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Upgrading the wife's ride.

13K views 48 replies 9 participants last post by  LegoJunky 
#1 ·
My wife drive's a 2011 Nissan Maxima. Pretty nice car... although the CVT trans kinda freaks me out when I drive it. A couple of small issues have been bothering her. The parking brake light will come on randomly, as does the passenger air bag light. Plus I think she gets Nav Envy whenever she drives her Mom's Lexus ES350... So we've been talking about car shopping.

We're both believers in the "let the other guy eat the depreciation" theory and like cars that are a few years old.

After clearing it with my banker I went on point yesterday and did some scouting around. I know she likes the CTS and the newer body style of the Maximas so I started there... but pretty much told salesmen Leather, sunroof, navigation, heated seats and remote start.. show me what you got.

Ended up driving a plethora of Cadillac's. STS, CTS, ATS, XTS.... I liked the STS but all the others, EVERY single one of them, had scratches and bubbled up plastic all over the plastic around the nav screen, center vents, and the lift up doohickey where the phone hidey hole is.

Then went to the Nissan house where they had a black 2015 Maxima RS. She loves black cars and her Maxima is black. So I tell the salesman my wife might like that one and he's laying out a plan... we drive the car to her work, show it to her, bring her car back for appraisal and we're signing papers before she gets off work... I send her a pic of it and she text back "I don't want another black car". ... okay.. So I get to bust the salesman's bubble. Bonus!

Then I head to another dealer. I've dealt with this salesman a few times over the last 20 years or so. Good guy. And Old School. So he says Try this one, I haven't driven it yet... 2013 Hyundai Equus. I'd never heard of one. I thought the Genesis was the Hyundai top dog.

Holy crap that's a nice car. I've been in the occasional Mercedes and BMW and the Equus is right up there. Super nice. Quiet as a tomb inside. The ride was just a little squishy, even squishier than my wife's Maxima. It's a big heavy car and felt like it was lumbering through traffic. But a refined lumbering... not like the spastic Joe Cocker lumbering that my truck does.

But this thing has a 429 HP V8 in it. With an 8 speed transmission. Ridiculous. We went a few miles outside of town, was turning around at an exit and David says When we get to the onramp nail it. I wanna see what this SOB will do. So I do. Wow. The quiet went away and the cabin was filled with the sweet tones of a V8 at 8,000 RPM. Very nice.

I think my GTP might be able to take it off the line but would be in the dust shortly after that.

Me and David both knew that car wasn't for her... crappy gas mileage... but we had a little fun. 5 mile run was 1/8 of a tank.

He was taking me to look at a white XTS when I realized my wallet was missing. One of the other salespeople said she saw it on top of the Equus earlier. So I guess it was lost along the way.

No spoiler on the back of that car so I don't see it making more than a block before falling off. But we checked the parking lot and made a run along the route we took watching the shoulders. Then I walked the first 2 miles. Nuthin. My next wallet will be bright neon orange.

So, got a new debit card, canceled the store cards I had. Still need to call LifeLock and let them know my drivers license is missing, No cash in wallet but lots of old receipts and notes... like my checking and savings account numbers...

sigh. After my wife got off work we did go drive a couple more cars. A red ATS and a silver VW CC. She liked the CC but isn't a fan of silver cars. And she was disappointed the sunroof just popped up in the back, didn't open all the way. She loves a sunroof. It was a 2013 model that never sold, has 1800 miles on it.

I guess she's been shopping online at work today. I had a BMW 328i and the first STS I drove lined up for her to look at after work and she texted me and said she might like a brand new Chevy Trax. So now I'm all kinds of confused and will do no more pre-shopping.

... DOH! ... she is diabolical..
 
