Used Cars

[Gadritan]

Well, it spent it's first 5 years in Manhattan, so yes.

Could tell her to try 0w oil.

[BaneTheBrawler]

yeah if your vehicle doesnt start in cold weather youre doing something wrong. usually oil; the different weights are designed for different climates. iirc thinner oils work better in cold, thicker in warm weather. coagulated (cold) oil doesn't lubricate as well.

[Ksandra]

This is going to probably sound dumb, but does the Prius plug heat the oil too? (<-never owned a hybrid)

I know Mercedes (diesel) do, and you have to plug them in in the winter or the gas freezes.

[Quixon]

Hybrids shouldn't be sparking oil.

If your gas/hybrid car doesn't start in the cold you are better off checking your battery. They will test it for you at an AutoZone/Advance type of place and let you know the exact CCA and how well its holding a charge. More than likely that is the case. After that check the starter. Oil weight will not stop a car from starting. Though it could very well damage the seals and/or seize the engine permanently.

Duralast Gold Batteries are just as good as any high dollar battery as well if you need a replacement.

[BaneTheBrawler]

a seized engine won't start, that's kinda the problem. JUST SAIYAN

[Quixon]

A seized engine doesn't seize on start up. It seizes while it's running. To thick/thin weight oil will not lead to an instantaneous catastrophic engine failure. Typically it leads to too high/too low pressure in the oil system, which will affect the seals. This leads to one or many small leak/moderate leaks. Over time if you don't pay attention/flat out ignore the oil leaking out of the car..... the engine will cease do to lack of oil. It would take a ridiculous amount of coincidental circumstances for an engine to seize at start up.

Ie. You blew a seal and leaked all/most of the oil out of the car, shut it off before it seized,.... then it seized upon the next start up. You also have to be a complete imbecile to seize an engine outside of a catastrophic failure in the oil system. If there was such a failure I'm sure the owner would of posted it.... (Ie. I put a rock throw my oil pan. And didn't realize the stench of burning oil until the engine seized up.

[Brill Weave]

I'm kind of in the middle of a conundrum. I will be getting a company car within the next few months. My car is paid off, my wife's car will be paid off in May. With the company car I don't have to pay for insurance, gas, or upkeep. So we're debating on what to do with my personal car. Do we sell it outright(KBB has it at roughly 7k.) Or do we trade both our cars in towards a new pricier one?

If we sell my car that would allow us to buy a fence for the backyard and new furniture for the game room. If we trade it in we'll essentially be getting a new car at a fraction of the cost. I'm torn.

[Quixon]

You will ALWAYS get more money selling the car private party. The downside is you will have to hold on to the car until a buyer comes around. Could be a day, could be a month?

You don't seem to be in any immediate need to ditch the cars, so I'd sell em private party. If the book value on the car is 7k, expect a dealer to offer you 4-5K tops. Has there been ANY car fax reports on either car? If there is even the smallest ding on the car fax the dealership will cry their eyes out and offer you even less.

[Brill Weave]

Newp. The only thing that's ever been worked on is the sunroof(it keeps coming off the track) and the driver's side door lock needed replaced because it wore out. Never had any mechanical issues with it.

[Quixon]

None of that would be on Carfax so you are good to go there. The dealership will offer you less money overall, but you walk in with the old car and out with the new car (or a check). You can bring the car to the dealership and see how much they will offer you. Figure you can probably squeeze another 10-15% out of them based off their original offer assuming they don't completely low ball you. Remember they are figuring they will get 7 Grand Max selling it on their end.

Take that number they offer and use that as a bottom of the barrel price to sell it private party, and the book value as the high end. If a number in the middle is enough to keep you happy while possibly waiting a week or two while the car sits on craigslist... sell it private party.

You'd be surprised how quick cars sell on craiglist. A buddy of mine brings in about 30% of his annual income just flipping cars on craiglist lol.


If it turns out you want a personal vehicle after you sell the car(s) private party.... you have the cash on hand anyways.

[Ksandra]

What kind of car do you and your wife have and what kind of car is the company giving you?

You started a baby, might be time to upgrade to that minivan you've been dreading (don't say you haven't been dreading it, YOU HAVE FUCKING BEEN DREADING IT)

[Mojo]

Fuck minivans, get a Forester. THE CARGO SPACE.

[Obsidian]

We live in Canada, I'll ask her later what kind of oil she's got in it but she may not know. She bought the Prius in September before it got cold. I tried to look at it last night before they parked it in their garage but it was too dark, but even at ~6PM EST (around -5C I think) it struggled to turn over and start. I've never driven it but apparently once it starts it's fine, but I told her she should probably try to avoid driving it if she can help it until I can get a better look at it or have my mechanic check it out.

