jez wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 12:18 pm
Only thing that bugs me a little is that shut off the engine when at a full stop for a few seconds thing. I know I can turn it off, but I'm going to give it a bit more time, see if I can get used to it.
That's a fuel saver. It reduces emissions while at idle as well. But! You can't get off the line very fast when the light turns green, and it puts wear-n-tear on the starter. I hope it's in a convenient location.
ETA: Reading up about idle stop systems, the majority opinion is the starters used in these systems were purpose built for this application, and will last as long or longer than standard starters. OTOH, you may go through more batteries depending on how much urban stop-go traffic you encounter.
bill_g wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 11:26 am
That may seem awful, but that's how it got done back east. OTOH there's nothing stopping them from mailing you a bill.
260,000 vehicles cross the Bay Bridge every day. We would have traffic snarls back into Oakland if we went back to stop and pay toll booths. It is never, never going to happen here. The way forward is to improve the technology.
bill_g wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 11:26 am
That may seem awful, but that's how it got done back east. OTOH there's nothing stopping them from mailing you a bill.
I drove to several places in Miami and around Florida several years ago. I didn't have a pass. Just applying for the pass would have cost me $20. They did indeed send me a bill. The bill was for $18 and some change. They tacked a surcharge on the bill since I didn't have a pass, but the grand total was still less than the initial $20 a pass would have cost.
jez wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 12:15 pm
I had a toll tag when I lived in Dallas. Hated the thing. They would always glitch out my autopay information (I would have it put $X on it ever month, or if I hit 0, it would pull that amount), which lead to me owing money. Rarely got notified I owed money until it was way overdue and they started calling. Would check the app, and payment method was there, money was in the checking account, etc., but it would always mess it up.
I think when I left Dallas, there may or may not have been a balance left on the toll tag.
Which is still pasted to the window of the Cobalt, which is probably now at auction.
Yeah, well I get periodic SMS messages telling me that my toll account is overdue.
Which is weird because I dont have a toll account and even if it was for a casual trip I didn't take they dont have access to my phone number.
Be assured that a walk through the ocean of most souls Would scarcely get your feet wet
zekeb wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 5:53 pm
I drove to several places in Miami and around Florida several years ago. I didn't have a pass. Just applying for the pass would have cost me $20. They did indeed send me a bill. The bill was for $18 and some change. They tacked a surcharge on the bill since I didn't have a pass, but the grand total was still less than the initial $20 a pass would have cost.
Nowadays, the SunPass Mini is $5. But you can't move it from vehicle to vehicle (it is a sticker). SunPass Pro (which also does EZPass) is $15 and uses suction cup mounting.
jez wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 12:18 pm
By the by...
Been driving the Subaru Impreza for 2 months now. Have a whopping 200 miles on it. I am LOVING this vehicle. Drive is smooth. Everything is quiet. Good radio. Works with my phone. Was able to get the garage door tuned to the button the on rearview mirror, so I now have a garage door opener and don't have to fight with the stupid keypad.
Only thing that bugs me a little is that shut off the engine when at a full stop for a few seconds thing. I know I can turn it off, but I'm going to give it a bit more time, see if I can get used to it.
My Outback makes a LOT of very short trips which are hard enough on the battery as it is and the added wear of restarting the car 5 times instead of twice on a trip seems like a recipe for early failure. The feature doesn't really seem like it saves all that much gas either, especially since the car restarts so quickly in hot and cold weather. Plus, Subaru boxer engines aren't known to be super smooth when restarting which increases the annoyance factor. You're lucky in that the "button" to disable it is one the main screen now. When I got my car it was buried 3 layers down in the menu system. They've since moved it to the main screen.
If it really annoys you and don't like having to press the button to disable it every time you get in the car, there's a device that will do that for you. It doesn't completely disable the system, but instead remembers where you had it set the last time the car was turned off and sets it back to that setting.
If you drive long distances the auto-stop-start only activates very occasionally so saves negligible fuel (but isn't very annoying).
