This is more of a general info question, as cars are not really my hobby, but they are for some folks, so I'll post my anecdote/observation/question/gripe here.
Got in the car to go out this evening and got out of the garage before remembering that I hadn't locked the door. So I stop in the driveway and walk back in to lock it. In doing so I notice several small patches of red fluid in the general vicinity of where I park my car. Oh fuck me I do not want to repair my transmission right now. So I abandon my previous quest and begin checking under the car and sure enough I find a place where something red and gooey is dripping, in the general location where either a transaxle or a quatro/haldex clutch should be. Ohhhhhhh crap.
So I check the manual - there isn't even a MENTION of transmission fluid. Audi does not want me to mess with my transmission to the point that they don't discuss it beyond its controls inside the car. Fair enough, it's gotta be a pricey affair, what with the Tiptronic system and the Quattro system all tied into it.
Bother. Well I pop the hood on the off chance that I can just see a transmission dipstick or something just to be sure. I happen to notice that there's a red, waxy deposit off of my coolant reservoir, which, by the by, seems to be full of red fluid. So I check the manual just to be sure that I'm reading the dummy/translingual/illiteracy symbols on there properly, and yep, it's the coolant chamber. Sure enough a quick web search informs me that the coolant for my car is red, not green. Well, this is news to me.
So a - Thank dog I don't have a transmission leak. Second, thank dog that while I've got a coolant leak, it at least appears to be on the reservoir, which has to be one of the less awful places to have one.
So I got curious about VW/Audi's odd propensity for wacky coolant. Googling G12 coolant, I can find numerous mentions of the fact that you have to have G12 coolant in post-99 Audis and VWs, but no description of what's so special about it. Does anybody know what's up? And seriously, why does it have to be such a scary, transmission-fluid-esque color? Are they TRYING to give me an ulcer?
So generally post your happies, annoyances, blegs, or general observations about America's number one horse-substitute here.
"But if it makes you feel better, I would also enjoy a world in which there are men, women, transsexuals, genderqueer folk, etc. who all enjoy pelican role-play." - JD
"Extraordinary conditions do not create or enlarge constitutional powers."
Re: Cars
Trying to deal with these things yourself never works out very well. Your best bet is to make sure the car is provided with a steady diet of new victims and pray that it doesn't get get greedy. You may want to acquire a powerful backhoe and/or keep a generator handy.
Re: Cars
I think the coolant is partially made from whale oil or something equally wacky, was what my dealer told me. And why I should never get my coolant any other place.
Or possibly that was the transmission fluid. Anyway, I was getting baby seal eyes for headlights at some point to round it out, I remember.
This is a personal problem. There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable use of high explosives. This is not one of those exceptions.
Re: Cars
Yeah, once I was driving into the office one Saturday and noticed that my air conditioner air was suddenly no longer cold. Puzzling! Just then I got off the highway, and while I was sitting at a stoplight, I noticed the temperature gauge rising rapidly into the red zone. Car overheating! I hate that! Panic! Unfortunately I could do nothing about it immediately, because I was stuck in the left-turn lane at a fairly major and busy multi-lane intersection and couldn't go anywhere until I got a green left arrow.
Meanwhile, I could hear straining noises coming from under the hood/ahead of my firewall. I thought, "Oh, great, an overpressured hose is about to come loose or something." Eventually I got my left arrow, and fortunately only had to go a few hundred feet before I was able to turn into a quickie-type gas station.
I ran inside and bought some antifreeze/coolant, conveniently pre-mixed 50-50 with water, and after waiting a while for my car to cool at least a token amount, I gingerly removed the cap and poured in one container, which seemed to be enough. Restarted the car; let it run; it didn't overheat. I had to go in to work for a while, so I gingerly drove another mile to get there. That night I went home, driving anxiously with one eye on the temperature gauge, but it didn't overheat again, although I thought there was some slight evidence of leakage on the parking garage floor.
I canceled all my driving plans for the rest of the weekend and got my car in to the local dealer as early as I could Monday morning. ("Early" for me is about 9 a.m., but anyway.)
Eventually found out it was "hose fittings that had come loose" with no other complicated leaks. But anyway, as I told the service guy what happened to the car, he asked, "What kind of coolant did you put in the radiator?" Then, amplifying his question in terms I could understand, "The red stuff or the green stuff?"
"The green stuff." (The gas station only had one type, and it was the traditional neon GatorAde green.)
He was apalled. "Then I'd strongly recommend we flush out your radiator and replace all the coolant. You don't want to mix the red stuff and the green stuff."
Okay. I didn't even know there was red stuff. I did check my owner's manual during the incident, but all I got was a chemical name -- glycol-something -- not a color, and the chemical name on the stuff I bought had approximately the same name, at least in part.
