tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:56:55 +0000Owning a car shouldn't be very hard nor expensive. This blog contains advice on used car buying, car maintenance, auto repair and finding new or used auto parts. Written by an automotive engineer and enthusiast who has yet to (and may never) buy a new car, it shows how to find great deals on reliable used cars and keep them running like clockwork.http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/noreply@blogger.com (Davewin)Blogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-7879863157571779191Tue, 18 May 2010 22:11:00 +00002010-05-18T18:11:53.098-04:00shockssafety inspectionauto partsMy pickup truck failed its safety inspection last weekend. One of the front shock absorbers needed replacement. So I looked up the phone numbers for 3 nearby auto parts stores and let my fingers do the walking. Using the following script I've used for years, I called for pricing and availability: Parts Guy/Girl: [Store name] Auto Parts. How can I help you? Me: Hi, I need to get a quote http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/-VwqHXgI2P4/how-to-price-auto-parts-fast.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/-VwqHXgI2P4" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/05/how-to-price-auto-parts-fast.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-3571143516060345534Sat, 08 May 2010 11:52:00 +00002010-05-08T07:52:00.806-04:00convertibleMiniCooperBack in February my cousin Cindy came close to buying a 2005 Mini Cooper convertible but we were a couple of hundred bucks from what the dealer wanted – and no one budged. So we passed and then Cindy decided she wanted the newer model. Another Mini dealer in the area had a new 2009 they were eager to move so she bought there instead. It was pretty easy and totally low pressure. And the price andhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/zfXF_5jpgOU/hunted-mini-cooper-convertible.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/zfXF_5jpgOU" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/05/hunted-mini-cooper-convertible.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-6094065253679073083Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:41:00 +00002010-03-24T21:41:50.582-04:00vinsearchToyotarecallShort (non-Twitter) post.  Enter your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) at this Toyota web site to find out if it’s subject to any safety recalls or service campaigns. Not sure where to find your VIN? The site tells you that too.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/hmAeRnHXFhI/is-your-toyota-under-recall.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/hmAeRnHXFhI" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/03/is-your-toyota-under-recall.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-7346987208169797612Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:39:00 +00002010-03-24T21:39:43.404-04:00kartingKartracingWhy you ask? Because I’ve been organizing a 14 event kart racing championship with two dozen drivers. Three events have taken place and it’s been busy busy busy with so many events. Now I have a 4 week gap until the next one, so can post some more about cars. Checkout on-board footage of me driving in one of the races. This is good, clean racing. Fun stuff. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/XYJhMsDNvBg/sorry-ive-been-awol.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/XYJhMsDNvBg" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/03/sorry-ive-been-awol.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-746637017414129805Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:28:00 +00002010-03-07T22:28:56.419-05:00new cardepreciationused carFifteen years ago I bought my first car for $4k, exactly what I thought the used car price sweet spot was at the time. It was a good, basic Honda Civic with 87k miles on the odometer. It lasted a good 90k more until it was totaled by an errant tractor-trailer. Fast forward to today and I still think the sweet spot is right around $4k for basic transportation. But the price of the average new http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/xKY235ybLCU/cars-arent-getting-more-expensive-are.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/xKY235ybLCU" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/03/cars-arent-getting-more-expensive-are.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-7065269893972484139Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:18:00 +00002010-03-03T18:18:00.318-05:00car loansAuto loanscreditauto financingAutomotive News reports that the “Average Joe”, who typically has a FICO score in the region of 620 to 680 is finding it easier to get car loans now. Requirements are a bit more stringent than before in terms of how much of a down payment is made, and trade-in loan balances. I guess this means we may hear less of the “We’ll pay off your trade, no matter how much you owe” bs on radio commercials.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/s9TxyNmgSAk/credit-flowing-again-for-auto-loans.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/s9TxyNmgSAk" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/03/credit-flowing-again-for-auto-loans.