March 15 Weekly Open Thread

As always this is the place for the conversation that doesn't belong anywhere else.

In keeping with our blog-wide theme of taking more hands-on care of our cars, I washed and waxed the Audi yesterday. Which ... means that I've waxed a car more times in the last three months (2) than I have in the rest of my life combined (1).

--Chris H.

Comments

[Anthony Cagle on March 15, 2010 at 01:13 PM]

I changed the battery on the Spousal Unit's Honda this weekend. Went like a piece of cake.

Except.

Apparently the positive clamp is busted since it only fit loosely aroudn the pole and wouldn't clamp tight. CAN I NOT DO ONE SIMPLE THING ON THAT CAR WITHOUT IT FOULING UP?????

I tried replacing a headlight bulb and either I broke it or the replacement that was recently put in was already broken, because the headlight assembly was missing some tabs and the light housing wouldn't fit right. Grrrrrrrrr.

[That Car Guy on March 15, 2010 at 01:36 PM]

The Japanese seem to use a rather thin piece of metal for their battery clamps, as opposed to the big old lead leads that us Americans use. I have cracked a Nissan truck battery lead just by tightening it.

Plastics don't hold up well, either. The Miata's license plate lights are held on by plastic clips, and they are brittle. My buddy's 25-year-old BMW has lost its plastic odometer gears. Replacing them was fun... at $30 each, for 3.

[Steaming Pile on March 16, 2010 at 07:16 AM]

Well, whether it's a big lead clamp or a thin steel one, the clamp ought to fit around the pole. So you probably got sold the wrong battery at the auto parts store. Could I be wrong?

[That Car Guy on March 16, 2010 at 07:48 AM]

This was an almost brand-new truck with all factory parts. Everything fit perfectly, it's just that the thin metal wasn't up to the job of getting a good snug fit.

[Chris Mallow on March 16, 2010 at 10:41 AM]

I changed the cap and rotor on my 86' Bronco, mostly because that was all I had time and money for. It needed it. It also needs an oil change, transmission fluid change, diff oil change, transfer case oil change...

Oh, and my wife's 2004 Ford Freestar needs an oil change and rear brake pad change.

All coming very soon.

[ERIC D on March 17, 2010 at 11:31 AM]

Please post some more pictures of your audi!

[John Bono on March 17, 2010 at 02:11 PM]

Well, I installed the left defroster vent grill on my 928. It only cost $50. Of course, though, being a Porsche, that's the downpayment, lol.

[Bill T. on March 17, 2010 at 08:28 PM]

This one is about a domestic. I just sent my old '89 LeSabre to the salvage yard in the sky. The engine and trans were running fine, but the rust won out. It always started right up, and the last tank was 27 MPG. I bought it in '94 from the original, or possibly second, owner. She was a GM employee and bought it as a factory exec vehicle. When I got it, it had just short of 30,000 miles on it, and was pristine. Clean as a whistle and total service records. Wanting to keep it for a long time, I contacted Ziebart, and they said that with the mileage as low as it was, I could qualify for a lifetime warranty. I had that done soon after buying it, for a cost of around $300.00. I took it back for regular yearly checks to keep the warranty in force. Then, by chance I missed a check, and they cancelled the entire warranty. Since then, the Ziebart location is gone. I have had few cars that were as trouble-free and smooth. That 3800 V-6 always ran smoothly, and we took it several places. I had hoped to get it to 200,000 miles but the rust has claimed it at 162,000. I had briefly thought about getting a later model Riviera body to put the engine in, but was told that it wouldn't fit. Adios to a nice, smooth vehicle.

[Steaming Pile on March 18, 2010 at 04:53 AM]

@Bill - 162K sounds about right in the Northeast. We just traded a perfectly running '99 Honda Accord last year with 175K on it. Same reason. Rust was eating up everything on the underside of the car.

[Cookie the Dog's Owner on March 19, 2010 at 05:38 AM]

Interesting approach to figuring trunk space:

http://lemonademadedaily.blogspot.com/2010/03/unusual-selling-points.html