Random Thoughts Thread

[G. David Felt]

Very cool, GM raises 2022 Guidance and Expects EV Portfolio to be profitable in 2025.

GM Raises 2022 Guidance and Expects North American EV Portfolio to be Profitable in 2025 as Annual Capacity Tops 1 Million

QUOTE:

In the next three years, GM plans to move very aggressively toward EV leadership as EV adoption is expected to approach 20% of U.S. industry sales in 2025:

• GM will have multiple entries in pickup, SUV and luxury segments that represent about 70% of EV industry volume, including the Chevrolet Silverado EV, Blazer EV and Equinox EV, the Cadillac LYRIQ and the GMC Sierra EV
• GM is launching a new digital retail platform with its U.S. dealer partners to enhance the shopping and purchase experience for EV customers and reduce costs to GM by an estimated $2,000 per vehicle
• Five GM assembly plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico will be building EVs
• BrightDrop — GM’s tech startup creating EVs, eCarts and software — is on track to reach $1 billion in revenue in 2023, as GM’s CAMI plant in Ontario launches full production of the BrightDrop Zevo 600 delivery van next year, and scaling to a projected 50,000 units annually by 2025
• GM’s battery cell joint venture Ultium Cells will be operating plants in Ohio, Tennessee and Michigan by the end of 2024, making the company a leader in domestic cell production; a fourth U.S. cell plant is planned
• GM has secured binding commitments for all the battery raw material it needs to deliver its 2025 capacity target
• The company continues to secure its needs beyond 2025 with strategic supply agreements and direct investments in natural resource recovery, processing and recycling
• GM’s EV growth is supported by a highly profitable portfolio of internal combustion engine vehicles in North America, including market-leading pickups and SUVs, great quality, and consistently high scores for customer satisfaction with dealer sales and service

[trinacriabob]

5 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

If I was living in a Mediterranean climate, 

1. Summer, summer aaaaaaaaand....summer.

2. Spring and Fall

3. Winter

Buuuut...

All the old Greeks that I have talked to over the years, the ones that were born in Greece and immigrated to Montreal, and I mean ALL of them, they told me that Greece is beautiful in the Spring and Fall.   In the Spring, it rains and green greenery everywhere as opposed to the summer when it doesnt rain at all and its brown and hot. Like hot hot.  Autumn is just as nice as its not as hot, one could still swim in the water and relatively NO TOURISTS. Which was a BIG thing with those old school Greeks.  

So...me loving the summer for a Greece scenario comes from the experience of me being a tourist in Greece and not as an inhabitant and obviously only visiting Greece IN the summer.  Maybe Id have the opinion of loving spring and fall more than summer like those old school Greeks if I actually lived there.

Those old school Greeks - men with herringbone berets and women dressed in black - shown in yogurt commercials for eating yogurt every day and who live to be 100?

There must be a way to say "la dolce vita" in Greek, too.

Spring is actually very nice in the Med because the rainy season that is now behind them has the bougainvillea and other plant life in bloom, and the backdrop has green hills instead of the brown hills we see in many photos.

[oldshurst442]

23 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

women dressed in black

widows...   Not a very smart or appealing marketing choice for those that know the truth about Mediterranean women wearing black.   LOL   

23 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

There must be a way to say "la dolce vita" in Greek, too.

Maybe...I havent heard anything.  

We do have something close though.   

  "Kefi"

23 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

for eating yogurt every day and who live to be 100?

I would contribute that to olives, olive oil, the Mediterranean sun and sea, but most importantly, the care free lifestyle they seem to strive for and enjoy. 

OPA! 

 

26 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Spring is actually very nice in the Med because the rainy season that is now behind them has the bougainvillea and other plant life in bloom, and the backdrop has green hills instead of the brown hills we see in many photos.

This is a +1 

The blue sky and the blue water just disguise and mask how dry certain areas look.  

