Yeah, like I said, I was a little surprised when I first heard that one too, but if all it takes is cash....
We're on our fourth car from Schomp, and probably not our last.
As far as the brakes go, I couldn't really get a firm answer on whether they would look at them under warranty or not. The more I talked with them, the more they kept saying it would be doubtful. I guess in fairness, I couldn't expect them not to charge me if it was in fact our doing, so I ended up having them done closer to home for under $100 - although they wanted me to buy new hardware and charge to clean up the rear brakes. I told them the front pads were all I needed for now as it was just at the dealer, but thanks. The dealer had quoted me closer to $200 plus tax. We're half way through the lease so I'm hoping we won't have it much longer anyway :shades:
Two weeks ago Son #1 takes his ’95 Trans Am to the track and about half way through the day his power steering pump blows up so he limps back to the side lines to see what’s going on. He lifts the hood and the cap on the reservoir is gone and fluid is sprayed EVERYWHERE. He finds the cap laying somewhere down against the wheel well on the other side of the engine bay and it’s cracked in half. The guys at the track said, “now you can get a real power steering pump by having Jeff rebuild your blown one”. He doesn’t know what they’re talking about and they tell him there is this ex-GM power steering guru who rebuilds power steering pumps for guys like him and he started out by doing this for the NASCAR guys.
They tell him several guys at the track have had this guy do it for them and they "love" the way the car handles at higher speeds when you don’t need as much steering boost at those speeds. OK, my son gets in contact with the guy by email then by phone and the guy tells him he used to have these specially rebuilt pumps for his car on the shelf and all people would have to do is send them their core and he’d send them the new super duty thingy. Kinda like taking your old part to the auto parts and getting a rebuilt part from the auto parts store. Well, it turns out that there isn’t that much of a demand for his pump any more so all my Son has to do is send this guy his blown pump and he’ll rebuild that one.
My Son sends this guy the pump and the guy responds by email saying, “your pump is junk and it can’t be rebuilt”. The front bearing is bad but that ain’t the problem because that’s always the case and that’s a simple fix. There is something else wrong that I can’t remember but the real culprit is that the rear bearing is smoked and is seized to the case and can’t be removed. That’s why his pump can’t be rebuilt.
Now my Son goes to plan ‘B’ which is to buy a rebuilt pump from the auto parts (this guy will do that for him) and start the rebuilding process from there which this guy says he has done plenty of times before. This rebuilt pump from the auto parts will cost $70 (plus a $20/30 core cost) to get the process started. On top of that there is the normal $180 upgrade cost. The part of this that I find somewhat amusing is that my Son is spending close to $100 for a pump that is supposedly in good working order only to have it torn apart so that in the end he will have this super duty thingy.
My Son already acknowledges that he will be buying tires and brakes constantly to support his habit. On top of the tires and brakes I’m sure he isn’t finished blowing things apart on the track.
I don’t know about you guys but when I was raising a family I didn’t have the bucks to do this kind of stuff. Especially fixing things that ain't broke :confuse:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
...a new Mercedes-Benz C300. The lease is $531/month for three years and 10K mile a year limit. Did she get a good deal or not?
She made a strange comment as to why she leased the car versus buying it. She wants to be sure she likes it before she buys it. Uh, I pretty much know whether or not I like a car during the test drive. I don't need three years to figure it out :confuse:
I don’t know about you guys but when I was raising a family I didn’t have the bucks to do this kind of stuff. Especially fixing things that ain't broke
Such is the life of a track geek... :P
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
You might want to check out the C300 Prices Paid forum. Did she put any money down? Trade in? Multiple security deposits to lower the money factor? What options? 4Matic or no?
Leasing to buy can make sense if the money factor is low and the residual is brutal. If you like the car and it's reliable-right size etc then the buy price is very low for a nice ride that you lived with for 3 years. If it isn't what you want then you walk away. People who buy new cars every 3 years and finance it pretty much break even on a lease. If you buy used or keep your car for it's useful life than leasing doesn't make sense. If she got that lease with zero down taxes included than it isn't too bad for the small Benz. Make the first payment and drive off. If she put a bunch down, then who knows.
Well for less than half that price you can rent a C300 for the weekend and find out if you like it. Other than that a $531 a month payment is pretty much the same as financing a $16K car for three years with no money down. So depending on what C300 trim and the options you are pretty much paying 1/3 to 1/2 of the car plus interest. All this so you can drive for less than 835 miles a month.