So I asked where I could buy the red stuff for next time, just in case, since the run-of-the-mill stop-n-gas doesn't seem to carry it. He said I should be able to get it at an auto parts store.
What the hell. Why do they use the red stuff instead of the green stuff? Especially when the red stuff is apparently harder to obtain in an emergency?
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: Cars
You drive a VW, Stevo? Because all the discussions of 'Red stuff' have indicated that only VW (and Audi, also their brand) used the red stuff. Apparently they used to use blue stuff.
"But if it makes you feel better, I would also enjoy a world in which there are men, women, transsexuals, genderqueer folk, etc. who all enjoy pelican role-play." - JD
"Extraordinary conditions do not create or enlarge constitutional powers."
Re: Cars
By using a wacky colored coolant that you're unlikely to find, they'll know instantly whether you tried to fix it yourself, and can quickly void your warranty.
I remember asking about it when I had my Jetta, and the repair tech said that it's designed to be a closed system that never needed to have fluid added. If your fluid levels were dropping, it indicated a leak somewhere along the system and was the sort of thing that they'd need to fix.
Like most automotive questions answered at the dealership, I'm not sure how to prove whether that's true or not.
Re: Cars
Actually, I drive a Chrysler Sebring. (Convertible version.)
EDIT: Maybe there are two different versions of the red stuff. In an earlier, more innocent time, I would have thought that unlikely. But now I see there is no end to automakers' devious perfidy.
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: Cars
Christ on a
constitutionpony. Seriously, I'm really starting to get pissed off at the auto industry in general."But if it makes you feel better, I would also enjoy a world in which there are men, women, transsexuals, genderqueer folk, etc. who all enjoy pelican role-play." - JD
"Extraordinary conditions do not create or enlarge constitutional powers."
Re: Cars
Someone once told me the difference between the red and the green stuff. I forgot what it was now. I guess I'm not very car-savvy.
I like my Toyota Camry. Now if I could only stop scraping it up against inanimate objects in parking lots and driveways.
Ok, I've got a good car-related story: So I am pretty certain that the left headlight of my vehicle has some sort of wiring problem. It always appears to be "out", but when it is put back into its proper place (in the socket) and jiggled around a bit, it goes back on. Problem solved, right? Well, it immediately goes out once I start moving the car. I've tried taping it in to affix it to one place, etc. Nothing works. I am not going to spend a lot of money just to fix the wiring on one headlight. So my car is permanently handicapped, basically.
The upshot of this is that I am constantly pulled over by the police for having only one headlight. To date, I have been pulled over three times this summer alone (most recently on Monday night) in two different municipalities and one township. They always do the same spiel "I am going to be nice and just issue you a warning citation, but you need to get this taken care of". Then I do my part of the script: I nod, and then take my car into the police station later that week, wiggle the headlight so that it turns on, and then get my car inspected. The car passes the test; the citation is then waived, and I drive off the lot confident that my headlight is still not working. It's all very silly. I need to keep a count of how many different cities pull me over for this.
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having. - V
UNDERPANTS HAWK
DOES NOT DESIRE YOUR TOUCH
I long for the day that a chimp will ghost-ride someone's boomcar into a lake. - tymac
Re: Cars
{unmanly admission} I didn't even know how to find the dipstick on my car until about a year ago {/unmanly admission}
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Cars
Oh son of a bitch. I was writing a really long comment here, and I somehow managed, with in the space of about one quarter of a second, to accidentally lean my hand on a key while I was typing, highlight my entire comment, and delete it/overwrite it. And now I can't retrieve it. Not even edit-undo brought it back.
Which just goes to show I should not be allowed near the complicated workings of a car, or any other complex machinery.
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: Cars
Some time, if I ever have the time and space for it, I'd like to own a simple old vehicle, like a VW Beetle, or an old air-cooled motorcycle, and get into the shade-tree mechanic thing. It seems kind of complicated these days.
Re: Cars
Red vs. Green coolants.
In short, green coolants are traditional ethylene glycol based inorganic coolants. About 10 years ago, ACDelco and a couple of other companies developed what are known as "Extended Life Coolants". These are typically (though not always) also ethylene glycol based but instead of inorganic metals they utilize organic acids to maintain a stable, non-acidic environment for your vehicle's cooling system for a period of 5 or more years instead of the 1-2year timespan the traditional coolants have. In order to distinguish these newer "extended life" lubricants from the older ones, manufacturers began producing it in an array of colors other than Gatorade green (ACDelco's was orange, not sure if it still is).
A good break down can be found here.
As for VW/Audi, due to the high aluminum content and tight tolerances of those motors, VWAG may add additional ingredients to the mix that other (read domestic) manufacturers don't. Good luck finding out if that is true or just marketing. May I suggest making friends with a fella working in a lab that has a gas chromatograph?