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-3843810625873261305Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:46:00 +00002010-03-02T17:46:00.105-05:00auto mechanicrepair quoteRepair estimateestimateThe key to getting an accurate repair estimate is to know what you’re asking for. Be specific when identifying the problem (symptoms). Don’t speculate on the cause, even if you know the answer. That’s why you’re asking for professional help. For routine service you are familiar with (oil changes, tune ups, etc) you can just call a few shops and get a ballpark estimate for what it costs. Always http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/TtIIcpKd6w4/how-to-get-repair-estimate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/TtIIcpKd6w4" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/03/how-to-get-repair-estimate.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-1151569975459230500Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:56:00 +00002010-02-23T18:56:00.541-05:006th gentransmissionHonda Accord1998This is totally unscientific, kind of funny and I am almost embarrassed to call this “advice”, but I’ve seen it enough times to know it works. I’ve never bothered to investigate further but have done it myself on several cars of this particular model and also heard the same thing from others with the same model. If you have one of these cars and it’s equipped with an automatic transmission, and http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/bet1K01OAWA/sixth-gen-honda-accord-1998-2002-shift.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/bet1K01OAWA" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/02/sixth-gen-honda-accord-1998-2002-shift.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-3525355495978674044Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:34:00 +00002010-02-22T12:34:00.467-05:00unintended accelerationToyotastuck throttleWith all the news about unintended acceleration of various Toyota vehicles, here’s what I’d do if it happened to me [Disclaimer: I’m not liable for anything that may arise out of using this advice]. I believe the majority of the Toyotas subject to recall in the US for unintended acceleration are equipped with automatic transmissions. So as a practical matter, if the throttle stuck I’d first pushhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/k5DLSvEhMPE/stuck-throttle-what-i-would-do.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/k5DLSvEhMPE" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/02/stuck-throttle-what-i-would-do.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-1517135377146137342Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:53:00 +00002010-02-21T14:53:54.167-05:00service techCar caremechanicThe key to finding a good mechanic, as with any professional service is reputation and referrals. If you know someone nearby who is knowledgeable about cars, and has a car similar to yours they’re probably a good source for a referral. Always try to use a system with feedback to locate good help. It’s no different in concept to ratings on eBay. The key is you need indicators of trust.  Three http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/sY9fdonzUWY/how-to-find-good-mechanic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/sY9fdonzUWY" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/02/how-to-find-good-mechanic.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-254436672019070899Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:26:00 +00002010-02-18T20:26:35.219-05:00550 MaranelloGTFerrariV12In LA for the weekend visiting family and friends. Had a direct flight from DC. The guy in the aisle seat in my row brought a phone book and read it the whole way. Weird. Saturday night I went for a ride with my cousin Duane (Cindy’s brother) in his 2001 Ferrari 550 Maranello. It was an interesting display of egos, not Duane’s or mine but of the other drivers. Every stop light seemed to http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/Smf9gK7UwQA/taste-of-maranello.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/Smf9gK7UwQA" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/02/taste-of-maranello.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-3640281482665493324Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:43:00 +00002010-02-14T12:43:44.618-05:00convertibleMini Cooper2005car dealernegotiationFor the last two weeks I’ve been going back and forth via telephone with the local Mini dealership about a red 2005 convertible my cousin Cindy wants to buy. Their asking price of $15,995 was a little bit high, and the car needs about $600 of minor cosmetic work like replacing the leather boot around the shift lever and the parking brake. Thus far I’ve talked them down to $15,200 with everythinghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/waSTMH5wsLo/no-big-deal-on-mini.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/waSTMH5wsLo" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/02/no-big-deal-on-mini.