Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

roadburner

Exactly!

qbrozen

Hmmm... strange. Without knowing anything about that particular vehicle, I find it strange that a code actually says it needs a cat. Are you sure they didn't already have it checked by a dealer?

If such a code exists, it only makes sense to my feeble mind that the post O2 sensor would give such a reading. It needs to be a sensor that reads what the cat is putting out. Now, could a pre O2 be failed/failing, causing the fuel/air mixture to be wrong, which then causes the bad reading on the post sensor? Yes. BUT, I would think it would then throw more than one code. The pre sensor should be reading bad as well as the post.

I have no idea what a stuck thermostat would have to do with any of that. But if it were stuck, then the temp would read wrong, too, so you'd have more than one indication for that failure.

Again, this is all based on just my basic take on it all and has no relation to the vehicle or how the engineers programmed it.

If it were me, I'd send them a message asking how they determined the problem and/or all the codes being thrown by the computer.

ghulet

We need more Calgon. Ancient Chinese secret, huh?

roadburner

Hmmm... strange. Without knowing anything about that particular vehicle, I find it strange that a code actually says it needs a cat. Are you sure they didn't already have it checked by a dealer?

The dealer in question is a BMW dealer.

If such a code exists, it only makes sense to my feeble mind that the post O2 sensor would give such a reading. It needs to be a sensor that reads what the cat is putting out. Now, could a pre O2 be failed/failing, causing the fuel/air mixture to be wrong, which then causes the bad reading on the post sensor? Yes. BUT, I would think it would then throw more than one code. The pre sensor should be reading bad as well as the post.

There are several dozen posts on M5board.com that discuss how various faults can trigger a "catalyst efficiency" fault when the cats are still good. Sometimes other faults are present, sometimes not.

I have no idea what a stuck thermostat would have to do with any of that. But if it were stuck, then the temp would read wrong, too, so you'd have more than one indication for that failure.

Again, it seems that a failing thermostat can cause the S62 engine to run cool enough that the "cat efficiency" code is triggered. Another prime source of problems are the four camshaft position sensors.
In any event, I'm going to call my Service Advisor and see what he can find out...

qbrozen

A BMW dealer?? And they would sell the car with a CEL on??! Man, I don't think I would do business with them.

ghulet

I'd count your blessings that you walked away two weeks ago, IMO.

qbrozen

low miles manual 525.

ghulet

nice car, but geez louise that's some big bucks for a 15 year-old anything. I think about $4-5k should be quite enough, it's not like it's pristine, really. Low miles are great and all, but still.....

qbrozen

oh, definitely overpriced. But, hey, everything is negotiable.

fezo

Gee, you mean that Volvo convertible from last week was negotiable? I should have asked the price.

stickguy

the 525 does have low miles, but I won'tgo older than a 2001 on a 5 series.

The '95 would probably be a really bad choice for my current situation!

But hey, I have to go right through Devon every day now, so maybe that was kismet!

Still overpriced, but I like this one much better. Wonder what a 108K '99 3 series is worth? New tires and brakes, but what about the rad, etc.?

3 series

should have just bid the $8,200 on the 95K 2002 wagon....

qbrozen

I still have it saved in my autotrader favorites. :P

fezo

Why does that not surprise me?

qbrozen

but I won'tgo older than a 2110 on a 5 series

??
Does that mean you have to wait 100 years to get one? :confuse:
oh, wait, I see you fixed that typo.

seriously, though, why does an 85k mile 525 bother you more than a 100k 325 does?

stickguy

I don't like that version of the 5 series. I do really like that version of the 3 series though. Non-working cup holders and a solid panel sliding roof are major drags!

They did some updates on the 5'er for 2001 also IIRC. Just don't ask me what they all are at this point!

even with the 3 series, i would look for something in the 2001-2003 range, which with equivilant miles, probably wouldn't cost much more.

