Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

@jmonroe1 said:

@tjc78 said:

@oldfarmer50 said:

I just heard about a rash of Kia and Hyundai Elantra thefts sparked by a TicToc video showing how to steal them with a cell phone charging cord. Kia from 2011-21 and Elantra’s made after 2016 are most susceptible.

The only remedy is to buy a steering wheel lock according to police. Kia and Hyundai basically say tough luck.

Anyone else heard this?

Yeah I saw the article. I thought I heard that H/K had a software fix for the glitch.

Steering wheel locks don’t work, they just cut the steering wheel with bolt cutters in 3 seconds.

————————————————-

Not to argue but those bolt cutters must have 4 foot handles. However, thieves will always find a way.

jmonroe

A hacksaw can cut through most steering wheels rather quickly.

It's hard to drive though if you hack through the steering wheel!

No not really. Steering wheels are rather stiff and as long as you don't push hard near the part that you cut you should be fine.

You have to make 2 cuts a couple inches apart though. That takes time; too much time; they work as a deterrent. They'll choose the car that doesn't take extra time.

Nope just one cut, steering wheels have some give so one cut then apply some pressure on the wheel near the cut and slid the mechanism off.

ab348

snakeweasel said:

So driver how is this new gig of yours?

It must be one heckuva gig if a spray can fix THAT.

carnaught

That new paint is mainly to “heal” scratches not dents.

andres3

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

@jmonroe1 said:

@tjc78 said:

@oldfarmer50 said:

I just heard about a rash of Kia and Hyundai Elantra thefts sparked by a TicToc video showing how to steal them with a cell phone charging cord. Kia from 2011-21 and Elantra’s made after 2016 are most susceptible.

The only remedy is to buy a steering wheel lock according to police. Kia and Hyundai basically say tough luck.

Anyone else heard this?

Yeah I saw the article. I thought I heard that H/K had a software fix for the glitch.

Steering wheel locks don’t work, they just cut the steering wheel with bolt cutters in 3 seconds.

————————————————-

Not to argue but those bolt cutters must have 4 foot handles. However, thieves will always find a way.

jmonroe

A hacksaw can cut through most steering wheels rather quickly.

It's hard to drive though if you hack through the steering wheel!

No not really. Steering wheels are rather stiff and as long as you don't push hard near the part that you cut you should be fine.

You have to make 2 cuts a couple inches apart though. That takes time; too much time; they work as a deterrent. They'll choose the car that doesn't take extra time.

Nope just one cut, steering wheels have some give so one cut then apply some pressure on the wheel near the cut and slid the mechanism off.

There are "twin hook" steering wheel locks where I don't think your method will work.

oldfarmer50

This makes me sad.

https://albany.craigslist.org/ctd/d/east-greenbush-mitsubishi-mirage/7519795933.html

In 2015 when I bought my Mustang the nearby dealer was selling these for under $10,000 new. Now one with almost 100k miles still commands 3/4 of the new price.

And with body damage to boot.😩

dino001

This is a swan song of used car price bubble. Two-three months and it will be finally over. So far the process is just starting, repossessions increasing, but defaults are just starting, number of "no sales" at auctions growing, but it takes time. So far the banks are playing chicken with each other, nobody wants to swerve and lower the reserves. Auction lots are filling up, but just wait a little more. Too many newbies are still putting silly bids and too many got used to sit on unsold inventory cause cars didn't depreciate. It has to flush out, just like silly real estate market in mid 2000's took couple of years to really crash from the appearance of first cracks.

oldfarmer50

dino001 said:

This is a swan song of used car price bubble. Two-three months and it will be finally over.

I sure hope you’re right.

abacomike

@henryn said:
I have been known to remark to people observed parking in a handicapped spot without a handicapped tag or plates, and who obviously aren't handicapped, "That's funny, you don't look handicapped to me."

Usual result is a glare. One of these days I'll probably get shot, but that's how it goes.

