User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 11:14:23 PM EDT
Last Monday I took the wife to San Antonio for follow-up on her hand surgery. As we were approaching the exit to the road her doctor's office was on, the Jeep suddenly started throwing all kinds of error codes in my face and then threw the transmission into limp-home mode. Managed to make it (barely) to her doctor's office and I took the battery cable off for a few minutes. That reset everything enough for me to get to a dealership (stopped by Advance Auto along the way and they did a diagnostic on the battery and charging system and said both were OK). Dealership said it would take 2-5 days just to diagnose the problem. Since I needed to get back to Corpus Christi, I ended up getting a one-way rental. $100. On Thursday, they gave me an estimate of $6200 because they wanted to replace half the parts on the car for no reason. I politely declined and had them do what I thought was reasonable to fix the problem. Still cost just under $1000 and most of that was labor to re-flash all of the 87 electronic modules on the car.
So, today, we go to get the Jeep and take off for San Antonio in the wife's car. About 2/3 of the way there, we hear a thump like we just ran over a critter. Turns out, we ran over something neither of us saw that tore a nice gash in the tire. Plug kit wasn't going to work for that. Luckily, there was a tire shop about half an hour away that had the type of tire for her Kia Soul. Still, cost $300 for the tire and for them to come out to the interstate to change it by the side of the road. Many lessons learned regarding contingency planning at all levels. Some weeks just suck. But also, the wife's Kia had virtually nothing of any help. Her car has no spare (didn't come with one new). She didn't have a tire plug kit (not that it would have mattered). She had an air compressor but it was tiny. She had no Fix-a-flat or Slime. I finally had to force her to put a jump start unit in her car because there had been times when she hadn't driven it in so long, the battery would be dead. She's all into the "minimalist" thing because she wants to keep her car looking like it did the way it came off the showroom floor. As a result, her car is totally unprepared for any kind of common "emergency". On the other hand, I have all kinds of stuff in the Jeep (and the wife complains there isn't enough room left for things). However, none of the stuff I have in there really helps for electrical gremlins. So, all-in-all a crappy, expensive week but not really SHTF. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 11:29:42 PM EDT
[#1]
Seems like car trouble comes in 3's, so I'd dump the Jeep before the transmission goes.
Hope you can get it fully sorted. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 11:55:52 PM EDT
[Last Edit: DasRonin]
[#2]
Cars are becoming computers with wheels. The "repairs" are commonly replacing complete modules.
Cars are becoming disposible as "repairs" are unaffordable! Prime examples are Electric Vehicles cost to replace the batteries. Battery failures pretty much "total" the vehicle! "Recurrent, a firm that studies battery health, surveyed 15,000 EV drivers in March and found that 1.5% needed battery replacements, which range between $5,000 and $20,000." |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 12:08:08 AM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By onthebreeze: Seems like car trouble comes in 3's, so I'd dump the Jeep before the transmission goes. Hope you can get it fully sorted. Earlier in the year, I ended up paying $3k to replace control arms, front wheel bearings, and bushings in the front end. So maybe the wife's tire explosion was the 3rd event. Maybe. Although on the way home, the Jeep thew a "Start/Stop system unavailable, service Start/Stop system". I hate the damn thing anyway, why would I want to make it functional again? |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 6:24:48 AM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DasRonin: Cars are becoming computers with wheels. The "repairs" are commonly replacing complete modules. Cars are becoming disposible as "repairs" are unaffordable! Prime examples are Electric Vehicles cost to replace the batteries. Battery failures pretty much "total" the vehicle! "Recurrent, a firm that studies battery health, surveyed 15,000 EV drivers in March and found that 1.5% needed battery replacements, which range between $5,000 and $20,000." That’s why I do all my own repairs. Modern cars are more reliable than ever and, once you understand how computers and sensors work, quite easy to diagnose most of the time especially when combined with the internet and YouTube to help you. The bigger issue is many people can’t work with their hands any more and don’t own any tools so simple repairs seem daunting. That said, I do not currently own and do not plan to ever own an electric car mainly because I normally buy used vehicles and replacement battery packs are unaffordable. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 3:39:19 PM EDT
[#5]
Ugh
That was us last year with boat engines/steering. Two lower units and steering gear that went out. Bought one new lower unit and have yet to replace the other and the steering gear. Not cheap. 
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/13/2024 9:23:39 AM EDT
[#6]
My Mom was like that- didn't want to keep anything in the damn car. "Mom, it's not new, nor are you 16 years old and going to car shows with it." I would tell her to no avail.