A maintained car without immediate needs is OK by me with higher miles (assuming the price is adjusted accordingly!). I either drive 3K/month or 6k/year these days, and either one will work with a 100K car that is cheap to buy.

ghulet

meh....like the color enough, love the wheels, HAAAYAATE the stupid spoiler, and in Chicago, tinted windows are both illegal and cheesy. Fail. :sick:

fezo

Revealed: Andre's new car...

andre1969

LOL...it almost feels that cold here. I know I'll be thankful for those heated seats this morning! It did get cold enough yesterday, with the wind and everything, to make some of the pipes in my house freeze. I lost the cold water to the bathroom sink and tub (but thankfully not the toilet!) and the drain to the tub froze up. I put a space heater under there, and in about an hour,everything thawed out.

I was a bit surprised though, as we've had colder temps than yesterday, and I've never had the pipes freeze. I guess the wind was just sucking what little warmth there was, right out from under the house.

jayrider

Pipes will take a lot of cold without freezing but if the cold air is blowing on the pipe
it doesn't take much to freeze them up.

kyfdx

I'm not planning on buying a car until April, at the earliest... As my lease isn't up until July, and I don't want to start an un-garaged car every morning (13F today, 47F in my attached garage).

But, this is the one that just went up for sale at a local lot, just a couple of miles from where I work..

'05 BMW 330Ci ZHP

The ad says it's Silver-Gray, but it's really Sparkling Graphite..

michaellno

Sure seems like a lot of car for $21K ... and, were I in the market, would be tempting to me as well.

There was a black 3-series coupe (328?) at a dealer north of Denver for about the same price, but had less than 30K miles on it. Probably not as well equipped as the one linked above.

I'm thinking that the next time around - maybe 18 months from now - I'll get a reasonably cheap daily driver and a nicer car for special occasions. Spend $25K total.

kyfdx

It might be a little over-priced, but nice Performance Pkg 330s are hard to come by.. This one has fairly low miles, an acceptable color... leather, instead of the cloth/suede interior.. Xenons, heated seats..6-speed stick.. Plus, it has the CPO warranty until April, 2011, which at least protects you from major mechanical failures for the first year...

I like the '04 they have, as well... Imola Red is attractive... just not sure how long I would be happy with a red car..

Also, not sure about the whole sedan/coupe thing... A sedan offers more flexibility, but the coupe is easier to get in and out of for the driver, on a daily basis.. (yes, I'm getting old...lol)

qbrozen

This dealer again, huh?

Yup. Priced about $5k-$5500 over trade-in value. As a CPO, however, that's not TOO bad. They could stand to come down ~$2k, though.

roadburner

I'd take the ZHP sedan. I'm probably in the minority, but I like the Alcantara(suede) interior. I think I've mentioned this before, but I'd buy that E36 M3 sedan in a heartbeat if it wasn't a slushbox...

kyfdx

I don't mind the Alcantara... but, IMO, it doesn't wear very well... All the ones that I see look pretty crappy..

My boy loves that M3... especially the color and BBS wheels.. but, an automatic? :surprise:

I've had no dealings with that guy before, or ever discussed price, so I'm not sure how negotiable he is... In general, used cars priced in the $20K range (at a dealer) have about $2K of wiggle room.. I think either of those ZHPs would be decent buys at $2K under asking ($18K or $19K, respectively).. No idea if he is that flexible, though..

Doesn't matter... It isn't getting above freezing for the next week, at least.. So, no way to get a good test drive... Plus, I really can't see buying a car before the weather gets warm.. It's brutal, right now... and, starting my car up cold once per day (at work), is about all I can handle...

There is always another car available..down the road..

jayrider

If you find one in suede that is worn you can always swap it out for custom leather. Just make sure the buy price accounts for about a grand for a nice set with install. If you have patience or have a relative who knows how to upholster[and owes you] you can save $300. Would have to be a long term own to make it worth it unless you can get the deal of the century -- posters say they get those all the time in other discussions.

qbrozen

Just how the hell do I get myself to stop looking?

I think I found exactly what I want.

