Problems

They say it never rains but it pours.  So true.  Nothing horrible, but it is like "being nibbled to death by ducks"...

Camera -  I lost my simple point&shoot digital camera a week ago.  I've looked everywhere (except, obviously, where ever it actually is).   When you start looking in the refrigerator and oven, you know you have run out of places to look!

It is possible I dropped it in the recycle bin or something, but I doubt that.  So, when I find it someday I'll laugh.  Binq likes to carry pens and shove things off the table, but I don't think she could manage a camera.  If I ever find it, I will post about it.

Meanwhile I ordered a replacement (same model).  Simple point&shoot types are getting hard to find.  The brand names have all upgraded to fancier ones with controls and features I don't need (and are much more expensive)...

Cable Set-top box -  A few weeks ago, the On Demand feature of the cable box stopped working.  The cable company sent a replacement.  I set it up today and went through all that annoying set-up procedure.  But it works again.  The displays are rather different though.  

I was happy with the old displays and I can't see any actual improvements.  Why do things change like that?  I'm big on "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".  I assume they have made it easier to rent movies and add channels (profit drives change I guess).  But since I virtually never actually buy or rent movies I don't care.

The problem is that they wanted the old box back by today.  But there were only 3 addresses listed and the nearest one is 15 miles away.  I hate driving!  But I found "more addresses" and one was in my town.  So I drove there.  

No luck there.  They are only for wireless services.  I mentioned the website.  They said, "yeah but that's an error".  So I reluctantly decided to drive to the 15 mile away location.  Which led to the next problem...

Car - I have a 4 year old Subaru Forrester (great car normally).  But I don't drive much these days (about 4,000 miles in 4 years).  A couple months ago, it wouldn't start.  Weak battery.  I don't drive long enough to rechrge the battery, I suspect).  Fortunately, I have a trickle-charger from when my 15 year old Toyota Highlander started having the same problem, so I recharged the battery overnight and the Forrester started right up.

Which was fine for 3 weeks.  Now it needs to stay on the trickle-charger all the time (it is addicted?).  And also fortunately,  I have a portable power pack (bought for an old troublesome riding mower I no longer have).  I keep that  in the car and fully charged now for when the car battery is dead while I'm out shopping.  I've helped a few people start their car with that in parking lots.  

So I visited the cable company store that wasn't the right one (see above).  I debated whether to drive there today or just go home.  I decided to drive to the cable store.  But the car wouldn't start (again).  I had just recharged it!  I'm glad i had that portable power pack in the car.

So I decided this had to end.  I drove to the dealership (jump-started it with the portable power pack) and explained the problem, noting that I did not drive much.  So I couldn't tell if the battery had gone bad or it was a bad alternator/charger/generator/whatever (I'm not a "car person").  And since I was there, to do routine maintenance like oil/filter, tune-up, etc.

They will call me Wednesday sometime in the afternoon after they have checked out some "charging parts". 

Computer Printer - I don't print much, so those inkjet printer cartridges dry up before they are half used and got expensive.  So several years ago, I decided to buy a color laser toner printer.  Worked great for 3 years.  The toner is slightly more expensive, but the toner is good nearly forever.  I did the math...

Well, last December, when I went to make my own holiday cards for family, friends, and fellow cat-bloggers, the color stopped working.  Canon support had me try all sorts of things, but couldn't solve the problem.  They finally said to just try new toner.  I did, and that didn't solve the problem.  Well, I do most of my printing in black&white anyway.

Last week, it kept telling me it was out of paper.  I added an inch of it.  Still reported the same problem.  So something new is going wrong.  Well, the printer is very specific about what kind of paper is in the tray.  I don't need "the best paper".  There are detailed settings about that.  And getting through the menu about that is maddening.  Sometimes, I don't even know what the paper definitions mean.

Part of the problem is that I seem to have bought a printer intended for office use.  It took a week after I bought it to figure out the default settings were "network".  When I solved that, I could print.

These new problems are (so far) unsolvable.  I think I need to delete then reinstall the printer.  Which, as I recall, was a real pain.  And it means rediscovering all the setting adjustments I made to convince the printer that it isn't part of an office network!

I'm not looking forward to that.  But I have to do it soon, because I can't print anything! 

  -----------

I'll post about any good news when I get any...

Car Maintenance

I was reminded last week by receiving a registration renewal form from Motor Vehicles that it had been 13 months since I bought the new Subaru Forester and so it was time to have routine maintance done.  Never mind the car has only 700 miles on it, oils gets old etc  and I am planning to drive at highway speed 200 miles roundtrip in 4 weeks (pick up new kitten).  

I mentioned that previously, but I actually scheduled it for Friday.  I am a Class A procrastinator, so actually scheduling it was a Big Deal.  And why I scheduled it for 8:30 am is beyond me, but I suppose at the time I wasn't sure how long it would take.

All my life before I retired, I was a morning person.  Up early for school and job and even on days off, I got up early.  Then I became a real "night owl".  So 8:30 am was an unaccustomed time of day.  I managed it though.  Dropped off the car, reviewed what they would do, gave some warnings (I have a battery-charger device wire sticking out of the grill and I didn't want them to mess with it).

They have shuttle service, so they drove me home (I love shuttle service as I go nuts sitting around and doing nothing).  The van driver almost made me scream.  You might expect that it was because he drove too fast, but it was the opposite.  He was maddeningly slow and didn't understand directions very well.  

I haven't been the passenger in a car very often since my carpool days 15 years ago.  I kept thinking "go" when regular traffic allowed for it safely, but he just sat.  Let's just say it took me 5 minutes to drive to the dealership and 10 minutes to get returned, LOL!

