Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

stickguy · August 2020

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:
My son is visiting; his E90 still looks pretty good for being 11 years old.
I don’t understand why there aren’t more done in red.

most people aren't cool enough to drive a bright red car.

jmonroe1 · August 2020

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:
My son is visiting; his E90 still looks pretty good for being 11 years old.
I don’t understand why there aren’t more done in red.

That black one behind it looks pretty good too.

jmonroe

snakeweasel · August 2020

abacomike dont feel to bad about your windshield wipers, you could be this guy.

https://youtu.be/dA0BIuIzJgM

28firefighter · August 2020

@roadburner How about he takes your 2er?

roadburner · August 2020

28firefighter said:
@roadburner How about he takes your 2er?

That’s a possibility.

tjc78 · August 2020

What say the experts?

Our Enclave is due back Dec 7th.

When it was brand new the wife hit a parking lot bollard. The damage is a little crease, and dent on the passenger rear door. It’s actually tough to notice.

So, there is only a $500 damage waiver if I lease another GM (which based on what she wants, doubtful)

Do I have a local body shop fix it, or just turn it in and pay the bill?

I’ve never damaged a lease vehicle before and otherwise the car will fly right through the inspection.

My thinking is to get fixed at the local body shop since it will be cheaper in the end.

driver100 · August 2020

This article says chatter is caused by the angle of the blades...which can be changed;
The most common problem with chattering wiper blades is not the blade --it's the angle that the blade swipes across the windshield. If the blade is chattering on the down stroke, then the end of the wiper arm has to be bent so the rubber wiper edge will trail slightly. If the chatter is on the up stroke, then again, a simple bend in the arm should take care of the problem. The slight bend is made with a small adjustable wrench, slipping the wrench over the arm an inch down from where the blade connects to the arm. I have never had any problems with the Bosch blades and sold many over the years. The new generation of frameless beam style blades seems to the best. The use of some rain clearing glass products will also cause chatter during light rain drizzle.

Like they say, if they can send a man to the moon....they should be able to make a windshield wiper that works properly. Or, maybe in Europe they don't worry about such things as chatter.

ab348 · August 2020

tjc78 said:
What say the experts?

Our Enclave is due back Dec 7th.

When it was brand new the wife hit a parking lot bollard. The damage is a little crease, and dent on the passenger rear door. It’s actually tough to notice.

So, there is only a $500 damage waiver if I lease another GM (which based on what she wants, doubtful)

Do I have a local body shop fix it, or just turn it in and pay the bill?

I’ve never damaged a lease vehicle before and otherwise the car will fly right through the inspection.

My thinking is to get fixed at the local body shop since it will be cheaper in the end.

I've had a couple of lease inspections the last few years. In 2014 I figured they would ding me for damages on my Regal Turbo. About a year prior to lease-end I hadn't noticed a tallish curb in a parking lot and cut the corner a bit too close. It impacted the underside of the right rocker panel and bent a section of it upward slightly. It always bugged me but like your case you had to be looking for it to notice, and the inspector didn't. The only thing he noted were a couple of wheel scuffs and it went back without a hitch. I might be tempted to take my chances if it is as subtle as you say, then feign surprise if it gets picked up.

qbrozen · August 2020

tjc78 said:
What say the experts?

Our Enclave is due back Dec 7th.

When it was brand new the wife hit a parking lot bollard. The damage is a little crease, and dent on the passenger rear door. It’s actually tough to notice.

So, there is only a $500 damage waiver if I lease another GM (which based on what she wants, doubtful)

Do I have a local body shop fix it, or just turn it in and pay the bill?

I’ve never damaged a lease vehicle before and otherwise the car will fly right through the inspection.

My thinking is to get fixed at the local body shop since it will be cheaper in the end.

Wait to get the pre-turn-in inspection to see what they’ll charge, then get body shop estimate, then pay the cheaper of the two.

stickguy · August 2020

Yup. Might not even get flagged. Just do the inspection as early as possible. I think on VW and Hyundai (and IIRC they both used the same inspection company) that was at least 30, if not 60, days. If they do note it as something you need to pay, go from there.

graphicguy · August 2020

roadburner said:
My son is visiting; his E90 still looks pretty good for being 11 years old.

Y’all know how I feel about red cars. That is stunning!

graphicguy · August 2020

abacomike said:

graphicguy said:

abacomike said:

So I will have to live with this issue until such time as a buy or lease another car - but not a Meecedes! 🤨😩🙁
And the countdown starts.......NOW!

