Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

Michaell

Now that I've been promoted into management, I see the expense reports from the folks to report to me. I review them closely, but I've yet to see anything out of the ordinary up to this point.

No limits that I'm aware of, but much of the expenses get charged back to the customer, so they know to keep an eye on their spending.

oldfarmer50

Michaell said:

Now that I've been promoted into management, I see the expense reports from the folks to report to me. I review them closely, but I've yet to see anything out of the ordinary up to this point.

No limits that I'm aware of, but much of the expenses get charged back to the customer, so they know to keep an eye on their spending.

When I was a corporate drone I had the lowest cost/unit of production in the company. Some of the "stars" that they recruited later would stay at expensive hotels, dine at fine restaurants and engage limos for travel.

The company cracked down on everyone and you had to document every dime. The high flyers still got carte blanche.

No wonder the company went bust.

jmonroe

houdini1 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

Mike - good review of the 540. You didn't mention how many colors the LED lights have...or if you can change the speedo into 3 different types.

Andre - They should make a rule, whatever time your car is in for service should get added to warranty. And no car should be off the road for over a month....waiting for parts. Another reason I wouldn't buy a Chevy SS.

GG Looks like the big change on the Acura is the grill, and it is definitely an improvement.

JMonroe Does your country offer an award for turning in tax cheats? I have a plan.

NO. Squealers from foreign countries go directly to the slammer and they lose all property owned in the US. :@

Although I do have to wonder about IRS agents who might be lurkers in here. Maybe I should ask the MODS to run a security check for me.

jmonroe

JM, my guess is you would actually go to jail before you would cheat on your taxes !

I don't know where you got that notion.

This year I beat them for 85 bucks. Last year they got me for over 4 grand. It took a lot of creative cheating thinking to do that.

My new book "How to Get Even" should be on news stands and Amazon by the time the 2017 filing season is on us.

Don't worry my poster buddies can get their tips right here. You won 't have to spend for the book. That way you can save even more for that ride you had your eye on.

jmonroe

berri

Years ago the city here did indeed have a special renters tax.

That is a total rip-off because it is double taxation. Part of the rent pays the taxes on the real estate for the owner already. The owner just pays the tax on the unit from the rent the occupier is providing him/her. Being a landlord is not a charitable event.

isellhondas

oldfarmer50 said:

laurasdada said:

Repost from CCBA board, but I'm so nauseated by this, I had to post again.

Massachusetts is a front plate state. The new bright red Alfa Giulia in my building just had the front plate installed. Wow, it just looks terrible. It's mounted on the passenger side lower front fascia, so as not to bisect the Alfa triangle grille. It's worth writing it again, Wow, it just looks terrible.

How else are they going to ticket you or tax you? Just be glad you don't have to put plates on the sides too.

Cops here in Washington State are hit and miss on front plates. I know people that have driven for years without a front plate and were never pulled over. Others get pulled over within a week. I guess it depends on how motivated the cop is feeling that day.

andres3

nyccarguy said:

@andres3 - I understand your frustration with the part they are getting you for your TTS. Try to focus on the positives here. You are keeping miles off of your TTS which is one of the reasons you leased your Optima in the 1st place. Your wife can split driving between the leased Optima and her Alltrack. You are in a nice, Audi loaner.

Did you finance your car through Audi Credit? If so, maybe write a letter to Audi corporate letting them know how much you love their cars that you've owned and currently own (I'd leave out the modifications & the fact that you track the cars regularly), but that you are disappointed with how this one repair is panning out. Make sure you tell them how long your car has been in the shop and when the estimated fix date is. Ask nicely for a refund of 1 month's payment.

Life's too short to go all ballistic on them. Stand your ground politely, but firm.

My loan is through a Credit Union since they were willing to do 1.49 @ 42 months.

Does that change your advice? They could still pay a month's note, which isn't a fortune since I put the 2.5 year old S4 down in trade.

You are the 2nd person to suggest they should pay my monthly note since they are taking a month longer than expected.

My other idea is to ask for a complimentary 15K mile service in the future since I'm just past 13K miles right now. I believe the 15K includes a new cabin filter in addition to the oil change.

I definitely haven't advertised anything about going to HPDE events or tunes. No question those things have absolutely nothing to do with this early of a failure, but no reason to give any extra ammunition if things ever potentially get ugly. I agree now is not the time to go ballistic... yet....

isellhondas

oldfarmer50 said:

murphydog said:

Always shocked at the low gas prices here in Arizona...back to Seattle tomorrow

Arizona must not "care" about throwing money around to every special interest group in town. How heartless.

We have friends that recently sold their lakefront home here and moved to the Phoenix area.

They say everything is cheaper. restaurant meals, barber shops, landscaping etc.

BUT....you have to live in Arizona! so far, they are loving it. Heck, 250,000 buys you a NICE house.

Dontcha know.....

It's only hot three months out of year!

It's a DRY heat!

You get used to it!

Black Widows, Scorpions, rattlesnakes...." Oh , they spray for those"

Still, it's tempting.

nyccarguy

Flipped the switch today and we are officially powered by the sun!

andres3

fintail said:

I think my employer has a $50 dinner max, which is very generous IMO. Then again, I am a cheap eater and don't care for the fancy stuff.

