RANT:My Love and Hate of German cars.

I think I had one of the fools come through today. Oil change on an ‘06 A8:

“Tom, we notice it’s been about 21,000 miles since your last oil change here- just wanted to check that you’ve gone somewhere else?”

“It was that soon? No, the last one was here. I’ve added a few quarts since then.”

You can imagine the car...

Accumulator- I hear you on the short list. Recently got rear ended in my avant and had the insurance company call it a total loss. Especially given my budget, there was really nothing else I’d rather be in right now (even a used same model replacement wasn’t appealing given other people’s maknten habits terrify me). Ended up keeping it and will slowly get it stitched back together as parts surface.
 
Oneheadlite said:
I think I had one of the fools come through today. Oil change on an ‘06 A8:

“Tom, we notice it’s been about 21,000 miles since your last oil change here- just wanted to check that you’ve gone somewhere else?”

“It was that soon? No, the last one was here. I’ve added a few quarts since then.”

You can imagine the car...
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They should put warning lights on the dash about oil changes. Clearly his low oil pressure light reminded him he needed oil.
 
All this talk about maintaining a car makes me wonder how astronomical the prices will be for all the safety/automated/self-driving systems will be to maintain, repair, or more likely replace in 4-5 years when the systems start failing.
 
Dan said:
They should put warning lights on the dash about oil changes. Clearly his low oil pressure light reminded him he needed oil.
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Audi just leaves the display at “Service!”. BMW shames you showing a negative counter. People do quite well ignoring both. :facepalm:
 
Oneheadlite said:
I think I had one of the fools come through today. Oil change on an ‘06 A8:

“Tom, we notice it’s been about 21,000 miles since your last oil change here- just wanted to check that you’ve gone somewhere else?”

“It was that soon? No, the last one was here. I’ve added a few quarts since then.”

You can imagine the car...

Accumulator- I hear you on the short list. Recently got rear ended in my avant and had the insurance company call it a total loss. Especially given my budget, there was really nothing else I’d rather be in right now (even a used same model replacement wasn’t appealing given other people’s maknten habits terrify me). Ended up keeping it and will slowly get it stitched back together as parts surface.
Click to expand...

Oneheadlite !!!
Wow !!! 21,000 Miles !!!!

Well, to look on the most positive side, if he added like 10 quarts, that would be like a quart every 2,100 miles no ? :)
Can`t even imagine how long ago the poor oil filter gave it up.. :(
Remind us to NOT ever buy that car, ok ?? :)

Sorry to hear your Avant was hit.. I really like the shape of those models too... Remind me to tell you the story of what I found growing in a beautiful new Avant one day..
I am amazed the Client and his kids did not wake up dead in there, before I got to it.. Had to be driving it all Winter with all the windows down..

To be clear, I am NOT running down Audi Cars, I rather like them, but I just can`t afford to maintain all the stuff if they go ker-blammo on me..
I am very happy to hear from here that at least they might have the oil consumption issue eliminated..
Dan F.
 
Desertnate said:
However, going forward, I wonder if my feelings will start to change. As cars continue to grow, get heavier, and isolate the driver from the act of actually driving, I may be more inclined to keep a vehicle that still offers that analog driving experience even if it humble vehicle of only respectable performance. It will offer an experience no longer available and end up forcing my hand to keep it far beyond when it makes sense.
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Maybe it`s just our ages, but yeah...today`s cars have too many, uhm....(supposed) features...that you gotta live with along with things like improved performance. And not all new cars are as serviceable as one might expect.

We can operate all the controls in our vehicles without taking our eyes off the road, know what every knob and switch does and how to use `em just by feel. Simply can`t imagine it being like that with anything newer... ?!?READ A SCREEN`S READOUT?!?USE A TOUCHSCREEN?!? No thanks, that kind of stuff just isn`t how we go about driving.

Oneheadlite- I hope your Avant goes back together OK. Accumulatorette`s beloved Ur S4 was just never the same and it wasn`t even written up as a total. Yet some other worse ones turned out just fine.

And yeah...I *REALLY* like certain pre-2005.5 avants (esp. the VWs with their squarish cargo areas) and the hotter Volvo wagons, but the ones available are always trashed or otherwise story-cars. Eh, I take consolation in how well the current dogs *LOVE* their Tahoe, it`s obviously preferred over anything else they`ve ridden in.

LEDetailing- From what I hear, there are already a few generations worth of High Tech stuff that can`t really be serviced other than by just throwing parts at `em and hoping for the best.
 
Accumulator said:
LEDetailing- From what I hear, there are already a few generations worth of High Tech stuff that can`t really be serviced other than by just throwing parts at `em and hoping for the best.
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You know, that throwing parts at things, at least until they are NLA, I like to think that the majority is just planned obsolescence. One of the things I love about the VW forums is the amount of ingenuity some of those guys have. Nothing is unrepairable, really. The issue is time vs money vs the desire for newness. Sometimes your want just needs that little push to justify getting rid of the old.
 
Dan- One of the things I like about the Tahoe and Crown Vic is that somehow, some way, they can indeed always be repaired.

