Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

xwesx

stickguy said:

I guess my "swallow a balloon and blow it up" idea isn't going to fly either?

Depends.... helium might not do the trick, but hydrogen just might.....!

28firefighter

@qbrozen said:
correct, I can't seem to get actual bids from most places.
@28firefighter , did you get an offer? How much?
Thanks for the well wishes. It's just slipping ribs, but it is super irritating. Not sure how the heck it is supposed to heal when they pop out of place like every 15-20 mins.

They did. They came back at $52k on the wrangler. By my calculation my payout is $42k but don’t have an online account to confirm yet.

xwesx

Here's a photo of that cap. Screw it onto the brake fluid bottle, flip it upside down into the reservoir opening, let gravity do the rest while you work. The nice thing about this is that it doesn't fill the reservoir entirely to the top. When you're done, remove it quickly as you flip the bottle upright, and you can just close up the reservoir - no further fluid level adjustments needed.



So, what's it called? I have no idea.

xwesx

As a side effect of the Q7 having a "sensor" for everything, I continue to get a brake pad error on the dash. I first thought I would try to isolate the problem by making dummy sensors, where I just take the old connectors, cut them short so the wires are a few inches long, then fuse them together to create a permanent loop (i.e., they do nothing with the brake pads). I made the dummies, crawled under the car, and swapped all of the sensor plugs out with the dummy plugs. I started the car to verify the light is now out, and... no. It is not out but still lit.

Great. I have no idea how the lines beyond the plugs could have gone foul during the project, but clearly something is amiss. I thought I would see if I could just turn the system off since it is such a useless, unnecessary thing (and not mandated, for a wonder!). The internet says I can. I went into the VAG-COM system and did the programming... nope. Real life says it doesn't work on this year of this model. It did turn the bright red "BRAKE" light off, but the yellow pad warning light remains.

I guess my next project is to hunt down this new gremlin so that I don't slowly lose the rest of my mind over this. Honestly, I don't have much left to lose.

ab348

Look into removing the bulb for the yellow warning light.

qbrozen

@28firefighter said:

@qbrozen said:
correct, I can't seem to get actual bids from most places.
@28firefighter , did you get an offer? How much?
Thanks for the well wishes. It's just slipping ribs, but it is super irritating. Not sure how the heck it is supposed to heal when they pop out of place like every 15-20 mins.

They did. They came back at $52k on the wrangler. By my calculation my payout is $42k but don’t have an online account to confirm yet.

I agree... like $42.3k, I think. Would be a little higher in my state due to the way they charge up-front taxes. Still... your quote makes me want to grab one even more. I forget exactly, but I think I figured I’d have about a $46k-$47k buyout, given a lower discount and the tax. Even a $50k offer would be a quick few grand.

Wonder why they can’t seem to give me a quote on my ‘maro

qbrozen

@xwesx said:
Depends.... helium might not do the trick, but hydrogen just might.....!

It obviously should be nitro fill.

Sandman6472

Q, sorry to hear of your troubles. Going through daily pain like that is really no fun. I know without my pain doc and the scripts he gives me, my quality of life would be so much less right now. But he's kept me in a good place for years now where I can function with just minimal pain most of the time. Just take it easy and let your body heal and then, go forward gently.

qbrozen

@xwesx said:
As a side effect of the Q7 having a "sensor" for everything, I continue to get a brake pad error on the dash. I first thought I would try to isolate the problem by making dummy sensors, where I just take the old connectors, cut them short so the wires are a few inches long, then fuse them together to create a permanent loop (i.e., they do nothing with the brake pads). I made the dummies, crawled under the car, and swapped all of the sensor plugs out with the dummy plugs. I started the car to verify the light is now out, and... no. It is not out but still lit.

Great. I have no idea how the lines beyond the plugs could have gone foul during the project, but clearly something is amiss. I thought I would see if I could just turn the system off since it is such a useless, unnecessary thing (and not mandated, for a wonder!). The internet says I can. I went into the VAG-COM system and did the programming... nope. Real life says it doesn't work on this year of this model. It did turn the bright red "BRAKE" light off, but the yellow pad warning light remains.

I guess my next project is to hunt down this new gremlin so that I don't slowly lose the rest of my mind over this. Honestly, I don't have much left to lose.

So about these dummy plugs, do you mean you just did the same as if you spliced the wires together? Does the light need to be reset after new sensors are normally installed?