And he seemed confused about directions.  I would say "next right turn", and he would hesitate at every house we passed.  And "next left turn" and he would ask if I meant each house we passed.  One street ends at a wetland.  I told him about that and to turn left, but I was 1/2 certain he was going to drive straight into it!

We got near my house and I said 3rd house on the left - the green one (only green house on the street.  He almost drove past.  I said "stop, this one".  *sigh*

So back in the house, I went straight back to bed, assuming I would hear a telephone call to let me know the car was ready and they could pick me up.  I must have been REALLY tired!  Apparently, I slept through 3 calls.  I got up at 2 pm and sure enough, there were those call on voice mail.  The car had been ready at 10 am!

Well, no great loss.   I called back and they said the shuttle guy would be there in 10 minutes.  30 minutes later, I called them again.  They said he had left 20 minutes before but not to worry "he doesn't get lost".  Sure enough, he showed up soon after.  He had gotten lost.  Said his GPS was charging.  He had my phone number...

But he arrived and got me to the dealership.   The good news was that they found nothing wrong, but did the usual tire rotation, oil and filter change, checked fluids etc and even washed the car (nice touch). And at no charge!  

Well, when I bought the car, the details of the costs were very specific.  I had negotiated for a month after all.  But they had charged $200 to fill the tires with nitrogen.  Hey "air" is 78% nitrogen already!  Tired of fussing about the final cost, I got a "free" oil and filter change at the first annual maintenance in exchange.

Salespeople are amazing.  Turned out that the first annual maintenance was free anyway!  No matter what you do, they always find "some" little trick to get a last dollar.  But, in the long-term, the $200 trick and the meaningless "free" oil and filter change doesn't really matter.  

Unless I suddenly decide to by an all-electric car in a few years due to some battery-tech breakthough, I the Subaru Forester may be my last car.  Each car of my life has been built better and lasted longer.  The Toyota Highlander lasted 15 years and I drive the Subaru less than the Toyota anyway.  It should last 20 and I probably won'tbe safe to frive at 90+.

New Car

Well, I spent yesterday transferring all the stuff from the old Toyota Highlander to the new Subaru Forester. 

The BEFORE pictures:

Cloth bucket seats.  The shift it automatic, but made to look like a stick shift.  I don't drive a stick, too much work...

Second row seats are split bench but effectively bucket seats.  Doesn't matter to me, I'll just fold them flat and leave them like that.

The back.  There is a moonroof, spoiler, and rails on the roof.  I have little use for those, but they came with the package.  

Corner view.  Never saw the rear lights split between the side and the tail lift before!  That little shark fin on the top is the antenna.  Good; I had to remove the Highlander antenna to go through car washes.

Driver seat view.  Overly complicated.  I do like that the sound system controls are duplicated on the steering wheel.  Cruise controls are there, too.  Also, I like that the headlight and wiper controls are virtually identical to the Highlander.  I also like that the display shows current MPG.  And there is a little display that shows compass directions ON THE REAR VIEW MIRROR.  But the A/C and fan controls are less convenient and the sound system selection is more complicated.

Front view.  The headlights are LED and adjust to turns.

Inside Back view.  

Enjoy the nice new uncluttered car.  It will never look like THAT again!

AFTER:

The bins are from a huge Daffodil order.  Excellent for loose stuff like bags of groceries.  I immediately folded down the rear seats and removed the cargo cover.  The gray carpet is from the Highlander.  I always cut an area carpet to fit.  Saves wear on the installed carpet.  It almost fits perfectly as is.  I will cut it more to shape later.

I keep plastic boxes on the floor behind the front seats.  They hold booster cables emergency kits, rope and bungee cords, gadgets (like powered tire inflator, flashlight, DC-AC power convertor,etc).

Passenger front seat holds useful stuff (tissues, N95 mask, coupons, and stuff I need to bring to a store).

I'll take a few more pictures soon when the car is in the driveway for better light and color.

Lost The Checks

They have to be around here SOMEWHERE but I'll be darned if I can find them.  I kept them in a shoebox (they fit perfectly).  I wouldn't have thrown them out.  If nothing else, the old statements are the records of my past addresses.  And I had more checks.  Or I would have ordered more.

I am utterly baffled.  I have searched through the house.  I've gone through every small box.  Room by room, drawer by drawer, file by file.  They have to be here. but I can't find them. 

What is worse is that I discovered this 3 weeks ago while writing my last check.  I ordered new ones as a precaution (sometimes you really do need checks and I am trying to buy a new car).  And I think the account number on the new checks are missing 4 digits. but I'm not sure if those 4 digits matter. 

Of course the bank had closed when I discovered this and won't open for 2 days and the lobby is closed anyway.

Losing my mind...

IF the car dealerships agrees to my offer (which I expect they will) I can't use these replacement checks unless I know they work.

I'm trying to buy a Mazda CX-5 Sport (I don't want a moonroof or fancy tires and I don't care about the comfort of the rear seats that will never be used).   But I need a working check... 

Pricing A New Car, Part 3

When I was a teenager, Dad did a lot of car work on the family cars.  He also bought a few.  He never let me help on repairs or go along when he bought a new one.  I received an old car he purchased as a birthday gift when I was 20.   I drove it to college and had no idea how to maintain a car.  After a couple years. it died.  The mechanic showed me that the oil was like tar. 

Well who knew you had to change that?  Dad never mentioned it.  So I walked miles and rode buses for year because I was DEAD BROKE and living on Hamburger Helper.

