And done.....interestingly enough, the charger is the same model that GM sells for its EVs. Getting a real education about Level 2 chargers. It was obviously used, but it works. And, it charges the EV6.
Installation was easier than I thought.
-install new breaker in breaker box -connect (impossibly heavy and stiff) wiring -Run wiring through the wall one story into the garage (it was a straight shot) -Mount 220 plug to wall and connect wiring -Hang battery terminal and connect to plug
Would have preferred to run it to the front of the garage, so I don't have to back in. But, that was a much longer wire run through more 2x4s.
Total out of pocket?
-$75 for the used charger -$30 for wiring, breaker and receptacle -6 pack of Bud Light
I’m envious. Installing a Level 2 in our garage is not going to be simple. I’m going to put it off till next year and hope for some state rebates. For now I’m using the public chargers close by, basically once a month, and then we will be out of town for a couple of months anyway. Going to help out with the arrival of grandbaby #2.
And done.....interestingly enough, the charger is the same model that GM sells for its EVs. Getting a real education about Level 2 chargers. It was obviously used, but it works. And, it charges the EV6.
Installation was easier than I thought.
-install new breaker in breaker box -connect (impossibly heavy and stiff) wiring -Run wiring through the wall one story into the garage (it was a straight shot) -Mount 220 plug to wall and connect wiring -Hang battery terminal and connect to plug
Would have preferred to run it to the front of the garage, so I don't have to back in. But, that was a much longer wire run through more 2x4s.
Total out of pocket?
-$75 for the used charger -$30 for wiring, breaker and receptacle -6 pack of Bud Light
———————————————— Looks good. As you have found out, those things aren’t nearly as hard to install as electricians would have you believe.
75 bucks for a charger is a hellava deal even if it is used. The new price for that had to be at least $400.
Just curious, did you use #8 copper wire or #6. For your short run #8 is fine but if you ran the wire to the front of the garage I would have gone with #6 for that longer run.
You could make some bucks installing those for some of our poster buddies. There is no way I would put up with a 110 volt cord if I had an EV for longer than a week.
Happy charging.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
#6 copper wire. My neighbor had some left over from his Tesla charger installation. He wouldn't take money for it. So, it will probably cost me another 6 pack at some point..
My neighbor also knew the new owners of the property that I got this charger. Looked it up. GM dealers charger about $600 for it. But, I also found some coupons from some of the dealership for 15% off. So, could have secured a new one for $500.
This one works. So, I don't have any issues. I even was able to download a phone app to control it and get info from it.
Knowing what I do now about installing them, I could probably knock one out in about an hour. But, it's really a 2 person job. I wouldn't want to run up and down to the breaker box or try to run that wire by myself. That battery connection box is heavy, too. That would be a [non-permissible content removed] to mount doing it alone.
@suydam, Enjoy your time helping out with grandchild #2. It seems you are going to be away for a while. What are you going to do about not driving your car for an extended period? I'm assuming you don't want it to go dead from sitting, then try to revive it. Maybe there is a storage protocol for it?
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
We are actually planning to take the EV. It’s more comfortable than the Kia as a road trip car. I’m on Blazer EV forums chatting with folks who have driven cross country, particularly the areas that make me nervous — namely the eastern California desert to Flagstaff part. We are planning out a route this weekend actually. We have lots of folks to visit on the way too!
#6 copper wire. My neighbor had some left over from his Tesla charger installation. He wouldn't take money for it. So, it will probably cost me another 6 pack at some point..
My neighbor also knew the new owners of the property that I got this charger. Looked it up. GM dealers charger about $600 for it. But, I also found some coupons from some of the dealership for 15% off. So, could have secured a new one for $500.
This one works. So, I don't have any issues. I even was able to download a phone app to control it and get info from it.
Knowing what I do now about installing them, I could probably knock one out in about an hour. But, it's really a 2 person job. I wouldn't want to run up and down to the breaker box or try to run that wire by myself. That battery connection box is heavy, too. That would be a [non-permissible content removed] to mount doing it alone.
————————————————- Nice neighbor to give you the wire. I’m going to guesstimate that if your neighbor bought the wire by the foot lately it had to cost at least 3 bucks a foot. 6/3 with ground copper romex ain’t cheap. I’m also going to say that if his house Is laid out like yours he used 6/3 copper because his unit is in the front of the garage.
Most home level 2 chargers only require #8 copper hooked up to a 40 amp breaker but using #6 allows for a longer wire run without suffering from any possible line loss due to a longer run. FWIW, that’s the way I would do it too.
BTW, you owe him a case of beer not a 6 pack.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
I should be able to install one quite easily if I finally get a plug in, since I had the outlet installed during the build. So can skip right to the put the bracket on the wall and hang it up part.
That's a great deal on a Level 2 charger--I'll have to scour Craigslist for one.
My install won't be as simple, either. It will need to be outdoors, so I'd either need a GFCI breaker (if using a NEMA 14-50 plug) or a hardwired charger (which I would prefer). If I'm installing it myself, even though it's a short run from the panel, I'm inclined to go with 10/3 cable on a 30 amp breaker to avoid having to mess with the heavier cable and derate the charger to 24 amps, which should be plenty for my needs.
Right now a Level 1 works fine for the 4xe. If I yield to temptation in a year or two and pick up a CLE53 I'd like to have a Level 2. Luckily one of my son's friends is an electrician and I'll call on him for the install.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
@jmonroe …probably will end up getting the nigh or more than just a 6 pack
@stickguy …if you’ve already got the 220 line run and a receptacle, you can probably hang the unit in 15 minutes, plug it into the outlet, and be ready to roll.
