Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

henryn

qbrozen said:

@andres3 said:

So I test drove a TSX Sport Wagon with 168,000 miles. Was reasonably clean for the age and mileage inside and out. Definitely not a spring chicken though (2012).

So for the armchair mechanics out there, what might cause a car to shudder/vibrate/intermittent power feeling a bit under load (mid to high RPM) at speed on the freeway or elsewhere? Is the engine on its last legs? Bad motor mounts? Auto Transmission (5-speed) way past its notoriously short lifespan?

I suppose it could just be spark plugs and/or coils but no codes were thrown.

This 2012 has it all too; even a back up cam and DVD audio player.

Tough to tell from here, but no CEL certainly would point to it being mechanical rather than electrical. Transaxle seems like an appropriate starting point.

In my limited experience, a misfire does not necessarily trigger a CEL (Check Engine Light). Maybe yes, maybe no. But it definitely should trigger an error code which will be stored, and something you can read with any diagnostic scanner.

Which is not to say it couldn't easily be something in the transmission / transaxle. Modern transmissions have a great deal of electronics embedded or associated. I remember when Ford first went to lock-up torque converters, they had a lot of issues that would be covered under the description above.

corvette

The Pontiac G6 I had (which got bought back under the lemon law) never threw a CEL, despite the transmission shuddering under load (and under engine braking). I had it about 10-12,000 miles. No idea how long it might have gone before things got bad enough to trigger a CEL.

qbrozen

a misfire should 100% trigger a CEL.

corvette

I’m not a sportsball fan, and don’t see a lot of TV commercials, but happened to catch Nissan’s “countdown to the final four” ad at my local pub just now, and thought it was neat. Nothing compared to the iconic “Barbie” 300ZX ad, though.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L8QKK5IDSXE

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

@andres3 said:

So I test drove a TSX Sport Wagon with 168,000 miles. Was reasonably clean for the age and mileage inside and out. Definitely not a spring chicken though (2012).

So for the armchair mechanics out there, what might cause a car to shudder/vibrate/intermittent power feeling a bit under load (mid to high RPM) at speed on the freeway or elsewhere? Is the engine on its last legs? Bad motor mounts? Auto Transmission (5-speed) way past its notoriously short lifespan?

I suppose it could just be spark plugs and/or coils but no codes were thrown.

This 2012 has it all too; even a back up cam and DVD audio player.

Tough to tell from here, but no CEL certainly would point to it being mechanical rather than electrical. Transaxle seems like an appropriate starting point.

Unless somebody cleared the codes.

roadburner

When the Clubman would misfire intermittently the CEL would turn off when the misfire stopped. No OBD2 faults were stored; the faults could only be recovered using my BMW/MINI compatible scan tools.

ronsteve

@kyfdx said:
I had my last smartphone for five years. This one is only two years old? (iPhone 12 mini). By the time I need a phone, it will be the iPhone 18.

I had my last Samsung for 5 years. My current iPhone is almost 2 years old and I can hardly wait to go back to Samsung. Counting the days until November

corvette

It's very difficult to separate from the iPhone ecosystem when most of the people you message with use iMessage. I kept my iPhone 6s until it was no longer usable (notification issues with Google Voice and other symptoms indicating it was out of working memory and handling it poorly), probably should have upgraded a little sooner.

Sandman6472

Started with android for about 4 years back in 2013 but then switched to Apple iPhone as I already had a MacBook Pro and an iPad Air. They all are in sync which makes things so much easier. So far, prefer Apple over android. But suspect it's about 50/50 in the world.

tjc78

Worldwide Android is by far the leader in mobile phone operating systems, but here in the US iOS (Apple) has close to a 60% market share.

nyccarguy

tjc78 said:

Worldwide Android is by far the leader in mobile phone operating systems, but here in the US iOS (Apple) has close to a 60% market share.