I get very frustrated when I try to find a handicap parking space and I see people park in one with a placard hanging from the mirror and walk quickly into the supermarket with no limp, no cane, no walker, etc. I realize that serious heart conditions are a handicap but these people sure look and ambulate quite well.

I can’t walk more than 20 or so steps without a walker. I will be this way for the rest of my life, if not in a wheelchair in a few years. If I can’t find a handicap spot, I have to leave without shopping. I sure wish things were different but it’s out of my hands.

carnaught

@abacomike, what you describe is courtesy of the not really privileged but think they are.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

A new coating can self-heal scratches in as little as half an hour of sunlight exposure
Finding a scratch on your car is a special kind of heartbreak, but in the future they might be gone before you even notice. Scientists in Korea have developed a coating that self-heals scratches in as little as 30 minutes when exposed to sunlight.
The new coating contains a polymer network based on acryl polyol, with what’s called a hindered urea structure. Essentially, the polymers have dynamic chemical bonds that can break apart in response to a stimulus and then reform in their original arrangement, effectively repairing minor damage like scratches. In this case the trigger is heat, which is provided by an organic photothermal dye that captures infrared light, also embedded in the coating.
In tests on a model car, the team showed that the coating healed scratches in 30 minutes of midday sunlight. In theory, that means someone could key your car door and the scratch could be gone before you come back.
If half an hour is too long, the team also demonstrated that the process can be drastically sped up under concentrated light. Using a magnifying glass to focus sunlight onto the mark patched it up in under 30 seconds.
Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT)
The team says the new coating has a few advantages over existing self-healing coatings. Using organic photothermal dyes means it needs far less energy to work than regular inorganic versions, which usually require heat guns or concentrated UV lights. Others, like Nissan’s Scratch Shield, work under gentler conditions but can take up to a week. The new coating can also repair a scratch in the same location multiple times, unlike self-healing materials that work using bursting capsules of resin.
Importantly, the new coating is transparent, so it won’t mess with the color of the paint job, and can be applied using existing spray-coating methods. While cars are the primary use case, the team says it could also be applied to other often-scratched devices like phones or building materials.
The research was published in the journal ACS Applied Polymer Materials. The team demonstrates the self-healing coating in the video below.
Self-healing of model car coated with developed clearcoat when exposed to focused sunlight
Source: Eurekalert

So driver how is this new gig of yours?

Sales are a bit slow, thought with all the accidents around here I could drum up some business. 10% commission!

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

@jmonroe1 said:

@tjc78 said:

@oldfarmer50 said:

I just heard about a rash of Kia and Hyundai Elantra thefts sparked by a TicToc video showing how to steal them with a cell phone charging cord. Kia from 2011-21 and Elantra’s made after 2016 are most susceptible.

The only remedy is to buy a steering wheel lock according to police. Kia and Hyundai basically say tough luck.

Anyone else heard this?

Yeah I saw the article. I thought I heard that H/K had a software fix for the glitch.

Steering wheel locks don’t work, they just cut the steering wheel with bolt cutters in 3 seconds.

————————————————-

Not to argue but those bolt cutters must have 4 foot handles. However, thieves will always find a way.

jmonroe

A hacksaw can cut through most steering wheels rather quickly.

It's hard to drive though if you hack through the steering wheel!

No not really. Steering wheels are rather stiff and as long as you don't push hard near the part that you cut you should be fine.

You have to make 2 cuts a couple inches apart though. That takes time; too much time; they work as a deterrent. They'll choose the car that doesn't take extra time.

Nope just one cut, steering wheels have some give so one cut then apply some pressure on the wheel near the cut and slid the mechanism off.

There are "twin hook" steering wheel locks where I don't think your method will work.

You still only have to defeat one of those two hooks. Once that's done the second hook is meaningless so that method will work.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

This makes me sad.

https://albany.craigslist.org/ctd/d/east-greenbush-mitsubishi-mirage/7519795933.html

In 2015 when I bought my Mustang the nearby dealer was selling these for under $10,000 new. Now one with almost 100k miles still commands 3/4 of the new price.