@corvette …i was getting ready to drop about $500-$600 on Amazon for a new EV charger before I found out about the used one. If you get a charger you plug in, you can take it with you if you move.
But, outdoors you probably want a direct connection. I’ve heard of them being stolen being outside. Maybe want to look at a padlock for it, too!
RB… PHEV would probably be fine with a level 1, IMHO!
spend a chunk of time experimenting today with different configurations. and got really tired of dragging hoses around. But seemed to have managed to get most all the ground wet to some degree. I have no expectations that it will get done thoroughly or consistently. So hoping for the best, and yes, my usual plan is let the rain do the work. Unfortunately, they seeded the day after the last rain in the forecast for 10 days or so. Not supposed to be any chance until about next Wednesday. Completely screwing me over.
but I will drag the sprinklers around until the first decent rain. By then, hopefully some germinating should have happened (they said 5 days or so to see it start) and at that point I will let nature take over.
If I was doing it, I would probably have gone old school with seed and a spreader and rake it under then fertilize on top. Might not be as quick as hydroseed, but IMO comes in better and less sensitive to initial watering. I would have also priced sod, though I think these days that is brutally expensive and more sensitive to getting watered. The fertilizer guy estimated about 10,000 SF of lawn under seed. Could get pricey in sod (online estimates were quite varied but seemed like $2/SF installed was bare minimum.
hopefully in a few week I see actual grass to keep the dirt in place. And if we do get a few rain days middle of next week, could be perfect time to really set the grassing growing into high gear.
Get a quote from Saratoga Sod over in Stillwater. You’re right, it won’t be cheap.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Don’t worry, you’re doing it right. Grass likes those cool mornings. If you’re worried about watering a large oddly shaped lawn look into a Rain Train sprinkler:
I used these to water large areas of nursery stock. They will travel in any pattern in which you can lay the hose (within reason).
Interesting contraption.
I bought a couple of spigot splitters and more hose and have 2 oscillating (back and forth) sprinklers and 2 tower ones. Hopefully I can cover the bulk of it with those without having to move them around too much. Will know shortly when I go outside to hook it all up. I assembled the tower jobs yesterday.
———————————————— My experience with getting a lawn to grow from seed is, you can water, water and water for week and barely see any growth. Then you’ll get an overnight rain and wham, you’ll see the lawn you were looking for.
That’s why when we built our house in SC in 1992 I had sod put in. I got more than a couple handfuls of comments from nearby neighbors and folks walking by. In my case it cost about 20% more to get a better grade of sod compared to seeding which I thought was a real bargain. I was never sorry I did that.
Pray for rain.
jmonroe
Truth!
I plant grass every fall. I can get it to grow without rain, but the rain, for some reason, makes it flourish. Must be there is no chemicals.
———————————————— So much for acid rain. Oh the joys of Mother Nature. She knows best how to make things grow.
jmonroe
I’ll still never forget the sign in front of the car wash I used to work at as a kid: ACID RAIN EATS CARS! WASH IT OFF TODAY!
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I have to get a charger installed in my garage. Easy job. Panel is out there …. It’s just with free charging for another year it’s tough to get the motivation.
@graphicguy - if I installed an outdoor outlet, I'd get one of those oversized enclosures that allows you to lock the plug into place with a padlock. The charger that came with the Ariya has both a 5-15 plug and a 14-50 plug, so I'd need a 40 or 50 amp GFCI (and appropriate wiring) to power that one.
My Volt came with two chargers, the OE one and a 16 amp 240 volt charger with a 14-50 plug--I kept the second one, so I could also use that. I can only guess that the former owner of the Volt had a long-ish commute and access to a 240 volt outlet at work.
I looked at this yesterday, and it took me FOREVER to figure out 1) what it was supposed to be, and 2) whether it was intended for comedic value only (e.g., not an actual product for sale).
It's an electric bicycle that is ultra-compact. It just doesn't look comfortable to me - AT ALL - with the very square design. Aesthetically, it looks like someone took a cheap folding table and attached a seat, wheels, footrests, and handle bars. Selling for $995. I'd love to hear what actual owners think about it.
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 looked at this yesterday, and it took me FOREVER to figure out 1) what it was supposed to be, and 2) whether it was intended for comedic value only (e.g., not an actual product for sale).
It's an electric bicycle that is ultra-compact. It just doesn't look comfortable to me - AT ALL - with the very square design. Aesthetically, it looks like someone took a cheap folding table and attached a seat, wheels, footrests, and handle bars. Selling for $995. I'd love to hear what actual owners think about it.
It is a little electric scooter....much like an electric bike, but smaller. They had one in the Honda Dealer's showroom on display (they sell them, also). They had a couple out front that customers could try out. I did, but just around their parking lot. It rides like a bike. Probably has a little more cushion to it than a regular bike.
Honda sales person said they use it to ride to their back lot to get cars quickly to show to customers. Takes less time than walking. They scooter it to the car they are looking for and bring the car back for a customer to look at. If the customer doesn't like the car, the sales person drives the car back and rides the scooter back to the showroom.
I can see a use for it if I lived in a densely populated city like NYC. No parking space required. But, I wouldn't want to haul it up and down stairs. Probably better suited for Hong Kong, Singapore, São Paulo, London, Paris, Rome, etc. Suburbs of Cincinnati? Not so much. Would be perfect for cruising around campgrounds, though.
Sales person said they had sold about 50 of them from the dealership. He admitted that they are trying everything they can to sell Prologues. And, that Honda came up with the idea of including the scooter.
