Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

28firefighter

Or check the secondary market and shops and don’t rely on the dealer for everything.

bwia

driver100 said:

Mike, hoping for the best possible outcome.

@Mike, we all have you in our prayers.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

Just saw this story on the national news in Canada.
Guy buys a 2013 used Nissan Leaf a few years ago. Guy loves the car.
Now he finds it is losing power quickly, can't drive far.
To save the battery he tries not to use heat or a/c.
The cost of a new battery would be $13000, more than the car is worth.
He is upset Nissan doesn't have a way to fix the problem, for a more reasonable cost.
It also upsets him that he bought an environmentally friendly car and now there is a battery that is going to get dumped.
Nissans only real solution is to trade it in on a new model.
This is why I prefer tried and true technology!

This is what happens when you’re afraid to buy higher wattage light bulbs and you’re afraid to turn the heat up or the A/C down. Some people will never learn that there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.

jmonroe

suydam

snakeweasel said:

stickguy said:

Snake, the question to me is, do you really need the extra car? I assume the only real purpose is to keep the BMW in the garage when the roads are crappy? If so, and you would have to replace it, might as well fix it up and let it take the abuse. If you would not replace it anyway, might as well dump it, get some cash, free up garage or driveway space, and lower insurance.

Plus since the top doesn't work, of no real use in the nice weather (plus you have a nice convertible).

We really don't need the extra car and your presumption is correct but we wouldn't be replacing it should we dump it.

As for nice weather, yes we have a real nice convertible plus the bike

I’d take the $400.

suydam

So sorry Mike. Hope it turns out well.

28firefighter

On the Leaf thing:
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/08/30/dozens-of-shops-are-now-replacing-nissan-leaf-batteries/

28firefighter

Hang in there, Mike. Good vibes being sent you and your son’s way.

driver100

Mike, hoping for the best possible outcome.

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

Just saw this story on the national news in Canada.
Guy buys a 2013 used Nissan Leaf a few years ago. Guy loves the car.
Now he finds it is losing power quickly, can't drive far.
To save the battery he tries not to use heat or a/c.
The cost of a new battery would be $13000, more than the car is worth.
He is upset Nissan doesn't have a way to fix the problem, for a more reasonable cost.
It also upsets him that he bought an environmentally friendly car and now there is a battery that is going to get dumped.
Nissans only real solution is to trade it in on a new model.
This is why I prefer tried and true technology!

This is what happens when you’re afraid to buy higher wattage light bulbs and you’re afraid to turn the heat up or the A/C down. Some people will never learn that there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.

jmonroe

.....and who are we talking about? Afraid of higher wattage light bulbs or turning the heat up or a/c down. And what does that have to do with buying an E-Car?

You can't be talking about me....I am converting light bulbs to strong LEDs as they burn out, the temperature is set to 74F.....if I can't be in Florida this winter, and in the summer the thermostat was set at 72F which was fine......no fear

driver100

The complete story about the Nissan Leaf is here...plus a 2 minute video. And he did try a few dealers and some indie garages.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nissan-leaf-electric-vehicle-new-battery-1.5769998

Sandman6472

72 is pretty chilly to be honest. Our newer York unit is downright cold when it's set at 78 so we keep it at 79 and it's comfortable. It has a SEER rating of 17 which we were told was very good and our FPL bill since we got it has been very reasonable.

ab348

The ATS is at the dealer this morning for regular service and much to my surprise when I got there, they told me the complimentary Cadillac maintenance is still valid for another year. I know that when I bought the car that the salesman told me Caddy had downgraded the free maintenance from 4 years to 3, so either they made a mistake on my file or Caddy changed the program and didn't tell me. Whatever, that also meant I got a loaner/rental from them, which I wasn't counting on today. Since I didn't know I was entitled to one I didn't ask for a reservation when I made the appointment last week. When I do that they always have a Cadillac of some sort to give me for the day but today I got a Buck Encore GX since I was at their mercy.

