Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

benjaminh · December 2

andres3 said:
Just to clarify, maintenance repair can't total a car, correct everyone? Only crash damage repairs "total" a car, because Insurance companies obviously don't want to pay more to fix your car than it would cost to replace it. That's not good for the bottom-line.

Yes.

But if the cost of the repairs and maintenance are getting close to the value of the car then it would total it in my mind, and then I'd get rid of it. Maybe totaled in terms of "self-insurance" or something like that.

Back in 1970 my parents bought a nearly-new 1969 VW Bus. Underpowered, of course, and that put a strain on the engine, esp. since we took a lot of family trips with the thing loaded up. So at something around 80k miles and around 1977 or so the engine died. It was on a trip and somewhat memorable. Just an ominous loss of power going up hills, but we somehow made it to the next town. You'd think that would total it, but we put up in a hotel and even in that small city we got a rebuilt motor put in the next day for something like $800. The body and interior were still in good shape. That bus had simple but almost industrial grade materials, including vinyl seats that were nearly indestructible. That came close to totaling it out financially, but with the rebuilt engine it lasted until 1985, when an accident (with fortunately no injuries) took it out.

These days most engines are probably at least $10k and up, and so in many cases that would be the end.

jmonroe1 · December 2

@kyfdx said:
6" nearby.. Just 2" by our house

——————————————————-
Got a good 4 inches on the deck and it’s cold enough right now (3:30 PM) that it’s still all there.

This might be the start of a winter we haven’t had for at least 5 years. My fake palm tree on the deck wants in.

jmonroe

driver100 · December 2

@oldfarmer50 What things are you worried about? Brakes can wear out. Shocks, bushings, steering components and belts too but those are easily replaceable.

Good comments. The thing that concerns me the most would be something like a hose breaking down on a busy highway when I have to be somewhere. Things that can deteriorate over time.
With only 48000 miles on the car, what can break down because of time....what should I maybe have checked?

xwesx · December 2

Yep, via cameras, the conditions in Ohio are looking awfully familiar to me....

stickguy · December 2

snow finally tapering off. after dinner I need to go out and finish shoveling. Thankfully we have our driveway plowed now (for $30 a storm, even a tightwad like me is saying heck yeah) so I just need to clear out the snow mountain in front of the garage door (our version of the town plows filling in the bottom of your driveway), tidy up the edges, and do the front walk. Even my decrepit old body should be able to handle that without kicking it.

not sure but looks like we got 6-8"

oldfarmer50 · December 2

driver100 said:
@oldfarmer50 What things are you worried about? Brakes can wear out. Shocks, bushings, steering components and belts too but those are easily replaceable.

Good comments. The thing that concerns me the most would be something like a hose breaking down on a busy highway when I have to be somewhere. Things that can deteriorate over time.
With only 48000 miles on the car, what can break down because of time....what should I maybe have checked?

Hoses and belts for sure. Have your mechanic check them at each oil change if it makes you feel secure. I have to tell you though I’ve never had a hose or a belt leave me stranded and I’ve driven some miled up hoopties in my time. As someone mentioned it will probably be something electronic that leaves you walking. Maybe buy a membership in AAA.

stickguy · December 2

andres3 said:
Just to clarify, maintenance repair can't total a car, correct everyone? Only crash damage repairs "total" a car, because Insurance companies obviously don't want to pay more to fix your car than it would cost to replace it. That's not good for the bottom-line.

It's referred to as "mechanically totaled" meaning it costs more to fix than it is worth. But the owner eats the cost, not an insurance company!

stickguy · December 2

tjc78 said:

@stickguy said:

I jinxed us. We are getting buried with snow right now. Hard to tell how many inches so far but you can’t tell the road from the lawns (plow guy has not been through yet). Good thing we have nowhere to go.

I despise snow.

You went the wrong way!

No snow in your old ‘hood… just tons of rain.

I am seriously rethinking the value proposition right about now, after going out to shovel. Pretty sure these snow mounds will be here until March, and will only be getting bigger.

jmonroe1 · December 2

@xwesx said:
Yep, via cameras, the conditions in Ohio are looking awfully familiar to me....

——————————————————
It’s nice to know you feel right at home even when you’re not at home.

jmonroe

roadburner · December 2

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:
@oldfarmer50 What things are you worried about? Brakes can wear out. Shocks, bushings, steering components and belts too but those are easily replaceable.

