Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Michaell

28firefighter said:

I would have done that. But if we had, the buyer would have had to approve it in writing. It was easier to replace it with the same one and, luckily, was able to have amazon deliver it free overnight. 

Oh, I get that you had to replace like for like. Our old faucet was a freebie we got when we installed the quartz countertops a couple of years ago when we moved in.

For as much as my wife shops Amazon, I don't think it occurred to her to look at faucets there. I got ours at Lowes.

ab348

nyccarguy said:

I'm 2 minutes from home and my wife calls and asks me if I can take our 11 year old to Boy Scouts, because THE TRUCK DIES!  What?

She left to drive him to Scouts.  He forgot his hat, so she turns around.  Says the truck starts driving really slow, limps into the driveway, the dashboard lights up like an XMas tree, and dies.

I got confused when you said you had a truck. Thought you'd bought a F-150 or similar when I wasn't paying attention, until I realized you were referring to the Pilot.

(I know this probably isn't a good time to pull your leg given all the misadventures you are in the middle of right now)

fintail

A friend of mine called his rented Chevy Captiva a "truck", I mocked him for that for weeks

tjc78

@nyccarguy
I have been there!!! Everything seems to happen at once.   

We had had just gotten our house back to form after construction and I had to tear out the dishwasher because some thing clogged the drain line.  Naturally that made a hell of a mess in the kitchen.  

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

stickguy said:

Bradd, it’s time for the old warhorse to be put to pasture. If it did that to my wife I know it would be!

This is just not my day. PC Richards came to install the new Dishwasher. When I tried to pull the old dishwasher out myself, apparently I ripped part of the ROMEX cable. So they can connect the dishwasher, but the garbage disposal doesn't work and now I have to have an electrician come to take a look at it. FUN TIMES! Also, the tolerances are so tight, that they can't get the new DW in. I'm going to have a piece of trim cut off my cabinets and re-painted.

I feel for you, a bunch of cr*p hits all at once- hang in there!

graphicguy

pensfan83 said:

graphicguy said:

I saw another A-Spec...a white one. But, that was in Indiana, not in Cincinnati.

Just turned 5K miles on mine. It’s become better as it has worn in a little.

Quite pleased with mine. Drives great...has more than enough power, and features. Great seats and stereo. Is more than willing to get frisky on backroads. Looks good.

I’m more than willing to report on things when they aren’t “up-to-snuff” (as most of you know). I really have nothing but praise for my TLX. I expect to see the service dept in the next few months for an oil change and tire rotation. But, even there, with a coupon, I doubt I’d have to come out of pocket for more than $50. So, even maintenance is good.

Stick.....I know you don’t need encouragement from us. But, I don’t believe you’d be disappointed.

Well of you see see one in Cincinnati with PA plates next month it's probably me

And I agree with you, I have no problem citing a vehicle's shortcomings but other than things are a matter of personal taste or are subjective I really have no complaints.

I’ll be on the lookout!

pensfan83

@nyccarguy bummer on everything hitting at once, that's usually what happens. Shopping for a new car might be good therapy

graphicguy

pensfan83 said:

@nyccarguy bummer on everything hitting at once, that's usually what happens. Shopping for a new car might be good therapy

Bradd....I think this is excellent advice. Here....let us enable you.

Seriously, sorry about all the foibles you’re going through. One of the reasons I don’t do appliance installs myself any more is I don’t have anyone to blame when things invariably go sideways.

tjc78

graphicguy said:

@nyccarguy bummer on everything hitting at once, that's usually what happens. Shopping for a new car might be good therapy

Bradd....I think this is excellent advice. Here....let us enable you. Seriously, sorry about all the foibles you’re going through. One of the reasons I don’t do appliance installs myself any more is I don’t have anyone to blame when things invariably go sideways.

Sometimes I wish I was like this, but I always seem to tackle too much... it’s nice to just come home and have it done!!

nyccarguy

Ok. So the news is what I expected and isn't horrible. The Pilot (or SUV, not truck as @ab348 pointed out) needs a new alternator and battery. Once they get that done, they will road test it and see if they can decipher what the problem I'm having with the front end is.

I put a call into an electrician who will come out to my house tomorrow to check out my dishwasher/garbage dispoal situation.

I'll go and pick up a new battery for my Prelude at lunch.

corvette

I’m not a fan of the touchpad on the Audis. It can’t read my writing very well.  Give me an onscreen keyboard any day with a touchscreen.  

ab348

nyccarguy said:

Ok. So the news is what I expected and isn't horrible. The Pilot (or SUV, not truck as @ab348 pointed out) needs a new alternator and battery. Once they get that done, they will road test it and see if they can decipher what the problem I'm having with the front end is.

How many miles on the truck Pilot?

