Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

Got some awesome news today! My Prelude is ready! I’m so excited! I’m going to pick it up on Friday!

I took the Club Sport out tonight; cars like it and your Prelude will not be seen again. Keeping them in great condition is with every penny.

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

qbrozen said:

Whodathunk finding parts for an American-sold Maserati would be tougher than finding them for a gray market car from a long-retired-from-US manufacturer? I am on my 3rd brake pad order and 2nd AC compressor order. The car has been up on the rack for 1.5 weeks now because I can’t put it back together. Local parts stores say “no dice” and these online places are turning out to be untrustworthy. Surprisingly, I got the right hubs on the first try.

————————————————
That’s downright aggravating.

You might want to ask a Maserati indy shop if they’re willing to tell you who they get parts from. I know this sounds crazy but when Son #1 bought his 2018 X3 a couple years ago the indy shop that he chose to have some work done (alignment and something I can’t remember now) was more than willing to share the names of sites he dealt with (even told him which ones to stay away from) and IIRC, one of the sites he liked was a place where our poster buddy @roadburner says he buys his BMW parts.

It can’t hurt.

jmonroe

Is it even possible to rebuild an AC compressor? Maybe a custom machine shop that could do the work for a price? I know there is a fabrication company down the hill from me that will custom forge just about anything metal. Different speciality but the same idea.

I had the same problem finding parts for my 95’ Mark VIII. Even at only 18 years old Ford didn’t make headlight assemblies or air ride parts any more. The EBay offerings were all defective. Parts were the main reason I got rid of it.

qbrozen

@oldfarmer50 said:
Is it even possible to rebuild an AC compressor? Maybe a custom machine shop that could do the work for a price? I know there is a fabrication company down the hill from me that will custom forge just about anything metal. Different speciality but the same idea.

I had the same problem finding parts for my 95’ Mark VIII. Even at only 18 years old Ford didn’t make headlight assemblies or air ride parts any more. The EBay offerings were all defective. Parts were the main reason I got rid of it.

Yes, rebuilt compressors are a thing. But they need to be able to find the rights parts, such as the clutch.

andres3

nyccarguy said:

@andres3 said:

That's a lot of money for what should be about $350 even for the best. I was hooked up with a Bosch battery for my S4 at around that price and it hasn't let itself be known since. Like I said, the B8.5 S4 is the Honda of Audis.

The B8.5 S4 is the one you have?

Of course. But an evil omen happened today. I have one employee under my direct management and mentorship at work, and this morning I heard his Honda Civic broke down and he needed AAA and might take a "car sick" day.

That's a sign I should make a CCBA punch, have the wife drive the S4 while getting her Tiguan fixed from that incident several months ago, and immediately thereafter sell the S4.

pensfan83

@jmonroe1 can you find out the name of the indy BMW shop your son uses? Thanks!

sda

andres3 said:

sda said:

I have an appointment for the Q5 on Saturday to have the battery replaced. Hard to believe we will have the Q5 5 years next month. My wife and daughter are meeting family later this month in southern GA. My experience with batteries is they generally last around 3-4 years. If the battery in the Q5 is original, we haven't replaced it, it is at least 6 -7 years old. The build date on the car is 9/15. I would feel horrible if the battery failed during the trip. I was quoted $505 at Audi, of which $190 is to program the battery to the vehicle. Sheesh. I suggested to my wife I check with some independent shops that specialize in German cars, but she feels most comfortable with having it replaced at Audi. Happy wife...

That's a lot of money for what should be about $350 even for the best. I was hooked up with a Bosch battery for my S4 at around that price and it hasn't let itself be known since. Like I said, the B8.5 S4 is the Honda of Audis.

andres3 said:

sda said:

I have an appointment for the Q5 on Saturday to have the battery replaced. Hard to believe we will have the Q5 5 years next month. My wife and daughter are meeting family later this month in southern GA. My experience with batteries is they generally last around 3-4 years. If the battery in the Q5 is original, we haven't replaced it, it is at least 6 -7 years old. The build date on the car is 9/15. I would feel horrible if the battery failed during the trip. I was quoted $505 at Audi, of which $190 is to program the battery to the vehicle. Sheesh. I suggested to my wife I check with some independent shops that specialize in German cars, but she feels most comfortable with having it replaced at Audi. Happy wife...