I can't believe it is only 60%. All I see are people with iPhones.

kyfdx

I'm on a group text for Wordle (six of us). There's always that one guy with an Android.

tjc78

@nyccarguy said:
I can't believe it is only 60%. All I see are people with iPhones.

I agree it seemed light to me too

kyfdx

tjc78 said:

@nyccarguy said:

I can't believe it is only 60%. All I see are people with iPhones.

I agree it seemed light to me too

I think it might be the demographic you hang around with.. All the prepaid plans with the free phones are Android.

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

tjc78 said:

Worldwide Android is by far the leader in mobile phone operating systems, but here in the US iOS (Apple) has close to a 60% market share.

I can't believe it is only 60%. All I see are people with iPhones.

Because the android users are in the closet. lol.
j/k. sort of.

qbrozen

Trying to decide if bidding on an R34 skyline 4-door automatic turbo would incur the wrath of the wife. And, of course, how much to bid perplexes me. The R34 has just become legal this year, so not much data to go on. I know 4 doors hurts, as does the automatic, not to mention not being a full GTR. But it is the top-spec motor for a non-GTR, and it still looks great.

tjc78

I like it! I bet it would sell quickly.

nyccarguy

@qbrozen -

Trying to decide if bidding on an R34 skyline 4-door automatic turbo would incur the wrath of the wife. - It Will. You need to unload some of your existing inventory 1st.

And, of course, how much to bid perplexes me. The R34 has just become legal this year, so not much data to go on. I know 4 doors hurts, as does the automatic, not to mention not being a full GTR. But it is the top-spec motor for a non-GTR, and it still looks great.

How many KM are on the car?

Some of those r32s brought big bucks. That R34 is sharp!

qbrozen

Just so hard to know what it would sell for. I’m kind of thinking like $17k-$18k, but I could also be off either way by a lot.

Has just under 60k miles.

stickguy

so if you decide to bid, cap your bids low so at least if you win, you consider it a steal!

28firefighter

Cool car - wouldn't buy it unless you'd be happy sitting on it or get it cheap enough to unload for little profit. I think Auto and 4 doors seriously limits appeal to the JDM crowd.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

so if you decide to bid, cap your bids low so at least if you win, you consider it a steal!

That's usually the plan.

Regarding that strategy, and this is just one example, there was a 5-door MKII GTI up a few days ago. I did some searching, thought about it, and decided I'd be safe at like $5k. Well, darned thing went for nearly 3 times that!!

qbrozen

28firefighter said:

Cool car - wouldn't buy it unless you'd be happy sitting on it or get it cheap enough to unload for little profit. I think Auto and 4 doors seriously limits appeal to the JDM crowd.

That was the discussion I just had with my son. Had to talk it through with someone who wouldn't simply say "no!" haha.

Here is how the thinking wound up... if I kept it, it would have to replace the Charger. Now, I don't WANT to replace the Charger. But, if I had to, let's say I could squeeze $15k out of that. Where would I want to be on this car that I'd feel OK about it? In my own little world, the Charger should be worth more, at least just to me personally. So I landed on $12k-$12.5k being about right for this car. And I'm SURE I won't get it for that, but I'll throw out that bid anyway.

henryn

qbrozen said:

nyccarguy said:

tjc78 said:

Worldwide Android is by far the leader in mobile phone operating systems, but here in the US iOS (Apple) has close to a 60% market share.

I can't believe it is only 60%. All I see are people with iPhones.

Because the android users are in the closet. lol.
j/k. sort of.

Disagree, respectfully. I have great disdain for Apple and their business model, always have had, and have never been reluctant to say so.

I do wish there was more uniformity in the Android world, but not at the expense of having to do business with Apple.

xwesx

henryn said:

akangl said:

Alright now on to car talk. I’m currently driving a 2023 Tahoe LT with the 5.3L V8, bless its little heart it tries but it’s a lethargic pig. I settled for it and gave up some options that I’m now regretting giving up so I’m thinking hard about selling it and leasing (or buying) something else.

