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Author Topic: Buying a new truck Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-24-2013 08:28 AM                     For a period of time, between approx. 1995 and 2005, I think Chrysler made some good cars. They weren't great cars. They could have been better but, instead of working to improve the models they had in production, they started producing supposed luxury models. Had they taken the money they spent on creating new, expensive cars and plowed it into making the cars they already sold better, I would still be a (conditional) fan of Chrysler cars. As it stands, now, they build marginal quality cars in designs that I don't like which are way too expensive for what you really get. BTW: One gewgaw that I do like is keyless entry. It's nice to be able to unlock your car doors or open the trunk when you've got your hands full or when you're trying to quickly get out of the rain. If your keyless system is also an alarm, the car can warn you whether somebody might have tampered with your car. (e.g. - The car's horn beeps once when you unlock it but beeps three times if the car's alarm has been triggered since you were away.) It's also nice that the cars interior lights come on when you press the button on the key fob. It gives you a chance to see inside the car, from a distance, to be sure your car is safe before you get in. You can get keyless entry as an aftermarket option but, if it is part of an option package that you are likely get get, anyway, it might be worthwhile to get it as a factory installed option.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-24-2013 01:09 PM                        Indeed - the keyless entry/remote start is my favorite thing about the Escape. As Frank said in the first post, you don't need to even push a button -- just touch the door handle and if the key is within 3 feet, the door opens. I've done some experimenting and it's pretty accurate -- I set the key about 40 inches away and the doors stayed locked. The one feature with remote start that I wish for, is an automatic garage door open. It has "smart" pushbuttons that you can program to your garage door opener, so you'd think there would be a way to start the car from inside the house, and have the car trigger the garage door opener to keep the garage from filling with noxious fumes. Alas...Ford hasn't had that idea yet.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-24-2013 01:27 PM                     I don't care for remote start. All the cars I have owned have had manual transmissions. There isn't a reasonable way to have remote start on a manual transmission without leaving the gear shift in neutral and defeating the clutch interlock switch. I don't think that's a good idea at all. Buttonless fobs can be hacked and defeated. You only need a passive radiator which extends the distance. If you can make an active repeater, you can extend the distance to 100 ft. or more. That's far enough away that, by the time the owner realizes his car is being hacked, it's too late. Regular, pushbutton fobs only transmit for a second or less, only when the button has been pressed. A would-be hacker would have to have his listening gear operating at the exact moment you press the button. Over the years, I have developed the habit of pressing the button with my hand in my pocket. It wasn't specifically in order to prevent telegraphing my actions but, for whatever reason I started, it has that effect. I order to hack either type of key fob it probably takes similar technology. The problem is that the technology can be bought for, probably, a couple of thousand dollars and the knowhow can probably be obtained from the internet. Does a buttonless fob offer more or less security than a regular one? I don't know. The difference is probably only psychological, if any.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 02-24-2013 11:14 PM                     If it's the 3.0L (6G72 motor), motor was made by Mitsubishi. 3.3L was by Chrysler. Outside of valve seals drying out, that 3.0L is a bulletproof motor. quote: Randy Stankey remote start on a manual transmission without leaving the gear shift in neutral and defeating the clutch interlock switch. I don't think that's a good idea at all. Only advantage of defeating the clutch interock switch on start that it saves on the thrust bearings on the crank due to the pressure plate being released and the housing of the pressure plate is putting the linear load on the flywheel and wants to move the crank forward. Common thrust bearing failure results in "crankwalk" were the crank moves forward a good quarter inch  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-25-2013 07:41 AM                     I have no problem with the thrust bearing even after 130K. I did have to replace the master cylinder for the hydraulic clutch. The slave is still good. While the cylinder was going bad, I developed two habits. 1) Double-pump the clutch. 2) Shift into neutral and let the clutch out when sitting at stoplights. Double pumping isn't necessary in small cars with fully synchronized transmissions but it's probably good habit to have. Who knows? I might have to drive a dump truck one day. Shifting into neutral is probably better for your clutch when idling at stoplights. There's another thing that bugs me about the way they sell cars. It's hard to find cars with manual transmissions, anymore. Why should I have to get an automatic transmission because 98% of the people in the town where I live are too stupid to drive anything but automatics? BTW: I still believe that it should be a requirement to demonstrate basic proficiency driving a car with a manual transmission in order to pass your driver's test.  |  IP: Logged Buck Wilson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 894 From: St. Joseph MO, USA Registered: Sep 2010 posted 02-25-2013 10:32 AM                     ^^^Amen!! My mother made me take my drivers' test in a 5-speed. I'm glad she did. Got a 99%. Only reason I didn't get a perfect score was because I left it out of gear when I parked. I had the park brake applied though. MTX4LYFE!  