying from a trusted dealer, or you just can't afford a new car (a good part of my life).
Titan Certified is a company that tests oil and transmission fluids. They say if you buy a car and salt water reaches cast iron or aluminum components it never leaves and can't be detected by normal testing.

They claim up to 14% of used cars for sale with over 90k miles would fail their tests because of such contaminates, and up to 8% of cars with over 50k miles on them.

Cars that have been submerged in salt water can be cleaned up and can look normal, but have very poor reliability. No one does internal tests of motors or transmissions for something like salt water. Cost of the test is about $100.

I find it hard to believe that most cars submerged in salt water would make it to 90k miles. Sounds like scare tactics to make you buy their service.

I think he is saying if you see a car with 90k miles on it, the odds are 14% that it will have salt in the system. And btw, transmissions are twice as likely to have a salt problem as engines.

driver100

abacomike said:

mako1a said:

I would like to inform all my husbands friends here that my husband has passed away. He was in the hospital for over 10 weeks for a serious medical condition and he did not recover. I have had this computer to a computer guy twice now, so I could log on, so that I could let you all know what has happened to him. I'm not sure that this is the best way to let you all know this but it is the only way that I can, so sorry it couldn't have contacted you's much sooner. Debi

I would like to thank you all for your kind thoughts. Dave valued your friendship and I can see why. Such nice people. I am saying good by now, Debi

Thanks, Debi.  Go in peace with your life knowing there are many in this world rooting for you.   Mike

+ all of us

What a nice lady to be so considerate and caring!

andres3

On a brighter note, I thought I'd give a report on the new Audi now that I'm just about halfway to my first 5 mile oil change.

First, the Europeans can get a turbo to last more than 3,000 miles, apparently the Mexicans can't. I'm not being racist, just an observation about the GTI having turbo issues. Audi far exceeds VW in CR on reliability, is it just place of assembly, quality control, or something else more to it?

Second, the car is great. Dark Grey definitely gets a lot hotter than red now that were entering the Summer months. I told my dealer just get me a '15 TT windshield sunshade or a current model A3 version and it'll probably fit just fine. They apparently haven't made one for the '16 TT yet, and with my luck, they'll make it in December when I don't need it. He's throwing this in since he got me to pay $90 for floor mats (shame on me).

Third, averaging 24 MPG.

Fourth, its not that hard to get the back end to loosen up and understeer isn't the only issue to face at the limit.

Fifth, I need to find some nice roads this weekend to finally fully let loose for a good amount of time.

Sixth, I see no reason not to Stage 1 tune this so I can keep up or surpass previous model year TTRS's.

Seventh, Personalized plates.... how does it work? Are you supposed to request them at the dealership, or only after you get your standard plates? Do you have the option to upgrade every year at renewal? I'm in CA.

Does anyone know what personalized plates cost in CA?

Was thinking with 7 digits:

EatDust
RUFast
NoTckts
SloAudi

Any other ideas?

abacomike

andres3 said:

On a brighter note, I thought I'd give a report on the new Audi now that I'm just about halfway to my first 5 mile oil change. First, the Europeans can get a turbo to last more than 3,000 miles, apparently the Mexicans can't. I'm not being racist, just an observation about the GTI having turbo issues. Audi far exceeds VW in CR on reliability, is it just place of assembly, quality control, or something else more to it? Second, the car is great. Dark Grey definitely gets a lot hotter than red now that were entering the Summer months. I told my dealer just get me a '15 TT windshield sunshade or a current model A3 version and it'll probably fit just fine. They apparently haven't made one for the '16 TT yet, and with my luck, they'll make it in December when I don't need it. He's throwing this in since he got me to pay $90 for floor mats (shame on me). Third, averaging 24 MPG. Fourth, its not that hard to get the back end to loosen up and understeer isn't the only issue to face at the limit. Fifth, I need to find some nice roads this weekend to finally fully let loose for a good amount of time. Sixth, I see no reason not to Stage 1 tune this so I can keep up or surpass previous model year TTRS's. Seventh, Personalized plates.... how does it work? Are you supposed to request them at the dealership, or only after you get your standard plates? Do you have the option to upgrade every year at renewal? I'm in CA. Does anyone know what personalized plates cost in CA? Was thinking with 7 digits: EatDust RUFast NoTckts SloAudi Any other ideas?

So happy you are enjoying your Audi TTRS.  Hope it surpasses your expectations.

Here are some suggestions for a 7 digit vanity plate:

1234567
7654321
1111111
0000000
1010101
3306354

Mr_Shiftright

Don't get personalized plates. It's a sure tipoff as to who you are and where you are.

stever

Spinners on a Rolls just seems a bit off.

snakeweasel

jmonroe said:

I hope I didn't offend anybody by leaving them off my list. I had to draw the line somewhere.

Don't worry I'm used to it. As a kid in little league my position was "left out".

My imaginary friend won't talk to me.

Automatic doors don't open for me.

Jehovah's Witnesses pass by my door.

snakeweasel

henryn said:

snakeweasel said:

Well the other day just before i was going to get my emissions test the darn check engine light goes on.

Well since I can't get the emissions test while the light was on got the code read. It was "Intake manifold runner stuck". Checked a few places and the intake manifold needed replacement, the dealers said between $800 and $1,100, my indie guy stays $700 so I go with the indie guy who I trust and has worked on my car before with good results.

So yesterday I put the bike rake on the car and the bike on the rack and drive to my mechanic. I drop the car off get my bike and ride the rest of the way to work. Later that morning my mechanic calls with some bad news, seems that the thermostat housing was bad and would need replacing soon and suggested to do it now since the engine was apart, I agreed. But he had some good news as the intake manifold runner was not stuck just that the motor activating it was bad so all they had to do was clean the system and replace just the motor part. All in all it came out to be about $75 less than originally thought.