Meal limits are silly. Better to give employees flexibility and choice. Someone could choose to go cheap on breakfast (eat the free hotel stuff), and splurge on a steak dinner with an alcoholic beverage (one), whereas others might like a good breakfast, get a Burrito for lunch, and get Chinese for Dinner. No way should the limits be more specific than a daily allowance to allow this independent management of your expenses.

qbrozen

andres3 said:

I think my employer has a $50 dinner max, which is very generous IMO. Then again, I am a cheap eater and don't care for the fancy stuff.

Meal limits are silly. Better to give employees flexibility and choice. Someone could choose to go cheap on breakfast (eat the free hotel stuff), and splurge on a steak dinner with an alcoholic beverage (one), whereas others might like a good breakfast, get a Burrito for lunch, and get Chinese for Dinner. No way should the limits be more specific than a daily allowance to allow this independent management of your expenses.

I always had that problem at my last company. Their cap was $20/person/meal. I would only spend about $7 on breakfast and then get screwed at dinner because no way could you have halfway decent dinner in a major city for $20. So the balance was out of my pocket. And meanwhile they'd always book me in a far more expensive hotel than I would have chosen.

andres3

qbrozen said:

andres3 said:

I think my employer has a $50 dinner max, which is very generous IMO. Then again, I am a cheap eater and don't care for the fancy stuff.

Meal limits are silly. Better to give employees flexibility and choice. Someone could choose to go cheap on breakfast (eat the free hotel stuff), and splurge on a steak dinner with an alcoholic beverage (one), whereas others might like a good breakfast, get a Burrito for lunch, and get Chinese for Dinner. No way should the limits be more specific than a daily allowance to allow this independent management of your expenses.

I always had that problem at my last company. Their cap was $20/person/meal. I would only spend about $7 on breakfast and then get screwed at dinner because no way could you have halfway decent dinner in a major city for $20. So the balance was out of my pocket. And meanwhile they'd always book me in a far more expensive hotel than I would have chosen.

The daily allowance also solves the snacks/drink problem. You can pay for that Starbucks Latte or fruit smoothie if you don't have an expensive meal every meal with a reasonable daily allowance for food & drinks.

fintail

I suspect locally, there's a socio-economic component to it, too. No front plate on a new Tesla or Aston etc? Carry on. No front plate on a 95 Civic? Call for backup.

isellhondas said:

Cops here in Washington State are hit and miss on front plates. I know people that have driven for years without a front plate and were never pulled over. Others get pulled over within a week. I guess it depends on how motivated the cop is feeling that day.

fintail

Yep. Well, logic often doesn't increase when you rise in ranks of those who make such rules.

The hotel thing is funny too. I've seen what is paid for hotel and airfare, it's definitely not the most efficient price.

andres3 said:

Meal limits are silly. Better to give employees flexibility and choice. Someone could choose to go cheap on breakfast (eat the free hotel stuff), and splurge on a steak dinner with an alcoholic beverage (one), whereas others might like a good breakfast, get a Burrito for lunch, and get Chinese for Dinner. No way should the limits be more specific than a daily allowance to allow this independent management of your expenses.

andres3

fintail said:

I suspect locally, there's a socio-economic component to it, too. No front plate on a new Tesla or Aston etc? Carry on. No front plate on a 95 Civic? Call for backup.

isellhondas said:

Cops here in Washington State are hit and miss on front plates. I know people that have driven for years without a front plate and were never pulled over. Others get pulled over within a week. I guess it depends on how motivated the cop is feeling that day.

Another worry is defying one stupid law (the front license plate mandate) might get you more scrutiny on another stupid law (say, an under-posted speed limit). I don't think I'd of gotten pulled over by the CHP for going 80 in a 70 zone, but the Sheriff had other ideas, and one of the reasons might be because he noticed no front license plate. Would he have let me go without stopping if I had the front plate? No one knows for sure, But perhaps on borderline cases, it could get you a ticket. I wasn't ticketed for speeding, but the lack of plate.

fintail

I think it is a silly thing, and I understand the aesthetic issue. But I also think it should be enforced equally. To me, it's not like speed, which can be a little subjective and a buffer zone is logical (not to mention the limit existing so often out of revenue vs safety). Most of the time, a plate is simply yes or no. Unfortunately, consistent enforcement for all people is not how this society works.

I've never ran without a front plate FWIW, it's not worth the potential hassle, and none of my cars would really be improved without one. In fact, I like the front plate on the fintail (year of manufacture plate).

andres3 said:

Another worry is defying one stupid law (the front license plate mandate) might get you more scrutiny on another stupid law (say, an under-posted speed limit). I don't think I'd of gotten pulled over by the CHP for going 80 in a 70 zone, but the Sheriff had other ideas, and one of the reasons might be because he noticed no front license plate. Would he have let me go without stopping if I had the front plate? No one knows for sure, But perhaps on borderline cases, it could get you a ticket. I wasn't ticketed for speeding, but the lack of plate.

berri

Still, it's tempting.

Well Isell, it is one way of taking the huge capital gains you've probably made in the Seattle suburbs over the years. But if you own your home outright and your family is still in the area, it may not be the right one for you. If you are seriously wondering about it, spend a few weeks down there in the summer and see how you like it. That will let you live there a bit at its worst.

oldfarmer50

Tempting yes but I'd need to see more green in the landscape. Also I've seen some of those sandblasted paint jobs. Not pretty.

