I did an oil change once when I was a kid on my car in the driveway. My friend helped me & luckily he had knowledge about doing it. I basically let him take over and worked out fine. Just usually go to the mechanic now to have any work done as I know he knows his stuff. Would rather just pay him to do things and I know they'll be done right the first time. Still thinking about leasing when this chip issue comes to an end. This way, maintenance issues will be few & far between hopefully and always being under warranty will be a great thing.
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Since we're talking about brakes, my dad had a 1998 GMC Sonoma, bought new. Went back to the dealer multiple times under warranty for brake vibration. I think they machined the rotors at least once, and probably twice. The last time it went in, the dealer informed him there was a TSB for the problem, and they were replacing the pads and rotors with updated parts at no charge. I am almost certain the truck went the rest of its 150,000 mile tenure in our family without having any brake work done, so this was 100% a case of GM using inferior parts to save a few cents and not someone being rough on the brakes.
I once changed the front pads on a minivan (this was ~15 years ago) in the parking lot of a time share near Winter Park, CO. Got the pads at the local CarQuest in Granby, and all was well -- took maybe 45 minutes and the car's jack.
WMMV. I now know better than to say much more.
Yeah, save your breath. This place seems to have a bunch of wousses yet they call themselves car guys.
jmonroe
Some others wet their pants at the thought of having to change a fuse- or so I've heard...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
people do what they feel comfortable with, and safe doing. Where the cost/benefit ratio makes it an easy call.
People spend $1,000/year to have their lawn mowed, $5,000+ to have the house painted inside, and $100s to have their taxes done. No real person should pay to have any of these things done without feeling ashamed, right?
@stickguy said:
people do what they feel comfortable with, and safe doing. Where the cost/benefit ratio makes it an easy call.
People spend $1,000/year to have their lawn mowed, $5,000+ to have the house painted inside, and $100s to have their taxes done. No real person should pay to have any of these things done without feeling ashamed, right?
Yeah, especially that tax thing.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
@stickguy said:
people do what they feel comfortable with, and safe doing. Where the cost/benefit ratio makes it an easy call.
People spend $1,000/year to have their lawn mowed, $5,000+ to have the house painted inside, and $100s to have their taxes done. No real person should pay to have any of these things done without feeling ashamed, right?
I fix most of what breaks around the houses and have tackled quite a few car repairs in my day as well. Now I pay a premium to have both cars under warranty. I have a confession… I have never even checked the oil on either car in my garage. Washing and setting the tire pressure is about as far as I go these days.
Lawn? Yeah I pay someone to do that. Simply don’t have the time and the new house lot is just large enough that doing it with the little push mower I have would really suck.
@stickguy said:
people do what they feel comfortable with, and safe doing. Where the cost/benefit ratio makes it an easy call.
People spend $1,000/year to have their lawn mowed, $5,000+ to have the house painted inside, and $100s to have their taxes done. No real person should pay to have any of these things done without feeling ashamed, right?
I think you have to put jmonroe’s comment in context. A guy who claims to be an enthusiast who is afraid to change a fuse is akin to a person who claims to be a high end audio fan yet only listens to an Alexa.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Skills, of course, play into this but everyone values their time and money different.
Consider what forum we are in. There are many of us that haven’t held on to a car long enough for it to need an oil change or tire rotation and even if it does its likely covered by dealership freebies. Personally, I don’t mess with brakes and what I consider heavy mechanical items. I just don’t have the skills or tools. I don’t have a problem changing bulbs, doing small modifications etc. When I have time, I love to wash and detail a car. Its instant gratification and a perfect time to just zone out and get into the task.
House wise, again I pick and chose. Changing a light fixture is no problem but any other electrical work, I leave to a pro. Same with plumbing. I’ll paint a small room but our 2 story entry? Sorry no. I feel the same about yard work as washing a car. Kinda like it and it’s therapeutic. Now spreading 50+ bales of pine straw, nope.
