Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

@Michaell - if for whatever reason, you are free for dinner, John's Pizza is one of my favorite places.  It's just a few blocks from Times Square.  If however, "the corporation" is picking up your dinner tab, I highly suggest "The Old Homestead."  It is a steakhouse on W18th Street & 9th Ave.

I don't have an itinerary set up yet, though I think I'll fly into NYC on Sunday to attend class on Monday. Fly to D.C. From NYC on Monday evening.

But, I need to wait for confirmation that the class in NYC is going to be held.

corvette

coldinohio said:

talking of 'maintenance', dealer wants to do throttle body and fuel rail/injector cleaning on 2014 audi a4 with 36K .... seems like not needed-- thoughts

If it's a direct injection engine, you may need the valves cleaned if it starts running rough, as qbrozen noted. I've heard of the issue not cropping up until 75,000 miles or more. Based on what I read when I owned one, it doesn't appear to be related to fuel quality and is simply due to design issues with the 2.0T.

sandman_6472 said:

Did the brake fluid change in the Civic at the 36K mark, mechanic recommended it and plan to do the same with the Golf at this point. Right now, car tells me that I'm 800 miles away from the next service, 30K, so need to schedule it around the middle of April.

Sandy, if you prepaid for 20k and 30k services on your VW, I believe it would have included a brake flush. If it hasn't been done, ask for it at the 30k service. If it has been done, you're probably not due again for 2-3 years from the time it was done.

roadburner

coldinohio said:

talking of 'maintenance', dealer wants to do throttle body and fuel rail/injector cleaning on 2014 audi a4 with 36K .... seems like not needed-- thoughts

Not needed at that mileage- especially if Top Tier fuel has been used. In another 35-40k the valves may require mechanical cleaning(walnut blasting).

kyfdx

Regarding previous conversation:

Mailed US passport renewal application on 03/03. Received new passport, today, 03/20.

That's pretty darn good!

xwesx

kyfdx said:

Regarding previous conversation:

Mailed US passport renewal application on 03/03. Received new passport, today, 03/20.

That's pretty darn good!

I can't remember.... did you have it expedited? If not, that's smokin' fast! Our last renewal for the kids, it took right at three weeks, which we thought as pretty fast. I think we had almost exactly four weeks to spare from the time we were leaving to drive out. I had thought about expediting (would have added $100 or more to the total cost, IIRC), but my wife wanted to try standard.

xwesx

So, it looks like fixing the Forester is a no-go. There is just no way for the shop to do it economically.

28firefighter

We just applied for a passport for my 7 week old son. We did expedited just as a precaution and also because I want to try and get him GlobalEntry before we go, otherwise I fully expect immigration to be a huge pain.

We travel to Italy in June for a wedding.

28firefighter

xwesx said:

So, it looks like fixing the Forester is a no-go. There is just no way for the shop to do it economically.

Down to Seattle then to buy a replacement?

kyfdx

xwesx said:

kyfdx said:

Regarding previous conversation:

Mailed US passport renewal application on 03/03. Received new passport, today, 03/20.

That's pretty darn good!

I can't remember.... did you have it expedited? If not, that's smokin' fast! Our last renewal for the kids, it took right at three weeks, which we thought as pretty fast. I think we had almost exactly four weeks to spare from the time we were leaving to drive out. I had thought about expediting (would have added $100 or more to the total cost, IIRC), but my wife wanted to try standard.

Nope, just standard processing.

breld

I'm at a Mercedes dealer looking at a practically new Durango R/T.  It's pretty darn sweet.  And it's not so much the power (which is indeed intoxicating), but the transmission behaves much better.  If I understand correctly, it's a "ZF" unit with the Hemi as opposed to what's mated with the V-6.  The difference is noticeable.  

xwesx

28firefighter said:

xwesx said:

So, it looks like fixing the Forester is a no-go. There is just no way for the shop to do it economically.

Down to Seattle then to buy a replacement?

If/when we replace, yeah, probably Seattle (or further!). Thankfully, we have time on this.

Michaell

breld said:

I'm at a Mercedes dealer looking at a practically new Durango R/T.  It's pretty darn sweet.  And it's not so much the power (which is indeed intoxicating), but the transmission behaves much better.  If I understand correctly, it's a "ZF" unit with the Hemi as opposed to what's mated with the V-6.  The difference is noticeable.  

