1. Forum
  2. FidoNet
  3. AUTOMOTIVE

  • Chrysler Town and Country

    From Ken Nischan@1:275/89 to All on Wed May 15 11:59:00 2024
    Hi!

    I'm looking for a new van. My daily is a 2013 Veloster Turbo. It's not a bad car, but is miserable if you need to carry more than one passenger lol. I had a 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan, but I idiotically murdered it. It was running rough and threw a misfire code so I figured I'd start by changing the plugs. The back three are really hard to get to and I did not realize my ratchet was at an angle so I started to torque the plug and ended up shearing it off in the block. (sigh)

    So that was the end of that van. I was quoted $1200-1500 to have it fixed, and it isn't really worth putting that into as it's pretty rusty. So I was thinking about a last generation T&C. I've heard though they have transmission issues. Of course, I hear that about ALL Mopar products, lol. My GC never had any trans issues. I was just curious what peoples' experiences are, if anyone has any with the last gen T&C.

    I like the amenities, the specs seem decent, I really like how the sliding door windows are movable and it looks decent. Just don't wanna get into a money pit.

    I had a 2000 BMW 740i sport once, loved that car but talk about a money pit. I had it for five years and it cost me just under thirty thousand in maintenance - and that's at an indy using internet sourced parts. Not even going to the dealer. Though sometimes using cheap parts ended up costing me more; after a few low lifespan purchases I started buying more costly OE stuff. But anyway, yea, after that car I tend to try to avoid maintenance headache vehicles :D
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: Diamond Mine Online BBS - bbs.dmine.net:24 (1:275/89)
  • From Kurt Weiske@1:218/700 to Ken Nischan on Thu May 16 07:20:00 2024
    Ken Nischan wrote to All <=-

    Hi!

    I'm looking for a new van. My daily is a 2013 Veloster Turbo. It's
    not a bad car, but is miserable if you need to carry more than one passenger lol.


    Those new Chrysler Pacifica hybrid vans are amazing inside. I drove in
    one a while ago and loved it. Amazing amounts of room, great tech, too.

    I had a 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan, but I idiotically
    murdered it. It was running rough and threw a misfire code so I
    figured I'd start by changing the plugs. The back three are really hard
    to get to and I did not realize my ratchet was at an angle so I started
    to torque the plug and ended up shearing it off in the block. (sigh)


    Back in high school, my best friend had a '77 Vette. We had to replace
    the starter, and it took removing most of the top accessories to get to
    it.

    That car always got smoked at stop lights, and my friend couldn't figure
    out what the problem was. He changed mechanics, and got a tune-up. The
    new mechanic showed him the problem - he removed 6 NGK spark plugs which
    looked to be worn normally, and the original AC Delco plugs from the
    back two cylinders which his old mechanic had never changed! They were
    burnt to a crisp.

    I had a 2000 BMW 740i sport once, loved that car but talk about a money pit.


    I just bought a BMW i3, since it's got a little gas engine to charge the battery it needs an oil change every year, plugs every two years. Repair prices, though - I thought I might have to replace the socket where the electric plug goes in and it's a $3500 job!




    I had it for five years and it cost me just under thirty thousand
    in maintenance - and that's at an indy using internet sourced parts.
    Not even going to the dealer. Though sometimes using cheap parts ended
    up costing me more; after a few low lifespan purchases I started buying more costly OE stuff. But anyway, yea, after that car I tend to try to avoid maintenance headache vehicles :D --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: Diamond Mine Online BBS - bbs.dmine.net:24 (1:275/89)

    ... How did you find this place?
    --- MultiMail/Win v0.52
    * Origin: http://realitycheckbbs.org | tomorrow's retro tech (1:218/700)
  • From Ken Nischan@1:275/89 to Kurt Weiske on Sat May 18 11:17:39 2024
    Re: Re: Chrysler Town and Country
    By: Kurt Weiske to Ken Nischan on Thu May 16 2024 07:20 am

    > Those new Chrysler Pacifica hybrid vans are amazing inside. I drove in
    one a while ago and loved it. Amazing amounts of room, great tech, too.

    Yea, I saw them in my car shopping. They look very nice. Alas, out of my price range heh. I'm in more of the mid 2010s T&C price range (like $13k or so).

    That car always got smoked at stop lights, and my friend couldn't figure
    out what the problem was. He changed mechanics, and got a tune-up. The
    new mechanic showed him the problem - he removed 6 NGK spark plugs which looked to be worn normally, and the original AC Delco plugs from the
    back two cylinders which his old mechanic had never changed! They were
    burnt to a crisp.

    Wow, that's pretty scummy of the original mechanic. I'd be livid.

    I just bought a BMW i3, since it's got a little gas engine to charge the battery it needs an oil change every year, plugs every two years. Repair prices, though - I thought I might have to replace the socket where the electric plug goes in and it's a $3500 job!

    Those are pretty cool. Yea, that's pretty salty. Makes one glad for warranties, hehe. Dealer pricing can be pretty nuts. The windshield cracked on my 7, the dealer estimate was around four thousand. I ended up getting one from Satelite, even had the special coating, for around $1000. I left a car wash once and found the kid who released the brake must be Superman because he pulled the release so hard it broke. I just sighed and told him not to worry about it. Kid looked so relieved, he said he thought I'd yell and carry on lol. I guess karma paid me back, because when I went to buy a new release lever it was only $35. I was like wait... are you perhaps missing a zero?? I've never had such a cheap part quote from BMW, lol

    ... How did you find this place?

    What, FidoNet? I just started poking around the messaging section of a BBS I use :)
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: Diamond Mine Online BBS - bbs.dmine.net:24 (1:275/89)
  • From Kurt Weiske@1:218/700 to Ken Nischan on Sat May 18 18:06:00 2024
    Ken Nischan wrote to Kurt Weiske <=-

    I just bought a BMW i3, since it's got a little gas engine to charge the battery it needs an oil change every year, plugs every two years. Repair prices, though - I thought I might have to replace the socket where the electric plug goes in and it's a $3500 job!

    Those are pretty cool. Yea, that's pretty salty. Makes one glad for warranties, hehe. Dealer pricing can be pretty nuts.

    Most of the price for the replacement plug is the part. Apparently, you
    can ask really nice and they'll replace it for free, apparently they
    know it's an issue but it's not worth a service bulletin. In my case,
    it charges fine, it's just missing a nylon tip to one of the plugs in
    the socket.




    ... Change instrument roles
    --- MultiMail/Win v0.52
    * Origin: http://realitycheckbbs.org | tomorrow's retro tech (1:218/700)