I'm almost glad I don't drive a car any more...
- a nameless entity
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I'm almost glad I don't drive a car any more...
In December of 2008 my 1987 T-Bird died of old age. I had the wreckers take it away.
Needless to say I've been using public transportation since then. I sometimes day dream of winning the lotto and buying a new car. What I fancy I'd like to have changes frequently.
But with all the recalls, bad air bags from TAKATA, and now this latest scandal, cars that use too much oil,
I think maybe I'll just be happy with things the way they are.
Here's an interesting article at Consumer Reports' website:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/maga ... /index.htm
If you just want to read the list of the 30 worst offenders, there's a link at the top of the page which will scroll you down to it immediately. But I think the article is worth your time to read, as are some of the reader comments at the bottom of the page.
Car ownership is a very expensive convenience. And we certainly don't need all the bs that's been going on for the last few years, or this "new" problem, adding on to the cost.
I find it interesting that the majority of the offenders are German brands. For years, from at least the 1980's and on, Volkswagens were oil burners. But that was because they couldn't seem to harden their valve guides properly. They were also very unwilling to admit it, and would not willingly do repairs under warranty. It seems nothing has changed, except the cause.
Needless to say I've been using public transportation since then. I sometimes day dream of winning the lotto and buying a new car. What I fancy I'd like to have changes frequently.
But with all the recalls, bad air bags from TAKATA, and now this latest scandal, cars that use too much oil,
I think maybe I'll just be happy with things the way they are.
Here's an interesting article at Consumer Reports' website:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/maga ... /index.htm
If you just want to read the list of the 30 worst offenders, there's a link at the top of the page which will scroll you down to it immediately. But I think the article is worth your time to read, as are some of the reader comments at the bottom of the page.
Car ownership is a very expensive convenience. And we certainly don't need all the bs that's been going on for the last few years, or this "new" problem, adding on to the cost.
I find it interesting that the majority of the offenders are German brands. For years, from at least the 1980's and on, Volkswagens were oil burners. But that was because they couldn't seem to harden their valve guides properly. They were also very unwilling to admit it, and would not willingly do repairs under warranty. It seems nothing has changed, except the cause.
I'm a man........but I can change........if I have to........I guess
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Re: I'm almost glad I don't drive a car any more...
Get one of those really tiny cars, the ones that look like boxes on wheels.
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Re: I'm almost glad I don't drive a car any more...
Yes, 2 people at my work had expensive Audi's that went through oil like Grant took Richmond.
They could not even sell them!
My wife bought a 2015 Mazda CX-5
They are rated the best of the top 5 compact SUVs or aka CUVs.
Very innovative car.
It has 13:1 compression ratio and runs on regular gas.
Quarter mile = 15.5 seconds and gets the best gas mileage in its class (mid 30's) - even over hybrids.
They could not even sell them!
My wife bought a 2015 Mazda CX-5
They are rated the best of the top 5 compact SUVs or aka CUVs.
Very innovative car.
It has 13:1 compression ratio and runs on regular gas.
Quarter mile = 15.5 seconds and gets the best gas mileage in its class (mid 30's) - even over hybrids.
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- a nameless entity
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Re: I'm almost glad I don't drive a car any more...
I wonder sometimes if it's that stupid 5w20 oil that the manufacturers all want us to use in the new cars these days. IMO that stuff only exists so that they can squeeze a little more mpg out of a car by making the oil so thin that it has very low friction resistance in the engine. I'm also betting that that so-thin-it's-like-water motor oil burns off very easily, and that is why these engines are constantly running low.Hook wrote:Yes, 2 people at my work had expensive Audi's that went through oil like Grant took Richmond.
They could not even sell them!
I also bet that a change to good old 10W30, or even 10W40 in the summer time, would eliminate that issue entirely. Lastly I bet that running the thicker oil would cost less than 1-3 mpg.