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

Flipped the switch today and we are officially powered by the sun!

Excellent. What size system 5kw, 7kw?

I did a quick cost analysis for my house which was intentionally sited for solar and figured a 5kw system would produce about $200/mo in benefit. Not enough to cancel our electric or negate the lease cost.

Did you cost factor your system or did you do it on environmental grounds?

Mr_Shiftright

murphydog said:

Always shocked at the low gas prices here in Arizona...back to Seattle tomorrow

That is shocking...here in CA the price on that pump would almost be double right now (around $3.33).

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

Tempting yes but I'd need to see more green in the landscape. Also I've seen some of those sandblasted paint jobs. Not pretty.

When i went to Phoenix I always thought of this scene. A house in the middle of nowhere, one big cactus plant growing on the front lawn, and a mother saying to her two little 3 year olds........now go outside and play in the nice sand.

isellhondas

fintail said:

I think it is a silly thing, and I understand the aesthetic issue. But I also think it should be enforced equally. To me, it's not like speed, which can be a little subjective and a buffer zone is logical (not to mention the limit existing so often out of revenue vs safety). Most of the time, a plate is simply yes or no. Unfortunately, consistent enforcement for all people is not how this society works.

I've never ran without a front plate FWIW, it's not worth the potential hassle, and none of my cars would really be improved without one. In fact, I like the front plate on the fintail (year of manufacture plate).

andres3 said:

Another worry is defying one stupid law (the front license plate mandate) might get you more scrutiny on another stupid law (say, an under-posted speed limit). I don't think I'd of gotten pulled over by the CHP for going 80 in a 70 zone, but the Sheriff had other ideas, and one of the reasons might be because he noticed no front license plate. Would he have let me go without stopping if I had the front plate? No one knows for sure, But perhaps on borderline cases, it could get you a ticket. I wasn't ticketed for speeding, but the lack of plate.

If you are driving in downtown Issaquah late at night without a front place and a cop spots you, I GUARANTEE you will get pulled over. It's called Probable Cause and the cop needs a reason to pull you over so he can see if you're under the influence! No plate= Great reason!

explorerx4

It seems drivers of black pickup trucks are not the only selfish parkers.
Red Mercedes drivers have the same trait.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/watch-two-jeeps-trap-a-mercedes-benz-after-its-driver-parks-like-a-fool/ar-BBzQFm3?li=BBnb7Kz

abacomike

nyccarguy said:

Flipped the switch today and we are officially powered by the sun!

I flipped "the" switch today and nothing happened. I wonder why?

tbirdmarco

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yj73yl4bpEk

andres3

isellhondas said:

fintail said:

I think it is a silly thing, and I understand the aesthetic issue. But I also think it should be enforced equally. To me, it's not like speed, which can be a little subjective and a buffer zone is logical (not to mention the limit existing so often out of revenue vs safety). Most of the time, a plate is simply yes or no. Unfortunately, consistent enforcement for all people is not how this society works.

I've never ran without a front plate FWIW, it's not worth the potential hassle, and none of my cars would really be improved without one. In fact, I like the front plate on the fintail (year of manufacture plate).

andres3 said:

Another worry is defying one stupid law (the front license plate mandate) might get you more scrutiny on another stupid law (say, an under-posted speed limit). I don't think I'd of gotten pulled over by the CHP for going 80 in a 70 zone, but the Sheriff had other ideas, and one of the reasons might be because he noticed no front license plate. Would he have let me go without stopping if I had the front plate? No one knows for sure, But perhaps on borderline cases, it could get you a ticket. I wasn't ticketed for speeding, but the lack of plate.

If you are driving in downtown Issaquah late at night without a front place and a cop spots you, I GUARANTEE you will get pulled over. It's called Probable Cause and the cop needs a reason to pull you over so he can see if you're under the influence! No plate= Great reason!

Great reason for who?

I'd rather the cops spend time preventing murder and rape than wasting it on using one lame law as a probable cause ruse to obtain other fines.

If it has to be traffic related, having their eyes open to traffic infractions that create a hazard, such as left lane camping, or cell phone distraction, would be resources better spent.

Too many bad laws reduce the enforcement of good laws.

fintail

If I am in a new Ferrari, I bet the odds are less than if I am in a 20 year old econobox

Issaquah, isn't that where a LEO was pulled over for DUI, but released to his wife rather than treated like a civilian?

isellhondas said:

If you are driving in downtown Issaquah late at night without a front place and a cop spots you, I GUARANTEE you will get pulled over. It's called Probable Cause and the cop needs a reason to pull you over so he can see if you're under the influence! No plate= Great reason!

abacomike

About 6 weeks ago, I was at the Boca Raton Town Center Mall taking my daily walk and when returning to my car, I noticed the trunk was open. I went over to the lid, pressed the close/lock button on the top part of the trunk lid and the trunk closed and locked itself, as it should. It happened again about three weeks ago - I was adjusting the blinds in my front bedroom and when I looked out of the window I noticed my trunk deck lid was open. So I went downstairs and closed and locked the trunk. This past Monday afternoon, when looking out of my front window from my Condo, again the trunk was open. Again I went downstairs and closed and relocked the trunk. This afternoon at about 1:00 PM, I was looking out of the window to see if it was going to rain and again the trunk lid was open. After closing the trunk and locking the car again, I decided it was time to do more than pass this off as some fluke - like I was pressing against something in the Condo and inadvertently the key fob was depressed where it unlocks the trunk.