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-405342704944003910Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:42:00 +00002010-02-11T19:42:00.174-05:00Honda CRZCRXToyota CelicaAcura IntegraToyota FT86Two upcoming new models getting prominent media attention are the Toyota FT-86 and Honda CR-Z. The Toyota is a front engine, rear wheel drive sports coupe to be built by Subaru. Production begins in late 2011. The CR-Z is a hybrid coming out this fall, the green spiritual successor to the long absent CRX. It’ll be a few years yet before any of these will be a bargain priced used car. In the meanhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/vJilYBch4cM/recurring-theme-hot-hatches.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/vJilYBch4cM" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/02/recurring-theme-hot-hatches.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-1707101114511841615Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:36:00 +00002010-02-10T18:36:00.198-05:00VW BeetleconvertibleMini Cooper2005Image source:  Wikimedia My cousin moved to DC a few weeks ago, and I’m helping her look for a car. She wants a convertible. Her original list consisted of a VW Beetle and Mini Cooper convertible, and a budget of $15k. Last weekend we went test driving. The Beetle wasn’t very impressive (’05 model). The engine was buzzy and it had bizarre ergonomics. Despite its outward appearance, the driver’s http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/JztDaS3mCXk/on-hunt-mini-cooper-convertible.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/JztDaS3mCXk" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/02/on-hunt-mini-cooper-convertible.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-1407530313125670701Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:45:00 +00002010-02-09T12:45:00.416-05:00floor matNHTSA2010 PriusToyotarecallThus far the tally is up to 8.1 million Toyota cars and trucks in North America and Europe are being recalled for unintended acceleration problems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into this issue, and is focusing on whether this is due to an electronic system malfunction, rather than the floor mat or mechanical throttle return springs, as http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/9qLTx2-GVtI/toyota-recall-world-of-hurt.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/9qLTx2-GVtI" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/02/toyota-recall-world-of-hurt.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-2036934866299067461Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:24:00 +00002010-02-08T11:24:00.396-05:00creditKumhoTire RackAbout a week ago I finally got around to shipping the punctured tire back to Tire Rack for credit. Because it still had more than 9/32” of tread left, and I had road hazard protection on it (I don’t remember paying for that, so it was probably included as part of the purchase of the set of 4 tires), they credited me the purchase price of the tire. While I had requested and received the return http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/UZR_nP69Vn0/got-my-tire-rack-credit.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/UZR_nP69Vn0" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/02/got-my-tire-rack-credit.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-1817484230383696207Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:28:00 +00002010-02-07T10:33:36.463-05:00HondaAccordreset codestereoA coworker of mine had her 1999 Honda Accord in the shop for repairs. The battery was disconnected while the work was being done. When reconnected the stereo no longer worked, the result of a security feature that leaves me scratching my head. As I understand it, to reset it you need a five digit code that is typically found in the owner’s manual or a label in the glovebox or door jam. Well, my http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/60z_ExarezM/honda-stereo-security-reset.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/60z_ExarezM" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/02/honda-stereo-security-reset.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-6145804128396598514Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:25:00 +00002010-02-05T12:25:00.091-05:002004InfinitiSUVQX56Drove the company Infiniti QX56 to Costco a few weeks ago to get some supplies. I don’t plan on ever doing that again. It was a huge disappointment. It’s apparent why crossover SUVs have gained so much market share. Based on a pickup truck chassis, the QX56 is very beefy but has a fair amount of chassis flex. It feels substantial but not solid. Power was plentiful, acceleration quite brisk. I http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/WG7Ujhk6BW8/wretched-monstrous-excess-2004-infiniti.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/WG7Ujhk6BW8" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/02/wretched-monstrous-excess-2004-infiniti.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-3355747097676088405Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:55:00 +00002010-02-04T07:55:00.069-05:00Audi R8Lamboghini Gallardo The Audi R8 is beautiful, like its cousin the Lamborghini Gallardo, with which is shares a chassis.  I was very impressed with the interior details too, like the carbon fiber door handle. Not to mention the nicely done front trunk (frunk).  The hood was surprisingly light. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/tz4SYEl3vPo/2010-audi-r8-v10.