Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

stickguy

yeah, it did not seem, considering how loud the engine was, that you needed a totally silent pump for that. Just one that was a lot quieter!

explorerx4

I re watched when they were underneath the car and it did have Hemi car rear torque boxes.
Are they the original to the car? I don't know.

corvette

stickguy said:

yeah, it did not seem, considering how loud the engine was, that you needed a totally silent pump for that. Just one that was a lot quieter!

Anyone ever watch Twin Peaks? Reminds me of how Nadine Hurley invented a silent drape runner.

mjfloyd1

@28firefighter said:
Lmk - that'd be a really interesting and bizarre fix...

Seems to have worked. It was stuck on oil and fuel refresh for two weeks. I reset oil minder and charged it up. Used on full electric for 25 miles right afterwards (hybrid mode)

stickguy

that base model RSX sold for 15.5. Pricey for one of those!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-acura-rsx-4/

xwesx

mjfloyd1 said:

@28firefighter said:

Lmk - that'd be a really interesting and bizarre fix...

Seems to have worked. It was stuck on oil and fuel refresh for two weeks. I reset oil minder and charged it up. Used on full electric for 25 miles right afterwards (hybrid mode)

Makes me think of those old PSAs from the 1980's... "The more you know....."

corvette

mjfloyd1 said:

Seems to have worked. It was stuck on oil and fuel refresh for two weeks. I reset oil minder and charged it up. Used on full electric for 25 miles right afterwards (hybrid mode)

But now, when do you change the oil? I can't remember whether Jeep includes free maintenance or not. Also, the early CDJR oil monitors would determine rather early on either a 4,000 mile OCI or an 8,000 mile one for a given interval, nothing in between. I'm sure they've evolved since then.

Got a "maintenance required soon" on the Tundra, so it's due for its complimentary 20k service, but unfortunately, I'm 1,000+ miles away from home. It's also almost at the "add oil" mark, so I will probably pick up some top-up oil at Autozone as well as four quarts to change the oil on the Prius when the time comes for that.

mjfloyd1

Jeep wave includes one prepaid oil change and tire rotation per year for three years. They don’t care when you do it.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

people do what they feel comfortable with, and safe doing. Where the cost/benefit ratio makes it an easy call.

People spend $1,000/year to have their lawn mowed, $5,000+ to have the house painted inside, and $100s to have their taxes done. No real person should pay to have any of these things done without feeling ashamed, right?

I do all those things myself but I still let The Guy do my brakes.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

jmonroe1 said:

@cdnpinhead said:

I once changed the front pads on a minivan (this was ~15 years ago) in the parking lot of a time share near Winter Park, CO. Got the pads at the local CarQuest in Granby, and all was well -- took maybe 45 minutes and the car's jack.

WMMV. I now know better than to say much more.

Yeah, save your breath. This place seems to have a bunch of wousses yet they call themselves car guys.

jmonroe

Some others wet their pants at the thought of having to change a fuse- or so I've heard...

Sometimes it’s a lack of proper equipment. The car my son is babysitting has a bad TCM and from the looks of it, is a simple mechanical swap out but then it has to be programmed to relearn shift points. I won’t buy a $5k computer to reprogram a $250 part. In fact my indie mechanic won’t either, it has to go to a transmission shop or the dealer which is what I suspect the manufacturers had in mind all along. A lot of repairs today can’t be done in your driveway any more.

It was kind of fun tracing down and diagnosing the problem though.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

that base model RSX sold for 15.5. Pricey for one of those!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-acura-rsx-4/

That’s an unusually well kept low mile example but it does reflect the crazy market we are in. I wonder what it will be worth in a year or so when the chip shortage is over.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

that base model RSX sold for 15.5. Pricey for one of those!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-acura-rsx-4/

Not even an RSX-S. Shewww

oldfarmer50

Educate me here.

Yesterday we were moving some 2022 Ram pickups. All had the 5.7 hemi but the one I got was an “etorque” model. We popped the hood and saw a silver box-like structure sitting on top of the motor connected to the belt/pulley system.

From what I could research this is some sort of electric boost mechanism but for the life of me I can’t figure how it’s supposed to work. From what info I could find it doesn’t increase power that much.