I called the Genius hotline and the Genius at the other end said he's never heard of that happening before. He did mention that maybe I had a poltergeist in my car as he laughed. I said to him that this was, "...no laughing matter considering this is South Florida and the rainy season is not far away - I did not think a trunk filled with rain water was comical!" He quickly apologized when he ascertained that I was serious about this issue. He then said that there was no way he could help me over the phone and that I should bring the car back to the dealer for service. I agreed with him.

I'm surprised at myself for not mentioning this to my Genius at my dealership this week when I over there for the carwash and eventual test drive of the 540i - I never claimed to be smart and this is why! I think it is because I thought I was the one creating the problem by not taking the key fob out of my pocked as soon as I went up to my Condo. But I remember that it happened when I was not at the Condo, but at the Mall, and I was much too far from the car to have the trunk opened by inadvertently pressing the button that opens the trunk.

I called my service advisor and she said she has not had any customers report this issue and when she looked the issue up on her computer, there were no service bulletins about it that she could find. She suggested that when I get out of my car, I should take the fob out of my pocket, lock the car, and when I am several hundred feet from the car, I could then put the fob back into my pocket. She asked me to try opening and locking the car from my window in my bedroom and look for the lights to flash and the "beep" to sound to see if my Condo unit was within range of the fob's ability to unlock doors and the trunk. I did as she asked and the car unlocked itself and emitted the beep and the lights flashed and the same thing happened when I locked the car. So I was well within range of car for the fob to operate (about 75 feet).

She said that if after following her suggestion about taking the key fob out of my pocket did no solve the problem, it would necessitate my bringing the car in for a complete diagnostic evaluation of the remote system and how the car reacts to remote input. In the meantime, she said she would speak with her shop foreman about my issue to see if he or any other advisor has come across anything like what I am experiencing.

I just got off the phone with her and she said that there was a service bulletin issued for the 5 and 7 series vehicles with the issue I described back in August, 2016, for 2016's and recently built 2017's. The fix for this problem is a "software" update that would require a two-step procedure to open the trunk remotely:

1. Unlock the car with the key fob or by the hands-free "touch" area on the door handles, and then,
2. Unlock or open the trunk using the key fob or the rear access button just above the rear license plate area.

She further stated that it would not affect opening the trunk with my foot under the rear of the car.

So, it would seem that I do not have a POLTERGEIST in my new car, but rather a GREMLIN that is causing me a bit of havoc when it comes to the trunk having a "mind of its own!"

I made an appointment for this coming Monday morning at 10:00 AM so I could avoid the morning traffic - it's a 30 mile trip each way. They are going to give me a loaner. She said it would probably be a 5 series vehicle since I own a 7 series car. She also said it takes about 3-4 hours to complete the software download and to test it out. She also wants me to bring all three key fobs with me. I also have a problem with my left side view mirror not defogging - I was going to wait until my first oil change to have that taken care of since I didn't think it was that important to have repaired right away - but she said she wants to have that issue taken care of while the car is in for service.

I am not upset or concerned about this at all. One thing that I was concerned about was a thunderstorm with heavy rain and the trunk being open. That would have created a big mess, to be sure.

So, as all of you know, I am not one to conceal an issue with a brand of car as some of our fellow posters claim happens on surveys or even here on Edmunds.

fintail

I hate to say it, hoax.

And it's not a BMW, so it can't be real

explorerx4 said:

It seems drivers of black pickup trucks are not the only selfish parkers.
Red Mercedes drivers have the same trait.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/watch-two-jeeps-trap-a-mercedes-benz-after-its-driver-parks-like-a-fool/ar-BBzQFm3?li=BBnb7Kz

fintail

Yep, it's going to destroy your car unless you have it covered or garaged.

Low cost places can be tempting, but they often end up being low amenity/other issue places, as I am reminded all the time by my friend who took a stint in Atlanta.

oldfarmer50 said:

Tempting yes but I'd need to see more green in the landscape. Also I've seen some of those sandblasted paint jobs. Not pretty.

ab348

Mike, BMW isn't the only make with ghosts opening trunks. When I had my 2011 Buick Regal (made in Germany by Opel) I returned to the car to find the trunk open several times, be it at work, home, or while shopping. Unsettling. Turned out the trunk release button on the key fob was too sensitive and many people were experiencing the same thing with inadvertent activiation when in their pocket. So there was first a software reprogramming done, then an across the board change to the design, to require a double push of the release button on the fob to open the trunk. My Cadillac is the same now as well.

driver100

explorerx4 said:

It seems drivers of black pickup trucks are not the only selfish parkers.
Red Mercedes drivers have the same trait.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/watch-two-jeeps-trap-a-mercedes-benz-after-its-driver-parks-like-a-fool/ar-BBzQFm3?li=BBnb7Kz

We don't know if he parked his red Mercedes over the line because there was a black Ford F150 already parked half over the line and this guy just parked next to him. I doubt if he parked that way because he thinks that much of his car. Also, he may have just done a sloppy job of parking, the lot was pretty empty where he parked....the guys in the huge Jeeps were looking to make something out of it.
https://youtu.be/jl25vG21yuk

tjc78

Add my 2012 LaCrosse to the phantom trunk opening.   What a pain that was. 

ab348

Expense accounts... hoo boy. When I was in government the expense policies were negotiated items between the gov and the public service unions. What that meant was that mileage allowances and per diems didn't change very often and were quite stingy. They provided a per diem for meals and incidentals that you qualified for under "travel status" when you left before a certain time in the morning and arrived home after a certain hour in the evening. Nobody got rich there from that. Everything was scrutinized several times.

