If you didn’t get the memo, this website gets a lot of grief for its negative outlook on American cars. We cannot change the harsh reality of the situation, but we will lead a (bankrupt) horse to water. And make it take that all important first sip. That’s the plan: TTAC is campaigning for a Real American Car.
TTAC commentator Derek writes:
My wife and I purchased a low mileage (50k, now at 70k) 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan two years ago when our fourth came along. We understand that the Siennyssey twins boast better build quality, but we didn’t have to finance the Dodge. Plus, we figured that Dodge had been building the Caravan long enough that they had worked out most of the larger Q/A issues. So far that appears to be true. However, there is one issue we’ve witnessed that I don’t understand. Every now and then (once a month or so) all power will momentarily cut off while the engine is running.
TTAC commentator Juniperbug writes:
I live in Montreal. Currently I have an old, unreliable sport bike as a recreational summer vehicle, doing most of my commuting via a mediocre public transit system. I’m considering buying a newish car for work and play. I’m 25, single, full-time employed at a moderately-paying job, and going to be studying part-time to boot. I love heel-toeing just about anything I get my mitts on, and am looking for driving pleasure and not outright speed. Spaciousness is not a priority for my current lifestyle (but is appreciated), but reliability and cost-efficiency are. A 2006-ish Miata seemed to be a great candidate, but while searching the classifieds I noticed that there’s a whole slew of RX-8’s available with around 20k miles for similar money as the Miata.
TTAC snark-master Frank Williams writes,
My A4s both have a really bad problem with brake dust on the front wheels. Sometimes the wheels look almost like they’re black chrome instead of alloy. I’ve seen advertisements for dust shields that fit between the brake and the wheel that are supposed to keep the wheels clean (Kleen Wheels is one brand). I’ve always been wary of these, as I feared they might impede brake cooling and could result in damage to the rotors or even brake failure. Have you or any of the readers had any experience with these? Do they really work, and are my fears of brake damage unfounded? And most importantly, do they look dorky – the automotive equivalent of a pocket protector?
My brother (TTAC’s doctorv8) always dreamed of owning an array of cars, ever since Hot Wheels. After nine years of post-graduate labor and years of cancer killing, 1:64 scale dreams became full-size reality. He’s secured a Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series. But not without a fight.
TTAC commentator minion444 writes,
At the end of May, I bought my wife a new ’08 Mazda Miata. She was feeling left out, because I have my motorcycle and it was our 25th Wedding Anniversary. We took delivery on Sat. On Sunday, it was very overcast and saw that the nose (bumper) cover was touched up in the center. About a 1 foot square. The dealer called us on Monday morning bright and early to thank us and ask us how the we liked the car.
I told him we noticed the car was damaged and re-painted. He said he had no knowledge of it and that he would check it out and told us to bring it in. The car was originally delivered in PA and I bought it from a NJ dealer. When we brought it in, he admitted that the car was touched up and told us he would repair it as new. He is in the process of painting the bumper for the second time now. The 1st time, the color was too dark.
Do, I have any legal remedy here? I bought a new car and expected a new car? Was he legally bound to disclose the original damage?
TTAC commentator Patrickj writes:
I have a 2006 Ford Freestyle with about 75,000 miles. I like it well enough, including the CVT, and it has been very reliable, but I can’t say I love it. Biggest current issue with the car is wear on the interior, especially carpets. The high depreciation is a sunk cost, and I’m not going to decide anything on that basis. Problem is, there’s nothing else I’m particularly eager to drive that has the cargo room, comfort for a big driver (6 feet, 230 pounds), and any better gas mileage for my long commute.
Several Piston Slap posters basically said that the CVT was something to run away from, and that I’ve already pushed it well beyond its expected lifetime. I had the fluid changed by the dealer at 55K miles.
Am I committing the car ownership equivalent of driving on the wrong side of the interstate? Is the expense of CVT repair that high and that imminent? At 3 years old, shouldn’t I be able to get a transmission from a low mileage wreck if it does fail?
