Read the brief article. I have my work cut out for me, as I'm the guy responsible for turning the Sebring into an "animal." Woohoo! I can't wait to see reviews on the package I'm developing, I'm really happy with it so far.
Good to see you staying gainfully employed...good luck!
Steve said 1 day later
We'll see how the car turns out. If good, then I'll hopefully keep my job. If not, I may be the next guy in the unemployment line.
Geoff said 1 day later
Why do they hate this car so much?
Steve said 2 days later
Eh, take the comments for what they are - a bunch of people who've never even driven this car, drive crap box Toyotas that go really fast but don't stop, and eat tofu turkey burgers for lunch every day.
GJ said 2 days later
Please show me a Toyota that goes fast. :) Think you're confusing them with Honda in that department.
They *used* to make a few fast cars. Not so much today.
Steve said 3 days later
Lexus LF-A is pretty fast, but pretty ugly too. The Toyota Solaras I saw today were going 300 mph at the end of the quarter mile (sorry, 1000 feet, not 1/4 mile anymore), but there isn't much Toyota in them other than a sticker on the front of the funny car. I tell you what, I don't think I've ever heard anything louder than a Funny car. Two of them ripping down the track shake the ground like you wouldn't believe. Tomorrow I'll see if the Top Fuel cars are any louder. The Top fuel cars are typically a little faster, but they run the same motors in each.
Steve said 3 days later
Scroll to the bottom of the page for photos of the Dodge Avenger we saw roll over.....at 200 mph.
Yea, the lfa is fast, but it's no twin-turbo supra. :)
Steve said 3 days later
Uh, it will blow away a twin turbo supra, but will cost 10x as much brand new to do so.
GJ said 3 days later
Sorry, Steve, for some reason I was thinking of the Lexus IS-F, not the LF-A (which I wasn't aware of previously). The mid-90s modded supras would smack the IS-F around, but yeah, the LF-A is a supercar and likely eat a Supra for lunch.
Steve said 4 days later
No worry. The LF-A is an overpriced, ugly supercar that hopefully you'll never have the displeasure of seeing. Leave it to Toyota to build a supercar that nobody wants.
GJ said 4 days later
Out in Albany, I see maybe two Ferrari vehicles a year. Other than them and the low-rent Porsches, you don't see much in the way of a fun car.
That said, I found myself toe to toe with a Mercedes AMG something or other last night. Very aggressive factory-spec tires on that thing, I'm guessing based on the rubber that it was a 400+ hp vehicle. He wasn't into jumping off at the light to win the merge race, so I didn't get to see how bad he'd dust me.
Geoff said 4 days later
He'd blow you away (and me too). I believe the coup is like 475hp. Definitely over 400 horses that's for sure. Manuf. spec rated the 0-60 in the low 4's. AMG's are the performance models and they are fast. I sat in one at a dealership when Jim was looking around for a new car. The models all range going up to 500+ I believe.
Though for a quarter of the price, you can pick up that G8 I showed you and blow them away...and probably get better gas mileage to boot :)
GJ said 4 days later
Yeah, I'm sure he would have. But there are many versions of it and they don't all sport 475 horsies. I didn't catch the details, as it was night time and I didn't get much chance to look at it as I pulled up next to it.
But as much as I'd buy that G8, my car is still zooming right along for the moment so I'm staying put. You can pretty much bet that he'll sell car that a day before the tranny drops out of mine.
Geoff said 4 days later
haha probably. I checked the AMG website. The slowest model (sedan) comes at 451. The coup's start at 515hp and work their way up :)
Coup is modestly priced at $140G. The sedan started in the upper 50's.
GJ said 5 days later
yeah, the are way overpriced. :) in any case, I dusted him with my water bottle rocket (I'm sure he was greatly amused, but didn't give chase).
I'm always amazed at the true goodness in people's hearts. The news needs to find more of these stories. I think that as people see more stories like this, they will be inclined to help more.