The truck seemed very zippy but I’d have to drive a regular 5.7L to compare.

What exactly is this thing and how does it deliver power to the motor?

kyfdx

oldfarmer50 said:

Educate me here.

Yesterday we were moving some 2022 Ram pickups. All had the 5.7 hemi but the one I got was an “etorque” model. We popped the hood and saw a silver box-like structure sitting on top of the motor connected to the belt/pulley system.

From what I could research this is some sort of electric boost mechanism but for the life of me I can’t figure how it’s supposed to work. From what info I could find it doesn’t increase power that much.

The truck seemed very zippy but I’d have to drive a regular 5.7L to compare.

What exactly is this thing and how does it deliver power to the motor?

It's a mild hybrid. Replaces the alternator with some sort of battery.

explorerx4

Nicest thing I've heard about E Torque is that it smooths out some shifts.
Doesn't improve fuel mileage or acceleration.
It used to be extra cost on a Ram, but now they throw it in for free.
Mild hybrids just don't seem to have caught on.

sda

explorerx4 said:

Nicest thing I've heard about E Torque is that it smooths out some shifts.
Doesn't improve fuel mileage or acceleration.
It used to be extra cost on a Ram, but now they throw it in for free.
Mild hybrids just don't seem to have caught on.

If it doesn't improve mpg, or acceleration, it sounds like a needless complicated addition that is begging to go wrong and turn into an expensive repair.

jmonroe1

@sda said:
If it doesn't improve mpg, or acceleration, it sounds like a needless complicated addition that is begging to go wrong and turn into an expensive repair.

Like the new Chrysler company needs another thingy to make them more undesirable.

jmonroe

kyfdx

sda said:

explorerx4 said:

Nicest thing I've heard about E Torque is that it smooths out some shifts.
Doesn't improve fuel mileage or acceleration.
It used to be extra cost on a Ram, but now they throw it in for free.
Mild hybrids just don't seem to have caught on.

If it doesn't improve mpg, or acceleration, it sounds like a needless complicated addition that is begging to go wrong and turn into an expensive repair.

According to the stats, it does indeed improve mileage. Not sure what real world says.

Also, it's available on both V-6 and V-8, I think.

andres3

tjc78 said:

@roadburner said:

@stickguy said:

Not sure who the fuse comment was directed to. Though on some modern cars even that isn’t simple, with multiple boxes and some pretty well hidden! Unfortunately, working on cars just isn’t as simple as back in the 60s.

I just watched an FCP euro video on doing rear pads on a Volvo. Requires special tricks to even get the caliper off because of the electronic parking brake. Dealers use a scan tool.

That was aimed at the people who claim to be enthusiasts yet in reality only enjoy wearing their car as opposed to driving it. I know one guy in particular who primarily focuses on the nameplate; the car could have the driving dynamics of a diesel Chevette, but if it has the right emblem that nitwit would be as happy as a pig in mud.

I can see your point. For example, like you and Graphicguy I’m a huge home theater nut. I wouldn’t dream of having anyone setup my system. I even did my first front projection system last year. It was a great learning experience, building/stretching the 120” screen was fun.

That's how I feel about Audi owners that put their Audi's into hibernation when the snow starts falling. That's when the driving gloves should come out!!!!

28firefighter

@mjfloyd1 - I tried resetting the oil life. It went into hybrid mode for one driving cycle and then the fuel/oil refresh mode came back. I guess it should go into the Jeep dealer, but I'm slightly afraid of them making it worse, not better.

fintail

I've had no qualms about taking the wagon out in the recent snow too. 4Matic is made for that, and I didn't spend money on the snow tire/wheel setup for nothing. These are modern cars, not precious antiques.

Regarding other work, I haven't even thought of doing an oil change since I was a student. I detail my own cars and will do small troubleshooting, replacing a relay, etc, but big jobs, no thanks. I lack the tools and have risk aversion.