I wonder if the OEM sensors use some sort of a resistor so that any change in that resistance, either positive or negative, triggers the light.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

I keep pondering driving to carmax and/or the chevy dealer. Just not feeling like making the effort. Would be nice if one of these online stores would just step up and make it easy for me. Lol.

I got injured this past week, so chores are very difficult at the moment, preventing me from buttoning up the Benz. So that’s annoying, too. And sitting around makes me look at cars. Haha.

Sorry to hear you got hurt. That could range from busting a knuckle on the Benz to having the whole car fall on you. I hope your injuries skew towards the first possibility.

EDIT: I read further and I saw slipped ribs. That’s a new one on me but it sounds painful.

oldfarmer50

28firefighter said:

@kyfdx said:

Can't you get a Carmax trade-in quote, right here on Edmunds?

Yes, you can. It’s subject to inspection but they honored it on the Outback (not that I took it).

Interesting. What kind of inspection is involved? Do they slap a code reader on it or go around with a paint meter? I’ve heard the inspection is rather cursory but I’d hate to have them show up and start pulling wheels off.

oldfarmer50

Sandman6472 said:

Second day at my shuttle gig and was solo. Put me in a Prius which was a bit used but drove nicely. Not something I'd ever buy but for shuttle duty, worked just fine. So far, hardest part is clocking in/out on the computer. A bit confusing with the steps needed but eventually, I'll get proficient at it. The rest went quite easily. We closed early at 4 pm so did all pick-ups today. They prefer us to coordinate the drop-offs with the pick-ups while trying to be in the same or close area which makes perfect sense. Why dead head on any trip if not necessary. Just takes some coordinating who's going where and who needs to be picked up. In time, I should get better at the coordination of trips. There were three of us this afternoon and except for about 15 minutes, I was out picking up customers to come get their vehicles.
I think I'm going to like this job to be honest. Both afternoons are times I'd be either napping, watching t v, playing on the computer or out spending money. So why not make a few extra bucks by working another part time gig. I won't miss the wasted time and get to meet some nice folks. I'm all in right now. And those two afternoons will be enough. And from time to time, I won't mind doing a few extra hours on a Sunday but not every week. Originally, they wanted me from 7 to 4 on Sundays but working every week, six days a week, was just more than I wanted. I said I'd do two afternoons only at this point and fully expected them to show me the door. Just the opposite happened, they wanted to know how soon I could start! So, a win/win for us all. And some extra hours occasionally could very well happen down the line.
But very glad I finally did get a shuttle job after so many years of being told no just because I use a cane for mobility issues. For years, it was what kept me back from being hired, something I could see but could not prove 100%. Luckily, I'm finally seen as an asset who just happens to walk with a cane instead of a liability because I walk with a cane. It's been long overdue folks...long overdue!!!

Is your new job primarily picking up and dropping cars or are you bringing customers as well? Some of the guys up here that work for our ex boss over at the multi-line German car dealer will sometimes bring a customer somewhere but mainly it’s doing home pick up/ delivery of just the cars.

nyccarguy

@qbrozen - get well soon.

I’m in an Uber right now on my way to work. Dropped off the Pilot at the Mechanic. I will update you guys on the progress. Even Uber rides have gone up. Usually my ride to work from the mechanic is $13 - $14 ish plus tip. Today it is $20.53 plus tip. Sheesh!

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen - get well soon.

I’m in an Uber right now on my way to work. Dropped off the Pilot at the Mechanic. I will update you guys on the progress. Even Uber rides have gone up. Usually my ride to work from the mechanic is $13 - $14 ish plus tip. Today it is $20.53 plus tip. Sheesh!

Supply and demand. Drivers aren’t coming back as fast as they want. My son routinely gets a bonus for pick ups because he’s the only one available.

How are your prices on plumbing supplies at the wholesale level? Are you seeing the same inflation as with lumber?

venture

I've been looking at Acura TLX's and Audi A5's.

Both of them have the irritating "laptop on the dashboard" look interior. The TLX is much less intrusive.

It's enough that I'm going to wait to see what the 2022's look like although I don't expect it to change. I wonder why some manufacturers have problems with that. Or maybe it's just me.

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

@qbrozen said:

correct, I can't seem to get actual bids from most places.
@28firefighter , did you get an offer? How much?

Thanks for the well wishes. It's just slipping ribs, but it is super irritating. Not sure how the heck it is supposed to heal when they pop out of place like every 15-20 mins.