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#2 ·
We drive a 2014 Kia Cadenza which is same as the Hyundai Genesis platform wise...We did drive the K900 which is the sister of the Equus and it was nice but poor mpg with the V8. Our Cadenza has close to 300hp and we got 36 mpg on the freeway loaded up going fast with the whole family and luggage for a week stay at the in-laws. Big sunroof and nice interior. The only issue we had was a timing tensioner went weak which was 100% covered under warranty and we got that K900 as a loaner. I can tell you that we LOVE our Cadenza. Has everything and more then other brands..full size car, lots of power and good mpg. Maybe take a look...they have a big sunroof too lol....That is our car (grey one) in the pic. We get compliments all the time and even the headlights turn with the car..has way more stuff on it then I even knew about..took time to figure it all out.
 

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#3 ·
I think we have a similar wife! We have shopped for a "new" car multiple times, but she still drives her 17 year old 4Runner. We go out and look, drive salesmen crazy and then decide that we can't beat what we have. Cars have not been on our list due to her requirements (SUV, 4x4, leather, heated seats, anything else she can think of on a whim). She primarily wants a new 4Runner with the Limited package, but they can get crazy expensive ($40k +). We've peeked at them over the last few years, then her twin sister goes out and buys one :evil: Now my wife really wants one, but doesn't like the idea of spending $40k. I am really digging the Subaru Outback, but my wife says she isn't a lesbian (prove it!). They seem reasonably priced for what you get and are very nicely finished. They fit almost all of her criteria, except the SUV part is kinda grey and she says she wants a 4Runner...

I have to say that I smiled a bit when I read your post about visiting car dealerships. I can't help but think about the "I'll do it ma'self" guy that built his own truck going to a dealer and hearing about all of the bells and whistles and the game of warranty and loans. I'd avoid Korean like the plague as you can do research on main bearings failing @100,000 miles (I think there is a kia thread in other vehicles currently). Don't get suckered in by the price. Notice how much her old maxima brings vs what a Korean model brings at trade in. My wife's 17 year old 4Runner should still bring close to $7k after all these years.

Did you look at the trunk opening on the new Maxima? We saw it at the autoshow and thought it was a tiny opening for a full size sedan.
 
#4 ·
The new car and driver magazine has the 2017 models in it. I saw where they say Hyundai Genesis and Equus models will be discontinued. I know Genesis will be it's own brand much like Lexas but nothing is said about the Equus. Also interesting reading about the Chevy Bolt. Imagine that, they had a volt, now they have a bolt. Happy hunting.
 
#5 ·
Kind of a shame they're dropping the Equus... that thing impressed the hell out of me. but I imagine that's a tough market to stay in with no name recognition.

Cadenza... another one I've never heard of. I remembered the recent Kia thread and stayed away from them... mostly just because I was too lazy to do the research on which models had that engine series. That IS a great looking car though.

We kinda looked at some Toyota Camrys but anything Toyota or VW is ridiculous expensive compared to similar cars around here. And I was hoping to see some Subes but not many around here. We haven't had a Subaru dealer in town in years. I think I saw one Impressa and another Sube sedan.

We drove a Chevy Trax yesterday evening. This one.
http://www.pattersonauto.com/vehicle-de ... d-14325208

probably a decent little car... but for 20 grand all I could see was crap. Too small, too slow, too much cheezy plastic. My wife thought she'd be "responsible" and go for something that get's good gas mileage. They say that 1.4 has a turbo on it but.... I could SEE the plumbing for the turbo but can't attest as to whether or not there's an impeller in there. It sure didn't feel like it. The seats were too narrow and were pinching my butt. And my wife is 5'10" and likes to curl up in the passenger seat on trips and nap... NOT happening in that thing.

She spotted this one online last night.
http://www.lipscombchevrolet.com/Vehicl ... 2781326383

I went and drove it just a while ago. First time I've driven a beemer. that shifter is super goofy... but I think she would adapt easy. Really nice car. I couldn't find ANY little flaws or rough spots in the interior that she would jump all over.
Interior noise is more than I expected, a little more than her Maxima. But she'd have the sunroof open and the classic rock or R&B cranked up most of the time so that's a ME issue not a HER issue. Turbo charged 2.0 liter. Twin turbo I believe. Pretty dang peppy! And the SAME MPG rating as the Trax!
No nav or heated seats or remote start... but I think those priorities will succumb to the Beemer charm.