And with body damage to boot.😩

That can be easily fixed. Have you heard of my new product; A new coating that can self-heal scratches in as little as half an hour of sunlight exposure

henryn

abacomike said:

@henryn said:

I have been known to remark to people observed parking in a handicapped spot without a handicapped tag or plates, and who obviously aren't handicapped, "That's funny, you don't look handicapped to me."

Usual result is a glare. One of these days I'll probably get shot, but that's how it goes.

I get very frustrated when I try to find a handicap parking space and I see people park in one with a placard hanging from the mirror and walk quickly into the supermarket with no limp, no cane, no walker, etc. I realize that serious heart conditions are a handicap but these people sure look and ambulate quite well.

I can’t walk more than 20 or so steps without a walker. I will be this way for the rest of my life, if not in a wheelchair in a few years. If I can’t find a handicap spot, I have to leave without shopping. I sure wish things were different but it’s out of my hands.

===========================end quoted material===========================
I never say anything if they have a placard, but I definitely wonder about them. The world is full of people who think their convenience is the only thing that matters.

No, I shouldn't say that. There are some like that, but there are also a lot of good people in this world.

kyfdx

oldfarmer50 said:

dino001 said:

This is a swan song of used car price bubble. Two-three months and it will be finally over.

I sure hope you’re right.

The UCM at the Toyota dealer thinks the same...

abacomike

@driver100 said:
That can be easily fixed. Have you heard of my new product; A new coating that can self-heal scratches in as little as half an hour of sunlight exposure

Too bad you don’t have a product that works on human beings - I have a few scratches I would love to see disappear! 🤪😜

ab348

More updates on my attempt to file a routine police report after getting run into on Tuesday. You can't make this stuff up.

This morning I got an email from the local gendarmes that the report I filed online yesterday was stamped REJECTED. I wasn't really surprised but they did not provide any reason why it was deemed so. However they said I could file one by email (that sounds familiar) and provided an email address I had not ever seen previously anywhere on their site. They did not say anything about what to include or not include, just the email address.

I'm game, so I take the copy of the rejected report I had shrewdly printed out yesterday and recomposed it into an email, very structured, just-the-facts-ma'am in tone, and attached a picture of the damage. After I had sent it off I received another reply. They sent a boilerplate about what their requirements are which include scans or photos of your drivers license, registration, and insurance card. Then in capital letters they say not to send pics of any damage. Of course none of this information was included anywhere previously nor is it offered on their website. So I'm 0-for-4 on that one.

All right, I can play this game. I scan my vehicle registration, take pics of my license and insurance card and send them back with a short note indicating they are part of what I sent earlier. A few minutes go by and I get a phone call. A lady from the department has received my messages and tells me that because my incident occurred on the side of the toll gates that were technically on the bridge itself and not on city property as they would have been had I gone through, they do not have jurisdiction. I need to do the whole report thing with the Bridge Police. Hoo boy.

She gives me a number and I call. I get a very cheery and chatty fellow and explain my situation. He says I have to do it in person at their office (that's fine as they are close by) but that today wouldn't be good because they have some staff shortages. Tomorrow morning would be good though, he says.

Stay tuned for the next chapter.

carnaught

@ab348, if I were you I would copy and paste your narrative on a note app. or Word document for later reference when you are asked to do it again. Then you can copy and paste and edit.
(I don’t know but maybe you already have saved your description and done this.)

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

This makes me sad.

https://albany.craigslist.org/ctd/d/east-greenbush-mitsubishi-mirage/7519795933.html

In 2015 when I bought my Mustang the nearby dealer was selling these for under $10,000 new. Now one with almost 100k miles still commands 3/4 of the new price.

And with body damage to boot.😩

That can be easily fixed. Have

abacomike said:

@driver100 said:

That can be easily fixed. Have you heard of my new product; A new coating that can self-heal scratches in as little as half an hour of sunlight exposure

Too bad you don’t have a product that works on human beings - I have a few scratches I would love to see disappear! 🤪😜

I haven't tried it on humans yet, but that might open some new doors. I hear they use Crazy Glue for stitching up humans. Maybe I'll take a bath in some and see what happens! We'll ship you a package, just $89.99 plus shipping

driver100

ab348 said:

More updates on my attempt to file a routine police report after getting run into on Tuesday. You can't make this stuff up.


