Topic: What did you do to your car today?

[Firm]

Nice! Both look great. Caddy looks like the president is about to step out of it

You need one of those curly ear mikes

I'm just picturing it driving into the curbside lane at Pearson with a "ZAHAVY LIMOUSINE" sticker on the back window

MEM doesn't have airport limos, so I am finally free from that stereotype 
5 of us from the office took it to lunch the other day and it was "Uber black"

[Dante]

Replaced rear shocks on my godson's BMW. Same car as mine just half the mileage (112K km) on original shocks.  Pretty easy, uneventful job. $380 in parts and few hrs of "watch and learn" labor.

Finally got around to replace my coolant expansion tank which has been leaking for a while and two coolant hoses. All good and dry now. Lesson learned (validated) that not all parts are made equal, especially Chinese ones. Reminder that I'm too "poor" to buy cheap staff....

[bridgecity]

Less than a year ago I put new rotors and pads on the kids '12 Civic. He's been complaining that his front rotors are warped so I took the car for a drive and they were unbearable.  Pulsing was the worst I've felt.  I thought perhaps its because deposits on them, so he cleaned the rotors (light sanding) with no difference.  Ordered a  Power Stop Z23 Performance Brake Kit from Ctire.  Its overkill for his Civic, but once I added up the costs of a mid grade rotor and pad kit from a local parts store and Rockauto, this kit made sense.  Plus I know Firm speaks well of Power Stop . 

Anyway, I was out of town again for work this week and the kit showed up and the son installed it. He's happy with the results so far.  He said brakes feel stronger and the pulsing is gone.  Hopefully these last more than a year, haha.  Oh, and I can't recall or find a receipt for what I installed last year.  Can't believe I lost that info. 

[Firm]

Nice! Hopefully they work out OK for him. A lot of times, rotors 'warp' for reasons associated with install (not clean hub surface, jacked up slide pins, etc) or improper break-in procedure so hopefully his install work took care of anything that might have been causing premature warping. That said, some cars are just prone to it, my DTS went through to sets of rotors on the front in about 2 years before I went to PowerStops and I haven't had an issues since.

[bridgecity]

Thanks for the tips. I did tell him to make sure the hubs are clean prior to install. Hopefully he took care of that.

[blur911]

Nice! Hopefully they work out OK for him. A lot of times, rotors 'warp' for reasons associated with install (not clean hub surface, jacked up slide pins, etc) or improper break-in procedure so hopefully his install work took care of anything that might have been causing premature warping. That said, some cars are just prone to it, my DTS went through to sets of rotors on the front in about 2 years before I went to PowerStops and I haven't had an issues since.

I find the worst thing for brake shudder is rusty rotors and pads sticking more to some spots than others and pad material stuck to the rotors in some spots, not actually warped rotors.   Some rotors rust much more than others, leaving them sit outside not moving for days or weeks in some conditions screws them up quicker than you'd think.

[blur911]

Just changed the HVAC blower resistor pack on the Outback, only had high speed left.
Old one had rusty spots, perhaps condensation or snow got in??

[TomDirt]

Finally after 9 1/2 years its time to replace the OEM summers on my 335i, 225 fronts and 255 rears 19 inch. Getting them installed tomorrow.

This morning I cleaned the wheels…I know I’m going to get my man card revoked, but I really dislike detailing or cleaning cars. Results are great, don’t like the process.

Seems like you just picked that up a couple years ago.   

I know right! Time sure flies. It only has 56,000 km and is in great shape. And as much as I don’t enjoy it, I’m going to show it some love with a full detail it deserves. Maybe I’ll even put a coat of wax or clear coat on it

I used to LOVE detailing cars - mine, my wife's / parents' / sister's etc.  Can't freaking stand it now. There's always a long list of things I'd rather be doing. I'm a convert to the whole ceramic thing primarily for ease of maintenance.  An expensive initial outlay (or time-consuming to DIY), but a piece of cake to keep it looking like new thereafter.  If you go that route, I can't recommend Gyeon Wet Coat highly enough.  You spray it on to a wet car, panel by panel, and immediately hose it off.  That's it.  Applying it to your whole car takes literally two minutes.  Makes even those lazyman spray and wipe products seem like a freaking chore in comparison. 

Honestly so far their Wet Coat is the best I've used. The hydrophobicity is great. Gloss could be better but it's ok. Durability is very long. I've gotten slightly more than 4 month's out of it.

I'm building out a 2019 Sprinter 4x4 144 Crew. Got a great deal on it and am learning a lot. We've removed all of the panels, and have started on the sound insulation. The floor, wall and ceiling insulation should arrive today.
I'm looking to get a solid sprinter bed platform without breaking the bank. Should I go for something like https://van2b.com/sprinter-van-beds/ this? Do you have any recommendations?

[pi314]

Did a Rotor/Brake replacement on my golf. Surprisingly straightforward, but had a friend helping!

Definitely worked out well for the pocketbook, ~$400 in parts, and the first set lasted 129000, so not terrible.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I took a 2019 CX-5 GT Turbo out for a spin today at lunch.  My local Used-Car lot had one on the lot, and I'd been meaning to pay them a visit, since they offered me a free tank of gas and a cleaned car, by way of saying Thanks for a referral.  So I took the CX-5 Turbo out, just to see how it compared to my naturally aspirated CX-5.  My impression would be that I would probably not pay any extra money to upgrade from my 2.5NA to the turbo.  Yes, it was quicker.  Yes, it pushed you in the back of your seat more than mine does.  But it wasn't mind-blowingly quicker.  And given how much traffic there is these days in the city, there wouldn't be all that many places to use the power.  Plus I wasn't 'wowed' enough to give up the advantages that come with my motor, namely better reliability, and better fuel economy (Blueprint often bemoans the terrible fuel economy of the turbo Mazda's that he tests).  Let me put it this way - the CX-5 turbo is quick, and definitely has more power than the NA version, but at the end of the day it's not mind-bending or soul-corrupting power. 