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
Not sure who the fuse comment was directed to. Though on some modern cars even that isn’t simple, with multiple boxes and some pretty well hidden! Unfortunately, working on cars just isn’t as simple as back in the 60s.
I just watched an FCP euro video on doing rear pads on a Volvo. Requires special tricks to even get the caliper off because of the electronic parking brake. Dealers use a scan tool.
@au1994 said:
Skills of course play into this but everyone values their time and money different.
Consider what forum we are in. There are many of us that haven’t held on to a car long enough for it to need an oil change or tire rotation and even if it does its likely covered by dealership freebies. Personally, I don’t mess with brakes and what I consider heavy mechanical items. I just don’t have the skills or tools. I don’t have a problem changing bulbs, doing small modifications etc. When I have time I love to wash and detail a car. Its instant gratification and a perfect time to just zone out and get into the task.
House wise, again I pick and chose. Changing a light fixture is no problem but any other electrical work, I leave to a pro. Same with plumbing. I’ll paint a small room but our 2 story entry? Sorry no. I feel the same about yard work as washing a car. Kinda like it and it’s therapeutic. Now spreading 50+ bales of pine straw, nope.
We are pretty much the same on this. Some of it comes down to consequences of screwing something up, or opportunity to get hurt doing it. And also cost to have it done. I mow my own lawn but pay to have beds cut and mulched. That is a screaming deal! I also don’t go up high so pay someone to paint the eaves and top trim. But not a bathroom.
On a car, hard to do much damage changing filters or wipers or a bulb.
I don’t think being an enthusiast means you have to do all your own wrenching. Just be in tune with the car, and keep on top of the maintenance. Even if you have a pro do the work, you care about the parts used (and that it gets done). I obsess about shopping for the right tires, but definitely don’t install them. Same with brake parts.
@stickguy said:
Not sure who the fuse comment was directed to. Though on some modern cars even that isn’t simple, with multiple boxes and some pretty well hidden! Unfortunately, working on cars just isn’t as simple as back in the 60s.
I just watched an FCP euro video on doing rear pads on a Volvo. Requires special tricks to even get the caliper off because of the electronic parking brake. Dealers use a scan tool.
That was aimed at the people who claim to be enthusiasts yet in reality only enjoy wearing their car as opposed to driving it. I know one guy in particular who primarily focuses on the nameplate; the car could have the driving dynamics of a diesel Chevette, but if it has the right emblem that nitwit would be as happy as a pig in mud.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
The super bird? He should do fine on that once the wizard has it sorted out. Just don’t see a lot of restomods on verified hemi birds. Wonder if more $ effective to source a correct motor and mostly put it back to authentic?
@stickguy said:
Not sure who the fuse comment was directed to. Though on some modern cars even that isn’t simple, with multiple boxes and some pretty well hidden! Unfortunately, working on cars just isn’t as simple as back in the 60s.
I just watched an FCP euro video on doing rear pads on a Volvo. Requires special tricks to even get the caliper off because of the electronic parking brake. Dealers use a scan tool.
That was aimed at the people who claim to be enthusiasts yet in reality only enjoy wearing their car as opposed to driving it. I know one guy in particular who primarily focuses on the nameplate; the car could have the driving dynamics of a diesel Chevette, but if it has the right emblem that nitwit would be as happy as a pig in mud.
I can see your point. For example, like you and Graphicguy I’m a huge home theater nut. I wouldn’t dream of having anyone setup my system. I even did my first front projection system last year. It was a great learning experience, building/stretching the 120” screen was fun.
@stickguy said:
people do what they feel comfortable with, and safe doing. Where the cost/benefit ratio makes it an easy call.
People spend $1,000/year to have their lawn mowed, $5,000+ to have the house painted inside, and $100s to have their taxes done. No real person should pay to have any of these things done without feeling ashamed, right?
I think you have to put jmonroe’s comment in context. A guy who claims to be an enthusiast who is afraid to change a fuse is akin to a person who claims to be a high end audio fan yet only listens to an Alexa.