Stay tuned for the next chapter.

This sounds like a Seinfeld episode I once saw.........

stickguy

Saw the biggest gap I can ever recall on gas prices when I stopped at citgo today.

RUG - $3.87
MID - $4.99
PUG - $5.19

$1.22 to go just to plus? That wasn’t happening.

Diesel dropped a lot though. That was down to $4.89!

Michaell

stickguy said:

Saw the biggest gap I can ever recall on gas prices when I stopped at citgo today.

RUG - $3.87
MID - $4.99
PUG - $5.19

$1.22 to go just to plus? That wasn’t happening.

Diesel dropped a lot though. That was down to $4.89!

When I see you post, I have to remember that you're in upstate NY, not NJ anymore.

explorerx4

PUG could be left over from a previous high price delivery.
Posting from OH. Internet is working.

jmonroe1

@ab348 said:
More updates on my attempt to file a routine police report after getting run into on Tuesday. You can't make this stuff up.

This morning I got an email from the local gendarmes that the report I filed online yesterday was stamped REJECTED. I wasn't really surprised but they did not provide any reason why it was deemed so. However they said I could file one by email (that sounds familiar) and provided an email address I had not ever seen previously anywhere on their site. They did not say anything about what to include or not include, just the email address.

I'm game, so I take the copy of the rejected report I had shrewdly printed out yesterday and recomposed it into an email, very structured, just-the-facts-ma'am in tone, and attached a picture of the damage. After I had sent it off I received another reply. They sent a boilerplate about what their requirements are which include scans or photos of your drivers license, registration, and insurance card. Then in capital letters they say not to send pics of any damage. Of course none of this information was included anywhere previously nor is it offered on their website. So I'm 0-for-4 on that one.

All right, I can play this game. I scan my vehicle registration, take pics of my license and insurance card and send them back with a short note indicating they are part of what I sent earlier. A few minutes go by and I get a phone call. A lady from the department has received my messages and tells me that because my incident occurred on the side of the toll gates that were technically on the bridge itself and not on city property as they would have been had I gone through, they do not have jurisdiction. I need to do the whole report thing with the Bridge Police. Hoo boy.

She gives me a number and I call. I get a very cheery and chatty fellow and explain my situation. He says I have to do it in person at their office (that's fine as they are close by) but that today wouldn't be good because they have some staff shortages. Tomorrow morning would be good though, he says.

Stay tuned for the next chapter.

——————————————————
“Staff shortages”. That seems to be the going excuse for quite awhile now. But in your case the guy you spoke with knows if won’t be a problem tomorrow. That almost sounds like good news. I wouldn’t get excited quite yet though. When you show up tomorrow there will be another excuse.

BTW, when was the last time you were told, “we have so many folks around here we’re tripping over each other”?

jmonroe

snakeweasel

stickguy said:

Saw the biggest gap I can ever recall on gas prices when I stopped at citgo today.

RUG - $3.87
MID - $4.99
PUG - $5.19

$1.22 to go just to plus? That wasn’t happening.

Diesel dropped a lot though. That was down to $4.89!

Currently by my most used station

RUG - $4.54
MID - $4.94
PUG - $5.44
Diesel - $5.19

explorerx4

After doing moving stuff since last Wednesday, I decided to clean up my wife's 2016 MKC.
Wash and finish with some Adams Quick Detailer. Also Adam's VRT on the tires.

Michaell

How long does OH give you to register the vehicle and get new plates?

explorerx4

@michaell,
Not sure. We are working on getting a driver's license first.
Our old house closed yesterday, so the clock just started.

oldfarmer50

kyfdx said:

oldfarmer50 said:

dino001 said:

This is a swan song of used car price bubble. Two-three months and it will be finally over.

I sure hope you’re right.

The UCM at the Toyota dealer thinks the same...