Which dealer? Littleton or the one on Broadway?

Michaell

Michaell said:

breld said:

I'm at a Mercedes dealer looking at a practically new Durango R/T.  It's pretty darn sweet.  And it's not so much the power (which is indeed intoxicating), but the transmission behaves much better.  If I understand correctly, it's a "ZF" unit with the Hemi as opposed to what's mated with the V-6.  The difference is noticeable.  

Which dealer? Littleton or the one on Broadway?

Strike that - Littleton is on Broadway. I meant Murray on Colorado Blvd.

stickguy

Wes, is the Audi behaving today? Lights staying off?

fintail

They must have worked out a bottleneck lately. I had mine renewed last month, 10 calendar days from the day I sent it off, I received the new one. Regular processing, too.

I then applied for Global Entry/Nexus, and it is still "pending" 5 weeks later. Oh well.

kyfdx said:

Regarding previous conversation:

Mailed US passport renewal application on 03/03. Received new passport, today, 03/20.

That's pretty darn good!

corvette

breld said:

I'm at a Mercedes dealer looking at a practically new Durango R/T.  It's pretty darn sweet.  And it's not so much the power (which is indeed intoxicating), but the transmission behaves much better.  If I understand correctly, it's a "ZF" unit with the Hemi as opposed to what's mated with the V-6.  The difference is noticeable.  

I predict a punch. 

andres3

stickguy said:

Wes, is the Audi behaving today? Lights staying off?

Mine is! Just had it detailed yesterday by a San Diego mobile detailing crew. They do a good job, and since they like my car, they are willing to do it for a reasonable price.

CA car washes have to used recycled reclaimed water, which while maybe good for the environment, is probably not best for your car.

Only thing negative I've noticed about the car is it doesn't seem they nailed the DSG programming quite as well as with the 7-speed in the B8.5 S4. I've been able to "confuse" the transmission, even in S mode to where it is thinking rather than delivering gobs of power to the ground.

I prefer the immediate gobs of power be sent to the earth, and it can think later!

xwesx

stickguy said:

Wes, is the Audi behaving today? Lights staying off?

Yes, it's behaving so far, but the day isn't over yet! LOL

The MIL is still on, but that's not likely to change any time soon due to the "unknown" codes. I currently plan to have it addressed after the finalization of the settlement. I may be able to do it sooner, but I suspect I'll just have to jump through more red tape if the terms are still in "preliminary" status.

At least, I would hope that the Audi dealer in Anchorage should be able to make heads or tails of it, but that may be giving them way too much credit. If I can get scheduled for a weekend visit, then I don't mind having it down there (nearly 400 miles away) to address everything at once.

breld

Michaell said:

Michaell said:

breld said:

I'm at a Mercedes dealer looking at a practically new Durango R/T.  It's pretty darn sweet.  And it's not so much the power (which is indeed intoxicating), but the transmission behaves much better.  If I understand correctly, it's a "ZF" unit with the Hemi as opposed to what's mated with the V-6.  The difference is noticeable.  

Which dealer? Littleton or the one on Broadway?

Strike that - Littleton is on Broadway. I meant Murray on Colorado Blvd.

Murray on Colorado Blvd - which is now "Mercedes Benz of Denver."

No punch. It's one of those times when the deal itself may be very good, but I'm just not sure if it's worth the extra for me.

The trade value on my Durango seems strong - it's what Q said the dealer I bought it from likely had in the car. And that was a few months and a few thousand miles ago - $22,000 trade (I paid $23,600 - I could definitely live with that).

And their pricing on the "new" Durango seems fair. A fully loaded 2017 R/T with 5k miles, and it looks brand new (as it should). Original sticker of $54,650 (I was able to look that up on the web); truecar average is $49,277. And they would sell it for $41,492. So almost an $8k discount for 5k miles?

andres3

xwesx said:

stickguy said:

Wes, is the Audi behaving today? Lights staying off?

Yes, it's behaving so far, but the day isn't over yet! LOL

The MIL is still on, but that's not likely to change any time soon due to the "unknown" codes. I currently plan to have it addressed after the finalization of the settlement. I may be able to do it sooner, but I suspect I'll just have to jump through more red tape if the terms are still in "preliminary" status.

