Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

sda

@Sandman6472 said:
Fuel gauge is working fine again but in the video the tech made for me, mentioned my front brake pads are at 5 mm right now, original factory pads, & the coolant has been diluted. He recommended that I change the pads for new ones and flush the coolant system. The temp gauge on the dash is still in the middle at 280 degrees and never goes above that. And after looking at my records, seems like the last time the coolant was changed was at 35,965 miles when the water pump went and they replaced it under warranty, that and the thermostat.

My question here is do I need to do the coolant flush as recommended and replace the older brake pads sooner then later? He even mentioned that the pads aren't something I need to do like yesterday but after checking online, seems they are at about half way used. Read that new brake pads are at between 12 mm and 10 mm when brand new. Since I'm going to be keeping the Golf for the time being, have no issues doing these two things now but can I wait a bit to actually doing them?

Do the coolant service. You can hold off on the brake pads as they still have good thickness.

graphicguy

nyccarguy said:

graphicguy said:

Well...headed to my Mickey D's for a free coffee for those 55+ on Wednesdays. A block over is the records and tax division. Headed there and asked them about my property conundrum. As long as I inform the city, in writing, that the neighbor's fence is on my property, and I inform the neighbor of that fact, and as long as the neighbor doesn't protest my claim 30 days after the written acknowledgment is filed, they have no claim to it.

So, I just typed up my letter. Will get it notarized and will drop it off to the records department this afternoon.

Done deal!

Thanks for everyone's input. Y'all saved me from potential issues down the road.

Now that your property issue is settled, we need to talk about you getting coffee at McDonald's.

Hey...free is free. No one ever said I had good taste.

Besides, I'm not a Starbuck kinda guy!

I still cringe when I order capsules for my Nespresso machine because I like my Nespresso so much but they also cost so much. They aren't cheap (~$1 a capsule for the big ones).

oldfarmer50

Sandman6472 said:

Fuel gauge is working fine again but in the video the tech made for me, mentioned my front brake pads are at 5 mm right now, original factory pads, & the coolant has been diluted. He recommended that I change the pads for new ones and flush the coolant system. The temp gauge on the dash is still in the middle at 280 degrees and never goes above that. And after looking at my records, seems like the last time the coolant was changed was at 35,965 miles when the water pump went and they replaced it under warranty, that and the thermostat.

My question here is do I need to do the coolant flush as recommended and replace the older brake pads sooner then later? He even mentioned that the pads aren't something I need to do like yesterday but after checking online, seems they are at about half way used. Read that new brake pads are at between 12 mm and 10 mm when brand new. Since I'm going to be keeping the Golf for the time being, have no issues doing these two things now but can I wait a bit to actually doing them?

Isn’t 280 degrees running rather hot? Or am I missing something. If it’s been more than 3 years changing the coolant wouldn’t hurt.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

nyccarguy said:

graphicguy said:

Well...headed to my Mickey D's for a free coffee for those 55+ on Wednesdays. A block over is the records and tax division. Headed there and asked them about my property conundrum. As long as I inform the city, in writing, that the neighbor's fence is on my property, and I inform the neighbor of that fact, and as long as the neighbor doesn't protest my claim 30 days after the written acknowledgment is filed, they have no claim to it.

So, I just typed up my letter. Will get it notarized and will drop it off to the records department this afternoon.

Done deal!

Thanks for everyone's input. Y'all saved me from potential issues down the road.

Now that your property issue is settled, we need to talk about you getting coffee at McDonald's.

Hey...free is free. No one ever said I had good taste.

Besides, I'm not a Starbuck kinda guy!

I still cringe when I order capsules for my Nespresso machine because I like my Nespresso so much but they also cost so much. They aren't cheap (~$1 a capsule for the big ones).

I think Micky D’s uses Newman’s Own coffee which I like. My limited experience with Starbucks is that the base coffee without the foam and candy tastes terrible. I’m definitely not an ice cream sundae with a little coffee added kind of person.

stickguy

Hold off in the pads for sure. At your pace could get a few more years out of them.

Coolant seems like a good idea.

Pretty sure though the temp gauge in most cars now is more of a glorified idiot light. Not an actual temp reading.

pensfan83

I usually only get it when other options don't exist but I will admit that I actually like McDonald's coffee over places like Sheetz, WaWa, etc.

ab348

Sandy, the coolant flush and brake pad replacement are easy jobs that any capable garage could do. You could get it done for less than the dealer would charge if there is a decent indie shop you could take it to. I wonder about the “dilution” of the coolant. Unless it was leaking and was topped up with water that puzzles me.

jmonroe1

pensfan83 said:

I usually only get it when other options don't exist but I will admit that I actually like McDonald's coffee over places like Sheetz, WaWa, etc.