Those of us into older material will be familiar with the form factor of the Motocompacto - this isn't Honda's first foray into a small foldable motorized bike/scooter. In the early/mid 80s, Honda had the Motocompo, which was designed to fit in the back of the Honda City (but could be purchased on their own):
A handful of these have made it to the US as private imports, especially with JDM stuff still having trendiness.
I have to get a charger installed in my garage. Easy job. Panel is out there …. It’s just with free charging for another year it’s tough to get the motivation.
———————————————— For me, the convenience of having a charger in my garage would be enough motivation. I know you said you have some free charges left and that’s fine as long as you can get charged up without having to remember to get charged while you’re out. But after that I would never spend any time trying to figure out how to get a charge before I got home. Again, for me, it’s all about me being in control and not the car and/or charging stations.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
@jmonroe1 said:
————————————————
For me, the convenience of having a charger in my garage would be enough motivation. I know you said you have some free charges left and that’s fine as long as you can get charged up without having to remember to get charged while you’re out. But after that I would never spend any time trying to figure out how to get a charge before I got home. Again, for me, it’s all about me being in control and not the car and/or charging stations.
jmonroe
It’s really not a problem. At the shore the charger is walking distance and at home the closest one is just two miles in a shopping district.
For example. We have to go the store tonight before we leave for the shore. I’ll charge up there while we do what we need to do. Zero time spent.
And done.....interestingly enough, the charger is the same model that GM sells for its EVs. Getting a real education about Level 2 chargers. It was obviously used, but it works. And, it charges the EV6.
Installation was easier than I thought.
-install new breaker in breaker box -connect (impossibly heavy and stiff) wiring -Run wiring through the wall one story into the garage (it was a straight shot) -Mount 220 plug to wall and connect wiring -Hang battery terminal and connect to plug
Would have preferred to run it to the front of the garage, so I don't have to back in. But, that was a much longer wire run through more 2x4s.
Total out of pocket?
-$75 for the used charger -$30 for wiring, breaker and receptacle -6 pack of Bud Light
I’m envious. Installing a Level 2 in our garage is not going to be simple. I’m going to put it off till next year and hope for some state rebates. For now I’m using the public chargers close by, basically once a month, and then we will be out of town for a couple of months anyway. Going to help out with the arrival of grandbaby #2.
I debate putting in a level 2 charger. Irritated that the EV6 did not come with a charging cable. I threatened to scuttle the deal unless the dealer threw it in. Wouldn't budge but offered to sell it to me "at cost" (so they said). Or, about $150. So, if I was going to drop $150, after doing a little leg work, I got the wall unit which comes with a cable, used for ½ that.
I was skeptical of doing the install myself. But, I saw what my neighbor did with his Tesla charger. Nothing against him, but figured if he could do it, I could do it. His help was greatly appreciated. He helped run the very still cable (which he provided). He held the unit up while I fastened it to the wall. HE said my install was easier than his. When I asked him why, he said because he had his daughter helping him, and she had to either read or respond to texts every couple of minutes. LOL!
For me, the convenience of having a charger in my garage would be enough motivation. I know you said you have some free charges left and that’s fine as long as you can get charged up without having to remember to get charged while you’re out. But after that I would never spend any time trying to figure out how to get a charge before I got home. Again, for me, it’s all about me being in control and not the car and/or charging stations.
jmonroe
It’s really not a problem. At the shore the charger is walking distance and at home the closest one is just two miles in a shopping district.
For example. We have to go the store tonight before we leave for the shore. I’ll charge up there while we do what we need to do. Zero time spent.
———————————————— That’s fine as long as the charger is available AND working. I’ve heard of too many stories when that isn’t the case. Almost like rolling dice. Just not for me, yet.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
@jmonroe1 said:
————————————————
That’s fine as long as the charger is available AND working. I’ve heard of too many stories when that isn’t the case. Almost like rolling dice. Just not for me, yet.
jmonroe
There are four and the car or app tells me if they are available.
I’ve said it before… if you drive your EV daily significant mileage a home charger is a must. For us driving it maybe 75 miles a week charging away from home isn’t a problem (especially when it’s free!)
It’s not really a problem for us either. Six fast chargers at a mall a mile from our house, there are always some available. We do our Sunday Farmers Market shopping while we charge. Easy.
Installing level 2 is going to be more complicated for us. We live in a condo and the electricity in the detached garages is shared. So we have to run a line to connect to our electricity meter. That isn’t too hard as we can use the dryer line (we have a gas dryer), but it’s only 30 amps, as @jmonroe pointed out awhile back. We do have a charging cord, but it’s rated 32-40 amps. So we either have to buy an adapter that allows you to adjust your amperage down (GM is happy to sell you one),, or install new 40 amp wiring. A much bigger job. We will do one of those, but I’m not in a hurry at the moment. I read in the Times that next year there will be more consumer rebate money for electricity upgrades allotted to the states as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, so we might as well wait to see if that happens, especially since we won’t be here most of October and November. I’d be using public chargers at my kid’s house anyway.
Irritated that the EV6 did not come with a charging cable. I threatened to scuttle the deal unless the dealer threw it in. Wouldn't budge but offered to sell it to me "at cost" (so they said). Or, about $150.
If that was the Hyundai/Kia Level 1 charge cord, apparently those retail for an insane $1,250.
It’s not really a problem for us either. Six fast chargers at a mall a mile from our house, there are always some available. We do our Sunday Farmers Market shopping while we charge. Easy.
