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Bay City, OR Car Consumer Discussions

Re: Best Gas Mileage Modifications [sdtrex]

by d07 on Mon Nov 17 10:12:34 PST 2008

From the choices you have given, I know that most of the above would work, but in optimal situations when great demand is placed on the engine. But I suspect that each one will give you fractions more on the gallon in terms of MPG, and most probably will be offset by the increase in weight especially if the part is an add-on and not a replacement. there certainly would be horsepower gains noticed but at optimal engine rpms -( ie; driving like grandpa really wouldn't allow any perceived improvement). Driving for economy usually results in pumping losses, inertial losses and sometimes taking unusually longer time to reach optimal speed. But some things that can certainly help considering your driving habits would be: 1)Synthetic oil . (may gain between 1-4 mpg depending on the engine type and condition - ie, wear) 2)Less restrictive air filter (may be 0-.5 mpg improvement) 3)Tires inflated 2-4 psi above manufacturer recommendation ( 0.1 - 0.3 mgp improvement - careful with this to prevent premature wear and poor handling) 4)using a engine warmer in winter so engine reaches optimal temp quickly) 5)Changing transmission, differential fluids & other lubricants regularly - once a year maybe to keep friction robbing wear at bay.( but not overdoing it) 6)Developing correct driving technique for acceleration, cruise and slowing down. 7)Limiting alternator loads by using less power demands - high blower speed, music loud, heated, seats dome/interior lights on when vehicle is off. 8)Taking out unnecessary weight like removable seats etc. if any of you out there have any more tips - please let me know as well. I have a 2008 Honda Crv City driving, 21 MPG Highway 29-34 MPG Really light foot - flat road - 39 MPG - (No Hypermiling)

We can speculate all we want it is a boondoggle

by gagrice on Fri Nov 07 06:33:59 PST 2008

According to the State website the hoped for figure is: The most recent ridership forecasts for the California High-Speed Train Project estimate between 88 – 117 million passengers annually by 2030 for the entire 800-mile high-speed train network connecting Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, Central Valley, Los Angeles, Orange County, the Inland Empire, and San Diego. How many people can be carried on a high-speed train? Operating “trainsets” will have multiple cars and will be up to 1,300 feet long, depending on the type of train and the market demand. At peak travel times, trains can be lengthened, or trainsets can be connected, to operate as a single train. The high-speed train could be configured in many different ways either to maximize seating, which would provide seating for up to 1,300 passengers or to provide more space per passenger than a conventional airline seat and provide a café area and other amenities, in which case trains could carry around 950 passengers. http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/faqs/ridership.htm Those numbers mean this train will carry at least 3 times as many as the high speed train on the East Coast. Amtrak claims 3 million per year for Acela Express. My concerns are as follows. The state currently has 304,000 employees. This system claims it will add 450,000 permanent jobs. Was that just a gimmick to get votes. I would say it was. And why should those not benefiting in most of the state be burdened with this tremendous debt? If the cities that want the train and will benefit from the train vote for it. They should pay the bill. Not all the counties that are not in any way going to benefit. The best we can hope for is no one will loan that money to the state with their current financial condition. peer reviews: The FRA and U.C Berkeley studies also produced lower high-speed train ridership