They did. They came back at $52k on the wrangler. By my calculation my payout is $42k but don’t have an online account to confirm yet.

That's such a pretty Wrangler. Too bad you'll only have it for a month.

nyccarguy

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen - get well soon.

I’m in an Uber right now on my way to work. Dropped off the Pilot at the Mechanic. I will update you guys on the progress. Even Uber rides have gone up. Usually my ride to work from the mechanic is $13 - $14 ish plus tip. Today it is $20.53 plus tip. Sheesh!

Supply and demand. Drivers aren’t coming back as fast as they want. My son routinely gets a bonus for pick ups because he’s the only one available.

How are your prices on plumbing supplies at the wholesale level? Are you seeing the same inflation as with lumber?

My inventory costs are skyrocketing out of control and merchandise is sitting on the shelf for much longer. Customers seem to understand that prices have and continue to rise. In addition, vendors are starting to put us on allocations (due to overwhelming demand) based on "Sales from March 2020 - March 2021." To give you an example (and I'm sorry to bore all of you with this), I usually buy between 200 & 300 pieces of Gerber Pottery (Toilets, Vanity Tops, Urinals, Wall Hung Sinks) at a time. I got an email from the sales rep last week with my allocation of "popular" products. It came to 84 pieces. OK, so order the 84 pieces I'm allocated so I have product to sell, right? Nope. Minimum amount for delivery is 150 pieces. So now I have to order 66 additional pieces of items that aren't as popular and will sit on the shelf longer.

nyccarguy

kyfdx said:

28firefighter said:

@qbrozen said:

correct, I can't seem to get actual bids from most places.
@28firefighter , did you get an offer? How much?

Thanks for the well wishes. It's just slipping ribs, but it is super irritating. Not sure how the heck it is supposed to heal when they pop out of place like every 15-20 mins.

They did. They came back at $52k on the wrangler. By my calculation my payout is $42k but don’t have an online account to confirm yet.

That's such a pretty Wrangler. Too bad you'll only have it for a month.

+1

No way he's going to walk away from $10K.

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen - get well soon.

I’m in an Uber right now on my way to work. Dropped off the Pilot at the Mechanic. I will update you guys on the progress. Even Uber rides have gone up. Usually my ride to work from the mechanic is $13 - $14 ish plus tip. Today it is $20.53 plus tip. Sheesh!

Supply and demand. Drivers aren’t coming back as fast as they want. My son routinely gets a bonus for pick ups because he’s the only one available.

How are your prices on plumbing supplies at the wholesale level? Are you seeing the same inflation as with lumber?

My inventory costs are skyrocketing out of control and merchandise is sitting on the shelf for much longer. Customers seem to understand that prices have and continue to rise. In addition, vendors are starting to put us on allocations (due to overwhelming demand) based on "Sales from March 2020 - March 2021." To give you an example (and I'm sorry to bore all of you with this), I usually buy between 200 & 300 pieces of Gerber Pottery (Toilets, Vanity Tops, Urinals, Wall Hung Sinks) at a time. I got an email from the sales rep last week with my allocation of "popular" products. It came to 84 pieces. OK, so order the 84 pieces I'm allocated so I have product to sell, right? Nope. Minimum amount for delivery is 150 pieces. So now I have to order 66 additional pieces of items that aren't as popular and will sit on the shelf longer.

Ah, the joy of running a small business.

ab348

I haven't posted much about my health issues lately but It has been a tough few months. I've had atrial fibrillation for almost 2 years which at first was really scary because it causes stroke-like symptoms and can be fatal if uncontrolled. In my case the drug to control it made me almost zombie-like with zero energy or physical endurance, so the docs have been tinkering with that over the last year or so. Just in the last month I seem to be making a tiny bit of progress on that under the latest regimen, so we'll see. Of course nothing is easy and around the end of February I was hit with another whammy.

Back in '09 when I had open-heart surgery they had to split the sternum to access it, and when it was done they wired the sternum closed to heal. After 6 weeks or so I went back into hospital because of complications and was there for 2 weeks more, with lots of procedures and jockeying me around for tests. It seemed that in the course of all that, some of the wires snapped and my sternum never healed properly. When I got back home I had bouts of unpredictable searing pain when I moved in certain ways. They wanted to install a titanium plate to stabilize it. Being in Canada this took 6 months to get close to being done and by then the pain had gone away and they said I had developed soft/scar tissue that seemed to stabilize it, so I passed on another procedure.

