TTAC Commentator Seminole95 writes:

Dear TTAC, I enjoy this page every day. Thanks for your great work. I especially enjoy the business news and analysis. I will be shopping for a new car in the next year or so and would like a car with low NVH. Do you know of a publication that tests cars for this extensively? I have been unable to find one on the web.

I am looking for a low NVH car with a stick. I am guessing the Lexus IS 250 might work but I haven’t driven one yet. I like to listen to podcasts and music in isolation from the daily grind of a commute but still want to enjoy the pleasure of controlling the car via a stick shift. I am a long time Honda buyer but don’t think I’ll buy another for this very reason. I drove a 09 Accord V6 stick Coupe the other week. Nice looking car and sweet power train but man was it loud. Thanks a lot.

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Matt writes:

Sajeev,

I have a 2007 Mustang GT that I bought new. I love the car, but hate having a car payment ($372/mo for another 2 years). A local Lincoln dealer has a 1998 Mark VIII for six grand with 72k miles. My father had a then-new ’94 Mark VIII, but it got parked underneath a F-250 before I was old enough to drive it.

I’m also thinking about getting a Grand Marquis, since used low-miles Panthers are plentiful here in Florida. My commute is short and littered with deputies, so something low-key has it’s appeal. I imagine the Mark VIII would be more work, but while Panthers will be plentiful here for years to come, the Mark VIII is a rare breed.

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TTAC Commentator npbheights writes:

Hi Sajeev, I have a 2009 Toyota Corolla XLE with just over 45,000 miles on it. I purchased the car brand new with 52 miles on it and have had every oil change performed at the selling Toyota dealer at the recommended 5,000 mile increments. I know it sounds a little silly, but before you laugh, the dealer gives you free tires and batteries for life if you have all of the “scheduled maintenance” performed there. On a Corolla, the book specifies oil changes at 5K and air filters once in awhile and that’s about it. I am playing this game because it’s not worth getting crushed to death by a car over an oil change (like someone in my area two weeks ago) and I intend on getting my fair share of tires. They have already coughed up two. When it comes to unscheduled maintenance, such as replacing the alternator at 38,000 miles (I was not pleased about that) I wench it myself. Said dealership wanted $720.00, I bought a good used one on ebay for $50.00 and it works fine. New front brake pads: $38.00. This simple car is ‘idiot simple’ to work on and I enjoy it. Anyway – On to my 2 problems.

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DH writes:

A cherry 2008 Saab 9-7 with the 5.3L V8 and a very clean Carfax sheet is now in the capable hands of my lovely bride at a price that would shame even Jack Benny. It will tow what we need it to, it will carry what we ask of it and even looks cool enough that our 11 year old son will allow us to drop him off in front of his junior high.

Eventually it will need consumables. Rather than replace shocks / struts, tires, brake pads etc with OEM stuff, what can be done to improve the ride and handling of this solid axle SUV? Where would you go and to whom would you turn to inquire if it can be improved upon if one spends a bit more on things that need to be replaced anyway? Is this excrement polishing?

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TTAC Commentator Horseflesh writes:

My query for Piston Slap is simple: What is the best way for an ordinary Joe to sell a car? And by “best” I mean, “returning the greatest amount of the car’s value for the least hassle.” You see, I am about to come into possession of my grandmother’s 2005 Buick Park Avenue–low miles, great shape, only driven on Sundays, etc. While the boat will be fun to pilot for a few weeks, I won’t be abandoning my beloved 2000 Impreza 2.5 RS for it. Sooner or later, the Buick will have to go. I am afraid that if it gets too close to my Scooby they will annihilate each other in a burst of exotic particles.

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Darren writes:

I recently took my 1990 Miata to St. Matthew’s Imports, a reputable shop here in Louisville, Kentucky. The a/c was not blowing cold, and a running light was out. I also wanted them to inspect and tighten the undercarriage bolts like it says to do in the manual. They tested the a/c for leaks, it had none but they said the low pressure side had too high a pressure and there were signs of moisture in the evaporator case. They want to replace the compressor, drier, expansion valve, and possibly the evaporator core. Also the radiator is leaking coolant, the right rear brake caliper is leaking, the left rear parking brake does not hold, the front brake pads have no shims, and the master cylinder is leaking fluid. To make matters worse, the front engine seals, the rear main seal and the valve cover gasket is leaking.

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SQ writes:

Hello, I am a young female looking to buy a car in a few weeks. I’m in love with Cadillacs & was wondering which years of Cadillac Eldorados have aluminum around the engine? I have been researching this for weeks and have not found any information. Could you please help me out with this?

I would greatly appreciate it. Thank You!

