Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

stickguy · March 2017

there was a big issue in my area recently with bad stucco, on newer McMansion houses. Not sure if if was just shoddy work, or using the wrong product/methods for the area, but after only a few years it started failing from the inside out. By the time you discovered the problem, your house was basically rotted out underneath. Re-mediating it could cost a few hundred $K on a big house. Needless to say, the big chain builders tried to deny guilt. I think they tended to lose in court, and often made it to the news investigator segment!

Good thing my wife and I both hate stucco. But on house listings for houses with it, they always list if re-mediated or if it has passed an inspection.

isellhondas · March 2017

thebean said:
Colonoscopy & endoscopy over. Everything was good. Thanks for all your good wishes.

Did they happen to find Jimmy Hoffa?

driver100 · March 2017

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

ab348 said:

qbrozen said:
I fail to see how there can be any doubt or even argument about any of it. It exceeded 30 consecutive days in the shop for one issue. Case closed. No other details even needed, frankly. Show me a lemon law where this is OK.
Ohio lemon law only applies for the first 12 months. This one is outside that. I suspect that will be the key part of whatever argument Cadillac makes (which doesn't have a whole lot else to it near as I can tell).

You know, that's an interesting point. Is a defect that doesn't manifest itself on a timely basis considered a defect.
I believe IIRC, GG may have reported a related problem in the first year. I think a major fault should have a 3 year time limit for reporting......or at least it should be the same as the warranty period. It is ridiculous to put a one year limit for a major fault to appear....a lot of cars can last for 1 year 12k miles and then big problems develop shortly after that. This can be a $30, $40, $50k or more item, it should last with no real problems for 5 or 6 years minimum.

Another thing is the dealer will patch up the problem and the car will run OK for 1 year....then no one cares or will do anything.
In GG's case the defect was always there just waiting until unsought wear occured for wires to start arcing and cause a fire.

Agreed.

sda · March 2017

stickguy said:
there was a big issue in my area recently with bad stucco, on newer McMansion houses. Not sure if if was just shoddy work, or using the wrong product/methods for the area, but after only a few years it started failing from the inside out. By the time you discovered the problem, your house was basically rotted out underneath. Re-mediating it could cost a few hundred $K on a big house. Needless to say, the big chain builders tried to deny guilt. I think they tended to lose in court, and often made it to the news investigator segment!

Good thing my wife and I both hate stucco. But on house listings for houses with it, they always list if re-mediated or if it has passed an inspection.

There was a similar issue here that began to surface in the mid 90s of houses built in the late 80s. It was a huge deal as the the stucco look was very popular. I think the material was called dryvit, essentially a styrofoam backing with a cement skim coat. It was discovered that the issue was poor caulking or sealing around windows and other openings that allowed water to leak in.

driver100 · March 2017

Mr_Shiftright said:

oldfarmer50 said:
OK help me understand this. I'm hearing radio ads promoting a company called GetAround which is a peer to peer ride share company.

"GetAround is an online car sharing or peer-to-peer carsharing service that allows drivers to rent cars from private car owners, and owners to rent out their cars for payment.[1] Owners set their rental prices and earn a 60% commission from their rental revenue.[2]"

So some stranger gets to beat on your car like a rental while you're at work? Why would anyone want to do that?

I get Uber, it's like a taxi but this ride share service sounds like lending your car to your no good BIL to abuse.

The entire "sharing economy" just appalls me. It's touted as the "new economy" and "individual entrepreneurship" but in reality it just shows how hard up some people must be to make money. What's next after renting your car and part of your house? Your pants?

Pants, I like that idea. I got some I don't wear all that much.

Not my underwear though, those I don't lend.