Good comments. The thing that concerns me the most would be something like a hose breaking down on a busy highway when I have to be somewhere. Things that can deteriorate over time.
With only 48000 miles on the car, what can break down because of time....what should I maybe have checked?

Hoses and belts for sure. Have your mechanic check them at each oil change if it makes you feel secure. I have to tell you though I’ve never had a hose or a belt leave me stranded and I’ve driven some miled up hoopties in my time. As someone mentioned it will probably be something electronic that leaves you walking. Maybe buy a membership in AAA.

I did not replace the hoses on the Club Sport until this past October at almost 30 years and 151k miles. Up until then the only cooling system components I had replaced were the thermostat and a plate fitting at the firewall. That said, this time I replaced everything- water pump, radiator, hoses and clamps.
As for belts, I've replaced them twice.

corvette · December 2

@xwesx - follow up to the hybrid range discussion from a few weeks back. I think you said the oven temp is more variable on gas ovens compared to electric. Dumb questions: Don't the burners on gas ovens operate on an on/off basis like electric ones? If so, why not vary the gas input like one would on a grill to maintain a more even temperature? Tankless water heaters operate on a similar principle. It's the CVT of thermodymanics.

tjc78 · 5:06AM

I'm weird (as if everyone didn't know)... I love the cold but despise snow.

tjc78 · 5:18AM

All my fellow Gen Xers would have enjoyed our local radio show Preston and Steve this morning. They did a whole segment on the Home Alone 2 experience at the Plaza Hotel which morphed into a whole John Hughes thing. It was a cool listen, some of them had done the Chicago area tour (Home Alone house, Shermer HS, 16 Candles, etc) and talked about some of the great scenes from the various movies.

One guy said that doing the tour was like a trip back to childhood from watching all the movies.

To keep it car related... no one matched cars to characters/movies better than Hughes (IMO)

nyccarguy · 5:38AM

Not sure if I posted about this here or on CCBA, but my 15 year old GE Profile electric range is on it's way out. The front left element doesn't work and the middle "ring" on the bigger front right element doesn't work. We have been getting around this, but it is rather annoying. I called an appliance repair guy in who told me that the entire left side element (front, bridge, & rear) is sold as one unit and then the front right is sold alone. The parts aren't readily available and expensive. Even non OEM parts aren't easy to come by or cheap. It would cost close to what a new lower end electric range. Of course I'm already out the diagnostic fee. Now here's where things get interesting. I know what you are thinking. The same thing my wife thinks and the same thing that the appliance sales guys tell me. 30" Electric Ranges are all the same standard size. Old Chinese Proverb: Measure Twice. We are steered toward a nice looking Samsung that has a "larger" oven compared to the normal electric ranges. It seems reasonably priced at $698. They sell a similar one in Costco for about the same price that includes installation. Gets good reviews. Here's where i encountered a small problem. 3/8". My current 30" electric range is 29 5/8" wide and fits EXACTLY between 2 pieces of granite. Most of the 30" electric ranges I have looked are between 29.75 & 29.9". Now I have to go to a store and physically measure what they have that fits my spatial constraints and go from there.

kyfdx · 6:12AM

Check into your electric. When we got a new one, they require 40 amp vs the old 30 amp

nyccarguy · 6:19AM

kyfdx said:
Check into your electric. When we got a new one, they require 40 amp vs the old 30 amp

Great. Something else I need.

tjc78 · 6:45AM

@nyccarguy
That is brutal having a size constraint. I just looked too and every 30" range I saw online had width right at 30" (which is not fully accurate)

If you get in a bind is there one side of the range that has just a small piece of countertop that could be adjusted a bit if needed? Granite is just held in place with a little silicone so a countertop guy could remount it and recaulk your backsplash without breaking the bank too bad. I'd have to assume your cabinets are a full 30" apart for the actual opening.

tjc78 · 6:53AM

While on the range topic... My son broke the glass top on our range at the shore. It was just a lower line Frigidaire and replacing the top wasn't worth the cost. I was prepared to buy a new one, but ended up looking on Marketplace and found a top line LG double oven unit in really nice shape for $300. It was still a current model. The guy who sold it was a little curbstoner with a small warehouse full of used stuff.

He said it worked perfectly... well it does not. The back burners are iffy and the control panel sometimes gets stuck. The seller obviously wouldn't return our emails. Totally not worth fixing either so we will be getting a new one in the spring when we are down there more. I'm also going to replace the dishwasher too as that sometimes flakes out on the rinsing cycle and needs to be reset.

