Drew Dowdell

As I understand it, you want to reprogram the computer to stay in 4-cylinder mode longer. It's not a bad idea, but you'll give up some power. It could be an interesting feature for GM to add to 5.3 equipped vehicles to have "Economy" and "Performance" modes.

Step 1: Take the car to Advanced Auto Parts/Pep Boys/Whatever and have the alternator tested. Assume nothing about any other electrical system until this is complete. Step 2: Most likely, have alternator replaced or do it yourself. Voltage regulars, diodes, or other electrical bits internal to the alternator can go on the fritz and totally mess with the rest of your car's electrical systems. If you let this go you will fry your battery. My 1985 Continental had the diodes go in the alternator and it caused the digital climate control to just reboot over and over again and I got a weird buzz in my audio system, so don't worry about the ABS system until after you get the electrical system fixed.

I was referring more towards the Jetta's ubiquitousness and that the 3-series is a Jetta but with really great handling. Every Sally McMansion has one. There is nothing visually stimulating about them and non-car people have trouble telling a current 3er from the previous one. When a 3er drives by, no one stops and stares and says "Wow! That's a BMW?". Of course it's a BMW! It looks just like the last one. When a CTS drives by people watch it. Back when my '04 was new and I was single the gay boys would respond "Why do you drive a Cadillac?" with a sneer... but once they saw the car it would switch to "Wow! That's a Cadillac?!" I'd never own a 3er. It's just too.... common.

Well if it's everything.... CTS Enclave Malibu (well... not beautiful... but it has a handsomeness that has really grown on me> Accord Coupe (the only thing from Honda/Acura that isn't completely f-ed up> XJ XK Most of Mercury is at least handsome Edge I'm trying to think of an attractive Chrysler and I just... can't... do.... it. ..... Crossfire... maybe

I'm confused... are you only talking new releases or just everything for sale in 2009? The redeeming of 2009: CTS Coupe Buick Lacrosse

A great handling VW Jetta?

yep..... former... The Roadmaster has gone back to it's owner again. I don't have a car anymore.

Why is it that BMW's performance is the only benchmark it's held to? The rest of the car is unremarkable and they're as common as Jettas <actually more so after the new Jettarolla came out>

Exactly how much would you expect something like that to go for?

just a friendly jab from a fellow nutjob

Yet the Camry is still number one when it's clearly been eclipsed not only by Honda but by Chevy as well. Your Aurora was easily better than anything at Chrysler, Mercury, Lincoln, Buick, and Acura <over the RL at least>. Look where it got it.

A real GM fanatic would know that the 4.8 never touched an Avalanche engine bay. Only the 5.3 and 8.1 <previous generation> and 6.0 <current generation; replaced the 8.1> have ever powered Avalanches. :neenerneener:

hey now! we don't take too kindly to that!

The 3-series has become the rich girl's Jetta.

The deal is, it's gotta stay in the family. Sorry.

Cadillac is losing the zeta platform, not the DTS/STS replacement.

I've wanted to move to germany since before that situation happened. That wasn't the original reason, but it helped. I want to go to germany because I think living in europe for a few years would be fun. But also because it now looks like germany might be a good place to hide from the financial turmoil that is about to hit this country. My boy is going with me. We'll be back.

Yup. That's him in the first pic.

and now for the bad.... My dad decided he wants the car till at least I come back from Germany, so it's getting shipped to Florida. But hey, at least he'll put some money/labor into it while I'm away and it will be more complete when I get back. I'm here this weekend to evaluate it's condition and get it ready for transport. We didn't try to start it.

tail end is very lexus like

Oil rose to $118 yesterday, opens today at $115 RBOB Gasoline still hovering in the high $2.90s, the lower priced crude probably still hasn't hit refineries yet.

Would you mind making this same thing but with just the center logo? I use this as my desktop wallpaper and it looks great, I get lots of compliments. I'd like to also use it on my new blackberry as the background, but the smaller logos make it too busy on such a small screen.

Well my "triple redundancy" was coming from the cost of all the stimulus checks sent out. My point was that $168 billion could have been spent with much better returns even if all you did was invest all of it in wind power. It wasn't a comprehensive energy policy.