3 things I don't lend, my underwear, my toothbrush, or my car.

tbirdmarco · March 2017

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L6WCxzWel08

sda · March 2017

GG, I wish you every success tomorrow. We are all on your side. All the best, Steve

carnaught · March 2017

sda said:
GG, I wish you every success tomorrow. We are all on your side. All the best, Steve

+1

imidazol97 · March 2017

carnaught said:

sda said:
GG, I wish you every success tomorrow. We are all on your side. All the best, Steve
+1

Good luck from me too! Hope they just give you a cash out.

abacomike · March 2017

sda said:

GG, I wish you every success tomorrow. We are all on your side. All the best, Steve

Tear 'em up, GG! Make them squirm!

abacomike · March 2017

My nephew attended Rockville High School in Maryland back in the late 70's. Used to be a very good HS back then. He's the one who is a cardiologist now in Raleigh.

stickguy · March 2017

Yes, GG, knock them dead. Can't wait to hear the recap from this one.

my WAG is that it will be anticlimactic. Once he walks in with documentation, they will have a settlement prepared and it will be over. No real reason to suspect this, but my gut tells me.

fintail · March 2017

I'd be wondering what other corners were cut. Housing is a pretty iffy industry in every related facet from financing to taxation.

Oh well, I am sure it has appreciated 40% in the past 30 months

28firefighter said:

To give you an idea, I have the receipt that shows our builder paid ~$8k to have roofs installed on three homes; now even finding someone to do it on the cheap, the lowest bid I've received to do the roofs the same way it should have been done from the start with torch-down material is $20k plus tax. To get a better product like PVC, it is going to run us about $23k plus tax

stickguy · March 2017

the wife and I keep discussing options, since we are hoping to move in the near future. If I could find a lot to build on in some way, I would do it just so I would have some control over what I ended up with. Buying a not too old house you get what you get, and an old place can be a real crap shoot, plus you have to redo it all.

not really any good options if you over think it.

thebean · March 2017

isellhondas said:

Colonoscopy & endoscopy over. Everything was good. Thanks for all your good wishes.
Did they happen to find Jimmy Hoffa?

Hmmm. Wonder if that's why I was so sore.

thebean · March 2017

abacomike said:

sda said:

GG, I wish you every success tomorrow. We are all on your side. All the best, Steve

Tear 'em up, GG! Make them squirm!

+1000. They need to learn a lesson.

28firefighter · March 2017

fintail said:

I'd be wondering what other corners were cut. Housing is a pretty iffy industry in every related facet from financing to taxation. Oh well, I am sure it has appreciated 40% in the past 30 months
To give you an idea, I have the receipt that shows our builder paid ~$8k to have roofs installed on three homes; now even finding someone to do it on the cheap, the lowest bid I've received to do the roofs the same way it should have been done from the start with torch-down material is $20k plus tax. To get a better product like PVC, it is going to run us about $23k plus tax

40%, actually. But that reason alone is why I'm going to replace the roof and do it right no matter what, then recover what I can. It's more important to me to be able to flip the house than to quibble over $8k.

I am extraordinarily lucky that I took our financial planner's advice to made a rainy day fund for the house, because everyone else told us we wouldn't need one for years.

berri · March 2017

Stick - unless you are familiar with Florida, you may want to rent initially. More than a few retirees decide it is not for them and leave, especially if they have a lot of family and friends back where they came from. You can get a furnished rental for winter, or there are usually plenty of rental houses to move your stuff down for a longer period. Sometimes it isn't that easy to sell your house there for a profit if you decide to leave in a couple of years because in many retiree areas there are usually a fair number on the market. Conversely, if you love it you probably won't have a problem finding a place to buy down the road.

abacomike · March 2017

When I went to the casino Sunday to pick up that bourbon, I had a tough time finding a parking space which is not unusual on a Saturday or a Sunday. As I am going from one level to another level (7 levels in all), I started looking at the cars these gamblers drive to try to beat the "house" in blackjack, poker, roulette and slots.

Most of the cars were 5+ years old and many 8+ years old. There were very few luxury cars. But lots of Toyotas, Hyundais and Chevy's.

Analyzing the cars, it would seem that gambling was a "hoping for a jackpot" crowd so they could buy a nice new car "or" those who drove nice new luxury cars didn't need to win the jackpot or break the house at blackjack.