Geoff said 2 days later
I agree. I thought it was a very inspiring piece for an unfortunate situation.
funny posted by Steve on December 13, 2009 @ 9:59PM
I'm somewhat sad to report that my little pontiac died peacefully in her sleep 2 nights ago. She was pretty spunky right up to the end--in fact, I had no warning, just tried to start her up as I was running late again for work and she was deader than a doornail. Tried to jumpstart the battery I replaced less than a year ago but I couldn't even get the dome light to come on. Had her towed to a shop last night, where I'm fairly sure they'll tell me it will take 3X the car's worth to fix her up. I was secretly hoping that I might get into just a wee bitty fender bender to get some money out of it. Oh well, I imagine I will probably only be able to donate her organs at this point....1 800 Kidney car?
If you had to pick between a (slightly used) Nissan Murano or Mazda CX-7 or 9, or a (new) Toyota Venza, what would you pick?
Just replaced the battery, and it's dead already? Yep, you'd be looking at a new battery *and* a new alternator--batteries don't just die after a year unless the battery is defective or (more likely) the alternator is. I've replaced three alternators in my gtp, likely due to my tendency to use them to power my sumps when needed. :) So I'm a little familiar with car charging systems.
So, your car isn't dead, but if you took it to a dealer you could expect $700+ in costs if they replace both components. Good service shop should be able to do that cheaper, and more importantly--probably do it right.
If I was picking between those, I'd take a cx-7. Sporty, small, fairly reliable. Would not touch the Murano with a ten-foot pole--horrible reliability and gas mileage. Toyota? Nope--very reliable, very soul deprived. If I really wanted a bigger car, I'd get the CX-9. But wait till you hear from Steve and/or Eric on this one--after all, I drive a ten year old grand prix.
Kristen said about 2 hours later
Thanks GJ...I figure that I'd have to think long and hard about putting more than $500 or so into it...especially since I just put $600 into it to replace the water pump like 2 months ago. I took it to a local mechanic that runs a good show, rather than a dealer, so we'll see. I feel like I'm either going to have to pay a new car loan soon, or pay the equivalent in repair costs every month (into a car that isn't worth anything either!) It's a gamble.
Strange, the Murano seems to have gotten great reviews from what I've seen online--better than the mazdas...but I guess it's hard to judge which reviews are the most reliable. I'm looking for a car that will get me at least 10 years, and one that I will still like after 5 of those years.
Marc said about 4 hours later
I've been happy with the Mazda 3 up to this point, so I would recommend Mazda out of those choices. One of my co-workers has a Toyota Venza and he seems to like it, but Toyotas I can't agree have the reliability. From what I've read online when I was looking into a car for Laura, was they had severe problems and sometimes weren't even being covered under a valid warranty. Issues like engines needing to be replaced, etc.
If you do plan to give away your car, Laura gave her Sunfire (which just sold in California recently) via Cars 4 Causes. They came and picked it up for free (tow truck) and it was sold within a month. Granted her car was still running. :)
Geoff said about 4 hours later
FYI, if you want a long running car, buy a Honda, not a Toyota. I can't say I'm really excited about any car from either of these companies, but a Honda Civic is cheap and will take you a long way.
GJ said about 5 hours later
Beat on Toyota all you want, but they have very high reliability, even better than Honda in many areas. However, Hondas are fun to drive, while Toyotas will simply suck the driver out of you. They make applications, not cars. Still, a Corolla would take you as far as a Civic, but you'd die of boredom long before then. The Venza is a new car for Toyota, though, and they are starting to have GM-like problems, so I might stay away from the Venza just based on that.
Nissan's reliability was lousy ten years ago--maybe they've turned things around by now. Back when I bought my car, I toyed with getting a Maxima mostly because I was having trouble finding a four-door muscle car, but found too many horror stories about Nissan at that time. So instead I buy a GM product. Hahahahahahaha. Actually, the GTP has been pretty good, as GM cars go.
Mazda makes very nimble cars with decent engines. I doubt they have the reliability of a Honda or Toyota, but they look sweet and drive really well. I'm with Marc, I'd go that route.
Kristen said about 7 hours later
I think I may have a Lazarus! Apparently I have a bad connector to the battery (I thought it was the alternator too GJ). I also need an induction service, power steering and brake fluid flush, and new spark plugs, to the tune of $650. I had Drew talk to him b/c I've heard those flushes are a waste of money, but apparently my brake fluid is brown instead of clear....I swear I thought this sucka was a goner.