Yeah what he said.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
I appreciate everyone's confidence in my complete lack of mechanical skills. While I romanticize about the fact that one day I could very well tackle a job like this, that day IS NOT today. Besides the fact that it is our busy season at work, it is cold out. My garage isn't big enough to close with my truck in it.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
@nyccarguy said:
I appreciate everyone's confidence in my complete lack of mechanical skills. While I romanticize about the fact that one day I could very well tackle a job like this, that day IS NOT today. Besides the fact that it is our busy season at work, it is cold out. My garage isn't big enough to close with my truck in it.
You know Wes isn’t buying that excuse! About the cold.
@stickguy, I would feel more confident if an expert examined the car, to verify it. The registry only asks you to enter some vehicle info. As long as it lines up, I think they will accept it.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
@au1994 said:
Skills, of course, play into this but everyone values their time and money different.
Consider what forum we are in. There are many of us that haven’t held on to a car long enough for it to need an oil change or tire rotation and even if it does its likely covered by dealership freebies. Personally, I don’t mess with brakes and what I consider heavy mechanical items. I just don’t have the skills or tools. I don’t have a problem changing bulbs, doing small modifications etc. When I have time, I love to wash and detail a car. Its instant gratification and a perfect time to just zone out and get into the task.
House wise, again I pick and chose. Changing a light fixture is no problem but any other electrical work, I leave to a pro. Same with plumbing. I’ll paint a small room but our 2 story entry? Sorry no. I feel the same about yard work as washing a car. Kinda like it and it’s therapeutic. Now spreading 50+ bales of pine straw, nope.
I know what you mean about a two story entry. When we moved to SC in ‘92 we had a house built that had a two story entry and a vaulted family room that was a tad over 24 feet at its highest point. I can’t tell you how many times I sat on the couch in that room looking up and wondering how I’d go about painting that ceiling. Kept coming to the same conclusion that I’d need a scaffold like i saw the painters using when it was built. Also kept coming to the same conclusion, “nope, I ain’t doing that”. Fortunately we only lived there for 5 years. Whew.
I also know what you mean about the pine straw too. The first time we had to replace the original pine straw we had it delivered in bulk and dropped in the driveway. It was a pretty large load not 50 bails worth, more like 40 if I had to guess. Took Mrs. j and I about 2 hours to spread it out. I swore up and down that was the last time we’d ever do that again.
Fast forward to a couple years later when a guy with a couple small dump trucks was driving up and down the street looking for a customer for the pine straw he had, “left over from his previous job” (that was the standard line that these guys had). His price was very good but I said I didn’t want it dropped in the driveway. The only way I’d buy it was if he spread it out. The young guy went back to a guy in the other truck (found out later it was his father) and came back said, “I can’t sell it to you at that price if you want it spreaded”. So I asked how much to have it spreaded and he said, “12 bucks for each truck”. I couldn’t say OK any faster than I did.
Yes, there are some things I don’t like doing and renting a scaffold to paint up in the clouds and spreading pine straw are two of them.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
@stickguy, I would feel more confident if an expert examined the car, to verify it. The registry only asks you to enter some vehicle info. As long as it lines up, I think they will accept it.
I'm pretty amazed what you find on the PCA Porsche registry. They have very loose rules about authenticity. I think it varies a lot by make/club.
The DIY conversation is interesting to me. My comfort level and abilities are far inferior to many here, but I do enjoy having worked through various projects in my adult life and having that experience. More of late, I'm trying to find a good balance between projects I take on, and those that I pay a professional to complete.
For instance, I've done some tiling jobs on my own...a bath and laundry room, several backsplash projects and a dog run or two in the garage. But at this point, I don't care to take on any tiling job ever again.
I never have, nor likely ever will, tackle any mechanical project on a car...but I do kinda enjoy changing out things like trim pieces. Like I did on my X3, I swapped out the grill, mirror covers and front fender trim on my wife's M340i last week from the Cerium Gray to Gloss Black. And I've been known to change out a cabin filter.