When I went to work at the liquor board it was just the opposite. Very few rules, just reasonableness. Some people abused that and expensed all sorts of things. In my case nothing much changed because of my conditioning and I usually had the smallest monthly expense claim of any of the execs by far. Around a dozen years ago the Canadian version of the IRS came in and audited all the expense accounts for a year. Being feds, they really didn't need a whole lot of rationale for what they bounced. Some guys got hit with 5-figure reassessments for "personal benefits". In my case they tried to stick me with about $1100 worth of those, but every one of them was legitimate. Some of them were laughable. They tried to bounce a lunch I bought for a Justice Dept lawyer I was meeting with one day. The meeting ran long so we continued it over lunch at a resto across from her office. It wasn't much, maybe $40 or so. They claimed she was my girlfriend and I took her to a romantic lunch. I had to explain to them that she was working for us on a court case, that she was in a same-sex marriage with another lawyer, and that they would be very surprised to learn that I was her boyfriend. In the end they wouldn't budge on a few others and I paid them a couple of hundred bucks to make it go away. A total sham process but at least I didn't need to go to court like some others ended up having to do.

driver100

Mike, thanks for being up front about this issue. All cars can have glitches.....and software problems can easily happen.
The lady was smart about the way she handled the situation. The guy not so much, you actually could have tested to see if the fob worked from your apartment which may have helped solve the problem. They could have said lock the car using the fob until you bring it in.....saving you some time.
I am growing to like my new E400 more every day. At first I liked the styling of the 2015 more, but as I get used to it I like the really distinctive look of the newer model. That digital instrument panel with a huge navi/media screen is pretty awesome too. The improvement in the ride and handling are amazing too....I didn't think they could make it better but they did.

abacomike

ab348 said:

Mike, BMW isn't the only make with ghosts opening trunks. When I had my 2011 Buick Regal (made in Germany by Opel) I returned to the car to find the trunk open several times, be it at work, home, or while shopping. Unsettling. Turned out the trunk release button on the key fob was too sensitive and many people were experiencing the same thing with inadvertent activiation when in their pocket. So there was first a software reprogramming done, then an across the board change to the design, to require a double push of the release button on the fob to open the trunk. My Cadillac is the same now as well.

Interesting!  I actually thought for all those weeks that it was my fault somehow.  It's quite a serious problem down here with the heavy rains we get during the summer months.  I guess I was lucky(?) it was discovered before the tropical storms and daily thunderstorms of the usual summer months.  We are actually in a severe drought right now with almost no rainfall since January with few exceptions.

Mr_Shiftright

Speaking of not playing nice while driving, police in L.A. did an undercover bust for people using disabled parking placards illegally. When people parked in a handicapped spot in a certain large shopping center, the undercover cop approached them and did a 'compliance" check.

result?

The investigators stopped 280 people and found that 42 of them were using their placards fraudulently.

That's a 15% fraud rate.

explorerx4

@Mr_Shiftright,
That's in LA where there are no old people.
In CT, that percentage would be a lot higher.

explorerx4

@driver100,
That Mercedes driver was so lame, he didn't realize the rear seats could be folded down?
If his mother knew that, she would never let him borrow it again. ;0

jmonroe

explorerx4 said:

It seems drivers of black pickup trucks are not the only selfish parkers.
Red Mercedes drivers have the same trait.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/watch-two-jeeps-trap-a-mercedes-benz-after-its-driver-parks-like-a-fool/ar-BBzQFm3?li=BBnb7Kz

The buddy system at work.

That reminds me of what happened in the company parking lot about 5 or 6 years ago. I told this tale before and I'm sure @driver100 remembers it:

To make a long story short it was a young lady who drove a new 3 Series. She took up 2 spots and two guys who worked in the shop climbed up on her car at least as close as was done to that MB. She was in tears (literally) telling the guard she was boxed in. The guard got on the PA system to inform the employees what the plate numbers were. No response. Ten minutes later still no response but a lot of laughter back in the shop area. Another PA announcement with no response and more laughter in the shop area. After about 40 minutes the boss of the two guys told them they had enough fun with it, "so go move your trucks".

This was a pretty smart girl, all things considered, and she learned a lesson that day that they didn't teach her in school. She never did that again.

jmonroe

jmonroe

abacomike said:

About 6 weeks ago, I was at the Boca Raton Town Center Mall taking my daily walk and when returning to my car, I noticed the trunk was open. I went over to the lid, pressed the close/lock button on the top part of the trunk lid and the trunk closed and locked itself, as it should. It happened again about three weeks ago - I was adjusting the blinds in my front bedroom and when I looked out of the window I noticed my trunk deck lid was open. So I went downstairs and closed and locked the trunk. This past Monday afternoon, when looking out of my front window from my Condo, again the trunk was open. Again I went downstairs and closed and relocked the trunk. This afternoon at about 1:00 PM, I was looking out of the window to see if it was going to rain and again the trunk lid was open. After closing the trunk and locking the car again, I decided it was time to do more than pass this off as some fluke - like I was pressing against something in the Condo and inadvertently the key fob was depressed where it unlocks the trunk.

