Random Thoughts - Part Deux [NO POLITICS]

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by soundman98

it's still the truth though. i've never set up the pipes in a concrete pad for a power company transformer before, but did that with him last week. this week, i'd never set up electrical boxes for Legrand Adorne pop-out outlets, but now i have. the instructions say they need deeper than normal boxes, but don't actually give me a dimension.. we'll see how right i was in a few days!

Maybe I'm becoming an old curmudgeon but that ust looks like more shit to break.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by spike021

I'm just like .

He'd never last with a twin, lol.

He does have a point. It's partly why I've never bought new. I can accept and cheerfully repair issues on a used machine of any type. Shoddy workmanship on a brand new car would make me sick no matter what the price.

[Sapphireho]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Maybe I'm becoming an old curmudgeon but that ust looks like more shit to break.

Plus a standard plug is like 89 cents. For $54 it better just sense that I need it and pop out before I get there, or something magical.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

He does have a point. It's partly why I've never bought new. I can accept and cheerfully repair issues on a used machine of any type. Shoddy workmanship on a brand new car would make me sick no matter what the price.

Inferring there was actually shoddy workmanship. "Nails in tires" is not commonly a workmanship issue. Sounds like many of the "issues" with that one were more likely from driving it hard and expecting things to last forever while doing it.
We have had ten new cars over the years and I can only point at one of them where workmanship was bad. That one however was really, REALLY bad!

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Inferring there was actually shoddy workmanship. "Nails in tires" is not commonly a workmanship issue. Sounds like many of the "issues" with that one were more likely from driving it hard and expecting things to last forever while doing it.
We have had ten new cars over the years and I can only point at one of them where workmanship was bad. That one however was really, REALLY bad!

What kind of car was it and how was it REALLY bad? -


humfrz

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

Just did the switches and outlets in my upstairs bathroom. I thought they put the light switch upside down, but no. It was a 3-way switch in a 2-way circuit, wired wrong.

I keep finding surprises. Looks much better now.

Maybe you should have a electrical inspector check out the electrical panel in that house -


humfrz

[Will BRZ]

Originally Posted by spike021

I have a coworker who had bought a 2018 STI a couple of years ago. He recently had it lemon law'd due to "issues" with random stuff, like his tires constantly getting nails in them or wearing unevenly, and other issues.

He's had a brand new 2019 or 2020 STI for about a month or less, and he's already threatening Subaru to "fix" "new" issues. Basically some other issue with his tires, the fact that they missed some clips in his trunk or something, an alignment "issue" from factory where his steering is slightly off and they won't "fix" it for him, and now some random "clicking" when he presses in the clutch.

He's saying he'll complain about them online and sell the car if they don't fix his issues, and that he expects more out of a $45k car. That "at the very least I'll demand they give me back some value for all these issues."

I'm just like .

He'd never last with a twin, lol.

Nails in the tires and missing little clips? What did Subaru do to cause that? That's like complaining about rock chips on the windshield lol just fix it and move on

Originally Posted by soundman98

i've been doing that with the new guy. we'll head out to a site, and he'll try to ask questions about what we're doing, or what parts are involved, and i'll tell him i've never done 'x' before, and have no idea what or how we're going to do it.

and then we do it.

Man that's my favorite. It could go really well or really bad. Either way, you'll learn something lol

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

Kinda. It's behind a bookcase.

I got the picture - an Idaho man cave -


humfrz

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by humfrz

What kind of car was it and how was it REALLY bad? -


humfrz

Was a 2004 Pontiac Sunfire that we leased for the wife.

From new the driver's mirror vibrated so bad at highway speeds you couldn't see out it. Was in 4 or 5 times for them to "fix" it and it never got any better. About a year into the car it just fell off one day when going over a speed bump. They got it back on but it still shook.

The horn would honk all on it's own for no apparent reason and with no discernible pattern. They replaced the relay a couple of times but it did it until the day we took it back.

Closed the trunk one day and the bolts on one side slipped creating a 1/2" gap on one side. Was an easy fix but not something that should even be possible.

