# General car talk **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 30, 2022, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611 "2022-08-30T15:18:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 23
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2024, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/441 "2024-04-25T18:36:42Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Ford just reported a massive loss on every electric vehicle it sold, a massive increase to $132K/car $132k is just the total loss of the EV division divided by the number of cars sold. It says nothing about the incremental loss with each new car built. Ford (and most companies not named Tesla) are losing money with every EV they sell, because it costs more to build than they can sell it for, but wrapping R&D into that number is just financial doom mongering. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/442 "2024-04-29T00:32:41Z")
Or is an effort to sell the shareholders on abandoning EVs and thereby sealing Ford’s fate to be out of business in 10-20 years as Studebaker and Packard before them. Gawd save us from psychopathic MBAs. And I are one, albeit not one in command of a multi-billion dollar planet-scale enterprise. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/443 "2024-04-29T20:30:18Z")
I see a parallel between the auto industry and the streaming business. In the electric car industry only Tesla is profitable and it’s also one of the few pure players in the business. Meanwhile, Netflix may be the only profitable streaming service and it too is one of the only pure players in the streaming business. And yet both had to spend billions to establish their industry. (The Tesla supercharger network, for example.) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2024, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/444 "2024-05-10T00:37:45Z")
I spotted truck with solar panels on the aero cowl, not sure I’ve ever noticed them before. It looks like they’re just for aux power units but probably good for long distance truckers to avoid idling. [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczMY82DGgtovjdNxGicsuPFbaLEa6tTlOaFa3H_I3N4TnYR9Bn3_GC3mOhvH7JWL8md9DzboYWRgV4vIWq-YiqGLesQoi9a_bN4l4TdNawxUNAOTSda-=w600-h315-p-k "New item by David Metsky") ](https://photos.app.goo.gl/9pTSVgEcct3RPAS89) ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/445 "2024-05-11T05:08:07Z")
Don’t plan on getting a Chinese EV: **The Automotive Cold War Is Officially Underway: The White House plans to slap 100% tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, according to The Wall Street Journal.** [https://insideevs.com/news/719283/chinese-ev-tariffs-biden-quadruple/](https://insideevs.com/news/719283/chinese-ev-tariffs-biden-quadruple/) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/446 "2024-05-15T23:07:17Z")
Well, at least Jason Torchinsky got his Changli before the tariff hit… (Long series of hilarious articles on [Jalopnik.com](http://Jalopnik.com) as he imported it, and set about fixing minor bits with twisty-ties… here another car writer drives it: > **[The World's Cheapest EV Is Genuinely Good](https://jalopnik.com/the-worlds-cheapest-ev-is-genuinely-good-1847048450)** > > Oh my god, I drove Jason's Changli. Just because a car is weird doesn’t mean it can't be great. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2024, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/447 "2024-05-22T14:20:28Z")
Here we talk about self-driving cars and the other advances in auto technology, yet: > **[Average US vehicle age hits record 12.6 years as high prices force people to...](https://apnews.com/article/average-vehicle-age-record-prices-high-5f8413179f077a34e7589230ebbca13d)** > > Cars, trucks and SUVs in the U.S. keep getting older. A study published Wednesday says U.S. vehicles hit a record average age of 12.6 years in 2024 as people hang on to their rides largely because new ones cost so much. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2024, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/448 "2024-05-22T15:55:40Z")
I’m hanging on to my 14YO 203,000 mile (Dodge!) truck because it still works just fine. Cars really took a huge leap forward in quality and longevity in the first part of this century. My MY 2000 Ford 150 was pretty clapped out at 100,000 miles, although I note that I donated it to our county and it is in fact still on the road. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2024, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/449 "2024-06-02T19:20:22Z")
Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru, all lagging in the EV market, are combining forces to develop new ICE motors. [https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a60926217/toyota-subaru-mazda-engine-development/](https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a60926217/toyota-subaru-mazda-engine-development/) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/450 "2024-06-03T16:19:57Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > But this scandal is pretty awful. It’s one thing to cheat on emissions tests like VW, but these were safety tests. More consequences, these are Toyota models. > **[Toyota apologizes for cheating on vehicle testing and halts production of...](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/toyota-apologizes-cheating-vehicle-testing-102117211.html)** > > Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda apologized Monday for massive cheating on certification tests for seven vehicle models as the automaker suspended production of three of them. The wide-ranging fraudulent testing at Japan’s top automaker involved the use... ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/451 "2024-06-18T20:55:23Z")
