Car problems

[jim_mich]

Reading Grimer's thread makes me realize how lucky I am to live out in the country.

I hate city living, with its crowds, its congestion, its air pollution, people living elbow to elbow, breathing each others germs and viruses, wasting time waiting for trains, buses or cabs, higher property values and thus higher taxes to pay for police, street maintenance, and government salaries.

I live in a rural township, with a total population about 3435 people spread out over about 36 square miles, with about a third of those people living in the little village. That works out to about 10 acres per person outside the village. The village is about four miles from my house, which requires an automobile. The bigger cities are all about 20 to 35 miles away.

Yes, it costs money to own and operate a car, but you save money by not living in the city. My home value and property taxes are about 1/2 to 1/3 of what they would be if I lived in a big city.

[Jim Williams]

I also haven't had a car in years, although I can still miss my MGB. I pay $20 a month for a bus pass that is also good on BART in the city and on cable cars. I use it every day.

I don't know what I would do without local access and free days to museums like the de Young and Legion of Honor, where I use to work, the Patent and Trademark Depository Library in the San Francisco Public Library and going to sporting events like the Giants and 49ers. It can be fun giving tourists directions and one gets to experience a full range of international cultures; granted, not unlike being on the Bessler's wheel site itself, which, as a result, feels just like being at home.

[Timothy]

Gotta go with Jim_Mich on this.

Sure, cities have some great institutions, but to country folk, living in a city is akin to being "institutionalized". :)

[murilo]

I'm a 67 country guy and in big city since 18.

There are lots of complaints that I could add to your arguments!

I hate rough and danger big cities, BUT when/if I'm out for a long time I became nervous, hysteric, my sense of time fails and I have the strong feeling that I'm losing a huge party! ( a kind of vice! )

Not to mention the sad depressive state at the end of the day, with sun leaving.

OF SURE money expending is not my main reason and target.

Take care!
M

[getterdone]

When I was in my early 20's I lived in a big city and travelled by transit for almost 2 years, it was great. Now I live in a small town were a vehicle isn't a luxury, but a necessity.
I went to the dealership last saturday and told them they were nuts. Then I brought the car to transmission specialist. He checked out the transmission and said there wasn't anything wrong with it, the problem was with the electronics. He tinkered with it for a bit and got it working perfect. He thinks it might have just been the speed control sensor plug-in that was loose but he's not sure. Total cost 67.00.
The worst thing about owning a vehicle is that it can throw your budget for a loop when you least expect it.

[Fletcher]

You've got to wonder if the plug-in sensor was the original fault - perhaps picked up when diagnosed originally but not discussed with your wife - I would be asking for the magnatronix unit changed out & charged to you because did you determine a new one actually went in ?

Had you not had a capable person find the problem you'd be facing a bigger bill - the dealership should be the best people to diagnose correctly.

[getterdone]

Thanks for the advice FletcherIi was out of town when it got changed, when I asked for the part they said they didn't have it anymore.

My wife just called and she said that the car started acting up again. I called an auto electonics expert with a good reputation, but he said he doesn't work on VWs. He said that it would cost him 4000.00 to get the diagnostic equipement he needs to work on them and that he wouldn't get enough VWs to make it worth buying. This continuing saga's been going on since april 25 and it's getting annoying.

[Fletcher]

One assumes the dealership has the right diagnostic equipment but they 'apparently' didn't pick up the sensor fault - if its playing up again that would be the first part I'd exchange [& make sure it was tightened], because it may have been a coincidence your guy played with it & things went for a while or it most likely is the sensor works temporarily/intermittently.

I had recent experience with a very similar diagnostic problem & I changed the glow-plug sensor at the motor & the intermittent problem is now fixed & my glow plugs turn off after starting [which they didn't when I found the problem] - it would have been really expensive to replace the burnt out glow-plugs than a $62 sensor.