I probably won't tell her I drove it. I already had Bronc's business card, I'll just give her the card and she can check it out after she get's off work tomorrow. She works late tonight and I gotta work tomorrow and Friday so she can tackle that on her own.

LOL, Bronc. Ancient car salesman.. he used to be a pro bull rider back in the day. Shuffles around and fetches keys for test drives. nice guy though. Actually he's probably not all that ancient... but being a bull rider will make you look and move like you are.

The more I drive all these newer cars the more I appreciate my old GTP. Sure, it's filthy and some of the plastic crap is broken.. and I'm STILL paying 170 a month on it... But the way it runs and handles is still on par or better than a lot of cars I've driven this week. My opinion of the Cadillac CTS is much lower now.
 
#7 ·
N law said:
Von said:
And the SAME MPG rating as the Trax!
On premium?
No idea on that. I thought anything after 2008 it really didn't matter... but that may just be ethanol related stuff.

I run 91+ octane in my truck and GTP, and ran it in the Z71... they just run better and get a little better MPG. But I never could get her or the boys to go by that if gassed my cars up.

I'll have to look that up.
 
#8 ·
N law said:
Von said:
And the SAME MPG rating as the Trax!
On premium?
I did a little searching on that. Was going to do a lot of searching and got disgusted.

Short answer... and ONLY halfway solid information... is a lengthy and tedious statement from a BMW spokesman in 2008, FULL of disclaimers, stating that yes, their cars will run fine on regular and will suffer no harm. There MAY be some degradation of mileage and performance depending on a vast assortment of different environmental and driving habit factors.

That was in an even lengthier and more tedious thread in a BMW forum and it quickly devolved into a very tedious and quite asinine discussion with anecdotal evidence of high performance engines "exploding" after 30k miles on regular gasoline... one guy selling his Jags and Bentleys because he couldn't find 93 octane... Costco vs Chevron fuel, European vs US octane ratings, arguments about the effects of pinging on an engine... (haven't knock sensors been out a while?) And then automotive experts from the NY Times saying that burning high octane fuels were detrimental to the environment (less/no ethanol) and increases our dependence on foreign countries. I only read the headline and google summary... didn't click that link.

SO no. Really I still don't know. But if we get the BMW I will tell her she should not be a cheapskate on the fuel.

And if we do get it and I have a problem with it later I will ask for advice on THIS forum.... not going to even bother joining ANY BMW related forums. Bunch of asshats. They're even worse than the jackwagons at the Chevy forums.
 
#9 ·
Von said:
And if we do get it and I have a problem with it later I will ask for advice on THIS forum.... not going to even bother joining ANY BMW related forums. Bunch of asshats. They're even worse than the jackwagons at the Chevy forums.
Ain't that the truth. My father is in the local BMW club. I'm in the VW club. We get together and wrench and display our cars to the public at events. They go for crazy fast rides, talk about what they use to wax their cars and go eat at fancy restaurants, talking down to non-BMW owners... Its different.

I recall once when he was trying to find out about how to fix a Mercedes that he had (he is a lover of all cars...) and we went online to find a Mercedes forum for technical support. The most involved threads were dealership bitchthreads and how to wash your car so as not to put swirls in the paint...
 
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#10 ·
although the CVT trans kinda freaks me out

I was that way when we bought our Honda CRV. Now that I've been driving it for a while I have grown to like the CVT Transmission. Just hope the longevity is there
 
#11 ·
itsmehb said:
although the CVT trans kinda freaks me out

I was that way when we bought our Honda CRV. Now that I've been driving it for a while I have grown to like the CVT Transmission. Just hope the longevity is there
The weirdness of driving it was bad enough but I remembered all the trouble the first CVT transmissions had. *shiver* it was spooky paying real money for one. I'm kinda spooked by all the electronics in the BMW drive train. The different drive modes and such... 8 speed transmission with a twin turbo I4..
I got on it a little. FUN. But I think they're getting crazy with the transmissions... The engine winds up too fast to really enjoy the sound, then it's on to the next gear. Way too many.
Anyway, the electronics on ALL the newer stuff wigs me out. I know the Europeans have been messing with electronically controlled transmissions and differentials and suspensions for years and Jeremy Clarkson says they are very good at it... but when stuff starts crapping out on that Beemer years from now when we're on SS and I can't afford to trade it off... then I guess I better have the Fairlane running by then.
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
Done deal.
IMG_20160812_202750899.jpg


Then she bought me dinner at Luigi's. Best meatballs on the planet.