I didn't ASK for help, but Dad took SOME pity on me and bought another old car.  It lasted 3 years.  My BIL replaced the engine from another old car but that lasted only 6 months.  After that, I never mentioned problems.

Not knowing anything about negotiating car prices, I paid sticker price for a used Chevy Vega Hatchback.  The car has a terrible history, but I actually got a good one.  After it died, I asked a friend to drive me around to several local dealerships to find a new one.  I didn't want a used car.

Now, my friend was an experienced negotiator.  Did contract negotiations.  Had bought several cars (and explained later that he had worked the price down).  We finally landed at a Chevy dealer and I asked to see the cheapest car on the lot.  I said "OK" to a Chevy Scooter at full price.  I didn't know you could negotiate.  My experienced friend did not so much as whisper a suggestion in my ear. 

And a knowledgeable friend would do that, right?  He didn't.  He just let me go on being a real sucker. I only understood what a sucker I was later.  HE said "Well, it was up to you".  Some friend... I think it made him feel "superior".  Well, we had some other things in common like fishing and games.  But I finally dropped him like rock in 2011 and am greatly relieved for having done so.

The next time I needed a car, I researched.  I found Consumer Reports car pricing site.  Loved it.  But that is all detailed in the previous 2 posts.

I've learned to negotiate and rather strongly.  I've learned that "best offers" are never the best.  I will survive without the CR pricing data.  I've learned to never offer the fair price, because salesmen just consider that a starting point to increase.  I probably won't get as good a price as I used to, but probably will pay well less than average. 

You do what you can with the information you have...

Pricing a New Car, Part 2

So, I have discovered Consumer Reports (CR) magazine no longer provides detailed dealer costs for new cars since 2015.  My Toyota Highlander is 15 years old (with only 30K miles) but is dying from general age fatigue.  There are car parts that just decay from age.  I could keep it going for another year for $3,000 (new timing belt, other belts, replace worn tires [age not tread], and general maintenance).  The charging system is failing, so I have to keep the car on a "battery- minder" (smarter version of a trickle-charger).

I could generally live with a small electric car.  I haven't left the County for 3 years.  I don't drive much.  But there are those days when I need a trailerload of compost or need to haul stuff to the County landfill.  So I need an SUV.  I suppose I could rent an SUV for special purposes, or arrange for compost to be delivered. 

It is all a bit uncertain.  But I decided on a small SUV.  The top 2 two-seat versions at CR are Subaru Forester and Mazda CX-5.  The Mazda has slight advantages (better interior, more reliable, and better driver seat),  The Subaru excels in things I care less about.

So, I went to the CR car pricing page on their website.  They sent my to TrueCar for "pricing" and all I got from that was offers from dealers.  OK,  I had chosen a specific model, color and AWD, no options (I actually didn't want any of the options). 

I responded to each of the dealers with the details of the car (taken directly from the Mazda website) and offerred a total price, delivered.  Eternal Blue (because they don't offer a dark green as I would prefer) , 2020 Mazda CX-5 AWD drive, Sport version (least fancy) no options.  And asked if they would accept $23,000 total all fees and taxes, delivered, certified bank check on delivery. 

Half ignored my question and sent upgraded car offers.  Several made offers above the MSRP and would not specify the additional fees and taxes, though they surely know them.

So I responded to all requesting more information and reminding them that I had made a specific offer on a specific vehicle in detail.  1 did.  Offerred MRSP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price in case the acronym is unfamiliar - which is always a joke) and said he couldn't go lower.  Idiots!  I'm 70 years old; I know better.  I know car sales are WAY down.  At this guy wants full price?  I suggested he reconsider.  He wouldn't.  I sent him a joke insulting car salesmen.  He deserved it...

I checked on another site that listed all their cars.  Apparently, the CX-5 Sport is not one they want to sell.  But one of those "chat now" boxes opened.  Considering I hadn't been able to get any reply from that place to my emails, I clicked.

We chatted.  I repeated the details from the previous emails.  Her initial offer was MSRP.  I sent her a ROTFL icon and suggested she get real.  She promised to get "her team" looking at my offer.  I bet they never reply.

So I have 2 places I'm waiting for a reply from.  They all want $28,000 and change.  I'm offerring $23,000 o let them know they have to get seriously lower.  If it gets down to $25,000, I will probably accept after something like "throw in a trailer hitch and floormats" and they will say no to the trailer hitch ($450) but OK of the floor mats and we will have a deal.  I've already checked with the local trailer store and they will add one for $250.

And if none of them go for my offers, I've not contacted the Mazda dealership in town.  Yeah, I'm saving them for last.  If I can't get the car for the price I want, I may take it.  I could buy a Lexus if I wanted to.  I just don't drive much, and impressing the neighbors is not my thing.  I just refuse to get ripped off by some slick salesman. 

And if I buy the Mazda at the local dealership for the same price the ones further away want, they don't get to gloat AND I have the Good Will of the local dealership.  When I bought the Toyota locally, the dealership added prefferred repair scheduling (a real thing by experience), shuttle service to and from home, and they were true to that.

But back to the car pricing.  Apparently, no matter how desperate salesmen are for their commissions AND having few sales these days according to news reports, they don't willing to accept less than $1,000 profit these days.  Maybe it is company rules...

I'll do the best I can.  Quite frankly, a difference of $2-3,000 doesn't really matter much on a car I expect to drive for 15 years.

I just don't ever want to be ripped off again.  That's Part 3 tomorrow...

Pricing a New Car, Part 1

I have depended on Consumer Reports magazine for fair and honest evaluations on various products from cars to cookware all my adult life.  I am a member.  I subscribe to the magazine.  I have sent money.

