So, we went out for lunch today. Pulling in the lot, I found one of the few empty slots was between a pair of QX50's. By parking there, could I say that I just split Infinities ??

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Garth L. Getgen

By Jean Sexton Beddow (Jsexton) on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 - 04:23 pm: Edit

All posts prior to 2023 will be deleted June 27, 2023.

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 - 06:09 pm: Edit

I love my car ... until it gets a non-patchable nail in the tire. And of course, you have to buy tires in pairs.


Garth L. Getgen

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Thursday, February 22, 2024 - 07:32 am: Edit

unless you have a full size spare and rotate your tires,,,

By Joseph Jackson (Bonneville) on Thursday, February 22, 2024 - 04:06 pm: Edit

Let's abandon AI and concentrate all technological development on tires that never go flat. I'm calling my congressman. . .

By Kevin Howard (Jarawara) on Thursday, February 22, 2024 - 04:55 pm: Edit

Just ask AI to develop never flattening tires. Hmmm... it says "use innovative materials and improve tread patterns" Wow, too bad that all the tire manufacturers didn't have access to AI before. We could never have come up with that on our own.

I'm surprised it didn't also say "Don't drive over nails". Even my congressman could have come up with that one.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Friday, February 23, 2024 - 08:14 am: Edit

IIRC there is a line in a Heinlein novel where the protagonist talks about his tires never wearing out.

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Friday, February 23, 2024 - 11:20 am: Edit

Quite a few cars now have sensors in the tires that tell the Central Computer when pressure gets low.

That helps (a little).

Perhaps a little "Old Fashioned" weekly check of the treads can help as well.

What about overlapping hard ceramic plates just inside the tread with a wire mesh behind them to keep THEM from being thrown into the air pocket?

(OR just use some sort of rubber foam matrix for the interior of the tire. That ought to help handle even most nails out there.)

(My 0.02 Quatloos worth...)

By John Wyszynski (Starsabre) on Friday, February 23, 2024 - 12:21 pm: Edit

MICHELIN® Selfseal® Technology tires do have sealant inside the tires that seal nail holes in the tread. I have these on a couple of my cars. (There is a limit to the size of the damage.)

I suppose other brands have similar tech.

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Friday, July 26, 2024 - 09:06 pm: Edit

So when I go to the gas station and fill up, I always wright down the mileage and trip meter. Today's odometer reading: 44,444 miles.


Garth L. Getgen

By Kevin Howard (Jarawara) on Saturday, July 27, 2024 - 05:02 pm: Edit

Update us again when it hits 444,444 miles.

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Saturday, July 27, 2024 - 09:01 pm: Edit

I've seen semi-truck with that many miles. Then again, they had so many parts replaced over the years, the only thing left from factory original was the VIN plate.


Garth L. Getgen

By Mike Dowd (Mike_Dowd) on Saturday, July 27, 2024 - 10:20 pm: Edit

The semi of Theseus?

By Stephen McCann (Moose) on Sunday, July 28, 2024 - 10:57 am: Edit

I have driven semis with almost a million miles on them and they still ran great. Just have to take care of them.

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Sunday, July 28, 2024 - 03:46 pm: Edit

Can we have a "I love my cat" thread?

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Sunday, July 28, 2024 - 07:29 pm: Edit

Carl: That's in "Tribbles and Other Pets".

By Terry O'Carroll (Terryoc) on Monday, July 29, 2024 - 01:02 am: Edit

Garth: The semi truck of Theseus?

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Monday, July 29, 2024 - 05:18 am: Edit

Jessica, I should have figured...:D

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 - 09:11 pm: Edit

I have a 2007 Lexus with 285000 miles (me), 2005 Toyota RAV4 with 301000 (wife) and a 2000 Golf with 230000 (16 year old son). Plus the Toyota Corolla I got my mom still has less than 1000.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Monday, August 12, 2024 - 01:11 pm: Edit

Got my 2015 Fit to 226,000 over the weekend, during a trip to Ft Huachuca/Sierra Vista over the last 10 days, 4+ round trip....

Been a terrible year for the car, hit twice by ladies backing out of "Handicapped" spots, backed it into a gate and some wood....
Took a run through a grassy medium on the way home due sudden traffic slowdown (got foot stuff between gas and brake)...

Finished off the skid plate early in the year, knocked off one of the fender liners, sat knocked off the over the exhaust....

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Monday, August 12, 2024 - 08:58 pm: Edit

Sorry should be "126k" miles...