It is cheap, though, which makes me wonder what is wrong. Seems to be priced only about $1500 over wholesale.

stever

Buying cars is probably cheaper than therapy. More fun too. :shades:

fezo

If you'd like to get talked out of that one just wait until roadburner chimes in. :surprise:

im_brentwood

Q,

it is cheap. If you're serious I could look it over for you... Probably Tuesday Morning if it's still there.

I'm off on Thursdays but this week Im off to Florida for 2 days.

tifighter

It is cheap for the spec and miles. It was in accident, though, so a buyer's inspection from your friendly local mechanic might be a good plan.

roadburner

If you'd like to get talked out of that one just wait until roadburner chimes in.

I'm trying to cut back. Every time I even think about the car it raises my BP.
:mad:

im_brentwood

Be real and I mean REAL careful about judging ANY car based on a Carfax report...

I have seen PLENTY of cars that have had serious damage and have clean Carfax/Autocheck reports and PLENTY of cars with "Accident" reports that never had any damage worth mentioning.

I have a Certified Avalon on my showroom floor that has an accident on its' history report... when I bought it the back bumper cover was scuffed, I had the original bumper skin repainted for $120. No other paintwork on the car.

Meanwhile I have an 06 Avalon at the auction right now. Clean Carfax and Autocheck, right front fender, hood, bumper, bumper support, front part of the Apron were all replaced. Right front frame rail has clamp marks on it.

Now, which car would YOU want?

anonymousposts

Gee stopped by the local Honda dealer today to get a price check on a minor repair for his Prelude. I had just left a meeting so I met him there in my Camry. I have to say that having the Camry there side-by-side with the Accords made me glad I got rid of my Accord and happy to be in the Camry.

The Camry gives nothing up to the Accord in suspension tuning and is MUCH MUCH quieter than the Accord, gets the same gas mileage with an automatic, has more comfortable seats, and seems to have slightly higher build quality. I did like my Accord but overall the Camry seems like the better car between the two.

im_brentwood

From what I see on the Accord vs Camry debate... and from customer feedback..

If we lose a sale to an Accord, aside from pricing, it's generally down to people considering the Accord to be "Sportier" and people find the Camry to be more comfortable and cushy than the Accord. I'll also agree on fit and finish, but let's face it, they are both well made cars. What surprised me when I started at Toyota was how few Accords I have been appraising.

I am finding that people really are beginning to cross-shop us against the Malibu an awful lot lately.

tifighter

I agree, though it depends on what it says. Different states have different rules about accident reporting.

I was looking at a 3 Grand Touring a few weeks ago that seemed great, but when the Carfax showed an accident with an airbag deployment, I didn't bother any further with it. The body and paint could have been showroom, but there are too many cars out there to pick from to gamble with that. IMHO

kyfdx

That car is already off the website... What was it?

qbrozen

Huh. I'll be damned.

It was an '04 Mazda3 5-spd hatch with 67k miles for $7995.

Thanks for the offer anyway, brentwood.

fezo

brentwwod bought it himself..... :P

roadburner

The dealer ended the eBay auction early, so it looks like the sled is gone. In retrospect it's probably for the best; I think I'll be happier with a car that has a full service history. Now I don't know what I'll get. I need RWD, four usable seats, a manual transmission, acceleration appreciably better than the MS3- which means a 0-60 in under five seconds(or better), and the durability to serve as my HPDE car. It probably will come down to either another M5 or an E46 M3.
I guess I'll sell the MS3 to Carmax. I suppose $13k is a pretty good price for a 52,000 mile Mazdaspeed Grand Touring that needs tires now and front brakes soon...

im_brentwood

It's not a matter of state laws, it's a matter of who sells their data to Carfax and/or Autocheck. Regardless, Autocheck is a lot like Black Book or Galves, the public doesn't use it but the industry tends to. It's what you should be using.

Westchester County, NY has been selling their accident data to Carfax for less than 24 months, some states don't sell their data, some counties don't, etc.

