# 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:** 26
**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:** [September 1, 2025, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/501 "2025-09-01T19:09:06Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > he criticizes modern minivans for being as big as a Suburban My 2000 Suburban is the same size as 2025 Toyota Tacoma, the smaller of the Toyota pickups. The Tacoma is wider and taller, but the Surbuban is a bit longer. Just making cars bigger seems to be the automakers’ primary way of updating cars. > [@Lancia](#): > > I’d like to have a work truck that I can 1) find parts for and 2) do a lot of the work on myself I think this is the primary reason the value of the GMT800 based trucks have gone up. They’re modern enough that you can put a cheap OBDII scanner on them and find out what is wrong, but old enough that you don’t need a dealership computer to program any parts you do replace. Mechanical parts are readily available, though less so for trim pieces, and there is a big aftermarket if you want to customize or add go fast parts. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/502 "2025-09-30T18:09:29Z")
As the owner of a 4th generation MX-5/Miata, I will observe a moment of silence for Tom Matano. > **[Designer Tom Matano, the Father of the Mazda Miata, Has Died](https://www.motortrend.com/news/designer-tom-matano-father-of-the-mazda-miata-has-died-at-76)** > > It's hard to imagine an automotive universe without the man who penned the Miata and FD RX-7. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2025, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/503 "2025-10-12T15:21:25Z")
These high tech new cars can have some big problems: > Jeep just pushed a software update that bricked all the 2024 Wrangler 4xe models, including my Willys. The future is going great. > This is chilling (from [https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/2024-4xe-loss…](https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/2024-4xe-loss-of-motive-power-after-10-10-25-ota-update.157939/)): > > > \> On my drive home I abruptly had absolutely no acceleration, the gear indicator on the dash started flashing, the power mode indicator disappeared, an alert said shift into park and press the brake + start button, and the check engine light and red wrench lights came on. I was still able to steer and brake with power steering and brakes for maybe 30 seconds before those went out too. After putting it into park and pressing the brake and start button it started back up and I could drive it normally for a little bit, but it happened two more times on my 1.5 mi drive home. > > > > If that happened on the highway I could easily see people being killed. > **[Jeep pushed software update that bricked all 2024 Wrangler 4xe models](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45558318)** > > 68 points — > 36 comments — > PKop — > 2:07 PM - 12 Oct 2025 ---
**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:** [October 15, 2025, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/504 "2025-10-15T02:06:00Z")
Not surprising, but we have bought two cars in the past 2 years, one new, one 2 years old, both for just over $30000 so it is possible. > **[Sticker shock: Car prices top $50K for first time in US, Kelley Blue Book says](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sticker-shock-car-prices-top-50k-for-first-time-in-us-kelley-blue-book-says-142036091.html)** > > With car prices chugging higher in the US, it was only a matter of time before window stickers crossed the $50,000 barrier. ---
**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:** [October 15, 2025, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/505 "2025-10-15T02:19:02Z")
Huh? stickers over 50K have been common for decades. Not on cheapos, but on higher end cars. Reading the article, they _meant_, but did not say, that average stickers are now exceeding $50K. Crappy writing. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2026, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/506 "2026-03-23T17:10:22Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I created a thread on [small cargo vans](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-cargo-vans-new-models-on-the-market/728076) 8 years ago and now the market segment is gone. And 3 years later Dodge is bringing back the Ram ProMaster City van. > **[2027 Ram ProMaster City Returns to Fill the Void of Commercial Vans](https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a70700161/2027-ram-promaster-city-revealed/)** > > The new ProMaster City is larger than its predecessor but has the same turning radius, and Ram says it'll start under $40,000 too. ---