At least, I would hope that the Audi dealer in Anchorage should be able to make heads or tails of it, but that may be giving them way too much credit. If I can get scheduled for a weekend visit, then I don't mind having it down there (nearly 400 miles away) to address everything at once.

Seems like someone is due to open up a 2nd Audi dealership in Alaska, closer to you. 400 miles is insane. I would pass 20 Audi dealers or so in that amount of mileage.

corvette

Not many people or dealers in Alaska. There used to be only one or two VW dealers in the whole state. I think Akangl tried to buy a VW one time and the dealer wouldn't deal because they were the only game in town. 

28firefighter

breld said:

Michaell said:

Michaell said:

breld said:

I'm at a Mercedes dealer looking at a practically new Durango R/T.  It's pretty darn sweet.  And it's not so much the power (which is indeed intoxicating), but the transmission behaves much better.  If I understand correctly, it's a "ZF" unit with the Hemi as opposed to what's mated with the V-6.  The difference is noticeable.  

Which dealer? Littleton or the one on Broadway?

Strike that - Littleton is on Broadway. I meant Murray on Colorado Blvd.

Murray on Colorado Blvd - which is now "Mercedes Benz of Denver."

No punch. It's one of those times when the deal itself may be very good, but I'm just not sure if it's worth the extra for me.

The trade value on my Durango seems strong - it's what Q said the dealer I bought it from likely had in the car. And that was a few months and a few thousand miles ago - $22,000 trade (I paid $23,600 - I could definitely live with that).

And their pricing on the "new" Durango seems fair. A fully loaded 2017 R/T with 5k miles, and it looks brand new (as it should). Original sticker of $54,650 (I was able to look that up on the web); truecar average is $49,277. And they would sell it for $41,492. So almost an $8k discount for 5k miles?

I actually think even at 41,5 it's too much. If it were in the 35-37 range it would seem more reasonable.

andres3

corvette said:

Not many people or dealers in Alaska. There used to be only one or two VW dealers in the whole state. I think Akangl tried to buy a VW one time and the dealer wouldn't deal because they were the only game in town. 

I see why someone would drive through North America then. Why waste the money on a greedy dealer when their profit can go towards your road trip.

stickguy

Pass on it Breld. For a few reasons (that make sense to me).

first, it is basically the "same" car. And there are plenty of other options out there to try (maybe even a few you have not owned yet). And you know that, current one or the 17, you are moving on to something else by the end of the year.

so looking at 20K OOP for what, a little smoother tranny, and some HP you probably won't even be able to tap into? Seems like a lot to me. Not sure what the depreciation difference is going to be 6-9 months down the line between the 2 of course, which could make your (very large) investment back. or not.

breld

Party poopers.

andres3

breld said:

Party poopers.

Okay, I'll play devil's advocate!

What he's really saying is you should have test driven the HEMI with the better transmission in the first place, and you'd probably have already made the right decision and be in that version of your Durango.

But, you shouldn't cry over spilled milk, and that's water under the Bridge.

Now, all you can do is say LIFE IS TOO SHORT, and not spend rest of this year in the lesser Durango, but the one you really want!

I took a several hundred dollar hit when I went from a 51" Samsung Plasma to a 60" Samsung Plasma (same model, just different sizes; thanks Crutchfield for not gouging me too bad with the return and shipping freight). I realized I'd be living with the TV a long time though, since I'm not a chronic new TV buyer. One of the best "hard" decisions I ever made though!

iluvmysephia1

I could watch me some good Seahawks football on that 60" TV, andres3.

28firefighter

stickguy said:

Pass on it Breld. For a few reasons (that make sense to me).

first, it is basically the "same" car. And there are plenty of other options out there to try (maybe even a few you have not owned yet). And you know that, current one or the 17, you are moving on to something else by the end of the year.

so looking at 20K OOP for what, a little smoother tranny, and some HP you probably won't even be able to tap into? Seems like a lot to me. Not sure what the depreciation difference is going to be 6-9 months down the line between the 2 of course, which could make your (very large) investment back. or not.

I agree with this price at an OOP of $20k; If it were closer to $12k-$15k, I could see the point...maybe.

stickguy

how about this. Keep the old one. Spend the 20K on a really fun sporty car.