That's a lot of money for what should be about $350 even for the best. I was hooked up with a Bosch battery for my S4 at around that price and it hasn't let itself be known since. Like I said, the B8.5 S4 is the Honda of Audis.

Totally agree, over priced. My wife does not trust anyone to touch the Q5, only the Audi Service dept. If an independent shop messed something up, oh boy.

jmonroe1

sda said:

andres3 said:

sda said:

I have an appointment for the Q5 on Saturday to have the battery replaced. Hard to believe we will have the Q5 5 years next month. My wife and daughter are meeting family later this month in southern GA. My experience with batteries is they generally last around 3-4 years. If the battery in the Q5 is original, we haven't replaced it, it is at least 6 -7 years old. The build date on the car is 9/15. I would feel horrible if the battery failed during the trip. I was quoted $505 at Audi, of which $190 is to program the battery to the vehicle. Sheesh. I suggested to my wife I check with some independent shops that specialize in German cars, but she feels most comfortable with having it replaced at Audi. Happy wife...

That's a lot of money for what should be about $350 even for the best. I was hooked up with a Bosch battery for my S4 at around that price and it hasn't let itself be known since. Like I said, the B8.5 S4 is the Honda of Audis.

andres3 said:

sda said:

I have an appointment for the Q5 on Saturday to have the battery replaced. Hard to believe we will have the Q5 5 years next month. My wife and daughter are meeting family later this month in southern GA. My experience with batteries is they generally last around 3-4 years. If the battery in the Q5 is original, we haven't replaced it, it is at least 6 -7 years old. The build date on the car is 9/15. I would feel horrible if the battery failed during the trip. I was quoted $505 at Audi, of which $190 is to program the battery to the vehicle. Sheesh. I suggested to my wife I check with some independent shops that specialize in German cars, but she feels most comfortable with having it replaced at Audi. Happy wife...

That's a lot of money for what should be about $350 even for the best. I was hooked up with a Bosch battery for my S4 at around that price and it hasn't let itself be known since. Like I said, the B8.5 S4 is the Honda of Audis.

Totally agree, over priced. My wife does not trust anyone to touch the Q5, only the Audi Service dept. If an independent shop messed something up, oh boy.

————————————————-
Dealers never mess up anything but some of them are pretty sloooow. Talk to our poster buddy @mjfloyd1 for more on that.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

pensfan83 said:

@jmonroe1 can you find out the name of the indy BMW shop your son uses? Thanks!

————————————————
My Son hasn’t gotten back to me yet. I guess the flip work has him busy but when he does I’ll get back to you.

I got to thinking about the alignment I mentioned and I now remember that indy guy doesn’t do alignments he just recommended a shop for that. As I understand it, doing a 4 wheel alignment on a BMW SUV is a real process. To do it right they load the seats with the prescribed weight using sand bags. I don’t know what that cost him but I’m sure it wasn’t a $69.95 special. However, my Son is satisfied.

jmonroe

andres3

sda said:

andres3 said:

sda said:

I have an appointment for the Q5 on Saturday to have the battery replaced. Hard to believe we will have the Q5 5 years next month. My wife and daughter are meeting family later this month in southern GA. My experience with batteries is they generally last around 3-4 years. If the battery in the Q5 is original, we haven't replaced it, it is at least 6 -7 years old. The build date on the car is 9/15. I would feel horrible if the battery failed during the trip. I was quoted $505 at Audi, of which $190 is to program the battery to the vehicle. Sheesh. I suggested to my wife I check with some independent shops that specialize in German cars, but she feels most comfortable with having it replaced at Audi. Happy wife...