Edited November 22, 2022 by oldshurst442

[oldshurst442]

That is why there is a lot of forest fires both in Italy and in Greece in the summer.

Because of the dryness and the heat....

Southern Spain too. 

All three countries and people resemble one another quite closely.   That makes that fact very interesting. 

[G. David Felt]

11 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

All three countries and people resemble one another quite closely.   That makes that fact very interesting. 

Inbreeding? ?

[surreal1272]

No, no, and just hell no!

 

"The Best or Nothing". 

 

If this is going to continue to be the Mercedes motto, then I will always choose "nothing". There is simply no way in hell that ANY car company should be getting away with this and more so, customers should not accept this as a potential new norm. Ask BMW how potentially charging customers for Apple CarPlay worked out for them?

https://www.motortrend.com/news/mercedes-benz-eq-power-upgrade-ota/

[ccap41]

I don't think there's anything wrong with them doing it. I think ANYBODY willing to pay a subscription fee for something like that is an absolute moron though. 

[G. David Felt]

15 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

No, no, and just hell no!

 

"The Best or Nothing". 

 

If this is going to continue to be the Mercedes motto, then I will always choose "nothing". There is simply no way in hell that ANY car company should be getting away with this and more so, customers should not accept this as a potential new norm. Ask BMW how potentially charging customers for Apple CarPlay worked out for them?

https://www.motortrend.com/news/mercedes-benz-eq-power-upgrade-ota/

WOW, talk about HELL NO. I hate that much of the software industry has become pay to play rather than buy a version and use it for a long time before moving to a newer version. 

This is just sucking your pocketbook dry and no, you should not have to pay again to gain that power. 12 months for a 23 -24% increase in power output from the motors and better battery management.

That is BS.

I have no problem with any company even GM selling a software upgrade that improves HP, Torque and battery management or even increased battery range if they found a better way to manage your auto to improve it. An upgrade fee that puts your EV on par with the newest version of that EV being sold that has more power, range, etc. is acceptable. 

The key part is that you buy it and have it for the life of the auto, not 12 months.

Consumer reports, J.D. Power and others have all noticed the downward fall of Mercedes and their marketing of "The Best or Nothing" is making it easy to say NOTHING!

[riviera74]

Subscriptions on top of high new car payments?  I will pass.

[surreal1272]

37 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I don't think there's anything wrong with them doing it.

There is literally everything wrong with them doing it, starting with bull$h! greed on an already $100K car.

[ccap41]

12 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

There is literally everything wrong with them doing it, starting with bull$h! greed on an already $100K car.

I don't see anything wrong with them asking for it. They can ask all they want and it'll only stick around if people are stupid enough to pay it. As long as people are smart enough not to bite the bait, stuff like this will go away.

[ccap41]

I would be okay if this passes.

"Earlier this year, lawmakers in New Jersey started the process of introducing legislation banning vehicle subscription services. The bill prohibits automakers and dealers from charging fees for the hardware already installed in vehicles."

[trinacriabob]

4 hours ago, David said:

Inbreeding? ?

Haha.

Similar, but different enough.

If I was given an a-b-c-d multiple choice test on 100 Italian, Greek, and Iberian physiognomies (throw in the French, too), I'm thinking I'd get 70% to 80% of it correct.

Edited November 22, 2022 by trinacriabob

[oldshurst442]

Im always on the business side of things.  But...

4 hours ago, ccap41 said:

I don't see anything wrong with them asking for it. They can ask all they want and it'll only stick around if people are stupid enough to pay it. As long as people are smart enough not to bite the bait, stuff like this will go away.

This is exactly how I feel. 

4 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

There is literally everything wrong with them doing it, starting with bull$h! greed on an already $100K car.

But this is how I also feel as well.  

4 hours ago, ccap41 said:

"Earlier this year, lawmakers in New Jersey started the process of introducing legislation banning vehicle subscription services. The bill prohibits automakers and dealers from charging fees for the hardware already installed in vehicles."

