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Potentially stupid question: I currently own a 2007 Toyota Avalon XL with about 82,000 miles. The vehicle is great mechanically and I'm good about keeping up with standard maintenance. I can probably drive this car for the next ten years and not have to worry too much about anything. My problem is that I live in Colorado and don't feel confident taking it out to certain areas where I want to camping, biking, hiking, snowboarding, etc. Winter driving in the FWD Toyota is doable, but driving off the beaten path isn't its strong suit. I would prefer a smaller SUV with an AWD/4x4 drivetrain. Now, I've always been a fan of Subaru Foresters and one has come up for sale that has caught my eye. It is a fully loaded 2004 Subaru Forester XT with about 150,000 miles on it. The good news is that the trade in value of my current car would make it almost a straight-up vehicle swap. The bad news is me wondering if I'm an idiot for wanting to trade in an objectively nicer, newer, lower mileage, better gas mileage car for an older, higher mileage, lower gas mileage, but more functional and cheaper to insure vehicle. Do the pros outweigh the cons here or am I just being impulsive and financially irresponsible for trading down?
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Mar 6, 2015 05:49
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General_Failure posted:1987 Lada Niva. You did the right thing, two decent electrics are going to be pushing a lot more air than a lovely 4 blade thing synchronised to engine revs on a russian tractor.
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Mar 6, 2015 06:24
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Perfzilla posted:Potentially stupid question: I'd vote for "impulsive". You're right in that the Avalon isn't exactly good at off roading (though it has decent ground clearance for a sedan), and also right in that you can drive it for 10+ more years without much beyond regular maintenance. Mom has an 03 Avalon XLS, and the only real work it's needed has been the EVAP system (a notable weak spot on the 2nd gen Avalon), some dry rotted vacuum lines, an exterior door handle, and taking apart the LF door when the window regulator over-extended. Beyond that, it has an appetite for batteries every few years. The Subaru would be a great second vehicle, but you can count on it needing a timing belt immediately unless the seller can provide proof that it's been done recently, and probably count on it needing head gaskets at some point (on top of it not driving like a couch on wheels). You also need to make sure all 4 tires are matching, unless you want some expensive repairs at some point. And if you actually want to go off the beaten path, a Jeep of some sort with the nearly unkillable 4.0 would be a better choice, IMO (and likely a lot cheaper). The Forester is a great vehicle, but it's a big downgrade from the Avalon, IMO. Also, if you're dead set on the Forester, find a Carmax nearby and see what they'll give you for your car; they tend to give a pretty fair offer, even if you don't buy from them. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 07:35 on Mar 6, 2015 |
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Mar 6, 2015 07:32
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The XT won't suffer the head gasket issue. The XT has a more sporty suspension than the base models, but at this age the struts are probably not top notch anyway. I think you should post in the Subaru thread about XT info. It runs an STi motor with a smaller turbo. They're potentially pretty beasty machines but I don't recall if they have any pitfalls. Kia Soul Enthusias fucked around with this message at 11:55 on Mar 6, 2015 |
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Mar 6, 2015 11:53
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Slavvy posted:You done hosed up. You mean like the fuse he attached the jump box to that he doesn't know is a fuse?
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Mar 6, 2015 13:35
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some texas redneck posted:I'd vote for "impulsive". CharlesM posted:The XT won't suffer the head gasket issue. The XT has a more sporty suspension than the base models, but at this age the struts are probably not top notch anyway. Thank you both for the responses. I'm going to test drive it this afternoon and I'll ask about service records, check the tires, etc. If it looks like a good deal I'll ask some questions in the Subaru thread.
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Mar 6, 2015 18:13
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ZentraediElite posted:Icy car update: AAA guy came and helped push while I floored it in reverse and we ultimately got it outta the ruts I'd made. Sorry to hear you had to call AAA. Did that make you use up one of your annual calls?
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Mar 6, 2015 18:19
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Motronic posted:You mean like the fuse he attached the jump box to that he doesn't know is a fuse? Upon closer inspection of the picture, yes.
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Mar 6, 2015 19:52
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Slavvy posted:You did the right thing, two decent electrics are going to be pushing a lot more air than a lovely 4 blade thing synchronised to engine revs on a russian tractor. Awesome. you put my mind a little more at ease with that. So long as I didn't make a series of bad choices. heh. I've noticed when I'm driving along in 2nd gear on a dirt road the temperature climbs a bit. Can't remember if I said but it's pretty common for Aussie 1600 Niva owners to fit a manually switched electric to augment the mechanical for offroad duties. I believe the 1700 has dual electrics from the factory but I don't know much about the 1700 besides they have a different cooling system and fuel injection.
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Mar 6, 2015 23:10
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Followup on the key thing: Model year 2001 cars are too old for Ford to lookup the key info by VIN. Just gonna get a copy of a copy made at home depot or similar.