This comment surprises me, quite a bit. As most here know, I recently purchased a '23 Silverado with the 5.3L V8, and it is definitely not a "lethargic pig". I know, based on 0-60 times and 1/4 mile times, that it is in fact slower than my previous F150 with the ecoboost. But driving it, you would never notice the difference. They have this thing tuned for very fast throttle response, so it feels quite zippy.

Before buying the Silverado, I drove it, twice, back to back with a Ram 1500 with the 5.7L Hemi. The Hemi was undoubtedly faster, full throttle, but based on part throttle response just driving normally, the 5.3 actually felt faster.

Perhaps that Tahoe has an entirely different "engine tune", with much slower throttle response? The Tahoe really shouldn't weight that much more, Silverado yes, Tahoe no. Or the rear end gearing?

I think you have to consider where she's coming from.... After a Trailhawk (a 700HP Hellcat engine in a Grand Cherokee) and pair of Explorer STs (the turbocharged high-performance version of the Explorer), I imagine its really hard to go back to something that just has solid performance (from a layman's perspective). When one grows accustomed to a zero-to-sixty time well under six seconds, a tawdry seven seconds over the same acceleration range is downright snoozeville!

kyfdx

That's the Trackhawk

Trailhawk has the same engines as every other Grand Cherokee.

ab348

henryn said:

I do wish there was more uniformity in the Android world, but not at the expense of having to do business with Apple.

They're all bad in their own way. Apple, MS, Google, Samsung, LG, and the gazillion Chinese outfits that make this stuff. Pick your poison.

henryn

ab348 said:

henryn said:

I do wish there was more uniformity in the Android world, but not at the expense of having to do business with Apple.

They're all bad in their own way. Apple, MS, Google, Samsung, LG, and the gazillion Chinese outfits that make this stuff. Pick your poison.

It's like the many people who are upset over Microsoft gathering information through Windows. You are being tracked, the giant tech companies know more about you than you could ever imagine. If you spend any time on Facebook, they have your number, right down to the last decimal point. And they are not reluctant to share / sell any or all of that information. Use Gmail? Same story with Google. Use Windows? Microsoft owns you, face it.

jmonroe1

qbrozen said:

Trying to decide if bidding on an R34 skyline 4-door automatic turbo would incur the wrath of the wife. And, of course, how much to bid perplexes me. The R34 has just become legal this year, so not much data to go on. I know 4 doors hurts, as does the automatic, not to mention not being a full GTR. But it is the top-spec motor for a non-GTR, and it still looks great.

————————————————
Google says you can show it or track it but it’s not “street legal”. Is that true?

jmonroe

andres3

xwesx said:

henryn said:

akangl said:

Alright now on to car talk. I’m currently driving a 2023 Tahoe LT with the 5.3L V8, bless its little heart it tries but it’s a lethargic pig. I settled for it and gave up some options that I’m now regretting giving up so I’m thinking hard about selling it and leasing (or buying) something else.

This comment surprises me, quite a bit. As most here know, I recently purchased a '23 Silverado with the 5.3L V8, and it is definitely not a "lethargic pig". I know, based on 0-60 times and 1/4 mile times, that it is in fact slower than my previous F150 with the ecoboost. But driving it, you would never notice the difference. They have this thing tuned for very fast throttle response, so it feels quite zippy.

Before buying the Silverado, I drove it, twice, back to back with a Ram 1500 with the 5.7L Hemi. The Hemi was undoubtedly faster, full throttle, but based on part throttle response just driving normally, the 5.3 actually felt faster.

Perhaps that Tahoe has an entirely different "engine tune", with much slower throttle response? The Tahoe really shouldn't weight that much more, Silverado yes, Tahoe no. Or the rear end gearing?