And if a car's hit hard enough to blow an airbag, it's probably got structural damage, if the car was bought at an auction, the buyer almost certainly knew it.

im_brentwood

Nah, I can buy one at the Auction for less :P

Here's a funny story for ya.

Cadillac lease ends (My beloved STS) GMAC is no longer leasing Cadillacs, I can go through US Bank, get another one. From $500/mo to $850/mo with a pile out of pocket.

No.

Residual is $26,600 Galves is $14,500, MMR $15500-16k. I'm sure TMV trade in was $18500 but who's counting LOL

OK, so this isn't gonna happen.

I want another XJ8. So I find the right one, bought it online at a dealer auction website, paid about $5-700 more than I should have but it had no paintwork, was clean, and it was Black/Tan and had Navi. Not like these things grow on trees either so I bit the bullet and bought it.

ok, done deal. And I bought it at Manheim Nashville so I got a nice Southern car, right?

Well, after I buy it turns out it was a lease return out of Long Island!

anonymousposts

The residual was $26,600? Was the lease residual inflated as a way for GMAC to subsidize the lease or were they just that far off on the residual?

fezo

Well, after I buy it turns out it was a lease return out of Long Island!

Lawn Guyland! Gee, you could have saved a lot of trouble and bought it before it's Nashville trip! Does it come with nice steer horns on it like a good ol' country Lincoln?

qbrozen

Geesh. Sorry, guys. It seems as though, between the facebook updates, emails, and phone calls regarding the matter, I failed to post a very important detail for my Edmunds friends. On 1/5 at 3:50am, my 2nd son was born.

Other than the fact that it makes me want a roomier car even more, there are 2 things that make this car related. The first is that my wife actually agreed to my choice for his middle name. The second is his resulting room decor.

Here is the paintscheme in the room of Ricardo Enzo:

roadburner

Congratulations! Glad to see you are starting him off right!
My 15 year old son is a sports fan/basketball player first, but he also likes cars. He started at age 1 with a BMW Baby Racer and by age 3 he was in a Power Wheels Jeep. Now he wants to help install the radiator, Recaros, and the refurbished heater box in my 1975 2002. I think he wants it to be "his" car when he starts driving. With no P/S or A/C I wonder how long that enthusiasm will last.

michaellno

q - congratulations on the expanding family! How in the world did you get your wife to agree to "Enzo" as your new son's middle name?

And, you're right ... given the issues you've mentioned regarding the car seats in the MB, you'll want to get something just a tad bigger. I know you've got the Mazda 5 for family trips, but a second car to haul the kids around it would be a necessity, I should think.

Hey, any excuse to go car shopping!

Speaking of sons, I'll be in CA next week to visit my folks and my son. It will be the first chance for me to see his "new" Mustang - the '97 or '98 V6 with the automatic (yeah, I know, a secretary's car).

I believe he got some accessories for it as holiday gifts, so I'll get some pictures and post if I get a chance.

ghulet

Congratulations, Pops!! Your son shares a birthday with my longest-term (still younger than me, dammit) friend.
I think we were all indoctrinated with a love of cars from our parent(s), both in my case. I could identify most cars by age 3. The encouragement is always good.
Does the 190E have a rear-seat center seat belt (it must, right?)? If so, that's the way to go with the baby seat, IMO, though I guess it'd render the rest of the back seat sorta useless, and I can't recall if you're hauling two car seats now?

qbrozen

Yup. 2 seats. So its kinda unavoidable. I found that the rear facing seat is better off behind me, believe it or not, because my soon-to-be-4-year-old's feet take up more room than I can surrender on the driver's side. With the rear-facing seat, I raise the headrest all the way up and the lip of the seat squeezes under it, giving me a tad more room. Thing is, I will have to transport the 2 of them to daycare every day, so, yeah, room is going to be important.

I was going to take a look at that low mileage P5 fezo and I talked about a couple of weeks back, but it is off the website, so it seems it is now gone, too.

corvette

Maybe your wife will let you borrow the Mazda5?