We had fun making fun of ourselves... A very nice Sonata passed us and I said "Pft... Hyundai..." A woman driving an Explorer let us go first at an intersection. "Thank you... lowly Ford driver.." The tea we ordered with dinner was a little sour and we asked for something else. Then my wife started feeling bad. "Am I being too picky? I don't want to be a bitch. Maybe we should just drink it." "You drive a BMW, you can be as picky as you want. We're officially asshats now."
"The key fob doesn't have a panic button on it." "You drive a BMW, you don't panic." "But how will I find my car in Walmart parking lot?" "It'll be the only BMW."

She was driving and I was a nervous wreck the whole time. Not about her driving... every body else. Spent the whole drive with my head on a swivel, WILLING all other vehicles AWAY from us.

She loves it. She's happy, I'm happy. I just hope she figures that cruise control out and USES it... she's loving the turbo way too much.

I did find out after signing papers that there is no spare. Run flat tires and the factory supplied can of Fix a flat is gone. And the low tire warning thing is a huge PITA. The left front tire is 0.3 PSI lower than the others and Computer is VERY upset about that...
 

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#13 ·
Von said:
Done deal.
Congrats!

Von said:
"But how will I find my car in Walmart parking lot?"
Oh no, you don't shop at Walmart any more... Whole foods and target only!

Von said:
I did find out after signing papers that there is no spare. Run flat tires and the factory supplied can of Fix a flat is gone. And the low tire warning thing is a huge PITA. The left front tire is 0.3 PSI lower than the others and Computer is VERY upset about that...
Oh how fun! The runs flats are not the best riding tire so everyone changes them out afterwards (plus they are more expensive if I recall- probably have to get the z rated tires too!) dad always kept a can of fix a flat in there and a small air compressor that plugs into a cigarette lighter. If I'm not mistaken, the factory stuff fits into a large styrofoam tire shaped holder, so you might have the spare tire well if you can find a donut spare that fits.

Don't get me started on TPMS. My frontier has had the light on since I bought it...
 
#14 ·
LOL, I started to tell her she didn't shop at Walmart anymore... it just isn't done. That would have been too far though. Clearance Isle!!

I saw lots of emergency spare/jack/tire iron kits for BMW on ebay for $320ish. Haven't priced tires yet. The originals are in great shape... for now. Still smarting from the new tires I traded in with the Maxima.
When I was looking for the spare and lifted the floor panel in the trunk I saw there is a small cargo area under there, not very big. And a big fuse panel and a computer... Had a flashback of my wife carrying a cooler in her trunk and it dumping water everywhere. I told her NO carrying of coolers back there.

Now that THAT is done.... I can work on the truck some more. Going to replace the military ignition switch and see if that stops the intermittent no fuel pump power issue.
 
#15 ·
I did find out after signing papers that there is no spare. Run flat tires and the factory supplied can of Fix a flat is gone. And the low tire warning thing is a huge PITA. The left front tire is 0.3 PSI lower than the others and Computer is VERY upset about that...

Congrats. Ran run flats on my vet for ten years with no tire problems. Now, I just have the AAA program with 100 miles tow limit.
 
#16 ·
itsmehb said:
Congrats. Ran run flats on my vet for ten years with no tire problems. Now, I just have the AAA program with 100 miles tow limit.
It still has some warranty and roadside assistance, still studying all the paperwork. I'm impressed with all the BMW perks, especially the Asshat License.
We were making ourselves some bowls of cereal earlier. One full, unopened gallon of milk next to the almost empty gallon. She grabs the new one and opens it, "I'm using g the NEW milk because I drive a BMW."