Installing level 2 is going to be more complicated for us. We live in a condo and the electricity in the detached garages is shared. So we have to run a line to connect to our electricity meter. That isn’t too hard as we can use the dryer line (we have a gas dryer), but it’s only 30 amps, as @jmonroe pointed out awhile back. We do have a charging cord, but it’s rated 32-40 amps. So we either have to buy an adapter that allows you to adjust your amperage down (GM is happy to sell you one),, or install new 40 amp wiring. A much bigger job. We will do one of those, but I’m not in a hurry at the moment. I read in the Times that next year there will be more consumer rebate money for electricity upgrades allotted to the states as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, so we might as well wait to see if that happens, especially since we won’t be here most of October and November. I’d be using public chargers at my kid’s house anyway.
———————————————— You said your cord is rated 32-40 amps. If that is the case you can connect that cord to a 30 amp dryer receptacle that is powered by a 30 amp breaker. You can always connect a larger current rated wire to a smaller rated breaker but you should NEVER EVER do the reverse. That would be like installing a penny in a fuse box.
What I don’t understand is, if you have a detached garage, your cord can’t be long enough to reach your dryer receptacle that is somewhere in your house.
EDIT: What I just said will work ONLY if the male connector on the cord can be plugged into the dryer receptacle and the more I think about this is it won’t. However, you could always cut off the male connector on the cord and replace it with one that is compatible with the dryer receptacle.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
So we either have to buy an adapter that allows you to adjust your amperage down (GM is happy to sell you one),, or install new 40 amp wiring.
Most of the hardwired chargers (ChargePoint, Tesla Universal Wall Connector, etc.) support 32-40 amps (or more) but also allow you to derate the charger if it's on a lower amperage circuit. I think one of those would work fine with your 30 amp dryer circuit--you could charge at 24 amps, which is 80% of the circuit's rating.
Now for something lighter......a Dennis O'Sullivan letter; QUESTION
Can you help me with my 2004 Dodge? I had the oil changed on my 2004 Dodge and the garage damaged my oil pan and they will not do anything for me. I have spoken to my lawyer and he told me to try you first.
Scammer from Guelph
ANSWER
Tell your lawyer thanks but no thanks. I have left most of your haranguing out of the question because of its pure fabrication of the facts against the garage. Why would a person drive their vehicle over 40 miles to have a simple oil change? Was it because of the fact that your buddy worked at the garage? He purposely used a jack to improperly jack up your vehicle and dented the rusted out oil pan so that you could try and get the garage to pay for it. Yes, we now know all of the facts. The garage sent me a picture of the rusted oil pan and the undercarriage. It was very obvious that the oil splatter under the car was an indication that the rusted out oil pan had been leaking for months, if not years. In speaking to the owner of the garage, this incident came to a head when the owner told your buddy, his employee, that he was going to have to pay for half the cost of the oil pan. It was totally out of the ordinary that your buddy would use a jack to change the oil when he was told to put the car on the hoist. That is when he admitted his participation with your attempted scam. You, trying to use a buddy to scam a family garage, has cost him his job and rightly so. I understand that your vehicle has been at the garage for over four weeks now and I hope that the garage takes my advice to charge you storage until the vehicle is removed from their lot.
PS: What a despicable person you are to involve a gullible young man in your attempted scam.
Now for something lighter......a Dennis O'Sullivan letter; QUESTION
Can you help me with my 2004 Dodge? I had the oil changed on my 2004 Dodge and the garage damaged my oil pan and they will not do anything for me. I have spoken to my lawyer and he told me to try you first.
Scammer from Guelph
ANSWER
Tell your lawyer thanks but no thanks. I have left most of your haranguing out of the question because of its pure fabrication of the facts against the garage. Why would a person drive their vehicle over 40 miles to have a simple oil change? Was it because of the fact that your buddy worked at the garage? He purposely used a jack to improperly jack up your vehicle and dented the rusted out oil pan so that you could try and get the garage to pay for it. Yes, we now know all of the facts. The garage sent me a picture of the rusted oil pan and the undercarriage. It was very obvious that the oil splatter under the car was an indication that the rusted out oil pan had been leaking for months, if not years. In speaking to the owner of the garage, this incident came to a head when the owner told your buddy, his employee, that he was going to have to pay for half the cost of the oil pan. It was totally out of the ordinary that your buddy would use a jack to change the oil when he was told to put the car on the hoist. That is when he admitted his participation with your attempted scam. You, trying to use a buddy to scam a family garage, has cost him his job and rightly so. I understand that your vehicle has been at the garage for over four weeks now and I hope that the garage takes my advice to charge you storage until the vehicle is removed from their lot.
PS: What a despicable person you are to involve a gullible young man in your attempted scam.
———————————————— What’s the likelihood of the scammer actually talking to a lawyer? I say none.
It never ceases to amaze what lies folks can fabricate to try to benefit themselves. If they used half that brainpower they could have better jobs so they don’t have to rely on lying to save a buck.
I’m sure our poster buddy, the judge, could tell us some tales that would have us doubled over laughing. Although those are the ones that don’t have too much brainpower.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
Also, the GM PowerUp+ and PowerShift (two-way) charger apparently require a 100 amp breaker to charge (or provide power to your house, in the case of the PowerShift) at 19.2kW. I'm thinking there are a lot of houses with electrical systems that won't support that level of draw, even if the service line is 200 amps, due to the presence of other loads.
This one just requires 40 amps. No way to adjust amperage below 32, hence the need for an adapter. Too much to mess with just now with everything else going on.