That's a lot of money for what should be about $350 even for the best. I was hooked up with a Bosch battery for my S4 at around that price and it hasn't let itself be known since. Like I said, the B8.5 S4 is the Honda of Audis.

andres3 said:

sda said:

I have an appointment for the Q5 on Saturday to have the battery replaced. Hard to believe we will have the Q5 5 years next month. My wife and daughter are meeting family later this month in southern GA. My experience with batteries is they generally last around 3-4 years. If the battery in the Q5 is original, we haven't replaced it, it is at least 6 -7 years old. The build date on the car is 9/15. I would feel horrible if the battery failed during the trip. I was quoted $505 at Audi, of which $190 is to program the battery to the vehicle. Sheesh. I suggested to my wife I check with some independent shops that specialize in German cars, but she feels most comfortable with having it replaced at Audi. Happy wife...

That's a lot of money for what should be about $350 even for the best. I was hooked up with a Bosch battery for my S4 at around that price and it hasn't let itself be known since. Like I said, the B8.5 S4 is the Honda of Audis.

Totally agree, over priced. My wife does not trust anyone to touch the Q5, only the Audi Service dept. If an independent shop messed something up, oh boy.

"I told you so!"

andres3

Saw a post online from a guy crying about how he loved his SQ5, just got it a month ago (used), and lo and behold some negligent idiot recklessly totaled it.

He's OK physically health wise, and with a totaled car, consider yourself lucky. There's a lot of SQ5's out there, get another one.

When the car isn't totaled, you are much worse off, you'll be re-victimized by both the insurance company and the body shop. That's 3 victimizations consecutively.

Out of the 3 transgressions, I think the Insurance is the most egregious. Probably because they are the only ones you've been sending big money to previously and currently, and likely for years.

oldfarmer50

I saw my first Cybertruck today. Hideous orange color. Much smaller than I thought. The Rivian trucks are more numerous around here and better looking. I still don’t get the point of them since they don’t tow well.

xwesx

They don't tow well? The reviews I've seen say they tow very well! They can't go very far while towing....

kyfdx

On the plus side with BMW alignments: You'll rarely need one.

jmonroe1

pensfan83 said:

@jmonroe1 can you find out the name of the indy BMW shop your son uses? Thanks!

————————————————
OK, I got the shops name but since I don’t know if I can post the phone number I won’t. However, when I Googled the name, the phone number and particulars show up. My Son thinks he’s a little on the high side but pretty good. His name is Rick.

Snyder Automotive
West Pittsburgh St.
Greensburg, PA

I hope this helps. Good luck.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

xwesx said:

They don't tow well? The reviews I've seen say they tow very well! They can't go very far while towing....

That’s what I mean, towing kills the range. I could tow well also but I would have REALLY poor range.

stickguy

Lots of pick up owners never tow. Especially long distances.

xwesx

True on both of your counts, for sure. I think the trick to owning any vehicle, or perhaps owning the "right" vehicle, is having something that best fits your needs for most circumstances. If I needed (wanted?) a pickup and my requirements were: daily driver, mostly local miles, and only tow locally or never tow, then an all-electric pickup would be high on my list. If I'm not doing one of those things, then I'd really have to consider the cons of choosing EV, and if I'm not doing two of those things, then definitely NOT electric. And, if I'm towing regularly over long distances, it's diesel. Only diesel; no choice and no comparison.

Sandman6472

Second day of rain down South here and saw lots of standing water while just driving home from a doctors appointment. Our rainy season started a bit late but, think we've made up for what we've been lacking now. Suspect that in a few days, all our brown, dried grass will be a nice shade of green.

Today was the first time I wished I had all the safety nannies in my d d as it was pouring on the way down and hard to change lanes. First day I've driven over 10 miles since the middle of last month. Filled the Golf with petrol on May 11th and just under a half a tank right now...been in the house mostly. Gradually feeling better as p t is helping, a lot. Have a balance test scheduled in the next couple of weeks and they are calling in a neurologist in to get his take. Have a feeling I'll be back at work the first of July and we'll see how it goes. I have to do what's best for me health wise and if it means cutting back a day at work or even stopping all together, I just don't know yet. But making no decisions right now and doing the best I can, taking each day as it comes. I'd hate to get back behind the wheel and cause some serious damage to anyone!

tifighter

@xwesx said:
They don't tow well? The reviews I've seen say they tow very well! They can't go very far while towing....