Got curious about the tires and found this.

https://m.tirerack.com/tires/TireDetail ... R7CP7ASRFT

$144.50 each! About 1/3 what I was expecting. The new tires on the Nissan were almost a grand.

Edited after I noticed spelling/grammar errors... auto correct, my phone's keyboard and my fat thumbs conspiring against me.
 
#17 ·
Be sure to remind her that although her BMW does have turn signals, they emit light at a frequency the poor can't see. That's how those nasty rumors started about BMW drivers never using them. :mrgreen:

On a serious note, pay no mind to BMW's recommended oil change intervals, especially with a turbo. Change oil every 5K and use synthetic only or you may end up in a world of sludge.
 
#18 ·
gwana66 said:
Be sure to remind her that although her BMW does have turn signals, they emit light at a frequency the poor can't see. That's how those nasty rumors started about BMW drivers never using them. :mrgreen:

On a serious note, pay no mind to BMW's recommended oil change intervals, especially with a turbo. Change oil every 5K and use synthetic only or you may end up in a world of sludge.
HA! I'll warn her about the turn signals.

Thanks for the heads up on the oil. I haven't gotten around to looking that up yet. I need to look up transmission maintenance too. On the Nissan she forbid me from working on it... was worried some duct tape or ratchet straps might find their way in it. But then never took the car in to get serviced... appointments required and she doesn't do well on other's schedules...

But I run synthetic in my GTP and figured I'd do the same for this one.
 
#19 ·
Oh my...

https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-1286 ... er-bottle/

Really hoping they don't sell very many of those.

I guess if your initials are BMW and you need a new case for your multimeter that'd be a good deal.

I was searching for a better price on oil filters. Local autozone has them but I refuse to pay $17 for an STP oil filter. Or $27 for the K&N disposable.

LOL, have I mentioned I'm cheap? Luckily I only have to buy the filter cartridge cap wrench once...
 
#20 ·
One last update on the 328 and then I'll let this thread die...

Last week we picked up her Mom and step dad in Aubrey and took them to a Rangers game... they got shellacked by Cleveland, 12-1. We left at 7-1.

Running around on I35, 635 and wherever else... that car is a BLAST! It's comfy, fast and handles great. My wife and her Mom sat in back, Mike sat up front and navigated while I drove. I'm half deaf, he mumbles, I don't listen to directions well and his directions aren't very timely... so we had fun. I mean really, me and Mike were having fun and the ladies were freaking out.

On the way back to Aubrey... I think we were on 635... running in a pack of 12 to 15 cars at about 85 mph. Lead car in the middle lane shoots across to the left shoulder and almost hits the concrete dividers... (we're in the left lane) ... I see a mattress laying in the middle lane as we fly by... the lead car misses the divider and ends up flying back across all 3 lanes doing 360s... and ends up nose in the grass and tail end in the right lane. As this is going on the whole group splits down the middle and everyone is nailing the brakes and heading for their respective shoulder. I can brake faster than the car in front of me but I'm worried the guy behind me can't and I'm feathering the brakes to stay on the guy in front of me's butt and leave room for the guy behind me so he doesn't cream us.
As the lead car first went left and it became apparent "things" were happening... Mike and I were looking at it going .. hmmmm.... Lori and Donna were in back going.. "AAAAHHHWHATCHOUTWHATARETHEYDOINGAAAAHHHH!!!!"

Like I said, me and Mike had a blast. The ladies wanted to stop and check on the others but we were in the far lane... more traffic coming.. lots of people already stopped... I hammered it. I don't think any of the vehicles actually collided or even kissed a little. It was all very orderly and calm except for the driver of the first car, who I hope was wearing brown pants, and my wife and her Mom.

