Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with car and auto

My other car is the millennium falcon

bunny hugger — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:57:39 -0800

(Probably) really basic car question: my car is taking longer to start than it used to. Battery problem or something else? Particularly with the cold, my car is taking its time starting up. I even pump the gas before I turn the key but it makes no difference. Could it be my battery - I think the connections (?) are corroded - or because my antifreeze level is low, or something else? Car is a '97 but in good shape. Recommendations welcome.

2006 Honda Pilot Headlight Replacement

GatorFan2000 — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:36:30 -0800

I have a 2006 Honda Pilot, and noticed that my right headlight went out. Each headlight is comprised of two headlights, a top and bottom one. The top one seems to be working, but the bottom one is out. The top bulb is easy to replace, but the bottom one is a little bit more tricky, as there doesn't seem to be an easy way to remove it. Can anyone point me to a schematic or something? I think the replacement bulb size is H11, I just don' t understand how to replace the lower bulb.

Car insurance in New Orleans

goneill — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:24:44 -0800

I bought a car!! It is a 1993 Honda Civic. I need to buy insurance. I will be driving my car about once a week, to buy groceries - otherwise I will be riding my bike around New Orleans, Louisiana. I don't know anything about car insurance. I am 34, have a perfect driving record. Can anyone help me figure out what kind of insurance I should get? I will be fine if the car is totaled or stolen and I cannot ever drive it again. I have health insurance for myself so I do not need to protect myself in that way.

I need help in just understanding the basic terms that insurance companies use, what I should look out for, and how much coverage I should get, and any other information that I'm not thinking of!

Thanks!

Older car, cold weather?

Richat — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:12:40 -0800

My car's getting older, and I have recently moved to a new place with no garage. I'm worried about it starting in cold weather. More details inside! I've got a 2000 VW Golf, gasoline, not diesel. I've had a garage for years, and so never bothered with a block heater, which is pretty standard issue hardware in Northern Ontario.

I'm wondering, I suppose, if there is a better approach to the old block heater idea, which warms the oil in most I've seen. My battery is orginal as well. So far, at -15 celsius, the car's starting ok, but beginning to sound like it's not liking it too much.

Up here...we'll hit -25 to -35 Celsius (which is down to -31 F) eventually. Part of me would like to avoid a solution that means sucking electricity all night.

Any ideas?

How to drive home a car bought in another state?

HopperFan — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:01:41 -0800

So I bought a car from out of state...please help me with the logistics! I bought a Volvo on eBay for a good price, yay. It's about 6 hours away, though. (Ohio to Virginia)

I've read this question, and this, this, and several others - but I still have questions, because there seems to be some conflicting information.

Step 1 : Insure vehicle. I'll be doing that tomorrow, I have the VIN.

Step 2 : Go to Virginia, meet seller with car. Make sure VIN on car and title matches with what was posted on eBay.

Step 3-4-.... : ?

The questions I've thought of so far are:

1. Does the seller need to have access to a notary? Otherwise, how would signing the back of the title and the bill of sale be valid?

2. Is it true that with a signed over title and a bill of sale, I could drive this vehicle back to Ohio and placate any police officers that happen to stop me?

3. It seems like a very bad idea to fedex payment down without a title in hand, trusting he'll send me the title in exchange, just so that I could obtain temp tags here before driving down. He hasn't asked me to do that, anyway.

The car does not currently have plates. I checked auto shipping companies, but the cheapest quote is around $300. This may or may not be worth it, depending on what I learn about this registration process.

What are my best options if I only need a car for a year or less?

frippsie — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:34:03 -0800

My car lease is ending soon. I thought I wouldn't need a car for any longer than my lease terms. But now I do. What are my best options if I only need a car for a year or less? I only got this car because I accepted a job and moved to a city where a car is necessary for reliable transportation. I didn't expect to be here for longer than two years because my job is very stressful, and I see it as a stepping stone to something better. (I don't want to get sidetracked as to why I'm still here, but rest assured it's not the situation I want to be in.) I'm leaving my current job in a year's--or less--time. I would most likely be relocating to a place where I don't need a car at all.

