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As I recall the Vegas had a few big issues. The timing belt would break prematurely, totaling the engine. At around 50K, the coolant would corrode the block enough such that coolant would get into the cylinders, totaling the engine (perhaps that was the head gasket problem?). And then there was the body. In Southern California where it never snows, there were Vegas all over with holes around the windshields and rear hatch windows on cars only 2-3 years old. And it seemed that the '74 Vegas were worse in this regard than the earlier years.
I commuted to college with a friend who had saved up for years and bought a new '74 Vega GT hatchback with the cash he had saved. The life savings of a 19 year old kid. A few years later he had holes as I described. His engine finally went from corrosion around 60K. Meanwhile my old used '66 Bug kept soldiering on. I sold that car over a decade later with 235K on it (one engine rebuild).
"...house fire that destroyed a Chevrolet Volt indicate the fire did not start in the vehicle, but elsewhere, and progressed to engulf the electric car.
"In looking at vehicles that have caught fire, Cloer said, "seats, carpets, even rubber hoses, are not usually left intact" when a fire starts inside a car. But that was what they found in the Volt, along with a pattern that suggested the fire that engulfed it spread from the front to the rear of the car.
"The first reported fire involving a Volt was in April, occurring in a Barkhamsted, Connecticut, garage that also housed a Suzuki Samurai converted to a battery electric vehicle. In that case, the local fire marshal's report concluded the Volt had nothing to do with the cause of the fire."
"a third instance came to light last week. In that case, the battery pack of a Volt wrecked in a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash test caught fire three months after the test. The NHTSA had apparently not followed GM's procedures for deactivating the battery pack after an accident."
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1068564_fire-marshal-says-nc-garage-fire-sta- - rted-away-from-chevy-volt-exclusive
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Of more immediate concern, right now you have to find the shutoff device to kill the power after wreck, and it may be behind the seat or in the trunk, and may not be accessible. Most cars have a fuel inertia switch that cuts off the gas when you have a wreck. Would make sense to come up with something automatic like that for electric cars, both to avoid fires and to protect emergency personnel from shocks.
For a point of reference, every year there are 250,000 or more fires in gasoline vehicles. (link)
That is so strange, the opposite is common!
I know Honda stopped selling those PHIL stations (for natural gas), I wonder if they had similar issues and just didn't want that liability?
Note the local electric company "is maintaining its advice that electric-car owners stop using their charging stations until the company decides those devices are safe".
Have GM dealers started sending out flyers to current EV owners trying to sell them a new model yet? Those re-volting emails?
That is so strange, the opposite is common!
Yeah, that does seem strange. Lots of engines have iron blocks and aluminum heads. I'm not aware of many that are the opposite. Granted, you didn't see many aluminum blocks back then. At least, not from detroit.
Considering the alternatives, a fire here and there wasn't so bad compared to:
Having to perform manual labor, using a horse, or a steam engine. Considering what happens to a a steam engine when they explode, a measly gas fire from an ICE is nothing.
10% is my typical margin for beating EPA combined mpg by, in spite of ethanol.
EX: 28.5 actual vs 26 EPA in 'bu, 16 actual vs 14 EPA in 4X4.
I live in central Illinois, so it doesn't get much flatter than here;) Wind can be an issue though. It can mean the difference between getting 14mpg or 20mpg on the hwy in the Expedition
I don't doubt the EPA ratings can be beat. My driving style just doesn't yield the best FE. I tend to drive and accelerate fast.
My '00 4x4 Suburban was rated at 18 hwy and I rarely yielded more than 16. My Expedition is rated for 12/17. I can always get more than 12 unless it's a week where it's near 0 out and I make a lot of short trips and idle more. But the 17 hwy is hard to get unless I drive under 70 mph. I've gotten 17-18 on occasion but not routinely. I generally avg 12 in the winter and 15 in the summer. I drive more short trips and spend more time idling with picking and dropping off kids etc. The difference between the Sub and Expe were probably gearing as the the Expe has a 6 speed and 6th is a bit taller than 4th was in the Sub. Plus the 5.4 has more torque at 2k rpm so it doesn't down shift out of o/d as much as the Suburban did.
Same with my wife's '11 Taurus. It's rated at 28 hwy and I've matched it but have never beaten it. Same with her GP before. It was rated at 20/30 which changed to 18/28 and never matched the hwy numbers. For whatever reason my wife and I both get about 2 mpg better overall in the Taurus. My guess is the gearing, with the 6 speed it's geared much taller, IIRC, 80mph is like 1900 rpm vs 72 or so in the GP.
As I mentioned previously, the diesel Jetta was the only car that was easy for me to beat the EPA estimates, but diesels are just more efficient than a comparable gas engine. Probably why the diesel trucks just kill the gas powered trucks particularly when towing.
Regards,
OW
The Treasury also holds significant stakes in other rescued companies like General Motors Company (GM - Analyst Report), Chrysler and Ally Financial (previously known as GMAC). Chrysler has repaid $10.6 billion of its total $12.5 billion TARP loan and General Motors has repaid $8.1 billion of the total $13.4 billion it borrowed from the Treasury. Overall, out of the total $80 billion given to the auto industry, only $29 billion has been recovered.
Similarly, about $20 billion is still due from more than 500 banks. However, the TARP for banks turned into a profit due to steady dividends and interest payments.
Now that GM stock is down 45% ytd and the Euro zone is imploding, the repayment and the divestiture of the Government will extended for years to come.
Regards,
OW
Please tell me it was a supercharged 4 speed.