The guy on YT from Flying Wheels says the same but that it will take some time for dealers to realize that they overpaid for their inventory.

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

More updates on my attempt to file a routine police report after getting run into on Tuesday. You can't make this stuff up.

This morning I got an email from the local gendarmes that the report I filed online yesterday was stamped REJECTED. I wasn't really surprised but they did not provide any reason why it was deemed so. However they said I could file one by email (that sounds familiar) and provided an email address I had not ever seen previously anywhere on their site. They did not say anything about what to include or not include, just the email address.

I'm game, so I take the copy of the rejected report I had shrewdly printed out yesterday and recomposed it into an email, very structured, just-the-facts-ma'am in tone, and attached a picture of the damage. After I had sent it off I received another reply. They sent a boilerplate about what their requirements are which include scans or photos of your drivers license, registration, and insurance card. Then in capital letters they say not to send pics of any damage. Of course none of this information was included anywhere previously nor is it offered on their website. So I'm 0-for-4 on that one.

All right, I can play this game. I scan my vehicle registration, take pics of my license and insurance card and send them back with a short note indicating they are part of what I sent earlier. A few minutes go by and I get a phone call. A lady from the department has received my messages and tells me that because my incident occurred on the side of the toll gates that were technically on the bridge itself and not on city property as they would have been had I gone through, they do not have jurisdiction. I need to do the whole report thing with the Bridge Police. Hoo boy.

She gives me a number and I call. I get a very cheery and chatty fellow and explain my situation. He says I have to do it in person at their office (that's fine as they are close by) but that today wouldn't be good because they have some staff shortages. Tomorrow morning would be good though, he says.

Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Your saga sounds like a good candidate for one of those consumer reports on the nightly news.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Saw the biggest gap I can ever recall on gas prices when I stopped at citgo today.

RUG - $3.87
MID - $4.99
PUG - $5.19

$1.22 to go just to plus? That wasn’t happening.

Diesel dropped a lot though. That was down to $4.89!

Where’s that Citgo, there’s no station of that brand that cheap near me. Cheapest is a station in Ballston Spa for $3.82. Lots of stations with PUG for under $5.

28firefighter

$4.79 for 92 PUG at Costco yesterday for me.

abacomike

@28firefighter said:
$4.79 for 92 PUG at Costco yesterday for me.

$4.15 at my Costco for PUG.

roadburner

93 PUG is $4.19 at the BP and Sunoco stations in my town.

stickguy

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

Saw the biggest gap I can ever recall on gas prices when I stopped at citgo today.

RUG - $3.87
MID - $4.99
PUG - $5.19

$1.22 to go just to plus? That wasn’t happening.

Diesel dropped a lot though. That was down to $4.89!

Where’s that Citgo, there’s no station of that brand that cheap near me. Cheapest is a station in Ballston Spa for $3.82. Lots of stations with PUG for under $5.

Ballston spa. at the Cumberland farms. Prices nearby are all over the place. in a mile or 2 stretch there were some residual $4.30ish stations, and others below $3.90. and for some reason that town seems to be the low spot in the area. I was going by and truck was getting low so took advantage.

explorerx4

The Explorer is liking nice flat Ohio.
Even running the A/C and no interstate, mpg readout is above 25.

ab348

Ford having "catastrophic engine failures" on V6 Broncos. Odd that so far it seems limited to that model as they use the 2.7 on lots of pickups.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a40718619/nhtsa-investigation-ford-bronco-v6

abacomike

@ab348:

Was reading about your trials and tribulations regarding your dent encounter. Sorry you have to go through that - just increases your already stressed body. Hope everything gets resolved for you.

abacomike

@explorerx4 said:
After doing moving stuff since last Wednesday, I decided to clean up my wife's 2016 MKC.
Wash and finish with some Adams Quick Detailer. Also Adam's VRT on the tires.