I mow my lawn, including edging, trimming and weeding. I enjoy it much more now that I'm more freed up from kids' sports due to their increased independence. But I do pay someone to regularly fertilize it.
I had a professional install our dog door, as I did not want to cut through the wall. I also had him install stairs at the dog door on the exterior. Once I saw the extent of what he did, I built the stairs on the inside part of the dog run myself...should have done the outside too. There wasn't much to it.
Speaking of home theaters, I used to be somewhat of an enthusiast and always enjoyed hanging the TVs and putting the systems together on my own.
But we decided to have a more dedicated home theater in this new house and I splurged and had the vendor who had installed all the low-volt wiring complete the home theater. The room wasn't pre-wired for anything, so they had to run the speaker wire through the walls/ceiling, and also from the TV to a backroom where all the components sit.
I knowingly paid a premium to have it all done but am very happy with the results. And also have a managed network in my home that seems to be way overkill, but was more or less required for the install.
The vendor recommended a drywall contractor to patch up the holes they made to run the wire. He came over last night, with his young son in tow. Worked for 3 hours and did a magnificent job with the drywall repairs. He has a day job and does these odd jobs on weekends and evenings...when I asked what I owed him, he replied $180. I happily cut him a check for $250.
people do what they feel comfortable with, and safe doing. Where the cost/benefit ratio makes it an easy call.
People spend $1,000/year to have their lawn mowed, $5,000+ to have the house painted inside, and $100s to have their taxes done. No real person should pay to have any of these things done without feeling ashamed, right?
Well, that depends. I pay to have one of my lawns mowed, but I don't feel ashamed about it. If I flew there every two weeks to do it myself, well, I would *definitely* feel ashamed about that! And, if I just let it go wild while we are not there, then here comes the shame again....
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
On the car front, I've become intrigued with the new GR86/BRZ. The original didn't appeal too much to me, but the new model seems to have matured nicely.
I assume it's a bit more comfortable than a Miata, but I'll have to verify that one of these days.
Civic Si/Integra are also options, as is the new Z. But I commend Subaru/Toyota for continuing to improve and offer their option at the low $30k price point.
I appreciate everyone's confidence in my complete lack of mechanical skills. While I romanticize about the fact that one day I could very well tackle a job like this, that day IS NOT today. Besides the fact that it is our busy season at work, it is cold out. My garage isn't big enough to close with my truck in it.
I'm sorry, it's what out? I think I misread that.....
And, like I noted in my original comment, I don't think this one is worth your time given the limited savings.
--------
For me, a lot of times DIY is 100% about the financial aspect. Yes, I do enjoy mechanical work, but there are many times when I am sorely tempted to just let someone else do it (such as the rear struts on the Q7 last month) were it not for the fact that I need to hold onto the money a lot more than I need to be comfortable by not working in the snow, freezing my hands, etc.
Doing the single income thing for decades as a mediocre nobody has its trade-offs, and this is definitely one of them.
And, while I have always been a DIY type of person, I'm sure I would be more prone to make a mix of decisions if we were in a more financially flexible situation. As it is, I would much rather sacrifice time to save money and tackle a project well than sacrifice the ability to act on other needs/desires/opportunities when they arise.
Sure, I go off the deep end from time to time, and that's why I know how to swim.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
@breld said:
On the car front, I've become intrigued with the new GR86/BRZ. The original didn't appeal too much to me, but the new model seems to have matured nicely.
I assume it's a bit more comfortable than a Miata, but I'll have to verify that one of these days.
Civic Si/Integra are also options, as is the new Z. But I commend Subaru/Toyota for continuing to improve and offer their option at the low $30k price point.
If Subaru only offered an STI version…
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I always enjoy judging other people's decisions, hobbies, and general life choices when I have no context or basis for doing so.