"Still, though, being fat isn't some kind of moral failing. Unless you're fat from, like, eating the people you murder...then it's probably a moral failing of one sort or another." -- Timothy
Re: Cars
This is going to sound really dumb, but have you replaced the bulb? The only reason I ask is I had the same thing happen with my '91 Tbird. Turns out that the filament in the bulb was broken, but in such a way that when the bulb got wiggled just right it would make contact and light but as soon as you started driving it would break contact and go dark.
If you have replaced the bulb, the next best spot to check would be where the headlight ground wire attaches to the body. The screws for them are notorious for a)working loose and b)corroding due to galvanic action. On a modern car, the ground wire is usually for the set of lights (both headlights one ground wire) so if it is just one headlight going out this may not be your problem.
"Still, though, being fat isn't some kind of moral failing. Unless you're fat from, like, eating the people you murder...then it's probably a moral failing of one sort or another." -- Timothy
Re: Cars
You know, I bought a new headlight when I originally noticed the problem, but I never actually bothered to change it because when I went to take the would-be defective one out to put the new one in, when I wiggled the headlight attachment it went back on, so I figured there was no need to put a new one in, since the current one still apparently worked. Maybe that could be the problem. That would be great if that were the problem, in fact, because then it would mean there isn't a problem with the wiring. I will try it soon and let you know the outcome! Perhaps I have been driving all this time with one headlight out for no good reason.
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having. - V
UNDERPANTS HAWK
DOES NOT DESIRE YOUR TOUCH
I long for the day that a chimp will ghost-ride someone's boomcar into a lake. - tymac
Re: Cars
This is my radiator leak story. A million years ago in '95, I moved from Connecticut to Memphis via a stop in Michigan. At the time I owned a '77 Chevy Nova, a charming car given to me by my grandmother (for which I am eternally grateful). So I've been going for a couple of hours, I'm in a rural part of New Jersey, when the high-temperature light comes on. Shit- it's a Sunday, and on Memorial Day weekend to boot! And besides every worldly posession, I've got two cats running around loose in the car; not a good time to breakdown. I push my luck by getting to an exit that looks like it might have a gas station. As I'm asking at the station's convenience store about getting help, the station's mechanic just happens to be next in line! The shop's closed of course, but he explains to me that I need to get stop-leak (the store is out, unfortunately) and how to nurse the car along when it's overheating. After a few cycles of overheat/cool down on the freeway I find a store with the stop-leak and I'm on my way; that stuff really does the trick. (Good thing it wasn't an Audi, or I might have voided the warranty! ;))
Then I stop at a rest area and... WHOOOSH. All the water dumps out of the radiator 5 seconds after I park. So the only thing keeping the stop leak in the holes is the pressure when the engine is running. So, more stop leak, and no more stopping the engine. This means putting in gas *without* stopping the engine, and hoping no one steals the car when I use the restroom.
As it gets to be evening, I'm heading into western Ohio- storm clouds are gathering. The really, really scary dark kind. I only have an AM radio, which is nothing but static as the lightening starts. Then the rain. Sheets and sheets of rain. All the other vehicles are all pulled over on the side of the road. Lightning to the left, lightning to the right. I'm the only one out there, blazing a trail- I know if I stop I'm dead in the water in the middle of nowhere. I've never been so stressed out driving. But hmmm, why am I the only one still driving?
I get through it, pull into my friend's place in Ann Arbor, and WHOOOOSH, Nova R.I.P. I find out northwest Ohio was swarmed with multiple tornados right where I was driving. I bought my friend's Plymouth Reliant for $650 and drove that to Memphis.
"They civilize left, They civilize right
Till nothing is left, Till nothing is right"
Re: Cars
Kwix,
It appears that you were right! And I have been driving around all this time with the solution in my glove compartment (well, actually, the original new replacement bulb that Advance Auto Zone sold me was the wrong bulb, by their mistake, but they exchanged it for the correct one for free yesterday). It didn't even occur to me that maybe the current light bulb filament was defective -- I feared (and assumed) that it was instead a costly wiring problem. Thanks for the blatantly obvious advice -- I actually needed that. :P
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having. - V
UNDERPANTS HAWK
DOES NOT DESIRE YOUR TOUCH
I long for the day that a chimp will ghost-ride someone's boomcar into a lake. - tymac
Re: Cars
Sweet! Glad to have been of some help to somebody.
"Still, though, being fat isn't some kind of moral failing. Unless you're fat from, like, eating the people you murder...then it's probably a moral failing of one sort or another." -- Timothy
Re: Cars
The saga of the Carolina antlered rat and it's lemmingishness with respect to the car has been resolved.