Fisker files for bankruptcy. > **[Electric SUV maker Fisker files for bankruptcy | CNN Business](https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/18/investing/electric-car-maker-fisker-bankruptcy/index.html)** > > Fisker, a US electric vehicle startup, said Tuesday it had filed for bankruptcy. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/452 "2024-06-18T20:56:53Z")
Oceans are under 30k now. Still not cheap enough. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/453 "2024-06-18T21:23:41Z")
Well there’s bankruptcy as in “Chapter 7 and we close the doors forever in a few days”, and there’s bankruptcy as in “Chapter 11 and we continue limping along making and selling cars and spare parts for at _least_ a couple more years, while wiping out all our shareholders now, and selling some new set of fools more debt for us to burn through later.” For shareholders the difference is moot; they’re pretty much hosed to the last penny either way. For dealers, car owners, and car buyers the two moves lead to very different places. At least at first. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2024, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/454 "2024-08-01T13:23:04Z")
Another famed car supplier files for bankruptcy. > **[Recaro, Famed Sports Seat Supplier, Has Reportedly Filed Bankruptcy](https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a61739861/recaro-files-bankruptcy-report/)** > > The future of one of the auto industry's oldest seat makers appears to be up in the air after the recent filing. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2024, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/455 "2024-08-01T19:50:48Z")
My son is thinking about buying an ’03 F-150 4x4 Lariat. 152K miles. 5.4L V8. It has had replaced recently (and there are receipts): • intake manifold • fuel injectors • head gaskets • timing chains, guides, tensioners • front brakes • alternator A family member has owned it for several years so we know its history. It was owned by a soccer mom so has never – at least while she’s owned it – been taken off road or otherwise treated like a _truck_. My question for all of you before he pulls the trigger is, is there anything I should look out for? Any known issues with this pickup? (I thought about starting a new thread, but it’s not really worth it.) ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2024, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/456 "2024-08-01T22:18:58Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > 5.4L V8 Is this the Ford 3-valve V8? It has a terrible reputation, and is thought of by many as a “run away” level of problematic. I think the problem is that if the oil is not changed exactly in accordance with the maintenance schedule, it can create sludge which eventually blocks oil passages, ruining the engine. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/HgwHiLCT3vk/maxresdefault.jpg "What really happens inside a Ford 5.4L 3 valve! Let the CAR WIZARD show just how bad it gets") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgwHiLCT3vk) > **Two earlier videos** > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcN\_WcGr4BU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcN_WcGr4BU) > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwwenxOfvBE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwwenxOfvBE) ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2024, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/457 "2024-08-01T22:27:06Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > Is this the Ford 3-valve V8? I’m not sure how to determine if it’s a 3 valve. All I know is it’s a 5.4L. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2024, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/458 "2024-08-01T23:03:33Z")
They also have a reputation for harmonic vibration breaking the bottom part of the spark plug off and dropping it into the cylinder. I had a MY2000 and it was kinda a nightmare. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/459 "2024-08-02T12:09:42Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > My son is thinking about buying an ’03 F-150 4x4 Lariat. 152K miles. 5.4L V8. > > It has had replaced recently (and there are receipts): > • intake manifold > • fuel injectors > • head gaskets > • timing chains, guides, tensioners The fact _any_ of that work was done on a post-2000s engine suggests it’s a total POS. That shit should last the life of the engine which ought to be 300K miles. I bet it’s the engine model with the known shitty durability mentioned upthread. And with no assurance that all the parts destined to fail prematurely have already done so. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/460 "2024-08-03T00:16:43Z")
A quick search on F-150 5.4L 2 valve vs 3 valve shows that the problematic 3 valve was used starting in 2004, so this truck should have the 2 valve engine. The main issue with the 2 valve was spark plug threads and timing chain guide wear. Since the timing chain guide has been replaced, I would consider this truck. Is the asking price reasonable? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611.md?page=24)