Did you ever test drive the Genesis, Mike? From what I hear, they're all about customer service so they can expand their foothold here.
Yes, GG, I have test driven the G80 - nice car - just a little stiff. I am going to have to live with this wiper problem for at least 3 years since I am not going to buy another car for at least three years. Almost made it to three years with the S450. Keeping a car that I hardly drive for 3 or 4 years is OK with me since I don't drive as much as I used to.

Mike...I’m betting the issue will be resolved sooner rather than later on your car. Like others noted, I don’t believe it’s a windshield issue. It’s probalby just an adjustment that can be made on the wiper arms.

oldfarmer50 · August 2020

tjc78 said:
What say the experts?

Our Enclave is due back Dec 7th.

When it was brand new the wife hit a parking lot bollard. The damage is a little crease, and dent on the passenger rear door. It’s actually tough to notice.

So, there is only a $500 damage waiver if I lease another GM (which based on what she wants, doubtful)

Do I have a local body shop fix it, or just turn it in and pay the bill?

I’ve never damaged a lease vehicle before and otherwise the car will fly right through the inspection.

My thinking is to get fixed at the local body shop since it will be cheaper in the end.

If the dent isn’t overly creased you can probably get the paintless dent guy to fix it cheap. That’s who Enterprise uses for all but major damage.

dino001 · August 2020

stickguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:
My son is visiting; his E90 still looks pretty good for being 11 years old.
I don’t understand why there aren’t more done in red.
most people aren't cool enough to drive a bright red car.

I second that!

explorerx4 · August 2020

My next door neighbor has had a series of red BMW 3 series. Now she technically has a red Mercedes A220.
She's been driving a courtesy car for the last couple of weeks.

roadburner · August 2020

tjc78 said:
What say the experts?

Our Enclave is due back Dec 7th.

When it was brand new the wife hit a parking lot bollard. The damage is a little crease, and dent on the passenger rear door. It’s actually tough to notice.

So, there is only a $500 damage waiver if I lease another GM (which based on what she wants, doubtful)

Do I have a local body shop fix it, or just turn it in and pay the bill?

I’ve never damaged a lease vehicle before and otherwise the car will fly right through the inspection.

My thinking is to get fixed at the local body shop since it will be cheaper in the end.

BMW used to send lessees a clear plastic sheet with concentric circled printed on it. If the damage fit inside the smallest circle there was no charge. I forget what the price structure was. I hated lease turn-ins and wished that we sent everyone to a third party for inspections. Most lessees were great but there were a few that were just impossible to deal with.

stickguy · August 2020

T, just remember at turn in, bring all your keys!

abacomike · August 2020

driver100 said:
Mike....did you ever try a premo brand of windshield wiper....maybe like;

Advanced, Beam Blade Technology – Contours to the curvature of the windshield for a smooth, virtually streak-free wipe and features a patented universal adapter for easy installation.
All-Weather Performance – The synthetic blend rubber squeegee can withstand extreme weather conditions for enhanced durability.
More Than Just a Wiper Blade! 2-IN-1 Wiper Blade + Water Repellent - Clears & Repels Water
There could be others!

RainX does not have wiper blades that fit my car - that was already tried.

abacomike · August 2020

graphicguy said:

abacomike said:

graphicguy said:

abacomike said:

So I will have to live with this issue until such time as a buy or lease another car - but not a Meecedes! 🤨😩🙁
And the countdown starts.......NOW!

Did you ever test drive the Genesis, Mike? From what I hear, they're all about customer service so they can expand their foothold here.
Yes, GG, I have test driven the G80 - nice car - just a little stiff. I am going to have to live with this wiper problem for at least 3 years since I am not going to buy another car for at least three years. Almost made it to three years with the S450. Keeping a car that I hardly drive for 3 or 4 years is OK with me since I don't drive as much as I used to.
Mike...I’m betting the issue will be resolved sooner rather than later on your car. Like others noted, I don’t believe it’s a windshield issue. It’s probalby just an adjustment that can be made on the wiper arms.