————————————————-
I never understood all the hoopla about Sheetz coffee. And the next time they put some meat on their sandwiches it will be a first. So, I never grace the checkout there.

jmonroe

laurasdada

Never been a coffee drinker. Wonder how many millions of dollars I've saved over my lifetime!
Both ladies in my life were/are big Dunkin's connoisseurs/addicts.

Would trading the A7 for a '19 Porsche 911 make sense and be a wise move? Asking for a... aw, heck. You know it's me (Mr. All Talk).

28firefighter

I think that is wholly dependent upon what kind of 911, the options on it, price etc. Could potentially be very good or very bad. People do weird things when they order a Porsche.

laurasdada

2019 Porsche 911 Carrera

jmonroe1

laurasdada said:

2019 Porsche 911 Carrera

————————————————
Yeah, that’s weird.

jmonroe

breld

laurasdada said:

Never been a coffee drinker. Wonder how many millions of dollars I've saved over my lifetime!
Both ladies in my life were/are big Dunkin's connoisseurs/addicts.

Would trading the A7 for a '19 Porsche 911 make sense and be a wise move? Asking for a... aw, heck. You know it's me (Mr. All Talk).

I do believe you and I have been having eerily similar thoughts. 😀

28firefighter

breld said:

laurasdada said:

Never been a coffee drinker. Wonder how many millions of dollars I've saved over my lifetime!
Both ladies in my life were/are big Dunkin's connoisseurs/addicts.

Would trading the A7 for a '19 Porsche 911 make sense and be a wise move? Asking for a... aw, heck. You know it's me (Mr. All Talk).

I do believe you and I have been having eerily similar thoughts. 😀

Farewell Corvette. We barely knew thee.

nyccarguy

@laurasdada said:
Never been a coffee drinker. Wonder how many millions of dollars I've saved over my lifetime!
Both ladies in my life were/are big Dunkin's connoisseurs/addicts.

Would trading the A7 for a '19 Porsche 911 make sense and be a wise move? Asking for a... aw, heck. You know it's me (Mr. All Talk).

Yes it makes sense because this is Chronic Car Buyer’s Anonymous. Yes it is a wise move because it is a 911. Plus I’ve come to the realization that I’m never going to own a 911 or any Porsche for that matter, so it makes me happy when my friends buy them!

explorerx4

@laurasdada,
Due to some magnanimous friends, I gotten to drive some 911's.
I do prefer the air cooled models driving experience and the newer 911's are more like 1211's.
The newer one's are a lot faster and techy.
I think the grey one looks pretty good.

stickguy

Dada, yes, you should swap the Audi for the Porsche.

Michaell

Member needs help with a repair estimate quote

tifighter

@breld said:
I do believe you and I have been having eerily similar thoughts. 😀

Get out of my head…

Sandman6472

Sorry, I read the temp gauge wrong. It sits at 200 when engine is warmed up, exactly in the middle. So, maybe it wouldn't hurt to have the coolant service done by the end of the year. The pads, think I'll wait a bit in those as since they're about 1/2 way used, probably still have some useful life. Would only use the dealer if they had a decent coupon offering so I'll either go to Tires Plus or the indie guy I sometimes use. Appreciate those that took the time to answer me here as the last thing I want is for something to go wrong at the wrong time. Like my tranny shift cable failing in my garage. As someone who hates any vehicular issues, best to get at least the coolant done.

As for coffee, love the smell but can't stand drinking any.

Sandman6472

So far, not much of anything from the storm but my doctors office called at 7:10 telling me that today's office visit has been canceled due to the storm and they'd call to re-schedule. Was surprised but then I looked online and saw that schools have been closed also so guess many places are closing just in case things get worse out there. The predicted rains & winds haven't started yet but guess it'll go down hill as the day progresses. We even left both vehicles out last night just in case the power went out and the garage opener wouldn't work. Did stop by Lowe's yesterday to check out extension cords and looks like my friends idea could actually work. With my balance issues, the last place I should be is up on a ladder on a concrete floor!