I lived with it having no real issue until the end of February when one morning I woke up and felt a different kind of pain right at the center of the sternum. My own diagnosis later confirmed by the docs was that the soft tissue holding it together had torn and it was unstable again. This time the pain was different than what it was - it was as if both of my shoulders had been sprained or dislocated. I couldn't lift my arms up beyond parallel with the ground. The doctors were sort of all looking at each other wondering what to do if anything and who would be responsible, while I was suffering. I was massaging both shoulders, rubbing various products on them, and taking pills in attempts to live with it. Three months along I have days when they are fine and other days when they really hurt. Oddly enough the one time they are guaranteed to not hurt is when I am taking a hot shower. Still waiting for some direction from the docs on a long-term fix. It is incredibly limiting and discouraging. Ask me again about our wondrous Canadian health care system.

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

kyfdx said:

28firefighter said:

@qbrozen said:

correct, I can't seem to get actual bids from most places.
@28firefighter , did you get an offer? How much?

Thanks for the well wishes. It's just slipping ribs, but it is super irritating. Not sure how the heck it is supposed to heal when they pop out of place like every 15-20 mins.

They did. They came back at $52k on the wrangler. By my calculation my payout is $42k but don’t have an online account to confirm yet.

That's such a pretty Wrangler. Too bad you'll only have it for a month.

+1

No way he's going to walk away from $10K.

+2. But just pocket the $10k and order up another. Deals have gotten a little worse, but not THAT much worse.

nyccarguy

ab348 said:

I haven't posted much about my health issues lately but It has been a tough few months. I've had atrial fibrillation for almost 2 years which at first was really scary because it causes stroke-like symptoms and can be fatal if uncontrolled. In my case the drug to control it made me almost zombie-like with zero energy or physical endurance, so the docs have been tinkering with that over the last year or so. Just in the last month I seem to be making a tiny bit of progress on that under the latest regimen, so we'll see. Of course nothing is easy and around the end of February I was hit with another whammy.

Back in '09 when I had open-heart surgery they had to split the sternum to access it, and when it was done they wired the sternum closed to heal. After 6 weeks or so I went back into hospital because of complications and was there for 2 weeks more, with lots of procedures and jockeying me around for tests. It seemed that in the course of all that, some of the wires snapped and my sternum never healed properly. When I got back home I had bouts of unpredictable searing pain when I moved in certain ways. They wanted to install a titanium plate to stabilize it. Being in Canada this took 6 months to get close to being done and by then the pain had gone away and they said I had developed soft/scar tissue that seemed to stabilize it, so I passed on another procedure.

I lived with it having no real issue until the end of February when one morning I woke up and felt a different kind of pain right at the center of the sternum. My own diagnosis later confirmed by the docs was that the soft tissue holding it together had torn and it was unstable again. This time the pain was different than what it was - it was as if both of my shoulders had been sprained or dislocated. I couldn't lift my arms up beyond parallel with the ground. The doctors were sort of all looking at each other wondering what to do if anything and who would be responsible, while I was suffering. I was massaging both shoulders, rubbing various products on them, and taking pills in attempts to live with it. Three months along I have days when they are fine and other days when they really hurt. Oddly enough the one time they are guaranteed to not hurt is when I am taking a hot shower. Still waiting for some direction from the docs on a long-term fix. It is incredibly limiting and discouraging. Ask me again about our wondrous Canadian health care system.

Sorry you are in so much pain. Get better soon!

28firefighter

The issue is I can’t order locally anymore because my dealer contact left and now they are not discounting. I need a car, I like this one, my wife is happy, and the price is right.

So yes, for right now, I’m walking away from 10k.

corvette

@ab348 - that sounds awful! I hope you are able to get some answers soon. Hot showers helped reduce the pain in my foot, as well.

Michaell

Lately, I've shared with you my saga about the MINI running costs.

I decided I'd do the same with the Outback, just to see where I'm at with it.

Recap - 2015 Outback Limited, 3.6R engine, just under 43,000 miles, 75 months old. I've spent a total of $1449 on service and maintenance, and half of that was new tires. To be fair, there have been three separate recalls done, and I had the windshield replaced ($0 cost to me, as I have insurance).