I think I saw more Cybertrucks while at Lake Tahoe than I did, say, Ford Expeditions or something. They were a common sight.

kyfdx

Bulletproof

stickguy

Weak bullets.

andres3

Was it the Cybertruck that got one of the Big 2's panties in a bunch by showing a tug o' war video where the Cybertruck won?

xwesx

andres3 said:

Was it the Cybertruck that got one of the Big 2's panties in a bunch by showing a tug o' war video where the Cybertruck won?

Yes, IIRC, it was Cybertruck vs. Ford F150.

imidazol97

There was a Cybertruck at the area Friday evening cruise-in. First I'd seen one.
My only comment is "why"?

fintail

Paintballs? Tennis balls?

kyfdx

fintail said:

Paintballs? Tennis balls?

Seriously... bullets

qbrozen

@andres3 said:
Was it the Cybertruck that got one of the Big 2's panties in a bunch by showing a tug o' war video where the Cybertruck won?

Turns out Ford had a legit gripe because folks have done the experiment with the production vehicles and it doesn’t work. https://insideevs.com/news/711036/tesla-cybertruck-tug-war-chevy-silverado-diesel/

qbrozen

@oldfarmer50 said:
I saw my first Cybertruck today. Hideous orange color. Much smaller than I thought. The Rivian trucks are more numerous around here and better looking. I still don’t get the point of them since they don’t tow well.

Orange? A wrap, I assume.

stickguy

maybe rust!

corvette

qbrozen said:

Orange? A wrap, I assume.

Kid Rock has one that is wrapped to look like the General Lee.

sda

It seems some dealers are starting to feel the pinch as inventory ramps up. I received this today.
Dear STEVEN,
I hope you are having a great day. My name is Alden and I'm the General Sales Manager here at Volkswagen of South Charlotte. The reason you are getting this email is that we accidentally ordered too many new Volkswagens from the factory and our lot is overflowing. We have more vehicles in stock than we have had in years, and we simply don't have room! Because of this, we are offering every new Volkswagen in stock at INVOICE price THIS WEEK ONLY. That's invoice, not MSRP.

fintail

kyfdx said:

fintail said:

Paintballs? Tennis balls?

Seriously... bullets

BBs?

Actually that would be on point for the dear leader - bulletproof but with numerous other quirks impacting drivability.

kyfdx

fintail said:

kyfdx said:

fintail said:

Paintballs? Tennis balls?

Seriously... bullets

BBs?

Actually that would be on point for the dear leader - bulletproof but with numerous other quirks impacting drivability.

You can Google it..

The vehicle is at the Petersen Museum in L.A.

jmonroe1

qbrozen said:

@andres3 said:

Was it the Cybertruck that got one of the Big 2's panties in a bunch by showing a tug o' war video where the Cybertruck won?

Turns out Ford had a legit gripe because folks have done the experiment with the production vehicles and it doesn’t work. https://insideevs.com/news/711036/tesla-cybertruck-tug-war-chevy-silverado-diesel/

————————————————-
I have a hard time believing anything when I see 2 clowns that just returned from Harbor Freight performing a pull test in a parking lot just to see how many clicks they can get.

Given the intelligence of video watchers, I think I should do a video showing what my Jenny can do. Well, it would be more believable if I did it with Mrs. j’s AWD Legacy.

I might believe what I see IF the test is done by a reputable outfit and they provide some particulars.

C’mon man, enough is enough already with this internet fluff.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

sda said:

It seems some dealers are starting to feel the pinch as inventory ramps up. I received this today.
Dear STEVEN,
I hope you are having a great day. My name is Alden and I'm the General Sales Manager here at Volkswagen of South Charlotte. The reason you are getting this email is that we accidentally ordered too many new Volkswagens from the factory and our lot is overflowing. We have more vehicles in stock than we have had in years, and we simply don't have room! Because of this, we are offering every new Volkswagen in stock at INVOICE price THIS WEEK ONLY. That's invoice, not MSRP.