Sucks getting interrupted during posting and have to run out of the house....

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Thursday, May 01, 2025 - 08:40 am: Edit

I have to say my wife got a new 2024 RAV4 about 6 months ago and it is an incredible beast of a car. Roomy and inexpensive.

Of course it has a low power engine, but since April drives like a myopic grandmother I am unconcerned. She doesn't drive on snow. Or when it rains, gets dark, or on freeways. Or more than 10 miles from the house. She gets about 25 mpg almost exclusively driving short trips of 5 miles or so.

Basically at the low end of the price scale, small "Crossover" or SUVs rule. Do some price comparing and you'll see that the lowest price subcompact cars cost about the same as a SUV/ Crossover from the same manufacturer.

I kind of was hoping April would get a "Corolla Cross" which is midway between the RAV4 and Corolla. But she wanted "the big car."

Our only complaint is that the "infotainmennt" system is overly complex and has crappy interfaces. I also dislike how hard they pimp buying Sirus Radio.

I suspect that we are getting close to the point that for people like April (drive local) electric cars will be the rule. Our only concern is that the Condo we live in doesn't have a way to
"plug in charge" at home. Nor does there exist a car with the roof and hood covered in solar panels. If her car could have a range of 100 miles per charge she would be perfectly happy. Not the least because she makes me drive my car if we are going any distance.

It would be interesting to see if a "pluy in electric car" could be fitted with a small genset for mobile recharging if you have to drive very far. On the roof like a ski carrier? Riding on the tow hitch receiver? Maybe plonked on the trunk (so you have to use those side mirrors)?

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Thursday, May 01, 2025 - 09:31 am: Edit

I'm cautiously optimistic about the new Slate EV pickup that is going to be built in Warsaw, IN. A bare-bones, U.S.-built EV for $25K would do much to start migrating the market.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Thursday, May 01, 2025 - 10:39 pm: Edit

I actually agree with Mike Grafton on this one, my wife needed a replacement vehicle and we looked at many SUV’s in the same general category as the RAV4.

We ended up selecting a 2020 Ford Ecosport.

Much the same as Mikes points about the RAV4, and the dealership really pushed the Sirus radio thingy. (We prefer the local Classical Radio, Minnesota Public Radio, is live radio and the hosts tend to keep things lively.)

I didn’t know, for example, that there was a version of “Amazing Grace” performed using the music theme of Gilligans Island. (You tube has it, incase anyone is curious.)

In Minnesota, we are more concerned that the heater works, depending on conditions, there is only about 15 days a year that we need air conditioning.

Electric. Vehicles are still not a realistic option in Minnesota. Our local commuters bus system bought 15 electric buses claiming that the technology was reliable enough for the conditions.

Everone single one of the busses failed within the first month of service, and all have since been replaced by non electric versions.

Funny how minus 35 degrees f can degrade battery performance.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Friday, May 02, 2025 - 11:23 am: Edit

In those extreme cold conditions I think a Hybrid would be the way to go. The tiny fuel efficient engine would provide heat and the batteries could provide that torque.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Friday, May 02, 2025 - 02:03 pm: Edit

Don’t forget that in very cold conditions, the busses still need to heat the cabin. Not every load is at full capacity, and buses making frequent stops, are constantly opening and closing doors at the front and middle point of the vehicle.

Not ever going to get hot or tropical in January, but trying to heat the interior to 65degrees f, from -35 degrees f is still a 100 degree difference. A lot to demand of a battery powered heater, particularly for a hybrid bus (lets assume 50 adult passengers, 200 hundred pounds average weight (male and female, weighted at the high end as people are as obese in Minnesota as they are in other areas.). (50*200=10,000) is five tons of passengers. Plus other belongs, some have respiratory issues and may be carrying various equipment that they need to breath (and all of which weigh up.) sometimes (rush hour) every seat gets filled and standing room only. 50 people was an average estimate, not maximum capacity.

I should mention , the community has a higher number of people from other countries who come from all over the world for treatment. Many live in extended stay suites and while some have shorter periods of stay others might be here for months.

Depending on the bus route, the vehicles may need to climb some significant hills, none of which have steep incline, but 5% to 8% are most common. One particular route has a very steep incline.

As I said, the designers and engineers were not building buses for this particular part of the real world.

Oh, and one of the busses broke down when the alternative fuel Biodiesel froze in the fuel lines. No one thought to mix it with antifreeze.