Her and Pops moved my grandpa down, Dad fly gramps down, Mom drove home from midwest. I get this frantic call while I'm standing in Walmart. Something something"I don't see the school buses!" Calm down Mothership, take a breathe and slowly repeat. She didn't "see the school buses" and knew she was lost. Seems she drove half way across the country navigating by what things look like. Mid way through Georgia about 2 hours from home, she is looking for this place on the side of the road North of McRae GA that has a ton of old school buses out there.... That is her next mental way point, she hasn't seen it and is freaking. I start with "get the Atlas out I gave you." Knowing damn well it's likely not in the car. She tells me she doesn't have. I'm in Walmart so I walk over to the Atlas section and start trying to figure out where TF she's at as she starts looking for road signs. She turned one exit too early off of I 16. I bought her yet another Atlas stuck it under the passenger seat and told her I better darn well find this here next time I get in your car. Another time I'm driving her and my niece home from town around the holidays. It's raining cats and dogs. Some kid flies past us on a two lane county road. He's in sight of us but a good way ahead. Kid is hot dogging it and being a jackarse. The road is really wet. He slides, hits a short concrete embankment for a large culvert under the road and literally launches the little truck upside down in the air. It was really cool to watch, Dukes of Hazard type stuff. Ma skillet screams, my niece goes "COOOL!" and I let out an expletive. We slow, pull off the road and I tell them "call 911 and get me the first aid kit" (something I also had placed in her trunk). I scramble down the embankment, kid's truck is upside down but not in much water. His music is still blaring. I start talking to him, he's coming out of the initial shock and I get him climbing out of car, his arm is bleeding pretty bad but nothing serious. I get him up on the roadway away from the car and we have nothing to bandage it. First aid kit ruined that not so new car smell or some stupid crap so it was left in the garage probably a long time before. A passing by truck stopped with a mechanic. I asked him "you have any of those blue towels?" I wrap up the kids arm with the blue towels and have him hold pressure on it. Reason 578 I like driving my own damn car. I took my parents to dozens upon dozens of medical appts. all over the state, after that I insisted we take my car every time I could. When I couldn't I checked her car over for essentials first. Nothing would have been worse than broke down in the middle of nowhere with a dementia patient wanting to wander. Certain items should just never leave a vehicle except for emergency use and rotation. |
|
|
|
CO, USA
|
Posted: 5/13/2024 5:32:26 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Cacinok]
[#7]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Lowdown3: My Mom was like that- didn't want to keep anything in the damn car. "Mom, it's not new, nor are you 16 years old and going to car shows with it." I would tell her to no avail. Her and Pops moved my grandpa down, Dad fly gramps down, Mom drove home from midwest. I get this frantic call while I'm standing in Walmart. Something something"I don't see the school buses!" Calm down Mothership, take a breathe and slowly repeat. She didn't "see the school buses" and knew she was lost. Seems she drove half way across the country navigating by what things look like. Mid way through Georgia about 2 hours from home, she is looking for this place on the side of the road North of McRae GA that has a ton of old school buses out there.... That is her next mental way point, she hasn't seen it and is freaking. I start with "get the Atlas out I gave you." Knowing damn well it's likely not in the car. She tells me she doesn't have. I'm in Walmart so I walk over to the Atlas section and start trying to figure out where TF she's at as she starts looking for road signs. She turned one exit too early off of I 16. I bought her yet another Atlas stuck it under the passenger seat and told her I better darn well find this here next time I get in your car. Another time I'm driving her and my niece home from town around the holidays. It's raining cats and dogs. Some kid flies past us on a two lane county road. He's in sight of us but a good way ahead. Kid is hot dogging it and being a jackarse. The road is really wet. He slides, hits a short concrete embankment for a large culvert under the road and literally launches the little truck upside down in the air. It was really cool to watch, Dukes of Hazard type stuff. Ma skillet screams, my niece goes "COOOL!" and I let out an expletive. We slow, pull off the road and I tell them "call 911 and get me the first aid kit" (something I also had placed in her trunk). I scramble down the embankment, kid's truck is upside down but not in much water. His music is still blaring. I start talking to him, he's coming out of the initial shock and I get him climbing out of car, his arm is bleeding pretty bad but nothing serious. I get him up on the roadway away from the car and we have nothing to bandage it. First aid kit ruined that not so new car smell or some stupid crap so it was left in the garage probably a long time before. A passing by truck stopped with a mechanic. I asked him "you have any of those blue towels?" I wrap up the kids arm with the blue towels and have him hold pressure on it. Reason 578 I like driving my own damn car. I took my parents to dozens upon dozens of medical appts. all over the state, after that I insisted we take my car every time I could. When I couldn't I checked her car over for essentials first. Nothing would have been worse than broke down in the middle of nowhere with a dementia patient wanting to wander. Certain items should just never leave a vehicle except for emergency use and rotation. Don't you love it when you're parents don't take your great