Automotive woes

[Sipowicz]

I am firmly behind the stance that buying a car is the worst investment in the world. If you're going to buy a car, just take your money, put it in a mayonaisse jar and bury it in the back yard. It will be worth a lot more than your car in a couple years.

I've had a nasty vibration/shudder for a while. I have a 1994 Mercury Grand Marquis (twin to the Crown Victoria). Cost me $100 just for the diagnosis. Turns out it is only running on 7 cyliders at most, maybe less . . . . . . >:(

Anyways, it needs a complete tune up, plus a tranny service (tranny was checked due to the vibration possibly being there). Timing recalibrated, plugs, wires, the whole nine yards. Bummer. :'(

I guess there is a bright side. The cost of repair for this (assuming they correctly diagnosed it ::) ) is substantially less than what the cost of a transmission or torque converter would be. The tranny repair would be close to thre (3) times the cost of what this is going to run. :o

I guess that's a plus, but it is still a painful plus . . . . . . . :-\

Once I find the tree where money grows, it won't be so bad . . . . . ::)

[Missy]

Sip, I'd have to say that on a 10 year old vehicle, you're lucky that it's only routine maintenance that has to be done! I'd have to pull out the receipts and add it up, but I bet I spend at least $500 annually on routine maintenance for my car. (And no, I'm not including car washes in that figure! ;D )

Oh, and by the way...cars are NOT an investment. They are more a material necessity for most people. It's kind of like saying shoes are investment. Sure, you need to spend decent money to get some that will serve you well, but you don't expect them to appreciate, do you??

[Sipowicz]

True on the shoe comparison . . . . . .

The car is only 8 years and a half years old, and only 62,000 miles on it. I bought it with 30K on it. I guess I am lucky it isn't anything major, but at the same time, something with such low mileage shouldn't be having catestrophic (sp?) failure yet.

Although, the previous owner was an elderly couple. The car sat more than it was driven. Not necessarily a good thing . . . . . . . . . :-\

The best car I ever owned was a 1982 Toyota Corolla. I drove it across country with a bad rear axle bearing, or so I was told. All I know is it made a nasty sound all the way and the guy told me it could have been a real mess if it had locked up.

I sold it with over 150k miles on it and I bet it is still running.

Now I lease. Don't get a Frontier, they suck. I have had front end issues since I drove it off the lot.

Leasing is way easier than buying, especially if you can't afford the down payment.

[Sipowicz]

I might have to look into leasing . . . . . . :-\

My rental car for today was a cherry ride. 2003 Infiniti QX4 fully loaded. It is a sport utility, leather interior, Bose stereo system, radio controls on the steering wheel, and all (and I mean all) the bells and whistles! Can't imagine what that costs!

I hate to turn it in, but alas, life goes on. She'll go back tomorrow morning (since the rental company is closed now). :'(

[Missy]

Leasing is only good if you drive at or under the stated mileage on the lease. I drive over 20,000 miles per year and paying for the extra miles, even at the front end of the lease when they are cheaper, really bumps up the cost. Overall, not worth it at all to me.

Plus, if you always lease, you will ALWAYS have a car payment. The monthly lease amounts sure do look pretty, but forever? I don't think so.

Interest rates on new vehicles are just too low right now. (You can do some pretty good bargaining with used car rates right now, too.)

Don't give up the ship, Sip, just because of some routine maintenance! With only 62,000 miles, you should have a long way to go driving that boat! 8)

My wifes 2002 ranger just had the check engine light on. It has 10500 miles. All the regularly scheduled maintence, etc has been done. So much for FORD quality. >:( It goes to the dealer tomorrow.

Next time, I'm stick with Chevy

Leasing is excellent for cops with take home cars, since you keep the miles down. I may put on ~200 miles a month on my diesel b/c of the take home.

[bikemancs]

Sip KEEP THAT DA*N CAR

I was driving a 92 mercury sable, same as teh 92 Ford Taurus Cop version except one smaller on the engine.

we had something like 150K on it. the only thing that was having a problem was the tranny. If I had the money I would have replaced it. the car was one of the best that I have driven, even if it was 13 years old.