I always sort of looked down on the Encore because its styling makes it look tall and stubby. I guess it truly is that, but I have to say I am reasonably impressed with how it drives. The little 1.3L Turbo engine has lots of zip off the line though it runs out of breath pretty quickly when you put your foot down on the highway. Nice room up front and in the cargo bay too, though the rear seat looks a bit tight. I think I'll take it out for a short trip to the grocery store later, its natural environment.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

Mike, hoping for the best possible outcome.

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

Just saw this story on the national news in Canada.
Guy buys a 2013 used Nissan Leaf a few years ago. Guy loves the car.
Now he finds it is losing power quickly, can't drive far.
To save the battery he tries not to use heat or a/c.
The cost of a new battery would be $13000, more than the car is worth.
He is upset Nissan doesn't have a way to fix the problem, for a more reasonable cost.
It also upsets him that he bought an environmentally friendly car and now there is a battery that is going to get dumped.
Nissans only real solution is to trade it in on a new model.
This is why I prefer tried and true technology!

This is what happens when you’re afraid to buy higher wattage light bulbs and you’re afraid to turn the heat up or the A/C down. Some people will never learn that there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.

jmonroe

.....and who are we talking about? Afraid of higher wattage light bulbs or turning the heat up or a/c down. And what does that have to do with buying an E-Car?

You can't be talking about me....I am converting light bulbs to strong LEDs as they burn out, the temperature is set to 74F.....if I can't be in Florida this winter, and in the summer the thermostat was set at 72F which was fine......no fear

My, my, aren’t we paranoid. I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about people who are afraid to live life because of the fear they aren’t being environmentally conscious. I’m not advocating being wasteful but do what you want to do if you can afford it. Like buying a car, I’ve never bought a car because it gave good gas mileage. Everything else came before that. Maybe that’s because I don’t drive 25K miles a year.

jmonroe

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

Mike, hoping for the best possible outcome.

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

Just saw this story on the national news in Canada.
Guy buys a 2013 used Nissan Leaf a few years ago. Guy loves the car.
Now he finds it is losing power quickly, can't drive far.
To save the battery he tries not to use heat or a/c.
The cost of a new battery would be $13000, more than the car is worth.
He is upset Nissan doesn't have a way to fix the problem, for a more reasonable cost.
It also upsets him that he bought an environmentally friendly car and now there is a battery that is going to get dumped.
Nissans only real solution is to trade it in on a new model.
This is why I prefer tried and true technology!

This is what happens when you’re afraid to buy higher wattage light bulbs and you’re afraid to turn the heat up or the A/C down. Some people will never learn that there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.

jmonroe

.....and who are we talking about? Afraid of higher wattage light bulbs or turning the heat up or a/c down. And what does that have to do with buying an E-Car?

You can't be talking about me....I am converting light bulbs to strong LEDs as they burn out, the temperature is set to 74F.....if I can't be in Florida this winter, and in the summer the thermostat was set at 72F which was fine......no fear

My, my, aren’t we paranoid. I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about people who are afraid to live life because of the fear they aren’t being environmentally conscious. I’m not advocating being wasteful but do what you want to do if you can afford it. Like buying a car, I’ve never bought a car because it gave good gas mileage. Everything else came before that. Maybe that’s because I don’t drive 25K miles a year.

jmonroe

In that case I guess I will have to agree with you....might be the first and last time.

qbrozen

driver100 said:

The complete story about the Nissan Leaf is here...plus a 2 minute video. And he did try a few dealers and some indie garages.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nissan-leaf-electric-vehicle-new-battery-1.5769998

Must be a Canadian problem. Seem to be plenty of choices in the US.

driver100

ab348 said:

I always sort of looked down on the Encore because its styling makes it look tall and stubby.