Michaell

ab348 said:

nyccarguy said:

Ok. So the news is what I expected and isn't horrible. The Pilot (or SUV, not truck as @ab348 pointed out) needs a new alternator and battery. Once they get that done, they will road test it and see if they can decipher what the problem I'm having with the front end is.

How many miles on the truck Pilot?

100,300, according to the post in RWTIV

xwesx

stickguy said:

the first (Ford rebadge) generation, or the current one that came out last year? Completely different vehicles.

Not sure, honestly. The massively-raked-front-end looking one. His was a 2016 MY, if that helps.

xwesx

stickguy said:

Bradd, it’s time for the old warhorse to be put to pasture. If it did that to my wife I know it would be!

Now, now. Let's not over-react. Based on the description, I would guess than a weak alternator is the likely culprit on this one, and those are just a wear item.

28firefighter

I wouldn't get rid of the Pilot now. Understand it is frustrating for the wife, but these kinds of wear items are to be expected around this age and mileage. Once you get past it, it should be good for a while.

stickguy

He is at the crossroads most of us eventually reach. Deciding when the age/time/mileage problems are over, and you have a window of “free” driving ahead. Should run out of wear items eventually, but could hit major components soon.

Running higher mile cars as DDs and long road trip vehicles is not always for the faint of heart. And once the trust factor goes, all over but the crying.

stickguy

28firefighter said:

I wouldn't get rid of the Pilot now. Understand it is frustrating for the wife, but these kinds of wear items are to be expected around this age and mileage. Once you get past it, it should be good for a while.

If his wife is like mine, she might just have a different opinion.

roadburner

corvette said:

I’m not a fan of the touchpad on the Audis. It can’t read my writing very well.  Give me an onscreen keyboard any day with a touchscreen.  

The pad on the BMWs reads my handwriting- that's something most people can't do!

ab348

I guess 100K on an alternator isn't bad. Once that and the CV joints are fixed he can start saving for the next repair.

stickguy

Timing belt about due. Shocks and struts must be about shot. Coil packs and O2 sensors getting tired. And that’s just the consumables I can think of!

xwesx

nyccarguy said:

I'll go and pick up a new battery for my Prelude at lunch.

Since the Prelude sees such occasional use, and it seems that you keep its battery installed during its naps, you might consider also grabbing a small trickle charger for it! You can install some of these units "permanently" under the hood, and just route the cord out to the lower bumper fascia so it is discreet, yet easy to plug it in when you are not using the car for long periods.

xwesx

stickguy said:

Timing belt about due. Shocks and struts must be about shot. Coil packs and O2 sensors getting tired. And that’s just the consumables I can think of!

Add up all of that, done at a dealership's shop, and you're still at maybe half of what you would spend on a single year's worth of car payments.

28firefighter

@stickguy - my wife, too.

xwesx

28firefighter said:

@stickguy - my wife, too.

My wife is WAAAAAAAAAAY more tolerant.
.
.
.
.
She'll give a car a second chance. If it happens a second time, though, she's out.

stickguy

On a spreadsheet. Which is useless when bradd gets a call from his wife sitting on the side of the Merritt parkway with a dead car. My wife has a 1 strike policy for that now. Her response would be new car for her, or she would take the Infiniti.

All cars are not equal. You can pay for a lot of things. New, nice, features, piece of mind, is reliability. Everyone has to decide what is worth how much to hem.

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

On a spreadsheet. Which is useless when bradd gets a call from his wife sitting on the side of the Merritt parkway with a dead car. My wife has a 1 strike policy for that now. Her response would be new car for her, or she would take the Infiniti.

All cars are not equal. You can pay for a lot of things. New, nice, features, piece of mind, is reliability. Everyone has to decide what is worth how much to hem.

So the wife has been surprisingly tolerant about this. I'm thankful this happened in my driveway. An alternator IS (as you all have stated) a wear item. So is whatever is clicking or banging in the front end. It IS NOT a transfer case failure or transmission failure that left her on the side of the road.

xwesx

stickguy said:

On a spreadsheet. Which is useless when bradd gets a call from his wife sitting on the side of the Merritt parkway with a dead car. My wife has a 1 strike policy for that now. Her response would be new car for her, or she would take the Infiniti.

All cars are not equal. You can pay for a lot of things. New, nice, features, piece of mind, is reliability. Everyone has to decide what is worth how much to hem.

Just because it is new doesn't automatically make it reliable. In fact, in many ways, it is *less* trustworthy than your old-timer car because you have no history with it. And, if it does let you down, it lets you down a lot harder than an older car with a maintenance need but with 100,000 miles of built trust under its belt.

