Car Thread

[Seaboard Air Line Fan]

I still have the original battery in my 2008 Mini Cooper

I got it inspected this past May and the mechanic told me it was getting weak, costs $200+ to get them to replace it.

It still starts, but I am seeing it take a bit longer.

The battery alone is $125-180 so I think the price he quoted is a bit low as half the passenger side coverings under the hood have to be removed...think I'll do it myself.

I really do hate cars, too much money for something a drunk can take out 5 minutes after leaving the showroom floor.

[healey36]

Last time I replaced the BMW's battery it set me back $190...it's a small-profile unit that fits into s similarly-sized compartment under the floor of the trunk (probably the result of some engineer's over-zealous machinations for the vaunted 50-50 weight distribution). I suspect Mini suffers similarly at the hands of those guys at BMW.

Healey

[healey36]

Now, back to the snow-thrower...

Tomorrow will be a great day to work on that outdoors.........

Just came in from chopping on the hedge...with the temp heading into the upper eighties and the humidity heading toward saturation it felt like I was hacking my way through the jungles of Sumatra. At least the snow-thrower is in the garage...

[E7]

I still have the original battery in my 2008 Mini Cooper

The battery in my 2008 Colorado Pickemup just croaked over the winter. Longest lasting car battery I have ever owned. My personal record was a small John Deere lawn tractor which I bought used, that had 10 years on it (not counting the original owner's time) and was still working when I gave the tractor to a friend! Sat in my garage every winter WITHOUT a trickle charger. Must have been the best battery ever made.

My Dad had a 68 beetle with the battery under the back seat. Worst to get in and out was 94 Olds Cutlass, because I was too lazy to remove a fender brace.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

...cars, too much money for something a drunk can take out 5 minutes after leaving the showroom floor.

I saw that happen once. While looking out a showroom front window, I saw a customer who had just received his delivery of a new sedan not look to his left as he pulled off the lot pavement. He got hit broadside by a truck.

[Seaboard Air Line Fan]

Murph,

A friend of mine bought a new Ford truck, had it 6 hours before a drunk hit him.

The Ford dealer said it was so new they didn't have all the parts to fix it in yet, kept it 6 months before he got it back.

This was back in the 1970s.

[Mitch]

I put a new battery in my '06 Ram last fall. 10 years old, still starting without a problem, (but I didn't want stranded on the boat ramp when I'm the only vehicle in the lot in early November), and what's really amazing is I completely killed that battery twice where it wouldn't even play the radio anymore. Usually, you kill a car battery with a total discharge just once, you may be livin' on the edge of havin' it die on ya. The original battery in my Cub Cadet lasted 10 years; don't remember what manufacturer that was, (could've been Yuasa), and it never had a trickle charge on it sittin' out in the garage winter after winter.

Healy, check the other thread about the PMs. I posted there about gettin' some Star Tron. It'll help keep those snow blowers, lawnmowers, and generators free of gunk and it stabilizes the gas.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Yeah, and exactly one week after taking delivery of my brand-new 1989 Cadillac Sedan Deville, I took it on its maiden voyage to Upstate NY and when returning home on Rt11, I hit my first black-ice ever, once I reached the top of a hill, going approximately 15mph. Upon seeing an elderly couple starting up the hill in their old Buick-compact, my car began to drift into their oncoming lane ( you should have seen their eyes!) since the car wasn't responding to my use of the brakes. So, I tried steering to the right and onto the shoulder. Zero effect. When I tired steering more and applied the brakes, the car increased its speed on its own (I gave it NO GAS) and did a 360; then, a 180, ending up facing up the hill against traffic, alongside the guardrail that had just taken my right-rear housing off from around the taillight. I eased my car back around, to face in the direction of my intended travel, once again, and limped on homeward. Apparently I had no idea how to use a front-wheel-drive car effectively, and had much to learn about black-ice.

Oh. I learned, all right, I do not go out when it snows or ice-rains any more. Never. Ever. Not for anybody.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Apparently I had no idea how to use a front-wheel-drive car effectively, and had much to learn about black-ice.

Oh. I learned, all right, I do not go out when it snows or ice-rains any more. Never. Ever. Not for anybody.

Sadly, we have several hundreds of thousands of drivers here that have no idea whatsoever and no ability to learn much of anything.

I loved watching the Vette on the ice and snow that blew by my Outback.........later sideways in the median. We were just wondering how far he was going to get before something happened.

It's good that the Gov't finally learned to stop dragging all the idiots out of the roads only to turn them all around a few hours later.

And yes, I also just stay at home...........and laugh at the traffic reports,

[healey36]

Healy, check the other thread about the PMs. I posted there about gettin' some Star Tron. It'll help keep those snow blowers, lawnmowers, and generators free of gunk and it stabilizes the gas.

Back atcha in the PM thread. Short story - been using StarTron for years, as well as Stabil and an occasional shot of Marvel's. Now that the Sprite seems to be sorted I'll get back to the snow-thrower.

Healey

[healey36]

Best car I've ever driven in snow is this BMW Z3...locking rear-end and a set of winter tires (usually Dunlop Graspics) and it's virtually unstoppable. The thing is a tank. The only problem is it sits so low if you get into more than seven or eight inches of snow it scoops it into the air intake up front, damming up the radiator. She starts to run hot so you have to stop and shovel the snow out of the front end...

Many of my coworkers drove rear-wheel drive BMW's and went nowhere. POS "all-season" radials will do that for you. Another friend of mine used to drive his Z3 from Frederick Md to Northern Virginia everyday. Never failed to make it home. He ran winter tires and kept a pair of chains in the trunk.

Nothing more pathetic than seeing some bozo in his Lexus running bald all-seasons on the Capital Beltway in a snowstorm. Don't even talk about Mustangs and Camaros...

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Nothing more pathetic than seeing some bozo in his Lexus running bald all-seasons on the Capital Beltway in a snowstorm. Don't even talk about Mustangs and Camaros...

I am waiting to see one of the Lambo's out on the Beltway in the snow........

[HONDO74]

Nothing more pathetic than seeing some bozo in his Lexus running bald all-seasons on the Capital Beltway in a snowstorm. Don't even talk about Mustangs and Camaros...

I am waiting to see one of the Lambo's out on the Beltway in the snow........

Snow tires not required..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7dqkecR0Tw

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Nothing more pathetic than seeing some bozo in his Lexus running bald all-seasons on the Capital Beltway in a snowstorm. Don't even talk about Mustangs and Camaros...

I am waiting to see one of the Lambo's out on the Beltway in the snow........

Snow tires not required..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7dqkecR0Tw

Never underestimate the stupidity of the human race.............they'll just shove it in your face anyway.

[Mitch]

Healy, check the other thread about the PMs. I posted there about gettin' some Star Tron. It'll help keep those snow blowers, lawnmowers, and generators free of gunk and it stabilizes the gas.

Back atcha in the PM thread. Short story - been using StarTron for years, as well as Stabil and an occasional shot of Marvel's. Now that the Sprite seems to be sorted I'll get back to the snow-thrower.

Healey

Sometimes there's just no substitute for blowin' the cobwebs out of a motor.