However, I do still require reliable transportation for the rest of the admittedly indefinite time I am here. So should I get a new lease, buy out my current lease, buy a different car, or what?

Complications: I don't have the cash to buy my leased car outright--I'd have to get a loan. I don't want to be stuck with trying to unload the car in the middle of a lease or before the loan is paid off. Unfortunately, public transportation and walking/bike riding aren't good options for me. I do carpool sometimes, but I don't want to be begging rides 100% of the time.

I know this sounds a bit all over the place...that's why I hope AskMe can help me think about this more clearly, and hopefully offer some good suggestions! Thanks in advance.

Auto-broker, good or bad idea?

furtive — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:13:48 -0800

Does buying used through an auto-broker make sense for me? I'm in the market for a used car (1-4 years old, one owner, still under warranty) but I live 90 minutes away from the nearest urban area with a proper used car market. To compound things my truck is on it's last legs and every trip out I expect it to be the last. This makes shopping around for a used car rather difficult.

It dawned on me that there must be a market for auto-brokers, and googling them found me several in the nearest city. Does anyone have experience with these? What should I be aware of? I don't mind paying a few hundred extra for the convenience.

Did the seat belt fail?

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:57:18 -0800

Automobile accident: Did the seat belt fail? What should we do? My wife was recently involved in an automobile accident. She was driving our 07 Kia Spectra and rear-ended a large SUV on an exit ramp connecting two major highways(no intersection or traffic lights involved), traveling at about 45mph. The ramp has 2 lanes, and the collision occurred when she was switching from the left-hand lane to the right. She was ticketed by a state trooper for "unsafe lane change."

Her injuries are, thankfully, limited to some severe bruising across her abdomen and shoulder, and pain that she describes as muscle soreness. The other driver did not leave the scene in an ambulance, injuries were probably less severe than my wife's.

My actual question concerns the seat belt. After the collision, the seat belt was fully extended and hanging loosely, and the buckle had come undone. The seat belt did not retract after the accident, and appears to have not locked during. That doesn't seem normal. We have photos of the seat belt fully extended and hanging loosely, not retracting, but when we went to check out the car a couple of days ago, the buckle seemed to be functioning normally, so it would be difficult or impossible to prove it came undone. Of course, I can't put nearly the same force on it by yanking that a high-speed collision would cause.

Should we contact Kia? A lawyer? Or is that totally normal and we should let it go? We're really thankful that the injuries aren't any worse than they are, but we also think something should be done about that seat belt, if it indeed malfunctioned.

If it matters, location is north-east edge of DFW metroplex.

Thanks.

Where is a good spot to take pictures of a car in Seattle?

-harlequin- — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:00:39 -0800

What's a good place in or near the greater Seattle area, to park and photograph a car? I'm looking for somewhere which is a nice area or has a nice backdrop, has space to stop a car, and which is generally fairly deserted (so that camera etc. can be set up without constantly being the path of people/cars, and pictures can be taken without having to wait for people to leave the frame, etc). To make things harder, this would most convenient during the day on a weekend, but if a good place is most empty during office hours (or whatever), it might be worth the inconvenience.

How to temporarily re-attach a car's side mirror?

Majorita — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:01:23 -0800

I smashed my car's passenger side mirror against some scaffolding leading into my garage tonight. The mirror and plastic casing are still intact, but now dangling from a wire still attached to the car. I have to drive somewhere early tomorrow morning. What should I do until I can get to a garage? Duct tape it back in place? Will that damage my car's paint? Should I cut the wire and remove the mirror? TIA...

Knife catching isn't just for real estate

MrMulan — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:59:04 -0800

How can I increase my chances of buying a new car below dealer cost? Would you get an additional discount if you paid cash in full? There are many articles on how to negotiate a good deal for a new car which usually involves offering slightly above dealer invoice.