@corvette said:
Also, the GM PowerUp+ and PowerShift (two-way) charger apparently require a 100 amp breaker to charge (or provide power to your house, in the case of the PowerShift) at 19.2kW. I'm thinking there are a lot of houses with electrical systems that won't support that level of draw, even if the service line is 200 amps, due to the presence of other loads.
Now for something lighter......a Dennis O'Sullivan letter; QUESTION
Can you help me with my 2004 Dodge? I had the oil changed on my 2004 Dodge and the garage damaged my oil pan and they will not do anything for me. I have spoken to my lawyer and he told me to try you first.
Scammer from Guelph
ANSWER
Tell your lawyer thanks but no thanks. I have left most of your haranguing out of the question because of its pure fabrication of the facts against the garage. Why would a person drive their vehicle over 40 miles to have a simple oil change? Was it because of the fact that your buddy worked at the garage? He purposely used a jack to improperly jack up your vehicle and dented the rusted out oil pan so that you could try and get the garage to pay for it. Yes, we now know all of the facts. The garage sent me a picture of the rusted oil pan and the undercarriage. It was very obvious that the oil splatter under the car was an indication that the rusted out oil pan had been leaking for months, if not years. In speaking to the owner of the garage, this incident came to a head when the owner told your buddy, his employee, that he was going to have to pay for half the cost of the oil pan. It was totally out of the ordinary that your buddy would use a jack to change the oil when he was told to put the car on the hoist. That is when he admitted his participation with your attempted scam. You, trying to use a buddy to scam a family garage, has cost him his job and rightly so. I understand that your vehicle has been at the garage for over four weeks now and I hope that the garage takes my advice to charge you storage until the vehicle is removed from their lot.
PS: What a despicable person you are to involve a gullible young man in your attempted scam.
———————————————— What’s the likelihood of the scammer actually talking to a lawyer? I say none.
It never ceases to amaze what lies folks can fabricate to try to benefit themselves. If they used half that brainpower they could have better jobs so they don’t have to rely on lying to save a buck.
I’m sure our poster buddy, the judge, could tell us some tales that would have us doubled over laughing. Although those are the ones that don’t have too much brainpower.
jmonroe
I thought the same thing...he throws in the lawyer thing to try and scare them into fixing his problem. He thinks he is clever. There should be a class taught in high school, how to tell if you are dealing with a liar? I got some experience from business, and I got a lot more from Judge Judy....she is really good at it! One rule I always found was true, when someone doesn't pay back on time, no matter what they say or promise, it never ever gets better.......cash only after one mishap.
My parents have the same setup on their 200A service, plus I think their main panel is completely full (they have two subpanels for smaller loads, neither of which could support 100A).
My parents have the same setup on their 200A service, plus I think their main panel is completely full (they have two subpanels for smaller loads, neither of which could support 100A).
———————————————— I doubt that there are very many homes that could drive a 100 amp charger. I know none in my neighborhood could do that.
I’d guess that unit you mentioned has to be geared for smallish commercial applications like a stand alone barber shop etc.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
@driver100 said:
Now for something lighter......a Dennis O'Sullivan letter;
QUESTION
Can you help me with my 2004 Dodge? I had the oil changed on my 2004 Dodge and the garage damaged my oil pan and they will not do anything for me. I have spoken to my lawyer and he told me to try you first.
Scammer from Guelph
ANSWER
Tell your lawyer thanks but no thanks. I have left most of your haranguing out of the question because of its pure fabrication of the facts against the garage. Why would a person drive their vehicle over 40 miles to have a simple oil change? Was it because of the fact that your buddy worked at the garage? He purposely used a jack to improperly jack up your vehicle and dented the rusted out oil pan so that you could try and get the garage to pay for it. Yes, we now know all of the facts. The garage sent me a picture of the rusted oil pan and the undercarriage. It was very obvious that the oil splatter under the car was an indication that the rusted out oil pan had been leaking for months, if not years. In speaking to the owner of the garage, this incident came to a head when the owner told your buddy, his employee, that he was going to have to pay for half the cost of the oil pan. It was totally out of the ordinary that your buddy would use a jack to change the oil when he was told to put the car on the hoist. That is when he admitted his participation with your attempted scam. You, trying to use a buddy to scam a family garage, has cost him his job and rightly so. I understand that your vehicle has been at the garage for over four weeks now and I hope that the garage takes my advice to charge you storage until the vehicle is removed from their lot.
PS: What a despicable person you are to involve a gullible young man in your attempted scam.
Good Golly Miss Molly! Glad to see the journalist call out the scammer!
At the game last night I noticed an EMT standing next to a seat in the lower deck. There was another man standing a seat away from the EMT facing him. I don't know what was going on with the person they were tending to, but just then a foul ball arced over the netting and came down and hit the guy. He left with a big red mark and, what looked like, an ice pack on his noggin.
You didn't want to laugh because the guy was obviously hurt, but it made you chuckle inside a little.