I loved and depended on their car reports ratings and actual dealer pricing.  I loved their detailed report on every possible option package on a car and the cost.  They gave information to ME that only the salesmen knew.

I ONLY buy vehicles that CR rated at the top...

The first time I went to buy a new Ford Taurus station wagon in 1986, they gave me information about the detailed different option packages, the actual cost to the dealer, and the things you didn't need from the dealer at extra cost.

The salesmen screamed like he was being robbed.  He said the data was false.  He complained there were other costs.  But I held the CR data in my hand and I eventually got the car for $500 above their actual cost and considering sales incentives.  They had to order my particular version from the factory, but it didn't sit on their lot costing them anything.

In 1998,I was in a carpool, and one member had this real cool Dodge Intrepid.  I researched it at CR and discovered its fancier upgrade (an Eagle Vision) actually had a much better deal with standard options than the Intrepid with added options and was a better car.  CR pricing came to the rescue again.  It was a model that didn't have a large production, so I ended up paying $700 above cost (and had to wait 6 weeks, too).  Sadly, it was not a very reliable car.

In 2005, I got the same data from CR about a Toyota Highlander.  I had them nailed to the last option package (and ones they claimed were required but were not).  I got out $500 above their actual cost including incentives.


15 years later, it is time to replace the car.  But CR doesn't provide that information anymore.  Apparently, CR was taken over by "less consumer oriented managers" around 2015.

Last week, I sought the same past information about 2 cars than seemed suited to my current needs.  The CR website offerred some information on the cars and then offerred "pricing information", which was what I wanted.

All they actually oferred (via TrueCar) was an "average sales price".  And within 5 minutes, I received offers from 5 dealerships.  All telling me they had the car I wanted.  At full price with a tiny fake discount.

CR has a deal to just send you to local dealerships!  I find that disgusting and a breaking of the Consumer Reports habit of decades.  I am both depressed at the loss of a trusted site and a betrayal of my trust in CR.

In reply to a query, CR said they ended their detailed car pricing program in April 2015.

Their decision to end the detailed car pricing information is not unimportant.  It means that, finally, after all the decades, they are willing to sell out.  They have left us at the "tender mercies" of the car salespeople. 

It is the end of an era...  They have just become another redirect-site to car dealerships...

I'm looking for a new car...    More tomorrow.

2005 Toyota Highlander Car

I wanna new car,
Without scratches and dents,
One that looks like it should,
That costs only pence.

I wanna new car.
Electric would be good. 
That could haul a small trailer
And a small boat too.

I wanna a new car,
13 years is quite long
Its starting to die,
And it won't be long.

I wanna new car,
Black was never right.
You can't see that car,
In the dead of night.

I wanna new car,
Another SUV.
The height gets me up
Over headlights, you see.

I wanna a new car,
For the pride, ya'll.
But it has to fit the garage,

And the door's kinna small.

I wanna new car,
Without tech-stuff, ya know.
I don't call when driving,
And I know where I am.

I wanna new car,
One that keeps me alive,
And keeps me protected
In front or behind.

I wanna new car,
Hydrogen's good
But there ain't that stuff
In the neighborhood.

I wanna new car,
But maybe keep what I've got.
Get it detailed and painted,
Let mechanics fix it up.

I wanna a new car,
I could buy one you see.
But this one could last,
Another 10 years and three.

Previous Cars

"15&Meowing" posted about the car they would like to have.  And as I commented, I relized that what I wanted to say was too long.  So here is the long version.  Thank you, 15&Meowing!

My first car was a 1966 Pontiac Bonneville convertible.  The convertible top was HYDROLIC.  Push a button and it opened or closed without effort.  It was 4 years old, a 20th birthday gift from my parents.  I adored it.  I added a removable (for security) 8-Track player under the dashboard.  I learned the back seat side panels could be removed so I added inset speakers there.  I was working at an auto-aftermarket part of a department store at the time, and one day they sent us a gadget called "Quadraphone".  Basically,  that let you send the music to four speakers, front left speaker and back right, and right front speaker  and back left.  It was cool at the time.

But I didn't know anything about car engines.  Dad wasn't big on teaching.  I learned decades later that he really believed if you wanted to know something, you asked, and if you didn't ask you didn't want to know.  I'm not an "asker".  So I didn't know about changing oil and stuff like that.

From lack of maintenence, the engine was destroyed and when I asked for money to fix it, Dad said that was my problem.  The car sat in the apartment parking lot and they hauled it away before I could afford to repair it. 

After I gave enough horrible stories of trying to bus 15 miles each way to and from work, walking 3/4 of a mile to the bus stop, transferring 3 times and being penalized for lateness when traffic was bad, Dad bought me another car.  He chose the ugliest cheapest car , a purple clunker Chrysler New Yorker ($800).  I saw a beautiful 4-year old 1970 tan Monte Carlo with a brown pebble roof and a sporty extended hood($1200).  And it wasn't that he was poor.  I could say "cheap", but he would have said "thrifty". 

For the first time since I was a child before Christmas, I begged.  I argued gas milage.  I argued "2 years newer - better value".  Dad was buying from a hunting buddy, so he knew he would get the best deal possible.  He fussed and hesitated.

But he bought me the Monte Carlo...  I was so proud to drive that around.  And while we didn't know then, it had speakers in the back.  Great sounds. I loved that car! 

By then, I had learned about basic car maintenance.  I kept good care of it.  But it had a bad engine from the previous owner and the engine locked up one day.  It gets a little strange here.  My sister was married to a car fanatic.  He used to take his engine apart for fun, clean everything and put it back together. 