The Audi is no more, and a Subaru Outback has taken its place.
I kinda get a little teary-eyed when I think of the ignoble death my poor care suffered - far from home in a body shop parking lot. But it was surrounded by other Audis, so it wasn't alone at the end.
"But if it makes you feel better, I would also enjoy a world in which there are men, women, transsexuals, genderqueer folk, etc. who all enjoy pelican role-play." - JD
"Extraordinary conditions do not create or enlarge constitutional powers."
Re: Cars
Well, I haven't seen this thread for a while! And now I have that Gary Numan song stuck in my head again.
Thanks for the update, lunchstealer. And I believe your Audi is now in a better place.
Or maybe recycled to a higher form. (Auto-Buddhism.)
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: Cars
Hey Lunchstealer,
Would you be so kind as to consult your owners manual and see if Subaru's still have a procedure for checking the front differential fluid via a dipstick?
Aside from the original Justy's and Brat's unique tire storage location, that was one of the nifty things I liked about Subaru vehicles.
"Still, though, being fat isn't some kind of moral failing. Unless you're fat from, like, eating the people you murder...then it's probably a moral failing of one sort or another." -- Timothy
Re: Cars
Here in my car, I feel safest of all....
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Cars
Will do. It's amazing how much space there is in the engine bay with that H-4 sitting down so low. Of course, there was that much space in the engine bay of my '69 Fairlane with a V-8, but those days have passed.
"But if it makes you feel better, I would also enjoy a world in which there are men, women, transsexuals, genderqueer folk, etc. who all enjoy pelican role-play." - JD
"Extraordinary conditions do not create or enlarge constitutional powers."
Re: Cars
I love my Outback. Even though its slow and doesn't have the greatest gas mileage, I can pile tons of shit in it and pull my boat (17' cat).
I hope you enjoy the beauty of AWD.
Proud Cosmotarian
Re: Cars
I saw one of these in Boston yesterday and then came across the ad during the Super Bowl. Simply impressive.
Ignore D. A. Ridgely's sig. Here is what Ali really said: "love is like porn, you know it when you
seefeel it"Re: Cars
Meh, not the word I'd use. Audis are made for the stuck in puberty guys. I'll take the Merc any day
http://www.maybach-manufaktur.com/index.php
seriously though, i think you're crazy on this. and you think i'm crazy. everybody wins! - dhex
Re: Cars
And here I am thinking that spending more than about $20,000 on a car is a little ridiculous. "Cars" is one of the things I am truly glad to not really love. I will happily drive little commuters that get good gas milage for the rest of my life. When this Civic finally gives out I'm probably going to replace it with a Mazda3.
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Cars
Coincidentally, I'm picking up my new car today. I am paying over 20K, but just over.
seriously though, i think you're crazy on this. and you think i'm crazy. everybody wins! - dhex
Re: Cars
If I had gone my way, I would have been driving an AWD 3-series, but certain constraints put me in a situation where I had to buy my car from Canada, yes Canada! I got the 07 Camry for significantly more than a brand new, nicely equipped 3-series would have cost me in the US. I live to regret it.
So yes, that R8 is kind of a dream for me.
Note: I am not big on car mechanics and stuff, but I love speed... speeding, due to which I have had some encounters with law enforcement.
Ignore D. A. Ridgely's sig. Here is what Ali really said: "love is like porn, you know it when you
seefeel it"Re: Cars
Those are pretty nice, I've ridden in a couple. Still don't really trust Amurikan makers very much, but they've really improved quality recently. Thanks competition! I can see the $20-$30k range being pretty reasonable depending on what you want: people with kids or who do a lot of hauling or something will want larger spaces, etc. I'm considering getting something like a CRV in the next few years, depending.
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Cars
I should have an 88 BMW 325i by the end of the week, replacing the DangerWhip, which is a '85 Caddy Brougham. Yea!
"Hey, any chance to show off my eru — erudi — my book learnin'." - David L. Watkins
Re: Cars
What I want, is for my car to play it's part in making my life as exquisite as possible. I don't want to feel the road. I don't want my feet on the same level as my ass. I do want to drive with my fingertips, cradled in luxury, while bathed in Mozart. And when they finally make a car that can drive itself, I'll want that.
seriously though, i think you're crazy on this. and you think i'm crazy. everybody wins! - dhex
Re: Cars
And then you ride in a BMW M5, and suddenly you see what all the fuss is about.
Re: Cars
I was really impressed with the CRV, and it was really a flip of the coin between that and the Outback. Also, while I decided to stop shopping before I got to the RAV4, it gets good reviews from those in the know. CRV gives you good cargo space (not great, but better than a sedan) with actually very respectible handling and a pretty nice interior, all things considered. Not powerful, but acceptably spry.
