Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Killington, Vermont

Killington, VT Car Consumer Discussions

Re: ...I just reread the entire thread, and posted prematurely [oregonboy]

by andys120 on Fri Nov 09 16:07:07 PST 2007

Starting cars used to be a fine art. Now any idiot can do it. Indeed, the starting procedure during cold weather for my Fiat Spider was thus: -Pretend it is ordinary car, get in insert key put clutch in, shift to neutral. -Listen to starter spin and engine almost but not quite catch, realize that choking will be neccesary. -Pull out choke, turn key. -Engine starts, attempt to put choke back in and realize that expansion of metal due to cold has caused choke butterfly to stick. -Start car, engine fires. Crank heater up to full blast (such as it was). -Open hood latch and get out of car (brrrrr!) -Prop hood open. -Undo three wing nuts holding air cleaner cover. -Using finger prop frozen butterfly valve open. -Replace air cleaner cover and wing nuts. -Unprop hood and close. -Get back in car, close door. -Close choke -Drive car. What could you expect from a car made in a country where it never goes below freezing? :sick: Funny thing is if you followed the procedure it would start every time except for a 15 below morning in Killington. Waiting till after breakfast gave the battery enough time to thaw and fore the sucker.

Re: cyclone4, laurasdada [syswei]

by laurasdada on Tue Oct 09 13:54:31 PDT 2007

Regardless of drive configuration, if you are seeking max traction in the white stuff, get dedicated snow tires. AWD w/no traction means you won't be moving... x4! My friend, after an enjoyable evening at The Grist Mill/Wobbly Barn jumped into his his Nissan Pathfinder, engaged 4wd and attempted to drive up Outer Limits (Killington). Needless to say, even with his meaty all-terrain tires and 4WD, he didn't get very far... I've driven FWD all of my life with all-seasons. Given decently plowed roads or only a few inches of snow, I've arrived without incident. A lot of common sense and some familiarity with driving in the snow always helps, too...

Re: YOu got a bad car... [british_rover]

by sfm on Tue Feb 06 06:59:46 PST 2007

Ah, good call British-rover. It was an EARLY 2006 model. Acquired in Sept. 2005. And you are right, but I can't afford to do the mileage I do and do the prorated tire stuff--that's just plain silly. While bad cars "happen", my need to post this on a board is my only recourse from a dealership that should be working with me to salvage their reputation and get me out of this vehicle. From a sales perspective, they are not smart enough to recognize the value of saving one customer and asking me, in return, to acknowledge their salesmanship/customer service. They are blithely permitting me to wave in the breeze until my lease is up. Thus, they deserve their bad press. (And this is easier than me taking out a permit to picket the dealership.) Also, bear in mind that, acknowledged or not, there ARE gender issues when assessing the reliability of a vehicle for a person who travels a long route on a highway. I don't care if the recalls/roadside assistance/accommodations are top notch. I do not want my safety compromised in anyway by being on the side of the road. I was dreadfully disappointed to discover that a Jiffy Lube in New Hampshire didn't stock the oil filter for the LR3. And I posted, when it happened, about my horrid experience trying to find a replacement tire in Hartford on a holiday weekend. These types of little inconveniences render the car only appropriate for soccer moms and the Joneses. I, honest to goodness, got the vehicle to climb Killington, stick to a wet highway in the Northeast, and handle sand in Montauk. In addition, the seat was far more comfortable than the XC90, as I'm short. My point here is that, if I had purchased the car with faulty criteria or on a whim, I'd just chalk it up to an error in choice. But I'm doubly determined to post this message because, other than knowing what I know now, by my buying criteria alone, I'd be at risk to make the same choice again. And statistically, there are enough lousy Land Rovers out there, that it should remain a car of only enthusiasts and soccer moms in my (newly derived) opinion. Sherry

Went for the Ultimate AWD Coupe

by redsoxgirl on Tue May 16 13:38:18 PDT 2006

After considering and reconsidering just about every alternative, I decided to stay within the Porsche family and ordered a 2007 911 C4S Coupe for late September delivery. I'll accept that I'm not going to be racing SUV's through heavy snow to Killington. On the other hand, I met a Harvard professor who has a 2001 911 C4 that has yet to be "snowbound" commuting into and out of Boston. His car has 56,000 miles and still looks brand new. I've already checked with Tire Rack for winter tire/rim suggestions. Thanks for those who offered suggestions and opinions. I honestly didn't expect this to be the result, but after test driving the new 911, it's hard not to fall for it. Drive safely everyone.

Results & Lessons: Blow Out at 70 MPH

by sfm on Mon Jan 16 16:47:05 PST 2006

I joined this forum because I wanted to pass this on to you. I had a blow out at 70 mph on Interstate 91 in Hartford this weekend. The good news is that the LR3 took it magnificently. It listed to the right (it was the right rear), but it didn't lose ANY aspect of control. The suspension faults went red and all the stuff that should ring did as I pulled over. I don't know the cause, but it was sudden. The speed did the tire in and it couldn't be plugged. So far so good. In a bad situation, my trusty LR3 handled better than well. Road side assistance came and executed the change...peachy. Nice young man and the LR phone group did fine. But, was I SHOCKED to discover that I didn't have a full sized spare. What good would the 50 mph donut do me? (Indeed what good does a donut do anyone except a local driver?) I couldn't continue my trip as I had another 200 miles of highway driving to do. So I looked around for a tire dealer. What a pain trying to find someone with a Goodyear or a comp for an 18" rim! (Imagine if I had the 19"?) I finally got a used tire and it got me to Killington. I discovered it had a slow leak in the sidewall so I was back to square one. I've spent the last day on the phone getting the right tire shipped overnight to a Rutland dealer because it's not a regular Goodyear stock item for most. (There are worse things than being stuck an extra day at one's vacation home. Don't be concerned on my account. ) Lesson: I'm not blaming this one on Land Rover, I didn't read the fine print in my spec. Ford is doing anything possible to cut a few dollars and a few pounds (for gas mileage) and this was a design decision. But it's a foolish one as NO SUV should be without a full-sized spare. When I return home and get my compressor installed (see my response to Darien regarding my suspension fault)I'm going to suck up the grand and order a 5th tire and rim. (This in addition to what I'm spending now to get the replacement tire up to Killington.) My message to you all is DO THE SAME. If you do not have a full sized spare, make the investment. If you need more than your donut, the 18" or 19" rim will make tire replacement a difficult thing, so be prepared to fend for yourself by solving the problem first. Forewarned is forearmed. ;) At the same time, know that your LR3 will keep you safe when the, er, rubber hits the fan.

Re: thinking of snow tires? [steve_]

by geoffdgti on Sun Oct 30 08:44:55 PST 2005

Oh, and a friendly "Hi" to Steve, Host. Killington opened yesterday with 3 feet of new snow over bare ground but I decided to pass. My last two ski days in August at Valle Nevado, Chile were in 8 feet of untracked powder on sunny days. I seem to have an attitude problem. I'm using "I need to winterize my boat" as my excuse.