Also, as an aside, the weather in Seattle has been on the cooler side (sub 40-45 many days) and my Jeep seems to be getting stuck in Fuel and Oil Refresh mode. When this happens, the gas engine runs all the time and you cannot drive in true hybrid or electric only mode. I initially thought it had to do with how much I was driving on electric, but actually seems to be a function of the engine not being able to reach an oil temp that the car finds acceptable on a regular basis. Quick look at the forums leads me to believe the threshold may be set too high in the software for the climates where these Jeeps live. Kinda defeats the purpose of having a PHEV if won't run in PHEV mode during the winter...
2025 Jetta GLI Autobahn, 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xE
Oh, that's good to know! I can just imagine how frustrated someone in Alaska might be (assuming they don't live in southeast, which is climatically similar to Seattle).
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Speaking of EVs, up until last night, I had not tried the other drive modes of the Mach-e. Turns out that setting it to the middle mode, whatever that is called, as I already forgot, the car will coast when you lift instead of brake. I informed my wife that "I fixed your main complaint." She was pleased, although it doesn't fix her not being able to see over the hood.
I did try the lowest power mode, but it actually coasts in an unnatural way in that mode. I think maybe it tries to not pull power completely from the motor. As if, maybe, its goal is to make the flow be as seamless as possible? As a result, it will continue along almost as if you've set cruise control. After a couple of seconds it will very slowly lose speed. It made me feel uneasy, so I didn't keep it on very long.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
When you tie everything to computers, unexpected results may happen. Or maybe you can set the expected results. Over at TFL Truck, it was noted that on a particular test, Rams and Jeeps always displayed the same MPG(4.7), which was higher than any other competitor. Helped them win several head to head competitions. Boo.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
Hoovie just spent a lot of money on a car with a murky history. Probably going to cost him a lot when he sells.
I can't believe he okayed $1,500 to replace the air pump that is only used for the vacuum powered pop up headlights. I agree the old setup needed to be replaced, but I think I'd have looked a little harder for a less expensive workaround.
Comments
Still thinking about leasing when this chip issue comes to an end. This way, maintenance issues will be few & far between hopefully and always being under warranty will be a great thing.
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
I wouldn’t say I was cheap but I’m guilty of not wanting to waste my time by letting a garage change my brake pads. Shoot me.
jmonroe
You know I was talking about the sunglasses comment, right?
Oh, I see you don't.
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
That’s what happens when posts run together without so much as a comma. But I agree with you.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
Yeah, save your breath. This place seems to have a bunch of wousses yet they call themselves car guys.
jmonroe
Some others wet their pants at the thought of having to change a fuse- or so I've heard...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Apparently, Ferrari owners prefer street parking in Dallas.
_
_
I told her not to park it there. 😫
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Yes, I believe I heard that same fear of dread conversation a while back.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
People spend $1,000/year to have their lawn mowed, $5,000+ to have the house painted inside, and $100s to have their taxes done. No real person should pay to have any of these things done without feeling ashamed, right?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Yeah, especially that tax thing.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
I fix most of what breaks around the houses and have tackled quite a few car repairs in my day as well. Now I pay a premium to have both cars under warranty. I have a confession… I have never even checked the oil on either car in my garage. Washing and setting the tire pressure is about as far as I go these days.
Lawn? Yeah I pay someone to do that. Simply don’t have the time and the new house lot is just large enough that doing it with the little push mower I have would really suck.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
I think you have to put jmonroe’s comment in context. A guy who claims to be an enthusiast who is afraid to change a fuse is akin to a person who claims to be a high end audio fan yet only listens to an Alexa.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Consider what forum we are in. There are many of us that haven’t held on to a car long enough for it to need an oil change or tire rotation and even if it does its likely covered by dealership freebies. Personally, I don’t mess with brakes and what I consider heavy mechanical items. I just don’t have the skills or tools. I don’t have a problem changing bulbs, doing small modifications etc. When I have time, I love to wash and detail a car. Its instant gratification and a perfect time to just zone out and get into the task.