I called the Genius hotline and the Genius at the other end said he's never heard of that happening before. He did mention that maybe I had a poltergeist in my car as he laughed. I said to him that this was, "...no laughing matter considering this is South Florida and the rainy season is not far away - I did not think a trunk filled with rain water was comical!" He quickly apologized when he ascertained that I was serious about this issue. He then said that there was no way he could help me over the phone and that I should bring the car back to the dealer for service. I agreed with him.

I'm surprised at myself for not mentioning this to my Genius at my dealership this week when I over there for the carwash and eventual test drive of the 540i - I never claimed to be smart and this is why! I think it is because I thought I was the one creating the problem by not taking the key fob out of my pocked as soon as I went up to my Condo. But I remember that it happened when I was not at the Condo, but at the Mall, and I was much too far from the car to have the trunk opened by inadvertently pressing the button that opens the trunk.

I called my service advisor and she said she has not had any customers report this issue and when she looked the issue up on her computer, there were no service bulletins about it that she could find. She suggested that when I get out of my car, I should take the fob out of my pocket, lock the car, and when I am several hundred feet from the car, I could then put the fob back into my pocket. She asked me to try opening and locking the car from my window in my bedroom and look for the lights to flash and the "beep" to sound to see if my Condo unit was within range of the fob's ability to unlock doors and the trunk. I did as she asked and the car unlocked itself and emitted the beep and the lights flashed and the same thing happened when I locked the car. So I was well within range of car for the fob to operate (about 75 feet).

She said that if after following her suggestion about taking the key fob out of my pocket did no solve the problem, it would necessitate my bringing the car in for a complete diagnostic evaluation of the remote system and how the car reacts to remote input. In the meantime, she said she would speak with her shop foreman about my issue to see if he or any other advisor has come across anything like what I am experiencing.

I just got off the phone with her and she said that there was a service bulletin issued for the 5 and 7 series vehicles with the issue I described back in August, 2016, for 2016's and recently built 2017's. The fix for this problem is a "software" update that would require a two-step procedure to open the trunk remotely:

1. Unlock the car with the key fob or by the hands-free "touch" area on the door handles, and then,
2. Unlock or open the trunk using the key fob or the rear access button just above the rear license plate area.

She further stated that it would not affect opening the trunk with my foot under the rear of the car.

So, it would seem that I do not have a POLTERGEIST in my new car, but rather a GREMLIN that is causing me a bit of havoc when it comes to the trunk having a "mind of its own!"

I made an appointment for this coming Monday morning at 10:00 AM so I could avoid the morning traffic - it's a 30 mile trip each way. They are going to give me a loaner. She said it would probably be a 5 series vehicle since I own a 7 series car. She also said it takes about 3-4 hours to complete the software download and to test it out. She also wants me to bring all three key fobs with me. I also have a problem with my left side view mirror not defogging - I was going to wait until my first oil change to have that taken care of since I didn't think it was that important to have repaired right away - but she said she wants to have that issue taken care of while the car is in for service.

I am not upset or concerned about this at all. One thing that I was concerned about was a thunderstorm with heavy rain and the trunk being open. That would have created a big mess, to be sure.

So, as all of you know, I am not one to conceal an issue with a brand of car as some of our fellow posters claim happens on surveys or even here on Edmunds.

You know that post was more than 150 words don't you? :@

BUT, I understood every thing you said.

We haven't had a good story in here since I cut back.

jmonroe

abacomike

jmonroe said:

abacomike said:

About 6 weeks ago, I was at the Boca Raton Town Center Mall taking my daily walk and when returning to my car, I noticed the trunk was open. I went over to the lid, pressed the close/lock button on the top part of the trunk lid and the trunk closed and locked itself, as it should. It happened again about three weeks ago - I was adjusting the blinds in my front bedroom and when I looked out of the window I noticed my trunk deck lid was open. So I went downstairs and closed and locked the trunk. This past Monday afternoon, when looking out of my front window from my Condo, again the trunk was open. Again I went downstairs and closed and relocked the trunk. This afternoon at about 1:00 PM, I was looking out of the window to see if it was going to rain and again the trunk lid was open. After closing the trunk and locking the car again, I decided it was time to do more than pass this off as some fluke - like I was pressing against something in the Condo and inadvertently the key fob was depressed where it unlocks the trunk.

I called the Genius hotline and the Genius at the other end said he's never heard of that happening before. He did mention that maybe I had a poltergeist in my car as he laughed. I said to him that this was, "...no laughing matter considering this is South Florida and the rainy season is not far away - I did not think a trunk filled with rain water was comical!" He quickly apologized when he ascertained that I was serious about this issue. He then said that there was no way he could help me over the phone and that I should bring the car back to the dealer for service. I agreed with him.

I'm surprised at myself for not mentioning this to my Genius at my dealership this week when I over there for the carwash and eventual test drive of the 540i - I never claimed to be smart and this is why! I think it is because I thought I was the one creating the problem by not taking the key fob out of my pocked as soon as I went up to my Condo. But I remember that it happened when I was not at the Condo, but at the Mall, and I was much too far from the car to have the trunk opened by inadvertently pressing the button that opens the trunk.

