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I'm going to a car show today to look at them. My 150k mileage VW just got diagnosed with about $4000 in needed repairs. Essentially they said that the mandatory ethanol in our gasoline has caused massive carbon buildup in the engine and killed the catalytic converters. Not happy. Not sure what to do. I can pimp my car out in performance replacement parts for about 1/2 what VW wants, or I might be able to sell the car to some kid who wants to mod it (engine and trans are in great shape overall). Looking at my options. Blue book value of it is around $3500-$4500. There are not many new cars that excite me. Sigh. Jan 02 15 06:10 am Link How many decent car can you pick for 4K ? if you can keep this one an other 2 years, it worth the nomey Jan 02 15 06:53 am Link you don't live in california, aftermarket catalytic converters are legal in your state. stop going to the dealership and just take your car to an exhaust shop if theres nothing wrong with the engine. a couple of new cats and labor will set you back less than $700. enjoy the auto show! its fun to day dream. theres lots of new exciting cars! Jan 02 15 09:40 am Link Im looking into aftermarket cats, and other 'performance' parts. Im lucky, its a VW GTI, so there is a healthy aftermarket. The new Chevy/GMC colorado/Canyon look nice. And OMG do i want a Hellcat. Jan 02 15 10:29 am Link Robb Mann wrote: MSRP* starting at: $59,995 Jan 02 15 11:25 am Link Robb Mann wrote: As someone who still drives the same car after 2 decades - Jan 02 15 01:11 pm Link Supposedly the carbon is a result of the direct-injection fuel system the Germans prefer. the cars pretty much are running lean on 93 octane gas, when you add in the weak sauce that is American ethanol-blended gas, you get a lean mixture and carbon buildup. All modern cars that use direct injection have the problem, but it's worse with Audi, VW and Bmw -- High-performance cars are more susceptible. According to VW, eventually my injectors will fail and the subsequent detonation problems will total the engine. Whatever. I have a 2nd ride - a mighty 2004 F150 with a 35-gallon gas tank. Ideally I'd like to get down to one car. One that can do light off-road/snow, haul stuff, and get about 30 mpg highway. The Subaru Outback and GMC Canyon look to be the top candidates. Jan 02 15 02:58 pm Link Robb Mann wrote:
Jan 02 15 06:40 pm Link Koryn wrote:
Jan 03 15 04:00 am Link Robb Mann wrote:
Jan 03 15 05:25 am Link Chevy Man drives $75 truck to work for 38 years http://www.ksdk.com/story/life/2015/01/ … /21188051/ Jan 03 15 07:24 pm Link I paid $3500 for a '91 Fox-body Mustang convertible 12 years ago. They can still be had for that kind of money. Bang for the buck, you just can't beat 'em for the fun of driving. The power train has been bullet-proof and with a 5.0 V-8, still gets 16 mpg, if you don't hot foot it. As for gasoline, I run 93 octane and I take it out on the interstate once in a while for some exercise and to purge the engine of carbon build-up. Flowmasters and a cold air intake give the car a little added boost, maybe 250 hp. Now if I could just get the radio to work... Jan 04 15 06:11 am Link I can drive 100 miles a day for work, and often do. 15-16 mpg just doesn't cut it. Jan 04 15 11:05 am Link I see your point. My daily drive is only six miles... Jan 05 15 10:47 am Link My little Vdub is doing a lot better. The weird noises I was hearing were from sticking injectors. I gave the car a liberal Seafoam treatment, and that's cleared up the injector problems - no more weird noises. I suspect the stuck injectors caused the catalytic converter errors -- so it's entirely possible that a $10 can of Seafoam negated the need for over $4000 of dealer repairs. I may still get a new cat... Eventually. Jan 06 15 04:12 am Link Robb Mann wrote: Well, that sure is a change of events... Jan 06 15 05:54 am Link Jay Edwards wrote: Yes, indeed. I'm absolutely amazed at what the Seafoam did. It's a product I've never heard of, and isn't advertised, but is apparently a 'mechanics secret'. I may, possibly let my dealership change the oil again in a few thousand miles just so I can get the computer cleared. Jan 06 15 08:59 am Link You don't need the dealer to clear error codes. Reset Check Engine Light with ELM327 OBD reader and Torque program https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rf_kNS0wmY Torque & OBDII Android App Review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_A7u1SqddI Torque App for Android. See your car data https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irLUImwkKOc Search on Ebay ---> ELM327 Jan 10 15 04:16 am Link Robb Mann wrote: AutoZone, if you have one available, will run your codes, give you a printout, and then clear the computer for free. Us old folk on a tight budget love them. Jan 10 15 06:31 am Link Lohkee wrote: Now that's a great service! Jan 10 15 06:36 am Link Jay Edwards wrote: Yeppers, especially when many other places charge as much as $60. They also have another real killer service - they will loan you tools for free! You go in, put down a small deposit, get the tool you need, and when you bring it back, they give you a full refund! Jan 10 15 07:08 am Link Lohkee wrote: O'Reillys also offers both services. Jan 10 15 01:25 pm Link Robb Mann wrote: removing the neg battery terminal will clear the codes, if the check/service engine light comes back the issue isn't fixed. Jan 10 15 05:13 pm Link Robb Mann wrote: Love my 2004 Colorado and am getting a new one next month. Jan 10 15 05:23 pm Link Fifty One Imaging wrote: I'm on my 2nd bottle of Seafoam, and the Catalytic converter error codes cleared themselves tonight. Just to recap, $20 of gas additives have eliminated the need for over $4000 of vehicle repairs. So far... Jan 10 15 06:02 pm Link Robb Mann wrote: This might sound dumb, but you need to change your gas cap. Different gases can leak into your car if it is not on tight. That can be a simple solution for now. That cleared the lights on my car. Jan 21 15 07:11 pm Link The car is still on its Seafoam diet. So far, so good. Oddly, the drivers side door-open indicator has even started working again, though I can't logically connect that with using a fuel additive? Jan 25 15 08:23 am Link Robb Mann wrote: did you change the gas cap? Jan 25 15 01:39 pm Link |
