Car Talk 6: Best of times and Worst of Times
- ChrisoftheNorth
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$7.65 to ship an air filter across the country?
Desertbreh wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
- ChrisoftheNorth
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how this all turns out.
Desertbreh wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
- max225
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It's interesting... one side note is I last changed them on 12/19/19 and 26k miles. So technically they are old AF and nEeD tO be ChAnGed. However, they looked super clean.... at 38k miles. They should easily go 20k miles... Also fun fact... I drove more in the last month than I did in the year before that.
- ChrisoftheNorth
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Yea, a lot of what drives the replacement of these things is the environment and use more than time. I remember my JT hit 20k miles and was due for the cabin filter change. The dealer swapped it and for whatever reason left the old one in the box in the cab. It was slightly dusty, but looked new. And I drove the thing topless constantly, wheeling in dust topless, pretty much worst case scenario for these things and it still looked like it could go another 20k miles. I think the service interval is setup to be a dealer cashgrab.max225 wrote: ↑Mon May 02, 2022 4:51 pmIt's interesting... one side note is I last changed them on 12/19/19 and 26k miles. So technically they are old AF and nEeD tO be ChAnGed. However, they looked super clean.... at 38k miles. They should easily go 20k miles... Also fun fact... I drove more in the last month than I did in the year before that.
Desertbreh wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
- Desertbreh
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For me it's never the dust/dirt its changing it out as part of system stench/desweatsocking. A/C use here is so constant followed by heat and you have to Ozone/new filter the thing annually. Only car I ever owned that didn't start smelling ripe was our 2003 Tahoe, the ONLY vehicle we own without a cabin filter.Detroit wrote: ↑Mon May 02, 2022 4:54 pmYea, a lot of what drives the replacement of these things is the environment and use more than time. I remember my JT hit 20k miles and was due for the cabin filter change. The dealer swapped it and for whatever reason left the old one in the box in the cab. It was slightly dusty, but looked new. And I drove the thing topless constantly, wheeling in dust topless, pretty much worst case scenario for these things and it still looked like it could go another 20k miles. I think the service interval is setup to be a dealer cashgrab.max225 wrote: ↑Mon May 02, 2022 4:51 pm
It's interesting... one side note is I last changed them on 12/19/19 and 26k miles. So technically they are old AF and nEeD tO be ChAnGed. However, they looked super clean.... at 38k miles. They should easily go 20k miles... Also fun fact... I drove more in the last month than I did in the year before that.
- ChrisoftheNorth
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Yea...turning the AC off with ~5min left in the trips lets things air out and prevents those problems (for me at least). Not really an option in the desert.Desertbreh wrote: ↑Mon May 02, 2022 5:52 pmFor me it's never the dust/dirt its changing it out as part of system stench/desweatsocking. A/C use here is so constant followed by heat and you have to Ozone/new filter the thing annually. Only car I ever owned that didn't start smelling ripe was our 2003 Tahoe, the ONLY vehicle we own without a cabin filter.Detroit wrote: ↑Mon May 02, 2022 4:54 pm
Yea, a lot of what drives the replacement of these things is the environment and use more than time. I remember my JT hit 20k miles and was due for the cabin filter change. The dealer swapped it and for whatever reason left the old one in the box in the cab. It was slightly dusty, but looked new. And I drove the thing topless constantly, wheeling in dust topless, pretty much worst case scenario for these things and it still looked like it could go another 20k miles. I think the service interval is setup to be a dealer cashgrab.
Desertbreh wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
- Desertbreh
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Detroit wrote: ↑Mon May 02, 2022 5:55 pmYea...turning the AC off with ~5min left in the trips lets things air out and prevents those problems (for me at least). Not really an option in the desert.Desertbreh wrote: ↑Mon May 02, 2022 5:52 pm
For me it's never the dust/dirt its changing it out as part of system stench/desweatsocking. A/C use here is so constant followed by heat and you have to Ozone/new filter the thing annually. Only car I ever owned that didn't start smelling ripe was our 2003 Tahoe, the ONLY vehicle we own without a cabin filter.
- CaleDeRoo
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It's the idea here to turn the compressor off but keep the blowers going to circulate the air?
Cammie is bigger... but that is matters that much. I am not a family man so I don't have real world experience, but seems like four people my size could fit in the Jetta just fine and the trunk is quite large. I know hatchbacks are the only style of car that matters/is worth a damn, but the nice thing with sedans is you can actually have four people and some shit in the back. Jetta felt about the same size as my 328i (but much larger trunk due to wrong wheel drive). Comparatively a Golf has much less cargo space with the back seats up.wap wrote: ↑Sun May 01, 2022 10:24 amDid it have the digital dash? Isn't the cammie bigger? Or has the Jetta grown that much? I always thought of the cammie and Passat being in the same size class, even though the Murican Passat was bigger than the previous Euro gen. But really, AMIRITED Griff wrote: ↑Sun May 01, 2022 10:01 am Rented a Jetta this week because the selection was slim. I actually found it to be rather dece, it returned 38 MPG in mixed driving!
Being it was turBRO, it was a lot quicker around town than the Kia and Cammie of other recent trips. Seats were pretty nice with fake leather and it was well equipped with heated seats, leather wheel, huge sun roof, CarPlay, etc. All in all I think I'd actually grab it over the Cammie and K5.