That is from 2012 so in today's world that is a pretty good run.

Thinking of going Frigidaire induction for the range (slide in style) and will most likely match a mid-range dishwasher to it. Figure if I can be around $1500-$1700 for both I'll be happy.

explorerx4 · 7:07AM

For some reason, I looked behind the dryer the other day and saw a bunch of lint.
Decided to get a better look today. Looks like I have a cleanup job ahead.

kyfdx · 7:24AM

We got lucky and had a last one, in 2023.. GE Cafe electric glass top. It was only $800 vs. $1300 at a new GE Profile.

oldfarmer50 · 9:13AM

nyccarguy said:
Not sure if I posted about this here or on CCBA, but my 15 year old GE Profile electric range is on it's way out. The front left element doesn't work and the middle "ring" on the bigger front right element doesn't work. We have been getting around this, but it is rather annoying. I called an appliance repair guy in who told me that the entire left side element (front, bridge, & rear) is sold as one unit and then the front right is sold alone. The parts aren't readily available and expensive. Even non OEM parts aren't easy to come by or cheap. It would cost close to what a new lower end electric range. Of course I'm already out the diagnostic fee. Now here's where things get interesting. I know what you are thinking. The same thing my wife thinks and the same thing that the appliance sales guys tell me. 30" Electric Ranges are all the same standard size. Old Chinese Proverb: Measure Twice. We are steered toward a nice looking Samsung that has a "larger" oven compared to the normal electric ranges. It seems reasonably priced at $698. They sell a similar one in Costco for about the same price that includes installation. Gets good reviews. Here's where i encountered a small problem. 3/8". My current 30" electric range is 29 5/8" wide and fits EXACTLY between 2 pieces of granite. Most of the 30" electric ranges I have looked are between 29.75 & 29.9". Now I have to go to a store and physically measure what they have that fits my spatial constraints and go from there.

First, thanks for validating my decision to just replace my GE stove when the same thing happen to mine a few weeks ago. I was right in assuming that between diagnostic charges and repairs it would be cheaper to replace.

Second, the cheapo Whirlpool stove I put in is exactly 29 and 3/4 inches wide. I assume that most are the same. Maybe invest in a nice granite cutting blade.

oldfarmer50 · 9:15AM

nyccarguy said:

kyfdx said:
Check into your electric. When we got a new one, they require 40 amp vs the old 30 amp
Great. Something else I need.

How would anyone know? Don’t tell me they require governmental involvement when you plug in a stove?

nyccarguy · 9:34AM

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:
Not sure if I posted about this here or on CCBA, but my 15 year old GE Profile electric range is on it's way out. The front left element doesn't work and the middle "ring" on the bigger front right element doesn't work. We have been getting around this, but it is rather annoying. I called an appliance repair guy in who told me that the entire left side element (front, bridge, & rear) is sold as one unit and then the front right is sold alone. The parts aren't readily available and expensive. Even non OEM parts aren't easy to come by or cheap. It would cost close to what a new lower end electric range. Of course I'm already out the diagnostic fee. Now here's where things get interesting. I know what you are thinking. The same thing my wife thinks and the same thing that the appliance sales guys tell me. 30" Electric Ranges are all the same standard size. Old Chinese Proverb: Measure Twice. We are steered toward a nice looking Samsung that has a "larger" oven compared to the normal electric ranges. It seems reasonably priced at $698. They sell a similar one in Costco for about the same price that includes installation. Gets good reviews. Here's where i encountered a small problem. 3/8". My current 30" electric range is 29 5/8" wide and fits EXACTLY between 2 pieces of granite. Most of the 30" electric ranges I have looked are between 29.75 & 29.9". Now I have to go to a store and physically measure what they have that fits my spatial constraints and go from there.
First, thanks for validating my decision to just replace my GE stove when the same thing happen to mine a few weeks ago. I was right in assuming that between diagnostic charges and repairs it would be cheaper to replace.

Second, the cheapo Whirlpool stove I put in is exactly 29 and 3/4 inches wide. I assume that most are the same. Maybe invest in a nice granite cutting blade.