I am trying to increase my chances of scoring a new car that has become a sunk cost to the dealer.

Some reasons I am choosing new over used:
-It is an apples to apples comparison once you have the configuration you want.
-It is easier to weed and screen dealers via email, as there is no reason to have to come in to the showroom
-There is a chance of getting a sunk cost car for about the same price of a used car.

I am looking for Hondas or Toyotas, preferrably top of the line Rav4s and CRV, but not opposed to sedans or other brands.
I had an offer of $27k for an Honda CRV EX-l w/Nav, and I wanted $25
I also had an offer for the above without Nav for $25k

These offers came two hours of very frustrating blah blah blah from the dealer.

I know the cash for clunkers program may have an effect.
I plan to have financing lined up with my own bank.
I plan on doing all negotiations through email.
I am in the New York area, so there are tons of dealers.

As always, thank you in advance.

Please help me find the make/model I want, so I can focus on the next steps. Thanks!

iamkimiam — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:56:05 -0800

I need to buy a new, used or certified used car real quickly. I could use some help deciding on a make and model that meets some specific criteria. I have ~$4000 I could put down on either a brand new or certified used car (not to exceed $25k). I could manage about $6000 for a direct-from-seller used car.

I want something fuel efficient and/or hybrid, but I am not currently not keen on buying a hybrid from a individual seller (hybrids are more expensive and if I am going to invest in one for environmental and economic reasons, I would prefer the extra up-front cost to count toward the public financial record of support of this type of innovation – an individual seller has already paid for the car and I might as well buy a fuel-efficient used car for less from them).
It'd be great if I could put >$4k down on a car that is also less than ~$12k. That's a most comfortable loan amount for me.
The newer the better.
I would prefer a hybrid.
Must be able to transport bikes and surfboards (shortboards inside with seats folded down) and longboards (at least three) up top. Cars like Prius's are NOT designed for this...curved roof and significant drag make it not practical.
The smaller the better. I like finding parking and not being a big bohemoth on the road.
Good track record, reliable. I tend to sell cars when I suspect they are going to start causing problems a year or two down the road, and so I don't want to take on something with a short life span, known problems, or high repair cost.

I currently have a Mazda Protege5 wagon, which is a pretty great all around car, minus the fact that mine is almost done for, its no longer made, and the gas mileage is 'meh'. I used to have a Mini Cooper, but that thing was too small.

Any suggestions, both car-wise and perspective-wise?

How to buy a car from a person

exceptinsects — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:26:59 -0800

I am looking to buy a used car for cash from a local (CA) private party, not a dealer. What do I need to know? I am mainly looking on Craigslist, but other suggestions are welcome. I'm looking for a Toyota Echo, if it matters.

So...what should I look out for in terms of scams? (I am already aware of things like shipping cars from far away, etc.) I will of course get it checked by a mechanic but what else should I be aware of?

How should I actually pay for it? Certified check? Giant wad of cash? Goats? I'm expecting it to be in the $5k range.

I am also going to be selling my old car, which is a 1997 Corolla in "fair" condition. Is it better to try to sell it myself, or should I go to Carmax? If I do sell it myself, how should I ask for payment?

New England Car Needed

billtron — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:07:51 -0800

I'm moving to the Upper Valley of New Hampshire in a month and need to buy a car for the first time. Help me choose the right one. We've narrowed it down basically to two general options: something resembling a 2 year old Subaru Outback and something resembling a new Prius. Our choice will depend on the availability of options, incentives at the time of purchase, and the necessity of getting an all-wheel drive vehicle for the harsh winters versus the fuel efficiency of getting a hybrid for our monthly trips to NYC. What, o great metahivemind, do you suggest we do?

Where can I donate a car to be used for auto repair training?

