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Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

32447 messages,  Last post on May 25, 2013 at 7:56 PM

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Messages Page 2717 of 3245

#27161 of 32447 Re: Help needed from the experts. [stickguy] by 28firefighter

Sep 10, 2012 (5:51 pm)

Replying to: stickguy (Sep 10, 2012 4:52 pm)
Agree with fin - had this with the fiancee's now departed Mazda3. If the battery is more than 3-4 years old, I think it is probably the safest (and cheapest) place to start.

#27162 of 32447 Re: Help needed from the experts. [28firefighter] by stickguy

Sep 10, 2012 (5:57 pm)

Replying to: 28firefighter (Sep 10, 2012 5:51 pm)
well, got a follow up. He managed to drive back to his apartment, with stuff failing as he went (turn signals, radio, and just as he got home, his headlights.)
 
now parked behind his house, in a lousy place to get to (no chance IMO a tow truck could get down there, and of course he did not back in).
 
he won't be able to deal with it until Saturday, and I will bet it won't start. Just hoping that AAA will be able to jump it so he can get down to walmart. I don't know what they will do if not (probably have to go get one and replace it in the parking lot).
 
The battery is at least 4+, and maybe 5+, years old. So I am pretty sure that is going to be the answer.
 
a good learning experience for the kid.

#27163 of 32447 Re: Help needed from the experts. [stickguy] by 28firefighter

Sep 10, 2012 (6:02 pm)

Replying to: stickguy (Sep 10, 2012 5:57 pm)
AAA does offer a battery replacement service, but a friend used it and the battery was expensive for what it was and, IIRC, did not last that long.
 
I learned the lesson myself. Also bought a battery powered jumper pack at AutoZone when it was on sale. Money well spent.

#27164 of 32447 Re: Help needed from the experts. [28firefighter] by stickguy

Sep 10, 2012 (6:05 pm)

Replying to: 28firefighter (Sep 10, 2012 6:02 pm)
well, that is where the battery in the car came from. My sister owned it at the time, and it died on her. When the AAA came to jump it, and told her they could put it in right there and be done with it, she jumped. I saw the receipt when I got the car, and it was about 2x what I would have paid at wally world!

#27165 of 32447 I Guess by akangl

Sep 10, 2012 (6:57 pm)

I managed to piss off the car gods this week, geeze. After the tire fiasco with the truck, the key not working in the yaris, the civic decided to chime in. First it looked like the tires were gone and I told hubby to take the yaris when he went to work this week. Today I walked by the front of it in the garage and noticed a strong coolant smell. Popped the hood, didn't see anything, grabbed a flashlight looked under it, nothing. Looked further and it appears to be either the lower radiator hose is leaking or the radiator. Either way the car is staying home this week. I'll take it to Midas for an oil change and pressure test on Friday.
 
So to recap, we will be buying 2 sets of tires ($1460), 2 alignments ($250), and either radiator hoses or maybe get the radiator covered under the ESC unless the dealer tries to weasel out of it since the car has a busted bumper and grill. The bumper was damaged 4 years ago and the grill a year ago, but I'm sure the Honda dealer will try to find a reason.

#27166 of 32447 story by stickguy

Sep 10, 2012 (7:22 pm)

dealer messed up the paperwork on the new car (AK, did you piss off the car gods all the way over in NJ?). Posted all the details in the sales stories thread. Good stuff too!
 
quite a busy night car wise around here.

#27167 of 32447 Re: story [stickguy] by michaell

Sep 11, 2012 (5:54 am)

Replying to: stickguy (Sep 10, 2012 7:22 pm)
stick - regarding your son's Acura, let me be the one to propose a more frightening scenario ... BCM.
 
I had this problem not once, but twice with my old '03 Saturn L300. Dash warning lights would come and go.
 
First go around was $600 .. when it happened again a year or so later, the dealer gave me a bit of a break and only charged $300 to replace it.
 
Let's hope it's the battery .... for everyone's sake!

#27168 of 32447 Re: mpg [stickguy] by czar4

Sep 11, 2012 (5:55 am)

Replying to: stickguy (Sep 10, 2012 11:39 am)
I have the MDX and was running 87 in it and after a short time, it developed a rattle - brought it in twice, and they could not find anything wrong with it. Third time during an oil chance, I mentioned it to the tech - he asked some questions (e.g., is it at certain rpm's, etc.), and said, are you running premium? Nope. He said he's heard other people complain of same issue. It wasn;t a knock, more like a heat shield rattle. It was leased through work, so I didn't make any adjustments since that's the fuel that was made avaiable to me, but I would have switched to a higher grade. Not sure if that's the real answer, but that's what I was told

#27169 of 32447 thought about it... but, nah! by qbrozen

Sep 11, 2012 (7:02 am)

Pondered for about a half hour or so upgrading the wife's minivan. Some ad popped up here on Edmunds about special deals on the new T&C, so I clicked. It was showing something like $25k for a Touring with DVD and leather, I believe. I didn't have time that day to poke further, so I stopped.
 
Went to Chrysler's site yesterday to see what's what. However, as I suspected, it is still way north of $30k to get one equipped like her 2008 Limited, and I know she's not give up any of those features. Ah well, she's at about 58k miles on hers, so nothing TOO frightening, although I still think a bit high for the amount of time she's had it.

#27170 of 32447 Re: story [michaell] by stickguy

Sep 11, 2012 (9:12 am)

Replying to: michaell (Sep 11, 2012 5:54 am)
hopefully just battery. I really have neither the time nor money to deal with something more significant.
 
and big news, getting another punch on the card today! At least, I think I can count it.
 
since the dealer rolled us away in the wrong car (well, right car, but they paperworked a different unit), I have a dilemma. and because the plates/registratin have already arrived, the only real solution is to go back, and take in the "used" one and get the brand new unit that matches the DMV work.
 
needless to say, the dealer is quite freaked out, since we are tooling around in something that belongs to them (with no dealer plate or "authority"), and they have a car sitting on the lot that is already registered, so they could not sell if they wanted to.
 
so, cleanest solution is, I take back this one, and drive away in a brand new unit complete with some accessories we were going to buy anyway thrown in for our trouble. And they end up with a new (untitled) car back with 400+ miles. Sucks for them.

Messages Page 2717 of 3245

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