**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:** [March 31, 2026, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/507 "2026-03-31T05:42:19Z")
Just replaced the battery in my 91 Ford Ranger. I installed the old one in May 2018. I bought it as an OEM battery from the local Ford dealer, and it came with a 36 month full replacement warranty and a 100 month pro-rated warranty. So it made it 94 months. Here in the desert heat, almost eight years is long time for a battery. So I mentioned this 100 month warranty at the parts counter, and the guy working the parts counter said that no, the warranty is only for 36 months. But I said it said so right on the battery, and he could see for himself when I brought in the core (I actually had it the core with me, but I don’t bother to lug it to the parts counter until I verify they have a new battery in stock). I figured that I wasn’t expecting much on the pro-rated part, but they knocked $10 off the new $200 battery. Fair enough. And the new battery has a 36 month warranty, no mention of any warranty beyond that, so I can see why he was sceptical of my mention of the 100 month warranty. Eight years ago the battery was $130, today it is $200. Previous to getting the OEM battery from the dealer, I was getting Duralast batteries from AutoZone, but they would only last 4 or 5 years, and at the time (and now as well) they were not much cheaper than the OEM part. Since then, I have only bought OEM batteries for my other cars (Hondas), and now for my Ford. The Honda OEM batteries have been rock solid as well. So if you need a battery, don’t overlook getting one from a dealer, they are competitively priced and in my experience better quality than other options, including an Interstate battery that was in my 2001 Accord. ---
**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 25, 2026, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/508 "2026-06-25T16:03:10Z")
Polestar being forced out of the US market. > **[Feds deny Polestar authorization to sell cars in US from model year 2027](https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/06/feds-deny-polestar-authorization-to-sell-cars-in-us-from-model-year-2027/)** > > Unlike with Volvo, there will be no authorization for Polestar to sell its cars here. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2026, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/509 "2026-06-25T16:19:46Z")
☹ The Polestar 2 would have been my first choice if I were buying a new car today. I always just assumed they’d still be around whenever I do replace my current car. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2026, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/510 "2026-07-02T04:25:38Z")
As an owner of a Polestar 2, I think you dodged a bullet. For me, a person who works from home and is upper middle class, it’s not a terrible vehicle. If you get a good one, I hear they are remarkable. However if you have problems, there are only 32 dealerships in the USA that service them. Their software is really pretty awful. While that seems common in newer connected cars these days, they are a low volume automaker using cut rate software contractors and it really shows. It’s a shame because there are some really nice things about the car. But when you ask 50k for something,people expect quality. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2026, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/511 "2026-07-18T23:01:29Z")
Sad and shocking news! > **[The 'Death of the Stick Shift' is Almost Here for Americans - Slashdot](https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/07/18/0239231/the-death-of-the-stick-shift-is-almost-here-for-americans)** > > Last year just 0.6% of new vehicles made for U.S. customers were stick shifts, reports the Washington Post, citing preliminary government data. > > "That's a precipitous drop from the 34.6 percent of vehicles with manual transmissions produced in... ---
**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:** [August 6, 2026, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/512 "2026-08-06T15:44:13Z")
> **[BMW Suddenly Blasts Its Cars' Internal Screens With Aggressive Advertisements](https://futurism.com/advanced-transport/bmw-suddenly-blasts-cars-advertisements)** > > BMW, without warning, started blasting an ad for the new Spider-man movie into its customers' cars, which it called a "special surprise." A win-win: these high-spending BMW owners don’t know what to spend their money on, and BMW makes some money in telling them! ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2026, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/513 "2026-08-06T15:57:11Z")
“Blasting” is a real stretch here. My wife’s car got the Spiderman ad, but to see it, you had to take action. It started with a notification of a new message in the message center (or whatver the wording was, I don’t exactly recall) and then you had to choose to see the message. I only knew of it because I was curious to see what the fuss was about. My wife had no idea, not being one to ever look at her car’s inbox. ---
**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:** [September 19, 2026, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/514 "2026-09-19T06:43:53Z")
> In the crash, a Toyota SUV was traveling in the left of two high-speed toll lanes around 5:30 a.m. when the driver suddenly slowed down and merged right. She was going 15 mph in the right high-speed lane, preparing to cross an empty median to get to the manual lanes, according to the NTSB. Moments later, a tractor-trailer going the 70 mph speed limit slammed into the back of the vehicle. The slow-speed lanes the driver was trying to reach were marked at 10 mph. > **[NTSB calls to eliminate toll booths where you can pay cash after deadly crash...](https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/18/us/ntsb-toll-booths)** > > This week, the National Transportation Safety Board called to eliminate manual toll payment lanes – where drivers can pay cash – from highway toll plazas after an SUV slowing down to change lanes was hit by a tractor-trailer, killing two people and... I had a different reaction: I think there should be a significantly lower speed limit at these toll booths–rather than vehicles going through them at 70mph. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/515 "2026-09-19T14:44:49Z")