I think you have to consider where she's coming from.... After a Trailhawk (a 700HP Hellcat engine in a Grand Cherokee) and pair of Explorer STs (the turbocharged high-performance version of the Explorer), I imagine its really hard to go back to something that just has solid performance (from a layman's perspective). When one grows accustomed to a zero-to-sixty time well under six seconds, a tawdry seven seconds over the same acceleration range is downright snoozeville!

Horsepower-itis is a real condition. However, there is a cure.

48 hours in a something low powered and slow will do the trick; something like a base model Jetta or Subaru 2.0 without a turbo will cure you. It resets your butt dyno calibration.

qbrozen

@jmonroe1 said:
————————————————
Google says you can show it or track it but it’s not “street legal”. Is that true?

jmonroe

No. It is a ‘98, which just became legal for 2023.

28firefighter

Took the N in for its first oil change. I planned all along to take it in at the 6 month mark (I'm a month late) for a break-in oil change and to get a recall done to give me my second key FOB. Turns out, pleasant surprise, Hyundai includes a 6 month oil change on this car - at least for the first year so it was a free synthetic oil change. I guess I'm one of the first Elantra Ns they've had in for service because they had my paperwork pulled before I walked in the door. Unfortunately because the N has a special key FOB with the N logo on it, they had to order the part - it'll be in later this week and they told me just to swing by whenever and they'll handle it.

Pleasantly surprised with the customer service level given this is Hyundai.

tjc78

My Hyundai dealer was fantastic. Hard to believe but on par or better than my Volvo dealer.

Sandman6472

I like that R34, but figured y'all would know that. And with 60K on the clock, I'd buy it in a heartbeat! But, just not what I'm looking for right now. Have finally come to realize that I do want something newer, be it either Japanese or Korean and the R34 would fit the bill nicely. And though I'd prefer new, for the right pre-owned, model, I'd take it. And would enjoy it for years to come.
Would work for me right now, and love it. Have been driving the Accent for the last few days & really do enjoy it. Easy to toss around though a bit tired of the Hyundai lugging in their 4-cylinder turbo. Good fuel numbers though not having Sirius/XM isn't really that bad. Have all my tunes in the iPhone so am ok there also Taking it to work tomorrow & then onto downtown Ft. Lauderdale after work to pick up the kid at the courthouse. Has a full tank of petrol thank you BJ's since an hour ago, so nothing to worry about. Luckily, the nearest BJ's isn't too far from the house or from work for that matter & plan to get one of their credit cards to save an additional $.15/gallon which ain't too bad. Just around $3.17 right now, which ain't that bad, located just near the county border of Broward and Palm Beach County. Got some put into the Accent after dinner tonight since I drove it down to the courthouse this morning about 6:30 am. There was plenty of traffic at that early time, the first Monday morning since we switched over to daylights savings time on Saturday night. Hopefully we'll be able to stay here going forward instead of changing every 6 months or so...gets to be a real pain in the butt honestly.

Sandman6472

We like our local Hyundai store especially since it's so close & all. Really have a good feeling about buying the 2024 Hyundai model there in a few months & turns out my saleslady is still working there as a co-worker uses her also. Don't want to be the first with the all new 2024 model, the Kona Limited in pearl white over beige interior with the upgraded audio system with 12 speakers. Should look & sound pretty good having the Harmon Kardon system instead of the Infinity speakers. Prefer the interior of the N-Line but such is life in this Limited model, though it only has a smaller amount of speakers, 8 instead of 12 in the Limited model. Would've preferred the Bose system overall, but not offered on this model line to begin with. Having the 5-year bumper to bumper warranty is another benefit also along with the 10-year powertrain warranty, the longest in the industry, again exclusive to both Hyundai & Kia and maybe Mitsubishi also. Think H/K have bought out Mitsubishi though, again something I think happened within the last year or two. So many changes going on that it's very hard to keep track of them all. Not a big Mitsu fan honestly but again, anything is possible into todays changing industry of car manufacturer's.

tifighter

28firefighter said:

Cool car - wouldn't buy it unless you'd be happy sitting on it or get it cheap enough to unload for little profit. I think Auto and 4 doors seriously limits appeal to the JDM crowd.

