Most Commented Automotive Blogs (377)

Trump still gets security briefings , this must butt hurt the leftist grubs .

no judging. just a listen

I've seen a few news links about catalytic converters being stolen from cars. Tonight one article revealed data from insurance companies stated what was thousands per year are increasing in numbers. One of the most targeted vehicles is the Ford F-Series truck. The truck is high enough that someone can slide under with a wrench and unbolt the unit in a few minutes.

Personally, I had an engine fail on my 2014 Hyundai Veloster caused by a piston ring that sent 3 quarts out the exhaust. My mechanic found a used engine, one recovered from a rear end collision. It wasn't running correctly and the suspect was the catalytic converter had clogged due to the oil. We could have shorted out the sensor, re-piped the exhaust and reprogrammed the brain, but that had some restrictions. I didn't want to drive a car with a tampered exhaust system so I bought a re-manufactured catalytic converter and the car ran like it did before the engine blew up.
At that time, new catalytic converters for that model were around $1,500 and re-manufactured around $500. Either way, it was a big chunk of money.

I did find flaws in some the stories I've read.
Most cars have alarm systems that are set off when you bump the car.
So, how is it possible someone can jack up a Honda (for example) and unbolt a converter without setting off the alarm?

Some stolen converters are used to replace defective ones in other cars while other are sold for the precious metals they contain.

Okay, police have suggested engraving them with a unique traceable number.
In the real world, just like stolen guns... grind off the number.
I believe possession of a gun with a tampered serial is illegal, but I doubt there are laws to cover converters.

If it's so easy to unbolt a converter... SPOT WELD the joints so only someone using a grinder could break it loose.

Maybe more thought needs to go into a method to deter the business of stealing catalytic converters...

I read this story this morning and this afternoon it's already 'gone viral' on YouTube and many news services. Caught on a dashcam of cars driving along the freeway in California, where a pickup with oversized tires completely loses the front left tire just as a KIA Soul comes up on the left side. The tire goes under the front of the KIA making it flip more than 10 feet in the air where it rolled and crashed. the tire rolled back bounced on something (out of the view of the camera) then rolls back hitting the KIA in the rear.
While this is happening, the pickup truck with three wheels continues driving and appears to be heading toward the right shoulder.
While the top of the KIA was crushed, it was reported no one was seriously hurt.

Flying KIA...




Amazing!

Hurricane Ian passed through Tampa, Florida last month and flooded the entire west coast. Photos of waist high waters in several counties were on the news. Many of the cars had to be totaled due to salt water intrusion. Once water enters a vehicle and soaks into the wiring harnesses and electronics, the reliability lost and the vehicle can become hazardous with all sorts of irregularities both mechanical and electrical.

What happens to these vehicles? That depends on the decision of the insurance company. They could write checks to the owners of cars and pay out current value. They take the cars and dispose of them. If the damage is minor, they could offer a lower settlement for the owner to keep the car but have to re-register the title. That puts the vehicle in a different classification similar to rebuilding a junker! Your old car isn't what it used to be.

Reclaimed cars in the hands of insurance companies often get sold at auction, many of them are bought by wholesale companies who special in the used car market. They get cleaned and appear aesthetically 'in good condition' only to be moved around the state and sometimes other states to be resold. Some get shipped out to foreign countries.

This isn't a new problem and happens after hurricanes, floods and other disasters.
If you are planning to buy used after a hurricane, make sure you have a reliable technician/mechanic go over the vehicle and do a careful inspection specifically looking for signs of water damage. What to look for? cars with a mildew odor, late model cars where the interior and seats were replaced is a good starting point.

All cars have a history and it's recommended to pull the 'car fax' report to see the history and location of every time it was bought and sold. Also if there are any damage reports.

Taking that further, be wary of buying a used car in (or from) Florida...

My cat purrs and climbs aboard. I ask him “do you like the rustic atmosphere?”

My electric was disconnected 3 days ago for nonpayment lol-not. I’m wearing a down coat, buried under two big dogs and a cat, body heat. I feel like a pioneer. Like camping in s house. I sure wish warm weather would come.

My latest lesson, men are expensive and more costly to get rid of. I’m sure the same can be said for female leaches.

Today was day 1 of my store’s liquidation. We are a carcass, to be picked clean. I can’t decide if I want to stay to the bitter end and collect unemployment or abandon ship. Those who have, have lost friends. I don’t want to do that.

I had a breakdown but now I’m running on anger adrenaline. I will not give up. Not today, anyway.

This is life. The amazing thing is that I have the will to live. This confounds me.

7 more days until I have heat and light, provided my paycheck will cover it. At this time, I must determine what is most important, heat, water or light.

Not complaining, I did it to myself thinking I could support 2 adults, 1 not working. That other adult is out of the picture so, I am already in a better place.

Phone battery is low. See you later.

Hallelujah tengo el culo cagao' again and again and again

who got some paper

The beach where sticks and stones don’t break hearts
Make love with waves of salt and sea
Bring forth good memories
Of a visit most importantly family
Though far away not distant in heart’s memory
I love you all eternally

If you know me
You may have known me
Sad housewive
Lonely housewife
Lived 3 lives, 3 weddings, 2 children, 1 life
Mine
You have been lining roadsides
Sometimes, cheering me on
Rarely attacking, because I’m pathetic or strong?
I have written of excruciating loneliness
Joyous love, cascading, flowing to a place called Malta

You have read my tumbles, rarely knocked my walk
As if, one might assume, we still feel
To other
The stranger on the street
Part of the landscape
A part you realize you’ll miss
Who I am, you are

I work in a retail environment, a department store. I know the atmosphere has changed over time, just as consumer travel has changed.

There was a time when people dressed up to travel and shop. Both activities seemed more prestigious. If you watch any old show or film, the characters were usually dressed impeccably. Men wore hats, women wore hats and gloves. Accessories weren't tacky or dated. There seemed to be an order to things. As if work and home life were stable enough to present ourselves as "together" in more ways than one.

I am sitting in a department store that is empty but for the employees and a few customers. There has been a pallor on the face of retail. The coordinated lips and nails are gone. Fancy brooches and rhinestone clip on earrings have been shed. The atmosphere is dull except for the occasional frivolous shopper. Luxury for the mainstream has been substituted with fancy phones and active wear.

Two things have made me contemplate this. One, the possibility of my store closing due to bankruptcy, the second, two films I recently watched again. I usually watch a film I like numerous times, so, I have given thought to the aura of the films, not only the main plot. Tonight, I focus on the characters of both films, "The Danish Girl" and "Carol".

If you haven't seen these films, "The Danish Girl" is about the first man to attempt sex reassignment. "Carol" is the story of a woman acknowledging her sexuality. What on earth could these characters have to do with retail? Only I would make a connection. lol In "The Danish Girl", after living as a female, she takes a job in a department store and she glows with excitement. Her smile is electric. Her supervisor is very respectful and her statement "we are all performers" as if in a great play, to provide the ultimate shopping experience. In "Carol" the female character is shown in the same retail environment, but the experience if far from magical. Her supervisor is a cold, negative character and the position of store clerk is a hair above garbage left blowing across a New York City sidewalk. Is the vast difference because one character wants to fit in and be accepted, accepting the stereotype that goes with it, while the other feels she doesn't fit in, she has other aspirations?

Do we feel like garbage in our jobs because we aren't fulfilled elsewhere? Are we longing to play a role, to have at work what we don't have at home? In the end, I think we all take on roles in order to survive.
"we are all performers".