That's what gets me.........it is tall and narrow, doesn't look like it will stay on the road around a sharp bend. I sometimes have the radio or TV on in my office and when they have an Encore commercial they ask "Alexa, start my car" or something, and my Alexa comes on and says something like "I am not able to do that". It is very annoying!

OTOH, I like the one when she gets a text the Jones's are coming for dinner, she goes and buys four steaks to make for dinner, then she rushes to the door to find out it is only to babysit their kids, and the little girl says "Where's the pizza" At least it was cute the first 50 times I saw it.

driver100

qbrozen said:

driver100 said:

The complete story about the Nissan Leaf is here...plus a 2 minute video. And he did try a few dealers and some indie garages.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nissan-leaf-electric-vehicle-new-battery-1.5769998

Must be a Canadian problem. Seem to be plenty of choices in the US.

Very possible. Canada has only 10% of the population and they probably sell many more in proportion in the U.S., because of some states like California. It probably isn't practical to make or ship cheap batteries to Canada for the number of cars affected. Maybe he could try a wreckers.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

Mike, hoping for the best possible outcome.

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

Just saw this story on the national news in Canada.
Guy buys a 2013 used Nissan Leaf a few years ago. Guy loves the car.
Now he finds it is losing power quickly, can't drive far.
To save the battery he tries not to use heat or a/c.
The cost of a new battery would be $13000, more than the car is worth.
He is upset Nissan doesn't have a way to fix the problem, for a more reasonable cost.
It also upsets him that he bought an environmentally friendly car and now there is a battery that is going to get dumped.
Nissans only real solution is to trade it in on a new model.
This is why I prefer tried and true technology!

This is what happens when you’re afraid to buy higher wattage light bulbs and you’re afraid to turn the heat up or the A/C down. Some people will never learn that there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.

jmonroe

.....and who are we talking about? Afraid of higher wattage light bulbs or turning the heat up or a/c down. And what does that have to do with buying an E-Car?

You can't be talking about me....I am converting light bulbs to strong LEDs as they burn out, the temperature is set to 74F.....if I can't be in Florida this winter, and in the summer the thermostat was set at 72F which was fine......no fear

My, my, aren’t we paranoid. I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about people who are afraid to live life because of the fear they aren’t being environmentally conscious. I’m not advocating being wasteful but do what you want to do if you can afford it. Like buying a car, I’ve never bought a car because it gave good gas mileage. Everything else came before that. Maybe that’s because I don’t drive 25K miles a year.

jmonroe

In that case I guess I will have to agree with you....might be the first and last time.

So, what you’re saying is, that you don’t want to be right more than once in your life. That’s not being paranoid, that’s being down right dopey.

jmonroe

houdini1

qbrozen said:

bwia said:

Meet the 2021 Genesis GV80. It may not carry the price tag of a Bentley Bentayga but the interior design and sophistication of the GV80 is equal to or surpasses the Bentayga.

Are these your words or those from a published article?

That whole thing is from Car and Driver.

driver100

houdini1 said:

qbrozen said:

bwia said:

Meet the 2021 Genesis GV80. It may not carry the price tag of a Bentley Bentayga but the interior design and sophistication of the GV80 is equal to or surpasses the Bentayga.

Are these your words or those from a published article?

That whole thing is from Car and Driver.

I agree with ab on this phenomenon. Usually reviewers give a new car a very positive write up. Not sure what their motivation is, maybe so they will be at the top of the list when another new model comes out, maybe to secure their ability to get new models to test, maybe they want new launches to be successful. Maybe there is an initial thrill factor of trying out a new model. I have heard positive reviews for new cars going back to the 60s, and I always take them with a bit of skepticism.

qbrozen

houdini1 said:

qbrozen said:

bwia said:

Meet the 2021 Genesis GV80. It may not carry the price tag of a Bentley Bentayga but the interior design and sophistication of the GV80 is equal to or surpasses the Bentayga.

Are these your words or those from a published article?