So without knowing more and how much she put down I can't say if its a good deal or not.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I think she put down something like $1,680 and traded a rather beat-up black 1999 Mercury Cougar for which they gave her a couple hundred bucks. The car's a 4Matic in Mars Red with black leather interior, pop-up nav, and has the dual sun roofs.
Nay, a nightmare, last night that I decided to become a used car salesperson. In my dream, I was dying to make my first sale so I could come in here and post my own sales story. In my dream, I had a crazy lady, a broke 20-something guy, and a lady who wanted me to test drive the Grand Am FOR her in the snow. Sadly, I woke before making my sale, though I suspect in real life, it wouldn't have gone any better!
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
Hm... maybe it's you. It's all in order for me. You might post in the "our software" discussion, where people in-the-know read such things... might be browser-specific, or an anti-fezo plot.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
Nay, a nightmare, last night that I decided to become a used car salesperson. In my dream, I was dying to make my first sale so I could come in here and post my own sales story. In my dream, I had a crazy lady, a broke 20-something guy, and a lady who wanted me to test drive the Grand Am FOR her in the snow
I'm a bit disappointed in your dream kirstie. No jmonroe e-mailing you for a price quote, no g.g giving you a one time and only one time offer, no one coming in with a sack lunch and flinging the "Jipst Method" at you??? Why pick all these strangers to dream of, when you could have been dreaming about Edmunds best? :mad:
That's why I dubbed it a nightmare! I know how to deal with you people... we have ways...
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
I can't post because I'm training a ten week old Golden Lab. He's finally in bed. He bounces around all day chewing on the electrical cords, hiding my shoes, peeing where he shouldn't, etc. We have to watch him EVERY minute. He had his first visit to the vet today. The entire staff had to play with him. I have to go in and out with him a hundred times a day---potty training, walking with his little harness, feeding, watering, etc. If you want to stay young and energized, don't buy a car; buy a puppy. We're having a ball.
BTW, I'm still trying to help the "drempt" guy with "advice" and "advise". :P He may have to go to summer school.
richard, you just justified my decision to get a "used" (pre-owned?) dog, instead of a puppy.
That was the deal I offered my duaghter (her first words were "I want a dog", and she must have said that phrase 100,000 times over the next 10 years) when I finally said we could get them (well, I actually pulled the I may be dead soon so I want to get a dog card on my wife, the one who was the last line of defense).
Got a golden lab too, but he was just turning 4 at the time, so was nicely broken in.
He bounces around all day chewing on the electrical cords, hiding my shoes, peeing where he shouldn't, etc. We have to watch him EVERY minute.
Watching them EVERY minute is the way you have to do it alright. Believe it or not I house trained an 8 week old German Shepherd puppy in one day. Every time I saw him assuming the puppy squat I was on him. I never dreampt (I think I got that right ) only one day would do it but it did.
Now those extension cords can be entertaining if they survive the experience. The same dog that was so smart that he could be trained in one day just couldn’t stay away from the cord on this one particular lamp. That was, until the one time he bit through it and did he ever YELP. For weeks after that every time he’d have to walk past that lamp to walk down the hall, to get to the bedroom area of the house (and then back again), he’d be rubbing against the far wall not taking his eyes off of the cord and he’d be growling at the cord the whole time. I still remember how my Father got a kick out of watching that.
Congratulations ‘teach’. You just can’t stay away from doing that can ya?
Have fun.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I dreamt I was a muffler. When I awoke I saw the light. I was converted to catalyticism. Praised be.
Good play on words.
How about; I dreamt I was a muffler. When i got up I went around the house clearing my throat all day. HmmmmmmmmmmUhuhummmmmmmmmmmmmHmmmmmmmmm.....Voommmmmmmmmmmmm
"Well. "dreamed" wasn't right and "dreampt" doesn't look right either so what is it?"
isell--
Actually, "dreamed" would have been acceptable and both dreamed and "dreamt" are interchangeable past tenses of dream. Their use likely has more to do with a regional proclivity than correctness.
"To sleep, perchance to dream: aye there's the rub...I had to memorize all 60+ lines of Hamlet's soliloquy in 12th grade English and look where it's gotten me.
Here's a question for the bright bulbs who continually provide illumination on all concerns automotive.