EatenByAGrue — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:55:04 -0800

I'm looking for a charity that will take a non-operational car, use it to train people in auto repair by fixing it, then sell it or give it to someone that needs a car. This is in the SF bay area. I realize that the tax law no longer treats car donations favorably, and I'm not really interested in how much of a deduction I get. Nor does it matter to me what the charity is, as long as it's for what I think is a good cause.

I'm mainly looking for two things:

(1) that the proceeds from the car's sale (or the car itself, if not sold) go as much as possible towards the charitable cause, as opposed to a middleman; and

(2) that the charity provides disadvantaged individuals with an opportunity to learn a marketable skill by teaching them for free or at a reduced cost how to fix cars, and specifically the car being donated.

I seemed to remember a radio ad from a few years back when car donations were all the rage describing a charity operating according to just this scenario, but I don't remember it and all my web searches have only turned up organizations outside of California. Thanks for the help.

It was everywhere I tell you.

Eddie Mars — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:45:58 -0800

Car trouble: How loudly should I yell at my dealer's service department? Yesterday I took my car (Nissan Rogue) to the dealer to have a broken seat latch fixed. Since it was due for an oil change, I had the service department change the oil while it was there.
Today driving home from work, I noticed an oily smell coming from the vents. I popped the hood and found oil everywhere. After hunting around, I found the oil cap sitting on top of the radiator fan. They'd forgotten to put the cap back on.
I checked and my oil was fairly low, but still OK, so I'm not worried about engine damage thankfully. My question is, will all this oil in the engine bay cause me problems? When I mean everywhere, it was everywhere. Pooled around every bolt head, dripping from the hood, everywhere. I'm especially worried about the air vents, since I could see oil draining into them.

So, when I call my dealer's service department to yell at them tomorrow, what should I demand they do? Do I need a complete cleaning of the engine bay, or am I overreacting here?

Can I / should I accept reimbursement for a car repair I didn't do?

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:40:56 -0800

Is it legal to accept $500 from a car insurance company, reimbursing me for a repair I'm not going to make? If it's legal, should I? Recently my car was very lightly rear-ended. Both I and the other driver are insured. There were no injuries and my car has no visible damage -- I took it to my mechanic, who I trust, who confirmed that there was no damage from the collision. The other driver's insurance company sent a photographer to take photos of my car to check its condition. The photographer reported a small nick in my bumper, and based on this, the other driver's insurance sent me a check for $500 for a new bumper. The nick is almost invisible (my wife can see it, I haven't managed to) and we have no interest in getting a new bumper. My wife thinks it might be OK to just cash the check, on the grounds that the eventual resale value of the car will be lower because it's been involved in an accident, however small. I'm concerned that it might actually be against the law to cash a check for replacing a bumper that I didn't actually replace. I see a few options:
A. Cash the check, pocket the money.
B. Cash the check, replace the undamaged bumper. (Seems like a waste of the world's resources, but maybe I should think of it as economic stimulus?)
C. Don't cash the check, keep it, and if I need to replace the bumper for some other reason in the next year (the life of the check,) cash it.
D. Cut up the check.

We don't want to do anything illegal. So: which of these four options is legal? And of the legal ones, which are ethically OK?
(Anonymous in case the right answer is "A is probably legal but I wouldn't do it if my real name were attached to the general practice in a public place.")

Is paying off an $11k auto loan with a credit card a bad idea?

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 07:31:28 -0800

Tricky car loan situation. I'm thinking about paying off the remainder of a car loan with my credit card. Is this a bad idea? My boyfriend and I have spent over a year trying to figure out the best way to get his car officially titled in his name. He's had the car since 2003 (new) and has been faithfully making (loan + insur.) payments on it. However the loan is completely in his ex-girlfriend's name (and he is listed on her auto insurance). The bank is the title holder, which means that the loan needs to be paid off in order for her to get the title and transfer it to us.

We both have really good credit (mine is over 800, his is above 675), but we also both have significant student loan debt. Consequently, we have repeatedly been turned down for a loan necessary to pay off the ex's car loan (so that she can receive the title and sign it over to us).