And I applaud this.  

4 hours ago, ccap41 said:

As long as people are smart enough not to bite the bait, stuff like this will go away.

But we wouldnt need laws preventing that kind of shyte if only people wouldnt be so sheepish in giving into corporations.

Yet some people will NEVER listen to what a government tells them. But die on a hill following conmen,  evil doers and greedy corporate entities whose CEOs are all three: conmen, evildoers and greedy mthereffers. 

Edited November 22, 2022 by oldshurst442

[G. David Felt]

Some very cool reading.

The US's largest solar provider reveals its fleet of Ford F-150 Lightnings (electrek.co)

The recommendations here seem to be pretty common sense to me, but I guess they have to tell F150 Lighting owners this to cover their butts.

How you can maximize your Ford F-150 Lightning range this winter (electrek.co)

Be interesting to see how the F150 gets through winter across the U.S.

[G. David Felt]

@Robert Hall @ccap41 @oldshurst442 @surreal1272

Check out the new Hotwheels

New Hot Wheels Set of Five Cars Will Make You Feel Like a Kid Again, Zoinks! - autoevolution

[G. David Felt]

Happy thanksgiving to all, have a relaxing long weekend.

[G. David Felt]

Interesting, Cadillac is filling in the spaces between the XT Family with a GT family.

Upcoming Cadillac GT4 Crossover Fully Leaked In China (gmauthority.com)

Dear Cadillac, Please Send Us Your New GT4 (motorbiscuit.com)

[trinacriabob]

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

@David

Per today's birthday list, happy birthday!

Did you arrive to this world on Thanksgiving Day proper?

Enjoy your day.  I am sure good food will be involved.

 

 

 

[G. David Felt]

58 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

@David

Per today's birthday list, happy birthday!

Did you arrive to this world on Thanksgiving Day proper?

Enjoy your day.  I am sure good food will be involved.

Thank you, yes, 27th of November is my birthday, same day as my mom's birthday. So, it is a special day and has been great so far. Thanksgiving was very special this year as my son and his new fiancé announced they were engaged.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and relaxing long weekend. 

[trinacriabob]

@riviera74

Yet another birthday per the C&G list. Enjoy!

[G. David Felt]

Happy B-day @riviera74

[Drew Dowdell]

Happy Birthday @riviera74

 

Sorry about the downtime today.  We had a fiber optic cable damaged right at the server. The server is remote and it took me a while to convince support to send someone over to physically look at the server.

[G. David Felt]

I so could see the Chevrolet Nomad Concept as an EV.

The Forgotten Chevy Nomad Concept We Wish Made It To Production (slashgear.com)

[Robert Hall]

I rarely watch tv with commercials, but over the weekend was watching a series on FreeVee about English country houses and the Browns-Texans NFL game yesterday, so I got to see new car commercials...the new ads for the Chevy Bolt EV and Equinox EV are good ('EVs for everyone') and the ads for the Cadillac Lyriq (one all red-tinted and one all gold-tinted)..it's a sexy CUV, looking forward to seeing one in person.     

[G. David Felt]

4 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

I rarely watch tv with commercials, but over the weekend was watching a series on FreeVee about English country houses and the Browns-Texans NFL game yesterday, so I got to see new car commercials...the new ads for the Chevy Bolt EV and Equinox EV are good ('EVs for everyone') and the ads for the Cadillac Lyriq (one all red-tinted and one all gold-tinted)..it's a sexy CUV, looking forward to seeing one in person.     

As I posted, the Lyriq is sexy as hell in person. Cadillac has a hit on their hands, and I am excited to see additional models added.

Last week GM and LG quietly let out this press release:

Ultium Cells LLC Announces Plans to Pr... | Ultium Cells LLC

GM is investing an additional $275 million to expand their Spring Hill battery plant to go from the current 35 GWh of battery production to 50 GWh of battery production by the end of next year to support the growing demand for EVs.