Yesterday, I went to start my three year old car and got a little bit of turning over, but the engine wouldn't catch. Actually, the battery is about 40 months old so I took it to Napa and it tested as "needs replacement". So I buy a replacement, install it and it turns over better, but it still won't catch. Frustrated, I go to bed with the thought that I'll have to have it towed to a local mechanic. I try this morning and after the first failed attempt I give it a bit of gas and it fires right up (a bit of extra exhaust) and all seems fine. I drive it for six or 8 miles and return it to my garage.
I think I did need the battery, but I know that fuel injection isn't supposed to require giving it the gas upon starting. I'm scheduled to have a oil/filter change and alignment on 6/2. Should I be asking for a fuel system check? Could it be more about spark? The car only has 25K on the odometer. There was no warning and the car ran like a top a day or so earlier when I put it in the garage to wax it...ahh, maybe it was the wax.
Did you start it, and almost immediately turn it off?
I have had a few cases where the car did not like that at all. Best I can tell, it effectively "riched up" for the start, but never had a change to brun off all the fuel and clean itself out. So after you shut it down, next start it is sort of extra rich. COmbine that with the weak battery, and who knows what you get?
I know this is all highly technical talk, so hopefully you can keep up!
With all the modern sensors, etc. if there was really a problem, offs are it would have tossed a CEL and a code.
My recommendation? Go out, and give it a good Italian tuneup. Wind it out hard, and do a nice 30 miles or so jaunt. Really give it a chance to heat up, and burn out the crap.
I suppose a bottle of Textron (sp?) fuel system cleaner won't hurt either.
Five years is about it for a car battery although my next door neighbor got more then eight years out of the original battery in the 1996 Accord I sold them new.
I replaced the one in our CRV at age five. It hadn't given us any trouble but we were heading into winter. I figured I could replace it on my terms or I could try and nurse some more time out of it and possibly leave my wife stranded.
I agree with the others who think you probably flooded it. I think it will be fine now.
i agree with the other replies. don't back the car out of the garage, wash it, and pull it back in. i always drive it for a couple of miles after washing it. once you get it to start, everything is normal.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
I agree with the assessment I got from all of you--probably just flooded and that was compounded by the original weak battery.
"I'm with you Craig --- When a battery is 4-5 years old it gets traded in -- why take chances for $50."
That's my feeling as well. I must admit 40 months seems a bit short, but the battery was a really small manufacturer installed Panasonic. It almost looked like the stuff Napa was selling for ATVs. Is this typical? Roadburner--does your Mazdaspeed3 have a tiny battery? Interestingly, the Napa equivalent replacement was the same width and depth, but about 1 1/2" longer. It's so much smaller than the battery on my--now sold--Civic, Rav4 or MR2.
By the way, after the battery went kaput I checked the manufacturer's warranty. If it died Mazda's prescribed replacement policy was:
0-12 months--75% refund on battery cost 13-24 months--50% refund of battery cost 25-36 months--25% refund of battery cost.
The Napa battery has an 80 month warranty. No information was given with the battery, but I'm sure there must be a some kind of depreciated refund policy. Anyone want to lay odds on it lasting 80 months--or whether I should attempt to make it last that long?
...I put it in the garage to wax it...ahh, maybe it was the wax.
It's never the wax and don't you ever forget that. :mad:
I'm with the others, it was probably just a quirk. Over the years I've seen some pretty bizarre things happen when a battery is weak. It could have caused an incorrect signal to be sent to the fuel pump, fuel injectors, you name it. If it does it's normal thing the next few days forget about what just happened.
As for trying to eke out the last few turns of a battery, it ain't worth the inconvenience of having it fail when you can least afford it. If it happens while your wife has the car ...well, you'd wish you'd changed it when you got the first sign that it was going bad. Listen to what 'isell' said, he's actually right about this.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Is it years on the battery or mileage or how it's driven (lots of short commutes vs. long drives) that would make you change it?
My Z will be 5 years old very soon, although I've only had it for four years. It was in transit and then sitting on the dealer's lot for a few months before I bought it. Should I be changing the battery sometime soon then? The car only has about 25,000 miles on it.
Is it years on the battery or mileage or how it's driven (lots of short commutes vs. long drives) that would make you change it?
It's mostly years. Lead acid batteries have a finite life just like most other batteries and it depends on the quality of the materials used to make the battery. My experience with batteries is that not to many of them will last more than 6 years most not more than 5 and those are the good batteries. The cheapies last less than this.