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The 24 Hours of LeMons came back to Houston, and it was another race of epic proportions with a side order of sheer lunacy.  While the racing was hot, the Texas heat and humidity with a shocking lack in coastal winds made the event even more punishing on everyone involved, including the punishment-intensive judges who laid down the law in LeMon’s BS inspection.  I still have battle scars from the late night mosquito bites. No matter, I weighed the facts presented by the team’s (supposed) $500 budget and snapped a few pics that readers of Piston Slap might enjoy.

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TTAC commentator talkstoanimals writes:

Sajeev, I have a 2010 Mustang GT with the Track Pack that I love driving – when it works. The problem(s) is, after 6 months and just short of 5k miles, the car has had several driveline problems. First, the clutch failed and Ford replaced the pressure plate, clutch disc and slave cylinder – a fix that took two weeks to complete. A few days later the rear clutches in the differential failed and Ford replaced those – another two days out of service. Now, only 2 months after the first clutch work was completed, it’s pretty obvious that the clutch is failing again based on the way the gearbox resists clean engagement in almost every gear.

So my question is, WTF is wrong with the driveline in this car?

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Brad writes:

Sajeev, fellow travelers, and the best and brightest: due to my job, I spend a great deal of time on I-70 between St Louis and KC. I often see the police of one sort or another staking out the highway looking for speeders. I have been warned many times by drivers going the opposite direction flashing their lights and I usually do the same when I can.

The question is, is flashing the lights illegal or immoral or for some other reasons not a good idea?
Do you do it? How long do you keep it up, 1/2 mile, 1 mile, more?

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TTAC Commentator Supaman writes:

Hey Sajeev, I drive a 2006 Mazda 6s and as cheesy as it sounds, I love this car. No better combo than a V6/manual for driving pleasure, plus the car is practical and has given no mechanical problems (current mileage is 47000). My problem is twofold.

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Randi writes:

I have a 2000 Civic with 70,000 miles (hoping to hit 250,000 miles). Googled for major repairs to do including the timing belt, and everything listed below should be done…right?  Are any unnecessary?

Any not listed that I should fix before it breaks? Here it is:

1. Replace fuel filter, air/cabin filter, coolant flush.
2. Check bushings and alignment.
3. Replace timing belt, water pump, idler and tension pulley, tensioner (hydraulic tensioner, tensioner assembly).
4. Check various rollers, valve adjustment and clearances.

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TTAC Commentator Rehposolihp writes:

I drive a MKV GTI and despite it being a car that always brings a smile to my face when its working…well, just having to make that last qualification doesn’t bode well for me.

Combine that with a warranty on the verge of expiration and I’m fairly sure I should run away now.

The only thing I’ve done to it is popped on a boost gauge, and purchased an ECU flash (which can be locked back into stock), because I wanted to be reminded that I drive a turbocharged car from time to time.  Before I start snapping photos and trying to sell should I replace it back to stock?  I may have possibly broken the poor original vent assembly into tiny little pieces in my clumsy attempt to remove it, but the surrounding bits still look good.  So – is the minor hassle of replacing it back to stock going to net me a profit, or am I over thinking a boost gauge?

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Michal writes:

Normally I can find answers for my friends, however this one has me baffled and Google is no help, maybe Piston Slap can help.

My friend is selling/getting rid of a 2006 Jeep Commander, 4.7L, towing package and ~43k miles. Normally a fairly easy thing to price, however the thing has a buyback note on the title, because of some issue or another, he says it was something to do with a starter, but given that info was probably from a dealer, I take it with a huge grain of salt.

Using the normal ‘quoting’ sources (Edmunds/KBB/etc) a clean title car is in the 14k price range. However this has that buyback/lemon not on it, and I have not found any guidelines as to how to price it. (just advice as to how to avoid getting one) He was given a CarMax quote of 8k. But that’s not enough to cover the note. I told him to be honest & put it up on Craiglist & eBay to see what happens, anything over 8k is extra money in the pocket. But after doing some research that really didn’t pan out, I’m not so sure the 8k was a bad offer.

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Jeff writes:

Long-time lurker here with a question: I’m currently driving a 1996 Outback with 162,000+ miles. Over the years I’ve had to make a few minor repairs in addition to regular maintenance, but nothing more serious than replacing an alternator. The car still drives well and gets 23-25 mpg in daily mixed driving (and about 28-30 highway), but has been slowly using extra engine oil for about the last 40,000 miles. I make sure I check the oil level at least bi-weekly, but normally don’t have to add any for at about 2-3 months, or after an extended highway drive. (75-80 mph turns the engine at 3000+ rpm; there’s a definite drop in the oil level during the trip.) I’m using full synthetic 5W-30 as recommended by the manual.

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