I did get it on some twisties in hill country outside Austin and the handling sort of falls apart quickly. It felt sportier around town due to torque/size but I think the Cammie is actually a better chassis. I also opened the back door once and my god did that feel/sound like shit. Door slamming quality is a stupid thing auto journalists talk about that I couldn't care less about, but man, it certainly was noticeable. If that saves weight/money for efficiency though, cool.
I also missed the paddles of the Cammie, something about controlling shifts from the auto shift lever just doesn't click with me.
Exactly.
I have never changed a cabin air filter before... Is there any harm done by just removing them? It seems like we got along fine without for 100 years, what is the point?
- ChrisoftheNorth
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We regularly took 4 adults in the Cucktrek, which is about the size of a Jetta, if not a bit smaller. That thing had fantastic seating space, so it always seemed to work out fine. Honestly, the biggest issue was lack of storage space. Picking up a couple from the airport with 2 checked bags? One is being strapped to the roof or someone is sitting with it. I bet a Jetta with its trunk has more cargo space than the Cucktrek did. I'm not sure the 4R has a ton more rear passenger space, but it has acres more cargo space. Small cars are really efficiently sized these days.D Griff wrote: ↑Tue May 03, 2022 9:13 amCammie is bigger... but that is matters that much. I am not a family man so I don't have real world experience, but seems like four people my size could fit in the Jetta just fine and the trunk is quite large. I know hatchbacks are the only style of car that matters/is worth a damn, but the nice thing with sedans is you can actually have four people and some shit in the back. Jetta felt about the same size as my 328i (but much larger trunk due to wrong wheel drive). Comparatively a Golf has much less cargo space with the back seats up.
Desertbreh wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
- ChrisoftheNorth
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Well, I imagine it's quite helpful for keeping the HVAC system cleaner and less dusty. Older vehicles without cabin filters would really cake up the vents with dust/dirt over the years from my experience. It probably makes HVAC parts last longer, especially new systems with a bunch of sensors and vent actuators and whatnot.
Desertbreh wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
- CaleDeRoo
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Huh. Well BEATR doesn't have a button to turn the compressor on/off. Car decides for you so I guess I'm SOL
- CaleDeRoo
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Interesting. I don't feel like the back seat of my mom's Impreza is that spacious, especially compared to things like a Civic or the Jetta Dan rented.Detroit wrote: ↑Tue May 03, 2022 10:15 amWe regularly took 4 adults in the Cucktrek, which is about the size of a Jetta, if not a bit smaller. That thing had fantastic seating space, so it always seemed to work out fine. Honestly, the biggest issue was lack of storage space. Picking up a couple from the airport with 2 checked bags? One is being strapped to the roof or someone is sitting with it. I bet a Jetta with its trunk has more cargo space than the Cucktrek did. I'm not sure the 4R has a ton more rear passenger space, but it has acres more cargo space. Small cars are really efficiently sized these days.D Griff wrote: ↑Tue May 03, 2022 9:13 am
Cammie is bigger... but that is matters that much. I am not a family man so I don't have real world experience, but seems like four people my size could fit in the Jetta just fine and the trunk is quite large. I know hatchbacks are the only style of car that matters/is worth a damn, but the nice thing with sedans is you can actually have four people and some shit in the back. Jetta felt about the same size as my 328i (but much larger trunk due to wrong wheel drive). Comparatively a Golf has much less cargo space with the back seats up.
It's funny, the 328i has a toggle for the HVAC compressor but even when turned off it just turns itself on if it thinks you're too hot. It's no wonder Brad switched away from German cars, they have this socialist approach to HVAC.
- ChrisoftheNorth
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I have no frame of reference on new Civics or Jettas, any other small car for that matter. We just found the Cucktrek to be surprisingly decent.CaleDeRoo wrote: ↑Tue May 03, 2022 11:01 amInteresting. I don't feel like the back seat of my mom's Impreza is that spacious, especially compared to things like a Civic or the Jetta Dan rented.Detroit wrote: ↑Tue May 03, 2022 10:15 am
We regularly took 4 adults in the Cucktrek, which is about the size of a Jetta, if not a bit smaller. That thing had fantastic seating space, so it always seemed to work out fine. Honestly, the biggest issue was lack of storage space. Picking up a couple from the airport with 2 checked bags? One is being strapped to the roof or someone is sitting with it. I bet a Jetta with its trunk has more cargo space than the Cucktrek did. I'm not sure the 4R has a ton more rear passenger space, but it has acres more cargo space. Small cars are really efficiently sized these days.
Desertbreh wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
- Tar
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My wife's Touareg is a nightmare, regardless of auto setting on or off, it will tell you how cold and/or forceful the ventilation system needs to run.
- ChrisoftheNorth
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Man, the 4R has been refreshing with it's HVAC simplicity. A red/blue knob, a direction knob, and a blower speed knob. Recirc and A/C can be turned on/off wherever ZFG the truck doesn't make any attempts to be smart. I like it a lot.
It also warmed up enough to try rolling down the back window recently. Sunroof open, rear window down or half way down is incredibly pleasant.
It also warmed up enough to try rolling down the back window recently. Sunroof open, rear window down or half way down is incredibly pleasant.
Desertbreh wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
- CaleDeRoo
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Me: *turns knob for 82 degrees, and switches vents to feet position*
*turns on ac compressor*