Other than that he said the car is in great shape and can last a long time! Greeeaaat! (that was sarcasm) I think I can tolerate it until June, until then I'll continue debating import vs export cars....
I actually think Honda is boring! My friend just bought one of those snazzy CRV's and frankly it feels like el cheapo to me.
Geoff said about 7 hours later
Don't count Ford out either...they've got some nice products. The new Fusion is very nice, and the Taurus SHO is no slouch...but it's no G8 either :)
Nissan is much better than who they were. The new Altima and Maxima are sweet rides. I think most manufacturers have stepped up their games, except for Toyota (not surprisingly being #1).
Glad to hear the car may be revived! Get some more miles outta that puppy...I'd be weary of the flushes unless you are seeing a problem with your brakes and power steering. I had 115K on my car with ZERO flushes and it rode like a champ (same spark plugs too). They are just trying to get money outta you me thinks.
GJ said about 7 hours later
Scam alert. You brought the car in because it wouldn't start.
Induction service is generally a crappy add-on.
Brake fluid?? Brakes don't need to be checked for a car not starting. Skip.
Power steering? Ditto.
New spark plugs--likely, if you haven't had them done in 50k+ miles.
You didn't bring this to Valvoline instant oil change or Pep Boys, did you? :)
Steve said 2 days later
Ditto what GJ said. Don't do any of those things.
On the new car topic....The new Fusion is not as nice as the press says it is. The Chevrolet Malibu is still better than the Fusion. The Nissan Altima is pretty good too. In small SUV sizes, the Nissan Rogue is my favorite - great balance of comfort, fuel economy, . The Patriot and Escape are ok. I hate the Toyota RAV4. The Honda CRV is nice, but probably too sporty for Kristen's tastes.
As for midsize SUVs, I'm obviously partial to the Dodge Journey. The Murano is pretty sporty, as is the Mazda. The Ford Edge is pretty nice. I hate the Venza styling, but I have not driven one yet.
Well, if the Volt does ever come out, it's at least somewhat viable in the next year or two...this technology is decades away. Our darn city can't even repair potholes that have plagued our downtown streets for years.
GJ said about 19 hours later
How exactly is it decades away, just because Rochester doesn't want to pay for repairing their own streets again?
GJ said about 19 hours later
Oh, and how is the Volt viable? I'm still waiting to see a test mule that uses the generator, or a longer term environmental test of the battery (low temp operation and charge retention over time). There's a reason the ship date keeps moving out--actually, several of them.
Geoff said about 21 hours later
Ugh, because there are working prototypes and don't require a global infrastructure (or at least North American) change. Like I said, in year or two, you will see "volt like" vehicles. Much sooner than the concept presented above...especially if gas climbs back up. I'm sure it's on hold in part because gas is $2 cheaper than last year and for technical reasons of course.
Where the economy is now, I don't see a complete overhaul of our road infrastructure anytime soon. It may start in a decade or so in a small test region, but for the average American to be driving a car that runs off magnetic fields emitted from our roadways...I'm sorry but that isn't happening anytime soon. My bet is on advancements to batteries to make them smaller and more cost effective. My guess in 5-7 years you'll have cars running completely on batteries with no need for gas that will go very long distances. I'm sure you'll start seeing rapid charging stations at gas stations. That's my bet anyway.
GJ said about 22 hours later
Like I said: there are no working prototypes of the Volt. There is a test mule with a battery pack and electric motors--something GM did with the EV1, so they get no points for new development with this mule. Where is the prototype with the generator and fuel tank? That's the one that will be most similar to the proposed final product. It's yet to be shown to the public--for a car that has seen its delivery date pushed back several times now.
You think the Volt is on hold due to gas prices? Seriously? Try this one on size--they're still trying to acquire a Li battery pack that can last 10 years / 150,000 miles without appreciable degradation in charge retention during that span, and oh yes, also work reasonably well in the cold North American climate year-round.
Add the fact that the generator hasn't shown up in the test mules, and you have to think they're having other troubles with that setup that just isn't public knowledge yet. I don't see any reason why this hasn't shown up yet, but maybe Steve can come up with a good reason why they wouldn't have done this yet.