That whole thing is from Car and Driver.

Just making sure because you put quotes on the 2nd post, but not the first. I was going to ask you when you drove a Bentayga.

Sandman6472

The regular Encore is the smaller version, the Encore GX is new for 2020 and is a bit longer at 172". I drove the regular Encore about 2 months ago and was underwhelmed as I went in to try the GX model. Looking back, should've driven the GX while I was there just to see how differently it drove. As it turns out, decided to just fix the current VW Golf and keep it for another year. Turns out within 10 days, it needed a new battery, the axle boot repair and a new tire due to a screw in it which was un-repairable. I always get the road hazard policy when I buy new tires as things well, things just happen. I took it in for what I thought was a nail in the drivers rear but turned out, the screw was in the passengers rear. Cost me $48 and I was back on the road with a new Goodyear GT tire. The other three are just over a year old and show no wear, very happy with my first time buying Goodyear tires. Went in wanting the Assurance tire but the sales guy also drove a VW Golf, a GTI, and said he had them and I should give 'em a shot. The rebate was the same, $160 in gift cards, so took his advice and am very pleased.
The new VW's I'm interested in won't be out till sometime in 2021 so decided to just fix the current Golf and wait. Since my driving is now down to less than 5K per year, just made sense to fix her and soldier on. With just over 65K on the clock, makes no sense to get a brand new vehicle right now. Not much excites me and not much in the size I need to have, under 174" due to limited parking in our two car garage.

carnaught

@abacomike, sorry to hear about your son’s headaches. There is a syndrome of that for those who have had a history high dose radiation. Hoping it turns out the best possible scenario - sending positive thoughts and prayers your way.

ab348

Sandman6472 said:

The regular Encore is the smaller version, the Encore GX is new for 2020 and is a bit longer at 172". I drove the regular Encore about 2 months ago and was underwhelmed as I went in to try the GX model.

Just back from driving it for a bit and I have to say it is pretty decent. I don't have any experience with its competitors so I have nothing to compare it with but I'm surprised by this thing. The little turbo 3-cylinder is a strange choice but it moves it quite well without a whole lot of drama. It has the typical GM quick throttle tip-in which makes it quick off the line but even without that it moves well, handles decently for what it is and is smooth, quiet and comfortable. I read a C&D review of it that criticized it for too many plasticky pieces in the interior - something that seems to be a requirement for all auto reviewers to state when dealing with a GM car - and I frankly do not see that at all. The seats (cloth in this one) are quite comfy too. I don't know how well it competes with the others in the category but given you usually get deals on GM products I suspect it probably is pretty comparable.

mjfloyd1

@abacomike - Hoping for a good report for your son

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

snakeweasel said:

Question for those who care. I finally got the Sebring into the mechanic who said it would be $825 to fix it up. This includes replacing the part that's leaking, replacing the thermostat, flushing the system and replacing the battery as they said testing it it was not fully holding the charge (it's around 5 years old or so). Add to this the fact that I have to renew the registration by the end of the month which is going to be about $145, Thank you governor [non permissible content removed] so we are looking at nearly a grand to get back on the road.

On the other hand I have an offer of $400 for it as is.

So its a 13 year old Chrysler with 143K miles and some issues and I am thinking of cutting my losses and taking the $400, but it could last a few more years and with winter coming soon it would still be a good beater car for the snow and stuff that's coming.

What say all of you?

Well, the Sonata is old enough to take over winter beater duty and the prime function of the Sebring doesn’t work and can be taken over by your other convertible I’d say send it down the road. Getting 143k out of a Chrysler is a cause for celebration.

Yeah what you said. Any Chrysler that has 143K miles on it has been on borrowed time for 142K miles.

jmonroe

I wouldn’t go that far but my personal experience tells me a domestic car is iffy after 130k. A lot of things can alter that, rust for instance, in my area can end an otherwise road worthy vehicle.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

Just spoke with my son who lives in the Coachella Valley in the Palm Springs area of California. My grandson told me that my son was suffering from migraines the past few weeks when I called him last week.