The rear passenger door window winder handle (remember those?) fell off since the set screw was stripped. More on this to come.

After about a year and a half we had had enough and went to Pontiac to see what could be done about the remaining half of the 3 year lease. They were more than happy to take the car back as long as we paid the $2,000 penalty for ending the lease early. We told them to shove it and went to the Mitsubishi dealership where I had bought my 03 Lancer and talked to them. They did up a deal for an Outlander which included them paying off the penalty (no doubt we paid it hidden in the deal but wanted out of the damned thing). So we took the Sunfire back to the Pontiac dealer and the manager gave us a hard time since all the issues we had were "impossible". Right in the middle of his explaining their stringent quality control process my son got out of the back seat and closed the door. The whole door panel including the previously mentioned window winder fell off and lay on the seat. I said "see" handed him the keys and walked away. he didn't even try to follow.

The sad part is that she had a 2001 Sunfire that never gave her a single issue in the 3 years we had it.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Inferring there was actually shoddy workmanship. "Nails in tires" is not commonly a workmanship issue. Sounds like many of the "issues" with that one were more likely from driving it hard and expecting things to last forever while doing it.
We have had ten new cars over the years and I can only point at one of them where workmanship was bad. That one however was really, REALLY bad!

I was focusing on the creaky clutch pedal and immediately thought of the two that I had re-seated for friends, the early window scratching travesty, the poorly-adjusted handbrake, the lumpy dashboard... I could go on.


Bottom line is that I went into this knowing that I'd be fixing a shit ton of warts and was ok with it. If I had bought a brand new machine, it would be a very different story. I will never buy new.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

I was focusing on the creaky clutch pedal and immediately thought of the two that I had re-seated for friends, the early window scratching travesty, the poorly-adjusted handbrake, the lumpy dashboard... I could go on.


Bottom line is that I went into this knowing that I'd be fixing a shit ton of warts and was ok with it. If I had bought a brand new machine, it would be a very different story. I will never buy new.

None of those are really "workmanship" issues so much as design or materials problems inherent with an inexpensive car. Especially a brand new model since most were eliminated early on. Perfect fit and finish costs and I know I will get 20 "but it shouldn't" responses but this is the real world and things are not always perfect. If any of the things bother you any decent dealer will fix them. I had the window squeal fixed with zero issues. Never had (or noticed if I did) any of the other "issues". Things such as the hand brake adjustment can be pretty nitpicky anyway.
I will take a new car with it's potential for petty minor issues over a used one with god only knows what any day.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

None of those are really "workmanship" issues so much as design or materials problems inherent with an inexpensive car. Especially a brand new model since most were eliminated early on. Perfect fit and finish costs and I know I will get 20 "but it shouldn't" responses but this is the real world and things are not always perfect. If any of the things bother you any decent dealer will fix them. I had the window squeal fixed with zero issues. Never had (or noticed if I did) any of the other "issues". Things such as the hand brake adjustment can be pretty nitpicky anyway.
I will take a new car with it's potential for petty minor issues over a used one with god only knows what any day.

Minor issues, yes. Petty?

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Maybe I'm becoming an old curmudgeon but that ust looks like more shit to break.

it is, and it will. partly why i've never installed them anywhere before. too pricey, to designer, for limited benefit other than an emptier wallet.

for those that have money to burn...

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

Plus a standard plug is like 89 cents. For $54 it better just sense that I need it and pop out before I get there, or something magical.

there is a benefit to paying a little more for better quality outlets. for anyone with babies/toddlers, i highly recommend the tamper resistant outlets. i installed them throughout my house just because i'm a child at heart.

but there is no benefit to paying over $5 for any of those options.

[Will BRZ]

Originally Posted by soundman98

there is a benefit to paying a little more for better quality outlets. for anyone with babies/toddlers, i highly recommend the tamper resistant outlets. i installed them throughout my house just because i'm a child at heart.

but there is no benefit to paying over $5 for any of those options.

Lol so you basically child-proofed yourself?