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Mar 6, 2015 23:53
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Overdue update on my wife's BMW woes: I was hoping to get the codes from it, but the shop cleared them and she drove it home in normal mode. I hooked up my code reader anyway and got nothing, of course. I noticed a slight hesitation around third gear but that could just be placebo effect. She traded it in last night for an 08 Sebring hard top convertible. Bmw drove fine all the way to the dealership, no codes even on the highway. This Sebring has a lot less miles, way cleaner interior, tons of upgraded features, and the best of all, a 4 year /48k mile full warranty. She's happy, I'm happy. Thanks for the help though guys!
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Mar 6, 2015 23:57
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General_Failure posted:Awesome. you put my mind a little more at ease with that. So long as I didn't make a series of bad choices. heh. Have you got points ignition? Your gap/dwell might be set incorrectly.
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Mar 7, 2015 00:36
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Whats the best way to get cigarette stank out of a car? Car was smoked in 10 years and I want it to smell fresh as new. I've read good things about Biokleen.
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Mar 7, 2015 04:37
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Buy a new car. Seriously, there is residue on every surface of every component in that cabin. In the fabrics, behind the dash, on every wire, cable, and screw head.
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Mar 7, 2015 04:40
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Ozone generator too maybe? Although I've heard that has the chance of discoloring fabrics/plastics. Might be worth looking into as well.
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Mar 7, 2015 04:50
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A gallon jerry can of gas and a road flare on the passenger seat should do nicely.
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Mar 7, 2015 05:33
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Godholio posted:Buy a new car. He isn't exagerrating, taking the dash apart on a smoker's car is like diving into an ashtray.
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Mar 7, 2015 06:16
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Going to +1 the "cigarette stank never leaves a car". Hope you can flip it on CL 
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Mar 7, 2015 18:47
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You pretty much have to dismantle the entire interior, clean everything, put it all back together and ride with the windows down for six months. Other smokers give me crazy looks when I say they can't smoke in my car. But that smell of stale smoke its noxious and impossible to get rid of. Little bits of ash always end up everywhere. Always found it odd that I've never er gotten another smoker to acknowledge that smoke smells awful and stale smoke ranks up there with vomit in terms of awful smells.
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Mar 7, 2015 21:35
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So I'm having a bit of an issue with my old Prelude. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRejqixiln4 When cold, the engine will fire up and run fine, until the key is released. When you let the key go, the motor dies. This usually happens 3 - 10 times each morning. It's not as bad in the video because I had the car running a couple hours before the vid was taken. Once it's running, it's fine and has no issues. I think I've ruled out idle components (IAC, etc) because holding the gas pedal down a little bit has no effect on whether or not it stays running. Once running, it runs great - not down on power or anything. Plugs, wires, cap, rotor are all a few years old, but don't have all that many miles on them. I've been DDing this car for the past few months - this just started happening this week. Car specs: 1989 Honda Prelude 2.0Si, 2.0L DOHC B20A5, automatic, about 133k miles. Anyone have any ideas?
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Mar 7, 2015 23:08
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Black88GTA posted:So I'm having a bit of an issue with my old Prelude. Probably the ignition switch. Do those still have a coil resistor? Could be that too, but I'd expect that to fail all at once, instead of intermittently.
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Mar 8, 2015 00:12
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Raluek posted:Probably the ignition switch. Do those still have a coil resistor? Could be that too, but I'd expect that to fail all at once, instead of intermittently. Thanks, yeah ignition switch is a pretty strong possibility, as I can't think of too many other things that would cause something like this. Weird that it only seems to act up when cold though. Went ahead and ordered a replacement, along with a new front exhaust pipe to replace the one that developed a big leak on Wednesday, plus a pair of O2 sensors because a 4 cylinder NA Honda isn't supposed to get 16 mpg. This cold and snow poo poo needs to go away so I can work on my loving cars.
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Mar 8, 2015 02:45
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New driver - car is a 2001 Buick Century When I drive out of my parking lot - which has a fairly steep ramp, I notice the bottom scrapes against the concrete. I assume this is problematic but wish to know to what degree and if any tips on alleviating the problem are available.