2 is more than 1, last time I checked!

breld

I'd be all over it at $12-15k - and that's certainly doable if I find a 2014 or 2015 model with, let's say, 20k miles. But then it's a slippery slope for me, where I start thinking a few grand more is certainly worth it to save the miles and the warranty.

@28firefighter - you say $35-37k would seem more reasonable, and I don't disagree. I just don't know if it's attainable - I'd guess the dealer has more than that in it.

But here's the thing, and really what my goal was for the visit - I demonstrated that I was very interested at a certain price point and walked. Who knows - maybe if they can't find a buyer for the Durango, I get a call in a few days or a week. If not, no harm.

breld

stickguy said:

how about this. Keep the old one. Spend the 20K on a really fun sporty car.

2 is more than 1, last time I checked!

Well, that's kinda the deal I have now - a relatively cheap Durango allows me to have a really nice "fun" car in the 428. Upgrading the Durango would mean "downgrading" the BMW - there's the real cost I'm struggling with.

breld

@andres3 - you're probably right that I should've more strongly considered the Hemi to begin with, but the one I got was/is a great way to "dip my toes" into the brand and model. Now that I know I like the Durango quite a bit, it's easier to consider dropping more cash on a nicer one. With the trade value offered, the depreciation cost would be a mere $1,600 - loads better than most other transactions I've been through.

And (@nycccarguy will like this) - I can easily swap out the cargo mats I bought for my current ride into the new one!

breld

FWIW, here's the vehicle:

2017 Durango R/T

stickguy

definitely not anything to my taste, but if you like it, all that counts.

tbirdmarco

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

coldinohio

thanks for responses re throttle body, fuel injector... and yes, use top tier gas

tbirdmarco

@xwesx sorry to hear about the one foraster not being able to be fixed up. good thing is all wher ok in the acadent all that matters.

tbirdmarco

@breld thaught did smell an punch cumming. o whell shore soon enuff you will have an nother pending punch for us all lol lol.

tbirdmarco

@coldinohio you are welcome any time. we are all hear to help one another. that is just what we do lol lol. have an grate night all.

cdnpinhead

xwesx said:

So, it looks like fixing the Forester is a no-go. There is just no way for the shop to do it economically.

That's a shame if it's like our Pathfinder that was excellent in all ways but just cost too much to fix, relative to what it was worth. OTOH, if the repairs required dealing with areas of the vehicle that are hard to get right, maybe not so much.

xwesx

cdnpinhead said:

xwesx said:

So, it looks like fixing the Forester is a no-go. There is just no way for the shop to do it economically.

That's a shame if it's like our Pathfinder that was excellent in all ways but just cost too much to fix, relative to what it was worth. OTOH, if the repairs required dealing with areas of the vehicle that are hard to get right, maybe not so much.

Probably some of both. They're talking about $12K for the "minimal" estimate, which means repairing parts and/or using used sheet metal, etc., as appropriate. And, I assume that doesn't include paint, which I can do myself in fairly decent fashion. So, pretty major repairs.

I think one thing that really sends it over the top is the airbag deployment. Replacing required stuff in there (so that they can deploy again) includes much of the steering column (about $2,500 total) and the front airbag sensors, etc. We wanted to be able to "get there" for the $9,100 net payout (approximately), so $12K is enough that I could buy a reasonable replacement for that, and not have a car that was branded and then patched together.

Sandman6472

Don't think the brake fluid change is included in the 30K service and think I'll wait a bit to have it done. My mechanic said 3 years/36K miles is the optimum time to have it done so will wait till then. Then I'll give that indie shop down the street a shot and see what happens. Saw a Mini commercial last night and mentioned to the wife that I'll probably go that route next time and she got all bent thinking I meant soon. Assured her that it ain't happening until I retire again sometime in 2019. Just not ready and willing to get out of the Golf right now because it's fun and driving well since I've started using the "S" when starting from a complete stop.
That brown over beige 320i is gone as of yesterday, was there Friday late afternoon and inquired what happened. Was sold yesterday and surprised it took so long. Was super clean and priced right for the mileage, someone got a great buy there! That 2016 ILX they had which really was a stunning combo, maroon over beige, took only about a week to be sold and it was a much better deal. Again, timing was all off for me.