I couldn't repair a toaster at the time, so that seemed really impressive.  He said it was the same engine as a Chevelle, and he had one and would be happy to replace mine wit it for free and get the Monte Carlo engine and repair IT and use that somewhere.

Dream come true, and he didn't even want my help (as if I could have given any).  Dad thought tat a good deal and drove the 60 miles to me with a car towing device.  We hooked it up, and drove off, whereupon Dad decided that he wanted to buy a cigar so we stopped at a strip mall. 

He mistakenly put the car in nuetral, aimed downhill and we stepped out.  When I saw the cars moving forward, I jumped back into the passenger seat and hit the brakes.  Dad was frozen in place outside the car.  The front bumper on MY car was slightly bent and Dad went ballistic! 

Hey, I saved a store-front crash and it was MY car that was only minorly damaged in the bumper.  And Dad was angry at ME.  The trip went seriously downhill and very quiet from there.

Yeah, I know he was embarassed.  I reacted fast when he didn't.  And he was "the Dad" so he should have.  But I didn't blame him.  I was just nearest and acted faster.  He said I should have pushed on the brakes slowly to not damage MY car's bumper.

I understood he was embarassed by leaving the car in neutral (it was a habit of his generation of stick-shift parking using the parking brake).  I understood that he was embarrassed he hadn't reacted
faster.    I didn't blame him, but he blamed me.

I suppose that was the first time I ever realized that Dad was just another person struggling to maintain a self-image.  And while I had caught Dad in some minor errors in life (and trust me, not very many), that one was the first where he totally lost it... 

I'm guessing I was 25 at the time, underemployed at minimum wage n a department store, sharing an apartment with 4 other guys.  And realizing that *I* did something right and Dad failed and that just because blame was ascribed didn't mean it was right or fail.

Dad complained to Mom tht I had damaged my car.  When I explained it to Mom later, she merely said, "Oh dear",.

I think that was the day I actually became an adult.

As it turned out, the Chevelle engine didn't seem to fit, the Monte Carlo carcass was sold cheap to someone who did know how to restore it.  And I never asked my parents for any help except once and that was a loan for a house purchase I they made me pay full interests on (so that they wouldn't lose a dime).

I struggled to buy a  Chevy Hatchback that lasted 5 years or so.  It had a horrible reputation but I got away with it.  Then, not knowing anything about buying new cars, I went to a chevy dealership and said show me the cheapest car on the lot. 

In my ignorance, and with a more knowledgeable "friend" with me, I paid full price on credit.  My "friend" told me later that he was amazed I paid full price.  But I brought him along because he had bought cars before and he was a negotiator in his business. 

I went off with a Chevette Scooter, which was about the least car you could legally drive on the road at the time.  I got away with that one for 8 years.

He said it wasn't his business to intrude with advise to me on purchases.  Um, isn't that what friends are for?  I gave him advice on some purchases whenever I had information.  He appreciated that.  But woudn't do it for me.  I think he liked seeing other people make poor decisions.

It was the start of a long 30 year road downhill for us (and no, there was no "relationship").  Just a long one-way friendship that finally ended after 41 years.

But I wouldn't want THAT car again...

My next car was researched.  I had learned a few things about buying cars.  I carpooled ans towed a boat.  The Ford Taurus Station Wagon was perfect.  The front seats were split, the back bench seats were rated "very comfortable".  I cared about that.  My carpool LOVED the car.

And it was the first time I ever really negotiated a deal.  I had info on the dealer's costs for all the options from Consumer Reports.  The salesman, in 1988 hated it.  He tried to dismiss it it.  He tried to deny it.  He said they lied...

But eventually, I got the car for $300 over their real cost, it lasted 10 years and I sold it back to the dealership for $3,000.  I loved that car, but it wasn't my favorite. 


A member of my carpool had a Dodge Charger and I liked it.  So I checked Consumer Reports magazine about it.  Turned out there was a family of it, the Dodge, a Chrysler, and the Eagle Vision (being the top of the line).  And when I checked all the features I wanted (nothing too fancy), the Eagle came standard with those at a lower price!   The basic Eagle I wanted was cheaper than the other brands with options.

I had Consumer Reports car info on that one too, but I paid $500 above their true cost.  It was in slightly more demand, and I wanted it more.

So I bought one.  My carpool member immediately bought a fancier car (and admitted why - there are crazy people all over the place, which is why they are always broke).  I kept that one going for 10 years until there was an engine problem the mechanics couldn't get fixed right.

One problem with the low-profile Eagle Vision was that I was commuting on back roads and crowded traffic.  I got SO tired of the new bright headlights in my face.  When The Eagle died, and I was hauling the boat and a trailer more often, I bought a 2005 Toyota Highlander SUV new. 

I had researched THAT on Consumers Report magazine too, but I didn't get the best deal.  They were simply too much in demand.  One problem was that they weren't being built in the US at the time, so the only ones available came "as is" and most came with features I didn't want.  So the ones I did want were selling about as fast as they arrived. 

Sometimes ya just have to bite the bullet.  But it has been a fine car for 11 years. and only 26K miles (I REALLY don't drive much)

So what car would I like to have of all the cars before (restored)?  BTW, how do you like my choice of cars over the years?

1.  1966 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible
2.  1970 Monte Carlo
3.  1986 Eagle Vision
4.  2005 Toyota Highlander
5.  1978 Trans-Am with the Eagle decal on the hood (that I lusted for but never owned)

Well, in order...