It reminded me of the guy who got knocked out by a foul ball and, as they were carrying him out on a stretcher, got hit again.
went out for our anniversary today. 39 years. Dang, my wife must be getting really old! and we both are completely over this whole working thing and want to retire. The whole work to 65 to be conservative is seeming like a long shot at this point.
spent today doing something that I am definitely too old. Was out watering my dirt (my main life's activity at this point) and decided to clean out some of the junk that came with the lot. Before the builder got the land apparently the people that lived behind us considered it theirs (it wasn't) and used it for various purposes. Our original survey showed a doghouse that was to be removed. and seems like they just dumped crap in the land. Found some tires in the woods. And the nasty work today, there was some blue plastic in the woods. After much digging, it appears to be an old pool liner that instead of throwing out, they buried in the woods. Landscapers took a bunch of it out but must have missed a lot. I dug out a whole bunch today but am still trying to find the end of it. wore out this morning, will wait for cooler weather to try and get the rest of it!
also have some scrap trees to remove and some dead stuff (fallen trees) to clear out so bought a chainsaw today. got a 14" Skil at Lowes that was on sale. seems like a big enough one to tackle anything I would need to be messing with. Rechargeable. Almost got a $50 Portland at Harbor Freight, but did not want to deal with dragging a cord around. Should be fun, if I don't cut a limb off!
why we bought a big house with land (for privacy) instead of a retirement age no maintenance special is now a mystery to me. Maybe it will keep me young. Or kill me off, in which case out son, new DIL and pending bambino will inherit a really nice family house!
Good question, @stickguy ! Maybe this is your second to last house! That sounds like a lot of work! Any dead trees needed cutting where we lived in Ohio, we had Amish guys over to do it. They wanted the fuel.
Those of us into older material will be familiar with the form factor of the Motocompacto - this isn't Honda's first foray into a small foldable motorized bike/scooter. In the early/mid 80s, Honda had the Motocompo, which was designed to fit in the back of the Honda City (but could be purchased on their own):
A handful of these have made it to the US as private imports, especially with JDM stuff still having trendiness.
@tjc78 - I've done several of the distilleries. It used to be a very informal thing where you could just show up at a distillery, sample free bourbon balls, and (probably) do a tour and tasting as a walk-in. Now, you generally have to book a tour weeks in advance.
I am not sure whether it is worth a trip from Jersey for that alone, but Buffalo Trace was a solid tour the last time I was there several years ago. Don't expect to be able to purchase a bottle of Pappy (obviously) or even Blanton's. I'd also recommend Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve, and Four Roses. I would recommend avoiding Jim Beam (I've been disappointed every time) and probably also Heaven Hill.
If you are in the Louisville area, there are some tasting rooms downtown, and the (free) art gallery at the 21c Hotel is very neat. I'd also highly recommend a visit to the Frazier Museum (local history) and the Speed Museum (art, not cars).
Either of you been to the Buffalo Trace distillery? A buddy of mine wants to go and then bourbon hunt… worth the trip from NJ?
@corvette said: @tjc78 - I've done several of the distilleries. It used to be a very informal thing where you could just show up at a distillery, sample free bourbon balls, and (probably) do a tour and tasting as a walk-in. Now, you generally have to book a tour weeks in advance.
I am not sure whether it is worth a trip from Jersey for that alone, but Buffalo Trace was a solid tour the last time I was there several years ago. Don't expect to be able to purchase a bottle of Pappy (obviously) or even Blanton's. I'd also recommend Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve, and Four Roses. I would recommend avoiding Jim Beam (I've been disappointed every time) and probably also Heaven Hill.
If you are in the Louisville area, there are some tasting rooms downtown, and the (free) art gallery at the 21c Hotel is very neat. I'd also highly recommend a visit to the Frazier Museum (local history) and the Speed Museum (art, not cars).
If you want to make that trip from NJ, do the bourbon trail, then go to the Corvette Museum a little further south, and the go to Nashville for the Grand Ol Opry! All are within driving distance of each other.
I can tell you from being in the business that the first distillery (or winery, or brewery) tour is interesting and can be fun. After that they’re all pretty much the same except for the delivery and hyperbole. I am biased against Buffalo Trace because of the way they have exploited the current bourbon mania by restricting distribution within control states (much of their stuff is unobtainium), requiring free-market state retailers to buy their cheap vodka and RTD stuff in volume to get any allocation at all of their high-end bourbon, and allocating product to places that let them inflate prices and do lotteries to get one of their precious bottles. All that does is inflame prices on secondary/black markets since they restrict supply. Recently they had one of their events here where they sold $50 tickets to get in and get a few free sips of their low-end stuff in exchange for a chance in a raffle to buy an overpriced bottle of their expensive stuff. Ugh. I’d rather spend my money on some cheap Evan Williams Bottled in Bond.
after spending way too much time dragging hoses and sprinklers around, wife noticed some actual grass shoots today (5 days in, just like the landscaper dude said it could be!) and that is with zero rain. So seems that I must have gotten enough water down to do something. Hopefully once it starts, the growing goes quick and it fills in nicely. Thankfully there is actually rain predicted this week, Wednesday into Thursday and maybe some more Friday. That should help the new grass really take off! and save me a few days of watering.
Comments
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
Looks good. As you have found out, those things aren’t nearly as hard to install as electricians would have you believe.
75 bucks for a charger is a hellava deal even if it is used. The new price for that had to be at least $400.
Just curious, did you use #8 copper wire or #6. For your short run #8 is fine but if you ran the wire to the front of the garage I would have gone with #6 for that longer run.
You could make some bucks installing those for some of our poster buddies. There is no way I would put up with a 110 volt cord if I had an EV for longer than a week.
Happy charging.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
#6 copper wire. My neighbor had some left over from his Tesla charger installation. He wouldn't take money for it. So, it will probably cost me another 6 pack at some point..
My neighbor also knew the new owners of the property that I got this charger. Looked it up. GM dealers charger about $600 for it. But, I also found some coupons from some of the dealership for 15% off. So, could have secured a new one for $500.
This one works. So, I don't have any issues. I even was able to download a phone app to control it and get info from it.