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-25-2013 10:56 AM                     That's one of those questions like whether you should double-clutch a car vs. a truck or whether you should shift into neutral when idling at a stoplight. Arguments can be made for and against either. When parking, I put the transmission into reverse. Some people say that you should put it into first gear. Others say it should be neutral. As long as the parking brake is engaged, arguments can be made for any. Personally, I believe that, since reverse is the lowest gear, it is the best. Others have said that leaving the transmission in the lowest FORWARD gear is better. Still, others have said that leaving the transmission in neutral prevents the clutch, gears and engine from being ripped up should the car get hit. Honestly, I don't know which is best. Maybe the real answer varies based on conditions? But reverse is my habit. I do it automatically, almost without thinking.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-25-2013 12:10 PM                        I first learned to drive in a '43 (I think) Willys Jeep. It had a 3-speed on the column. Picture of our Jeep with my friend Mark Killham (R.I.P.) Later I had a '77-1/2 Ford Mustang Cobra with a stick shift. I remember being amazed how much easier and smoother the shifting was in the Cobra! I've heard several arguments for how to leave the manual transmission when parking. I always left mine in reverse too, since we had a garage at home and reverse was always the first gear I needed anyway.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 02-25-2013 09:09 PM                     quote: Randy Stankey Why should I have to get an automatic transmission because 98% of the people in the town where I live are too stupid to drive anything but automatics? What this comes down to the high mileage/10yr drivetrain warranty that manufacturers can offer to make sales. Not going to see the same warranty offers on a six speed manual tranny car since not everyone knows how to drive clutch cars with perfection...and those moving to the steep hills in San Fransisco are in a big surprise with a clutch car!  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-25-2013 10:01 PM                     The snake bites its own tail. People don't know how to drive a manual transmission so they grind the gears out of them. Manufacturers won't warrant manual transmissions because people grind them up too much. People won't buy cars with manual transmissions because they don't have warranties. Manufacturers won't make products people won't buy. If there aren't enough cars with manual transmissions, peoople can't learn now to drive them. Another reason for me to think it should be a requirement. I don't expect everybody to drive stick shift cars but they should demonstrate basic proficiency, how to start, stop and drive without tearing up the gears.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-25-2013 10:38 PM                        I don't think manuals are unpopular because people don't know how to drive them. It's because they don't want to have their "phone hand" or their "eating hand" or their "putting on makeup hand" busy shifting gears. Also it is a giant pain in the butt to be shifting all the time in today's stop-n-go driving, even if you're not balancing your breakfast or making phone calls. Some people really enjoy the manual driving experience. I am not one of them.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 02-25-2013 10:40 PM                     I love my 5speed .. and so does my mother-she hates automatics (odd to hear that from an 86 yr old woman....) with a passion. But agree fully: It's all a personal preference and let it rest. quote: Randy Stankey but they should demonstrate basic proficiency, how to start, stop and drive without tearing up the gears. Really ?? ....with this lazy, smartphone soaked, brained drained from being attached by an umbilical cord to their gadgetry, new generation that is upon us? They can't even figure out to read a book since it doesn't have an included touch screen read the contents within. It has to be K.I.S.S. or nothing nowdays.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-25-2013 10:52 PM                     Aw, come on! I can drive a standard while eating a Big Mac and Fries, drinking a Coke, smoking a cigarette, changing the station on the radio, talking on the cell phone and giving somebody the finger. I only asked for basic proficiency, not that everybody drive manuals. I don't think it's more work. In fact, I don't even think about it most of the time. Even in city traffic, I find it easy. Just put the car in second gear, go 10 or 15 MPH and use the clutch.  |  IP: Logged James Westbrook Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1133 From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa Registered: Mar 2006 posted 02-26-2013 01:27 AM                     When I was shopping for a new car, I priced the standards along with the automatics. Often the difference in price was less than $100. My mechanic advised me to get an automatic as "You WILL wear out the clutch." I'm sure that was just his opinion. One of my co-workers said he never replaced the clutch on his Ford Ranger. He traded it in on a Chevy Sonic with automatic as he wanted the remote start feature. It was while checking out his car that I realized the "new car smell" is different between auto makes. My Nissan did not smell like his Chevy.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-26-2013 05:50 AM                        I know how to drive a car with a standard shift, but I'm not sure exactly what the advantage of owning one would be. My understanding is that whatever advantage used to exist with respect to improved gas mileage no longer exists with modern automatic transmissions. On top of that, it is presumably much easier to sell a used car that has an automatic transmission (and very little price difference when buying a new or used car, as noted above). So, with the exception of sports cars and the like, I just don't see any advantage to going with the manual version.  |  IP: Logged

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