This also will add 400 new jobs to the plant for a total of 1,700 employees building batteries.

This expansion along with the other plants coming online will have GM producing 130 GWh plus of batteries for EVs. 

To quote Tesla: Tesla’s Gigafactory makes around 38 gigawatt-hours of batteries a year, and more than 400 gigawatt-hours of capacity is under construction in the U.S.

Tesla expects to have all their battery production online by 2027. GM has also just announced additional capacity, nothing yet from Ford, but clearly the future is Electric.

[Drew Dowdell]

Yea, I get there is inflation.... but what is making car batteries so flipping expensive? For a basic flooded battery, the technology hasn't really changed significantly in years, yet all regular retail is at $230 for a regular H7 flooded battery.   Costco is a lot cheaper, but that's Costco. AZ, Oh-Reallys, Advance are all stupidly marked up.
 

A flooded Interstate H7 from Costco is $147 after core while an AGM is $185 after core. Sam's (Duracell/East Penn) is similar though $4 higher.  All of the standard automotive retailers range from $210 - $230 after core for flooded and $240+ for AGM and they're all manufactured by East Penn or Johnston Controls.  Clearly, I'll go with the Costco Interstate AGM. I'm just observing the absurdity of these prices. I don't consider $147 to be that unreasonable these days. It's been a while since the sub-$100 car battery as is.  But if Duracell/East Penn can sell to Sam's for less than $151, that's over $60/40% in markup over at AutoZone.  I guess what's also bothering me is that except for the club stores, the prices of all of the retailers match to the dollar exactly when comparing like models.  I know I shouldn't be shocked... but how is it not price-fixing?

There are only about 4 major battery manufacturers out there. Johnston Controls (Now Clarios), Exide, Delphi, and East Penn.

[Robert Hall]

Don't think I've ever seen the term 'flooded' battery.  

Back in June I bought a baker's dozen of them (3 for my old cars, 10 for my brother's paperweight vehicles as part of cleanup for auction)...EverStart at Walmart, their cheapest model batteries--ranged from $65 to $150 depending on the vehicle IIRC.

Edited December 5, 2022 by Robert Hall

[Drew Dowdell]

25 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Don't think I've ever seen the term 'flooded' battery.  

Back in June I bought a baker's dozen of them (3 for my old cars, 10 for my vehicles)...EverStart at Walmart, their cheapest model batteries--ranged from $65 to $150 depending on the vehicle IIRC.

Flooded is the term used now to distinguish a regular wet cell battery from an AGM battery.

[Robert Hall]

16 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Flooded is the term used now to distinguish a regular wet cell battery from an AGM battery.

Interesting...never heard of AGM either.  I'm pretty oblivious to batteries...used to just having the dealer replace when needed or calling AAA when a vehicle won't start.  

[G. David Felt]

2 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Interesting...never heard of AGM either.  I'm pretty oblivious to batteries...used to just having the dealer replace when needed or calling AAA when a vehicle won't start.  

I found AGM batteries especially in cold weather to be superior for starting capabilities. I have them in all my auto's and love the added performance.

AGM batteries are different from traditional, flooded lead-acid batteries. The batteries in a car need to provide powerful bursts of starting amps when the ignition switch is turned on. AGM batteries can provide high energy output and maintain that output for a longer period of time. They can be used to power electronics for an extended period of time, unlike the traditional flooded lead-acid battery that provides a short burst of energy. They are maintenance-free, they last longer, they provide more power, and they are safer. There are many factors to consider when choosing between lead-acid and AGM batteries.

AGM batteries

The batteries that you see in your car are called AGM batteries. They are absorbent glass mat (AGM) batteries. AGM batteries were invented in the 1950s by a Japanese inventor named Masaru Ibuki. He had developed a battery that was very different from traditional flooded batteries. AGM batteries are also known as sealed-lead batteries. These batteries were safer, more powerful, and they did not require constant maintenance. Now, these batteries are in demand around the world. AGM batteries are now found in many vehicles, such as motorcycles, ATVs, golf carts, boats, and even spacecraft.

