So. Last week I drove the Jeep Compass to take Terry up to Corning Hospital to get her knee scoped. Along Route 15 I noticed some vibration in the front end at 65-70 mph and told Terry she should get it checked out before she drives to St. Louis next month.
Yesterday she dropped it off at the Jeep dealer in Mansfield and they called back saying it needed new front brakes, new tires ("the belts inside were broken"), an alignment, a new tie rod, new struts, and a couple of other things. Total would be around $3000. This is a car they had in the shop last spring because one of the front brakes was making a squeeling sound. Now, I'm not a mechanic, but the Compass doesn't get a lot of miles put on it during the summer. It basically sits on the side of the house. It's one "big" trip was to the Carolinas and back. (On second thought, maybe we should stop going to Columbia, SC. Every time we do something needs an alignment.)
Anyway, we had been thinking of replacing the 2009 Compass and had already started to do some research. We had narrowed our choices down somewhat but had hoped to wait until spring or fall 2018. I told the Jeep people not to do any work and Terry and I drove over to Williams Toyota to see what they had available. Our targets there were the Sienna and the Rav4. They needed to have either 4-wheel or all-wheel drive because, hey!, we live in hilly snow country.
Well, Terry thought the Sienna too huge for her needs (the third row seating was just a little too much), but liked the size of the Rav4. The only model with all-wheel drive (AWD) on the lot was a base model in a pretty plumb color which we did take for a short test drive. Terry liked it, but I wanted a few more bells and whistles than the base model offered. They did have an XLE with AWD in Barcelona Red (same as the my Tundra) over on the Elmira lot, however. We could get either $2500 cash back or 0% financing on the Rav4.
So, we go back on Saturday to look at the XLE and--probably--sign some papers.
Showing posts with label Jeep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeep. Show all posts
Friday, September 22, 2017
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Aerie Report, May 19, 2010
Bright and (way too) early this morning I headed northeast to Sayre to get the Tundra a thorough check-up and oil change while Terry headed south to Williamsport to have the Jeep's oil changed and a leak around the sun roof taken corrected. (Her Aveo got its oil changed yesterday right here in Mansfield.)
After explaining why I wanted things gone over with a fine tooth comb (got a 12,000 mile trip hauling a trailer coming up guys!) the mechanic at Williams Toyota did just that. Oil change, rotated and balanced tires including removing a bunch of hardened mud that had been causing some vibration in the steering (damn muddy roads!), checked all hoses, checked and topped off all fluids, replaced the air filter (damn dusty roads!), and replaced the cracked serpentine belt.
I got a spare air filter--just in case--and kept the old serpentine belt (they didn't have another in stock) to serve in case of an emergency. I asked about a fuel filter but was told that it's not on the line but inside the tank. Usually they just back flush it. If I get to the point it needs to be replaced, I'm in a whole 'nother world of hurt.
Slowly, but surely, I'm putting together the "emergency" kit you should have for such a long trip. I still need to get some emergency reflectors and flares, a couple of quarts of oil, some engine coolant, and transmission fluid to go in the kit. I hope to never use any of this stuff, but you never know.
Terry's visit to Van Campen Motors was almost as productive, they made the oil change, but then had to completely dismantle the sun roof to correct the blockage that allowed water to get into the dome light. That took over an hour. That and the complete washing of the Jeep when they believed they had fixed the leak. Gotta test for leaks somehow. Anyway, she got her oil changed, the leak fixed and a clean car all for the price of the oil change.
And she brought home a box of Mr. Sticky's buns. Mmmmm Sticky Buns!
******
Speaking of leaks, the showers were supposed to end early today. They didn't. Oh, they weren't heavy at any one time, but what they were was persistent. Thinking they had finished, I went out to cut the dandelions at 2:30 this afternoon. The showers returned at 2:50 and continued to spritz me off and on for the remainder of the cutting.
******
There's something unsettling about the long, skinny, pale white/green/yellow stalks of dandelions sticking high above the darker green of the lawn/dandelion leaves. The hollow stalks have reached high to produce their puff-ball seed heads. Reaching upward so the slightest breeze can carry the tiny seeds on their parachute to a new, fertile site. The rains had pretty much washed those seeds off the stalks' tips. Today, there were just the stalks reaching for the sky. And I cut them down. Unmercifully.
******
After starting the day around 46-47 degrees at 6 AM, it barely got up to 60 degrees around 2:30 this afternoon. They say, that it will be 80 degrees and sunny tomorrow. Maybe Annie is in town.
******
Speaking of tomorrow....
I got an email from Gary about a bird walk along the rails-to-trails bike path along Marsh Creek west of Route 287. Since it's supposed to be a nice morning, I'll be meeting him there. At 8 AM.
Terry will be going to the Special Olympics being held at Mansfield University. She and a couple of other gals from Tiadaghton Audubon Society will man (woman?) a table to entertain some of the participants with bird drawings that can be colored.
******
20 days to go!