My '05 just had a battery replaced last fall right before the winter because it started to act up and I wasn't going to take a chance with her car. I know better than that.
Here's a little battery tale.
Years ago ('70's) I needed a battery and I went to Sears. They didn't have their top of the line Diehard battery for my car (5 year battery) and rather than go to another store to get one plus I didn't plan to keep the car more than 2 years anyhow, I bought a 48 month battery. This was back in the day when they did a free electrical check and a free installation. While the mechanic was doing the electrical check I ask him how long my new battery would last. He looked at it, saw that it said 48 months and without hesitation he said, "you'll be back here in 3 years to replace that battery".
Unfortunately, batteries are like people. It's their age that gets them. :surprise:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
the original battery in my mustang lasted 5 years, the next one almost 9 years! it was a 96 month battery. the current one is a 100 month battery but only 5+ years old. the original battery in my explorer lasted about 4 years and about 6 in our 04 escape. i charged them all, when i bought them
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
Comments
We're on our fourth car from Schomp, and probably not our last.
As far as the brakes go, I couldn't really get a firm answer on whether they would look at them under warranty or not. The more I talked with them, the more they kept saying it would be doubtful. I guess in fairness, I couldn't expect them not to charge me if it was in fact our doing, so I ended up having them done closer to home for under $100 - although they wanted me to buy new hardware and charge to clean up the rear brakes. I told them the front pads were all I needed for now as it was just at the dealer, but thanks. The dealer had quoted me closer to $200 plus tax. We're half way through the lease so I'm hoping we won't have it much longer anyway :shades:
Easy to see why this guy will never be a power seller.
AGREED TO "OUT THE DOOR PRICE"DISCOVERED DEALER ADDED 399.00 FEE BE VERY CAREFUL
Reply by (Atlanta, Ga Acura dealer) I took the dealer name out-Dave
Prior to finalizing purchase, all fees were disclosed and approved by customer.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
Two weeks ago Son #1 takes his ’95 Trans Am to the track and about half way through the day his power steering pump blows up so he limps back to the side lines to see what’s going on. He lifts the hood and the cap on the reservoir is gone and fluid is sprayed EVERYWHERE. He finds the cap laying somewhere down against the wheel well on the other side of the engine bay and it’s cracked in half. The guys at the track said, “now you can get a real power steering pump by having Jeff rebuild your blown one”. He doesn’t know what they’re talking about and they tell him there is this ex-GM power steering guru who rebuilds power steering pumps for guys like him and he started out by doing this for the NASCAR guys.
They tell him several guys at the track have had this guy do it for them and they "love" the way the car handles at higher speeds when you don’t need as much steering boost at those speeds. OK, my son gets in contact with the guy by email then by phone and the guy tells him he used to have these specially rebuilt pumps for his car on the shelf and all people would have to do is send them their core and he’d send them the new super duty thingy. Kinda like taking your old part to the auto parts and getting a rebuilt part from the auto parts store. Well, it turns out that there isn’t that much of a demand for his pump any more so all my Son has to do is send this guy his blown pump and he’ll rebuild that one.
My Son sends this guy the pump and the guy responds by email saying, “your pump is junk and it can’t be rebuilt”. The front bearing is bad but that ain’t the problem because that’s always the case and that’s a simple fix. There is something else wrong that I can’t remember but the real culprit is that the rear bearing is smoked and is seized to the case and can’t be removed. That’s why his pump can’t be rebuilt.
Now my Son goes to plan ‘B’ which is to buy a rebuilt pump from the auto parts (this guy will do that for him) and start the rebuilding process from there which this guy says he has done plenty of times before. This rebuilt pump from the auto parts will cost $70 (plus a $20/30 core cost) to get the process started. On top of that there is the normal $180 upgrade cost. The part of this that I find somewhat amusing is that my Son is spending close to $100 for a pump that is supposedly in good working order only to have it torn apart so that in the end he will have this super duty thingy.
My Son already acknowledges that he will be buying tires and brakes constantly to support his habit. On top of the tires and brakes I’m sure he isn’t finished blowing things apart on the track.