They tried that, GG.

graphicguy · August 2020

Mike...this is a pretty comprehensive solution for chattering wipers. I don't think a new windshield will alleviate the issue.
https://carroar.com/juddering-windshield-wipers/

stickguy · August 2020

graphicguy said:
Mike...this is a pretty comprehensive solution for chattering wipers. I don't think a new windshield will alleviate the issue.
https://carroar.com/juddering-windshield-wipers/

Pretty basic stuff. But there must still be some design issue specific to Mercedes making the cars so susceptible to it.

roadburner · August 2020

graphicguy said:
Mike...this is a pretty comprehensive solution for chattering wipers. I don't think a new windshield will alleviate the issue.
https://carroar.com/juddering-windshield-wipers/

I wonder if it's the spring tension in the wiper arm- either applying too little or too much pressure on the windshield.

imidazol97 · August 2020

The same author of the juddering article has an article on which windshield washer fluid or additive to buy. Lots of verbage. Anal retentive?

https://carroar.com/best-windshield-washer-fluids/

driver100 · August 2020

graphicguy said:
Mike...this is a pretty comprehensive solution for chattering wipers. I don't think a new windshield will alleviate the issue.
https://carroar.com/juddering-windshield-wipers/

They cover almost every possibility......they all have to do with the wiper. Some are temporary problems that will fix themselves. Seems the amount of pressure and the angle are major concerns. Since RainX doesn't make one in that size maybe another premo make does. Some suggest taking the arm off and putting it back on again....or just turn the radio up!

driver100 · August 2020

stickguy said:

graphicguy said:
Mike...this is a pretty comprehensive solution for chattering wipers. I don't think a new windshield will alleviate the issue.
https://carroar.com/juddering-windshield-wipers/
Pretty basic stuff. But there must still be some design issue specific to Mercedes making the cars so susceptible to it.

There are complaints for every make....Mercedes owners are just more aware - expect perfection.

stickguy · August 2020

My solution (which drives my wife nuts) is don’t use the wipers until absolutely have to. Then there is plenty of water to help!

Normally though a good windshield cleaning, and wiping down the blades, fixes the problem right up.

isellhondas · August 2020

Up until about five yearts ago we had a wonderful old time Mom and Pop Hardware Store in the old part of town. they were friendly and knew everything hardware related. If you needed two screws for a project they would sell you TWO screws and not a box of 50 that you would never use!

Then Lowes came to town followed by Home Depot. They tried to stay in business and managed to hang on for quite a few years. Their "loyal" customers flocked to the Big Box stores while continuing to sing their praises of the Mom and Pop place that everyone loved. Singing and loving is just great but BUYING is something else.

Sadly they shut their doors. No more creaking wooden floors or a friendly person who not only had the parts to fix your lamp but took the time to show you how to fix it.

And the beat go's on.....

graphicguy · August 2020

isellhondas said:
Up until about five yearts ago we had a wonderful old time Mom and Pop Hardware Store in the old part of town. they were friendly and knew everything hardware related. If you needed two screws for a project they would sell you TWO screws and not a box of 50 that you would never use!

Then Lowes came to town followed by Home Depot. They tried to stay in business and managed to hang on for quite a few years. Their "loyal" customers flocked to the Big Box stores while continuing to sing their praises of the Mom and Pop place that everyone loved. Singing and loving is just great but BUYING is something else.

Sadly they shut their doors. No more creaking wooden floors or a friendly person who not only had the parts to fix your lamp but took the time to show you how to fix it.

And the beat go's on.....

I think it’s more a factor of convenience.

I have two relatively close independent hardware stores. Do they have the selection as Lowe’s? No, but they carry Weber grills and not 6 brands of grills that essentially do the same thing as Lowe’s does.

Local hardware stores are easy to navigate and offer useful advice for any home repair or maintenance need I might have.

What I can’t do at my local hardware stores is buy 30 sheets of dry wall, or New flooring for the whole house, or get a new dishwasher.

But, for everything else, it’s easier and more convenient to go to my local store. Plus, they’ll actually walk you to the exact aisle or bin to find what you need. Try getting that at Lowe’s.

Each has their place!

tjc78 · August 2020

qbrozen said:

tjc78 said:
What say the experts?

Our Enclave is due back Dec 7th.

When it was brand new the wife hit a parking lot bollard. The damage is a little crease, and dent on the passenger rear door. It’s actually tough to notice.

So, there is only a $500 damage waiver if I lease another GM (which based on what she wants, doubtful)

Do I have a local body shop fix it, or just turn it in and pay the bill?

I’ve never damaged a lease vehicle before and otherwise the car will fly right through the inspection.