advice or use the equipment you give them. Lol. My Dad had Alzheimer's for the five years prior to him passing. I bought my Mom a GPS and showed her how to use it. She remarked about how easy and useful it would be. A few months later, I get a call at 1 am, her and my Dad were traveling and were in a small town where they had stopped for gas - another thing I'd told her is don't travel so late and I offered to pay for a hotel any time she needed it, but she didn't listen  , but she wasn't sure how to get back on the freeway and my Dad kept giving her bad directions. I asked her what the GPS was showing and she said that she had left it in her closet at home. That was fun trying to figure out where she was and redirect her to the freeway as my Dad was in the background telling her that she was going the wrong way. She at least put it in her car after that, but I doubt she ever used it. @planemaker Sounds like some crappy luck. May I suggest AAA. I had it when I was younger and drove older vehicles and haven't had it since. But the Corvette I just bought did not come w/ a spare or jack. So I signed up. I have a pump, tire plugs and a can of slime in the car, but I figure there's that rare chance when I'll tear the tire and the slime and/or plugs won't work and I'll need a tow. |
|
|
|
Posted: 5/13/2024 11:15:20 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Cacinok: Don't you love it when you're parents don't take your great advice or use the equipment you give them. Lol. My Dad had Alzheimer's for the five years prior to him passing. I bought my Mom a GPS and showed her how to use it. She remarked about how easy and useful it would be. A few months later, I get a call at 1 am, her and my Dad were traveling and were in a small town where they had stopped for gas - another thing I'd told her is don't travel so late and I offered to pay for a hotel any time she needed it, but she didn't listen , but she wasn't sure how to get back on the freeway and my Dad kept giving her bad directions. I asked her what the GPS was showing and she said that she had left it in her closet at home. That was fun trying to figure out where she was and redirect her to the freeway as my Dad was in the background telling her that she was going the wrong way. She at least put it in her car after that, but I doubt she ever used it. @planemaker Sounds like some crappy luck. May I suggest AAA. I had it when I was younger and drove older vehicles and haven't had it since. But the Corvette I just bought did not come w/ a spare or jack. So I signed up. I have a pump, tire plugs and a can of slime in the car, but I figure there's that rare chance when I'll tear the tire and the slime and/or plugs won't work and I'll need a tow. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Cacinok: Originally Posted By Lowdown3: My Mom was like that- didn't want to keep anything in the damn car. "Mom, it's not new, nor are you 16 years old and going to car shows with it." I would tell her to no avail. Her and Pops moved my grandpa down, Dad fly gramps down, Mom drove home from midwest. I get this frantic call while I'm standing in Walmart. Something something"I don't see the school buses!" Calm down Mothership, take a breathe and slowly repeat. She didn't "see the school buses" and knew she was lost. Seems she drove half way across the country navigating by what things look like. Mid way through Georgia about 2 hours from home, she is looking for this place on the side of the road North of McRae GA that has a ton of old school buses out there.... That is her next mental way point, she hasn't seen it and is freaking. I start with "get the Atlas out I gave you." Knowing damn well it's likely not in the car. She tells me she doesn't have. I'm in Walmart so I walk over to the Atlas section and start trying to figure out where TF she's at as she starts looking for road signs. She turned one exit too early off of I 16. I bought her yet another Atlas stuck it under the passenger seat and told her I better darn well find this here next time I get in your car. Another time I'm driving her and my niece home from town around the holidays. It's raining cats and dogs. Some kid flies past us on a two lane county road. He's in sight of us but a good way ahead. Kid is hot dogging it and being a jackarse. The road is really wet. He slides, hits a short concrete embankment for a large culvert under the road and literally launches the little truck upside down in the air. It was really cool to watch, Dukes of Hazard type stuff. Ma skillet screams, my niece goes "COOOL!" and I let out an expletive. We slow, pull off the road and I tell them "call 911 and get me the first aid kit" (something I also had placed in her trunk). I scramble down the embankment, kid's truck is upside down but not in much water. His music is still blaring. I start talking to him, he's coming out of the initial shock and I get him climbing out of car, his arm is bleeding pretty bad but nothing serious. I get him up on the roadway away from the car and we have nothing to bandage it. First aid kit ruined that not so new car smell or some stupid crap so it was left in the garage probably a long time before. A passing by truck stopped with a mechanic. I asked him "you have any of those blue towels?" I wrap up the kids arm with the blue towels and have him hold pressure on it. Reason 578 I like driving my own damn car. I took my parents to dozens upon dozens of medical appts. all over the state, after that I insisted we take my car every time I could. When I couldn't I checked her car over for essentials first. Nothing would have been worse than broke down in the middle of nowhere with a dementia patient wanting to wander. Certain items should just never leave a vehicle except for emergency use and rotation. Don't you love it when you're parents don't take your great advice or use the equipment you give them. Lol. My Dad had Alzheimer's for the five years prior to him passing. I bought my Mom a GPS and showed her