[Quixon]

It's the battery or alternator. My bet is still the battery since the car isn't old enough to have a faulty alternator already. Do you have the ability to jump start the vehicle? If it starts when it's jump started.... drive it to the nearest Autozone type place. Have them test the battery, if/when they tell you it's bad, replace it right then and there.

If the cars starts with a jump and it is not the battery, you need to take it to the dealership.



Edit: Priuses don't have alternators...*doh*. You'd better pray it's the battery if the car is not still under warranty. Instructions on how to jump the car will be in the owners manual. Here is instructions I found online if you don't have that available:

1. Use the pull-out driver's door metal key in your key fob (remote opener) and unlock and open the driver's side door.

2. Look under the left hand side of the dash, to the left of the steering wheel and you will find the pull lever to release the hood. Pull it and go to the front of the Prius.

3. The safety catch for the hood is always to the right of the Toyota hood emblem. Reach under the front hood lip, pull the lever and lift the hood.

4. There is a hood prop rod attached to the hood. Release it and look to your right under the hood for the large, black cover for the main fuse box. There will be an arrow on that cover pointing to the hole where the prop rod end is put.

5. Remove the cover on that fuse box by pressing on the button/clip located on the narrow end of the cover (the cover has a wide end and a narrow end). The cover should move towards the windshield and lift off easily once you press that tab.

6. Under the cover, there will be a small red cover (possibly with it's own latch clip, those started being put on recently) with a plus sign on it. Lift that cover, under it is the bolt for the positive connection for the 12 volt system.

7. Look outside the fuse box and towards the windshield. You will see the suspension hump with an unpainted bolt on the top of it. The bolt and hump should be fairly close to the fuse box you opened. That unpainted bolt is the negative connection for the 12 volt system.

8. Connect your positive and negative ends on the jumper cables to the matching positive and negative posts on another 12 volt battery in another vehicle (the big square battery located under the hood of that other vehicle).

9. Get inside your Prius, press the brake pedal and then press the Start/Power button to start it like always.

10. Leave your Prius running or drive it for at least a half hour to an hour to make sure the 12 volt system is charged.

[Brill Weave]

What kind of car do you and your wife have and what kind of car is the company giving you?

You started a baby, might be time to upgrade to that minivan you've been dreading (don't say you haven't been dreading it, YOU HAVE FUCKING BEEN DREADING IT)

Um no. We have one child lol. No reason to even consider a minivan. I have a 2007 Chevy HHR and she has a 2009 Honda CR-V. Both have been fine transporting the minion. The company car is a 2012 Ford Fusion. We're leaning towards just selling the car outright since it would pay for the fence in the backyard and for new furniture in the game room.

[Obsidian]

I would personally sell the car outright and buy the house stuff. I would much rather have two payment-free vehicles than one, especially if the CR-V is still in good shape.

[Quixon]

Fucking HHR's -_- My dad has one, what a pile of shit. I hope for your sake the issues he's had with his over the years have not plagued yours as well. Bad shifter console, Steering Rack, steering column, Premature shock/spring wear, etc.

That CR-V will last forever if you keep up on the maintenance though. The Fusion has been getting phenomenal reviews as well.

[zoobernut]

Seems like everyone around here is getting new vehicles. We are selling our 2000 dodge dakota to get a new truck or SUV that will fit me, my wife, our son and our two dogs and enough stuff to go camping or on road trips. So far we have been looking at Nissan Xterra's that is about the size we need.

I really want a 4runner but they are so darn expensive.

[Haruk]

Fuck minivans, get a Forester. THE CARGO SPACE.

+1 to this, I'm a huge fan of the forester xt's, the newer style ones are pretty sweet.
As was said before, if possible I'd definitely recommend going through private party for anything(buying or selling). I have an 06 sti that I used to DD for a couple years, but recently picked up an old school legacy for $900 with 150k on it. Have absolutely no problems with it, gets me from point a to b, is saving me a ton in gas and I don't feel guilty driving through the salty roads in it. If you keep an eye out and aren't in a rush you can find some sweet deals on craigslist

[Brill Weave]

Fucking HHR's -_- My dad has one, what a pile of shit. I hope for your sake the issues he's had with his over the years have not plagued yours as well. Bad shifter console, Steering Rack, steering column, Premature shock/spring wear, etc.

That CR-V will last forever if you keep up on the maintenance though. The Fusion has been getting phenomenal reviews as well.

Nope. Only issues I've had is the sunroof broke twice(it kept jumping off the track and breaking the pin that held it in place) and I needed to replace the door lock because it wore out. It's been a pretty good ride for the last six years. Not the greatest in the snow, which with our winters, can be a bitch.