These are true points. But, if you got this on BaT etc, I'd think there's going to be someone who wants to have one of the first R34s in the US. I'll guess it brings more than the $12K bid, auto or not. Too bad it isn't purple.

xwesx

kyfdx said:

That's the Trackhawk

Trailhawk has the same engines as every other Grand Cherokee.

Sorry; you heard what I meant. LOL

qbrozen

Skyline went to about $15k.

stickguy

How much is shipping and paperwork (to import) on top of that?

qbrozen

Would have hit my doorstep for close to $18k at that bid.

There is another tonight. One step down in trim, but still the turbo 2.5 and fewer miles. I'm throwing in the same bid. Ya never know.

Michaell

Is buying a used MINI as much of a risk as this member thinks?

henryn

Michaell said:

Is buying a used MINI as much of a risk as this member thinks?

I would tend to say "Yes". But that's based on just what I've heard and read, mostly here in these forums. With no personal knowledge, I will stay out of that debate.

When I was young, I owned a number of "fun cars". They cost more to own, more to maintain, and gave me more trouble, but I don't regret a bit of it.

ON EDIT: Looking back on it, fast cars and fast women consumed all of my time, energy, and money when I was young. But like the man said, "Ain't it great!"

stickguy

one thing with the Mini that helps is to stick with the NA engine (which this poster was asking about). Much less to go wrong, and a lot easier to work on. Still going to have some of the typical wear out items of course.

andres3

stickguy said:

one thing with the Mini that helps is to stick with the NA engine (which this poster was asking about). Much less to go wrong, and a lot easier to work on. Still going to have some of the typical wear out items of course.

There's still plenty that can go wrong in a NA engine car.

kyfdx

Don't tell us.. tell him

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

Trying to decide if bidding on an R34 skyline 4-door automatic turbo would incur the wrath of the wife. And, of course, how much to bid perplexes me. The R34 has just become legal this year, so not much data to go on. I know 4 doors hurts, as does the automatic, not to mention not being a full GTR. But it is the top-spec motor for a non-GTR, and it still looks great.

Is this a personal toy purchase or for the business. If a business buy then the only question is will someone pay you more.

If it’s personal you can always tell the wife you bought it as a gift for her.

stickguy

still monitoring Carvana. Up to 15 days since I dropped it off (and 13 since the finance company got the payoff and processed the lien release, which I got a copy of a few days ago) and they still have not listed it on the website. They add another 1-2 lariats most days too, just not mine.

currently they have 110 Mavericks listed (plus some unknown number in processing). 26 of the 110 are lariats. None of which look to be listed for less than $40k.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

still monitoring Carvana. Up to 15 days since I dropped it off (and 13 since the finance company got the payoff and processed the lien release, which I got a copy of a few days ago) and they still have not listed it on the website. They add another 1-2 lariats most days too, just not mine.

currently they have 110 Mavericks listed (plus some unknown number in processing). 26 of the 110 are lariats. None of which look to be listed for less than $40k.

Maybe they sent it directly to auction?

stickguy

could have. No idea why they would have. I am assuming they are just kind slow getting them listed.

they even have one listing up today for a pre-order without any pictures.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

Trying to decide if bidding on an R34 skyline 4-door automatic turbo would incur the wrath of the wife. And, of course, how much to bid perplexes me. The R34 has just become legal this year, so not much data to go on. I know 4 doors hurts, as does the automatic, not to mention not being a full GTR. But it is the top-spec motor for a non-GTR, and it still looks great.

Is this a personal toy purchase or for the business. If a business buy then the only question is will someone pay you more.

If it’s personal you can always tell the wife you bought it as a gift for her.

Business. But, as detailed above, I have no idea what it would fetch retail here, so I try to prepare myself.