Wish good luck to the folks directly in the storms path. Appears that it'll hit land as a Cat 4 storm which will be quite powerful. Living through numerous hurricanes over the years, the worst part is just waiting for the thing to hit, that anticipation before things get very bad. Remember Hurricane David in 1979 and how bad that was. Andrew was a very quick storm and we stayed up till 5 am when the power went out. Luckily by 8:30 that evening, we were back up and running. Wilma was the worst I've been through and the aftermath with no power for almost 9 days was awful. And with Irene, we were lucky to find a hotel down in Miami since our power again went out. My wife found a great Cambria hotel near the Miami airport where a major t v news crew was staying so was quite interesting to watch as they reported from the hotel. Yes, hurricanes are no picnic and thank G-d that we've been lucky with nothing major since 2017!

qbrozen

laurasdada said:

Never been a coffee drinker. Wonder how many millions of dollars I've saved over my lifetime!
Both ladies in my life were/are big Dunkin's connoisseurs/addicts.

Would trading the A7 for a '19 Porsche 911 make sense and be a wise move? Asking for a... aw, heck. You know it's me (Mr. All Talk).

1. "millions"? How expensive do you think coffee is??
2. That's gotta be the silliest question I've ever heard. A 911 vs an A7? The Audi may as well be a VW Bug in this equation. No, wait, a Bug would be far more reliable. Let's make it a first gen Hyundai Excel w/auto trans. BUT, if you can get away with a 911, why in the world did you get an A7 in the first place? I would have assumed you needed a big back seat.

laurasdada

Thanks for the enabling... I mean support.
I'm a constant car shopper, probably just California dreamin'...

Audi is out of warranty in March, just pondering the near future. What do I need/want in a car? Wife says if you're gonna trade, trade toys. But I love the naked BMW. We have the giant, gas-guzzling X3 SUV for adulting, do I need another sensible pair of shoes to replace the A7?

Love the A7, though. But as a friend. It accomplishes its mission in spectacular fashion, but the two tech incidents I had last March do give me pause, one had the car limping, one had the car flat-bedded. But fixes were quick and under warranty. When not under warranty or Audicare? Therein lies the rub.

@qbrozen At the time I gave birth to the A7 (it's what the Jag XF morphed into), I was still in an adult situation, could only have one car. And I was intrigued by the PHEV experience, as a possible steppingstone to the nuclear future. Not to mention the deal, with Audi and Costco each chipping in $2k as well as our favorite government giving me a nice tax credit. And 0% financing! No regrets on buying it and likely, as I did with the XF, will keep it a while beyond warranty. So, the query was not one of logic, rather one of whimsy.
And the wife gets four bags of Dunks coffee for $20.

corvette

@laurasdada - devil's advocate here, but can you get an OEM extended warranty on the Audi, or is March the end of the extended one?

kyfdx

corvette said:

@laurasdada - devil's advocate here, but can you get an OEM extended warranty on the Audi, or is March the end of the extended one?

I think you've forgotten the assignment..

laurasdada

corvette said:

@laurasdada - devil's advocate here, but can you get an OEM extended warranty on the Audi, or is March the end of the extended one?

March ends the original 4/50k warranty. I've always believed in self-insure, and thinking back through my car life, that has been a good policy for me. Even with ~5 years of not warrantied Jags!

roadburner

I'd still like to own a 911. A couple of my BMW CCA friends have gone that route as well.

qbrozen

@laurasdada said:
Thanks for the enabling... I mean support.
I'm a constant car shopper, probably just California dreamin'...

Audi is out of warranty in March, just pondering the near future. What do I need/want in a car? Wife says if you're gonna trade, trade toys. But I love the naked BMW. We have the giant, gas-guzzling X3 SUV for adulting, do I need another sensible pair of shoes to replace the A7?

Love the A7, though. But as a friend. It accomplishes its mission in spectacular fashion, but the two tech incidents I had last March do give me pause, one had the car limping, one had the car flat-bedded. But fixes were quick and under warranty. When not under warranty or Audicare? Therein lies the rub.

@qbrozen At the time I gave birth to the A7 (it's what the Jag XF morphed into), I was still in an adult situation, could only have one car. And I was intrigued by the PHEV experience, as a possible steppingstone to the nuclear future. Not to mention the deal, with Audi and Costco each chipping in $2k as well as our favorite government giving me a nice tax credit. And 0% financing! No regrets on buying it and likely, as I did with the XF, will keep it a while beyond warranty. So, the query was not one of logic, rather one of whimsy.
And the wife gets four bags of Dunks coffee for $20.

You got the Audi new? Oh boy. That depreciation is going to make you cry.

au1994

@laurasdada - get the 911, enjoy it and I mean really enjoy it, as it is supposed to be driven. Nobody’s getting any younger so if you have the means, do it!