You 100% made the correct choice!

nyccarguy · 9:39AM

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:
Not sure if I posted about this here or on CCBA, but my 15 year old GE Profile electric range is on it's way out. The front left element doesn't work and the middle "ring" on the bigger front right element doesn't work. We have been getting around this, but it is rather annoying. I called an appliance repair guy in who told me that the entire left side element (front, bridge, & rear) is sold as one unit and then the front right is sold alone. The parts aren't readily available and expensive. Even non OEM parts aren't easy to come by or cheap. It would cost close to what a new lower end electric range. Of course I'm already out the diagnostic fee. Now here's where things get interesting. I know what you are thinking. The same thing my wife thinks and the same thing that the appliance sales guys tell me. 30" Electric Ranges are all the same standard size. Old Chinese Proverb: Measure Twice. We are steered toward a nice looking Samsung that has a "larger" oven compared to the normal electric ranges. It seems reasonably priced at $698. They sell a similar one in Costco for about the same price that includes installation. Gets good reviews. Here's where i encountered a small problem. 3/8". My current 30" electric range is 29 5/8" wide and fits EXACTLY between 2 pieces of granite. Most of the 30" electric ranges I have looked are between 29.75 & 29.9". Now I have to go to a store and physically measure what they have that fits my spatial constraints and go from there.
First, thanks for validating my decision to just replace my GE stove when the same thing happen to mine a few weeks ago. I was right in assuming that between diagnostic charges and repairs it would be cheaper to replace.

Second, the cheapo Whirlpool stove I put in is exactly 29 and 3/4 inches wide. I assume that most are the same. Maybe invest in a nice granite cutting blade.

I was thinking that. Have a granite guy come in and shave 1/4" off on each side, polish it, then get what I want.

corvette · 10:24AM

@nyccarguy - I remember, as a kid, my late grandfather purchasing a new fridge that didn't fit. He still accepted the delivery, and ground a bunch of cabinet trim off with an angle grinder. It looked horrible and uneven, but the fridge went into the opening. My grandmother was not impressed, though.

I could go months or years with a burner or two out on my range, but I'm usually cooking for one.

ab348 · 10:39AM

FWIW, I would not buy a Samsung home appliance (except a microwave, since Midea makes those for almost every company). They tend to be more troublesome than most.

ETA: just measured my recent Frigidaire slide-in range: 29.75”.

jmonroe1 · 11:27AM

@nyccarguy said:
I was thinking that. Have a granite guy come in and shave 1/4" off on each side, polish it, then get what I want.

——————————————————
When we do flips we always install a new oven, most of the time we install gas since that seems to be what most folks want. But a few times we installed electric. However, since we’re always installing new cabinets too, we leave 30 1/2 inches for the range. The last thing we want is for the opening to be too small. A little extra space on each side never hurt anyone. Not once has anyone complained that there was too much of a gap on the sides.

FWIW, I grew up with electric ranges and so did Mrs. j. So that is what we have always had. When we had our first house built it came with a gas line and for some reason as reasonable as the builder was he didn’t want to swap out an electric line for the gas line, so I ran the electric line myself during construction. When we went to buy the oven, we ended up paying a good bit more for the electric oven we chose because it was self-cleaning. That was a relatively new feature in 1969. Once Mrs. j saw that feature there was no way she was going to be without it and I didn’t blame her. Self-cleaning gas ranges didn’t exist back then. I’m glad I installed number 6 gauge copper wire good for 50 AMPS because that beast required all of that when set for self-cleaning. The first time she set the oven to the cleaning cycle I went down to watch the electric meter when she turned it on. That thing damn near torqued itself off the brick wall. I never saw a home electric meter spin that fast.

jmonroe

tjc78 · 11:44AM

Since we are on this topic and I have a story about everything....

Back in 2020 when we were selling our home 2 weeks before settlement the over the range microwave went out. Great... I could have either fixed it or offered a credit to the new home owner. I chose the former.

Well, in this house we had a full granite slab backsplash scribed in after the microwave was installed. I measured and while over the counter microwaves are "standard" the opening I had was 1/4" or so short for some models because of the backsplash. Luckily I measured the unit in the store and found a bottom barrel Samsung that would fit.

I took the old one out and come to my surprise the new one didn't fit widthwise... Huh? Old and New measured exact. I was really scratching my head and the only thing I could think of was something settled or I know the cabinets were installed in the winter and maybe now that it was summer they expanded a bit?

I ended up having to loosen the cabinets on either side and prying them out just a hair to squeeze the new unit in. Fun times... came out great though.

suydam · 11:57AM

ab348 said:
FWIW, I would not buy a Samsung home appliance (except a microwave, since Midea makes those for almost every company). They tend to be more troublesome than most.