First problem with the car! The horns don't work. She said it worked but sounded funny when we got it and a couple days later, no horn. Did some totally useless searching on the bimmer forums.. did find out that horn problems are the most common on the BMWs. First the low tone goes out and it sounds like a "sick duck" or a "clown car" with just the high tone. Then the high tone goes out and sometimes takes the fuse with it.

I'm itching to tear into it and check if there's power at the horns... where ARE the horns??? But it's under warranty and she's forbidden me from working on it. But I AM going to do oil changes. Frequently.

The BMW forums... I'm sure there's many more but most search results led to these.
There's bimmerfest and bimmerpost... Bimmerfest appears to be for guys running older cars and they actually do some work on them and have some technical discussions. But there's nothing relevant to our car there.
Bimmerpost is where there WOULD be info on our car... IF anybody that drove an F30 chassis BMW did any actual work on their car. But it appears that downloading software updates from BMW to a USB drive and letting the car update itself is the closest thing to wrenching that happens... it's sad..
And TONS of posts asking WHERE the horn fuse is. On the little fuse chart, tucked into it's little pocket in the fuse box in the trunk... it has a column of cute pictures that represent a powered function. The next column shows the number for each fuse associated with that function. The next column has the locations for those fuses.
For the horn (classic picture of a trumpet) it shows no fuse number. For the fuse location it shows a cute picture of a car on a lift... which means Take it to the shop.
I did find out that the horn relay is located in the Forward Electronic Module (FEM), which is behind the passenger side kick panel... and which I am forbidden to touch by Frau Lori. I'm guessing the horn fuse is there too and that's why they won't tell you that and just want you to bring it in... keep your dickskinners off it!
That's actually a brilliant strategy for selling extended warranties... my wife was asking about an extended warranty today.

I called a local mechanic, Laslo Papp, that specializes in German cars and asked him if he could do warranty work... nope, he's a certified BMW tech but only a dealer can do warranty work. But then we talked for a bit about the car. He asked what was wrong with it and we talked about the horns. We agreed both horns were shot and the fuse needed to be checked. I told him I'd seen a lot of posts about that and asked if horn failures were common and he said no.... But it's one of the ONLY problems so it shows up a lot online. He said the most trouble he's seen from the F30s is bad weight sensors in the passenger seat so the car knows HOW to deploy the passenger airbag in an accident. whaaaat??

Anyway.. car has an appointment at the local BMW dealer on Tuesday...

software updates...hidden fuses.. weight sensors.. HOW to deploy the air bag (??!!)

Today I put a battery in the Fairlane and ran a hose from the fuel pump to a gas can and started it up... Just listening to that 289 makes my heart happy.
 
#21 ·
This can't be the last post! I'm enjoying this too much. It's like an episode of Beverly Hillbillies! Von gets a BMW!

I'm sure that once the extended warranties run out and the people left holding the hot potato are stuck with a car with expensive repair bills, THEN the forums will open up with good info on where things like fuses are.

My brother-in-law, (trooperChris on here), abandoned isuzus and ended up with a newish Nissan Pathfinder. They have the same problem with the passenger seat air bag weight sensor. He has taken it in a whole lot because it will not register that my sister is sitting in the seat. She appreciated the flattery, but it's supposed to activate over something like 100lbs. The thought is that even if you are stupid enough to put a small child in the front seat, they will pull the punch of the airbag so that it won't kill the kid. I'm over here thinking that my clock-spring is messed up on the rodeo and if it gets tapped, I know that mine won't go off...
 
#22 · (Edited by Moderator)
N law said:
This can't be the last post! I'm enjoying this too much. It's like an episode of Beverly Hillbillies! Von gets a BMW!
b9bf002b5ac69dbc593536f049ddf282.jpg


Man, you're gonna give me a complex. The first two threads I check today and you're whipping out the zingers! Gotta go check more threads now.
... nah, I'm too old to get a complex. And I zing me more than anybody else does and I haven't given me a complex yet.

Maybe I'll document the first oil change... since that's all I am allowed to do to it.
 

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#23 · (Edited by Moderator)
Okay, another post...