If you drive short city routes with many junctions the auto-stop-start activates more frequently and annoys you (and possibly increases wear on some components).
Shizzle Popped wrote: ↑Mon May 13, 2024 6:59 am
My Outback makes a LOT of very short trips which are hard enough on the battery as it is and the added wear of restarting the car 5 times instead of twice on a trip seems like a recipe for early failure. The feature doesn't really seem like it saves all that much gas either, especially since the car restarts so quickly in hot and cold weather. Plus, Subaru boxer engines aren't known to be super smooth when restarting which increases the annoyance factor. You're lucky in that the "button" to disable it is one the main screen now. When I got my car it was buried 3 layers down in the menu system. They've since moved it to the main screen.
If it really annoys you and don't like having to press the button to disable it every time you get in the car, there's a device that will do that for you. It doesn't completely disable the system, but instead remembers where you had it set the last time the car was turned off and sets it back to that setting.
I put that on my Subaru Forester. It works great. It remembers where you left the autostart setting. It was easy to install on my Forester. The connector is under the driver's seat. I read the instructions for Outback installation. That one in a little more hairy. It gets installed near the camera. Be careful - do NOT touch the camera. Even with the autostart turned off, I still need to throw a charger on the battery every three weeks or so in the middle of the winter when I'm only using the other car.
zekeb wrote: ↑Mon May 13, 2024 9:25 am
I put that on my Subaru Forester. It works great. It remembers where you left the autostart setting. It was easy to install on my Forester. The connector is under the driver's seat. I read the instructions for Outback installation. That one in a little more hairy. It gets installed near the camera. Be careful - do NOT touch the camera. Even with the autostart turned off, I still need to throw a charger on the battery every three weeks or so in the middle of the winter when I'm only using the other car.
I found out about parasitic drain on Mrs' low frills Corolla even before she passed away. Her car was only driven when she had a doctor's appt. It would go for weeks without moving. I had to put it into rotation to keep it charged up. It became a repeating calendar event. It's my nephew's car now. I doubt it will sit long enough now for parasitic drain to be a problem anymore.
.
Daytons Corolla now.jpg (138.19 KiB) Viewed 259 times
Shizzle Popped wrote: ↑Mon May 13, 2024 6:59 am My Outback makes a LOT of very short trips which are hard enough on the battery as it is and the added wear of restarting the car 5 times instead of twice on a trip seems like a recipe for early failure.
taken from a car mechanic (on YT of course) - on the long run very short travels will kill your engine. You ought to make at least one long drive per week to get the engine really hot. Reason given: on short runs the piston rings will not heat up enough to fully expand and force proper lubrication of the cylinder against the wall. Also too ening oil will seep past and burn in the chamber mixing badly with the fuel. Will result in bad engine start when cool, noticable by exess oil use.
zekeb wrote: ↑Mon May 13, 2024 9:25 am
I put that on my Subaru Forester. It works great. It remembers where you left the autostart setting. It was easy to install on my Forester. The connector is under the driver's seat. I read the instructions for Outback installation. That one in a little more hairy. It gets installed near the camera. Be careful - do NOT touch the camera. Even with the autostart turned off, I still need to throw a charger on the battery every three weeks or so in the middle of the winter when I'm only using the other car.
I was a little concerned about that but several other people on the Outback forum had already done it without issue. It took me all of about 15 minutes to install, and most of that was getting the overhead console loose. That thing is designed to stay in place.
These newer cars with all the advanced electronics are hard on batteries. I'm closing in on 4 years with the OEM battery without issues but I'm starting to think I should replace the battery soon before it inevitably fails. I'll probably go with an AGM rather than the EFB battery that came with it.
"Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write."
John Adams
I have tools used in former employment that are designed for removing all internal plastic and such. Being the lay sot I am, I bought these myself. I believe I purchased them on Amazon. These help greatly when dismantling car interiors.
Shizzle Popped wrote: ↑Mon May 13, 2024 1:49 pm
These newer cars with all the advanced electronics are hard on batteries. I'm closing in on 4 years with the OEM battery without issues but I'm starting to think I should replace the battery soon before it inevitably fails. I'll probably go with an AGM rather than the EFB battery that came with it.