Rode my bike back from work picked up the car and drove home. Now I have to drive the thing for 60 to 100 miles for all the sensors to register then take it back to my mechanic to reread the codes to make sure everything is OK for the test.

Now the car is running a heck of a lot smoother, it was running a bit rough at idle in drive and accelerating that I chalked up to it being over 8 years old with 108K miles but now is smooth as silk.

You didn't specify, so I'm going to assume this is on the Sebring? For most cars, a replacement thermostat housing is about $10. Something I routinely replace whenever I'm in the vicinity and have things apart anyway.

You assume correctly, I checked online and the housing runs $60 give or take. Add labor and other things and it gets pricey.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

I am not a big fan of used cars unless you really knew the previous owner, or are buying from a trusted dealer, or you just can't afford a new car (a good part of my life).
Titan Certified is a company that tests oil and transmission fluids. They say if you buy a car and salt water reaches cast iron or aluminum components it never leaves and can't be detected by normal testing.

They claim up to 14% of used cars for sale with over 90k miles would fail their tests because of such contaminates, and up to 8% of cars with over 50k miles on them.

Cars that have been submerged in salt water can be cleaned up and can look normal, but have very poor reliability. No one does internal tests of motors or transmissions for something like salt water. Cost of the test is about $100.

Aren't most floods fresh water? So I would think that at least 99% of submerged vehicles weren't submerged in salt water.

Also how does exposure to road salt affect this test?

driver100

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

I am not a big fan of used cars unless you really knew the previous owner, or are buying from a trusted dealer, or you just can't afford a new car (a good part of my life).
Titan Certified is a company that tests oil and transmission fluids. They say if you buy a car and salt water reaches cast iron or aluminum components it never leaves and can't be detected by normal testing.

They claim up to 14% of used cars for sale with over 90k miles would fail their tests because of such contaminates, and up to 8% of cars with over 50k miles on them.

Cars that have been submerged in salt water can be cleaned up and can look normal, but have very poor reliability. No one does internal tests of motors or transmissions for something like salt water. Cost of the test is about $100.

Aren't most floods fresh water? So I would think that at least 99% of submerged vehicles weren't submerged in salt water.

Also how does exposure to road salt affect this test?

Sometimes floods are fresh water, and sometimes salt water. Phoenix flood was fresh water, Hurricane Sandy was salt water, Katrina was a mixture. The problem is if the salt water gets into the engine or transmission, the car is unlikely to be repaired properly.

When these companies test oil and transmission fluids, they are looking for signs of salt and other hazardous materials in the car....these cannot be detected from the exterior. Even fresh water can be a problem depending on how much silt and other chemicals were in the water....this can be detected by testing the oil and transmission.

btw....cars can have a good Carfax report, but there are people who change VIN numbers etc. and resell flood cars.

graphicguy

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

mako1a said:

I would like to inform all my husbands friends here that my husband has passed away. He was in the hospital for over 10 weeks for a serious medical condition and he did not recover. I have had this computer to a computer guy twice now, so I could log on, so that I could let you all know what has happened to him. I'm not sure that this is the best way to let you all know this but it is the only way that I can, so sorry it couldn't have contacted you's much sooner. Debi

I would like to thank you all for your kind thoughts. Dave valued your friendship and I can see why. Such nice people. I am saying good by now, Debi

Thanks, Debi.  Go in peace with your life knowing there are many in this world rooting for you.   Mike

+ all of us

What a nice lady to be so considerate and caring!

Yes....indeed!

nelsonf

andres3 said:

On a brighter note, I thought I'd give a report on the new Audi now that I'm just about halfway to my first 5 mile oil change.

First, the Europeans can get a turbo to last more than 3,000 miles, apparently the Mexicans can't. I'm not being racist, just an observation about the GTI having turbo issues. Audi far exceeds VW in CR on reliability, is it just place of assembly, quality control, or something else more to it?

Second, the car is great. Dark Grey definitely gets a lot hotter than red now that were entering the Summer months. I told my dealer just get me a '15 TT windshield sunshade or a current model A3 version and it'll probably fit just fine. They apparently haven't made one for the '16 TT yet, and with my luck, they'll make it in December when I don't need it. He's throwing this in since he got me to pay $90 for floor mats (shame on me).

Third, averaging 24 MPG.

Fourth, its not that hard to get the back end to loosen up and understeer isn't the only issue to face at the limit.

Fifth, I need to find some nice roads this weekend to finally fully let loose for a good amount of time.

Sixth, I see no reason not to Stage 1 tune this so I can keep up or surpass previous model year TTRS's.

Seventh, Personalized plates.... how does it work? Are you supposed to request them at the dealership, or only after you get your standard plates? Do you have the option to upgrade every year at renewal? I'm in CA.

Does anyone know what personalized plates cost in CA?

Was thinking with 7 digits:

EatDust
RUFast
NoTckts
SloAudi

Any other ideas?

The classic XLR8?

Not sure how it works in Cali, but in Washington, you can go to the Department of Licensing site and check if certain vanity plates are available.

I find it kinda like user names. You think you have a real unique one, but somebody has it already. Same with a lot of personal plates I've checked.

verdugo

abacomike said:

There is a Rolls Royce Wraith on display at the Boca Raton Town Center Mall.  The MSRP is $368,000.
When a car costs as much as a new home, it's time to reconsider one's priorities.

However, somebody looking to buy a $368,000 car is not buying a $368,000 home.

Mr_Shiftright

That car depreciates at about $30,000 per year.