You can bet on batteries all you want, but a road mounted mag system is far more efficient than any battery system. Why do you think we have wiring strung to practically every house in the US, rather than use a battery system? Think efficiency might have something to do with it?
The technology to get cars running on this mag line is proven. All they have to solve is deployment--which amounts to coming up with a cost effective installation that doesn't require a huge capital investment, and also figure out who's going to own that system and collect fees. Unlike power lines, most roads in the US are owned by a government agency, so they might have to lease out space to run power lines in the roads like they do with national parks and above ground power lines today.
Best of all, these roads can accept both electric and gas vehicles, but there will need to be a significant percentage of electric vehicles to justify the ongoing maintenance. Additionally, these kind of electric cars would be cheap--no expensive battery to buy and maintain--and much less weight, too.
Tell me again how the battery in the car is the optimal solution, please. :)
Geoff said 1 day later
I didn't say optimal...practical :)
We already have the technology to do it...I'd like to see this magnetic idea in motion with full scale (not 1/28th) and then maybe we can consider it. At this point, they have some catching up to do before you can even consider it viable in the next decade or two.
First video is one year old. Nice pretty package. They never popped the hood, nor did they ever get out of electric mode. Want to know why? It has no gas tank and no generator. That's not a Volt, funny guy, even if it's dressed up like one.
Your second item is a "news" article that has no real data on the release date or manufacturing status of the Volt. So how is that relevant to the discussion?
Practical? So, was it practical to wire the USA for electric power? If battery technology is so good, why aren't we replacing those high maintenance (and outage susceptible) lines with batteries?
What exactly is there to scale up that might not work? Electromagnetism isn't a new concept, and I've seen this demonstrated on full scale vehicles on a closed circuit. This isn't so much a proof of concept at this point, it's more about making it work more optimally in an everyday environment.
Meanwhile, the huddled masses still wait for your proof the the Volt is more practical, and also closer to reality. :)
Oh, wait, you added a third item from that wonderful repository of gm-volt.com. :) What does it say? Oh yes, that they are building more prototypes. Of what, we're not sure--more battery-only mules? Or will these have a generator now, too? That'd be cool--but why aren't they saying so? :)
GJ said 1 day later
"We already have the technology to do it...I'd like to see this magnetic idea in motion with full scale (not 1/28th) and then maybe we can consider it. At this point, they have some catching up to do before you can even consider it viable in the next decade or two."
I like your pun--magnetic idea in motion. :) The rest of this sentence isn't grounded in reality. The relationship between electricity and magnetism is well known, and it is core to our current power generation infrastructure. Have an AC/DC adapter? That's doing the same kind of power transfer over magnetism. So, this isn't a shot in the dark--more like, a new way of implementing this concept.
As for slapping this into all roads, you don't need to go with that approach. Try this one:
Slap a battery in the car--take the Volt, for example, in its current form, sans generator. Now, add in the charging hardware in the car, and energize just the interstates. For folks that use the interstates pretty regularly, presto, that's all the charging they need. Now, for someone like Darcy, that's not going to work, so you still have the ability to charge at home as need be.
Eventually, as more and more e-cars show up, more and more of the roadway can be electrified. It's entirely possible that this entire conversion could be COMPLETE inside 20 years.
Steve said 1 day later
While I do believe that GM has Volts running around, I honestly have not seen any prototypes on the roads yet, and I typically do see prototypes of all locally designed vehicles on the road at some point. That said, I'm sure GM doesn't want the cars driven on public roads much yet.
Chrysler has several plug in hybrid mules up and running. You may not have heard of Chrysler's ENVI project. Well, it's real. I've seen them in real life, in fact they've had several of them at the proving grounds undergoing testing. We're currently working on getting two of them into production. One has been publically announced - it's a plug in hybrid minivan, being developed first for use by the US postal service - a use that is perfect for plug in hybrids.
Yes, battery technology is an issue. But GJ, you sound just like me when the Toyota Prius came out. Everybody was so worried about battery life in the Prius and the cost of replacements. The public was so worried, that Toyota stepped up and offered a 5 year gauranty on battery packs. Well, guess what? They've had very little warranty on the battery packs, and are actually getting much more life out of them than even Toyota expected. No, they are not lithium ion, but none the less - they perform much better than the skeptics thought they would.