EFB's were designed for ICE applications with frequent short distance travel. AGM's were designed for EV applications. Plus, in my experience, AGM's require special disposal.
We've used the BIG AGM batts for plant applications in the past. They have a 7 to 10 year lifetime. I've eeked another five out of them (sometimes) depending on the batt management. Disposal fees are upwards of a kilobuck per ton meaning I have to build that cost into the sale of the replacements. OTOH, SLA (sealed lead acid) batts get me a core refund. The batt recycler industry hasn't quite worked out out what to do about AGM yet. I avoid AGM when I can.
Shizzle Popped wrote: ↑Mon May 13, 2024 6:59 am My Outback makes a LOT of very short trips which are hard enough on the battery as it is and the added wear of restarting the car 5 times instead of twice on a trip seems like a recipe for early failure.
taken from a car mechanic (on YT of course) - on the long run very short travels will kill your engine. You ought to make at least one long drive per week to get the engine really hot. Reason given: on short runs the piston rings will not heat up enough to fully expand and force proper lubrication of the cylinder against the wall. Also too ening oil will seep past and burn in the chamber mixing badly with the fuel. Will result in bad engine start when cool, noticable by exess oil use.
Yeah, I get it out for longer runs every week or so, and it makes the Indy to St. Louis run every three to four weeks. My wife and daughter are taking it to Houston next week, so it gets around.
"Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write."
John Adams
Shizzle Popped wrote: ↑Mon May 13, 2024 1:49 pm
These newer cars with all the advanced electronics are hard on batteries. I'm closing in on 4 years with the OEM battery without issues but I'm starting to think I should replace the battery soon before it inevitably fails. I'll probably go with an AGM rather than the EFB battery that came with it.
EFB's were designed for ICE applications with frequent short distance travel. AGM's were designed for EV applications. Plus, in my experience, AGM's require special disposal.
We've used the BIG AGM batts for plant applications in the past. They have a 7 to 10 year lifetime. I've eeked another five out of them (sometimes) depending on the batt management. Disposal fees are upwards of a kilobuck per ton meaning I have to build that cost into the sale of the replacements. OTOH, SLA (sealed lead acid) batts get me a core refund. The batt recycler industry hasn't quite worked out out what to do about AGM yet. I avoid AGM when I can.
I'm pretty sure the sump pump battery I just swapped was an AGM and it wasn't an issue. And AGMs charge significantly faster which is key in my situation.
"Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write."
John Adams
zekeb wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 5:53 pm
I drove to several places in Miami and around Florida several years ago. I didn't have a pass. Just applying for the pass would have cost me $20. They did indeed send me a bill. The bill was for $18 and some change. They tacked a surcharge on the bill since I didn't have a pass, but the grand total was still less than the initial $20 a pass would have cost.
Nowadays, the SunPass Mini is $5. But you can't move it from vehicle to vehicle (it is a sticker). SunPass Pro (which also does EZPass) is $15 and uses suction cup mounting.
I got a SunPass Pro so we can move it between cars. It also works as a Peach Pass through Atlanta (and some other states where we don't go LOL). Being in east Alabama, we're as likely in FL as GA, so it was kind of a no brainer. It's nice to go from the HOV on the freeway in ATL to the Peach Pass lane...it really has made a difference when we're jut trying to get through ATL to get to NC. The app is easy to use, although there seems to be a significant delay between when we've been on a toll road and the charge shows up. Sometimes, a charge has never shown up. Oh well.
Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest. - Mark Twain
Leasing could be cool given your low mileage. Toyota's Rav4 or Corolla Crossover for reliability, Jeeps for adventure, Chevys for familiarity, and Subarus for safety and AWD.
My Honda Element just turned 19 and it's only got a skosh over 125,000 miles on it. At my annual mileage these days, and how long Hondas last, I figure it's got at least another 90 years in it, and I don't plan on sticking around that long.