I pulled out the book that says what needs to be done, and when, and it turns out I'm a bit tardy on some of my maintenance. So, I'm collecting quotes from my dealer and a local independent shop to get them caught up. Things like brake fluid replacement, spark plug replacement (60K or 60 months), air filter, fuel filter, etc. Probably get these done sometime in June.

The last time we were at a major milestone like this, we traded the car in and got the Subaru. Not likely to happen this time, as the Outback is paid off.

Getting the tires rotated tomorrow afternoon.

qbrozen

28firefighter said:

The issue is I can’t order locally anymore because my dealer contact left and now they are not discounting. I need a car, I like this one, my wife is happy, and the price is right.

So yes, for right now, I’m walking away from 10k.

weeellll... just throwing this out there... your total lease cost on what you have now is about $13.5k. Even at full MSRP, a new lease would be $21k. With $10k equity, you'd still be coming out on top. If so inclined. I think MSRPs went up, too? So that could screw things up. But are they really charging full MSRP?

nyccarguy

Michaell said:

Lately, I've shared with you my saga about the MINI running costs.

I decided I'd do the same with the Outback, just to see where I'm at with it.

Recap - 2015 Outback Limited, 3.6R engine, just under 43,000 miles, 75 months old. I've spent a total of $1449 on service and maintenance, and half of that was new tires. To be fair, there have been three separate recalls done, and I had the windshield replaced ($0 cost to me, as I have insurance).

I pulled out the book that says what needs to be done, and when, and it turns out I'm a bit tardy on some of my maintenance. So, I'm collecting quotes from my dealer and a local independent shop to get them caught up. Things like brake fluid replacement, spark plug replacement (60K or 60 months), air filter, fuel filter, etc. Probably get these done sometime in June.

The last time we were at a major milestone like this, we traded the car in and got the Subaru. Not likely to happen this time, as the Outback is paid off.

Getting the tires rotated tomorrow afternoon.

I remember one of the services I've had done on my Subaru (@xwesx advice) was to have the front & rear differential fluid drained & filled with 75 W90 fully synthetic gear oil. Have you had your coolant flushed/changed?

The air filter & cabin filter are very simple DIY. If you can make toast, you are fully capable of changing these items.

henryn

28firefighter said:

The issue is I can’t order locally anymore because my dealer contact left and now they are not discounting. I need a car, I like this one, my wife is happy, and the price is right.

So yes, for right now, I’m walking away from 10k.

Well, that seems to leave our profits from the VW TDI buyback still holding the record for short term profits on car flipping. Unless I'm missing something somewhere?

I suppose some might say that my $4,500 profit on the 2018 F150 was a better deal, seeing as how I did get the use of the truck for almost 3 years. But cash is king, and $4,500 is less then $10,000.

When I decided to flip the 2016 T&C for the 2019 Pacifica, I made the deal for the new one before accepting the online offer for the old one. You might want to go down (just for grins and giggles) and see what the price would be for leasing another Wrangler. All you have to lose is a little of your time.

henryn

ab348 said:

I haven't posted much about my health issues lately but It has been a tough few months. I've had atrial fibrillation for almost 2 years which at first was really scary because it causes stroke-like symptoms and can be fatal if uncontrolled. In my case the drug to control it made me almost zombie-like with zero energy or physical endurance, so the docs have been tinkering with that over the last year or so. Just in the last month I seem to be making a tiny bit of progress on that under the latest regimen, so we'll see. Of course nothing is easy and around the end of February I was hit with another whammy.

Back in '09 when I had open-heart surgery they had to split the sternum to access it, and when it was done they wired the sternum closed to heal. After 6 weeks or so I went back into hospital because of complications and was there for 2 weeks more, with lots of procedures and jockeying me around for tests. It seemed that in the course of all that, some of the wires snapped and my sternum never healed properly. When I got back home I had bouts of unpredictable searing pain when I moved in certain ways. They wanted to install a titanium plate to stabilize it. Being in Canada this took 6 months to get close to being done and by then the pain had gone away and they said I had developed soft/scar tissue that seemed to stabilize it, so I passed on another procedure.

I lived with it having no real issue until the end of February when one morning I woke up and felt a different kind of pain right at the center of the sternum. My own diagnosis later confirmed by the docs was that the soft tissue holding it together had torn and it was unstable again. This time the pain was different than what it was - it was as if both of my shoulders had been sprained or dislocated. I couldn't lift my arms up beyond parallel with the ground. The doctors were sort of all looking at each other wondering what to do if anything and who would be responsible, while I was suffering. I was massaging both shoulders, rubbing various products on them, and taking pills in attempts to live with it. Three months along I have days when they are fine and other days when they really hurt. Oddly enough the one time they are guaranteed to not hurt is when I am taking a hot shower. Still waiting for some direction from the docs on a long-term fix. It is incredibly limiting and discouraging. Ask me again about our wondrous Canadian health care system.