I don’t know about you guys but when I was raising a family I didn’t have the bucks to do this kind of stuff. Especially fixing things that ain't broke :confuse:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
She made a strange comment as to why she leased the car versus buying it. She wants to be sure she likes it before she buys it. Uh, I pretty much know whether or not I like a car during the test drive. I don't need three years to figure it out :confuse:
Such is the life of a track geek... :P
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
So without knowing more and how much she put down I can't say if its a good deal or not.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
What the heck is up with the boards today? The only way I can get in here is to ask for it directly. The Smart Shopper list is all a jumbled mess.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
I miss the people I worked with but I don't miss the rest of it.
I'm a bit disappointed in your dream kirstie. No jmonroe e-mailing you for a price quote, no g.g giving you a one time and only one time offer, no one coming in with a sack lunch and flinging the "Jipst Method" at you??? Why pick all these strangers to dream of, when you could have been dreaming about Edmunds best? :mad:
Either a problem specific to here or a firefox issue..... Works on IE.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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And I woke up exhausted!
I know...
Snow. In St. Louis? In May? Naaaah.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
And I woke up exhausted!
Good thing I didn't have anything in my mouth when I read that as it would have been all over my computer screen.
Nice to see you loosening up now that you've retired.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Where is Richard when you need him?
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Plots. Meetings. That explains a lot of things! :P
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I can't post because I'm training a ten week old Golden Lab. He's finally in bed. He bounces around all day chewing on the electrical cords, hiding my shoes, peeing where he shouldn't, etc. We have to watch him EVERY minute. He had his first visit to the vet today. The entire staff had to play with him. I have to go in and out with him a hundred times a day---potty training, walking with his little harness, feeding, watering, etc. If you want to stay young and energized, don't buy a car; buy a puppy. We're having a ball.
BTW, I'm still trying to help the "drempt" guy with "advice" and "advise". :P He may have to go to summer school.
Richard
That was the deal I offered my duaghter (her first words were "I want a dog", and she must have said that phrase 100,000 times over the next 10 years) when I finally said we could get them (well, I actually pulled the I may be dead soon so I want to get a dog card on my wife, the one who was the last line of defense).
Got a golden lab too, but he was just turning 4 at the time, so was nicely broken in.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
We're glad you could stop by with a progress report.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Watching them EVERY minute is the way you have to do it alright. Believe it or not I house trained an 8 week old German Shepherd puppy in one day. Every time I saw him assuming the puppy squat I was on him. I never dreampt (I think I got that right
Now those extension cords can be entertaining if they survive the experience. The same dog that was so smart that he could be trained in one day just couldn’t stay away from the cord on this one particular lamp. That was, until the one time he bit through it and did he ever YELP. For weeks after that every time he’d have to walk past that lamp to walk down the hall, to get to the bedroom area of the house (and then back again), he’d be rubbing against the far wall not taking his eyes off of the cord and he’d be growling at the cord the whole time. I still remember how my Father got a kick out of watching that.
Congratulations ‘teach’. You just can’t stay away from doing that can ya?
Have fun.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Nice to see you checking in. When you start looking at SUVs again better get one with the plastic tray in the cargo area.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
You will have to substitute for Richard while he is on puppy patrol. We have a dog whisperer around.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
No need to worry...if you go with the GLK you can get this nice cargo mat.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Good play on words.
How about;
I dreamt I was a muffler. When i got up I went around the house clearing my throat all day. HmmmmmmmmmmUhuhummmmmmmmmmmmmHmmmmmmmmm.....Voommmmmmmmmmmmm
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
isell--
Actually, "dreamed" would have been acceptable and both dreamed and "dreamt" are interchangeable past tenses of dream. Their use likely has more to do with a regional proclivity than correctness.
"To sleep, perchance to dream: aye there's the rub...I had to memorize all 60+ lines of Hamlet's soliloquy in 12th grade English and look where it's gotten me.
Gogiboy
Yesterday, I went to start my three year old car and got a little bit of turning over, but the engine wouldn't catch. Actually, the battery is about 40 months old so I took it to Napa and it tested as "needs replacement". So I buy a replacement, install it and it turns over better, but it still won't catch. Frustrated, I go to bed with the thought that I'll have to have it towed to a local mechanic. I try this morning and after the first failed attempt I give it a bit of gas and it fires right up (a bit of extra exhaust) and all seems fine. I drive it for six or 8 miles and return it to my garage.