House wise, again I pick and chose. Changing a light fixture is no problem but any other electrical work, I leave to a pro. Same with plumbing. I’ll paint a small room but our 2 story entry? Sorry no. I feel the same about yard work as washing a car. Kinda like it and it’s therapeutic. Now spreading 50+ bales of pine straw, nope.
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
Not sure who the fuse comment was directed to. Though on some modern cars even that isn’t simple, with multiple boxes and some pretty well hidden! Unfortunately, working on cars just isn’t as simple as back in the 60s.
I just watched an FCP euro video on doing rear pads on a Volvo. Requires special tricks to even get the caliper off because of the electronic parking brake. Dealers use a scan tool.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
We are pretty much the same on this. Some of it comes down to consequences of screwing something up, or opportunity to get hurt doing it. And also cost to have it done. I mow my own lawn but pay to have beds cut and mulched. That is a screaming deal! I also don’t go up high so pay someone to paint the eaves and top trim. But not a bathroom.
On a car, hard to do much damage changing filters or wipers or a bulb.
I don’t think being an enthusiast means you have to do all your own wrenching. Just be in tune with the car, and keep on top of the maintenance. Even if you have a pro do the work, you care about the parts used (and that it gets done). I obsess about shopping for the right tires, but definitely don’t install them. Same with brake parts.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Nice all original 63 Split Window but not a real Vette with the automatic. I’d have to rip it out when I got it.
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/subaru-ascent-outback-legacy-drive-chain-tie-rod-recall
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
That was aimed at the people who claim to be enthusiasts yet in reality only enjoy wearing their car as opposed to driving it. I know one guy in particular who primarily focuses on the nameplate; the car could have the driving dynamics of a diesel Chevette, but if it has the right emblem that nitwit would be as happy as a pig in mud.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Not good for Subaru if they have to start replacing trannies.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Probably going to cost him a lot when he sells.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I can see your point. For example, like you and Graphicguy I’m a huge home theater nut. I wouldn’t dream of having anyone setup my system. I even did my first front projection system last year. It was a great learning experience, building/stretching the 120” screen was fun.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
Who verified it? VIN tags are easy to fake/swap.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Yeah what he said.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
You know Wes isn’t buying that excuse! About the cold.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I would feel more confident if an expert examined the car, to verify it.
The registry only asks you to enter some vehicle info.
As long as it lines up, I think they will accept it.
I know what you mean about a two story entry. When we moved to SC in ‘92 we had a house built that had a two story entry and a vaulted family room that was a tad over 24 feet at its highest point. I can’t tell you how many times I sat on the couch in that room looking up and wondering how I’d go about painting that ceiling. Kept coming to the same conclusion that I’d need a scaffold like i saw the painters using when it was built. Also kept coming to the same conclusion, “nope, I ain’t doing that”. Fortunately we only lived there for 5 years. Whew.
I also know what you mean about the pine straw too. The first time we had to replace the original pine straw we had it delivered in bulk and dropped in the driveway. It was a pretty large load not 50 bails worth, more like 40 if I had to guess. Took Mrs. j and I about 2 hours to spread it out. I swore up and down that was the last time we’d ever do that again.
Fast forward to a couple years later when a guy with a couple small dump trucks was driving up and down the street looking for a customer for the pine straw he had, “left over from his previous job” (that was the standard line that these guys had). His price was very good but I said I didn’t want it dropped in the driveway. The only way I’d buy it was if he spread it out. The young guy went back to a guy in the other truck (found out later it was his father) and came back said, “I can’t sell it to you at that price if you want it spreaded”. So I asked how much to have it spreaded and he said, “12 bucks for each truck”. I couldn’t say OK any faster than I did.
Yes, there are some things I don’t like doing and renting a scaffold to paint up in the clouds and spreading pine straw are two of them.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
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2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
For instance, I've done some tiling jobs on my own...a bath and laundry room, several backsplash projects and a dog run or two in the garage. But at this point, I don't care to take on any tiling job ever again.