1966 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible
1986 Eagle Vision
1970 Monte Carlo

Not the Trans-Am.  I gazed in wonder, but that wasn't my style.  Speed Kills!  And the Highlander is my style, but not my desire.

The 1966 Pontiac Bonneville is my first and true desire...  The Eagle Vision is still too recent in memory.

Successes and Failures

Failures first, to get them out of the way! 

My car battery gives me trouble.  The dealership swears it is perfectly OK; that I just dont't drive enough these days.  But I've had times in other cars (and other batteries of course) when I didn't drive much and they stayed charged.  In fact, one time I was away from home for 6 weeks and when I returned, my car started right up.  (I had a roommate who took care of the cat while I was gone)

So when I don't drive for 5 days and the battery is dead, I get pretty PO!  I bought a "battery minder" (a super slow trickle charger that activates only when the charge drops), but hadn't hooked it up (uncertainties about safety of use in an enclosed space). 

But I noticed that the battery was 4 years old AND had a bad rating from Consumer Reports.  So, I decided to replace it even if the dealership wouldn't.  Amazingly, the 2nd rated battery (by a squeek) was from Walmart, of all places.  So I bought one.  Today I set about replacing it. 

Now, replacing a battery is probably one of the easiest things to do in a car.  It's right THERE in easy reach.  You just loosen the terminal clamps, pull them off, lift old the old battery, set in the new, and replace the terminals tightly.

I have no luck sometimes.  There was a hold-down bracket I had to remove.  Removing that was easy.  Retreiving the hooked rod that it was attached to it and dropped down when loosened was annoying.  But I got it.  The other end of the hold-down bracket was just a large metal screw (meaning a screw designed go into metal rather than wood), and I carefully set it aside. 

So, of course, as soon as I removed the battery hold-down bracket, my sleeve brushed the screw and it fell into the bowels of the engine compartment.  15 minutes of searching around with a magnet on a flexible metal rod found nothing.   GRRR!

I went ahead and removed the terminals and pulled the old battery out.  Set in the new one.  That was harder than I thought.  The positive and negative cable insisted on getting under the new battery because they manufacturer doesn't leave 1/4" of extra length AND they have the cables joined with user-unfriendly clamps in several places.  It would have been easy if I had 3 hands...

OK, I got the battery in and the cables unencumbered.  But the cables won't reach the correct + and - terminals.  They are on OPPOSITE sides from the original battery!!!  And yes, it is the correct battery; I double and triple checked! 

Unless I cut off all the cable attachments (and there is some metal involved) I can't use the new battery.  So I undid all my work and put the old battery back in.  At least I can jump the old one when required (not usually needed in warm weather).

However, I DID attach the "battery minder" to the terminals before I reattached them.  That thing is a little weird.  There are cables that you stick out through the front grill so that you don't have to open the hood to attach it.

Here is the surprise:  Before I closed the hood, having spent over an hour to no useful gain, I popped open the tops of the old battery (the one back in the car) where you can see the electrolyt level inside the battery cells.  They were WAY low!

That might be the whole problem!  Sure, I should have checked that first.  But the dealership said the battery was fine just 2 months ago and I assumed they checked that.  But I had just gone through checking my boat batteries and refilling them, and JUST thought I should look in the car battery.

I won't know for a couple days.  I have the battery minder attached and will see what is says about the charge then.

Now, I had intended to write about other things also, but this has gotten long, so I think I will leave the other matters til tomorrow.

In fact, if you read THIS far, I am impressed!  Thank you.  I can get boring sometimes...

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good:  I had planned to go to the post office to mail the Cat's cards and my own on Wednesday.  But I got up too late.  Don't laugh, I keep REALLY weird hours sometimes.  But then I realized it was going to rain all day Thursday and I figured that would keep the customer line short in the morning.  I was right, "maybe".

I walked in and there was NO line.  But before I got my turn at the counter, there there 10 people behind me!  So it was just REALLY lucky timing.  It took me less time to BUY the 52 domestic mail stamps and arrange for the 9 international envelopes than it took to APPLY the 52 stamps to the domestic mail envelopes than it did to arrange for the 9 international.

But thank you USPS for inventing peel&stick stamps!

More Good:  With the time I saved not standing in line at the Post Office, I was able to get to the meat&liquor store (a really neat place) before the lunch crowd rolled in to crowd up the deli counter.  I was in and out in 15 minutes.  If I get there with the lunch crowd or when the high school next door lets out at 2:30 it can take an hour!

The Bad:  I've been going a little nuts trying to mow the lawn.  Yeah, so that doesn't seem a big deal...  But I haven't since early September when I had the soil level raised and sowed new grass there.  The grass was too new and the soil was too soft until November.  I wanted the new grass to develop deep roots and deep roots come from high grass (they each power the other).  And then it has rained just some every few days since.  You don't want to cut wet grass (fungal diseases).  So I finally got 3 dry days and went to mow.

More Bad:  Dead riding mower battery since it hadn't been used for 3 full months!  Even the boat battery I keep in the toolshed was dead.  Fortunately, I had just bought and charged a portable power pack and jump-started it.  Started right up, so it wasn't old gas, fouled spark plugs etc.  Mowed the lawn and mowed it double.  Thats because I don't rake leaves, I shred them in place.  It's good for the grass and the trees to keep the nutrients in place.  The leave shreds disappear into the ground after enough cuts.  But the next day, the mower battery was just as dead as before.

I have to keep the power pack on the mower between my legs as I mow now.  &*@#  Everytime I stop the mower, I have to jump-start it again.  When batteries get too low, the charger won't detect the "too low" battery.   A glimmer of hope though:  I've just read that if you put a charger on a good battery and connect THAT one to a "too low" battery, the charger detects the good battery and the good battery transfers the charge to the Too Low battery.  I haven't tried that yet.