I wonder if there is a correlation between what a person drives to the casino and their relative luck at the tables or slots? Good topic for a dissertation in graduate school - I guess!

bwia · March 2017

sda said:

GG, I wish you every success tomorrow. We are all on your side. All the best, Steve

Ditto and bon chance

stickguy · March 2017

Berri, Fla is not at all on our list of places to consider. but actually, my thought, that the wife supported, was if we were building of doing a major remodel, to pick the area, line up the lot (if building) and not do anything with the new house until we sold the old one, moved to a temp rental, and knew what $ we had to play with.

fintail · March 2017

In some areas, you probably wouldn't need that fund. But with the way things are built here (both regionally and nationally), mo doubt it is a good idea. For the long haul, I suspect one is sometimes better off in a maintained 100 year old house than in a new stapled together tract box. It'll be interesting how the local low-midrise developments around here age in 25 years.

28firefighter said:

40%, actually. But that reason alone is why I'm going to replace the roof and do it right no matter what, then recover what I can. It's more important to me to be able to flip the house than to quibble over $8k.

I am extraordinarily lucky that I took our financial planner's advice to made a rainy day fund for the house, because everyone else told us we wouldn't need one for years.

berri · March 2017

Aba - are you insinuating that people who drive nice cars to the casino are better at counting cards. But seriously, I think you'd have to approach that analysis by stratifying that issue (or mathematical skills) to decide if it is a correlating factor. Then again, I know several pretty well to do and educated people who drive beaters. Maybe they got wealthy by understanding depreciation (and probability).

abacomike · March 2017

berri said:

Stick - unless you are familiar with Florida, you may want to rent initially. More than a few retirees decide it is not for them and leave, especially if they have a lot of family and friends back where they came from. You can get a furnished rental for winter, or there are usually plenty of rental houses to move your stuff down for a longer period. Sometimes it isn't that easy to sell your house there for a profit if you decide to leave in a couple of years because in many retiree areas there are usually a fair number on the market. Conversely, if you love it you probably won't have a problem finding a place to buy down the road.

Berri, you and your wife are welcome to spend a week with me and stay in the master bedroom suite while you check out Florida.

I don't know what your budget is, but I strongly suggest the Del Webb community in Ponte Vedra where my brother lives. Also, the Jupiter area where many professional golfers live. Naples and Ft. Myers on the west coast of Florida are also great locales. Boca Raton and Delray Beach are also great areas. Just some suggestions.

abacomike · March 2017

berri said:

Aba - are you insinuating that people who drive nice cars to the casino are better at counting cards. But seriously, I think you'd have to approach that analysis by stratifying that issue (or mathematical skills) to decide if it is a correlating factor. Then again, I know several pretty well to do and educated people who drive beaters. Maybe they got wealthy by understanding depreciation (and probability).

I think I got in over my head by stating that hypothesis!!!

bwia · March 2017

Last week I had a big scare - an acute ischemic stroke. They have not pinned down the cause, but there are several risk factors including: hypertension, weight, sedentary lifestyle and a lousy 95 LDL cholesterol value.

It started with numbness on my cheek then it gradually moved down my left arm and fingers. Thank God it did NOT affect my speech or mobility.

Tomorrow I go in for an eolectrogram and I may have to wear a heart monitor for 30 days to rule out Afib as the cause of the stroke.

Other than a few anxious moments I feel fine. And I don't look forward to a lifetime of statins, diet and exercise.

abacomike · March 2017

bwia said:

Last week I had a big scare - an acute ischemic stroke. They have not pinned down the cause, but there are several risk factors including: hypertension, weight, sedentary lifestyle and a lousy 95 LDL cholesterol value.

It started with numbness on my cheek then it gradually moved down my left arm and fingers. Thank God it did affect my speech or mobility.

Tomorrow I go in for an eolectrogram and I may have to wear a heart monitor for 30 days to rule out Afib as the cause of the stroke.

Other than a few anxious moments I feel fine. And I don't look forward to a lifetime of statins, diet and exercise.