I never have, nor likely ever will, tackle any mechanical project on a car...but I do kinda enjoy changing out things like trim pieces. Like I did on my X3, I swapped out the grill, mirror covers and front fender trim on my wife's M340i last week from the Cerium Gray to Gloss Black. And I've been known to change out a cabin filter.
I mow my lawn, including edging, trimming and weeding. I enjoy it much more now that I'm more freed up from kids' sports due to their increased independence. But I do pay someone to regularly fertilize it.
I had a professional install our dog door, as I did not want to cut through the wall. I also had him install stairs at the dog door on the exterior. Once I saw the extent of what he did, I built the stairs on the inside part of the dog run myself...should have done the outside too. There wasn't much to it.
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
But we decided to have a more dedicated home theater in this new house and I splurged and had the vendor who had installed all the low-volt wiring complete the home theater. The room wasn't pre-wired for anything, so they had to run the speaker wire through the walls/ceiling, and also from the TV to a backroom where all the components sit.
I knowingly paid a premium to have it all done but am very happy with the results. And also have a managed network in my home that seems to be way overkill, but was more or less required for the install.
The vendor recommended a drywall contractor to patch up the holes they made to run the wire. He came over last night, with his young son in tow. Worked for 3 hours and did a magnificent job with the drywall repairs. He has a day job and does these odd jobs on weekends and evenings...when I asked what I owed him, he replied $180. I happily cut him a check for $250.
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
I assume it's a bit more comfortable than a Miata, but I'll have to verify that one of these days.
Civic Si/Integra are also options, as is the new Z. But I commend Subaru/Toyota for continuing to improve and offer their option at the low $30k price point.
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
And, like I noted in my original comment, I don't think this one is worth your time given the limited savings.
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For me, a lot of times DIY is 100% about the financial aspect. Yes, I do enjoy mechanical work, but there are many times when I am sorely tempted to just let someone else do it (such as the rear struts on the Q7 last month) were it not for the fact that I need to hold onto the money a lot more than I need to be comfortable by not working in the snow, freezing my hands, etc.
Doing the single income thing for decades as a mediocre nobody has its trade-offs, and this is definitely one of them.
And, while I have always been a DIY type of person, I'm sure I would be more prone to make a mix of decisions if we were in a more financially flexible situation. As it is, I would much rather sacrifice time to save money and tackle a project well than sacrifice the ability to act on other needs/desires/opportunities when they arise.
Sure, I go off the deep end from time to time, and that's why I know how to swim.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
If Subaru only offered an STI version…
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Hehehe.... read this after. You're clearly right on that!
Also, as an aside, the weather in Seattle has been on the cooler side (sub 40-45 many days) and my Jeep seems to be getting stuck in Fuel and Oil Refresh mode. When this happens, the gas engine runs all the time and you cannot drive in true hybrid or electric only mode. I initially thought it had to do with how much I was driving on electric, but actually seems to be a function of the engine not being able to reach an oil temp that the car finds acceptable on a regular basis. Quick look at the forums leads me to believe the threshold may be set too high in the software for the climates where these Jeeps live. Kinda defeats the purpose of having a PHEV if won't run in PHEV mode during the winter...
Let's all hide and watch.
I did try the lowest power mode, but it actually coasts in an unnatural way in that mode. I think maybe it tries to not pull power completely from the motor. As if, maybe, its goal is to make the flow be as seamless as possible? As a result, it will continue along almost as if you've set cruise control. After a couple of seconds it will very slowly lose speed. It made me feel uneasy, so I didn't keep it on very long.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
@28firefighter - I’ve read to reset the oil minder to 100% will restore electric I just reset my daughter’s 4xe and will know shortly if it helps
Or maybe you can set the expected results.
Over at TFL Truck, it was noted that on a particular test, Rams and Jeeps always displayed the same MPG(4.7), which was higher than any other competitor.
Helped them win several head to head competitions. Boo.