'06 R350 auction numbers

by stevesmer on Thu Oct 30 12:34:18 PDT 2008

I found the auction numbers for the R350. Here is the website I pulled them from: http://www.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?p=3139798#post3139798 06' MB R350 10/22/08 W PALM Lease $24,750 21,410 Above BLACK 6G A Yes 10/22/08 W PALM Lease $24,000 42,371 Above PEWTR 6G A Yes 10/22/08 W PALM Lease $23,500 14,947 Above IRI SIL 6G A Yes 10/22/08 W PALM Lease $23,000 20,016 Above ALB WHT 6G A Yes 10/22/08 W PALM Lease $22,000 23,653 Avg ALB WHT 6G A Yes 10/22/08 W PALM Lease $21,750 23,550 Avg ALP RAN 6G A Yes 10/22/08 W PALM Lease $21,500 22,439 Avg PEWTR 6G A Yes 10/22/08 W PALM Lease $21,250 21,572 Avg BLACK 6G A Yes 10/22/08 W PALM Lease $21,000 23,773 Avg ALB WHT 6G A Yes 10/22/08 W PALM Lease $20,600 41,983 Avg ALP RAN 6G A Yes 10/22/08 W PALM Factory $18,500 25,214 Below PEWTR 6G A Yes 10/22/08 SEATTLE Lease $20,000 21,053 Avg IRI SIL 6CY A Yes 10/22/08 SAN ANTO Regular $23,100 32,892 Above BLUE 6G A Yes 10/22/08 SAN ANTO Regular $22,900 19,761 Above GOLD 6G A Yes 10/22/08 NADE Regular $21,650 24,721 Avg SILVER 6G A Yes 10/22/08 NADE Regular $21,250 37,901 Avg Blue 6G N Yes 10/22/08 MILWAUKE Lease $21,000 43,651 Avg DES SIL 6G A Yes 10/22/08 MILWAUKE Regular $19,250 52,108 Below BLACK 6G A Yes 10/22/08 MILWAUKE Lease $17,500 38,209 Below IRI SIL 6G A No 10/22/08 CADE Lease $20,500 68,996 Avg SILVER 6G A Yes 10/22/08 BAY CITI Regular $19,400 26,613 Avg BLUE 6G A Yes 10/23/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $27,000 19,434 Above BLACK 6G A No 10/23/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $26,000 18,065 Above OBS BLK 6G A No 10/23/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $24,250 21,997 Above IRI SIL 6G A Yes 10/23/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $24,000 19,253 Above IRI SIL 6G A Yes 10/23/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $23,750 18,665 Above PEWTER 6G A Yes 10/23/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $19,750 36,867 Avg BLACK 6G A Yes 10/23/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $19,250 16,785 Below ALP RAN 6G A Yes 10/23/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $18,000 27,797 Below BAR RED 6G A No 10/23/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $18,000 25,372 Below PEWTER 6G A No 10/23/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $17,250 32,509 Below DES SIL 6G A No 10/23/08 AWS Regular $22,150 41,753 Avg Blue 6CY A Yes 10/23/08 ATLANTA Regular $19,000 58,127 Below SILVER 6G A Yes 10/24/08 MANHEIM Lease $22,000 7,062 Avg ALP RAN 6G T Yes 10/24/08 MANHEIM Regular $21,600 49,607 Avg BLK/TAN 6G A Yes 10/24/08 MANHEIM Regular $20,800 50,023 Avg WHT/TAN 6G A Yes 10/24/08 MANHEIM Regular $20,750 16,477 Avg TAN 6G A Yes 10/24/08 MANHEIM Lease $20,000 18,635 Avg OBS BLK 6G T Yes 10/24/08 MANHEIM Lease $20,000 16,605 Avg ALP RAN 6G T Yes 10/24/08 MANHEIM Lease $18,500 27,566 Below PEWTR 6G T Yes 10/24/08 MANHEIM Regular $18,100 52,248 Below SLVR 6G A Yes 10/27/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $21,000 17,023 Avg IRI SIL 6G A Yes 10/27/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $21,000 13,921 Avg PEWTER 6G A Yes 10/27/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $20,500 26,067 Avg ALB WHT 6G A Yes 