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Mar 8, 2015 03:29
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Raluek posted:Probably the ignition switch. Do those still have a coil resistor? Could be that too, but I'd expect that to fail all at once, instead of intermittently. They don't. Black88GTA posted:Thanks, yeah ignition switch is a pretty strong possibility, as I can't think of too many other things that would cause something like this. Weird that it only seems to act up when cold though. Went ahead and ordered a replacement, along with a new front exhaust pipe to replace the one that developed a big leak on Wednesday, plus a pair of O2 sensors because a 4 cylinder NA Honda isn't supposed to get 16 mpg. This cold and snow poo poo needs to go away so I can work on my loving cars. I'd bet your ignition switch or one of the main relays. If it's a relay on the brink, it'll play up more when it's cold. Thunder Moose posted:New driver - car is a 2001 Buick Century Exit slower. GIS indicates the buick century is by no means a particularly low-slung car so either you have the steepest ramp ever seen or you're just going too fast and the nose of the car is bouncing off the ground before the suspension can decompress from the sudden change in slope. If that still doesn't work, try exiting the ramp at an angle instead of head-on as this effectively gives you less overhang. It's problematic because things underneath your car aren't intended to smash into immovable objects on a daily basis.
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Mar 8, 2015 03:34
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Thunder Moose posted:New driver - car is a 2001 Buick Century Is the scraping happening between going up a ramp onto a level surface, or down onto it? The former means the middle of the car is scraping, the latter means it's your bumper(s). Neither is super serious on a FWD car, but while the bumpers scraping is a purely cosmetic thing, the middle scraping can dent your exhaust or fold the pinch welds flat so the car's harder to jack up. Either way, not much you can do about it short of buying a vehicle with more ground clearance. Maybe try taking the crossing at an angle if at all possible instead of going straight up/down.
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Mar 8, 2015 03:37
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Thanks for the replies Slavvy and Fucknag. In regards to whether it's the beginning or the middle of the decent - it tends to be towards the beginning so that puts my mind at ease.
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Mar 8, 2015 04:36
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1500quidporsche posted:You pretty much have to dismantle the entire interior, clean everything, put it all back together and ride with the windows down for six months. I know a lot of people who smoke (most people I know are smokers) - the car I have now is the first car I've told people "nope, don't even think about lighting a cigarette". Pretty much all but one has been understanding. And yeah, the smell from even just one cigarette takes weeks to get rid of. Black88GTA posted:So I'm having a bit of an issue with my old Prelude. Classic Honda ignition switch issue. Fortunately, yours is automatic, so you can still get around by starting it in neutral, shifting into drive while still holding the key in start, and just drive it while holding the key in start. Not the greatest thing for the car, but it'll get you to a shop (your generation prelude lacked a clutch safety switch, so if it was manual, you'd be screwed). I've personally owned 2 cars that have done the exact same thing, and helped 3 friends with the same issue. Except all of them were manual (and thankfully new enough to have a clutch safety switch), so shifting took a lot of coordination. And yes, the issue generally first shows up during a cold snap. Thunder Moose posted:When I drive out of my parking lot - which has a fairly steep ramp, I notice the bottom scrapes against the concrete. I assume this is problematic but wish to know to what degree and if any tips on alleviating the problem are available. If possible, exit at a 45 degree angle. That will line things up so that if anything scrapes, it'll only be one corner of your bumper.
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Mar 8, 2015 07:45
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 str, that's a terrible bit of advice. Blow up the starter, while driving with one hand holding the key.Get a ride to a shop for a replacement, or get it towed. The tow might cost less than munching a starter and the gear ring it turns. You can't replace that on lots of vehicles, gotta do the whole flywheel/flex plate.
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Mar 8, 2015 09:14
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EightBit posted:
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Mar 8, 2015 18:56
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EightBit posted:
Krakkles posted:Shifting into drive with a NSS would disable the starter, though.  Never do it on something that doesn't disable the starter once you're in gear or foot off the clutch, but anything made in the past 25+ years should have a clutch safety switch. And a safety interlock has been mandatory on cars sold in the US with automatic transmissions since at least the early 80s. I know for a fact that his car does disable the starter once it's in drive, though I can't remember if it's a physical interlock that keeps you from turning the key to start or if it just disables the starter circuit (it's the exact same interlock my Integra had, may even have the same part number for the switch, but I got rid of that car 10 years ago).
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Mar 9, 2015 05:07
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Oh, I haven't delved into anything automatic and made more recently than my birth. I do remember my mechanically challenged aunt causing that exact failure when I was younger. Edit: I do have a somewhat stupid question, though. How do you go about disposing of a bucket that has a layer of oil on top of coolant? They came out of a ruined engine, coolant first, followed by oil. Do I need to attempt to get the oil off of the top, or what? EightBit fucked around with this message at 07:27 on Mar 9, 2015 |
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Mar 9, 2015 07:19
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Last week I put down a deposit on a new car with the intention of driving to pick it up (3.5 hour drive) on Saturday. Late Friday, I get a call from the salesman telling me the car was backed into by a customer in the dealer lot.   It's being repaired at the dealer group's body shop, and they say it will be ready for delivery late Wednesday. How much would you expect them to take off the price following damage/repair like this? Or would I be dumb to even buy it? I suppose I could ask for them to have a new vehicle delivered, as much as I'd hate to have to wait even longer.