how to use it. She remarked about how easy and useful it would be. A few months later, I get a call at 1 am, her and my Dad were traveling and were in a small town where they had stopped for gas - another thing I'd told her is don't travel so late and I offered to pay for a hotel any time she needed it, but she didn't listen , but she wasn't sure how to get back on the freeway and my Dad kept giving her bad directions. I asked her what the GPS was showing and she said that she had left it in her closet at home. That was fun trying to figure out where she was and redirect her to the freeway as my Dad was in the background telling her that she was going the wrong way. She at least put it in her car after that, but I doubt she ever used it. @planemaker Sounds like some crappy luck. May I suggest AAA. I had it when I was younger and drove older vehicles and haven't had it since. But the Corvette I just bought did not come w/ a spare or jack. So I signed up. I have a pump, tire plugs and a can of slime in the car, but I figure there's that rare chance when I'll tear the tire and the slime and/or plugs won't work and I'll need a tow. Yeah, we have Allstate Motor Club. It was going to take something like 3.5 hours just to come out with a tow truck and then it was going to cost $150 because we were so far from San Antonio. Called the nearest tire place, they came out and installed a new tire. Ended up costing less than using the so-called auto club. May have to look at AAA again. We used to have it a long time ago before we switched to Allstate. At least I've convinced the wife she needs to have a spare in the car. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/13/2024 11:23:25 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Lowdown3: My Mom was like that- didn't want to keep anything in the damn car. "Mom, it's not new, nor are you 16 years old and going to car shows with it." I would tell her to no avail. Her and Pops moved my grandpa down, Dad fly gramps down, Mom drove home from midwest. I get this frantic call while I'm standing in Walmart. Something something"I don't see the school buses!" Calm down Mothership, take a breathe and slowly repeat. She didn't "see the school buses" and knew she was lost. Seems she drove half way across the country navigating by what things look like. Mid way through Georgia about 2 hours from home, she is looking for this place on the side of the road North of McRae GA that has a ton of old school buses out there.... That is her next mental way point, she hasn't seen it and is freaking. I start with "get the Atlas out I gave you." Knowing damn well it's likely not in the car. She tells me she doesn't have. I'm in Walmart so I walk over to the Atlas section and start trying to figure out where TF she's at as she starts looking for road signs. She turned one exit too early off of I 16. I bought her yet another Atlas stuck it under the passenger seat and told her I better darn well find this here next time I get in your car. Another time I'm driving her and my niece home from town around the holidays. It's raining cats and dogs. Some kid flies past us on a two lane county road. He's in sight of us but a good way ahead. Kid is hot dogging it and being a jackarse. The road is really wet. He slides, hits a short concrete embankment for a large culvert under the road and literally launches the little truck upside down in the air. It was really cool to watch, Dukes of Hazard type stuff. Ma skillet screams, my niece goes "COOOL!" and I let out an expletive. We slow, pull off the road and I tell them "call 911 and get me the first aid kit" (something I also had placed in her trunk). I scramble down the embankment, kid's truck is upside down but not in much water. His music is still blaring. I start talking to him, he's coming out of the initial shock and I get him climbing out of car, his arm is bleeding pretty bad but nothing serious. I get him up on the roadway away from the car and we have nothing to bandage it. First aid kit ruined that not so new car smell or some stupid crap so it was left in the garage probably a long time before. A passing by truck stopped with a mechanic. I asked him "you have any of those blue towels?" I wrap up the kids arm with the blue towels and have him hold pressure on it. Reason 578 I like driving my own damn car. I took my parents to dozens upon dozens of medical appts. all over the state, after that I insisted we take my car every time I could. When I couldn't I checked her car over for essentials first. Nothing would have been worse than broke down in the middle of nowhere with a dementia patient wanting to wander. Certain items should just never leave a vehicle except for emergency use and rotation. My wife is "directionally challenged". She has no concept of North, South, East, and West. She can't even get left and right turns correct half the time. She is dyslectic but still. If GPS ever goes down completely and she can't get her car to tell her how to get someplace, she'll be screwed. I know this because she was following me one time and somehow went zooming on past the exit I took and she calls me in a panic. She can't even describe where she's at, what road she's on, what things are nearby, or even where the sun is relative to the nose of her car. I definitely like driving my own car that I know where stuff is in it. Unless my wife "reorganized" my stuff without telling me. 
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/15/2024 2:56:57 AM EDT
[#10]
I fucking hate whomever thought of “limp mode” with a passion.
Toyota will put your damn truck into limp mode for a stupid emission feature failure that they poorly designed, it literally only affects the first couple minutes of operation anyhow, but they kill the car, endangering you if you are on a freeway at half the speed of the slowest other cars…so stupid. Let’s literally endanger people’s lives over an emission feature failure…. |
|
|
|
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