I think I did need the battery, but I know that fuel injection isn't supposed to require giving it the gas upon starting. I'm scheduled to have a oil/filter change and alignment on 6/2. Should I be asking for a fuel system check? Could it be more about spark? The car only has 25K on the odometer. There was no warning and the car ran like a top a day or so earlier when I put it in the garage to wax it...ahh, maybe it was the wax.
Gogiboy
I have had a few cases where the car did not like that at all. Best I can tell, it effectively "riched up" for the start, but never had a change to brun off all the fuel and clean itself out. So after you shut it down, next start it is sort of extra rich. COmbine that with the weak battery, and who knows what you get?
I know this is all highly technical talk, so hopefully you can keep up!
With all the modern sensors, etc. if there was really a problem, offs are it would have tossed a CEL and a code.
My recommendation? Go out, and give it a good Italian tuneup. Wind it out hard, and do a nice 30 miles or so jaunt. Really give it a chance to heat up, and burn out the crap.
I suppose a bottle of Textron (sp?) fuel system cleaner won't hurt either.
If the problem occurs again, get it looked at.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I replaced the one in our CRV at age five. It hadn't given us any trouble but we were heading into winter. I figured I could replace it on my terms or I could try and nurse some more time out of it and possibly leave my wife stranded.
I agree with the others who think you probably flooded it. I think it will be fine now.
It's not a VW is it? If so, all bets are off!
i always drive it for a couple of miles after washing it.
once you get it to start, everything is normal.
"I'm with you Craig --- When a battery is 4-5 years old it gets traded in -- why take chances for $50."
That's my feeling as well. I must admit 40 months seems a bit short, but the battery was a really small manufacturer installed Panasonic. It almost looked like the stuff Napa was selling for ATVs. Is this typical? Roadburner--does your Mazdaspeed3 have a tiny battery? Interestingly, the Napa equivalent replacement was the same width and depth, but about 1 1/2" longer. It's so much smaller than the battery on my--now sold--Civic, Rav4 or MR2.
By the way, after the battery went kaput I checked the manufacturer's warranty. If it died Mazda's prescribed replacement policy was:
0-12 months--75% refund on battery cost
13-24 months--50% refund of battery cost
25-36 months--25% refund of battery cost.
The Napa battery has an 80 month warranty. No information was given with the battery, but I'm sure there must be a some kind of depreciated refund policy. Anyone want to lay odds on it lasting 80 months--or whether I should attempt to make it last that long?
Gogiboy
It's never the wax and don't you ever forget that. :mad:
I'm with the others, it was probably just a quirk. Over the years I've seen some pretty bizarre things happen when a battery is weak. It could have caused an incorrect signal to be sent to the fuel pump, fuel injectors, you name it. If it does it's normal thing the next few days forget about what just happened.
As for trying to eke out the last few turns of a battery, it ain't worth the inconvenience of having it fail when you can least afford it. If it happens while your wife has the car ...well, you'd wish you'd changed it when you got the first sign that it was going bad. Listen to what 'isell' said, he's actually right about this.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
My Z will be 5 years old very soon, although I've only had it for four years. It was in transit and then sitting on the dealer's lot for a few months before I bought it. Should I be changing the battery sometime soon then? The car only has about 25,000 miles on it.
It's mostly years. Lead acid batteries have a finite life just like most other batteries and it depends on the quality of the materials used to make the battery. My experience with batteries is that not to many of them will last more than 6 years most not more than 5 and those are the good batteries. The cheapies last less than this.
My '05 just had a battery replaced last fall right before the winter because it started to act up and I wasn't going to take a chance with her car. I know better than that.
Here's a little battery tale.
Years ago ('70's) I needed a battery and I went to Sears. They didn't have their top of the line Diehard battery for my car (5 year battery) and rather than go to another store to get one plus I didn't plan to keep the car more than 2 years anyhow, I bought a 48 month battery. This was back in the day when they did a free electrical check and a free installation. While the mechanic was doing the electrical check I ask him how long my new battery would last. He looked at it, saw that it said 48 months and without hesitation he said, "you'll be back here in 3 years to replace that battery".
Unfortunately, batteries are like people. It's their age that gets them. :surprise:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
A very cold day or a very hot day can push it over the edge.
So...you can replace it on your terms or wait until you get stuck someplace.
The low miles aren't a factor. It's time.
the original battery in my explorer lasted about 4 years and about 6 in our 04 escape.
i charged them all, when i bought them