BUT..sigh..that `93 Audi of mine, which I know first-hand can last for many hundreds of thousands of miles (drove a perfectly OK one with over 450K, so of course I figured.. :o ..) simply has too many weird proprietary parts that are NLA. My standard line is "pretend it`s Bill Gates` car and he just wants it fixed no matter what", and my guys would *LOVE* to rack up some invoices, but it just isn`t always possible, at least at the shops I`m willing to trust :(

The A8 is in that "sometimes gotta get inventive" gray area where most stuff can be fixed (again, somehow some way, bring big money), but even that`s getting kinda iffy. The S8 is just sitting around neglected and mothballed...but we`ll probably never find it another home as it`s kinda like a Spare in case that meteorite hits the A8...or some stupid little part breaks (or some twit breaks a tail/headlight lens) and turns the `93 into a paperweight.

[INSERT usual rant about how they sure don`t tell ya such stuff when you buy their flagship cars..]
 
Man, posts like this make me grateful for my mechanical inclination.

Brakes, I do it.
Induction System Service, I do it.
Replace any suspension part, I do it.
Replace timing belt and all related ancillaries, done it.
Replace cam seals and front main seals, yup.
Valve adjustment on my 2JZ, this is the one thing that makes me a bit nervous, luckily I *don`t* have to do it yet. Definitely doing my homework.
Start an engine for its very first time, not as nerve wrecking as the impending valve adjustment^.

Pretty much anything our cars need, I do it.
 
I`ve m0aned about the cost of upkeep once outside warranty.
Same applies to German appliances as well...

Just ordered a set of OE struts for our washer...wild guess is they are 8 inches or smaller, and there goes the christmas budget for paying the piper for the struts.....aka, manuf, has a closed parts model, so the only place to get the parts if from them direct.
 
Yeah, Servicing has become one of the primary considerations when we buy household stuff, just like with the vehicles. Not so much the expense, but just being able to get it done by somebody who`s OK.
 
Dan said:
You know, that throwing parts at things, at least until they are NLA, I like to think that the majority is just planned obsolescence. One of the things I love about the VW forums is the amount of ingenuity some of those guys have. Nothing is unrepairable, really. The issue is time vs money vs the desire for newness. Sometimes your want just needs that little push to justify getting rid of the old.
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Subaru forums as well. When I owned a 90`s vintage Outback it was amazing what some owners would do to keep those things running. It doesn`t hurt that Subaru hasn`t changed the drive train in their vehicles much for nearly 20 years and there are common parts are found in almost all their vehicles. Can`t find a part for your Legacy or Outback? It`s probably used in a Forester or Impreza too. They are like interchangeable Legos.

Accumulator said:
Yeah, Servicing has become one of the primary considerations when we buy household stuff, just like with the vehicles. Not so much the expense, but just being able to get it done by somebody who`s OK.
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This is pushing me to take the gamble and get a warranty more often. Recently we had a dishwasher go belly-up after only a year. The manufacturer recently abandoned the model we owned and no parts were available, so the warranty company bought us a new diswasher of our choosing.
 
Having a good, independent mechanic is a must if you don`t work on them your self. Some of the stuff can`t be worked on with out the right equipment. My daily BMW is spending Thanksgiving getting all the fluids replaced, oil pan gasket, o2 sensors, spark plugs and coils and some go fast goodies (should have another 50 - 100 HP depending on my mood). With all that has been done, should be good to go with just oil changes for next couple of years.
 
Well... I guess I might be in the minority here. Previously owned an `84 MB 300D, but sold it due to rust issues that were well outside my wheelhouse. I picked up an `02 Golf TDI and I swear that`s the most dead reliable car I`ve ever owned. The only time it let me down was about a month ago when the original battery died. I do all of the maintenance and repair on it myself... and with 136k miles there are little things here and there that need to be fixed.

That Golf is about to become our 3rd car for the emerging drivers in our house. I found a minty-ish 91 MB 300d with only 112k miles. It needed a couple minor things (flex disc, accy belt tensioner, t-stat) but other than that, she`s a dream to drive.

My Mom thinks I need to get into a 12-step program for German Car Owners.
 
jatleson said:
Having a good, independent mechanic is a must if you don`t work on them your self..
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There just aren`t any independents in my area that I`d let touch my stuff, not since EuroCar Service quit turning wrenches :( Not many dealerships with competent techs either...
 
Well, that wasn`t long. I made it less than a year being German free. Just picked up a 2010 ML350 Diesel.
 
rlmccarty2000 said:
Nice. I love diesels. It’s a shame VW ruined it for us.
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I love them too but the amount of stuff required to make them meet emissions regulations makes them a maintenance challenge most are unwilling to face. The ML350 is no exception. I`m like a fly to crap.

The way MB diesels purr at idle almost makes it worth it.
 
German cars just out-do all of the others, they are always at the forefront of technology, that`s why they are so expensive to maintain. Not to mention that they drive the best. With detailing an Indy since last May, I have learned so much more about the German cars than I had previously known. You are really paying the premium that they demand, however it is because of the technology that is going into the cars, not the quality or build materials of the parts that they are comprised of.
 
Dan said:
I love them too but the amount of stuff required to make them meet emissions regulations makes them a maintenance challenge most are unwilling to face. The ML350 is no exception. I`m like a fly to crap.

The way MB diesels purr at idle almost makes it worth it.
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I’ve got a BMW 335d and the torque is just fun. Going from 50 to 80 is a blast. The emissions is a pain and I may be making some adjustments to mine to cut down on the carbon buildup problem. We have no emissions testing where I live. I’m torn on which way to go but BMW quoted me $3k plus to clean the carbon. There is a guy in N. Georgia that specializes in diesels and he will do it for much less, it’s just a long haul to get to his shop.


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