My thinking is to get fixed at the local body shop since it will be cheaper in the end.
Wait to get the pre-turn-in inspection to see what they’ll charge, then get body shop estimate, then pay the cheaper of the two.

This was my exact thought to do first.

My fear is that there are few scuffs on the trim of the front passenger door and the trailing edge as well. I am thinking of not having that done and just focusing on the worst of it. The marks on the front door are non-issues but if they see the whole thing I'm afraid they will try and charge for all of it.

I'll try and take a quick pic of it and upload. There is NO way it's getting past an inspection. The whole door needs a repaint.

tjc78 · August 2020

qbrozen · August 2020

isellhondas said:
Up until about five yearts ago we had a wonderful old time Mom and Pop Hardware Store in the old part of town. they were friendly and knew everything hardware related. If you needed two screws for a project they would sell you TWO screws and not a box of 50 that you would never use!

Then Lowes came to town followed by Home Depot. They tried to stay in business and managed to hang on for quite a few years. Their "loyal" customers flocked to the Big Box stores while continuing to sing their praises of the Mom and Pop place that everyone loved. Singing and loving is just great but BUYING is something else.

Sadly they shut their doors. No more creaking wooden floors or a friendly person who not only had the parts to fix your lamp but took the time to show you how to fix it.

And the beat go's on.....

I tried to stick with our local store, but they never had what I needed. Luckily, it was on the way to HD, so I could stop and check, but after a few strikeouts, I stopped bothering.

laurasdada · August 2020

isellhondas said:
Up until about five yearts ago we had a wonderful old time Mom and Pop Hardware Store in the old part of town. they were friendly and knew everything hardware related. If you needed two screws for a project they would sell you TWO screws and not a box of 50 that you would never use!

Then Lowes came to town followed by Home Depot. They tried to stay in business and managed to hang on for quite a few years. Their "loyal" customers flocked to the Big Box stores while continuing to sing their praises of the Mom and Pop place that everyone loved. Singing and loving is just great but BUYING is something else.

Sadly they shut their doors. No more creaking wooden floors or a friendly person who not only had the parts to fix your lamp but took the time to show you how to fix it.

And the beat go's on.....

In the town that I grew up in (Sandy's familiar with the town), on Main St. was a wonderful old time hardware store, Welch's IIRC. Wooden floors that creaked and smelled fantastic! Unfortunately, beginning in (again, IIRC) the '80s, Main St. got "malled." Adios, many, many local businesses.

driver100 · August 2020

tjc78 said:

Hard to miss that! It has to be fixed, either before or when you take it in.........personally, I would take it in for a pre-inspection, see what the dealer would charge.......then comparison shop. But, if it is at all close, use the dealer even if it is more, so they can't deny it wasn't repaired to their standards.

stickguy · August 2020

T, I actually get a paint less dent guy to pop that outs, and use touch up paint on the white part. Might just take care of enough to get it through!

I’m sure dealers love it, since they have to fix that stuff all the time on used cars, and it sucks people into just leasing a replacement.

I’m hoping my wheel scrape is within the $750 allowance Acura gives you. Knock wood, there won’t be anything else flagged.

fintail · August 2020

That's pretty much what I do. I never switch them on or leave them on "auto", always off, and I manually control them. I usually have the windshield treated or at least very clean, so in most driving situations, it isn't bad - constantly running wipers bug me anyway, and auto wipers seem to have two speeds - too fast and too slow.

stickguy said:
My solution (which drives my wife nuts) is don’t use the wipers until absolutely have to. Then there is plenty of water to help!

Normally though a good windshield cleaning, and wiping down the blades, fixes the problem right up.

stickguy · August 2020

I’m glad I’m not the only one that doesn’t like constant moving wipers, and I also detest fast speed. The auto setting is actually nice.

abacomike · August 2020

graphicguy said:
Mike...this is a pretty comprehensive solution for chattering wipers. I don't think a new windshield will alleviate the issue.
https://carroar.com/juddering-windshield-wipers/

Thanks for the info, GG!🤓

imidazol97 · August 2020

Michelin introduces a new tire. All season.

Interesting tread design? Noisy when it's half worn? Or not.

oldfarmer50 · August 2020

roadburner said:

tjc78 said:
What say the experts?

Our Enclave is due back Dec 7th.

When it was brand new the wife hit a parking lot bollard. The damage is a little crease, and dent on the passenger rear door. It’s actually tough to notice.