Same regarding work on the house. I was more than happy to pay someone to do interior paint and the needed flooring replacement than do it myself in what would end up being a sanity-erasing endless project. I have a fulltime job, modest knowledge of such work, and not a ton of tools. I'll probably end up doing yardwork myself anyway.

andres3 said:

tjc78 said:

@roadburner said:

@stickguy said:

Not sure who the fuse comment was directed to. Though on some modern cars even that isn’t simple, with multiple boxes and some pretty well hidden! Unfortunately, working on cars just isn’t as simple as back in the 60s.

I just watched an FCP euro video on doing rear pads on a Volvo. Requires special tricks to even get the caliper off because of the electronic parking brake. Dealers use a scan tool.

That was aimed at the people who claim to be enthusiasts yet in reality only enjoy wearing their car as opposed to driving it. I know one guy in particular who primarily focuses on the nameplate; the car could have the driving dynamics of a diesel Chevette, but if it has the right emblem that nitwit would be as happy as a pig in mud.

I can see your point. For example, like you and Graphicguy I’m a huge home theater nut. I wouldn’t dream of having anyone setup my system. I even did my first front projection system last year. It was a great learning experience, building/stretching the 120” screen was fun.

That's how I feel about Audi owners that put their Audi's into hibernation when the snow starts falling. That's when the driving gloves should come out!!!!

mjfloyd1

@28firefighter said:
@mjfloyd1 - I tried resetting the oil life. It went into hybrid mode for one driving cycle and then the fuel/oil refresh mode came back. I guess it should go into the Jeep dealer, but I'm slightly afraid of them making it worse, not better.

I am recharging it now while I’m at work - new hospital (nice facility but everything is new…). I’ll try it later and see what happens.

I drive mine a lot -3900 miles. Hers only has 1100 miles and very little where the engine is at operating temp for 30 minutes- I think that is the real issue with hers.

Also, I did drive hers on gas for 30 minutes after the battery was consumed. Other sources said to put at least 4 gallons of gas in it and drive for 30 minutes…. Internet sources so they must be true🤣

stickguy

I would not ding an audiophile for not wanting to fish wires on walls or do electrical connection work.

oldfarmer50

kyfdx said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Educate me here.

Yesterday we were moving some 2022 Ram pickups. All had the 5.7 hemi but the one I got was an “etorque” model. We popped the hood and saw a silver box-like structure sitting on top of the motor connected to the belt/pulley system.

From what I could research this is some sort of electric boost mechanism but for the life of me I can’t figure how it’s supposed to work. From what info I could find it doesn’t increase power that much.

The truck seemed very zippy but I’d have to drive a regular 5.7L to compare.

What exactly is this thing and how does it deliver power to the motor?

It's a mild hybrid. Replaces the alternator with some sort of battery.

I figured as much but how does it apply the power to the drive train? A hybrid has to have some sort of electric motor drive does it not?

au1994

28firefighter said:

@mjfloyd1 - I tried resetting the oil life. It went into hybrid mode for one driving cycle and then the fuel/oil refresh mode came back. I guess it should go into the Jeep dealer, but I'm slightly afraid of them making it worse, not better.

Well certainly let us know how this goes. We had overnight lows in the 20’s at the lake at Thanksgiving and days that didn’t get much over 50 but I don’t remember a problem. Been fairly mild since then and mine lives in the garage. When I get out its usually not till lunch so even if it was a cold night, it’s warmed some.

70 today and freedom panels out. Gotta love Christmas in Georgia.

qbrozen

my mach-e stays in EV mode no matter the temp. ;b

My little one last night said "so you're getting rid of this, too? But you are getting another?" I said "yes, I am selling this, but I wouldn't get another. I'm trying to get another Jeep. That was better, right?" He said "Well... yeah... the Jeep was cooler. This is REALLY nice, though. Why wouldn't you want one of these?" Without getting too far in the weeds, I just explained that it would be a high lease payment and I don't trust it would hold its value very long, meanwhile the Jeep is cheaper and holds value really well. Then we got on to talking about the Challenger, Charger, WRX ... he asked what it would take for me to get an actual original Hemicuda. I explained the value of those, how you couldn't actually drive it at that price, and I think I'd really rather have a newer Plum Crazy Challenger with hemicuda-like graphics. He agreed. But only if we get to keep the Hemi Orange Charger, too. lol.

xwesx

I dunno, Q. That kid is going to be trouble one of these days....

stickguy

I like him.