Here's the solution I came up with the other day:
1. Draft a contract stating that I will pay off the loan with the bank. When that occurs and the ex receives the title, she will sign it over to my bf (essentially selling the car to him for $1). We all sign.
2. I will draft a second contract, between bf and I, stating the terms of paying back the loan. We both sign.
3. Bf will register and insure himself and the car here in this state (CA), ex-gf will remove him from insurance policy, etc.

I am comfortable taking on this much debt ($11k at 11.99% APY). The car loan rates we were quoted were not any better frankly. My credit card limit allows for this purchase. Also, fyi, the car is not worth nearly that much, but its very reliable. He definitely needs to hold onto it for work, etc.

Leaving the situation as-is is not an option. The current loan is absolutely terrible. He is unable to register or insure the car in this state, or in his name. Its risky to have this situation go on with this sort of liability; I can't legally drive the car ever, and if anything happens to him or the car, it screws over his ex-girlfriend. We'd like to not make this her problem, and just get everything legit.

Is there anything wrong with this plan and/or paying off this loan with a credit card? I am worried about recent reports of people being 'dumped' by their credit card companies. Or other things, like random rate changes. Are these valid concerns, and is there anything else I should be worried about?

Fyi, I am most definitely not worried about making this sort of loan/$$ commitment to my boyfriend. We are in it together, for as long as I can foresee, and things are great. Also, he has borrowed significant money from me in the past and has paid me back on time, every time. This question is about any hidden drawbacks to paying off the loan on a credit card.

Auto Show Spokesmodel

zollypop — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:32:24 -0800

I am a professional spokesmodel trying to get into the 2009 autoshow circuit. I know that some of the major autos show spokesmodels come from either Productions-Plus or Gail and Rice, but does anyone know the best way to get an audition with these companies? Any info would GREATLY be appreciated. The season starts soon!

Finding a new car mechanic

Silentgoldfish — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:07:41 -0800

I'm looking for a new car mechanic in Melbourne, Australia and/or tips for finding a reliable one in general... I moved to Melbourne a little while ago and it's coming up time to service my car. Where I used to live I had an awesome mechanic who was honest, blunt, and never felt like he was ripping me off despite my ignorance of most of what makes my car go. He was the kind of guy that when someone else would try and sell me stuff I didn't need he'd tell me if I really did or whether I could get away for another few years with what I already had.

Unfortunantely, he couldn't recommend anyone in Melbourne, and while I found him through word of mouth no-one I know here can recommend anyone similiar.

Any tips or tricks for finding another guy as good (and most importantly, honest), or any direct recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

Prepare me for applying for an auto loan!

thatbrunette — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:00:34 -0800

I'm a student, looking to take out a first time auto loan for a car. I want a used car, and would like to spend no more than $3,000. My credit is alright, not stellar, and I have student loans. What can I expect in this process, and how can I better my chances of getting a loan? I'm going to apply through USAA. One thing to note is that I bank through USAA for the most part; however they don't have any local branches. Therefore I deposit my work checks in a Wells Fargo branch (I have an account with them as well), then transfer the money to my USAA account. So that balance fluctuates pretty heavily. Will this impact me negatively? For example, the current balance in my USAA account is very small, about $100, but I have a little more than 2.5k in my Wells Fargo account. Or is all of this negligible and they only base loans on credit score? I really need a car, and I'm hoping this works out.

2001 Saab 9-3 ignition problem

Blazecock Pileon — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:09:08 -0800

My car won't start up on the first and sometimes second try, after a cold night. I have a 2001 Saab 9-3 that has difficulty starting on the first try, after sitting overnight.

I will turn the ignition and hold the key. After about five cycles, the engine ignition process stops and I just get the full set of lights on the dashboard.