So, there is only a $500 damage waiver if I lease another GM (which based on what she wants, doubtful)

Do I have a local body shop fix it, or just turn it in and pay the bill?

I’ve never damaged a lease vehicle before and otherwise the car will fly right through the inspection.

My thinking is to get fixed at the local body shop since it will be cheaper in the end.

BMW used to send lessees a clear plastic sheet with concentric circled printed on it. If the damage fit inside the smallest circle there was no charge. I forget what the price structure was. I hated lease turn-ins and wished that we sent everyone to a third party for inspections. Most lessees were great but there were a few that were just impossible to deal with.

This is how Enterprise does it.

https://youtu.be/VL_qUYxAgSU

explorerx4 · August 2020

I've been watching some guy who tests locks to see if they can be opened by breaking them.
Here is one about a safe. Pretty shocking, at least to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2guvwQvElA8

This one is even better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7g-TvczpSw

venture · August 2020

stickguy said:
T, I actually get a paint less dent guy to pop that outs, and use touch up paint on the white part. Might just take care of enough to get it through!

I’m sure dealers love it, since they have to fix that stuff all the time on used cars, and it sucks people into just leasing a replacement.

I’m hoping my wheel scrape is within the $750 allowance Acura gives you. Knock wood, there won’t be anything else flagged.

There are a few creases in that. I don't think a paintless dent guy can fix that. It can't hurt to ask though.

stickguy · August 2020

Not all the way. But can get the big part out.

oldfarmer50 · August 2020

tjc78 said:

Yeah, the paintless dent guy could take the dents out but no way he’d handle those deep scuffs.

There are a lot of rattle can videos on YT that make painting a door look easy. Weird Beard just did a Mustang fender with some harbor freight grade equipment.

Just don’t use a paint roller.

oldfarmer50 · August 2020

imidazol97 said:
Michelin introduces a new tire. All season.

Interesting tread design? Noisy when it's half worn? Or not.

Does that replace the AS3+? My OEM Pirelli AS started whining at 10k miles. Very annoying.

tjc78 · August 2020

Thanks guys, you have given me a lot to think about.

I have a body shop in town I've used before. I think I'm going to get an estimate and go from there. The paint is flaking just above the trim. It's probably worse than it looks.

In the end, it is going to run close to $1000 no matter what I do. I've leased 8 cars in a row and this is my first time needing a repair, so I can't complain too much.

driver100 · August 2020

tjc78 said:

In the end, it is going to run close to $1000 no matter what I do. I've leased 8 cars in a row and this is my first time needing a repair, so I can't complain too much.

A dent guy plus trying to paint it might be wasted money. Probably better to do it the right way the first time. Get a few quotes.

bwia · August 2020

driver100 said:
This article says chatter is caused by the angle of the blades...which can be changed;
The most common problem with chattering wiper blades is not the blade --it's the angle that the blade swipes across the windshield. If the blade is chattering on the down stroke, then the end of the wiper arm has to be bent so the rubber wiper edge will trail slightly. If the chatter is on the up stroke, then again, a simple bend in the arm should take care of the problem...

Like they say, if they can send a man to the moon....they should be able to make a windshield wiper that works properly. Or, maybe in Europe they don't worry about such things as chatter.

@mike I'm not sure whether someone has already mentioned replacing the wiper blade motor(s). While such a radical approach may not cure the problem, it's worth a try. Take a look at some of the many YouTube videos to see if it is worth the trouble. Good luck.

stickguy · August 2020

also, remember you are fixing it to give back. If you were keeping the car for many years, you want it done with craftsmanship. But to return a lease, whatever the cheapest way to get an OK result is what gets done. One big reason to look carefully at a lease return when shopping used.

some of those YouTube videos of repairing rust holes with cardboard and toothpaste must have come from real world at originally!

ab348 · August 2020

stickguy said:
also, remember you are fixing it to give back. If you were keeping the car for many years, you want it done with craftsmanship. But to return a lease, whatever the cheapest way to get an OK result is what gets done.

Yeah. “A Lick and a Promise Bargain Auto Body” might be the way to go.

oldfarmer50 · August 2020

explorerx4 said:
I've been watching some guy who tests locks to see if they can be opened by breaking them.
Here is one about a safe. Pretty shocking, at least to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2guvwQvElA8

This one is even better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7g-TvczpSw

If you ever watch Storage Wars you see those treasure hunters have no trouble opening those.

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