But just wait until he is spending his own money.

ab348

Was out just now getting provisions and in the lot a 10 year old Mustang fastback pulls in, aftermarket grille and wheels. I saw the Boss 302 stripes on the fenders but when it got close saw that they read "Boss 227". At least the guy has a sense of humor.

kyfdx

@oldfarmer50

From 2020:

The eTorque option is a mild hybrid system that replaces the traditional alternator with a 48-volt battery-powered, belt-drive motor generator that improves performance and efficiency, as well as bolstering towing and payload capacities. It is an available option on the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 and is a standard on the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. If you’re planning on doing a lot of towing, the 5.7-liter HEMI with eTorque gives the 2020 RAM 1500 the highest towing capacity, clocking in a 12,750 lbs.

jmonroe1

@andres3 said:
That's how I feel about Audi owners that put their Audi's into hibernation when the snow starts falling. That's when the driving gloves should come out!!!!

Just what is it you know about driving in the snow given you’re a San Diego kid.

jmonroe

Michaell

jmonroe1 said:

@andres3 said:

That's how I feel about Audi owners that put their Audi's into hibernation when the snow starts falling. That's when the driving gloves should come out!!!!

Just what is it you know about driving in the snow given you’re a San Diego kid.

jmonroe

Why does everyone believe that folks who live in SoCal know nothing about driving in the snow?

There are some mountains around SD that are high enough to get some flakes, maybe once or twice a year. An hour or two north and you have Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, which have small ski resorts.

Heck, the town I grew up in, just a few miles from the ocean, had measurable snowfall - in 1949.

sda

My sister just texted me. Look what is following her home. 2017 RX350. Fully loaded, ivory interior. Looks nice.

Michaell

sda said:

My sister just texted me. Look what is following her home. 2017 RX350. Fully loaded, ivory interior. Looks nice.

Love the color combo! Congrats to your sister.

jmonroe1

@stickguy said:
I like him.

But just wait until he is spending his own money.

He sounds pretty savvy to me. I doubt he’ll let go of the sap he has now for quite some time.

jmonroe

stickguy

Nice. My wife would love that color combo.

jmonroe1

@Michaell said:
Why does everyone believe that folks who live in SoCal know nothing about driving in the snow?

There are some mountains around SD that are high enough to get some flakes, maybe once or twice a year. An hour or two north and you have Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, which have small ski resorts.

Heck, the town I grew up in, just a few miles from the ocean, had measurable snowfall - in 1949.

I agree with you about the “flakes” in SoCal.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

@sda said:
My sister just texted me. Look what is following her home. 2017 RX350. Fully loaded, ivory interior. Looks nice.

Is that your daughter’s Christmas gift?

jmonroe

sda

jmonroe1 said:

@sda said:

My sister just texted me. Look what is following her home. 2017 RX350. Fully loaded, ivory interior. Looks nice.

Is that your daughter’s Christmas gift?

jmonroe

Not hardly! It is a Christmas gift from my sister to herself!

andres3

jmonroe1 said:

@andres3 said:

That's how I feel about Audi owners that put their Audi's into hibernation when the snow starts falling. That's when the driving gloves should come out!!!!

Just what is it you know about driving in the snow given you’re a San Diego kid.

jmonroe

Well, CA has mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and it just so happens I learned a whole lot about snow at a very young age by getting the Neon stuck in it and high-centered on a pile of it trying to plow through it with a car filled with teenagers and momentum alone. It's amazing how quickly that momentum went to zero from just a "pile" of snow on the road.

I learned that it's extremely difficult to get a 2,300 lb Neon out of being high centered with All Season tires in cold icy conditions. Ultimately, it took a big tow truck driver with chains to pull me out, and the driver had the wisdom to tell me to be ready to slam on the brakes so I don't hit him when the car "broke" free. That's exactly what happened, and I hit the brakes as he instructed; no collisions that day.

jmonroe1

@andres3 said:
Well, CA has mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and it just so happens I learned a whole lot about snow at a very young age by getting the Neon stuck in it and high-centered on a pile of it trying to plow through it with a car filled with teenagers and momentum alone. It's amazing how quickly that momentum went to zero from just a "pile" of snow on the road.