For starters, AGM batteries are easy to charge and maintain, as they don’t require any maintenance.  There are two types of AGM batteries:

1. AGM batteries with Lithium-ion cells, and
2. AGM batteries with Nickel Metal Hydride cells.

Advantages of AGM battery

If you are looking for an alternative to standard 12-volt batteries, then you should buy AGM batteries. There are many advantages of using AGM batteries:

• They are maintenance-free. You won’t have to worry about charging or replacing your battery. You can keep your car or truck running all the time.
• You will be able to save money. It is cheaper to buy AGM batteries than to purchase conventional batteries.
• AGM batteries will not harm the environment. They do not pollute the air.
• AGM batteries can be used for longer periods of time. You can keep your car or truck running for hours on end. You may want to use them to start your car.
• You can make it easy to charge your AGM batteries. There are many battery chargers that you can use to recharge quickly.
• AGM batteries are more reliable than conventional batteries.
• They don’t need regular maintenance, and they will work just as well when you need them.
• They can withstand extreme temperatures.
• AGM batteries are environmentally friendly. You can dispose of them without harming the environment.
• AGM batteries also have an excellent deep cycle rating. This means you can use them over and over again.

More details at the link below.

Which Is Better For DC Power Source? AGM Battery vs Lead Acid (dcreservoir.com)

[G. David Felt]

@oldshurst442 @ccap41 Thought you guys would enjoy this. I am sadly not able to get the full press release from the GM China site, but have this on the first all-electric car for Chevrolet that will be out in 2025 for China.

Chevy FNR-XE electric sedan concept takes Ultium to cars (greencarreports.com)

General Motors Accelerates Rollout of Electric and Intelligent Connected Vehicles in China (gm.com)

GM China Tech Day 2022 last week showed off the near production ready Chevrolet FNR-XE electric sedan built on the Ultium platform.

I think it would sell well here in North America too.

[G. David Felt]

Seems Lordstown got a lifeline in the form of $170 Million to fund ongoing work plus build a new EV for FoxConn.

Lordstown Motors and Foxconn Broaden Strategic Partnership | Lordstown Motors Corp.

[oldshurst442]

14 hours ago, David said:

@oldshurst442 @ccap41 Thought you guys would enjoy this. I am sadly not able to get the full press release from the GM China site, but have this on the first all-electric car for Chevrolet that will be out in 2025 for China.

Chevy FNR-XE electric sedan concept takes Ultium to cars (greencarreports.com)

General Motors Accelerates Rollout of Electric and Intelligent Connected Vehicles in China (gm.com)

GM China Tech Day 2022 last week showed off the near production ready Chevrolet FNR-XE electric sedan built on the Ultium platform.

I think it would sell well here in North America too.

 

Im starting to like what I see.  Not about this particular Chevy EV, although it is somewhat a nice lookin' EV, nicer amd fresher than the Tesla Model 3. What Im seeing and Im liking is that cross-over CUVs are starting to look like sedans again. This particular 'sedan' is not really a sedan. Not really a CUV either. Its in-between. A cross-crossover.  The pendulum is swinging back the other way and there are more and more cross-over CUVs that are looking less and less like CUVs and are morphing back to sedan like appearances. And I like that. 

[G. David Felt]

Seems leading up to the big RAM EV Reveal at CES 2023.

 

[G. David Felt]

Very cool, 2/3rds of Ford Dealerships want set pricing and have signed to invest the million dollars plus investment to be an EV dealership with demo auto's but everything built to order. Very different than current Ford ICE sales.