I called my service advisor and she said she has not had any customers report this issue and when she looked the issue up on her computer, there were no service bulletins about it that she could find. She suggested that when I get out of my car, I should take the fob out of my pocket, lock the car, and when I am several hundred feet from the car, I could then put the fob back into my pocket. She asked me to try opening and locking the car from my window in my bedroom and look for the lights to flash and the "beep" to sound to see if my Condo unit was within range of the fob's ability to unlock doors and the trunk. I did as she asked and the car unlocked itself and emitted the beep and the lights flashed and the same thing happened when I locked the car. So I was well within range of car for the fob to operate (about 75 feet).

She said that if after following her suggestion about taking the key fob out of my pocket did no solve the problem, it would necessitate my bringing the car in for a complete diagnostic evaluation of the remote system and how the car reacts to remote input. In the meantime, she said she would speak with her shop foreman about my issue to see if he or any other advisor has come across anything like what I am experiencing.

I just got off the phone with her and she said that there was a service bulletin issued for the 5 and 7 series vehicles with the issue I described back in August, 2016, for 2016's and recently built 2017's. The fix for this problem is a "software" update that would require a two-step procedure to open the trunk remotely:

1. Unlock the car with the key fob or by the hands-free "touch" area on the door handles, and then,
2. Unlock or open the trunk using the key fob or the rear access button just above the rear license plate area.

She further stated that it would not affect opening the trunk with my foot under the rear of the car.

So, it would seem that I do not have a POLTERGEIST in my new car, but rather a GREMLIN that is causing me a bit of havoc when it comes to the trunk having a "mind of its own!"

I made an appointment for this coming Monday morning at 10:00 AM so I could avoid the morning traffic - it's a 30 mile trip each way. They are going to give me a loaner. She said it would probably be a 5 series vehicle since I own a 7 series car. She also said it takes about 3-4 hours to complete the software download and to test it out. She also wants me to bring all three key fobs with me. I also have a problem with my left side view mirror not defogging - I was going to wait until my first oil change to have that taken care of since I didn't think it was that important to have repaired right away - but she said she wants to have that issue taken care of while the car is in for service.

I am not upset or concerned about this at all. One thing that I was concerned about was a thunderstorm with heavy rain and the trunk being open. That would have created a big mess, to be sure.

So, as all of you know, I am not one to conceal an issue with a brand of car as some of our fellow posters claim happens on surveys or even here on Edmunds.

You know that post was more than 150 words don't you? :@

BUT, I understood every thing you said.

We haven't had a good story in here since I cut back.

jmonroe

Sorry, JM, I did not realize I had written such a long post until you mentioned it. But only 150 words? Are you sure it wasn't longer than that? Oh well, next time I'll count my words and if it hits 150, I'll go back and try to edit so it stays under.

roadburner

@abacomike: Those type of issues can be extremely frustrating. I've been working with a Service Advisor over the past few days to troubleshoot an issue with a customer's wi-fi hotspot. Long story short, we wound up replacing the telematics control unit; after about 45 minutes with the customer the hotspot was finally up and running.

driver100

JMonroe...I do remember that story and I would advise those guys not to try doing that today. They would probably be fired for harassment.

Funny, these people park taking up two spots because they think they have a very special car....but, they are asking for trouble. And, no matter how nice the car is - there will be a nicer one somewhere nearby, only taking up one spot.

One thing I noticed at Costco is they have extra wide spaces which is really nice. Some plazas and malls have spaces that are just wide enough for the car....you have to open the door very carefully or it reaches the car in the next space.....very aggravating.

imidazol97

@abacoMike Were you keeping the key fob in your pocket? Is it possible just static electricity from jostling against the cloth in your pocket was causing the circuits to fire to open the trunk?

My GM fob, as has been said, has a very gentle touch needed to operate the trunk release. I keep it in my pocket along with a set of keys for the other car. The pressure from the other things in my pocket would hold the button long enough to release the trunk.

imidazol97

@Andres3 Everytime I see a Neon driving and in fairly good shape for age I think of Andres3.

Wednesday I went to get a birthday lunch at Hofbraus Hauz in Newort. Downtown Cincy on 75 at 6th entrance a Neon enters with an air dam on the trunk (My Cobalt has one) in great shape. But rear of the car acted like it had almost no shock control. Continually moving up and down. Needed a little loving car. But was in great shape and seemed to run fine.

jmonroe

abacomike said:

jmonroe said:

abacomike said:

About 6 weeks ago, I was at the Boca Raton Town Center Mall taking my daily walk and when returning to my car, I noticed the trunk was open. I went over to the lid, pressed the close/lock button on the top part of the trunk lid and the trunk closed and locked itself, as it should. It happened again about three weeks ago - I was adjusting the blinds in my front bedroom and when I looked out of the window I noticed my trunk deck lid was open. So I went downstairs and closed and locked the trunk. This past Monday afternoon, when looking out of my front window from my Condo, again the trunk was open. Again I went downstairs and closed and relocked the trunk. This afternoon at about 1:00 PM, I was looking out of the window to see if it was going to rain and again the trunk lid was open. After closing the trunk and locking the car again, I decided it was time to do more than pass this off as some fluke - like I was pressing against something in the Condo and inadvertently the key fob was depressed where it unlocks the trunk.