Knowing what I do now about installing them, I could probably knock one out in about an hour. But, it's really a 2 person job. I wouldn't want to run up and down to the breaker box or try to run that wire by myself. That battery connection box is heavy, too. That would be a [non-permissible content removed] to mount doing it alone.
Enjoy your time helping out with grandchild #2.
It seems you are going to be away for a while.
What are you going to do about not driving your car for an extended period?
I'm assuming you don't want it to go dead from sitting, then try to revive it.
Maybe there is a storage protocol for it?
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
There's a Road Trip thread. A good place to post pics and comments.
Nice neighbor to give you the wire. I’m going to guesstimate that if your neighbor bought the wire by the foot lately it had to cost at least 3 bucks a foot. 6/3 with ground copper romex ain’t cheap. I’m also going to say that if his house Is laid out like yours he used 6/3 copper because his unit is in the front of the garage.
Most home level 2 chargers only require #8 copper hooked up to a 40 amp breaker but using #6 allows for a longer wire run without suffering from any possible line loss due to a longer run. FWIW, that’s the way I would do it too.
BTW, you owe him a case of beer not a 6 pack.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
My install won't be as simple, either. It will need to be outdoors, so I'd either need a GFCI breaker (if using a NEMA 14-50 plug) or a hardwired charger (which I would prefer). If I'm installing it myself, even though it's a short run from the panel, I'm inclined to go with 10/3 cable on a 30 amp breaker to avoid having to mess with the heavier cable and derate the charger to 24 amps, which should be plenty for my needs.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
@jmonroe …probably will end up getting the nigh or more than just a 6 pack
@stickguy …if you’ve already got the 220 line run and a receptacle, you can probably hang the unit in 15 minutes, plug it into the outlet, and be ready to roll.
@corvette …i was getting ready to drop about $500-$600 on Amazon for a new EV charger before I found out about the used one. If you get a charger you plug in, you can take it with you if you move.
But, outdoors you probably want a direct connection. I’ve heard of them being stolen being outside. Maybe want to look at a padlock for it, too!
RB… PHEV would probably be fine with a level 1, IMHO!
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
So much for acid rain. Oh the joys of Mother Nature. She knows best how to make things grow.
jmonroe
I’ll still never forget the sign in front of the car wash I used to work at as a kid: ACID RAIN EATS CARS! WASH IT OFF TODAY!
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I have to get a charger installed in my garage. Easy job. Panel is out there …. It’s just with free charging for another year it’s tough to get the motivation.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Oh, never mind I read down further.😅
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
My Volt came with two chargers, the OE one and a 16 amp 240 volt charger with a 14-50 plug--I kept the second one, so I could also use that. I can only guess that the former owner of the Volt had a long-ish commute and access to a 240 volt outlet at work.
I didn't get close enough to see the details, though
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It's an electric bicycle that is ultra-compact. It just doesn't look comfortable to me - AT ALL - with the very square design. Aesthetically, it looks like someone took a cheap folding table and attached a seat, wheels, footrests, and handle bars. Selling for $995. I'd love to hear what actual owners think about it.
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
Honda sales person said they use it to ride to their back lot to get cars quickly to show to customers. Takes less time than walking. They scooter it to the car they are looking for and bring the car back for a customer to look at. If the customer doesn't like the car, the sales person drives the car back and rides the scooter back to the showroom.
I can see a use for it if I lived in a densely populated city like NYC. No parking space required. But, I wouldn't want to haul it up and down stairs. Probably better suited for Hong Kong, Singapore, São Paulo, London, Paris, Rome, etc. Suburbs of Cincinnati? Not so much. Would be perfect for cruising around campgrounds, though.
Sales person said they had sold about 50 of them from the dealership. He admitted that they are trying everything they can to sell Prologues. And, that Honda came up with the idea of including the scooter.
A handful of these have made it to the US as private imports, especially with JDM stuff still having trendiness.
For me, the convenience of having a charger in my garage would be enough motivation. I know you said you have some free charges left and that’s fine as long as you can get charged up without having to remember to get charged while you’re out. But after that I would never spend any time trying to figure out how to get a charge before I got home. Again, for me, it’s all about me being in control and not the car and/or charging stations.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
It’s really not a problem. At the shore the charger is walking distance and at home the closest one is just two miles in a shopping district.
For example. We have to go the store tonight before we leave for the shore. I’ll charge up there while we do what we need to do. Zero time spent.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
I was skeptical of doing the install myself. But, I saw what my neighbor did with his Tesla charger. Nothing against him, but figured if he could do it, I could do it. His help was greatly appreciated. He helped run the very still cable (which he provided). He held the unit up while I fastened it to the wall. HE said my install was easier than his. When I asked him why, he said because he had his daughter helping him, and she had to either read or respond to texts every couple of minutes. LOL!
Will say that if I can do it, you can do it!
It’s really not a problem. At the shore the charger is walking distance and at home the closest one is just two miles in a shopping district.
For example. We have to go the store tonight before we leave for the shore. I’ll charge up there while we do what we need to do. Zero time spent.
————————————————That’s fine as long as the charger is available AND working. I’ve heard of too many stories when that isn’t the case. Almost like rolling dice. Just not for me, yet.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
There are four and the car or app tells me if they are available.
I’ve said it before… if you drive your EV daily significant mileage a home charger is a must. For us driving it maybe 75 miles a week charging away from home isn’t a problem (especially when it’s free!)