I learned that it's extremely difficult to get a 2,300 lb Neon out of being high centered with All Season tires in cold icy conditions. Ultimately, it took a big tow truck driver with chains to pull me out, and the driver had the wisdom to tell me to be ready to slam on the brakes so I don't hit him when the car "broke" free. That's exactly what happened, and I hit the brakes as he instructed; no collisions that day.

So, how many inches of snow was on the ground when you woke up that morning?

jmonroe

mjfloyd1

@au1994 said:
Well certainly let us know how this goes. We had overnight lows in the 20’s at the lake at Thanksgiving and days that didn’t get much over 50 but I don’t remember a problem. Been fairly mild since then and mine lives in the garage. When I get out its usually not till lunch so even if it was a cold night, it’s warmed some.

70 today and freedom panels out. Gotta love Christmas in Georgia.

I’ll have to check tomorrow. Still at work as on call people are busy.

andres3

jmonroe1 said:

@andres3 said:

Well, CA has mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and it just so happens I learned a whole lot about snow at a very young age by getting the Neon stuck in it and high-centered on a pile of it trying to plow through it with a car filled with teenagers and momentum alone. It's amazing how quickly that momentum went to zero from just a "pile" of snow on the road.

I learned that it's extremely difficult to get a 2,300 lb Neon out of being high centered with All Season tires in cold icy conditions. Ultimately, it took a big tow truck driver with chains to pull me out, and the driver had the wisdom to tell me to be ready to slam on the brakes so I don't hit him when the car "broke" free. That's exactly what happened, and I hit the brakes as he instructed; no collisions that day.

So, how many inches of snow was on the ground when you woke up that morning?

jmonroe

That sounds like a trick question. There's always many inches of snow on the ground in certain places, like the top of Everest.

oldfarmer50

mjfloyd1 said:

@au1994 said:

Well certainly let us know how this goes. We had overnight lows in the 20’s at the lake at Thanksgiving and days that didn’t get much over 50 but I don’t remember a problem. Been fairly mild since then and mine lives in the garage. When I get out its usually not till lunch so even if it was a cold night, it’s warmed some.

70 today and freedom panels out. Gotta love Christmas in Georgia.

I’ll have to check tomorrow. Still at work as on call people are busy.

It was in the mid 50s today but we’re expecting several inches of snow tomorrow. You can’t escape winter in the northeast forever.

stickguy

other than this one being a hybrid, basically identical to the one I have on order. Same trim and color. Looks sharp I think. Mine should be arriving "soon". Not likely to get it before Xmas, but hopefully when I get back midweek after so still get a punch in for 2021. It has been in transit for a while now, but the tracking site customers get basically has "built, shipped, at the dealer" as the only options. so it could be sitting in a parking lot in Mexico, on a boat, in a lot at port Newark, or on a truck heading to the dealer. No clue. I believe the dealer has a fancier tracking system that can pinpoint it but I have not asked them yet since not in a hurry.

ab348

I would guess they would come out of Mexico by rail and then make their way to your part of the world slowly.

stickguy

they rail to the east coast of Mexico, then boat up to Newark, and get dispersed from there for the north east. I think they train straight up to the southern states like Texas. Not sure what they do for the west coast.

jmonroe1

@ab348 said:
I would guess they would come out of Mexico by rail and then make their way to your part of the world slowly.

Slowly would be good but it’s probably coming

SLOOOOOOOOOOOOWLY.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

@andres3 said:
That sounds like a trick question. There's always many inches of snow on the ground in certain places, like the top of Everest.

No, that wasn’t a trick question but I got trick answer. 😫

jmonroe

corvette

Apparently, my Tundra isn't burning oil, after all. Decided to give it one last check before hitting Autozone for some top-up oil, and it was reading just slightly under the full mark on the dipstick, after the truck had sat for an hour. It's weird because I know it's read lower than that before, if I check it a few minutes after I shut the engine down. I can only guess that the design of the engine causes it to take a long time to drain all of the oil back into the pan.