As you note, everyone has to decide how much peace of mind is worth, and it comes in different forms and different measures.

tifighter

I ended up going with the Michelin X-Ice today. They were in stock and had an opening to install; it was too easy to pass up. I will say this, they are noticeably quieter than the OEM tires by a considerable margin.

pensfan83

Knock on wood we haven't had any major repairs on our vehicles since my Mazda. Hoping it stays that way for the foreseeable future until we can pay off the Nissan and set aside some $$$ for a down payment on an SUV.

stickguy

I would hope so if you are still paying on them!

iluvmysephia1

tifighter - I think you're gonna love your Michelin X-ICE iE3's. I love mine and I have confidence they'll get me into and through all types of winter weather. Good choice!

xwesx

tifighter said:

I ended up going with the Michelin X-Ice today. They were in stock and had an opening to install; it was too easy to pass up. I will say this, they are noticeably quieter than the OEM tires by a considerable margin.

I notice that too with my winter tires. I think it may be the softer rubber compound, but they are always much quieter than my all-seasons. Did you get them on their own rims or just swapped onto the factory units?

tifighter

xwesx said:

tifighter said:

I ended up going with the Michelin X-Ice today. They were in stock and had an opening to install; it was too easy to pass up. I will say this, they are noticeably quieter than the OEM tires by a considerable margin.

I notice that too with my winter tires. I think it may be the softer rubber compound, but they are always much quieter than my all-seasons.

I'm just glad we're still talking, since I joined a rival winter tire gang...

nyccarguy

The Plot Thickens

New OEM Honda Alternator & Interstate Battery including Labor & Tax: $811
New Interstate Battery for the Prelude including tax: $145

They weren't able to pinpoint the noise exactly, but he said it seems like the front axles are the culprit. They recommended not doing anything until it starts acting worse. (About $500 each side)

Timing Belt/Water Pump/Tensioner service will run about $900 from them. New spark plugs due soon too will be approximately $375.

tifighter

iluvmysephia1 said:

tifighter - I think you're gonna love your Michelin X-ICE iE3's. I love mine and I have confidence they'll get me into and through all types of winter weather. Good choice!

I hope so. Lots of winter trips to the Methow on the schedule...

xwesx

tifighter said:

I'm just glad we're still talking, since I joined a rival winter tire gang...

LOL! Hey, our 2013 Forester has a set of XI3 on it right now. It will be the last set, but it's not like these are bad tires!

I'm trying to remember.... I think this is winter #3, so it'll be due for a new set come next autumn.

xwesx

nyccarguy said:

The Plot Thickens

New OEM Honda Alternator & Interstate Battery including Labor & Tax: $811
New Interstate Battery for the Prelude including tax: $145

They weren't able to pinpoint the noise exactly, but he said it seems like the front axles are the culprit. They recommended not doing anything until it starts acting worse. (About $500 each side)

Timing Belt/Water Pump/Tensioner service will run about $900 from them. New spark plugs due soon too will be approximately $375.

You sir, should get yourself a friend who is handy with a wrench. $800 for an alternator, indeed!

sda

I thought you had the timing belt service done already by your indie mechanic. Ouch to all the unexpected expenses. It always seems, at least my experience, everything needs repaired or replaced all at once.

ab348

tifighter said:

I ended up going with the Michelin X-Ice today. They were in stock and had an opening to install; it was too easy to pass up. I will say this, they are noticeably quieter than the OEM tires by a considerable margin.

Heh. All those same factors were exactly the same reasons I now have a set on the ATS. They are incredibly quiet.

ab348

So, @nyccarguy , about $3,000 total investment. Or another $2,200 excluding what you paid today. Worth it?

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

The Plot Thickens New OEM Honda Alternator & Interstate Battery including Labor & Tax: $811 New Interstate Battery for the Prelude including tax: $145 They weren't able to pinpoint the noise exactly, but he said it seems like the front axles are the culprit. They recommended not doing anything until it starts acting worse. (About $500 each side) Timing Belt/Water Pump/Tensioner service will run about $900 from them. New spark plugs due soon too will be approximately $375.

Wow! Sounds like either a huge markup on the parts or they are charging about 4 hrs of labor on that alternator.

and $60 per spark plug?! Do they think they have to pull the engine for that service?

tjc78

It’s not that far off.  NYC said OEM Honda alternator that’s about $375 from what I see.  Battery for Prelude was $145 so Pilot has to be same.. 

so what’s that? $225 labor, not excessive IMO.  Pretty sure the power steering pump and resovoir need to be moved to get to the alternator.  

stickguy

plugs themselves are pretty expensive. And on those transverse V6 models, access is a bear to the back usually (though from looking at my RDX recently without the plastic shield, they might be more up top). i know the front of the engine parts are crazy tight to get to. That price is actually just as much, if not more, as what a dealer would charge, and if comparable, I would absolutely have a dealer do the job. They often have specials on that service too, and super easy to call and shop it around. \

So, the first $1k is sunk. But the other 2K has to be added to the trade in value to get a true trade amount. We actually had the same situation when we got the RDX. The Odyssey was going to need the T belt soon, and the tires were getting up there. and probably a few more things in the next year. So was a good time to cut it loose.

if you keep it, and decide to go the distance, just do it all and hope nothing big lets go!

