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Official Car Inquiries Thread

Frank E

Frank E

Active member
As many of you already know, I run a car dealership.

I've had a bunch of questions sent to me over the years about all kinds of car related things, so I thought I'd add a thread on the "new" site.

I'll do my best to help out my fellow Leaf fans.  However, I will screw over both habs and sens fans with equal effort.
 
Question: Can we ask questions about fictional cars like Kitt from Knight Rider, Christine or the Mystery Machine?
 
Saint Nik said:
Question: Can we ask questions about fictional cars like Kitt from Knight Rider, Christine or the Mystery Machine?
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The cars are real though, so yes.

Busta Reims said:
What about the Batmobile? Can you get a me a good deal on one?
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Yes.

leafsjunkie said:
What make of vehicles is your dealership?
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I run a Toyota dealership.  Our company owns 7 different manufacturers' dealerships.
 
Your read my mind, I was going to post a problem my Grandma is having with her van recently to see if anyone could help out:

The van, no matter what setting for temperature or vent setting, it makes a clicking sound, kinda of like a vent is trying to change positions, but its stuck, it also doesn't blow out hot air, just regular air it gets from outside.

My Uncle is going to try change the thermostat to fix the heat issue, but what about the clicking sound? Is there a quick fix/check, or would it be something else?

The van is a Ford mini-van, probably early to mid 2000's for year, I can find out the exact year if that makes it easier. Thanks for any help anyone can provide me.
 
Leafaholic99 said:
Your read my mind, I was going to post a problem my Grandma is having with her van recently to see if anyone could help out:

The van, no matter what setting for temperature or vent setting, it makes a clicking sound, kinda of like a vent is trying to change positions, but its stuck, it also doesn't blow out hot air, just regular air it gets from outside.

My Uncle is going to try change the thermostat to fix the heat issue, but what about the clicking sound? Is there a quick fix/check, or would it be something else?

The van is a Ford mini-van, probably early to mid 2000's for year, I can find out the exact year if that makes it easier. Thanks for any help anyone can provide me.
Click to expand...

Thermostats regulate engine temperature...so if the engine temperature is proper, a thermostat won't change a thing. 

The clicking sound my be debris near the fan motor. 
 
Frank E said:
Leafaholic99 said:
Your read my mind, I was going to post a problem my Grandma is having with her van recently to see if anyone could help out:

The van, no matter what setting for temperature or vent setting, it makes a clicking sound, kinda of like a vent is trying to change positions, but its stuck, it also doesn't blow out hot air, just regular air it gets from outside.

My Uncle is going to try change the thermostat to fix the heat issue, but what about the clicking sound? Is there a quick fix/check, or would it be something else?

The van is a Ford mini-van, probably early to mid 2000's for year, I can find out the exact year if that makes it easier. Thanks for any help anyone can provide me.
Click to expand...

Thermostats regulate engine temperature...so if the engine temperature is proper, a thermostat won't change a thing. 

The clicking sound my be debris near the fan motor.
Click to expand...

Do you have a website? I'm currently interning at a company. When I'm hired on non-internship I'd like to buy a vehicle. What are some purchasing options you would recommend? What would be some things I should know before making a decision?
 
Bender said:
Do you have a website? I'm currently interning at a company. When I'm hired on non-internship I'd like to buy a vehicle. What are some purchasing options you would recommend? What would be some things I should know before making a decision?
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That's a big question...it really depends on your financial circumstances...and that's certainly not something we can get into here.  I'm not sure that Rick & co. want me posting my company website and stuff here, so send me a PM and I'll gladly give you some assistance. 
 
Hey Frank I'm just wondering... From your own personal experience what was the most dependable, least problematic make/model/year automobile you've come across? And the opposite...what lemon stands out?
 
TheMightyOdin said:
Hey Frank I'm just wondering... From your own personal experience what was the most dependable, least problematic make/model/year automobile you've come across? And the opposite...what lemon stands out?
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The quality of pretty much all vehicles has improved dramatically over the past 10 years.

Quite frankly, the Toyota Corolla (and most Toyotas for that matter) is a fantastic vehicle.  Exciting?  Not really.  Fantastic car though. 

I can tell you that my service department does maintenance, and that's about it.  Hardly any warranty work gets done, and I don't have an engine guy, nor a transmission guy.  At my last dealership, I had two people with both of those specialties.  The brakes and front ends (ball joints, tie rods, bushings, etc..) are built very strong and last much longer than any competitive manufacturer that I've worked with.

This is from my experience, and there are other manufacturers that are getting pretty solid in terms of dependability and cost of ownership.

Some of the usual suspects get failing ownership reviews; The domestic trio (though much better lately with GM and Ford), Kia, Land Rovers are awful, even Benz and Bimmer have had some issues, as has VW.
 
I'll concur with the Corolla assessment. I've been driving a 2009 into the ground for the past few years, and have never had a single major (or even minor) mechanical issue with it. Exciting it isn't, but it's incredibly good on gas, and as reliable as an old Timex.
 
WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:
Thinking about a fully loaded Prius(51mpg) for Christmas,  33 grand, good deal?
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Save your money and get an Elantra. 50 more horses and 49 mpg.

http://www.2011elantra.ca/en/features/performance/49-mpg.aspx

 
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