As you all know, he had an inoperable malignant brain tumor in the rear of his cerebrum about 5-6 years ago. He underwent proton radiation at Loma Linda Medical Center near Riverside and after 6-8 months of heavy doses, the tumor disappeared.

When we spoke today, he was very guarded about discussing his health with me. He said he doesn’t want people to feel sorry for him or pity him. He had tests done and said he is waiting for results.

All I can say at this time is that I am very scared that the cancer has returned. I hope he levels with me when he gets the results. If it is cancer, I will fly out there immediately. I am praying that God will watch over him and see to it that he is well. 😔

Not knowing is the worst part. Hope the news is good.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

The complete story about the Nissan Leaf is here...plus a 2 minute video. And he did try a few dealers and some indie garages.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nissan-leaf-electric-vehicle-new-battery-1.5769998

Seems like Nissan can’t be bothered standing behind their product. Parts wearing out prematurely is understandable but telling a customer that he’s just out of luck boggles the mind.

No wonder they’re going bankrupt.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

The complete story about the Nissan Leaf is here...plus a 2 minute video. And he did try a few dealers and some indie garages.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nissan-leaf-electric-vehicle-new-battery-1.5769998

Seems like Nissan can’t be bothered standing behind their product. Parts wearing out prematurely is understandable but telling a customer that he’s just out of luck boggles the mind.

No wonder they’re going bankrupt.

It would be really difficult for me to buy any product from a company that has poor customer service or support. If they sell a product they should have a way to fix it at a reasonable cost.

stickguy

I hope your Mercedes doesn't have airmatic suspension. That falls into that category of something that fails often and costs a ton to fix, in a system that should not be nearly that complicated.

roadburner

28firefighter said:

Or check the secondary market and shops and don’t rely on the dealer for everything.

If all someone knows how to do is to walk into a dealer's service department, hand them their credit card, drop their pants and grab their ankles, I don't feel especially sorry for them. I know nothing about the Leaf, but the i3 utilizes multiple battery cells- and one or more can be replaced it they go bad.
A lot also depends on the dealer. As an example, some E39 radiators had a plastic vent hose elbow that snapped into the top of the left side tank. BMW didn't sell the fitting separately, so if it started to leak many dealers replaced the radiator. It turned out Mercedes used the identical plastic fitting and sold it as an individual part. Smart dealers and indie shops used the Mercedes part to fix the issue, gaining them some goodwill from their customers.

driver100

stickguy said:

I hope your Mercedes doesn't have airmatic suspension. That falls into that category of something that fails often and costs a ton to fix, in a system that should not be nearly that complicated.

No airmatic but lots of other things that could be costly if they break down. When costly things start to go the car gets dumped. Cars are becoming like TVs, no sense repairing them if something major goes depending on the value of the car.

snakeweasel

The saga continues, We decided we needed more time to think about the Sebring and went to pick it up and get it home. Got the keys went to the car turned the key and nothing, not even the click, click, click associated with a super low battery. They were able to get it going and I was able to get it home. The check engine light was on as well as the electronic throttle control light. It is now sitting in the driveway getting no power from the battery.

Looks like I'm going to be $400 richer and shy one car.

abacomike

snakeweasel said:

The saga continues, We decided we needed more time to think about the Sebring and went to pick it up and get it home. Got the keys went to the car turned the key and nothing, not even the click, click, click associated with a super low battery. They were able to get it going and I was able to get it home. The check engine light was on as well as the electronic throttle control light. It is now sitting in the driveway getting no power from the battery.

Looks like I'm going to be $400 richer and shy one car.