ETA: just measured my recent Frigidaire slide-in range: 29.75”.

Hard to say these days. Our Samsung fridge has been humming along for near,y 10 years now. Hope I didn’t jinx it!

explorerx4 · 12:00PM

Got the vent reattached and the area cleaned up.
The culprit turned out to be the round adaptor shown below.
Installers must had had a hard time getting the vent flex pipe to attach to the exterior vent.
I know I did.
They Mickey Moused it by adding the adaptor and taping it to the exterior vent.
Of course, the tape failed.
Now there is a screw clamp on each end.
Funny thing was that when I was done, I was stuck behind the dryer.
Took me over 10 miniutes to figure out how to worm my way out of there at my advanced age.

stickguy · 12:27PM

I hate having to climb over the dryer.

I hate the range issue I. The Jersey house. During the remodel they installed the countertop based on the existing stove. When that died is when I discovered that 30” could be anywhere from 29.75-30.0. And my space was on the low side. So width was the primary deciding factor to getting a Samsung. Which kinda scraped in but did fit.

nyccarguy · 12:40PM

corvette said:
@nyccarguy - I remember, as a kid, my late grandfather purchasing a new fridge that didn't fit. He still accepted the delivery, and ground a bunch of cabinet trim off with an angle grinder. It looked horrible and uneven, but the fridge went into the opening. My grandmother was not impressed, though.

I could go months or years with a burner or two out on my range, but I'm usually cooking for one.

Of all the rooms in my house, the kitchen is the one thing we did really well and it came out fantastic. This summer it will be 10 years old and still looks great. I'm personally not willing to take a chance doing anything that might ruin it.

nyccarguy · 12:57PM

ab348 said:
FWIW, I would not buy a Samsung home appliance (except a microwave, since Midea makes those for almost every company). They tend to be more troublesome than most.

ETA: just measured my recent Frigidaire slide-in range: 29.75”.

Thanks. I'll take that under advisement. I know their Washers and Dryers are garbage. The electronic boards that operate them go bad and they are expensive to replace and you have to find a Samsung specialist.

driver100 · 1:22PM

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:
@oldfarmer50 What things are you worried about? Brakes can wear out. Shocks, bushings, steering components and belts too but those are easily replaceable.

Good comments. The thing that concerns me the most would be something like a hose breaking down on a busy highway when I have to be somewhere. Things that can deteriorate over time.
With only 48000 miles on the car, what can break down because of time....what should I maybe have checked?

Hoses and belts for sure. Have your mechanic check them at each oil change if it makes you feel secure. I have to tell you though I’ve never had a hose or a belt leave me stranded and I’ve driven some miled up hoopties in my time. As someone mentioned it will probably be something electronic that leaves you walking. Maybe buy a membership in AAA.

I have had a CAA membership ever since I bought my first car (CAA is Canadian Auto Assoc and can be used in the U.S., and visa versa). I wouldn't leave home without it!
I haven't used it very often, but when I needed to use it it was worth every penny I paid, including putting on a donut on a Thanksgiving Day evening.

kyfdx · 1:38PM

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:

kyfdx said:
Check into your electric. When we got a new one, they require 40 amp vs the old 30 amp
Great. Something else I need.
How would anyone know? Don’t tell me they require governmental involvement when you plug in a stove?

It's stated by the actual appliance.

xwesx · 2:17PM

corvette said:
@xwesx - follow up to the hybrid range discussion from a few weeks back. I think you said the oven temp is more variable on gas ovens compared to electric. Dumb questions: Don't the burners on gas ovens operate on an on/off basis like electric ones? If so, why not vary the gas input like one would on a grill to maintain a more even temperature? Tankless water heaters operate on a similar principle. It's the CVT of thermodymanics.

I think food is more sensitive when it comes to baking times. Same food, same time, different results. The smell was always what I disliked, though. My grandmother's oven was gas for as long as I can remember (more than one unit over time), and bread-type foods, like bread, cupcakes, cakes, etc., always tasted a little off. I always attributed it to the gas odor.

Maybe newer ones are made differently so the flame is fully sealed away from the oven, but they sure weren't on the ones I have used. So, when I had the chance to buy my own unit, and an electric oven with gas burners was an option, I jumped on it! Twenty years and counting, and no regrets yet!

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