The magnetic system would be awesome, especially if it allowed the amount of batteries required in the vehicle to be decreased. The US government would be smart to get moving on this, it would be a great way to help reinvigorate the economy (jobs) while improving environmental concerns.
The difference between the Prius and Volt batteries is significant. Li batteries are far more dense and way better suited to high power applications, but they come at a cost--you need to treat them well for them to work, and treat them bad enough and they blow up. The fact that you haven't seen any prototypes says more to me that the car isn't ready rather than simple secrecy. GM's dumb pr game has thrown any security value out the window, imho.
The concern about old gas in the Volt is also significant. I really don't know how they're going to beat that one--gas breaks down over time, and if gas is sitting in a volt over the course of months without being replenished, I'm not sure what they can do besides recommending customers put gas preservative in the tank. That could be a gigantic warranty issue for GM, at the least.
Can't check facebook from work--I'll check it out later. Please tell me they did more than show off the creature comforts of the vehicle, or talk to excited future customers! :)
Geoff said 1 day later
Like I said, I want to see magneto in motion with a real vehicle on a real road. At that point, we can talk practicality. At this point, there are already batteries in vehicles running. Whether the Volt is ready or not, I said it will be out in 1-2 years...and from what I've read and see, seems like a decent probability it will be out by then.
As far as practicality...I see manufacturing vehicles with battery technology similar to the volt in the future far more practical. If this Magnetic idea is so practical, why is this the first I've heard of it? It's an idea, a great idea, and perhaps a technology we can put to use "decades" away...2020 would classify as decades since that is 11 years :)
In the short term though, as in 10 years or less, I see batteries being predominant. They seem to work well for powering our little electronics...I'm sure advances will make it easier to use for big electronics.
Oh, and if you want the "Optimal solution", a car that runs on solar power would be optimal...but not practical.
So, pretty sure that your mad driving skills will keep you and yours safe from accidents? I mean, you're a smart driver, you always pay attention, etc.? See if you would have seen this coming, and been able to do more than just yell "Mommy!"
I'm not one of those big believers that I can drive my way to safety. Sure, I've done it before many times, but you know one of the common points in all of my crashes to date (I'd had just a few), other than they were pretty much all self-inflicted? Those would be the instances that I didn't just drive out, and instead did the rigor mortise maneuver. Very effective, as you might expect.
Steve said about 2 hours later
No one is able to avoid every accident. That's why they are accidents. Not sure how Parsla could have avoided having an unseen tornado pick up the semi truck that was alongside her and drop it on her.
That said, a good ATTENTIVE driver can avoid many accidents. You need to be both a good driver and an attentive driver. Something 99% of the people in this country are not, and the other 1% are not ALWAYS attentive drivers. I myself will admit to having been a little too inattentive while driving and talking on the cell phone. Fortunately, I am at least smart enough to not talk on the phone when driving is slightly difficult or worse (heavy traffic, rain, snow).
GJ said about 4 hours later
Yeah, I don't exactly plan for Twister movie effects while I'm driving, but hey, statistically, Parsla probably won't have another run in with a semi-belching tornado in her lifetime. If she does, she might want to give some thought to playing the lottery. :)
But to your point, yes, Americans are getting really bad at this paying attention thing. Too many distractions today--be it yapping on the cell, swapping out your kid's DVD and fast forwarding past the ads, eating (well, that's nothing new), and simply just doing too much thinking while driving. I wish I had a Lincoln for every cell talker I've seen drift, weave, and stop on a dime when they snap to attention and say "oh crap there's my turn" three lanes across from their exit or turn with maybe 20 feet to spare.
Btw, no fatalities in this wreck, but both parties got lucky that the other driver got slowed down so much by the divider.
Abby said about 5 hours later
....don't forget texting. I still don't see how it's so important that people must text and drive, but, then again, they've strengthened the rules and punishments on cell use at school and people are /still/ using their phones in class.
Geoff said about 6 hours later
Now that is some video footage! I think you've all covered anything I may have had to add.
What in the world was that person doing donuts in the middle of the highway for?