Ford CEO wants to end haggling for electric cars — and two-thirds of dealers agree (msn.com)

 

[surreal1272]

9 hours ago, David said:

Very cool, 2/3rds of Ford Dealerships want set pricing and have signed to invest the million dollars plus investment to be an EV dealership with demo auto's but everything built to order. Very different than current Ford ICE sales.

Ford CEO wants to end haggling for electric cars — and two-thirds of dealers agree (msn.com)

 

Yet there are still those who think that companies like Ford and GM won't do a direct sale model lol. This is, at the very least, a hybrid of the dealership and direct sale model. It's coming sooner than some people think. 

14 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

This particular 'sedan' is not really a sedan. Not really a CUV either. Its in-between. A cross-crossover. 

(Ghosts of the AMC Eagle smiling down right now).

Edited December 7, 2022 by surreal1272

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, surreal1272 said:

Yet there are still those who think that companies like Ford and GM won't do a direct sale model lol. This is, at the very least, a hybrid of the dealership and direct sale model. It's coming sooner than some people think. 

And, I believe a hybrid dealership model will be best for the consumer. Of course a one-size-fits-all never really works so a hybrid dealership model, I believe, would be best overall. 

[surreal1272]

16 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

And, I believe a hybrid dealership model will be best for the consumer. Of course a one-size-fits-all never really works so a hybrid dealership model, I believe, would be best overall. 

Entirely possible. I would be open to visiting this type of place so long as the gimmicky sales tactics are gone. Too many years at various dealerships have made me wary and distrustful of the current dealership model so anything that leads away from this is a plus IMO.

Edited December 7, 2022 by surreal1272

[ccap41]

5 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

Entirely possible. I would be open to visiting this type of place so long as the gimmicky sales tactics are gone. Too many years at various dealerships have made me wary and distrustful of the current dealership model so anything that leads away from this is a plus IMO.

Oh 100%. I'm not a fan of the current dealership model at all but if they can be used to just test drive vehicles and inform customers (skeptical about the latter), then I'd be okay with that dealership model. Keep a couple dozen vehicles on the lots with various options/packages with some available for sale but most are built to order.. Just an idea. 

[surreal1272]

25 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Oh 100%. I'm not a fan of the current dealership model at all but if they can be used to just test drive vehicles and inform customers (skeptical about the latter), then I'd be okay with that dealership model. Keep a couple dozen vehicles on the lots with various options/packages with some available for sale but most are built to order.. Just an idea. 

An idea that I support and what I've been alluding to in regards to a hybrid model. Keep a few models on the property because having something tangible and hands on is an absolute must to most buyers, I believe. They can also keep open a direct sale option for those who prefer the online and pick up only approach. It really wouldn't be that hard, in capable hands of course. 

[Drew Dowdell]

8 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

An idea that I support and what I've been alluding to in regards to a hybrid model. Keep a few models on the property because having something tangible and hands on is an absolute must to most buyers, I believe. They can also keep open a direct sale option for those who prefer the online and pick up only approach. It really wouldn't be that hard, in capable hands of course. 

Honestly, I like this best. Let me come to the store to test drive and look at the options I want, and then I'll go home and order it from the comfort of my couch.

[G. David Felt]

2 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Honestly, I like this best. Let me come to the store to test drive and look at the options I want, and then I'll go home and order it from the comfort of my couch.

I am totally on board with this as I want to test drive and test fit myself in the auto and then without any pressure go home, review my choices and order up when I am ready. I see no problem with waiting to get my new auto and then trading in or selling myself my old one.

[G. David Felt]

WOW, Toyota is being avoided by their own public in Japan on EVs as unreliable. Deals are being made to just try and move what they are making now after the recall and Toyota is thinking of rebooting again their EV program.

Writing is on the wall, Toyota will burn through cash to catch up to Tesla, and even then, I doubt they will be a leader as others are so far ahead of them now.

Toyota slashes leasing fee for troubled EV to boost orders | The Japan Times

[G. David Felt]

OUCH, talk about a big mess for these auto companies.