If you asked for my opinion NOW, I would not waste energy on flipping that coin, Snake. Just get rid of it before your driveway turns orangey from rust or oily from leaks! 😜🤓

You might even donate it to the local VocEd school or High School mechanics department - that’s if they’d accept your “gift”!

graphicguy

Have drifted in an out here for a little bit. Haven’t caught up on the pages I missed. But, wanted to give a hearty thanks to you guys for reaching out to me via IM. Truly appreciate it.

I’m not one to whine, but over the past month, have had two more retinal detachments (3 counting the original). BP crashed during one surgery (84 over 56) which caused a highly unusual trip to the “big hospital” for a night’s stay so they could pump me full of fluids to get the BP back up. They won’t say the cause, but I suspect it was an over aggressive anesthesiologist. 3rd detachment happened less than a week after the 2nd one. Have gone to 2 other retinal surgeons for 2nd and 3rd opinions. All say there is no precedent for 3 retinal detachments in the same eye.

Being mostly face down during the day, and sleeping (really can’t call it that) nose pointing to floor while sleeping for the last 4 weeks has left my shoulders and neck sore, and a bit mentally flaky and delusional given the constant prone position. Pressure build up from having first, gas put in my eye to hold the retina in place, and next, oil being the more durable retina placeholder, pressure got very high with the surgeries. So, they had to relieve the pressure by literally sticking needles in my eye. Not fun.

Obvious questions...yes, I can get up for the necessary bathroom breaks and am able to eat, but with my face facing down at my food.

This week I’ve been able to sleep on my side and sit up. That’s a huge relief. Face is swollen. Rainbow colored eye is starting to heal. Both are getting better, though.

End result, I’m now legally blind. That’s defined as one eye being 20/1000 uncorrected. The amount of sight out of the eye will probably be limited to differentiating between light and dark, so no amount of prescription will bring back that sight. I’ve made my peace with that given my “good eye” is 20/25.

Have used the iPhone’s/iPad’s quite accurate voice recognition to communicate with those who texted and called, as well as for IMs and brief posts here.

My car courier business has been tended to by a couple of friends. Good news/bad news, I haven’t missed any transports as business slowed way down at the beginning of Oct. Bad news is I may not be able to continue it if I can’t get a restricted driver’s license while using one good eye (which believer it or not, is possible).

Thanks for those here who stepped up and IMd me about helping me with the transports. Still may take you up on your offers. Trying to plot a course forward at this point. The plan is....I had no plan.....that took this into account.

Again, thanks for being patient with me and offering kind words and offers of help. Y’all are some great people.

abacomike

stickguy said:

I hope your Mercedes doesn't have airmatic suspension. That falls into that category of something that fails often and costs a ton to fix, in a system that should not be nearly that complicated.

I had Airmatic on the S450 and liked the feature. BUT, you are correct in that when, not if, it goes the financial consequences would be horrific if out of warranty. I don’t have it on the E450 but I must admit that I miss that feature in terms of ride!

tjc78

@graphicguy
So sorry to hear of this ordeal. I just can't imagine what you are going through. Hang in there, your Edmunds family is pulling for you.

abacomike

graphicguy said:

Have drifted in an out here for a little bit. Haven’t caught up on the pages I missed. But, wanted to give a hearty thanks to you guys for reaching out to me via IM. Truly appreciate it.

I’m not one to whine, but over the past month, have had two more retinal detachments (3 counting the original). BP crashed during one surgery (84 over 56) which caused a highly unusual trip to the “big hospital” for a night’s stay so they could pump me full of fluids to get the BP back up. They won’t say the cause, but I suspect it was an over aggressive anesthesiologist. 3rd detachment happened less than a week after the 2nd one. Have gone to 2 other retinal surgeons for 2nd and 3rd opinions. All say there is no precedent for 3 retinal detachments in the same eye.