My wife drove my GTP to work and I took the BMW in to have the horns looked at. ... I've been dreading it. The last time I had warranty work done on a car was in 1993. I had a 93 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. Service was terrible. Nothing but crap from them.

So i take the car in and pull up to the service bays. Go in and they ask what kind of car, I tell them and they say Oh, you go over there to that other building. I go over there to the plush waiting room with the cappuccino machine and wait. The guy enters some info, pops the key fob into the fob reader on his desk and enters some more info. Then he hands me the key fob to the loaner and says he'll give me a call when it's ready...

The loaner.
IMG_20160906_083000445.jpg


With a full tank of gas too!

Fookin sweet. 528i. Another brilliant marketing strategy... I bet if I'd brought in a 528 they'd have given me a 7 series loaner.

Nice car. Compared to the 328 it's bigger, quieter, comfier... Slower though. Not as nimble. It has the same turbo charged 2.0 liter in it but it's a heavier car. Apparently a lot heavier.

earlier...
My wife called me when she got to work, asked what I was doing... Poopin, what you doing? Putting my foot down!
That no power problem with the GTP I posted about in Other Vehicles? It's back. She had gotten the office lights on and coffee maker started and was going to run some supplies over to the production building and the car wouldn't do anything.
She had heard some electrical buzzing and clicking coming from the dash on the way to work... Most of that is something in the stereo, it goes away when I hit the dash beside the stereo.
She said You are not putting another dime into any other vehicles until you fix that thing! It's gonna blow up or catch on fire or something! ... whatever.

I went down there in the loaner and checked it out. I opened the door and the dome light didn't come on. Zero juice. Opened the power distribution box and pushed down on all the relays and fuses and checked again, dome light was on. When she came out I got the key, hopped in and started it up. ... Oh you Ahole... LOL. She said You don't need to be driving that thing after buying me a new car.... I know, I'm such an Ahole...

I left the loaner with her and took the GTP home.

After I get all the residue from Brayden's Cadillac swept up I'll pull the GTP in and maybe take that distribution box apart.

I don't remember if I posted about Braydens Caddy escapades.. He found a 2003 CTS on CL in Oklahoma City. He was still in the academy for his new job at the prison. A few days later he found out his license was suspended from a couple of unpaid tickets for Minor in Possession in another county. AND he was driving the hell out of that Caddy without insurance or registering it in his name... And he's the sensible one of the two.

Then, while driving home hammered after partying (at his dad's I suspect) he ran into an old lady's yard and killed a decorative rock wall by her house. Also killed the front of his Caddy. He was arrested, the car was impounded.

He's gotten most of the damage fixed. But he had it in the shop the other night to install a new driver side turn signal/fog light assembly, but they gave him the wrong one. While it was on the lift he noticed the wiring harnesses for both of the downstream O2 sensors were jacked up. He said it'd been running bad but the check engine light wasn't on. He was just too scared to check codes. We've already determined that someone has disabled the check engine light on it.

Yesterday I went out there and checked it out. He had just replaced all 4 O2 sensors. To fix the connectors and get those two hooked up we'd have to replace both sensors and both of the pigtails. I figured those new sensors would last longer than the rest of the car so I just spliced the wires together and taped it up. Plenty of zip ties too. They're in a bad location...

the mighty rock wall also broke his driver's side front wheel and popped the brand new tire that was on it. We got another wheel from a junk yard with a decent tire on it. I took the popped tire to Firestone and warrantied it out. New tire was sitting in the shop.
The tire on the junk yard wheel was a 225/50, all the others are 225/55.

I also saw that all his tires except one were directional tread... all mounted the wrong way on the car. I dismounted the 225/50 and mounted the new 225/55 on the junk yard wheel. Static balanced it... will see how that works out. And then moved all the other wheels so the tires were spinning right.

I checked for codes, plenty of them there... Cleared the codes and took it for a spin around the block. Still no codes so I guess I got the sensors wired right. Got it on the highway and the new tire wasn't throwing a fit, I guess static balancing is okay. It pulls a little to the left. He had taken it to one of the chain shops for an alignment and they told him his control arm was bent or frame bent or something. ...