I called the Genius hotline and the Genius at the other end said he's never heard of that happening before. He did mention that maybe I had a poltergeist in my car as he laughed. I said to him that this was, "...no laughing matter considering this is South Florida and the rainy season is not far away - I did not think a trunk filled with rain water was comical!" He quickly apologized when he ascertained that I was serious about this issue. He then said that there was no way he could help me over the phone and that I should bring the car back to the dealer for service. I agreed with him.

I'm surprised at myself for not mentioning this to my Genius at my dealership this week when I over there for the carwash and eventual test drive of the 540i - I never claimed to be smart and this is why! I think it is because I thought I was the one creating the problem by not taking the key fob out of my pocked as soon as I went up to my Condo. But I remember that it happened when I was not at the Condo, but at the Mall, and I was much too far from the car to have the trunk opened by inadvertently pressing the button that opens the trunk.

I called my service advisor and she said she has not had any customers report this issue and when she looked the issue up on her computer, there were no service bulletins about it that she could find. She suggested that when I get out of my car, I should take the fob out of my pocket, lock the car, and when I am several hundred feet from the car, I could then put the fob back into my pocket. She asked me to try opening and locking the car from my window in my bedroom and look for the lights to flash and the "beep" to sound to see if my Condo unit was within range of the fob's ability to unlock doors and the trunk. I did as she asked and the car unlocked itself and emitted the beep and the lights flashed and the same thing happened when I locked the car. So I was well within range of car for the fob to operate (about 75 feet).

She said that if after following her suggestion about taking the key fob out of my pocket did no solve the problem, it would necessitate my bringing the car in for a complete diagnostic evaluation of the remote system and how the car reacts to remote input. In the meantime, she said she would speak with her shop foreman about my issue to see if he or any other advisor has come across anything like what I am experiencing.

I just got off the phone with her and she said that there was a service bulletin issued for the 5 and 7 series vehicles with the issue I described back in August, 2016, for 2016's and recently built 2017's. The fix for this problem is a "software" update that would require a two-step procedure to open the trunk remotely:

1. Unlock the car with the key fob or by the hands-free "touch" area on the door handles, and then,
2. Unlock or open the trunk using the key fob or the rear access button just above the rear license plate area.

She further stated that it would not affect opening the trunk with my foot under the rear of the car.

So, it would seem that I do not have a POLTERGEIST in my new car, but rather a GREMLIN that is causing me a bit of havoc when it comes to the trunk having a "mind of its own!"

I made an appointment for this coming Monday morning at 10:00 AM so I could avoid the morning traffic - it's a 30 mile trip each way. They are going to give me a loaner. She said it would probably be a 5 series vehicle since I own a 7 series car. She also said it takes about 3-4 hours to complete the software download and to test it out. She also wants me to bring all three key fobs with me. I also have a problem with my left side view mirror not defogging - I was going to wait until my first oil change to have that taken care of since I didn't think it was that important to have repaired right away - but she said she wants to have that issue taken care of while the car is in for service.

I am not upset or concerned about this at all. One thing that I was concerned about was a thunderstorm with heavy rain and the trunk being open. That would have created a big mess, to be sure.

So, as all of you know, I am not one to conceal an issue with a brand of car as some of our fellow posters claim happens on surveys or even here on Edmunds.

You know that post was more than 150 words don't you? :@

BUT, I understood every thing you said.

We haven't had a good story in here since I cut back.

jmonroe

Sorry, JM, I did not realize I had written such a long post until you mentioned it. But only 150 words? Are you sure it wasn't longer than that? Oh well, next time I'll count my words and if it hits 150, I'll go back and try to edit so it stays under.

I'm not the Word Cop in here. That distinction belongs to @driver100. He was probably in bed and I figured I'd point it out to you before he got up and jumped you for it.

Good stories HAVE to be more than 150 words.

At only 150 words you're just barely at the warm up period.

jmonroe

graphicguy

imidazol97 said:

@Andres3 Everytime I see a Neon driving and in fairly good shape for age I think of Andres3.

Wednesday I went to get a birthday lunch at Hofbraus Hauz in Newort. Downtown Cincy on 75 at 6th entrance a Neon enters with an air dam on the trunk (My Cobalt has one) in great shape. But rear of the car acted like it had almost no shock control. Continually moving up and down. Needed a little loving car. But was in great shape and seemed to run fine.

Hofbrau Hauz is a lot of fun. You had a nice night for it, too.

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

@abacoMike Were you keeping the key fob in your pocket? Is it possible just static electricity from jostling against the cloth in your pocket was causing the circuits to fire to open the trunk?

My GM fob, as has been said, has a very gentle touch needed to operate the trunk release. I keep it in my pocket along with a set of keys for the other car. The pressure from the other things in my pocket would hold the button long enough to release the trunk.

I'm always pocket-locking the doors on the wife's Chrysler.

oldfarmer50

wow, tried to post a picture and all sorts of problems. Is Edmunds on the fritz or is my internet service slowed down by everybody chatting with grandma.

28firefighter

I use to go to the Hofbrauhaus in Pittsburgh many weekends when I was in college. One of my favorites!