Both the 911 and A7 out of warranty have the potential for eye watering repairs so it’s a wash for me.

For many of us a 911 is a bucket list car so you will have many vicarious riders.

laurasdada

qbrozen said:

@laurasdada said:

Thanks for the enabling... I mean support.

I'm a constant car shopper, probably just California dreamin'...

Audi is out of warranty in March, just pondering the near future. What do I need/want in a car? Wife says if you're gonna trade, trade toys. But I love the naked BMW. We have the giant, gas-guzzling X3 SUV for adulting, do I need another sensible pair of shoes to replace the A7?

Love the A7, though. But as a friend. It accomplishes its mission in spectacular fashion, but the two tech incidents I had last March do give me pause, one had the car limping, one had the car flat-bedded. But fixes were quick and under warranty. When not under warranty or Audicare? Therein lies the rub.

@qbrozen At the time I gave birth to the A7 (it's what the Jag XF morphed into), I was still in an adult situation, could only have one car. And I was intrigued by the PHEV experience, as a possible steppingstone to the nuclear future. Not to mention the deal, with Audi and Costco each chipping in $2k as well as our favorite government giving me a nice tax credit. And 0% financing! No regrets on buying it and likely, as I did with the XF, will keep it a while beyond warranty. So, the query was not one of logic, rather one of whimsy.

And the wife gets four bags of Dunks coffee for $20.

You got the Audi new? Oh boy. That depreciation is going to make you cry.

No worries, I have a foolproof plan to recover any depreciation hit: blackjack.
Don't forget, I've owned Jags, depreciation is my middle name.

laurasdada

au1994 said:

@laurasdada - get the 911, enjoy it and I mean really enjoy it, as it is supposed to be driven. Nobody’s getting any younger so if you have the means, do it!

Both the 911 and A7 out of warranty have the potential for eye watering repairs so it’s a wash for me.

For many of us a 911 is a bucket list car so you will have many vicarious riders.

All logical and agreed. I've not owned a Porsche (among so many other marques, in my next life I'll plan better; maybe have a real career?) and the sand in the hourglass isn't flowing upwards.

But I've got the M240 to help me get my ya yas out until I make the next ridiculous and irresponsible decision.

corvette

My selling Nissan dealer called, said the county clerk rejected the registration and sent it back to them because I didn't provide proof of insurance. WTH?!? I emailed them the proof of insurance as well as my fax transmission confirmation, so they are going to send everything back to the county clerk. Going on four months now--I hope this won't be a repeat of @breld's Tesla registration saga.

au1994

laurasdada said:

au1994 said:

@laurasdada - get the 911, enjoy it and I mean really enjoy it, as it is supposed to be driven. Nobody’s getting any younger so if you have the means, do it!

Both the 911 and A7 out of warranty have the potential for eye watering repairs so it’s a wash for me.

For many of us a 911 is a bucket list car so you will have many vicarious riders.

All logical and agreed. I've not owned a Porsche (among so many other marques, in my next life I'll plan better; maybe have a real career?) and the sand in the hourglass isn't flowing upwards.

But I've got the M240 to help me get my ya yas out until I make the next ridiculous and irresponsible decision.

All of us on this board to you right now:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https://tenor.com/search/devil-on-shoulder-gifs&psig=AOvVaw0BLF3euygxZSJasmAjvYPl&ust=1727464106213000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBAQjRxqFwoTCJizgbqn4YgDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

laurasdada

I had some Porsche dreams, they were clouds in my coffee, clouds in my coffee.
The 911 is "sale pending." No surprise.

breld

Speaking of our Tesla registration saga, we received a check today from Tesla for $4,800. No accounting or explanation for the amount.

At the very best, we figured we should get the registration fees back (about $1,200) and maybe one of the lease payments refunded that we made since the car was turned in (which we made to avoid any credit issues).

We did call the leasing bank to make sure things are in process for them to receive the payoff from Tesla, which they did confirm.

So who knows what the refund included, but other than some pain and suffering along the way, this whole thing may be resolved quite nicely.

Sandman6472

We lucked out with only some heavy winds and a couple of rain bands...we did great. Now, my concern is with the panhandle area and above as it's a Cat 4 storm now with 130 mph winds. The power outage numbers will climb into the millions I'm afraid and having been through that a few times over the years, it's really awful to not have any power! Probably easier in the warmer climates as I'd hate to be near freezing with no power. Mother Nature truly is a force in our lives and she will always come out on top. We as mortals must accept this and just deal with what she throws at us.