Anyway... lots of crap in the floor of the shop where I shredded his harness and all the mud that fell off his car. He went dove hunting and the Caddy isn't the best lease vehicle...
 

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#24 ·
Lori stopped by the house for lunch. And to inform me that the 528 is NOT slow... I just didn't step on it enough.

But neither one of our coffee mugs will fit in the 528 cup holders. POS.
 
#25 ·
Wow, look at you two! Not even a month into it and you've already been given the luxury service. "sorry for your horn inconvenience; you've been upgraded." Are you telling the guys on the "zone" about your affair in the luxury world?

That truly blows about the Cadillac... Did he get the license and insurance resolved BEFORE the rock wall incident? How did the wall fair? Are you having to rebuild a rock wall now?

I have a really good buddy who refuses to buy insurance despite the fact that its the law... He prints his own insurance card and either presents it to the cop for minor infractions (that won't contact insurance) or keeps his mouth shut and gets an "uninsured" charge if they will contact insurance... He is an idiot in my book. But what can I do? Oh yeah... he moved down from another county that had a wheel tax. He was tired of driving back and pretending he still lived there plus paying the wheel tax, so he tried to get through our county's emissions scam (he got rear ended w/ no insurance- something is cracked and throws the CEL). If failed, so now his 2001 Jeep is registered as a 1972 VW bus, which is emissions exempt. I think one of your boys made it up this way! After all- you don't need insurance or registration for the car to start....! And seat belts are only there to have you already restrained when the cops stop you... :roll:
 
#26 ·
N law said:
Wow, look at you two! Not even a month into it and you've already been given the luxury service. "sorry for your horn inconvenience; you've been upgraded." Are you telling the guys on the "zone" about your affair in the luxury world?
nah. good guys, very helpful with the truck.. but not a lot of convo going on there.

His license is currently good, but the slow wheels of justice haven't addressed that incident yet. And he still hasn't registered it or gotten insurance. And the car isn't at 100% yet. Still no left turn signals or parking lights, front and rear. We've warned him he's on his own and homeless if he goes to jail again.

they hauled him off because his license was suspended... they knew he was hammered but I think they just didn't want to mess with the paperwork. I was there... pitiful site. And they impounded the car because he had no insurance. That's how they roll here.

We're staying out of the wall issue, that's all his. The woman that owns the house sent him a letter saying she would let him pay out the 7 grand in damages... or she can take him to court. IF I had to step in then I'd say he should pay out the deductible on her homeowner's insurance claim, guessing that's how it would go in a civil suit. And if she doesn't have homeowners insurance... well... I guess they should get together and form a dumbass club. Even when I was young(er) and dumb(er) and filing for bankruptcy I always paid the insurance premiums before I bought food. I hate making the payments but when you need it...

A 2001 jeep registered as a 72 VW bus... cool trick there.

We got the 328 back today. I complimented the service manager on the slick upsell tactics with the loaded 528 loaner... he blushed! Actually blushed! And then complained again about not having enough loaner cars. Dealers in Dallas keep 200 loaners on hand and he has 10 loaners and 20 cars in for repairs. It's tough... "everyone just expects to get a loaner..." which I interpreted to mean "all you BMW driving asshats expect a loaner"

I was at wally world earlier (in the truck so I didn't have to park away from all those door dinging heathens...) and got some Mobil 1 0w40 for her car. I have 4 filters already and have the cartridge cap wrench on the way. I priced a filter while I was at WalMart, they have them. Fram XG10075. $25! For a Fram filter? Just a paper filter with no metal shell on it? I'm guessing O rings are in there too... box was taped shut.

The dealer we bought it from changed the oil when they had it but they didn't replace the O ring or torqued it wrong or something... seeping oil from the cap and it's pissin her off... So I'll change the oil when the stuffs come in and clean everything up good.
... I don't think the "new" is going to wear off for her any time soon.
 
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