P.S. that was after I was told by the auto_electrician that the relay was faulty, the battery was sub_standard & that the glow-plugs could also be part of the problem - the sensor wasn't mentioned though I deduced there must be one - a phone call confirmed it.

Diagnostics is a process of simple elimination starting with the likely & least cost inputs, if you don't have experience on your side such as the dealerships equipment & expertise.

[murilo]

I'm a 67 country guy and in big city since 18.

There are lots of complaints that I could add to your arguments!

I hate rough and danger big cities, BUT when/if I'm out for a long time I became nervous, hysteric, my sense of time fails and I have the strong feeling that I'm losing a huge party! ( a kind of vice! )

Not to mention the sad depressive state at the end of the day, with sun leaving.

OF SURE money expending is not my main reason and target.

Take care!
M

In above msg I lost the focus on 'car problems', but here is a hard one that is almost uncomprehending in some countries.

On last february I bought a Nissan Tiida 1.8 for ~US 30,000 and payed total insurance less than US1,000, what is a lot of money for some places abroad.

For the other side, and with much higher market value, I had for sale my previous car, a VW small SUV 1.0 year 2000, valued as 10,000 and with insurance payed costs for US1,000 also!

This means that my new car costs 3X more but the insurance is the same as that old one, 11 years old.

Question of market and preference for car's thieves!!!

BTW, at the end, avoiding troubles, I sold the old VW to a reseller for ~US6,000.

Hard to have a car in this country, boys! Specially if one know that the new one brings more than 40% of taxes in its price! 8(

Beware!
M.

[getterdone]

Well Murilo your VW lasted you 11 years and is probably still going, mine s been giving me problems. I woke up this morning at 5 am , went in the shop and started taking apart my test wheel ( I need to redo the axle). Then I started thinking about what my wife had said last night, she said that the car always gives her problems after she pushes hard on the brakes, like at a yellow light. Then it makes a loud noise like pack pack pack. I started thinkiing this might not be a transmission problem at all, it might be a brake caliper sticking, could this cause the transmission computer to detect a problem with the tension jerks, and could that be the speed control sensor code that they're reading?
I drove the car to my brothers shop and put new brake pads and rotors on the rear wheels, tomorrow I'll work on the front brakes

Where's Super Dave, if he doesn't post on this thread soon I'm going to have to declare I have a runner, but didn't built it yet.
That always gets him going

[murilo]

Getter,
my 11 years volks was just 80.000km! Outstanding!
This is a very good condition, together to almost perfect general state.
If my brothers have had a shop, my old car could reach a good business, since I was not in a rush!

Don't care about Super Dave!
If you have a runner I can take care of you. 8)

Best!
M

[DrWhat]

Mazda MX6

16 years

97000 kms.

Sold it because water leaks were nearly impossible to stop. Got 1000 Aust dollars for it. Was still a good car apart from the leaks. Car is now an organ donor.

Now have new car. No leaks. What a relief.

[Grimer]

Reading Grimer's thread makes me realize how lucky I am to live out in the country.

I hate city living, with its crowds, its congestion, its air pollution, people living elbow to elbow, breathing each others germs and viruses, wasting time waiting for trains, buses or cabs, higher property values and thus higher taxes to pay for police, street maintenance, and government salaries.

I live in a rural township, with a total population about 3435 people spread out over about 36 square miles, with about a third of those people living in the little village. That works out to about 10 acres per person outside the village. The village is about four miles from my house, which requires an automobile. The bigger cities are all about 20 to 35 miles away.

Yes, it costs money to own and operate a car, but you save money by not living in the city. My home value and property taxes are about 1/2 to 1/3 of what they would be if I lived in a big city.

Jack Sprat could eat no fat
His wife could eat no lean
And so betwixt the two of them
They licked the platter clean

[getterdone]

I'll finaly solved my car problem. I traded the VW on a Honda Civic. I never want to see another VW in my driveway. They suck

[daxwc]

Usually the best cars are always the ones where the dealership is across the street and the parts are all made in the country you live in.