10/27/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $20,500 22,878 Avg ALP RAN 8G A Yes 10/27/08 MANHEIM Lease $23,000 8,603 Above IRI SIL 6G T Yes 10/27/08 MANHEIM Lease $22,500 21,207 Avg ALB WHT 6G T Yes 10/27/08 MANHEIM Lease $22,500 20,715 Avg ALB WHT 6G T Yes 10/27/08 MANHEIM Lease $22,500 13,837 Avg ALB WHT 6G T Yes 10/27/08 MANHEIM Lease $21,750 10,117 Avg ALP RAN 6G T Yes 10/27/08 MANHEIM Lease $21,500 25,557 Avg PEWTR 6G T Yes 10/27/08 MANHEIM Lease $21,500 21,873 Avg IRI SIL 6G T Yes 10/27/08 MANHEIM Lease $21,500 15,797 Avg ALB WHT 6G A Yes 10/27/08 MANHEIM Lease $21,250 21,075 Avg BAR RED 6G T Yes 10/27/08 MANHEIM Lease $20,750 22,493 Avg ALB WHT 6G T Yes 10/27/08 MANHEIM Lease $20,750 21,982 Avg ALB WHT 6G T Yes 10/27/08 MANHEIM Lease $20,500 21,303 Avg BAR RED 6G T Yes 10/27/08 MANHEIM Lease $20,250 22,575 Avg BLACK 6G A Yes 10/27/08 MANHEIM Lease $20,250 17,427 Avg IRI SIL 6G T Yes 10/28/08 RIVRSIDE Lease $17,000 21,952 Below BLACK 6G A No 10/28/08 DFW Lease $24,500 27,415 Above PEWTR 6G A Yes 10/28/08 DFW Lease $22,750 27,501 Above CPR BLU 6G A Yes 10/28/08 DFW Lease $22,750 23,277 Above BAR RED 6G A Yes 10/28/08 DFW Lease $22,500 19,990 Avg DES SIL 6G A Yes 10/28/08 DFW Lease $22,000 31,668 Avg BLACK 6G A Yes 10/28/08 DFW Lease $21,750 24,478 Avg ALB WHT 6G A Yes 10/28/08 DFW Lease $21,500 27,045 Avg DES SIL 6G A Yes 10/28/08 DFW Lease $21,250 44,020 Avg ALP RAN 6G A Yes 10/28/08 DFW Regular $17,000 88,252 Below WHITE 6G A Yes 10/28/08 BIG H Regular $24,000 49,692 Above Silver 6G N No 10/28/08 BIG H Regular $22,200 16,746 Avg White NON N Yes 10/28/08 BIG H Regular $21,700 27,089 Avg Black NON N Yes 10/28/08 BIG H Regular $21,700 27,024 Avg NONE NON N Yes 10/29/08 SEATTLE Lease $23,250 17,478 Above BLACK 6G A Yes 10/29/08 SEATTLE Lease $21,500 23,944 Avg ALP RAN 6G A Yes 10/29/08 SEATTLE Lease $20,750 17,385 Avg BLACK 6G A Yes 10/29/08 SEATTLE Lease $20,500 34,227 Avg IRI SIL 6G A Yes 10/29/08 SEATTLE Lease $20,500 24,939 Avg ALP RAN 6G A Yes 10/29/08 SEATTLE Lease $20,000 20,142 Avg OBS BLK 6G A Yes 10/29/08 SEATTLE Lease $19,750 20,127 Avg LT BLUE 6G A Yes 10/29/08 SEATTLE Lease $19,500 15,682 Avg IRI SIL 6G A Yes 10/29/08 SEATTLE Lease $18,750 40,386 Below BAR RED 6G A Yes 10/29/08 SEATTLE Lease $18,500 16,367 Below ALB WHT 6G A No 10/29/08 SEATTLE Lease $17,500 36,752 Below BLACK 6G A No 10/29/08 NASHVILL Lease $22,250 24,190 Avg SILVER 6G A Yes 10/29/08 NASHVILL Lease $22,000 12,972 Avg PEWTR 6G A Yes 10/29/08 NASHVILL Lease $21,500 19,184 Avg OBS BLK 6G A Yes 10/29/08 NASHVILL Lease $20,750 20,511 Avg PEWTR 6G A Yes 10/29/08 NASHVILL Lease $20,500 24,379 Avg ALP RAN 6G A Yes 10/29/08 NASHVILL Lease $19,500 14,411 Avg BLK 6G A Yes 10/29/08 NADE Regular $22,400 24,543 Avg BLK 6G Yes 10/29/08 NADE Regular $21,500 32,775 Avg GREY 6G A Yes 10/29/08 NADE Regular $20,000 42,998 Avg Gold 6G N Yes 10/29/08 MILWAUKE Lease $23,750 23,569 Above BLACK 6G A Yes 10/29/08 MILWAUKE Lease $19,750 19,894 Avg BLACK 6G A Yes 10/29/08 MILWAUKE Lease $18,750 54,919 Below IRI SIL 6G A Yes 10/29/08 MILWAUKE Lease $18,750 43,876 Below IRI SIL 6G A Yes 10/29/08 MILWAUKE Lease $18,250 49,697 Below ALB WHT 6G A Yes 10/29/08 MILWAUKE Lease $18,000 17,931 Below DES SIL 6G A No 10/29/08 MILWAUKE Lease $17,500 25,485 Below CPR BLU 6G A No Copyright © 1996-2008 Manheim Auctions