There is a huge price difference in engines (about $5k for a duramax over a BBC w/ the allison) but the diesel price isn't that great all yr. In the summer, you can get diesel for around the same price as mid to super unleaded. Now of course, we pay a premium because of the similarity to heating oil that is in high demand.
One way to cut down the cost of diesel (and jet fuel) would be to make it out of coal.
ANdy, it's because the block has a higher nickel content in it.
I have easily seen 32 MPG on the highway and 29-30 including some
stop and go. The EPA rating is 26 Hwy.
Please tell me it was a supercharged 4 speed.
Nope, it was a non-supercharged R1 engine with column-shift automatic and factory air (A/C not available on supercharged engines then). Yes, I would have liked a supercharger and 4-speed!
16 mpg in my 4X4 is 45% city 55% hwy trip to work. Malibu hits 33 mpg on same trip but with other city driving the combined is 28.5. Turned 10k on it yesterday. The 4X4 barely tops EPA of 18 on a trip but it is loaded up.
Yes it does, but the beauty of the TDI is 236ft-lbs of torque at 1700rpm. I love how the diesels don't need to rev or downshift to provide acceleration. So even if the cost per mile were to be the same, I'd prefer the extra usable power of the diesel. Just to bad the fuel costs so much more.
3.29RUG/3.94 diesel here at the Mobile station down the road from me in Illinois.
Malibu might get 2-3 more on all around average depending on driving style. My best avg mpg tank-tank was 26 with 50/50 split local/hwy.
I can see no real future for diesel at the current pricing.
Regards,
OW
How are you calculating FE. Are you just going by the OBC, or hand calculations?
IF I just go by the OBC on a certain leg of a drive, I can get 20+ in the Expedition and 31-32 in the Taurus, when I calculate my actual mileage, I go by hand calculated refills. Then reality sets in. Best tank has yielded about 28mpg in the Taurus vs. 18 or so in the Expedition (though the expe is usually in the 16 range on a trip). I've never had the OBC and a hand calculation match. The OBC is always optimistic in both vehicles. Sometimes by as much as 10%.
have a good one, everyone!
I agree diesel cars will likely never be considered main stream. But over 25% of Jettas sold are TDIs and I believe like 35% of VWs sold here are diesel. So there certainly is a market for them. It will be interesting to see if a diesel cruze will make the pie bigger or just steal customers from VW. But with the way VW's sales has been increasing, the Jetta may start outselling the Cruze at some point.
With 3/4 and 1 ton trucks, most don't want gas model, even considering how much more the diesel/trans combo costs. I bet diesels are 75% of the HD market. Probably has to do with only being able to get 400 ft-lbs or so of torque in a gas v8 vs 800 (1000+ with a chip) in a diesel, plus get 30% or more better FE particularly if you tow anything.
Same to you, have a safe trip. Inlaws are coming here, so I'm currently hiding in my office;)
Interesting the high VW Jetta TDI sales and wondering how Cruze diesel compares in a few years. I'll assume the gas GDI engines with turbo become the medium term tech for small to medium since car market as the hybrids and electrics advance. With the added HP/torque, the engines can get smaller and lighter while becoming most efficient.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving in your office!
Regards,
OW
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
So run out of gas, and you could end up with a bad fuel pump, besides being stranded of course.
I've only replaced one fuel pump and that was in my Suburban. Seems 90's to '00 GM 1/2 ton trucks tend to go through them.
Prior to the fuel pump going out in the burb, the hotter it was outside the louder the sound it made was. On 100 degree plus days, it would whine so loud I could hear it inside the vehicle.
I did notice if I had over a 1/2 of tank of fuel it would have to run longer to get real loud.
GM Volt owners can get loaner during fire probe
This is true customer service. Too bad the recent Impala issue was not handled in the same light.
Regards,
OW
Still, this issue makes Lutz' comments seems like that "Mission Accomplished" banner, no?
'New GM' won't recall 'old GM' cars
Regards,
OW
We'll see if the dealers get more refined to support the new technology. I have a feeling the Domestic Brand Dealers are far behind on that score but that's just me.
Regards,
OW
Anyway, I just got a flyer in the mail from Cadillac about the XTS. Nice, but I don't feel like making car payments again for a long, long time.
GM Wants Impala Class Action Lawsuit Thrown Out
Here’s what it comes down to for the consumer: if a GM part is faulty, you’re covered under the terms of your existing warranty. If a GM design is faulty on a pre-2009 vehicle, you’re on your own.
Bottom line is there is something Old in the New GM that still stinks! :lemon:
Regards,
OW
Regards,
OW
No worries! They used Lexus-grade parts in your car, not the cheap CTS Accelerators that were Caddy-Grade!
Here is your next car from Lexus
The 2013 Lexus GS 450h's fuel-economy estimates beat the automaker's expectations with an EPA-estimated 29 miles per gallon in the city, 34 on the highway -- 31 mpg combined, Toyota announced.
That's a nearly 35% improvement in gas mileage over the 2011 GS 450h, which gets 22/25/23 mpg. When Toyota officials unveiled the hybrid, they expected a 30% improvement over the 2011 model.
Like the previous GS 450h, Lexus promises V-8 power with four-cylinder efficiency. The 338-horsepower hybrid system has two electric motors — one for each rear wheel — and they can power the GS using electric only or in tandem with the 3.5-liter V-6. Overall, Toyota says the 2013 GS 450h should hit zero to 60 miles per hour in 5.6 seconds, which is 0.4 seconds slower than the 2011 GS 450h but 0.1 seconds faster than the 2013 GS 350.
Blows away any car from Caddy at the moment. :shades:
Regards,
OW