My friend is driving a 91 Mercury Sable, exact same as the Police edition. He threw new shocks on the rear and his family is saving to fix the tranny.

These cars will run until they fall apart, pay for the repairs, you probably have at least another 5r years out of it. and by then the repairs will prob have paid for themselves

like I said KEEP THAT DA*N CAR its one of the best on the market, period.

[Sipowicz]

I know, bikemancs, I know.

Goodcop, don't rule out Ford quality. I am not the biggest Ford fan, but every make has its problems.

Those Check Engine lights come on for a thousand different reasons on all makes and models. Often on the Fords, it is just a light regarding the exhaust, usually a sensor getting a bad reading. Usually the bad reading is because the sensor is bad, not because the vehicle is putting out poorer emmissions (sp?).

FORD

Found On Road Dead

Fix Or Repair Daily

I hate em.

[bikemancs]

FORD:
Frigin' Old Rebuilt Dodge
Fix Or Repair Daily
Found On Road Dead
Fast Only Rolling Downhill
First On Race Day
First On Recall Day
Fabricated Of Refried Dung
Fails On Rainy Days
Fantastically Orgasmic Realistic Dream
Fatally Obese Redneck Driver
Fault Of R&D
Finally Obsolete Racing Device
Fireball On Rear Denting
First On Road to Dump
First On Rust and Deterioration
Fix Or Recycle Dilemma
Flipping Over Results in Death
Flipped Over Roadside Disaster
Follow Our Rusty Dogsled
Foot On Road Decelerates
Forced On Reluctant Drivers
Formed Of Rejected DNA
Forwarded Once; Return Denied
Forward Only; Reverse Defective
Forlorn, Old, Ratridden Dustbin
Fork Over Repair Dough
Fouled Out Re-done Dodge
Frequent Overhaul, Rapid Deterioration
Free Or Reduced Drastically
Frequent Opinion: Really Disappointed
Fumes and Odors Readily Detectable
Funny Old Rattling Dump
Forget Out Running Dale (Earnhardt or Jarrett)
Features O.J. and Ron`s DNA
Found Out-Right Dangerous
(backwards) Driver Returns On Foot

GM:
General Maintenance
Great Mistake
Garbage Motors
Generally Miserable
Grossly Misconceived
Gluteus Maximus
Good Money


GMC:
Grief & Misery Combined
Garage Man's Companion
Gotta Mechanic Coming?
Generally Mediocre Cars
Get More Chicks
Gets Mechanics Crazy
Gods Mechanical Curse
Got More Crap
Great Mountain Climber
Great Motor Car
God Made Chevy


CHEVROLET:
Can Hear Every Valve Rap On Long Extended Trips
Cheap, Hardly Efficient, Virtually Runs On Luck Every Time
Cracked Heads, Every Valve Rattles, Oil Leaks Every Time
Constantly Having Every Vehicle Recalled Over Lousy Engineering Techniques
Condition Hopeless, Entire Vehicle Relies On Leftover Engine Technology


DODGE:
Drips Oil, Drops Grease Everywhere
Damn Old Dirty Gas Eater
Dead Old Dog Going East
Dead On Day Guarantee Expires
Dead On Delivery, Go Easy
Dead On Delivery, Guarantee Expired
Dead Or Dying Garbage Emitter
Dear Old Dads Garage Experiment
Daily Overhauls Do Get Expensive

[bikemancs]

God love Google

;D

I took it in and it was an emission sensor. The first on they put in was defective, so they had to take everything apart again and put another in. Took about 5 hours to do a 30min job. If this is going to be a continual problem, I are gonna be upset.

[Sipowicz]

I took it in and it was an emission sensor. The first on they put in was defective, so they had to take everything apart again and put another in. Took about 5 hours to do a 30min job. If this is going to be a continual problem, I are gonna be upset.


Boy, I hate always being right. Maybe I missed my calling as Ford mechanic! :-\

It shouldn't be a problem for a while. I think part of the problem is the piss poor job they do when they first assemble the vehicle. Get it fixed after assembly, and you're not likely to have many, if any, more problems.