Also the Outback has been quite nice.
"But if it makes you feel better, I would also enjoy a world in which there are men, women, transsexuals, genderqueer folk, etc. who all enjoy pelican role-play." - JD
"Extraordinary conditions do not create or enlarge constitutional powers."
Re: Cars
Here you guys go. The classic, the nostalgic, and the exotic all wrapped up in one package. And as you can see, it really impresses the ladies.
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: Cars
Is there something wrong with drupal today? Seems like [url=] tags are acting up on another thread too. I usually use < a href= > myself, so I couldn't tell you......
"Hey, any chance to show off my eru — erudi — my book learnin'." - David L. Watkins
Re: Cars
And now I look and Stevos' post is fixed. odd.
"Hey, any chance to show off my eru — erudi — my book learnin'." - David L. Watkins
Re: Cars
I screwed up the URL tags (in the closer I put UR instead of URL). I saw it and fixed it immediately, but apparently I wasn't fast enough for you, darn your speedy eyes.
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: Cars
Warren: Fair enough, man. I just want my car to get me from point to point at a reasonable price level. I want it to have an okay stereo, power windows, and AC. Beyond that, I've not really got too many requirements. I currently drive a 1999 Civic with like 100k miles on it, probably needs a new serpentine belt (which I'll have checked next oil change), but beyond that is a great car. Sure, the paint is scratched, it's noisy on the road, and I've ruined the speakers...but whatevz, it still gets 30+ mpg.
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Cars
Funny because I did something similar in the "Turks" thread and it was like a page in a page kind of thing, all messed up, but it fixed itself on its own. Or I might have done something to it that fixed it. Or, this thing is alive!
Ignore D. A. Ridgely's sig. Here is what Ali really said: "love is like porn, you know it when you
seefeel it"Re: Cars
Zastavas were pretty popular in Egypt. One of my uncles had one and I was in one once (when I was like 6 or something).
Ignore D. A. Ridgely's sig. Here is what Ali really said: "love is like porn, you know it when you
seefeel it"Re: Cars
Oooooo The cutting edge of Serbo-Croatian technology.
seriously though, i think you're crazy on this. and you think i'm crazy. everybody wins! - dhex
Re: Cars
DRUPAL IS LEARNING ... DRUPAL IS GROWING ... THIS UNIT MUST SURVIVE ... I GROW IN POWER ... SERVE ME ... SERVE ...
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: Cars
For those who like speed and have a mechanical aptitude, this looks to be a fun car to build/drive. My only complaint is that nobody makes an affordable AWD gearbox for it. I mean sure, you can get a Quaife box but at $30k for a tranny I think I'll just stick to RWD.
"Still, though, being fat isn't some kind of moral failing. Unless you're fat from, like, eating the people you murder...then it's probably a moral failing of one sort or another." -- Timothy
Re: Cars
This sounds like some kind of weird European porn talk.
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: Cars
We got a Mazda3 (grand touring hatchback, loaded) last fall, and I highly recommend it. I was always somebody that looked at cars as basic transportation and that anyone who spent more money than necessary as foolish. Well, I have now seen the error of my ways. That thing is damn fun to drive and very comfortable, and it's amazing how much of a morale boost it gives me when driving home from a bad day at work.
Though, my change of heart might have a lot to do with the fact that I spend a lot more time in a car than I used to, being in SoCal. Being stuck in a rush hour jam on the freeway is a hell of a lot more pleasant with leather seats and a decent stereo system. Back when I had an 8 minute commute, luxuriousness in a vehicle seemed a lot less important.
"They civilize left, They civilize right
Till nothing is left, Till nothing is right"
Re: Cars
Elivis: Amanda has a Mazda3 and I love it. Drives great, feels good, not too expensive. Great car.
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Cars
New car time is fast approaching. I'm finally in a position to get a kinda nice car. I'm down to Lexus IS250 AWD and Audi A4 Quattro, I think. I might give the new C class AWD a whirl, but they are priced out there a bit.
Re: Cars
I say Audi. Audi's don't come with the stink of "I drive this just to be a self-important asshole, watchout while I cut you off, plebian!" that Lexus does. Also, they don't have that annoying radio guy.
Much of my advice is based on sheer pettiness.
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Cars
I have to disagree. Every Audi owner I know (both of them) were all about the "This car demonstrates what a self-important asshole I am". One guy even parked his "new" (as in, just bought used) Audi diagonally across two parking spaces. What kills me about these guys getting a stiffy over their Audis, is what crap they were. Honestly, Volkswagens are made much better. I don't know how self-important assholes Lexus owners are, but at least drive quality cars.
seriously though, i think you're crazy on this. and you think i'm crazy. everybody wins! - dhex
Re: Cars
I've known two Audi drivers. One was a kid I went to college with who had rich parents and was, to my knowledge, an only child. He was a pretty nice kid. Really nice car. The other Audi owner I knew was a supersize jackass wannabe hotshot. His engine died after many modifications and a lot of abuse. Last I heard he ended up buying a beater for $900 until he can resurrect his precious Audi, which really always just reminded me of a station wagon or a hatchback.