Solved the garage door opener problem today. We lost power yesterday & today for a second and both times, the garage door would not go up. Had to drag the ladder over to the unit, climb up & unplug and re-plug the power cord in. And with my balance issues, which I'm in physical therapy currently, climbing any ladder is a real stupid thing to do. After talking with some friends, we decided to just run an extra long extension cord from the unit to the opposite side wall where there is the only outlet in the garage. Now, all we need to do is walk over to the socket, unplug the cord and then re-attach it and the door has power again. A very simple solution and tried it a few times to make sure it works. Even made sure the other half can do it if I'm not home. We lose power down here a few times a week it seems so needed a better solution to this quirky issue. Left both vehicles outside last night, something I've never done in an approaching storm before, because we both had to be out early today. Turns out, both places called & texted that they were closed for the day. Even the schools shut down and turns out, it wasn't even necessary. But better to err on the safe side just in case things had gotten worse, like the storm turning towards us at the last minute.

ab348

Sandman6472 said:

We lose power down here a few times a week it seems so needed a better solution to this quirky issue.

Sounds more to me like you need a better power utility if it goes out that often!

graphicguy

Drove a 911...once...in the '90s...when all the cool TV shows and movies had 911s zooming around. My colleague literally took out a 2nd mortgage to buy one. I was raising a young'un. So, I jumped at the opportunity to test drive it when he offered.

I remember it was quick. I remember it was tail happy. I remember I got back into my 325i of the same vintage and preferring it.

kyfdx

I had an '84 911 Targa from 1990-1994. Highly recommend.

breld

I've become a little obsessed with this Lava Orange 911 (2017 C4S). My wife is practically begging me to go at least take a look.



I'm also eyeing some 718 Caymans. One local dealer has a CPO base 2019 Chalk White and another has a 2022 S in GT Silver with a red/black interior. Both manuals.

Michaell

I like the 911, Bruce.

jmonroe1

breld said:

I've become a little obsessed with this Lava Orange 911 (2017 C4S). My wife is practically begging me to go at least take a look.



I'm also eyeing some 718 Caymans. One local dealer has a CPO base 2019 Chalk White and another has a 2022 S in GT Silver with a red/black interior. Both manuals.

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I just turned on my stop watch.

jmonroe

breld

Reached out to the dealerships...I'm driving an hour or so south to look at the 718 Cayman S this afternoon, then an hour north tomorrow morning to look at the 718 Cayman base. I'll try to fit the 911 somewhere in there.

It's just some due diligence to familiarize myself with the offerings...not like I'll do anything.

jmonroe1

breld said:

Reached out to the dealerships...I'm driving an hour or so south to look at the 718 Cayman S this afternoon, then an hour north tomorrow morning to look at the 718 Cayman base. I'll try to fit the 911 somewhere in there.

It's just some due diligence to familiarize myself with the offerings...not like I'll do anything.

————————————————
When did we hear that before?

jmonroe

ab348

Porches are like cocaine... addictive, and God's way of telling you that you make too much money.

corvette

@breld - not that you’ll do anything, but it wouldn’t hurt to drive the Corvette, just so you can get a trade in quote on it, right?

jmonroe1

corvette said:

@breld - not that you’ll do anything, but it wouldn’t hurt to drive the Corvette, just so you can get a trade in quote on it, right?

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And to show them you’re not a flake.

jmonroe

laurasdada

breld said:

Reached out to the dealerships...I'm driving an hour or so south to look at the 718 Cayman S this afternoon, then an hour north tomorrow morning to look at the 718 Cayman base. I'll try to fit the 911 somewhere in there.

It's just some due diligence to familiarize myself with the offerings...not like I'll do anything.

Nor will the sun rise tomorrow.
Vaya con Ferdinand, breld!

kyfdx

breld said:

Reached out to the dealerships...I'm driving an hour or so south to look at the 718 Cayman S this afternoon, then an hour north tomorrow morning to look at the 718 Cayman base. I'll try to fit the 911 somewhere in there.

It's just some due diligence to familiarize myself with the offerings...not like I'll do anything.

A lot more leg room in the 911, I'd think.

Plenty in the Cayman for normal people.

mjfloyd1

@laurasdada said:
I had some Porsche dreams, they were clouds in my coffee, clouds in my coffee.
The 911 is "sale pending." No surprise.

You’re so vain😂