Sandman6472

Wife also has a two shot policy. After the first no start, she's weary, but after the second...time for a new vehicle. Since she won't consider used or CPO, it's new and now, she's kicked her budget up to $30K. Luckily, besides the battery replaced under warranty, her A3 has been flawless.
After the water pump/thermostat replacement last month, all is well with the Golf. Honestly, hoping to keep it till the end of 2019 when I hope to retire again. G-d willing, will then decide what I want next. Will be 64 then, the same age my dad passed, and will probably get me somethin' special, just not sure what.

The Sandman

Sandman6472

Got in some new iron at the new vehicle location yesterday. Sat in the new Camry LE, I like it...a lot, so sue me!! Love the exterior with the nice looking alloys and the interior worked. Not as in your face as the Accord but more understated which appealed to me. Everything was where it should be, excellent ergonomics, comfy seat fabric. I really liked it in that charcoal metallic color and just hope the new Corolla is a scaled down copy. Have yet to drive the new Accord but it looks big, felt big sitting behind the wheel. The Camry just felt right to me, like my favorite shirt or pair of slacks, felt at home! Again, the size will keep me away but looking for Toyota reliability. Would be ironic to go full circle back to a Toyota product and have high hopes for the new Corolla!
Drove a newish 2017 Tiguan yesterday and thought it was great. Great acceleration from the 2.0T engine with zero turbo lag. The higher seating appealed to me and the Apple Car Play was just the icing on the cake, very intuitive and once I plugged my phone in, it took right over. Thinking the Android Auto would react similarly and keeping SiriuXM in a vehicle that has either the Apple or Android connectivity seems a bit silly. Guessing after awhile, might get a bit tired of my selection of tunes which stands at 825 now with a few recent purchases from the iTunes store.
So, I do know it's going to be a very hard decision what to purchase next time since there are so many great choices on my short list! Should be fun deciding though.

The Sandman

stickguy

may have told this story before, but this is the reason for her 1 strike policy. Back about 25 years ago, we had our Mazda 323 still (about 90K on it). Really liked that little car. Anyway, we both commuted down the same stretch of highway to a park and ride train station. Different times, because our son was little and I dropped at daycare, and she picked up, so she left first in the AM.

anyway, I am bopping along in the left lane one day, and come over an overpass, and notice some poor sucker in the median with the hood up. On a silver 323, just like mine. and the sucker looked suspiciously like my wife. Thanfully I was in the left lane and able to pull off quick by her, right about the same time the tow truck showed up. So a few minutes later, she takes my car and leaves, and I am riding in the truck taking the car to the garage.

end result, catastrophic engine failure and a used engine replacement later, get the car back, and she refused to drive it again. So it went away and we got a Sube wagon instead.

To this day, she still uses that as the example of what 1 strike means. If the car strands her on the highway, she is done with it.

Sandman6472

Going to get an oil change before the end of the month when it'll be around 38K. A little early but got a great coupon for a synthetic oil change and can't pass it up. Have used the VW shop for the first 3 but comfortable going to my guy to have it done. Also comes with a free tire rotation as I hate to ruin the run flats which are holding up nicely! The A3 needs new sneakers but since she'll be working from home mostly the next 6 moths, she's decided to wait. Me, I don't wait and maybe swap sneakers a bit on the early side but do not like tire surprises, ever! Have a very low tolerance level for any sort of automobile issue so stay pro-active on most things!

The Sandman

(P.S. AARP Senior driving class in the morning at the local police station in a conference room. Wife did it online during the week and passed the quiz. She canceled the class as she had other plans but we usually go together.)

sda

sandman_6472 said:

Going to get an oil change before the end of the month when it'll be around 38K. A little early but got a great coupon for a synthetic oil change and can't pass it up. Have used the VW shop for the first 3 but comfortable going to my guy to have it done. Also comes with a free tire rotation as I hate to ruin the run flats which are holding up nicely! The A3 needs new sneakers but since she'll be working from home mostly the next 6 moths, she's decided to wait. Me, I don't wait and maybe swap sneakers a bit on the early side but do not like tire surprises, ever! Have a very low tolerance level for any sort of automobile issue so stay pro-active on most things!

The Sandman

(P.S. AARP Senior driving class in the morning at the local police station in a conference room. Wife did it online during the week and passed the quiz. She canceled the class as she had other plans but we usually go together.)

Make sure they use the VW spec oil and keep your records.

tbirdmarco

@nyccarguy wow sorry to hear about all of the troubles you have bin having today! glad was not anything big with your wifes pilet! and glad all of the other stuff is getting fixed slolly! hang in there we are all hear for you just life!