U.S. agency opens safety probes into Honda, Jeep, Ram vehicles | Reuters

QUOTE: The largest probe covers reports alleging a loss of power for more than 1.7 million U.S. 2018-2022 model year Honda CR-V and HR-V vehicles. Those reports said some drivers lost power at highway speeds without warning and some reported differential seal leaks resulting in rear differential lock-up as the cause. Some reports allege the rear lock-up caused the driveshaft to fracture while the vehicle was in motion resulting in the vehicle being towed.

[Drew Dowdell]

On 12/7/2022 at 11:41 PM, David said:

OUCH, talk about a big mess for these auto companies.

U.S. agency opens safety probes into Honda, Jeep, Ram vehicles | Reuters

QUOTE: The largest probe covers reports alleging a loss of power for more than 1.7 million U.S. 2018-2022 model year Honda CR-V and HR-V vehicles. Those reports said some drivers lost power at highway speeds without warning and some reported differential seal leaks resulting in rear differential lock-up as the cause. Some reports allege the rear lock-up caused the driveshaft to fracture while the vehicle was in motion resulting in the vehicle being towed.

While I've never heard of it being this extreme, our 2004 CR-V needed a rear diff fluid service every 50k miles... and you felt it as it was getting close to time. Like, it would stutter the back wheels going around turns and your ability to coast was cut in half.

More than likely this is people neglecting the needy Honda service schedule.  Honda's maintenance schedule in 2004 was sorta ridiculous for modern times... the 2.4 liter required valve adjustments every 50k miles and checking of valve clearance every 15,000 miles (potentially leading to another adjustment).  In an era where most engines have self adjusting valves that need no maintenance for 150,000 miles, that always seemed excessive to me.

For comparison, the final GM pushrod V6es from that same era, the 3400, 3800, and 3900... the official valve adjustment schedule was "Don't eff with it! They're fine, they adjust themselves"

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

While I've never heard of it being this extreme, our 2004 CR-V needed a rear diff fluid service every 50k miles... and you felt it as it was getting close to time. Like, it would stutter the back wheels going around turns and your ability to coast was cut in half.

More than likely this is people neglecting the needy Honda service schedule.  Honda's maintenance schedule in 2004 was sorta ridiculous for modern times... the 2.4 liter required valve adjustments every 50k miles and checking of valve clearance every 15,000 miles (potentially leading to another adjustment).  In an era where most engines have self adjusting valves that need no maintenance for 150,000 miles, that always seemed excessive to me.

For comparison, the final GM pushrod V6es from that same era, the 3400, 3800, and 3900... the official valve adjustment schedule was "Don't eff with it! They're fine, they adjust themselves"

WOW, and people complained about American autos in the 90's that had 30,000-mile maintenance that had to be done. Yet here Honda in the 2000's has the same crap. WOW.

[knightfan26917]

On 5/30/2022 at 7:14 PM, riviera74 said:

Whose idea was to turn an mid-90s Impala SS into a pastiche of a mid-80s El Camino?  This is SAD!

 

Not NEARLY as SAD as the 1985-88 Toyota Nova or the 1995-2007 Celebrity-Lumina "monte carlo" or the current "blazer" or MANY others. SMH.

 

Current random thought: feeling frazzled. Have so many "want to do" things that I get overwhelmed. Then I try to make time for in person visits and social media ... and visiting message boards, but the message boards are left out ... then I find myself wanting to "catch up" again, then feel horrible for not checking back regularly.

But ... life is good!

 

Cort, pig and cow valves with pacemaker
2003 MGM LS + 1981 cmc SC; need 1975 Chrysler Cordoba
"You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile" | Thurl Ravenscroft | 'You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch'

[regfootball]

Electric Ford Bronco

 

https://kidtraxtoys.com/pages/fordbronco

[Drew Dowdell]

There must be something intrinsic to the design of the Camry and Altima that prevents owners from turning on the headlights in the dark.