————————————————-
That email is about as insulting as the pull test I just watched.

jmonroe

qbrozen

@jmonroe1 said:
————————————————-
I have a hard time believing anything when I see 2 clowns that just returned from Harbor Freight performing a pull test in a parking lot just to see how many clicks they can get.

Given the intelligence of video watchers, I think I should do a video showing what my Jenny can do. Well, it would be more believable if I did it with Mrs. j’s AWD Legacy.

I might believe what I see IF the test is done by a reputable outfit and they provide some particulars.

C’mon man, enough is enough already with this internet fluff.

jmonroe

That’s just one link/example. It is widely publicized. It is just the CT’s programming that evidently doesn’t want any wheel spin.

xwesx

corvette said:

qbrozen said:

Orange? A wrap, I assume.

Kid Rock has one that is wrapped to look like the General Lee.

What are you talking about? That's obviously a Dodge Charger.

fintail

kyfdx said:

fintail said:

kyfdx said:

fintail said:

Paintballs? Tennis balls?

Seriously... bullets

BBs?

Actually that would be on point for the dear leader - bulletproof but with numerous other quirks impacting drivability.

You can Google it..

The vehicle is at the Petersen Museum in L.A.

I guess that's a good place for it, like an Edsel but with less charm and optimism.

jmonroe1

qbrozen said:

@jmonroe1 said:

————————————————-

I have a hard time believing anything when I see 2 clowns that just returned from Harbor Freight performing a pull test in a parking lot just to see how many clicks they can get.

Given the intelligence of video watchers, I think I should do a video showing what my Jenny can do. Well, it would be more believable if I did it with Mrs. j’s AWD Legacy.

I might believe what I see IF the test is done by a reputable outfit and they provide some particulars.

C’mon man, enough is enough already with this internet fluff.

jmonroe

That’s just one link/example. It is widely publicized. It is just the CT’s programming that evidently doesn’t want any wheel spin.

————————————————
I’m not trying to argue with you but just because the internet is full of tests being done by click gathering shade tree mechanics, that doesn’t inspire validity of the test as far as I’m concerned.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

kyfdx said:

fintail said:

kyfdx said:

fintail said:

Paintballs? Tennis balls?

Seriously... bullets

BBs?

Actually that would be on point for the dear leader - bulletproof but with numerous other quirks impacting drivability.

You can Google it..

The vehicle is at the Petersen Museum in L.A.

————————————————-
I should have asked this before but why is bullet riddled Cyber Truck in a museum?

jmonroe

Michaell

Checked with the Kia dealer - the Sportage PHEV we have our eyes on is expected to arrive early next week.

Next step is to arrange for a test drive, so that the daughter can see (and approve of) the color and get a feel for the driving dynamics. I should probably ask them to ensure that it can be driven in pure EV mode on the test drive.

suydam

Michaell said:

Checked with the Kia dealer - the Sportage PHEV we have our eyes on is expected to arrive early next week.

Next step is to arrange for a test drive, so that the daughter can see (and approve of) the color and get a feel for the driving dynamics. I should probably ask them to ensure that it can be driven in pure EV mode on the test drive.

Unlike the Volt, I don’t notice a big difference between gas and EV mode. It’s very smooth either way. I’m also not sure it’s ever in pure EV mode, I’d call it “mostly EV” mode. We have had ours 3 months now and just put some gas in it once.
The hard thing to get used to is that climate and infotainment are controlled by the same buttons! Try to turn down the volume and it’s freezing because you forgot to change the tiny icon from climate to infotainment! We have adjusted to this by using voice assistant for practically everything, and I actually prefer that now as you never have to take your eyes off the road.
Will be interested to hear her impressions.

oldfarmer50

sda said:

It seems some dealers are starting to feel the pinch as inventory ramps up. I received this today.
Dear STEVEN,
I hope you are having a great day. My name is Alden and I'm the General Sales Manager here at Volkswagen of South Charlotte. The reason you are getting this email is that we accidentally ordered too many new Volkswagens from the factory and our lot is overflowing. We have more vehicles in stock than we have had in years, and we simply don't have room! Because of this, we are offering every new Volkswagen in stock at INVOICE price THIS WEEK ONLY. That's invoice, not MSRP.