I was having some atrial fibrillation a few months back. My cardiologist did a “tee with cardioversion”, basically an electric shock treatment. Outpatient procedure, no big deal, using what they used to call “twilight” (partial anesthesia). While the results have been good so far, my cardiologist says that probably won’t last and they will have to do an ablation at a later time. But so far, knock on wood, I have suffered no ill effects. No pain, no disabilities, I wouldn’t have known about the atrial fibrillation if I didn’t check my blood pressure every day.

What you’re talking about here sounds one heck of a lot worse, and I do sympathize. Living with chronic pain is bad news.

henryn

Michaell said:

Lately, I've shared with you my saga about the MINI running costs.

I decided I'd do the same with the Outback, just to see where I'm at with it.

Recap - 2015 Outback Limited, 3.6R engine, just under 43,000 miles, 75 months old. I've spent a total of $1449 on service and maintenance, and half of that was new tires. To be fair, there have been three separate recalls done, and I had the windshield replaced ($0 cost to me, as I have insurance).

I pulled out the book that says what needs to be done, and when, and it turns out I'm a bit tardy on some of my maintenance. So, I'm collecting quotes from my dealer and a local independent shop to get them caught up. Things like brake fluid replacement, spark plug replacement (60K or 60 months), air filter, fuel filter, etc. Probably get these done sometime in June.

The last time we were at a major milestone like this, we traded the car in and got the Subaru. Not likely to happen this time, as the Outback is paid off.

Getting the tires rotated tomorrow afternoon.

Spark plugs at 60k? I thought all spark plugs were good for 100k these days? The last car I had with short life spark plugs was the 2008 Passat, and that was quite a while ago. If memory serves, they were only good for 30k.

explorerx4

Don't forget 28firefighter would lose all the effort he put into shining up his Jeep.

graphicguy

qbrozen said:

I keep pondering driving to carmax and/or the chevy dealer. Just not feeling like making the effort. Would be nice if one of these online stores would just step up and make it easy for me. Lol.

I got injured this past week, so chores are very difficult at the moment, preventing me from buttoning up the Benz. So that’s annoying, too. And sitting around makes me look at cars. Haha.

Q....hope you're better soon!

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

Michaell said:

Lately, I've shared with you my saga about the MINI running costs.

I decided I'd do the same with the Outback, just to see where I'm at with it.

Recap - 2015 Outback Limited, 3.6R engine, just under 43,000 miles, 75 months old. I've spent a total of $1449 on service and maintenance, and half of that was new tires. To be fair, there have been three separate recalls done, and I had the windshield replaced ($0 cost to me, as I have insurance).

I pulled out the book that says what needs to be done, and when, and it turns out I'm a bit tardy on some of my maintenance. So, I'm collecting quotes from my dealer and a local independent shop to get them caught up. Things like brake fluid replacement, spark plug replacement (60K or 60 months), air filter, fuel filter, etc. Probably get these done sometime in June.

The last time we were at a major milestone like this, we traded the car in and got the Subaru. Not likely to happen this time, as the Outback is paid off.

Getting the tires rotated tomorrow afternoon.

I remember one of the services I've had done on my Subaru (@xwesx advice) was to have the front & rear differential fluid drained & filled with 75 W90 fully synthetic gear oil. Have you had your coolant flushed/changed?

The air filter & cabin filter are very simple DIY. If you can make toast, you are fully capable of changing these items.

I did the diff fluid at 10k, per the advice I got here.

I burn toast. :laughing:

28firefighter

Logically what you say makes sense, Q. But I just don’t want to deal with it. Flat out.

henryn

Michaell said:

nyccarguy said:

Michaell said:

Lately, I've shared with you my saga about the MINI running costs.

I decided I'd do the same with the Outback, just to see where I'm at with it.

Recap - 2015 Outback Limited, 3.6R engine, just under 43,000 miles, 75 months old. I've spent a total of $1449 on service and maintenance, and half of that was new tires. To be fair, there have been three separate recalls done, and I had the windshield replaced ($0 cost to me, as I have insurance).