My prayers are with you bwia!

stickguy · March 2017

best of wishes for you. And consider yourself lucky if it does end up being a really scary, but not fatal, early warning signal. A friend of mine at age 50, who was out of shape and never bothered to see a doctor to find out about underlying issues, had a massive stroke, and somehow survived but is still at the brain injury center.

honestly, statins are just a little pill to take at bedtime (along with your baby aspirin I am sure you will be taking too!). and the diet and exercise bit (having just done it) is not that bad once you get into the flow of it. but YMMV.

berri · March 2017

Why thank you Mike. We may consider a warm climate down the road. Was assigned to Orlando years back for few years and know a few people down there. Personally, I think FL is a good place to retire with relatively low taxes and a few bad months in summer. But I wanted to point a few things out to Stick before he commits upon his retirement. We had neighbors while in Orlando that retired there from Ohio. But after a year they missed it back home. However, they had a devil of a time selling their place and were going to have to stretch to pay again for movers. I don't think that is the situation for the majority of those who retire there, but I think more than a few can run into it. Some people from up north also find out they don't like the style of sunbelt housing and it doesn't fit their more traditional furniture. Like any place, there are differences and adjustments when you move out of state or region. The abundance of rental houses and condo's in many parts of FL can lower that risk in the short term at a pretty reasonable price and I think is another factor that makes FL a good retirement possibility. Vacationing isn't the same as living somewhere.

suydam · March 2017

bwia said:
Last week I had a big scare - an acute ischemic stroke. They have not pinned down the cause, but there are several risk factors including: hypertension, weight, sedentary lifestyle and a lousy 95 LDL cholesterol value.

It started with numbness on my cheek then it gradually moved down my left arm and fingers. Thank God it did NOT affect my speech or mobility.

Tomorrow I go in for an eolectrogram and I may have to wear a heart monitor for 30 days to rule out Afib as the cause of the stroke.

Other than a few anxious moments I feel fine. And I don't look forward to a lifetime of statins, diet and exercise.

Glad you're ok!
Statins, diet and exercise -- isn't that everybody? As Woody Allen used to say, consider the alternative!

berri · March 2017

BWIA - glad they caught it right away. Medical these days can really work wonders compared to even a decade ago. Keep a positive attitude and good luck!

nyccarguy · March 2017

@bwia - get well soon. I'm praying for you my friend!

jmonroe · March 2017

bwia said:
Last week I had a big scare - an acute ischemic stroke. They have not pinned down the cause, but there are several risk factors including: hypertension, weight, sedentary lifestyle and a lousy 95 LDL cholesterol value.

It started with numbness on my cheek then it gradually moved down my left arm and fingers. Thank God it did NOT affect my speech or mobility.

Tomorrow I go in for an eolectrogram and I may have to wear a heart monitor for 30 days to rule out Afib as the cause of the stroke.

Other than a few anxious moments I feel fine. And I don't look forward to a lifetime of statins, diet and exercise.

Good luck with your test tomorrow.

Don't jump to conclusions about your possible future med regimen. A couple pills that have been around for many many years that have proven positive results, is not the worst thing that can happen to you.

Chin up.

jmonroe

28firefighter · March 2017

bwia said:

Last week I had a big scare - an acute ischemic stroke. They have not pinned down the cause, but there are several risk factors including: hypertension, weight, sedentary lifestyle and a lousy 95 LDL cholesterol value.

It started with numbness on my cheek then it gradually moved down my left arm and fingers. Thank God it did NOT affect my speech or mobility.

Tomorrow I go in for an eolectrogram and I may have to wear a heart monitor for 30 days to rule out Afib as the cause of the stroke.

Other than a few anxious moments I feel fine. And I don't look forward to a lifetime of statins, diet and exercise.

Glad you're okay, @bwia. The diet and exercise stuff will start feeling second nature once you get into a routine you enjoy.

I stopped most physical activity during grad school for about 8 years (after leaving the fire department). Getting back to it last year was absolutely miserable. Took about 6 months but now the routine is hard wired and I workout about 5 days a week. It's still not my favorite, but it's palatable and not a burden.

driver100 · March 2017

imidazol97 said:

carnaught said:

sda said:
GG, I wish you every success tomorrow. We are all on your side. All the best, Steve
+1

Good luck from me too! Hope they just give you a cash out.

+1....I think you should get treble damages.

driver100 · March 2017

nyccarguy said:
@bwia - get well soon. I'm praying for you my friend!