That’s assuming invoice means the same thing to you as it does to the dealer.

As an aside, my son just passed thru Charlotte and was nearly stranded there after his flight from Las Vegas was delayed 4 hours and he missed his connection. That’s a pretty good sized airport you have there although the kid says the Vegas airport is bigger.

qbrozen

@jmonroe1 said:
————————————————
I’m not trying to argue with you but just because the internet is full of tests being done by click gathering shade tree mechanics, that doesn’t inspire validity of the test as far as I’m concerned.

jmonroe

Agreed. I trust nothing Elon posts.

ab348

qbrozen said:

@jmonroe1 said:

————————————————

I’m not trying to argue with you but just because the internet is full of tests being done by click gathering shade tree mechanics, that doesn’t inspire validity of the test as far as I’m concerned.

jmonroe

Agreed. I trust nothing Elon posts.

I trust nothing Hoovie posts either but last night I ended up watching his latest video where he roasts Elon and Tesla for his Cybertruck experience. Long story short, he was unhappy with the whole experience, from the build quality of the thing to the lack of features that were promised when he put down his deposit initially so he unloaded it. Nothing he does makes much sense but I had to agree with that move. He now has a Cadillac Lyriq.

Michaell

suydam said:

Michaell said:

Checked with the Kia dealer - the Sportage PHEV we have our eyes on is expected to arrive early next week.

Next step is to arrange for a test drive, so that the daughter can see (and approve of) the color and get a feel for the driving dynamics. I should probably ask them to ensure that it can be driven in pure EV mode on the test drive.

Unlike the Volt, I don’t notice a big difference between gas and EV mode. It’s very smooth either way. I’m also not sure it’s ever in pure EV mode, I’d call it “mostly EV” mode. We have had ours 3 months now and just put some gas in it once.
The hard thing to get used to is that climate and infotainment are controlled by the same buttons! Try to turn down the volume and it’s freezing because you forgot to change the tiny icon from climate to infotainment! We have adjusted to this by using voice assistant for practically everything, and I actually prefer that now as you never have to take your eyes off the road.
Will be interested to hear her impressions.

Do you have a level 2 charger, or are you just using a 120V outlet to charge? If the latter, how long does it take to charge?

laurasdada

Hello, Michaell:
Just as another point of reference, with my 120v garage outlet, it takes 12-16 hours to fully charge the A7 Duracells. 14.1 kwh battery, IIRC, EPA estimated 24 miles on a full tank. I've gone as far as 29 miles while the dinosaur sleeps tonight.

qbrozen

@ab348 said:
I trust nothing Hoovie posts either but last night I ended up watching his latest video where he roasts Elon and Tesla for his Cybertruck experience. Long story short, he was unhappy with the whole experience, from the build quality of the thing to the lack of features that were promised when he put down his deposit initially so he unloaded it. Nothing he does makes much sense but I had to agree with that move. He now has a Cadillac Lyriq.

Guess he got rid of his Ford Lightning before getting the CT? So he learned an electric truck couldn’t meet his needs but got another one. Yup, that’s a YouTuber for ya.

kyfdx

It's weird, but the anecdotal reports show that full EVs are more efficient at recharging on 120V than the PHEV models.

Michaell

laurasdada said:

Hello, Michaell:
Just as another point of reference, with my 120v garage outlet, it takes 12-16 hours to fully charge the A7 Duracells. 14.1 kwh battery, IIRC, EPA estimated 24 miles on a full tank. I've gone as far as 29 miles while the dinosaur sleeps tonight.

Thanks for this - The battery in the Sportage PHEV is 13.8 Kwh, so I would assume it would take the same amount of time, but the range is estimated at 34 miles.

Weight? German inefficiency? Who knows....