I pulled out the book that says what needs to be done, and when, and it turns out I'm a bit tardy on some of my maintenance. So, I'm collecting quotes from my dealer and a local independent shop to get them caught up. Things like brake fluid replacement, spark plug replacement (60K or 60 months), air filter, fuel filter, etc. Probably get these done sometime in June.

The last time we were at a major milestone like this, we traded the car in and got the Subaru. Not likely to happen this time, as the Outback is paid off.

Getting the tires rotated tomorrow afternoon.

I remember one of the services I've had done on my Subaru (@xwesx advice) was to have the front & rear differential fluid drained & filled with 75 W90 fully synthetic gear oil. Have you had your coolant flushed/changed?

The air filter & cabin filter are very simple DIY. If you can make toast, you are fully capable of changing these items.

I did the diff fluid at 10k, per the advice I got here.

I burn toast. :laughing:

I thought the definition of toast was "burnt bread"?

henryn

28firefighter said:

Logically what you say makes sense, Q. But I just don’t want to deal with it. Flat out.

All of the world is divided into 2 parts: Those who enjoy the search and the negotiations, and those who don't. My younger brother would almost break out into hives when he had to go car shopping.

Michaell

henryn said:

Michaell said:

nyccarguy said:

Michaell said:

Lately, I've shared with you my saga about the MINI running costs.

I decided I'd do the same with the Outback, just to see where I'm at with it.

Recap - 2015 Outback Limited, 3.6R engine, just under 43,000 miles, 75 months old. I've spent a total of $1449 on service and maintenance, and half of that was new tires. To be fair, there have been three separate recalls done, and I had the windshield replaced ($0 cost to me, as I have insurance).

I pulled out the book that says what needs to be done, and when, and it turns out I'm a bit tardy on some of my maintenance. So, I'm collecting quotes from my dealer and a local independent shop to get them caught up. Things like brake fluid replacement, spark plug replacement (60K or 60 months), air filter, fuel filter, etc. Probably get these done sometime in June.

The last time we were at a major milestone like this, we traded the car in and got the Subaru. Not likely to happen this time, as the Outback is paid off.

Getting the tires rotated tomorrow afternoon.

I remember one of the services I've had done on my Subaru (@xwesx advice) was to have the front & rear differential fluid drained & filled with 75 W90 fully synthetic gear oil. Have you had your coolant flushed/changed?

The air filter & cabin filter are very simple DIY. If you can make toast, you are fully capable of changing these items.

I did the diff fluid at 10k, per the advice I got here.

I burn toast. :laughing:

I thought the definition of toast was "burnt bread"?

Which tells you everything you need to know about my kitchen skills.

ab348

henryn said:

I was having some atrial fibrillation a few months back. My cardiologist did a “tee with cardioversion”, basically an electric shock treatment. Outpatient procedure, no big deal, using what they used to call “twilight” (partial anesthesia). While the results have been good so far, my cardiologist says that probably won’t last and they will have to do an ablation at a later time. But so far, knock on wood, I have suffered no ill effects. No pain, no disabilities, I wouldn’t have known about the atrial fibrillation if I didn’t check my blood pressure every day.

Yeah, I had been taking my BP every day until the shoulder problem. Now, I can't get the cuff on without being in agony most days. When I talked to my cardiologist about the afib he said an electroconversion wouldn't last, and in his opinion an ablation would not be effective either given how long this has persisted. I am stuck with drug therapies.
I think the sternum/shoulder issue is relatively easy to fix, but the trick is getting them lined up to do it. Right now I still haven't been able to talk to a surgeon about it, between our perpetually constipated system and COVID backing things up..

breld

@qbrozen - hope you get well soon.
@ab348 - same...that sounds very frustrating and painful.

breld

Quick update on the Polestar 2...

Short review is...I'm really loving it.

Performance-wise, it's a shift in mindset for me. It handles and accelerates as well, and probably better, than pretty much anything I've owned before. But it does it with very little drama - the acceleration is brisk, but very smooth and obviously quiet. The car is very flat in turns and cornering, but without any drama from the rear end (like the Supra), for better or worse. For many of you who have much better driving skills than I do, I imagine it would be less engaging. I'm finding it suits my driving style very well and is a nice blend of performance and luxury.