TTAC commentator Detroit-Iron writes:
I am in the process of buying a new car (despite Steven Lang’s admonitions). I would like to get a 2009 after the 2010’s come out, maybe a Legacy or Ralliart. My problem is that there is zero information on the specific month that a given manufacturer is going to release the 10s. I can understand the manufacturers and dealers wanting to keep that info under wraps considering the inventory but I would think that a journalist or consumer advocate would have it, but I can’t find anything.
TTAC commentator Aren Cambre writes:
I have a question about my 2002 Nissan Maxima. A while back, I had the battery disconnected for a few hours. After reconnecting, the car forgot how to maintain idle right after starting: if I don’t nudge the gas pedal for several seconds after starting, RPMs fall to 0. Internet research is conflicting. Some say it will heal on its own, others say dealer-only repair.
It’s been a few months now. How do I fix this? Is it really dealer only? If I don’t fix, will I hurt the car? (I don’t mind nudging the gas pedal–kind of like when I set the carburetor choke on my ’74 Nova.)
Thaddeus writes:
I’m looking to build more in depth automotive knowledge, and I think that (re) building a motor in my Manhattan apartment is a great first step. (Wife be damned.) With the hot summer coming around, and no vacation days left, this would also be a great summer hobby to keep me inside and cool.
I’m currently thinking about finding an old Ford flathead, as know how, and books on these is readily available–do you have a better suggestion? I’m looking for a block that’s well documented, has parts, or spares to be had, and won’t require a CompSci degree to fix or tune . . .
The end state of this project is to put it into some sort of hotrod, but that’s another question–for when I have a bigger apartment.
PS: Sub question…should I even attempt to fire this thing up inside if I get it built?
David Holzman writes:
There was a killer traffic jam on the way into the Holland Tunnel from the NJ [turnpike] last weekend. I covered a mile and a half in about 40 minutes. At the start of that jam, my 99 Accord (manual and 159k) began overheating. When the scan gauge said the temp was 231, I put the heater on full blast, and kept it there, which brought the temp down below 216. (In normal driving, the temp stays within a few degrees of 182.)
In Manhattan, I tried putting water in the radiator, but it only took about 2 cups before it was full. Leaving Manhattan, traffic was thick but not stop and go on the West Side, and the temp remained in the 190s-200s (I can’t remember if I had the heater on or not at this point), and once the highway was clear, the temp remained below 190 and mostly around 182 without the heater on all the way back to Boston–as it had been from DC to the Holland. Haven’t had any trouble driving around town since. Car has a 3 month old t’stat. I took it in, and they couldn’t get it to overheat. Any ideas?
Frequent Piston Slap contributor Theodore writes:
I just put my 1992 Ford Thunderbird (V-6, stripper, ex-rental car) on craigslist, but I don’t know if I can really bring myself to part with it.
The automatic transmission is dying for the second time. Leaking badly, hesitates before going into gear, tries to downshift from fourth to third at 50-55mph, makes a weird sound that I can’t even describe except to say that it sounds like something is spinning way faster than it should. Its latest trick is a neat one: sometimes the whole front end will shudder while turning at low speed.
Is there any hope for the patient? Can the automatic be salvaged, or is a manual transplant possible? Practical? Sane?
Adam writes:
Hi Sajeev, I own a 2002 Honda Civic Si Coupe 5spd. It has almost 140,000KM on it and I am trying to keep it in good health out of warranty. Recently I decided to go through all my service receipts to see what has been done so far to the car. I noticed (shockingly) that the manual transmission fluid has not yet been changed. There is a side note in the service guide to do this every 96,000KM or 36 months. But this service isn’t part of their regular A,B,C,D and E type service packages. Nobody in the service department EVER reminded me about this while owning the car. Furthermore, when I called my Honda dealer to ask about its importance, the service advisor put me on hold for several minutes to get second opinions.
Joe from Boston writes:
Here’s what happened to my 2003 Murano with 145k on the clock: the “service engine” light came on. So I took the car to dealer. They said the oil was low, and they put car on computer and said it needs a new engine, for a mere $7,000. I thought they were joking: they claim the computer says the engine is failing internally and there is nothing they can do about it. I had the oil changed and by my calculations, the car is consuming about a quart of oil every 1,400 miles.
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