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Mar 9, 2015 15:32
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I have a few FM Modulator Question: I installed this iSimple IS31 FM modulator in my car about a month ago and, in general, it's worked ok. It came with a switch you can use to turn the modulator on/off (presumably so that you can listen to the station you're overriding if you want). I've noticed that when the modulator is turned on, it adds some static to every station (or rather, seems to hurt the reception of those other stations). If I flip the switch to turn it off, all the other stations sound normal (like they did before installing the modulator). Is this normal? Is this just an inherent property of FM modulators that it will mess up the radio signal slightly if it goes through the modulator when it's "on?" I also can't get the volume too loud without getting static/etc... If I crank up the volume on my phone, the sound starts to crackle. If I crank the volume on the stereo, you can hear noticeable flickering static, especially in between songs or quiet points in songs. I know this is to be expected somewhat, but I'm wondering what the threshold should be. From most of the reviews I've read, people say that you only hear a little bit of static when the volume is super loud. Finally, I'm a little confused about the install. The device is pretty simple. It has power/ground/antenna in/antenna out wires (along with 2 wires attached to a toggle switch). The antenna wires are self explanatory and the power wire is connected to the 12v on the stereo harness. When I originally installed this, I attached the ground wire to the ground on the stereo harness. After dealing with the static for a couple weeks, I tore it apart attempting to find a better ground source. What I found, though, is that the ground wire doesn't seem to need to be connected at all. I tried attaching it to a few different grounds and didn't see any difference in sound quality. When the ground wire accidentally came loose and detached itself, I noticed that the modulator still worked as usual and there was no drop in sound quality. How could this be happening? Is is somehow grounding through the antenna connection? Could this be the reason why I'm hearing static/reduced reception on every station (even though I'm pretty sure it was doing the same thing back when the ground was connected to the ground on the stereo harness)? I might tear it apart this afternoon and run long wires directly to the battery just to definitively rule out whether or not my 12v/ground sources are dirty, but I'd appreciate any input.
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Mar 9, 2015 17:13
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Mr Executive posted:FM Modulator Questions Are you powering the modulator off the same circuit as the head unit? If not the static being introduced on other FM stations could be the result of a ground loop. Same goes for static in the background of music being played over the modulator - do you only hear it when the phone is charging or all the time?
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Mar 9, 2015 17:22
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Geoj posted:Are you powering the modulator off the same circuit as the head unit? If not the static being introduced on other FM stations could be the result of a ground loop. Yes, the modulator is powered off the head unit's harness. And I always hear the static, regardless of whether the phone is charging or not.
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Mar 9, 2015 17:42
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Is the static an actual radio static, or is it more of a vvvvVVVVVVVV that gets louder as you accelerate harder? If the former, you might have a loose connection somewhere along the antenna line - it might not be plugged in all the way, the connector might be corroded, or there might be a bad solder inside of the modulator. If it's the latter, it's a ground loop problem (though usually it only happens when the phone is also charging, as noted) - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HJ1QGM/ has worked great for me, but I'm sure there are tons of brands/chips that work equally well
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Mar 9, 2015 17:59
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Mr Executive posted:Yes, the modulator is powered off the head unit's harness. And I always hear the static, regardless of whether the phone is charging or not. How did you ground the modulator? ninja edit: seconding the suggesting for a ground loop isolator, but it likely won't do anything for the static on other FM stations. You either have a poor connection, poor ground or a faulty unit.
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Mar 9, 2015 18:08
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Sorry if it wasn't clear in my original post, but the modulator ground wire is not connected at all. Its just dangling there. This means it must be grounding through the antenna, right? I'm going to mess around and try connecting both the power and ground directly to the battery to see if that resolves the issues and I'll know if the problems are just caused by the power/ground sources I'm using (or not using). Also, the static seems pretty constant and doesn't change with speed/etc... I drive a hybrid with a CVT, so I can't rev my engine.
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Mar 9, 2015 18:55
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identity49 posted:Last week I put down a deposit on a new car with the intention of driving to pick it up (3.5 hour drive) on Saturday. Late Friday, I get a call from the salesman telling me the car was backed into by a customer in the dealer lot. I would ask for a new car, but you could probably talk them down on price instead if that floats your boat more. It won't matter whatsoever to the functioning of the car, but being a dealer ensures that the new paint on the bumper and the panel work involved in general just won't be very good compared to the factory stuff.
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Mar 9, 2015 18:56
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Mr Executive posted:Sorry if it wasn't clear in my original post, but the modulator ground wire is not connected at all. There's your problem. No need to run a wire back from the battery, just find a screw that is attached to something metal, back it out a few turns and wrap some bare wire from the ground around the screw and tighten it back down.
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Mar 9, 2015 19:03
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