The Ugly:  The planting of tulip and hyacinth bulbs in vole&squirrel proof cages is WAY behind schedule.  The soil is what was below the ridge I had removed in September, and it is a lot harder to dig in than I expected.  My cages are 12'x14'x4".  They have to be buried  at least 8" deep.  It is taking 30 minutes per hole.  I acted like a crazed lunatic on one just to see how fast I could possible dig one.  and plant the cages with the bulbs and compost/topsoil mix and 2-6-3 fertilizer AND put a labeled styrofoam plate pinned with a metal tent peg.

20 minutes, and I was exhausted...  Best I could do all out fanatic crazy was 3 cages in 75 minutes!

Its the stones, tree roots, and clay.  And all the other details (sprinkling fertilizer, scooping the compost/topsoil mix into a bucket to pour over it all, and then covering it with existing soil takes a lot more time than I realized.  10 days of that (in non-rain days) and I have 11 of 20 cages planted.  And I have 150 daffodils to plant (which at least don't need cages, being toxic to mammals, and I can use an small auger for those.

But the worrisome thing is that tulips, etc, need chilling time, and the ground here is usually frozen by December 1st.  So it is possible that none of all these bulbs I am killing myself planting will bloom at all next year (they would grow foliage and bloom next year if there is enough chill-time), but climate-warming may make all my work futile!

More Ugly:  Winter is coming, and even though my 11 year Toyota Highlander is kept in a built-in garage, the battery routinely dies.  The experts say I just don't drive enough.  So I might be looking at 3 months of having to jump-start the car in the garage everytime I want to go anywhere (everything I need is within a mile usually and once every couple weeks I drive 10 miles to the meat/wine store).  I have to keep a fully charged boat battery in the car for jump starts.  It isn't the battery, new ones die too.

Hey, some people love to drive, I don't.

It begins with the first hard freeze and ends with the last hard freeze.  Yet the garage temperature never falls below 45F.  Drives me nuts.  I KNOW there has to be some car component that is drawing on the battery in cold weather, but I can't image what.  One of the many things Dad didn't teach me about was cars.  The experts at dealership and online just say drive it 30 minutes every few days.  ARGH! 

The Old Car Blues

I drive a 2005 Toyota Highlander.  Wonderful vehicle.  I don't drive very much, so MPG don't matter (10 years old and 25,000 miles).  Its even garage-kept and the garage is in the house.  The temperature never gets below 45F  Maybe 50F.

But the darn thing just won't start in the Winter.  The dealership says I don't drive the car often enough for the battery to stay charged.  I doubt that.  The past 3 Winters, I kept jump-starting the battery from 2 old boat batteries and THEY sat around in the car and the garage for months fully charged even using them to start the car every few days.

There has to be something in the electrical system going wrong, right?  The internet says (and we all know the internet is never wrong *koff, koff*), that the starter solenoid brushes have gone bad.   The dealership says that the startes don't HAVE brushes anymore (but upon my interrogation, they admitted that actually, they do, but they just replace the whole starter when needed).  So they lie without shame...

I'm waiting for a call back about the cost of replacing the whole starter unit (like it takes them hours to figure the cost of replacing a starter?).  I know the part costs $200, so they will probably want $600 for the job.  I hope solves the problem, but it might not and the options are to jump start the car all Winter (AGAIN) every time I want to drive out for an errand, or buy a new car.

I told the TOYOTA dealership that if I replace the car it will be with a Subaru Forrester.  That got some attention.

But is seems stupid to replace a car with only 25,000 miles on it.  I'm not into having the latest car or new gadgets.  I tend to buy highly-rated cars and drive them until they DIE!   And I don't care WHAT car it is or how old, 25,000 miles is too new to die.  I'm still on the original tires!

I can't wait to see what weird explanation the dealership offers when they call back.  I suppose I will have to go to Corporate HQ for some more expert solution.  But I will be hopeful until I can't be...

Mark

Thinking Outside The Box

I'm a very law-abiding person (well, before and after my college days).  But I do think of myself as creative.  So I saw something today that really blew my mind.

I was in the car waiting for the left turn light to come on and a guy in the straight-through lane came to a complete stop in the intersection.  And stayed there.  This is something I have never seen before.

I pondered that while the various traffic lights cycled around to my turn and I carefully drove around the stopped car.

Then it hit me!  No, not the car, just a sudden realization.  The intersection has one of those "automated traffic-ticket cameras".  They work by taking a picture of your back license plate after you drive through the intersection after the red light comes on.

OMG, he stopped in the intersection so that the camera couldn't take a picture of his license plate.  When the light turns green again, the camera won't take a picture!!!

I'm not supporting drivers pushing red traffic lights; its dangerous to them and others.  The driver probably has other bad habits.  In fact, it's likely that he's a jerk.

But I just have to admire the thinking of anyone who figures out a way around some of the minor daily rules of life.

Car Troubles Resolved, Sort Of...

Well, as I expected, the dealership found no problems with the battery OR the charging system.  They also said their tests showed no "parasitic battery draw".  I guess that means they found no short-circuit using up the battery.  I thought it HAD to be one or the other, but those folks always know SOME way to explain problems away non-professionals won't think of. 

I don't drive enough!  They swear!  They say I do only local errands and that I'm just NOT driving it often enough.  I sure hadn't expected THAT as a cause, but they MAY be right.  Its a 2005 car and I've only driven it 23,300 miles.  And fewer than 2,000 miles/year the last few years. 