I will turn the key off and try again. The engine usually starts up on the second try, sometimes the third. If it takes a third try, the second attempt has the same symptom as the first attempt.

It seems to run fine once the engine is started. Once the engine is warmed up, I have no problems re-starting it after a short break. It will start up again and run fine.

However, if I leave the car overnight, on a cold night, I get the same ignition problem the following morning.

I replaced the battery two years ago. I don't think the headlights are any dimmer, and the cabin electronics seem to work okay.

Any ideas on what might cause this? It will take a while to get it to the shop — am I damaging the car by trying to start it in this condition?

What repair fixes a misfiring 4-Runner?

carsonb — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:42:47 -0800

Why does my uncle's 1998 V6 Toyota 4-Runner misfire at highway speeds? Last month we drove from Los Angeles to Tucson and back, and at what seemed to be random points while we were driving the engine would buck repeatedly. Once it started, it would continue at all speeds, with the engine running particularly rough at low/idle RPM. We took it in to 3 different Toyota dealerships along the way, and to it's home dealership once we got back. They were all happy to service the vehicle, but none were able to fix it and two insisted they couldn't find any problems with the vehicle. Before we go on, my uncle has always insisted on dealership service. His 4-Runner is in pristine condition, to the day on all of its tune-ups and servicings, and only has 130,000 or so miles on it.

The problem first started near El Centro. We limped south along hwy 86 to the dealership there, where they diagnosed a misfire on 'cylinder one'. They 'made some adjustments' but didn't replace or repair anything, and as we left the truck ran fine. In fact, it ran great all the way through Yuma and Casa Grande, but by the time we were passing Picacho (just north of Tucson) the problem had started again. Throughout this leg of the trip we didn't see any instrumental indication that the engine had a problem. (No check-engine light.)

Then Christmas came, and all the dealership service bays were closed. Eventually we got it into a dealership in Tucson, where they couldn't find a whit wrong with the vehicle. Since it was due up, my uncle went ahead and sprung for a full tune-up while we were there. He didn't test the truck at highway speeds after getting it back though...

And sure enough, a few days later as we were rounding Gila Bend on the way back to LA, cruisin' along at a stately 70mph, the engine started bucking again. The check engine light came on occasionally. This time we limped further, all the way to Yuma, where the young salesschmuck told us after 3 hours of diagnostics that they could start by replacing 'the coil', that the distributor needed replacing as well but since they were in the middle of nowhere they didn't have the part on hand. Fine, said unc, so they replaced 'the coil' and sent us on our way. We weren't 20 miles outside of Yuma before the engine started misfiring again.

We make it home (14 hours, Tucson to LA) and my uncle takes his truck into its home dealership, where it's been serviced since he bought it new. According to him, they can't find a single thing wrong with it, including the distributor. There's nothing they could do, apparently.

So what the hell? What could be causing the misfire? Why won't any mechanics diagnose the problem? What are they, what are WE missing? My poor uncle has poured thousands of dollars into repairing his beloved vehicle, and it's still not fixed. I'd love to be able to help him get it running right again.

How do I read a Passat odometer?

KevinSkomsvold — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:51:00 -0800

How do I read a 2002 VW Passat odometer? It currently reads 124776. The owner claims it has only 12,477 miles on it and that the 6 is tenths of a mile. Is this correct?

Thanks!

Are No-Credit Auto Loans No Problem?

lekvar — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:10:26 -0800

Online auto loans; too good to be true? My credit is non-existant, but I need to get a new(er) car. I have a good amount of money for a down payment, but no reputable bank will touch me. However, I just found a number of online auto loan lenders who specialize in bad/no credit/bankruptcy loans.

Obviously, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Just as obviously, I'll likely be hit with a usurious interest rate. I'm OK with that for the time being, but I feel like there's something I'm overlooking.

Any MeFites have experience in this area? Are they a scam or a godsend? Any hidden weirdness I should look out for? Any specific recommendations?

Hard facts and anecdotes are equally welcome.