After explaining why I wanted things gone over with a fine tooth comb (got a 12,000 mile trip hauling a trailer coming up guys!) the mechanic at Williams Toyota did just that. Oil change, rotated and balanced tires including removing a bunch of hardened mud that had been causing some vibration in the steering (damn muddy roads!), checked all hoses, checked and topped off all fluids, replaced the air filter (damn dusty roads!), and replaced the cracked serpentine belt.
I got a spare air filter--just in case--and kept the old serpentine belt (they didn't have another in stock) to serve in case of an emergency. I asked about a fuel filter but was told that it's not on the line but inside the tank. Usually they just back flush it. If I get to the point it needs to be replaced, I'm in a whole 'nother world of hurt.
Slowly, but surely, I'm putting together the "emergency" kit you should have for such a long trip. I still need to get some emergency reflectors and flares, a couple of quarts of oil, some engine coolant, and transmission fluid to go in the kit. I hope to never use any of this stuff, but you never know.
Terry's visit to Van Campen Motors was almost as productive, they made the oil change, but then had to completely dismantle the sun roof to correct the blockage that allowed water to get into the dome light. That took over an hour. That and the complete washing of the Jeep when they believed they had fixed the leak. Gotta test for leaks somehow. Anyway, she got her oil changed, the leak fixed and a clean car all for the price of the oil change.
And she brought home a box of Mr. Sticky's buns. Mmmmm Sticky Buns!
******
Speaking of leaks, the showers were supposed to end early today. They didn't. Oh, they weren't heavy at any one time, but what they were was persistent. Thinking they had finished, I went out to cut the dandelions at 2:30 this afternoon. The showers returned at 2:50 and continued to spritz me off and on for the remainder of the cutting.
******
There's something unsettling about the long, skinny, pale white/green/yellow stalks of dandelions sticking high above the darker green of the lawn/dandelion leaves. The hollow stalks have reached high to produce their puff-ball seed heads. Reaching upward so the slightest breeze can carry the tiny seeds on their parachute to a new, fertile site. The rains had pretty much washed those seeds off the stalks' tips. Today, there were just the stalks reaching for the sky. And I cut them down. Unmercifully.
******
After starting the day around 46-47 degrees at 6 AM, it barely got up to 60 degrees around 2:30 this afternoon. They say, that it will be 80 degrees and sunny tomorrow. Maybe Annie is in town.
******
Speaking of tomorrow....
I got an email from Gary about a bird walk along the rails-to-trails bike path along Marsh Creek west of Route 287. Since it's supposed to be a nice morning, I'll be meeting him there. At 8 AM.
Terry will be going to the Special Olympics being held at Mansfield University. She and a couple of other gals from Tiadaghton Audubon Society will man (woman?) a table to entertain some of the participants with bird drawings that can be colored.
******
20 days to go!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
On the road again....
Off on a quick trip to the Bolt Hole tomorrow. This cold weather has me worried that the unheated cabin might get too cold for the water I left in the pipes. So...It'll be 225 miles up, drain the pipes, and 225 miles back home. What fun!
I'd rather not go since I'll have to do it again in a couple days once they get the part to fix the AC on the trailer, but, I'd like to keep the plumbing intact, thank you!
Just as we were getting out of the cars to start our bird walk this morning I got a call from Mark telling me it was a mere 24 degrees at the Bolt Hole this morning. He wanted to know if he should start a fire in the cabin before he left today. Hell yeah! I should have told him to drain the pipes too, but that might have taken longer to explain where all the low valves were than it was worth.
I would have left to go up this afternoon and slept over, but all that fresh air and sunshine this morning at Hills Creek SP had me feeling a bit sleepy as it was. With Mark's fire and the abundant afternoon sunshine (and the lack of leaves on the trees) the cabin should have been able to store enough heat to make it through the night. It's the next four nights of lows in the 20s and days when the highs will only be in the 40s and 50s that worry me.
So, I'll b setting the alarm for 4 AM and hope to be out and on my way by 4:30. I'll be taking the Jeep this time since A) it was gassed up and nearly full and B) it gets better mpgs than the Tundra and C) I'll not be hauling anything either way.
I'd rather not go since I'll have to do it again in a couple days once they get the part to fix the AC on the trailer, but, I'd like to keep the plumbing intact, thank you!
Just as we were getting out of the cars to start our bird walk this morning I got a call from Mark telling me it was a mere 24 degrees at the Bolt Hole this morning. He wanted to know if he should start a fire in the cabin before he left today. Hell yeah! I should have told him to drain the pipes too, but that might have taken longer to explain where all the low valves were than it was worth.
I would have left to go up this afternoon and slept over, but all that fresh air and sunshine this morning at Hills Creek SP had me feeling a bit sleepy as it was. With Mark's fire and the abundant afternoon sunshine (and the lack of leaves on the trees) the cabin should have been able to store enough heat to make it through the night. It's the next four nights of lows in the 20s and days when the highs will only be in the 40s and 50s that worry me.
So, I'll b setting the alarm for 4 AM and hope to be out and on my way by 4:30. I'll be taking the Jeep this time since A) it was gassed up and nearly full and B) it gets better mpgs than the Tundra and C) I'll not be hauling anything either way.
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