Re: Transmission Fluid Flush or Replacement [dmgadget]

by pscheid on Wed Oct 15 10:31:26 PDT 2008

Well, our posts seem to be crossing. I type slow and think slower. MECHANICS: A good and relatively trustworthy mechanic with reasonable prices. Seemingly a pipe dream, but they are out there. I may have been lucky in 1993 when I found mine, close to home too. I have made a point of remaining loyal to him, even if I pay more for his gas. At least he sees me a lot. And he always asks about my satisfaction with the previous repair. After I tell him everything is fine, I remind him he should name a repair bay after me with no smile on my face. I expect him to be loyal to me in return. I am not shy about pointing out to him that when my cars come off warranty (I'm a cradle to grave car owner) he gets first shot and every one thereafter until HE gives me reason to change. He offers me a bag or box with my old parts after each repair which I look over and leave there for disposal. He has been particularly good at calling and pointing out preventative stuff where the labor at some disassembly is already a sunk cost and "while it's apart you may want to consider..." I'll have to talk to you sometime about my idler pully assembly (it froze, bearing siezed) and I also opted for a new a/c compressor and I believe alternator to boot. Slap in bearings/shaft fit, and something to go next, stranded with dogs and/or fuming wife. Now that the engine was unbolted and lifted, and the lions share of the labor was already invested...... A COMPARABLE REPLACEMENT CAR: Sometimes it doesn't seem to make much sense to put a grand or two or three in an 11 year old used vehicle with a blue book trade value or a private party sale value is $3-4K. And sometimes you can't buy reliability in an unknown used car at 3-4 times the price. I know what I have and what I have put in it. I know how it has been maintained. Then I look at some of the total ownership savings if I choose to keep the car. I significantly save annually on reduced local excise taxes, insurance costs, financing costs foregone, and the huge one: depreciation expense. On the latter, I can pay for a whole lot of repairs for the annual cost of the last one. And I get paid back every additional mile I drive THIS car after I forked over a bunch of money on a repair or tire replacement. When the reliability starts to fail me or the aggravation gets too great, fine. I'll bite the bullet then. FUEL RELATED ITEMS: Gas tank capacity on the 1998 is 18.5 gallons, not 18 as I previously stated. And I've put 18.5 in it more than once. Fuel mileage. Best case 18mpg city, 21-22 evenly mixed, and 28+ pure highway at 65 on cruise, 100+ miles. Never changed since I got the car, and I'm on the original ignition parts as stated earlier. With a happy right foot around town, 14. Drop the other numbers accordingly when I'm having fun.....like those 120 mph blasts. Fuel. The Aurora manual is more liberal on octane with 91 as the starting point. I burn 93 because we don't have a lot of 91 around here. Downshifted to 87 for quite a few months when my daily commute was 90 miles and gas got ridiculous. No change in mileage, and if acceleration suffered, I couldn't tell. No pre-ignition experienced (pinging per the manual) under a heavy foot or up hills. Engine management retarded the spark to accommodate the lower octane I suppose. Relatively remarkable for its 10.3 compression ratio and nearly 4,000 pounds. So you can save on gas if you choose (see savings above). Hyundai Genesis.....this manufacturer actually rates horsepower and torque at premium grade fuel (recommended) and 87 regular.....about a reading of 5 lower for both for burning the lower octane which on a base of 375 horsepower isn't even worth discussing. SYNTHETIC MOTOR OILS: Never used them because I could never see the advantage except for