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
Installing level 2 is going to be more complicated for us. We live in a condo and the electricity in the detached garages is shared. So we have to run a line to connect to our electricity meter. That isn’t too hard as we can use the dryer line (we have a gas dryer), but it’s only 30 amps, as @jmonroe pointed out awhile back. We do have a charging cord, but it’s rated 32-40 amps. So we either have to buy an adapter that allows you to adjust your amperage down (GM is happy to sell you one),, or install new 40 amp wiring. A much bigger job. We will do one of those, but I’m not in a hurry at the moment. I read in the Times that next year there will be more consumer rebate money for electricity upgrades allotted to the states as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, so we might as well wait to see if that happens, especially since we won’t be here most of October and November. I’d be using public chargers at my kid’s house anyway.
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
You said your cord is rated 32-40 amps. If that is the case you can connect that cord to a 30 amp dryer receptacle that is powered by a 30 amp breaker. You can always connect a larger current rated wire to a smaller rated breaker but you should NEVER EVER do the reverse. That would be like installing a penny in a fuse box.
What I don’t understand is, if you have a detached garage, your cord can’t be long enough to reach your dryer receptacle that is somewhere in your house.
EDIT: What I just said will work ONLY if the male connector on the cord can be plugged into the dryer receptacle and the more I think about this is it won’t. However, you could always cut off the male connector on the cord and replace it with one that is compatible with the dryer receptacle.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
QUESTION
Can you help me with my 2004 Dodge? I had the oil changed on my 2004 Dodge and the garage damaged my oil pan and they will not do anything for me. I have spoken to my lawyer and he told me to try you first.
Scammer from Guelph
ANSWER
Tell your lawyer thanks but no thanks. I have left most of your haranguing out of the question because of its pure fabrication of the facts against the garage. Why would a person drive their vehicle over 40 miles to have a simple oil change? Was it because of the fact that your buddy worked at the garage? He purposely used a jack to improperly jack up your vehicle and dented the rusted out oil pan so that you could try and get the garage to pay for it. Yes, we now know all of the facts. The garage sent me a picture of the rusted oil pan and the undercarriage. It was very obvious that the oil splatter under the car was an indication that the rusted out oil pan had been leaking for months, if not years. In speaking to the owner of the garage, this incident came to a head when the owner told your buddy, his employee, that he was going to have to pay for half the cost of the oil pan. It was totally out of the ordinary that your buddy would use a jack to change the oil when he was told to put the car on the hoist. That is when he admitted his participation with your attempted scam. You, trying to use a buddy to scam a family garage, has cost him his job and rightly so. I understand that your vehicle has been at the garage for over four weeks now and I hope that the garage takes my advice to charge you storage until the vehicle is removed from their lot.
PS: What a despicable person you are to involve a gullible young man in your attempted scam.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
What’s the likelihood of the scammer actually talking to a lawyer? I say none.
It never ceases to amaze what lies folks can fabricate to try to benefit themselves. If they used half that brainpower they could have better jobs so they don’t have to rely on lying to save a buck.
I’m sure our poster buddy, the judge, could tell us some tales that would have us doubled over laughing. Although those are the ones that don’t have too much brainpower.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
Mine wouldn’t with a 200A service
Electric ovens, 5T compressor and electric dryer.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
I got some experience from business, and I got a lot more from Judge Judy....she is really good at it!
One rule I always found was true, when someone doesn't pay back on time, no matter what they say or promise, it never ever gets better.......cash only after one mishap.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I doubt that there are very many homes that could drive a 100 amp charger. I know none in my neighborhood could do that.
I’d guess that unit you mentioned has to be geared for smallish commercial applications like a stand alone barber shop etc.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
Good Golly Miss Molly! Glad to see the journalist call out the scammer!
At the game last night I noticed an EMT standing next to a seat in the lower deck. There was another man standing a seat away from the EMT facing him. I don't know what was going on with the person they were tending to, but just then a foul ball arced over the netting and came down and hit the guy. He left with a big red mark and, what looked like, an ice pack on his noggin.
You didn't want to laugh because the guy was obviously hurt, but it made you chuckle inside a little.
It reminded me of the guy who got knocked out by a foul ball and, as they were carrying him out on a stretcher, got hit again.
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
also have some scrap trees to remove and some dead stuff (fallen trees) to clear out so bought a chainsaw today. got a 14" Skil at Lowes that was on sale. seems like a big enough one to tackle anything I would need to be messing with. Rechargeable. Almost got a $50 Portland at Harbor Freight, but did not want to deal with dragging a cord around. Should be fun, if I don't cut a limb off!
why we bought a big house with land (for privacy) instead of a retirement age no maintenance special is now a mystery to me. Maybe it will keep me young. Or kill me off, in which case out son, new DIL and pending bambino will inherit a really nice family house!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
@graphicguy @kyfdx
Either of you been to the Buffalo Trace distillery? A buddy of mine wants to go and then bourbon hunt… worth the trip from NJ?
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
The originals turn up on BaT every so often.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I am not sure whether it is worth a trip from Jersey for that alone, but Buffalo Trace was a solid tour the last time I was there several years ago. Don't expect to be able to purchase a bottle of Pappy (obviously) or even Blanton's. I'd also recommend Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve, and Four Roses. I would recommend avoiding Jim Beam (I've been disappointed every time) and probably also Heaven Hill.
If you are in the Louisville area, there are some tasting rooms downtown, and the (free) art gallery at the 21c Hotel is very neat. I'd also highly recommend a visit to the Frazier Museum (local history) and the Speed Museum (art, not cars).
I’ve done the same as @corvette. He nailed it!
If you want to make that trip from NJ, do the bourbon trail, then go to the Corvette Museum a little further south, and the go to Nashville for the Grand Ol Opry! All are within driving distance of each other.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.