Now, if the two cars were side by side, and I had a choice between the GT Turbo, and a NA CX-5, then I'd take the turbo, of course, especially if the price difference was only a couple of grand.  Some of the features of the GT were nice, though.  Memory seats are a big plus in my book, I"m sure the Bose soundsystem sounds better than the base version in mine, the interior trim pieces are of a nicer material, the HUD is pretty cool.  BUT, at the end of the day, it's still just a CX-5, and my car has 95% of what the GT Turbo has.  Oh, and the seat bolsters in the GT are more aggressive than in the GS - it actually ended up being a less comfortable seat. 

[PJungnitsch]

Seems right. I find the 2.5 on the Crosstrek (probably similar power to weight) has more than enough power around town. I'd guess the turbo would be better used on long highway trips, and at higher elevations.

For mainstream appeal I think Mazda should have put it's engineering effort instead into a hybrid option years ago. The Rav4 Prime has extra power and extra mileage. That was the first thing we looked at but they were impossible to get

Apparently the CX-5 hybrid is coming out, but will be a Mazda design, not Toyota tech like the CX-50

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Seems right. I find the 2.5 on the Crosstrek (probably similar power to weight) has more than enough power around town. I'd guess the turbo would be better used on long highway trips, and at higher elevations.

For mainstream appeal I think Mazda should have put it's engineering effort instead into a hybrid option years ago. The Rav4 Prime has extra power and extra mileage. That was the first thing we looked at but they were impossible to get

Apparently the CX-5 hybrid is coming out, but will be a Mazda design, not Toyota tech like the CX-50

Maybe I'm just used to small, mainstream economy cars, so my perception hasn't been ruined.  I think the amount of power you get a with a 4-cylinder anything is 'just right'.  I've never owned anything 'german', or anything considered 'high end', so I suppose my sense are just used to 'slowness', and considers it acceptable, because I just don't know any better.

A CX-5 hybrid would be very, very attractive. 

[marcus_go]

My mom's CX-5 turbo has been great so far. Currently averaging about 11.5L/100 km in mostly all city traffic. Not great but likely would do better with more highway driving. I agree that the turbo isn't like a huge wow, but it definitely pulls appreciably better than the N/A 2.5, and the added power is nice for highway merging and passing.

For most buyers the N/A is more than adequate. I do wish some of the extra features of the turbo models were available on the N/A models. I agree that Mazda needs more hybrid options.

[BWII]

...given how much traffic there is these days in the city, there wouldn't be all that many places to use the power.

Considering how slow everyone in Wpg drives, probably a smart choice.  Sh#t the Sonic is fast in the city.  Limit's 80...everyone's doing 65-70.   

I, re-did the rear rotors and pads, again, (third time's a charm, right?) on the Fusion.  Only this time I had someone else do them.  Left side was dragging so bad - I thought I could milk them for the summer but nope.  Apparently the right side rotor was rusty and looked like it hadn't been used in a very long time.  So one caliper stuck closed, one stuck open. I ordered the calipers...but they went and replaced the rotors (and pads, of course) too.  I still haven't checked how many km since the last time I did it...but if those have 5,000km I'd be shocked.  And they weren't the cheap $125 for all 4 MAX brakes last time either.

$892 later... But, at least they work now.  Good for another 200,000+ km and 12 years...I'll be almost 70...fack me... 

Now, to get a quote on the timing belt on the Sonic. Owner's manual says 156,000 km - we're at 158.  Hope it's not Honda reliable...timed for 156k and no longer.  Pushing my luck maybe. 

[bridgecity]

Now, to get a quote on the timing belt on the Sonic. Owner's manual says 156,000 km - we're at 158.  Hope it's not Honda reliable...timed for 156k and no longer.  Pushing my luck maybe.

Is there a duration for the timing belt change on top of the mileage?  You've had that for a while no?

[BWII]

Yup, bought it new in Dec 2012 IIRC.  Good little car.  On a cooler day, I'm torn between it and my other car.   It's fun to drive a small car (w/a stick - if it had an auto, I couldn't care less). If it had AC, not sure we'd drive the Fusion much at all.

[bridgecity]

^ Right on. 

I would be  more concerned about the age of the belt versus the mileage.  Does GM list a duration interval?

[RhinoTuning]

It rains frequently here, and I haven't driven my car in a long time. The seats and steering wheel inside have all become moldy, so I need to give my car a good wash.

[BWII]

^ Right on. 

I would be  more concerned about the age of the belt versus the mileage.  Does GM list a duration interval?

156,000 km, no timeline.

[WP v3.32]

I installed the Paint Protection Film above the windshield on my truck.   I initially though it would be the best spot to learn but it was the worst,  mainly because it's high and I had to go each side a hundred times with a step ladder.  Also reaching the middle was hard.  Trying to cut the PPF on place was hard to, the tools I have was not working well and the blades were binding all the time.   I can see buying precut PPF is the way to go for the tough panels.