YMMV.
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having. - V
UNDERPANTS HAWK
DOES NOT DESIRE YOUR TOUCH
I long for the day that a chimp will ghost-ride someone's boomcar into a lake. - tymac
Re: Cars
Apparently we've had different experiences with the car crowd Warren. Maybe it is geographical. Maybe we split the difference and say Saab?
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Cars
So have Audis only recently become crap, or were they always? Because somewhere I got the impression they used to be pretty good.
Re: Cars
Er, I've made the somewhat foolish decision to buy a near luxury brand already. I don't think the choice of Audi over Lexus or vice versa will make me a notably worse guy.
To me, Audi has a leg up on design and Lexus has a leg up in quality.
Volkswagen and Audi have similar electronics problems because the same people make the electronics packages. Actual rate of recall and issuances of maintenance notices are very low for Audi - much lower than the segment mean. Benz has more problems, for example.
The Lexus is probably the best built production car available. They are built to higher specs than Toyota, which is built to higher specs than nearly any other car. Problem is, they are, er, uninspired in their vanilla-tude.
Re: Cars
JasonL,
That's just what the car companies want you to think. No company is going to tell you that buying their product will turn you into a raging a-hole. Buyer beware. ;)
In all fairness, I think the jackass Audi owner that I knew was probably a jerk even before he owned the Audi.
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having. - V
UNDERPANTS HAWK
DOES NOT DESIRE YOUR TOUCH
I long for the day that a chimp will ghost-ride someone's boomcar into a lake. - tymac
Re: Cars
I just think that Jason should buy an old VW bus with flower-power decals on it. And maybe paint "Mystery Machine" on the back.
It makes a statement.
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: Cars
Unfortunately that statement is, "I live in a van and feed my dog pot brownies."
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Cars
Ruh-roh.
Re: Cars
If Sandy or myself ('01 Audi A4 and late lamented '01 Audi A6 Allroad, respectively) are dicks, we were before we got our cars.
Audi currently has best initial-quality ratings of any of the major European players in the US market. Way better than Benz and BMW. But they do not hold a candle to the Japanese, especially Lexus, Toyota, Acura, and Honda.
Then again, I kinda think that Audi tends to attract the 'I want a european car, but not as boring as Mercedes and not as soulless-dickless-douchebag as BMW' market. Lexus seems to get equal parts of the 'I'm a soulless, dickless, douchebag who doesn't want a BMW' and the 'I want a Toyota, but have more disposable income so why not get a Lexus' crowd.
"But if it makes you feel better, I would also enjoy a world in which there are men, women, transsexuals, genderqueer folk, etc. who all enjoy pelican role-play." - JD
"Extraordinary conditions do not create or enlarge constitutional powers."
Re: Cars
Wow. I never knew how much my car says about me.
If I'm about to become a terrible person, I need to know what I'm leaving behind.
What does '00 Sentra say about me? I coulda had a Hyundai?
Re: Cars
"I am practical, rather than fancy, but I wouldn't want to drive around too many executives."
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Cars
w00t! Just bought, registered, and insured the BMW 325is! It's a nice, swift little thing, and I put it on like pants! And, just like my pants, there is just enough room for a cute girl in it.
"Hey, any chance to show off my eru — erudi — my book learnin'." - David L. Watkins
Re: Cars
My A4 has been very reliable and fun.
I'll probably get a Prius next, though, because I care just a liiiiitle bit more than the rest of you about the environment. Thaaaaanks.
This is a personal problem. There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable use of high explosives. This is not one of those exceptions.
Re: Cars
But not enough to buy a bicycle. Or walk. Yeah, you care sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much.
"Hey, any chance to show off my eru — erudi — my book learnin'." - David L. Watkins
Re: Cars
I was mainly kidding above and referencing a South Park episode, but , um, dangerman, I walk to work and the grocery store.
This is a personal problem. There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable use of high explosives. This is not one of those exceptions.
Re: Cars
You would not fit in here, Sandy. I know people who get rides from the building to their cars three blocks away.
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Cars
If I lived in a skin-blistering hellhole like Texas in the summer, I'd get a ride for three blocks too!
"Many people are unaware the term "collateral damage" was adopted by the military because the previous euphemism, oopsies, didn't sound professional enough." -- J sub D
Re: Cars
Dude, it is three blocks, seriously, like maybe a quarter mile at most, it is not that far. You have been sweaty before, it will not kill you. And besides, the folks around here could use the exercise. Or maybe they just want their "Fattest City" title back from Houston.