+1 Conspiracy theorists are probably anti-statins. Medical people believe they are truly miracle drugs. Many doctors take them because they believe strongly in how effective they are.

To each his own. My wife reads all the medical literature she can get her hands on and she takes then even though she doesn't have to....and she is never wrong!

driver100 · March 2017

berri said:
BWIA - glad they caught it right away. Medical these days can really work wonders compared to even a decade ago. Keep a positive attitude and good luck!

My parents lived into their 90s. I am sure medical science gave them an extra 10 to 12 years each....at least.

driver100 · March 2017

jmonroe said:

bwia said:
Last week I had a big scare - an acute ischemic stroke. They have not pinned down the cause, but there are several risk factors including: hypertension, weight, sedentary lifestyle and a lousy 95 LDL cholesterol value.

It started with numbness on my cheek then it gradually moved down my left arm and fingers. Thank God it did NOT affect my speech or mobility.

Tomorrow I go in for an eolectrogram and I may have to wear a heart monitor for 30 days to rule out Afib as the cause of the stroke.

Other than a few anxious moments I feel fine. And I don't look forward to a lifetime of statins, diet and exercise.
Good luck with your test tomorrow.

Don't jump to conclusions about your possible future med regimen. A couple pills that have been around for many many years that have proven positive results, is not the worst thing that can happen to you.

Chin up.

jmonroe

Well said JMonroe....I am agreeing with you for the second time in two days. I guess maybe I should get a check up.

*Also under the 150 word limit.

ab348 · March 2017

@bwia - Glad that you came through the ordeal OK. The demands that our modern ways of living place upon us each day are often counter to what we need to do to protect our bodies.

Having lived with heart and circulatory problems since being first diagnosed when I was 33, some things you can control and other things you can't. In my case my genetics were making way too much cholesterol all my life and despite a reasonably healthy diet and regular exercise it gav me problems. Fortunately they were diagnosed before a stroke or heart attack happened, but living with it for 3 decades has not been easy.

Statins are truly an amazing drug but not without their negatives. You will need regular blood tests for liver function as they can do damage to it, and some of the early ones (like those I was initially on) can cause damage to the joints, which I blame for my knee problems. I did not find the diet change too onerous as I was already a pretty healthy eater. Exercise for me was limited to walking and not anything more crazy than that. I used to lift weights but once heart trouble was diagnosed they told me to stop that which I miss, actually. Unfortunately what happens sometimes (and happened to me) is that the various doctors like to give you lots of meds and then you go to someone else and they change it, and that beat goes on. You start to feel like a guinea pig.

In my case I was able to stave off surgery until 6 years ago. Now I have a bad heart valve and that is going to be addressed this year most likely. Hopefully no complications from the procedure, which in my case have tried to take me out a few times.

jmonroe · March 2017

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

bwia said:
Last week I had a big scare - an acute ischemic stroke. They have not pinned down the cause, but there are several risk factors including: hypertension, weight, sedentary lifestyle and a lousy 95 LDL cholesterol value.

It started with numbness on my cheek then it gradually moved down my left arm and fingers. Thank God it did NOT affect my speech or mobility.

Tomorrow I go in for an eolectrogram and I may have to wear a heart monitor for 30 days to rule out Afib as the cause of the stroke.

Other than a few anxious moments I feel fine. And I don't look forward to a lifetime of statins, diet and exercise.
Good luck with your test tomorrow.

Don't jump to conclusions about your possible future med regimen. A couple pills that have been around for many many years that have proven positive results, is not the worst thing that can happen to you.

Chin up.

jmonroe
Well said JMonroe....I am agreeing with you for the second time in two days. I guess maybe I should get a check up.

*Also under the 150 word limit.

Another left handed compliment.

About that check up...yeah, you need one and I'd like to be the one giving it. You'd be begging for a colonoscopy by the time I'm finished checking you out. :@

jmonroe

abacomike · March 2017

driver100 said:

@bwia - get well soon. I'm praying for you my friend!
+1 Conspiracy theorists are probably anti-statins. Medical people believe they are truly miracle drugs. Many doctors take them because they believe strongly in how effective they are. To each his own. My wife reads all the medical literature she can get her hands on and she takes then even though she doesn't have to....and she is never wrong!