AND/or more properly separate the manual-pay lanes from the e-pays, both laterally and _longitudinally_ so that they are not exactly side by side. That elbow-to-elbow toll point configuration with a 60mph speed differential is asking for trouble. ISTM the operator should try to minimize the chance for last-moment lane switches (which was the immediate error here) by making you pull off to a distinct hard-divided side service lane (not just have a “median” defined by paint and plastic knockdown markers) at a comfortable merge speed a half or quarter mile away. And if you missed it you missed it, the ticket will be a reminder to pay attention next time. Though sure, there will always be “that” driver who even then will not merge over until the last 100 feet but it should not involve slowing down to a near stop in traffic. Since transponder-based e-tolls are not uniformly compatible everywhere, the recommendation would really mean for every highway/bridge authority to have to adopt toll-by-plate. That may get quite some pushback from operators. ---
**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:** [September 19, 2026, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/516 "2026-09-19T14:56:53Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > AND/or more properly separate the manual-pay lanes from the e-pays, both laterally and _longitudinally_ so that they are not exactly side by side. Reading [the actual NTSB report](https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HIR2608.pdf), the high-speed lanes and the low-speed lanes were separated by a gore area of about two lanes wide (as shown in the photo on page 1). And none of the three passengers in the SUV in the second row of seats were belted. Two were children and one an adult. Two passengers (the adult and one child) died. Honestly, the SUV driver was the dumbass here. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/517 "2026-09-19T15:05:20Z")
Yeah seems they were somehow more afraid of crossing over “speeding” over the separation space…? No wait… from that report pic turns out there WAS a hard barrier in the final stretch, and they waited to merge _exactly_ where it started! SMH ---
**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:** [September 22, 2026, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/518 "2026-09-22T20:02:55Z")
Putting this here instead of starting it’s own thread. Could I put jet fuel in my diesel engine without causing any harm to the engine or fuel system? I recently [watched a video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sOL3lJTOl0) where they were running small turbojets on diesel+oil, so does it go the other way, too? I heard a report that the average price of diesel is ~$6.20/gallon, but jet fuel is ~$4.50/gallon. What would happen if I took my old dump truck over to the regional airport and asked for 50 gallons of jet-A? Just to be safe, I’ll go 50/50 and fill the tanks half with diesel, and then the rest of the way with jet fuel. Also I’ll only do it in my older dump truck that doesn’t have a DEF system. This is all completely hypothetical, as I only use a EV dump trucks at my mountain top removal strip mine. Also, I either misheard the $4.50/gallon, or that is the price for the major airlines, because [at my local airport it is twice that](https://www.fltplan.com/Airport.cgi?BJC). ---
**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:** [September 22, 2026, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/519 "2026-09-22T20:18:42Z")
IIRC the US Army burns jet fuel in their diesel trucks. Saves them having to supply two kinds of fuel to the field that are interchangeable enough. They don’t want to run their turbine helos on truck diesel, so they do it the other way. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/520 "2026-09-22T21:28:29Z")
I think I’ve heard that diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, and heating oil are all pretty much the same blend of hydrocarbons, chemically speaking. The main differences are the additives blended in, and the allowable level of impurities. I would guess a diesel engine would be able to run on any of them. Maybe the injectors would get clogged if you routinely ran it on heating oil, but I doubt one tank would do much damage. Although you might get in trouble for not paying the fuel tax if the authorities found out. I recall hearing about some British cab drivers who got in trouble for tax evasion when the authorities found out they were running their cabs on vegetable oil because it was cheaper than diesel in the UK. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611.md?page=25) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611.md?page=27)