Being mostly face down during the day, and sleeping (really can’t call it that) nose pointing to floor while sleeping for the last 4 weeks has left my shoulders and neck sore, and a bit mentally flaky and delusional given the constant prone position. Pressure build up from having first, gas put in my eye to hold the retina in place, and next, oil being the more durable retina placeholder, pressure got very high with the surgeries. So, they had to relieve the pressure by literally sticking needles in my eye. Not fun.

Obvious questions...yes, I can get up for the necessary bathroom breaks and am able to eat, but with my face facing down at my food.

This week I’ve been able to sleep on my side and sit up. That’s a huge relief. Face is swollen. Rainbow colored eye is starting to heal. Both are getting better, though.

End result, I’m now legally blind. That’s defined as one eye being 20/1000 uncorrected. The amount of sight out of the eye will probably be limited to differentiating between light and dark, so no amount of prescription will bring back that sight. I’ve made my peace with that given my “good eye” is 20/25.

Have used the iPhone’s/iPad’s quite accurate voice recognition to communicate with those who texted and called, as well as for IMs and brief posts here.

My car courier business has been tended to by a couple of friends. Good news/bad news, I haven’t missed any transports as business slowed way down at the beginning of Oct. Bad news is I may not be able to continue it if I can’t get a restricted driver’s license while using one good eye (which believer it or not, is possible).

Thanks for those here who stepped up and IMd me about helping me with the transports. Still may take you up on your offers. Trying to plot a course forward at this point. The plan is....I had no plan.....that took this into account.

Again, thanks for being patient with me and offering kind words and offers of help. Y’all are some great people.

I feel so very, very bad for you GG. My prayers for you went unanswered, sorry to say. You have one good eye now which needs to be taken good care of.

If there is anything I could do to help, give me a shout. Even if you need a warm vacation this winter - I have a large bedroom that is vacant most of the time. God’s speed, GG!

snakeweasel

graphicguy said:

My car courier business has been tended to by a couple of friends. Good news/bad news, I haven’t missed any transports as business slowed way down at the beginning of Oct. Bad news is I may not be able to continue it if I can’t get a restricted driver’s license while using one good eye (which believer it or not, is possible).

My father was legally blind in one eye which 4F'd him 3 times during WWII. He had no issues getting unrestricted drivers licenses.

tjc78

abacomike said:

stickguy said:

I hope your Mercedes doesn't have airmatic suspension. That falls into that category of something that fails often and costs a ton to fix, in a system that should not be nearly that complicated.

I had Airmatic on the S450 and liked the feature. BUT, you are correct in that when, not if, it goes the financial consequences would be horrific if out of warranty. I don’t have it on the E450 but I must admit that I miss that feature in terms of ride!

My 2004 Grand Marquis had air ride. Luckily it never went. It's not nearly as complex as the MB system but still pricey.

stickguy

tjc78 said:

@graphicguy
So sorry to hear of this ordeal. I just can't imagine what you are going through. Hang in there, your Edmunds family is pulling for you.

same. Not much you can do but take it day to day and hope it finally gets resolved.

stickguy

abacomike said:

stickguy said:

I hope your Mercedes doesn't have airmatic suspension. That falls into that category of something that fails often and costs a ton to fix, in a system that should not be nearly that complicated.

I had Airmatic on the S450 and liked the feature. BUT, you are correct in that when, not if, it goes the financial consequences would be horrific if out of warranty. I don’t have it on the E450 but I must admit that I miss that feature in terms of ride!

the Car Wizard did a couple of videos related to aging MBs with air suspension. One was showing a kit he put on a CL (2005ish maybe?) that replaced the air with normal struts. Still pricey, but much less than new air units.

stickguy

tjc78 said:

abacomike said:

stickguy said:

I hope your Mercedes doesn't have airmatic suspension. That falls into that category of something that fails often and costs a ton to fix, in a system that should not be nearly that complicated.

I had Airmatic on the S450 and liked the feature. BUT, you are correct in that when, not if, it goes the financial consequences would be horrific if out of warranty. I don’t have it on the E450 but I must admit that I miss that feature in terms of ride!