Basically, (they say) I am draining the battery through starting it several times in short errands and not driving it long enough to recharge the battery.  They suggested several ways to prevent similar future problems (several of them idiotic from my point of view). 

1.  I could just drive the car to nowhere and back twice a week for at least 15 minutes. 
2.  I could leave the car idling in the driveway 15 minutes twice a week.
3.  I could drive longer routes to my errands.

Do those also seem idiotic to you?

4.  They suggest I slap on a battery charger in "trickle mode".  That means recharging the battery after the usual short multi-stop errand trips and giving the battery a slow auto-shut-off charging.  But that means that twice a week, I need to find the hood opening lever in the car, prop the hood up, attach the charger to the battery, and then undo all that each time I want to use the car.  For the life of the car (which, quite frankly, I expect to last 20 years at the rate I use it). 

Doesn't THAT seem a bit idiotic to you also?

What I NEED is a plug-in car.  Oh wait, that's called a hybrid.  And I expect that is what I really need.  An electric usage for the usual very local errand-shopping where I can just plug it in each time after use; and a gas engine for the longer 2 hour trips to family events and or towing the boat on 1 hour fishing trips. 

Lifestyle choices do cause some specific demands.  But (and mine are admittedly not the routine car-usage demands), one has to adapt equipment to them.  I love my Toyota Highlander, but it WILL be 10 years old next year.  And I've read that the Highlander Hybrid will be redesigned and improved next year.  It may be time to replace it then.  I can deal with a weekly routine of keeping the battery charged up properly for a year I guess.  Not happily, but I'll consider it something like getting routine haircuts, brushing teeth, cleaning house, etc, until then.

But I'm still ticked off about the entire situation...

AND: To 'Sometimes Cats Herd You', thanks for the url to the neat gadget that cuts off battery drain.  It COULD have solved me problem if there was a short (apparently, not the problem).  I'm going to get it anyway "just in case" that solves the problem.  I'm also looking for some battery charger I can just plug into the cigarette lighter to make trickle charging easier as a backup.

Car Troubles

I'm getting tired of the battery problems!  For the past 2 years, the battery will simply and suddenly go dead.  OK, twice I left the back hatch up overnight, and once the regular door wasn't firmly closed.  Last year it happened several other times for no reason and I had the battery replaced even though the dealer said it was OK and I had no problems until this August. 

Then it happened several times again for no reason and they checked it again finding no problem.  I started keeping a boat battery in the car.   Now it has happened again 3 times in 2 weeks.  But it's always when its been sitting in the garage for 2-5 days!  A battery shouldn't discharge sitting in a garage for that short a time.

I usually need to go somewhere immediately, so I've previously jump-started it from the boat battery.  Yesterday I put my good battery-charger on it.  The charger as a display that shows the percent recharged.  It started at 13% and got up to 70% in a few hours.  And it stayed there for the next several hours!

I turned it off overnight and started charging it again this morning.  It was down to 50% already!  And it stayed there.  There HAS to be something wrong with the battery.  OR something wrong with the charging system.  Yet it seems to charge up when I drive it, because I never have a problem starting the car after a shopping trip.  I drove the car to the dealer today for a battery check and a charging system diagnosis.  I'll bet both check out OK.

I FEAR there is an intermittent short causing the battery to discharge.  Those are miserably difficult to find!  I KNOW I'm not leaving a door ajar, because for months, I've been standing there until the interior lights go out, showing that everything is shut tight.

Well, I should find out something tomorrow when the dealer calls.

Odd Remembrance

I was watching TV this evening, and saw a gas commercial.  One part involved putting a gas nozzle in the inlet part.  And I had a flashback to my first car.

My parents gave me a 1966 Pontiac Bonneville convertible for my 20th birthday (1970).  It was a complete surprise!  As a freshman in college, I wasn't allowed to park a car on campus (weird old rules), so there was little point in my having a car before.  And I was never a "car guy".  I just borrowed the family station wagon if I REALLY had to drive somewhere.  Although I did get to drive the Lincoln for special dates.

But anyway, I was presented with a card with a car key in it when I turned 20.  It was one of those shiny red or green duplicate keys from the hardware store.  I assumed it was for the station wagon.  I hemmed and hawed about what to say, because it didn't seem like much.  I mean, I could use the car when I needed to already.

But then they pointed out the living room window to a different car.  The Bonneville...  I almost fell over.  I was speechless.  It was a great gift!

Here's the funny part that the commercial reminded me of...

After a week, I needed gas.   I drove into a filling station (as we called them back then) and the attendant came around to fill it up (yes there used to be such people who actually filled your car with gas while you just sat in it).

He asked where the gas cap was.  Think about that for a moment.  He couldn't find the gas cap.  I had just automatically driven to the pump on the side of the station wagon gas cap.  I got out and looked.  There wasn't a gas cap on either side of the car!

Don't laugh, but we actually looked under the hood for a gas cap.  I'm serious.  The attendant finally brought his boss out to solve the problem.  He looked, laughed, and tilted the license plate down to reveal the gas cap!

It had a 26 gallon gas tank, too.  Good thing, it only got 13 mpg!  On the other hand, gas was only 29.9 cents per gallon then.  I learned the gas tank size when I ran out of gas once and coasted downhill to a gas station and filled it up!

Who on EARTH thought to hide the gas cap behind the license plate holder?   Apparently, the idea didn't catch on.  On the other hand, I was always able to drive up to any side of the gas pumps available.  But I'll just say that was one of the funniest/odder things that ever happened to me.

Just wanted to share a great old memory...