Ongoing General Automotive Thread v2

[MacDaddy77]

Originally Posted by Nufy

I took mine off before I drove off the dealers lot...

They weren't impressed.

I do the same thing! I ask if they will reduce the price to leave it on and if they say no out comes the razor blade to remove the stickers. license plate holder gets replaced with her plastic one anyway.

[Fuzz]

A friend bought a used Mazda 3 from the dealership years ago, and he said "alright, I'll buy the car but you have to take off the 'zoom zoom' stickers. No ####ing way am I driving it like that. "


If you are removing stick on labels, leave it in the hot sun for a bit, or warm it gently with a heat gun before attempting.

[burn_this_city]

A hairdryer will also work to remove decals, just don't heat the paint very much.

[speede5]

If it's on paint use an eraser wheel on a drill.

[Bill Bumface]

A Sawzall is another easy way to get the dealer badging off.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

A hairdryer will also work to remove decals, just don't heat the paint very much.

I prefer using a hairdryer too, less risk of messing up the paint with too much heat. Doesn't take much

[kevman]

Originally Posted by speede5

If it's on paint use an eraser wheel on a drill.

This. It's maybe not necessary for dealer decals but I recently debagged an old camper van and this little tool was a life saver. I only wish I knew about it sooner before wasting time with a heat gun on the first few stripes.

One more time for good measure, everyone needs to be aware this magical little tool exists.

[Titan]

https://www.princessauto.com/en/deta...el/A-p8570970e

[morgin]

What are the oft recommended places to have 3M done? Car is about 3 weeks old and thinking may as well do it.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by morgin

What are the oft recommended places to have 3M done? Car is about 3 weeks old and thinking may as well do it.

I enjoyed my experience at Shadow Tinting, and they seemed competitively priced.

[FCAV]

Curious. Any AWD, standard transmission wagons still kicking around in the market other than the Golf Sportwagen/Alltrack? Are we down to just the A4 and 340i for AWD, standard sedans (outside of the Subaru offerings)?

[Ashasx]

nm am idiot

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by FCAV

Curious. Any AWD, standard transmission wagons still kicking around in the market other than the Golf Sportwagen/Alltrack? Are we down to just the A4 and 340i for AWD, standard sedans (outside of the Subaru offerings)?

Pretty much, as far as new goes (and I don't think there's still a manual A4 wagon, just the allroad and I don't even think that comes with a stick). You can buy a 2017 Outback wagon, but they stopped making them in manual this year and they never did them with the larger engine - I found that car's shifting to be so vague it's barely a manual at all. I just bought a B7 S4 Avant a few weeks ago - it's probably the best you can get as far as a manual wagon goes here (I suppose it's possible to have an older B4 RS shipped over now but I suspect that'd cost a mint). Almost all of them are really high mileage now. They're incredibly cheap here though, even for good examples - what you pay in CAD is about what they go for in USD on sites like Bringatrailer. Prices are depressed because of a major design issue that, if it materializes, costs thousands to repair, but it's already priced in, so you're pretty much just treating it as a potential deferred expense.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Pretty much, as far as new goes (and I don't think there's still a manual A4 wagon, just the allroad and I don't even think that comes with a stick). You can buy a 2017 Outback wagon, but they stopped making them in manual this year and they never did them with the larger engine - I found that car's shifting to be so vague it's barely a manual at all. I just bought a B7 S4 Avant a few weeks ago - it's probably the best you can get as far as a manual wagon goes here (I suppose it's possible to have an older B4 RS shipped over now but I suspect that'd cost a mint). Almost all of them are really high mileage now. They're incredibly cheap here though, even for good examples - what you pay in CAD is about what they go for in USD on sites like Bringatrailer. Prices are depressed because of a major design issue that, if it materializes, costs thousands to repair, but it's already priced in, so you're pretty much just treating it as a potential deferred expense.

This practise is so frustrating.

These days, manual drivers tend to be enthusiasts.

Enthusiasts like big engines.

What does every manufacturer do? Saddle manuals with the lowest trim level with with the crappy engine. Then they stop making the manual version because they say nobody buys them.

A manual these days needs to be treated like an option that people buy into, not something that you have because of economic reasons.

[cam_wmh]

I fear VW ends the manual in the next generation R.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Pretty much, as far as new goes (and I don't think there's still a manual A4 wagon, just the allroad and I don't even think that comes with a stick). You can buy a 2017 Outback wagon, but they stopped making them in manual this year and they never did them with the larger engine - I found that car's shifting to be so vague it's barely a manual at all. I just bought a B7 S4 Avant a few weeks ago - it's probably the best you can get as far as a manual wagon goes here (I suppose it's possible to have an older B4 RS shipped over now but I suspect that'd cost a mint). Almost all of them are really high mileage now. They're incredibly cheap here though, even for good examples - what you pay in CAD is about what they go for in USD on sites like Bringatrailer. Prices are depressed because of a major design issue that, if it materializes, costs thousands to repair, but it's already priced in, so you're pretty much just treating it as a potential deferred expense.

Nice choice! I had a B6 that I had to sell due to the impending $8K repair. I missed it so much I was hunting for one with the service done, almost pulled the trigger on a B7 RS4, ended up in a B8.5 S4 instead as my last shot at a manual S4.

Obviously I wish it was an Avant.

[Table 5]

I assume the timing chain tensioner issue was fixed in the B7/B8 cars, correct? Are they more reliable in general, or do they have their own catastrophic time bombs?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

It wasn't fixed in the B7. Some people claim the guides were upgraded a bit but they still fail. My issue right now is that I can't figure out whether cold temperatures will affect it by causing the oil check valve to stick open - the car's going to spend a fair number of days parked at Lake Louise in -20. I'm just hoping to get 50k out of it before I have to pony up. Knock on wood, but there's no sign of any issues with it yet.

B8 has a totally different engine thus no need to fix, but you don't get to have a V8 anymore so what's even the point.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

It wasn't fixed in the B7. Some people claim the guides were upgraded a bit but they still fail. My issue right now is that I can't figure out whether cold temperatures will affect it by causing the oil check valve to stick open - the car's going to spend a fair number of days parked at Lake Louise in -20. I'm just hoping to get 50k out of it before I have to pony up. Knock on wood, but there's no sign of any issues with it yet.

B8 has a totally different engine thus no need to fix, but you don't get to have a V8 anymore so what's even the point.

Does the V8 in the RS4 have same problem too?

[FLAME ENVY]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Does the V8 in the RS4 have same problem too?

No. Metal guides in the RS4 which are much stronger.

*The B7 S4 is a great car, most are worth a pittance now due to the timing chain/tensioner problems. A co-worker has spent upwards of $13K maintaining his 2008 which he bought in 2013. It has over 200K on it now. I would not overlook a well sorted B7 S4 at the right price.