Functionally, I really like the packaging. The rear seat is small, but usable, and the hatchback naturally is convenient for throwing in my tennis equipment and a chair for baseball games. Since both of my boys are now driving, gone are the days when I need the space for two huge baseball bags, a cooler, etc.

Though the Polestar 2 is about a foot longer, I kinda view it as a EV version of a GTI. Definitely a premium hot hatch.

28firefighter

I like the chase. But this is a terrible time to be chasing and I’m happy to have landed a unicorn on a car I like. Even for someone with wandering eyes like myself, this feels like a good time to lay low.

rayainsw

ab348 - I echo the sentiments above.
Sorry you have to deal with that.
- Ray
In my 70s now and [knock wood] doing well, physically...

nyccarguy

Heard back the official word from my mechanic. He plugged the Pilot into his computer and it reads code: P219A which means there is an air/fuel ratio imbalance. This is a permanent code. He said there were also several other impermanent codes that indicated cylinder misfires. Turns out there is an open campaign on Pilots for bad fuel injectors. He suggested taking it to the dealer since they should fix this at no charge for the open campaign. I called a different dealer (not the one that changed the oil 5 weeks ago) and set up an appointment to bring it in Thursday evening for them to look at it and work on it 1st thing Friday morning.

qbrozen

breld said:

Quick update on the Polestar 2...

Short review is...I'm really loving it.

Performance-wise, it's a shift in mindset for me. It handles and accelerates as well, and probably better, than pretty much anything I've owned before. But it does it with very little drama - the acceleration is brisk, but very smooth and obviously quiet. The car is very flat in turns and cornering, but without any drama from the rear end (like the Supra), for better or worse. For many of you who have much better driving skills than I do, I imagine it would be less engaging. I'm finding it suits my driving style very well and is a nice blend of performance and luxury.

Functionally, I really like the packaging. The rear seat is small, but usable, and the hatchback naturally is convenient for throwing in my tennis equipment and a chair for baseball games. Since both of my boys are now driving, gone are the days when I need the space for two huge baseball bags, a cooler, etc.

Though the Polestar 2 is about a foot longer, I kinda view it as a EV version of a GTI. Definitely a premium hot hatch.

You still have that?! Getting kinda old by now, no? Have you figured out the replacement yet?

graphicguy

@nyccarguy ....good news on getting the repair on the Pilot covered on the campaign. However, that should not preclude you from looking, buying and reporting on your Pilot replacement vehicle.

stickguy

Possible the jeep will still have good positive equity 6 months from now, when he’s bored with it!

au1994

28firefighter said:

I like the chase. But this is a terrible time to be chasing and I’m happy to have landed a unicorn on a car I like. Even for someone with wandering eyes like myself, this feels like a good time to lay low.

Couldn’t agree with you more. I love the search and the negotiating (as long as they don’t do uber stupid things like the 4 Square) but now is a terrible time to be a buyer. Even if you happen on someone who just got inventory, there’s little movement on price.

Like @stickguy said, you will still have positive equity in the Jeep in 6 or more months. Even before this shortage, the resale on Wranglers was ridiculous.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

It obviously should be nitro fill.

Of course! I clearly did not think that one through....

xwesx

qbrozen said:

So about these dummy plugs, do you mean you just did the same as if you spliced the wires together? Does the light need to be reset after new sensors are normally installed?

I wonder if the OEM sensors use some sort of a resistor so that any change in that resistance, either positive or negative, triggers the light.

Yes, I just took the old sensor wires (literally dug them out of the trash bin), clipped them off about three inches from the harness plugs, then spliced them together. There is no reset procedure for the brake pads.

I don't think there is anything to prevent that from working, as the actual sensors are the same thing except that the wire loops down through a little connector that sits in the pads.... When they wear to the point that the brake rotor severs the wire, the dash warning light illuminates. There's no resistor in the circuit or anything. As such, I think the issue is an open loop at one or more wheels.

A couple years ago, I had one of the wires get ripped loose by ice. I went in and just twisted the pieces of wire together, which shut the light off, until I could get and install a new run.

xwesx

venture said:

I've been looking at Acura TLX's and Audi A5's.

Both of them have the irritating "laptop on the dashboard" look interior. The TLX is much less intrusive.

It's enough that I'm going to wait to see what the 2022's look like although I don't expect it to change. I wonder why some manufacturers have problems with that. Or maybe it's just me.

I'm with you on that one. I don't like the tacked-on look at all. Surely they can come up with ways to make the screens look more elegant/intentional!