I take atorvastatin 20 mg at night. I was on 40 mg but my LDL cholesterol dropped to 29 which is dangerously low which is why they lowered my dose. My heart attack was not caused by high cholesterol levels - they have always been low normal. It was caused by a type of very fine granules that traveled to my heart - caused by diabetes according to both cardiologists I use.

But they still keep me on statins - who knows why?

mlevine · March 2017

To abacomike,
Statins are not only about lowering the cholesterol number. They tend to prevent the arteries from growing more buildup and even may decrease what ever buildup is present. The medications also tend to make the plaque stronger and less likely to fracture causing a heart attack. Best analogy is comparing a hard boiled egg shell to a regular egg shell. A crack in hard boiled one, contents do not spill out.

abacomike · March 2017

mlevine said:

To abacomike, Statins are not only about lowering the cholesterol number. They tend to prevent the arteries from growing more buildup and even may decrease what ever buildup is present. The medications also tend to make the plaque stronger and less likely to fracture causing a heart attack. Best analogy is comparing a hard boiled egg shell to a regular egg shell. A crack in hard boiled one, contents do not spill out.

Thanks for the detailed explanation - much appreciated!

thebean · March 2017

abacomike said:

bwia said:

Last week I had a big scare - an acute ischemic stroke. They have not pinned down the cause, but there are several risk factors including: hypertension, weight, sedentary lifestyle and a lousy 95 LDL cholesterol value.

It started with numbness on my cheek then it gradually moved down my left arm and fingers. Thank God it did affect my speech or mobility.

Tomorrow I go in for an eolectrogram and I may have to wear a heart monitor for 30 days to rule out Afib as the cause of the stroke.

Other than a few anxious moments I feel fine. And I don't look forward to a lifetime of statins, diet and exercise.

My prayers are with you bwia!

+1. Holding a good thought for you that you fully recover.

roadburner · March 2017

bwia said:
Last week I had a big scare - an acute ischemic stroke. They have not pinned down the cause, but there are several risk factors including: hypertension, weight, sedentary lifestyle and a lousy 95 LDL cholesterol value.

It started with numbness on my cheek then it gradually moved down my left arm and fingers. Thank God it did NOT affect my speech or mobility.

Tomorrow I go in for an eolectrogram and I may have to wear a heart monitor for 30 days to rule out Afib as the cause of the stroke.

Other than a few anxious moments I feel fine. And I don't look forward to a lifetime of statins, diet and exercise.

Follow the doctor's advice- you do not want to screw around with that.

jmonroe · March 2017

@ab348, good luck with that valve thingy if it comes to that.

I'm just realizing there are a lot of tough guys in here. Maybe I better start toning down my posts.

Being you're a Canadian it's free, so ask for 2 of them.

jmonroe

andres3 · March 2017

Noticed with the help of a trusty Audi mechanic that my TTS' rear differential appears to be leaking over the exhaust and rear sway bar (enough to notice a drip on the sway bar).

More to come; I have an appointment for the seat trim thing Monday, but asking them if I can bring it in Friday due to this newly discovered issue, and I need this car tip top come early April.

ab348 · March 2017

jmonroe said:
@ab348, good luck with that valve thingy if it comes to that.

I'm just realizing there are a lot of tough guys in here. Maybe I better start toning down my posts.

Being you're a Canadian it's free, so ask for 2 of them.

jmonroe

Thanks JM.

I already got my first freebie when they replaced my mitral valve during the first surgery. I only hope they do a three-angle valve job on this one.

roadburner · March 2017

I had to drive this puppy today to get it warmed up for a customer- a tough job, but someone has to do it...

nyccarguy · March 2017

andres3 said:

Noticed with the help of a trusty Audi mechanic that my TTS' rear differential appears to be leaking over the exhaust and rear sway bar (enough to notice a drip on the sway bar). More to come; I have an appointment for the seat trim thing Monday, but asking them if I can bring it in Friday due to this newly discovered issue, and I need this car tip top come early April.

Is that a warranty issue?

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