GJ said about 18 hours later
They were probably yapping on a phone and "Holy crap, there's a turn" and over-corrected, big-time. At least, that's what I'd guess based on my untrained eye--you can definitely see the whip/snap in the oncoming vehicle just as it arrives in the opposite lane.
Well, I'm sure I've mentioned to many of you that the Challenger is just too big for me to enjoy. It was fun to drive for a bit, but just not my kind of car. I like little cars. Chrysler is working on bringing the Fiat 500 over, and once we fix the ride quality (it's horrible) and sell it here, I'll probably pick one of those up. Until then, I decided to pick something else up, to eliminate the Challenger car payments. So, here she is:
It's a 2001 Neon R/T, 109K miles. Runs pretty good. I picked it up for $2,600. Has a few little rust spots, needs better tires, an alignment, new struts all around (and rear strut mounts). Both rear wheels are bent a bit. Has a new clutch. Steering wheel airbag cover is torn (but bag wasn't popped or anything). All leather interior, power windows, locks, keyless entry, sunroof (which I don't care for, but for the price, hard to turn down).
Geoff said about 9 hours later
So the Challenger is gone eh? Ah well, glad you enjoyed it for a little while. Good luck with the "new" car!
Steve said about 9 hours later
Challenger is not gone yet, I'll turn it in after we get back from out trip out west, and after I get the new car fixed up. Probably August or September.
Well, I'm sure I've mentioned to many of you that the Challenger is just too big for me to enjoy. It was fun to drive for a bit, but just not my kind of car. I like little cars. Chrysler is working on bringing the Fiat 500 over, and once we fix the ride quality (it's horrible) and sell it here, I'll probably pick one of those up. Until then, I decided to pick something else up, to eliminate the Challenger car payments. So, here she is:
It's a 2001 Neon R/T, 109K miles. Runs pretty good. I picked it up for $2,600. Has a few little rust spots, needs better tires, an alignment, new struts all around (and rear strut mounts). Both rear wheels are bent a bit. Has a new clutch. Steering wheel airbag cover is torn (but bag wasn't popped or anything). All leather interior, power windows, locks, keyless entry, sunroof (which I don't care for, but for the price, hard to turn down).
Geoff said about 9 hours later
So the Challenger is gone eh? Ah well, glad you enjoyed it for a little while. Good luck with the "new" car!
Steve said about 9 hours later
Challenger is not gone yet, I'll turn it in after we get back from out trip out west, and after I get the new car fixed up. Probably August or September.
Has anyone tried cleaning their MAF sensors? Some say just replace it, some say cleaning works well. Just wondering if any of you have tried it and how it worked.
The check engine light is on, on the van, and the shop told me it was the MAF sensor. My air filter was pretty dirty (shame on me) so it probably gummed up the MAF sensor. I really don't want to spend $150 on a new one. I'll probably try cleaning it first anyway.
Oh, and switch to K&N filters. I use them on my van, too. Haven't had a problem with my MAF sensors on either car (somehow I failed to break it putting in the CAI on the Pontiac. Of course, you have to clean and oil them yearly, but they never fail and allow crap to clog the MAF.
See this article for instructions on cleaning one.
Eric said about 5 hours later
Already have the K&N on the van - I just forgot to clean it. Thus the MAF sensor went bad. Again, shame on me. Hopefully the CRC MAF Sensor Cleaner will do the trick. And I WILL clean the filter.
GJ said about 16 hours later
Spring ritual for me. :) Oh crap, it's not spring anymore!!!
Geoff said 1 day later
you call this summer?
Eric said 4 days later
Well, I cleaned the MAF and the filter. No change on the "Service Engine Soon" light. Hopefully after a few more drive cycles, it will trun off.
Geoff said 4 days later
Wonder if unplugging the battery for 30 minutes or so might help?
GJ said 4 days later
Not likely. If the condition still persists, the light stays on. If the condition is an averaged read, it'll take a bit to go off. Pulling the battery probably will reset the code, but not fix the problem if it still exists.
It's possible it's one of those errors that doesn't clear without an OBD-II manual flush, I don't know the system well enough to say for sure. In that case, Geoff's approach would work.