My 2004 Grand Marquis had air ride. Luckily it never went. It's not nearly as complex as the MB system but still pricey.

I thought that everyone just through on normal shocks/springs in the back when that went? It was just rear, right?

dad23

@graphicguy
Not the news we were hoping for, this just sucks! Hopefully things will improve...

28firefighter

So sorry to hear @graphicguy. That’s a brutal experience. Hang in there.

tjc78

Yes, just rear. It depends. If you ignored the bags leaking and blew out the compressor than yes probably better to just coil swap it. If you are proactive and replace the bags when they start leaking (you can tell) then it's not too bad to do it right.

roadburner

graphicguy said:

Have drifted in an out here for a little bit. Haven’t caught up on the pages I missed. But, wanted to give a hearty thanks to you guys for reaching out to me via IM. Truly appreciate it.

I’m not one to whine, but over the past month, have had two more retinal detachments (3 counting the original). BP crashed during one surgery (84 over 56) which caused a highly unusual trip to the “big hospital” for a night’s stay so they could pump me full of fluids to get the BP back up. They won’t say the cause, but I suspect it was an over aggressive anesthesiologist. 3rd detachment happened less than a week after the 2nd one. Have gone to 2 other retinal surgeons for 2nd and 3rd opinions. All say there is no precedent for 3 retinal detachments in the same eye.

Being mostly face down during the day, and sleeping (really can’t call it that) nose pointing to floor while sleeping for the last 4 weeks has left my shoulders and neck sore, and a bit mentally flaky and delusional given the constant prone position. Pressure build up from having first, gas put in my eye to hold the retina in place, and next, oil being the more durable retina placeholder, pressure got very high with the surgeries. So, they had to relieve the pressure by literally sticking needles in my eye. Not fun.

Obvious questions...yes, I can get up for the necessary bathroom breaks and am able to eat, but with my face facing down at my food.

This week I’ve been able to sleep on my side and sit up. That’s a huge relief. Face is swollen. Rainbow colored eye is starting to heal. Both are getting better, though.

End result, I’m now legally blind. That’s defined as one eye being 20/1000 uncorrected. The amount of sight out of the eye will probably be limited to differentiating between light and dark, so no amount of prescription will bring back that sight. I’ve made my peace with that given my “good eye” is 20/25.

Have used the iPhone’s/iPad’s quite accurate voice recognition to communicate with those who texted and called, as well as for IMs and brief posts here.

My car courier business has been tended to by a couple of friends. Good news/bad news, I haven’t missed any transports as business slowed way down at the beginning of Oct. Bad news is I may not be able to continue it if I can’t get a restricted driver’s license while using one good eye (which believer it or not, is possible).

Thanks for those here who stepped up and IMd me about helping me with the transports. Still may take you up on your offers. Trying to plot a course forward at this point. The plan is....I had no plan.....that took this into account.

Again, thanks for being patient with me and offering kind words and offers of help. Y’all are some great people.

So sorry to hear about that. We are still in your corner.

qbrozen

@graphicguy. Damn, i'm so sorry to hear that. I gotta wonder what the point of all the suffering is if you'll never get the sight back. Did they hope it could be fixed better?

But, I'm glad to hear you are thankful for the one eye. That is the better outlook to keep in mind.

ab348

Sorry to hear this news GG. I know all about the BP crash thing as that has happened to me a few times, one time I was within minutes or even seconds of being dead in fact. Any recourse possible? A big bag of cash won't bring back your vision on that side but might make it easier to take.

fintail

I think the newer cars hold up fine, but older airmatic/ABC has left a generation of S-class as virtually unwanted - they will be very rare in another 20 years.

stickguy said:

I hope your Mercedes doesn't have airmatic suspension. That falls into that category of something that fails often and costs a ton to fix, in a system that should not be nearly that complicated.

stickguy

oh yeah, ABC is the right term.