************
And now on a different note, while we're talking about cars: I just heard today that a Tesla electric automobile was so good that it broke CU's testing charts, and scored an incredible 103/100.
http://business.financialpost.com/news/ ... rts-review
Gee, a lotto win would fit so nicely into my new car dreams at the moment.
I'm a man........but I can change........if I have to........I guess
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Re: I'm almost glad I don't drive a car any more...
Geez, it just keeps getting worse and worse.....
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/volkswa ... -1.3236548
I was always leery of buying a VW product because VW Canada have always been real bastids when it comes to making a warranty claim. But this scandal is perhaps even more mind boggling than the GM faulty ignition switch debacle. GM's culpability is in no way forgiveable, but one can understand the temptation behind what they did, since the company was in danger of bankruptcy. However, VW has no such "excuse" at all. No wonder their stock took a major hit. The fines will nearly kill them. Or should.
What they did here was complete corporate banditry. The ones responsible for this must go to jail. From the top boss who okayed this right down to the s.o.b. who designed the software used to foil the emissions tests.
Why didn't I go to law school? Oh, the money to be made in the coming class action law suits! Omg!
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/volkswa ... -1.3236548
I was always leery of buying a VW product because VW Canada have always been real bastids when it comes to making a warranty claim. But this scandal is perhaps even more mind boggling than the GM faulty ignition switch debacle. GM's culpability is in no way forgiveable, but one can understand the temptation behind what they did, since the company was in danger of bankruptcy. However, VW has no such "excuse" at all. No wonder their stock took a major hit. The fines will nearly kill them. Or should.
What they did here was complete corporate banditry. The ones responsible for this must go to jail. From the top boss who okayed this right down to the s.o.b. who designed the software used to foil the emissions tests.
Why didn't I go to law school? Oh, the money to be made in the coming class action law suits! Omg!
I'm a man........but I can change........if I have to........I guess
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Re: I'm almost glad I don't drive a car any more...
I'm shocked at this myself. Wow. Volks folks really screwed the pooch this time. Watch too. I bet nobody goes to jail and I bet other companies get busted too.
~Peace~
Hermskii
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Re: I'm almost glad I don't drive a car any more...
Can you spell BMW?Hermskii wrote:I'm shocked at this myself. Wow. Volks folks really screwed the pooch this time. Watch too. I bet nobody goes to jail and I bet other companies get busted too.
(No deliberate software banditry, but dirty "clean" diesels nevertheless)
Oh I am hoping, but sure you're right that no one will go to jail.
Think back to the '70's. All those Fords with the faulty transmission detents that killed people when they walked behind their cars with the engine running and the transmission in 'Park'.
And let's not forget the Ford Pinto. -And the internal memo that was passed around that pointed out that it would be cheaper to pay off the lawsuits than fix the gas tank design flaw.
My best friend's work buddy got killed in his Pinto back in the '70's after being rear ended.
My friend had been carpooling with his work buddy, but had just managed to buy his own car a few weeks or months before his buddy died.
We didn't see anybody go to jail back then, did we? And should have for far better cause, one could argue.
I'm a man........but I can change........if I have to........I guess
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Re: I'm almost glad I don't drive a car any more...
I just wonder how my neighbor feels ...
(he always brags to me how clean and efficient his VWs are te he)
(he always brags to me how clean and efficient his VWs are te he)
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Re: I'm almost glad I don't drive a car any more...
As I understand it, his car will run as it should have with the simple software change. Of course, this also means that his mileage will go down, and also the power output of the engine will be reduced.
I'm betting that these stringent and so hard to meet requirements for ever higher fuel mileage is one of the culprits that were the basis leading to the temptation to begin the willful cheating that has occured.
I'm betting that these stringent and so hard to meet requirements for ever higher fuel mileage is one of the culprits that were the basis leading to the temptation to begin the willful cheating that has occured.
I'm a man........but I can change........if I have to........I guess
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Re: I'm almost glad I don't drive a car any more...
Agreed. I bet several other car companies get busted in the next year for similar cheats.
~Peace~
Hermskii
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