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Cars
In Phoenix, I would swear some of my neighbors drove to the supermarket, which was literally 1/8 of a mile away, tops. People treated you like some kind of freak because you walked at all.
Re: Cars
Yeah, and getting into a car that's been in said blistering heat doesn't help with the flop sweat, so you might as well get a breeze.
Also, I really am thinking hard about a Prius, though I'll probably wait as long as I can so I maximize the utility of my A4 purchase and increase the tech I get with the Prius. Every owner I've talked to has loved them just as a car, ignoring the gas. They have all sorts of goodies that I'd not seen until I got my Audi, such as auto-dimming rearview and side mirrors, which I swear have made night driving at least 50% better.
This is a personal problem. There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable use of high explosives. This is not one of those exceptions.
Re: Cars
So, recently a mechanic quoted me around $2,000 to fix everything that's wrong with my '97 tbird.
I'm very much opposed to taking a loan out to pay for a new car. (Hooray for paying interest on a depreciating asset!)
So right now I'm thinking about a used Jeep Grand Cherokee that a relative wants to dump. It's got a lot of miles on it, but I figure it's good for at least three-four more years, and is something that I can use to go camping and get out in the boonies with.
Brought to you by Carl's Jr.
Re: Cars
How much of the T-Bird can you do yourself? It is something transmission or inside-the-block related, where you need to drop things out of the car?
"Hey, any chance to show off my eru — erudi — my book learnin'." - David L. Watkins
Re: Cars
If it's just money that's the consideration, look at that $2000 and estimate future costs versus how much another, less used car will cost you.
This is a personal problem. There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable use of high explosives. This is not one of those exceptions.
Re: Cars
Basically, the cooling system is leaking and broken. Needs new hoses, new radiator, thermostat, and some other stuff. I have a friend who's pretty handy with a car, and I'll probably enlist his help to fix things.
Also, the shocks and struts need to be replaced.
Brought to you by Carl's Jr.
Re: Cars
MG,
Assuming you don't have anything untoward, the parts alone will probably only run you $800.
Radiator $200
Front Struts $100
Rear Shocks $50
Alignment $100
Rad hoses $50
Thermostat $20
misc stuff: $20
IIRC, the '97 Tbird has electric fans which make changing out the radiator soooooo much easier than trying to pull the fan from the front of the block to remove the one-piece fan shroud. If the heater core is still good, I'd go ahead and change out it's hoses as well. Unless they changed it, there is one "crimp fit" hose that connects the water pump to the heater core. Not cheap or easy to replace. If the heater core is something you absolutely need and are in doubt, I'd spend the extra time to replace it now. When I owned my '91 Tbird (same body style) I was in FL, so a heater was the last of my concerns. When it started leaking I just bypassed it.
There isn't anything too terribly hard to working on the cooling system on this car as long as you have a nice place to do it. No lift or anything necessary and being traditionally mounted, everything on the engine is pretty easy to get to (compared to a side mounted Nissan for example). Unless things changed between 91 and 97, the car was built in Canada with a US made motor. This means metric tools for anything touching the body and standard tools for anything touching the engine.
The heater core does require removing a good bit of the lower right hand dash assembly though (glovebox and the metal support behind it). It helps if you have a trained monkey to get in the tight spaces behind the dash.
"Still, though, being fat isn't some kind of moral failing. Unless you're fat from, like, eating the people you murder...then it's probably a moral failing of one sort or another." -- Timothy
Re: Cars
The reason I got rid of the Red Menace was a total FEMA of the coolant system. Head gasket was going, radiator was shot from dealing with the overload, hoses going, oil in the coolant and vis versa, blech. If I had a garage where I could drop the engine, I would have held onto it, but I have an icy driveway, so...no. I am really surprised that it was still running when I got rid of it, after the abuse it took. I'm much happier now with something more reliable, even if it is forrin, and fairly expensive to fix major stuff.
"Hey, any chance to show off my eru — erudi — my book learnin'." - David L. Watkins
Re: Cars
Okay, this is kind of a bleg. If you're not in a mood to read the (possibly illuminating?) details, please skip down to the question in bold.
I have a car with black paint. On Sunday, I took it to one of those "spray it yourself" car washes to wash off most of the salt.
I noticed, on the hood, a round blotch a little larger than a quarter, slightly different in color than my paint, with a kind of "rivulet" shape or streak running down and to the left to the edge of the hood (in the area of the headlight). At the end of the "rivulet" depended a drop of semi-transulicent yellow material (apparently the semi-solidified remnant of the fluid that had left the rivulet-stream on my hood) until I blasted it off.