their unquestioned lubricating superiority in the colder temperatures, particularly at startup and while the engine is warming up. Synthetics grab and hold, plus their viscosity at even the coldest temps is unchanged. I personally change with conventional motor oil and a filter at an average of every 4K miles or 3-4 months, whichever comes first, 10-30 viscosity in the summer and 5-30 winter. While the synthetic may maintain its lubricating qualities twice or three times as long mileage-wise, can those properties mitigate the dirt in the oil and piling up in the oil filter? Consumers' Report a few years back (perhaps sponsorship biased) tested every motor oil brand, viscosity, and type (natural vs.synthetic), with and without afternmarket additives, in a fleet of rebuilt-motored NYC taxicabs for 100K miles, using scheduled change intervals. After a million words of text, the conclusion: no appreciable difference in wear. I've never had a motor oil/wear related engine failure in 40 years, even with my Corvette (11 years daily driver 24/7/365 in Chicago, ran all season tires year round, my only car at the time). Lots of high rpm use/abuse with that one. OIL LEAK: If it's a minor oil pan gasket or valve cover leak, tighten and observe. Replace gaskets if necessary. Otherwise, I just drive and add oil as required because it costs virtually nothing. The driveway takes a beating, though. I had a rear seal leak on a Camaro for about 5 years and didn't want to pay to have the engine yanked. Just added oil, no problems except the driveway (again). BCM...... This is the tough one, and I don't have any advice other than.....you have to have the blower operating, especially in winter for both the heat and especially the defrost. I have read a lot of stuff in this forum on blower motor and blower control module problems. Could never figure out why mechanics could not isolate the problem better with diagnostics, amperage, or voltage meters. Had a starter motor issue once. Thought it was the battery. Lost a $20 bet. Another time thought I had a battery isuue. Lost a $20 bet. In each instance with the same friend who on the former issue disconnected, cleaned, and reconnected the starter motor ground, same with the battery terminals on the latter issue. These were both on the Corvette. 11 year old wiring alone on your car could be at issue, especially if the insulation rubbed through/off and you are getting inappropriate sporadic touching of a hot on something metal, unwanted. No suggestions here. TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGES/SCREEN REPLACEMENTS/FLUSHES: Agreed, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Manual suggests never needs changing under normal driving conditions, even up to the 150,000 mile interval in the manual. Most of what you need to know is in the color and smell of the transmission fluid anyway, despite what I say. Later, Jack

Re: 2009 TDI mileage [shrifty]

by olive4 on Tue Oct 07 11:33:10 PDT 2008

Just got back from a trip to Reno and Virginia City, NV from the SF Bay Area (550 miles total over the Sierras and through the mountains to Virginia City). Made the round trip on 12.5 gallons of fuel (44mpg avg). During my daily commute I'm averaging 37mpg.

some local GM news for me

by nippononly on Wed Oct 01 06:54:24 PDT 2008

four more GM dealerships folded yesterday in the Bay Area. Interestingly, one of them is a multi-brand store, and will remain open selling Toyotas but will close the Chevy dealership. The only GM dealer in the actual city of San Francisco, a dealer that has been around FOREVER, is closing its Pontiac Buick GMC franchise, but will keep Chevy, Cadillac, and Saab for now. The nearest new Buick to me keeps getting further and further away... They all blame several years of slow sales that have now ceased entirely as a result of the credit crunch this year.