The Sandman

js06gv

breld said:

FWIW, here's the vehicle:

2017 Durango R/T

That's a great looking rig. My father-in-law's R/T is metallic black. To me, the R/T model is about more than the engine and tràns. It just has a nice, lowered and mean look to it. And it's one of the few vehicles out there I think looks good with black wheels, no matter what color the exterior is. Equipment per trim level seemed a little weird to me though, unless it has changed since 2015. You have to step past an R/T to a Citadel to be able to get one fully loaded, as you cannot get cooled seats and a few other options, but then you're back to a V6. An R/T is upmarket enough that it should be able to be equipped comparably to a Citadel.

breld

js06gv said:

breld said:

FWIW, here's the vehicle:

2017 Durango R/T

That's a great looking rig. My father-in-law's R/T is metallic black. To me, the R/T model is about more than the engine and tràns. It just has a nice, lowered and mean look to it. And it's one of the few vehicles out there I think looks good with black wheels, no matter what color the exterior is. Equipment per trim level seemed a little weird to me though, unless it has changed since 2015. You have to step past an R/T to a Citadel to be able to get one fully loaded, as you cannot get cooled seats and a few other options, but then you're back to a V6. An R/T is upmarket enough that it should be able to be equipped comparably to a Citadel.

At some point they must've added features to the R/T - this one had cooled seats and all the tech stuff (active cruise, lane assist, etc.).

nyccarguy

Snow tires have been taken off the Legacy. Stock All Season tires have been re-installed. We are all clear for trade in.

stickguy

You must be antsy. Hey, did you get the snows on dedicated wheels, or are just actually taking them on and off the regular wheels?

nyccarguy

I never got dedicated wheels for the snow tires. I had them uninstalled and reinstalled on the stock wheels. I might look into getting dedicated winter wheels for the Infiniti.

andres3

xwesx said:

cdnpinhead said:

xwesx said:

So, it looks like fixing the Forester is a no-go. There is just no way for the shop to do it economically.

That's a shame if it's like our Pathfinder that was excellent in all ways but just cost too much to fix, relative to what it was worth. OTOH, if the repairs required dealing with areas of the vehicle that are hard to get right, maybe not so much.

Probably some of both. They're talking about $12K for the "minimal" estimate, which means repairing parts and/or using used sheet metal, etc., as appropriate. And, I assume that doesn't include paint, which I can do myself in fairly decent fashion. So, pretty major repairs.

I think one thing that really sends it over the top is the airbag deployment. Replacing required stuff in there (so that they can deploy again) includes much of the steering column (about $2,500 total) and the front airbag sensors, etc. We wanted to be able to "get there" for the $9,100 net payout (approximately), so $12K is enough that I could buy a reasonable replacement for that, and not have a car that was branded and then patched together.

Would a repair sans air bags be feasible? Depends if your willing to drive around in a car without air bags. If you drove a car prior to the '90's I'm sure you've done it before.

andres3

breld said:

js06gv said:

breld said:

FWIW, here's the vehicle:

2017 Durango R/T

That's a great looking rig. My father-in-law's R/T is metallic black. To me, the R/T model is about more than the engine and tràns. It just has a nice, lowered and mean look to it. And it's one of the few vehicles out there I think looks good with black wheels, no matter what color the exterior is. Equipment per trim level seemed a little weird to me though, unless it has changed since 2015. You have to step past an R/T to a Citadel to be able to get one fully loaded, as you cannot get cooled seats and a few other options, but then you're back to a V6. An R/T is upmarket enough that it should be able to be equipped comparably to a Citadel.

At some point they must've added features to the R/T - this one had cooled seats and all the tech stuff (active cruise, lane assist, etc.).

I took a good look at your Durango link, and I must admit the interior isn't as Fisher-Pricey as I had figured all Dodge interiors to be.

It is a lot of all black all stark interior though. Too much all black for me, but I guess some people like that.

My '03 Accord Coupe V6 had an all black interior. At the time it seems like the cool modern thing, and also at the time I felt Honda had an upscale interior as compared to other non-luxury makes, which helps.

andres3

iluvmysephia1 said:

I could watch me some good Seahawks football on that 60" TV, andres3.

The last thing I remember about the Seahawks is doing some kind of ill-advised pass at the end of a very important game (Superbowl) when a run would have led to a touchdown and a win; instead they lost. I'm sure you remember