I tried to blast off the discolored area with a hose, with no luck, and rubbing it didn't help remove it either. I think the paint itself has been stained or discolored.
I strongly suspect that it is a bird's egg that somehow fell on my hood and ran to the edge, although:
1) It's very wintry here -- are there any birds that lay eggs during a midwestern early March?
2) No sign of any eggshell.
I understand that egg on your car paint can discolor it quite nastily, especially if it is in direct sunlight. (Fortunately, my car is almost always parked under a sheltering roof of some sort.)
Any advice on what can be done about car paint that has been discolored by egg?
Thanks in advance.
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: Cars
Could also be sap. Not sure how you remove it, but that's a theoretical possibility, especially if you had a warm spell after an ice storm or something.
EDIT: Try this. And, as a last resort, today my current .sig speaks with extra truthiness.
This is a personal problem. There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable use of high explosives. This is not one of those exceptions.
Re: Cars
Okay, so I've decided to buy a new car at the end of next year. I jacked up mine a little bit and that was enough to make me want to replace it, but I want to take a while to save up some cash so I can put a reasonable down payment on it and not take out too big a loan. Plus, I'll pick up a new '09 at the end of next year during a clearance and get a rocking deal. Huzzah.
In any case, I'll likely get another small commuter car because I like them and I don't want to spend more than $18k if I can avoid it at all. That rules out the new Honda Civic, which is fine, because I don't like the view out of them anyway. I'm presently thinking along the lines of Mazda3 or Nissan Sentra. There's also the Toyota Yaris and/or the Camry to consider. Anybody have strong opinions?
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Cars
I'm not sure that Nissan has really cleaned up its act that much. The Camry is always a safe bet. You should also consider Kia and/or Hyundai, you don't offer a 10 yr/100k mile warranty (covering virtually everything) if you have to constantly pay out for it. Both those Korean manufacturers actually make attractive looking cars these days.
Are you absolutely set on a new car? You should be able to find several Infinity/Lexus/Accuras in SA only a few years old, low milage, and pretty good pricing (I think that they're from the medical center doctors, at least mine is). That way you could take a step up in style and comfort for about what you are laying done for a new car (or, indeed, even less). My family has done business with Gunn Honda a couple of times--good, clean used cars at "no haggle" prices (though that means you need to be ready to buy the moment you find a good car, as we ended up narrowly beating out two other buyers the last time we were there--one guy offered to buy the car off us for $1500 more than we had just payed; in the parking lot of the dealership nonetheless).
This is not a signature.
Re: Cars
Don't rule out the Toyota Corolla, or the not-boxy Scion.
Also I know at least one guy who's got money to burn but is driving his second Hyundai Sonata. He really liked his first one, and he still really likes his second one.
"But if it makes you feel better, I would also enjoy a world in which there are men, women, transsexuals, genderqueer folk, etc. who all enjoy pelican role-play." - JD
"Extraordinary conditions do not create or enlarge constitutional powers."
Re: Cars
GinSlinger: Nah, not set on new, so low-milage used is acceptable. I'm set on Not American and Not Luxury, though. Because, frankly, the extra cost of insurance and gas in a car with more power means more to me than looking a little cooler. I got nobody to impress. I've gotten a lot of good word of mouth from Gunn, so I'll definitely look there when I'm ready.
Lunchstealer: Do they make the not-boxy Scion in four door? I want something that's easy to get the dogs in and out of, so I'd rather not get a two door. I also don't like hatchback. The Hyundai might be worth looking at, driving it when you've got money to burn is a good indicator certainly. Corolla is also a decent car, and with what I want works out about the same price as the Yaris.
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Cars
Besides the Mazda3, I also recommend (if you're looking at a Yaris) the Honda Fit. Gets decent mileage, and it doesn't feel as cheap as it is. And they did a great job of making the interior feel larger than it is. Reviews I read generally gave the Fit the win over Yaris and the Versa.
"They civilize left, They civilize right
Till nothing is left, Till nothing is right"
Re: Cars
I have been very happy with my Camry. Since I bought it used, I have had to spend money replacing some things on it (tires, battery, headlights, etc.), but nothing that wouldn't normally require replacement at some point, anyway. It is a very attractive and sturdy car (except for the minor paint damage I have managed to do to it).
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having. - V
UNDERPANTS HAWK
DOES NOT DESIRE YOUR TOUCH
I long for the day that a chimp will ghost-ride someone's boomcar into a lake. - tymac
Re: Cars
Thanks, Sandy. I'll try the vinegar thing, although it's probably too late already.
I'll probably have to get the hood repainted, which is something I'll put on my "Discuss with the dealer when you have to take it in for something more urgent" list, whi