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/tz4SYEl3vPo" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/02/2010-audi-r8-v10.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-1681915818236075126Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:49:00 +00002010-02-04T07:49:00.193-05:00V10Audi R8Washington Auto ShowspyderHyundai GenesisThere were a lot of German cars at the DC Auto Show this past week. I loved the Audi R8 and R8 Spyder. Absolutely exquisite. The Mercedes SLS didn’t look any better in the flesh than in the magazines. It reminds me of a Honda S2000 with a body kit (though I like the Honda). Other cars of note were the Hyundai Genesis. Huge, cavernous trunk (never mind my photography). I mean, this could http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/aL_olLZsPUk/mehr-bilder-von-das-auto-schau-more.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/aL_olLZsPUk" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/02/mehr-bilder-von-das-auto-schau-more.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-1385307805631950349Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:49:00 +00002010-02-03T22:49:20.538-05:00AcuraRange RoverNSXFound this gem in a parking garage, a 1998 hardtop. It’s for sale too. Maybe in a few years I’ll be able to get my own. The Acura NSX has been one of my favorites since it came out way back in 1991, before I even had a driver’s license. Over the years it received a number of upgrades. By far my favorite period is from around 1995 to 2000 when it featured multi-spoke wheels and a body colored http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/YUa1RYx50xY/random-car-notes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/YUa1RYx50xY" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/02/random-car-notes.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-986113478542459530Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:18:00 +00002010-01-28T00:18:35.709-05:00AcuraMercedesSLSDC auto show The Washington DC show is being run in conjunction with the SAE Government/Industry meeting which I typically attend. So last night I went to the sneak peek. Took a bunch of pictures with my phone. Will post more soon. Below are two performance cars on site. My favorite was the Audi R8, but I took a lot of pictures, so I’ll do a separate post on it.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/c64p0usG4Ls/dc-auto-show.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/c64p0usG4Ls" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/01/dc-auto-show.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-1599911078414557063Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:07:00 +00002010-01-28T00:07:33.525-05:00AvalonSequoiaHighlanderfloormatTundraMatrixCorollaRAV4CamryToyotarecallI've lost track of how many cars Toyota is recalling. It involves at least 4 million vehicles, and there is some overlap among different problems. There were issues involving stalling engines and others, but most of the attention has been on the unintended acceleration. Supposedly it is all down to the floormats and the shape of the accelerator pedals. But it is now being reported by http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/fcc6zZdJZdA/toyota-suspending-sales-of-8-models-due.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/fcc6zZdJZdA" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/01/toyota-suspending-sales-of-8-models-due.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-2459201008765340843Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:22:00 +00002010-01-26T12:22:00.189-05:00KumhoTire Racksidewalltire treadFlat tireOne night a few weeks ago my Mom got a flat tire on her car. She called me for help. What to do? Luckily (proper preparation, actually) we have AAA memberships. I called them and help was there within about 15 minutes. The spare tire was mounted and off she went. Impressive. A few days later I swung by to take care of getting the tire repaired (these Kumho tires only had about 3k miles on them,http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/edbmV3FOffE/flat-tire-in-corolla-land.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/edbmV3FOffE" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/01/flat-tire-in-corolla-land.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897649853397526734.post-8047454747057023425Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:50:00 +00002010-01-25T12:50:00.146-05:00ChevyPrizmheadlightCorollaToyota1998Well, if we thought all bulbs were easy to change quickly from the last time I did so, we’d be mistaken. Flashback to a previous model Toyota Corolla / Chevy Prizm (in this case a neighbor’s car) and we find that some times things do actually get simpler with time, bucking the trend of eve increasing complexity. This was a 1998-ish model. The procedure for changing the bulb required the removal http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~3/yd3Zk48p2CA/headlight-bulb-change-not-so-fast.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Davewin)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AceAutoAdvice/~4/yd3Zk48p2CA" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.aceautoadvice.com/2010/01/headlight-bulb-change-not-so-fast.html