Looks brand new!

snakeweasel

@ab348 said:
Ford having "catastrophic engine failures" on V6 Broncos. Odd that so far it seems limited to that model as they use the 2.7 on lots of pickups.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a40718619/nhtsa-investigation-ford-bronco-v6

I think the 3.3 V6 is far more prominent on the F 150's than the 2.7.

qbrozen

But the point stands that the 2.7 isn't new.

Gotta wonder what they may have changed, if anything, when putting it in the Bronco.

dino001

$3.48/$3.94 at my local Costco.

explorerx4

The issue with the 2.7's in the Bronco was a bad part. It was resolved at the manufacturing level early in 2022. If I remember the story correctly, a batch of engines were dedicated to the Bronco. They just happened to have the bad part. 2.7's are the most common engines the F150.

graphicguy

https://www.gasbuddy.com/station/154168

tjc78

ab348

Still no resolution on the accident report saga. I went to the Bridge offices twice. The first time I couldn't even figure how to get into their parking lot. A bunch of "Do Not Enter" signs and no signage as to how to get to an entrance. There is a second bridge with another building (not the one where the accident happened) so I thought I'd swing by there but that location has no obvious signage about any offices at all. I went home, did some Googling and saw that the entrance I'd been looking for was a block away on a back dead-end street. Went back after lunch and at first couldn't get into the building as it is locked up tight, but eventually a buzzer opened the door for me. I got into a small area with a guard behind glass - all this place does is run speed traps and respond to incidents on the bridge but I guess they figure they can't be too careful these days. Explained why I was there and the guard tried sending me to the other bridge but I said the guy I spoke to said it could be done in either place and I figured this one would be best since it happened right outside the door I came in through. Turned out he had no idea so he took my contact info and said someone would call.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

Saw the biggest gap I can ever recall on gas prices when I stopped at citgo today.

RUG - $3.87
MID - $4.99
PUG - $5.19

$1.22 to go just to plus? That wasn’t happening.

Diesel dropped a lot though. That was down to $4.89!

Where’s that Citgo, there’s no station of that brand that cheap near me. Cheapest is a station in Ballston Spa for $3.82. Lots of stations with PUG for under $5.

Ballston spa. at the Cumberland farms. Prices nearby are all over the place. in a mile or 2 stretch there were some residual $4.30ish stations, and others below $3.90. and for some reason that town seems to be the low spot in the area. I was going by and truck was getting low so took advantage.

Smart move. Yes Ballston Spa must be near a pipeline terminal or something because they usually have the cheapest gas.

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

It was probably cheaper than tearing the dash out to get to the evaporator.

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

Still no resolution on the accident report saga. I went to the Bridge offices twice. The first time I couldn't even figure how to get into their parking lot. A bunch of "Do Not Enter" signs and no signage as to how to get to an entrance. There is a second bridge with another building (not the one where the accident happened) so I thought I'd swing by there but that location has no obvious signage about any offices at all. I went home, did some Googling and saw that the entrance I'd been looking for was a block away on a back dead-end street. Went back after lunch and at first couldn't get into the building as it is locked up tight, but eventually a buzzer opened the door for me. I got into a small area with a guard behind glass - all this place does is run speed traps and respond to incidents on the bridge but I guess they figure they can't be too careful these days. Explained why I was there and the guard tried sending me to the other bridge but I said the guy I spoke to said it could be done in either place and I figured this one would be best since it happened right outside the door I came in through. Turned out he had no idea so he took my contact info and said someone would call.

As a former government worker yourself couldn’t you give him the secret handshake or something to get better service? The last time I ran into that kind of bureaucratic inertia was when I tried to file for unemployment during the pandemic. 300 calls, dozens of emails and a letter to the commissioner before I got ahold of a person.

sda

I remember the evaporator leaking on dad's 85 Grand Marquis. He drove it for at least 5 years without a/c.

snakeweasel

qbrozen said:

But the point stands that the 2.7 isn't new.

Gotta wonder what they may have changed, if anything, when putting it in the Bronco.

But my point is that you are going to see it more where it is used more, If the Bronco uses a lot of the 2.7 and the F 150 uses it rarely then it's going to be far, far more visible in the Bronco.