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hahaha. :D that's funny on the angry 3 ft hopping live rear axle. haha!! like a rodeo.
MINI's are fun cars. i wonder if they're going to do any new redesigns soon. im not totally sold on the current johncooper works cooper-s. i saw one in person and it was like...nnnnnn... nah i hate the wheels it comes with too. every new gen looks more and more like a stuffed animal version of the R53.
speaking of oil, my R showed that im due for an oil change in 26 days.. huh. i bought the car in late may last year so i guess thats about right. guess ill order the liquimoly oil change kit again.
I really loved my MINI R53 & like my wife's MINI R55. When they changed platforms to the F56 I couldn't stand it. I was going to buy one, but once I saw it & did a test drive I went with my GTI. I guess that is what MINI calls progress.
I really loved my MINI R53 & like my wife's MINI R55. When they changed platforms to the F56 I couldn't stand it. I was going to buy one, but once I saw it & did a test drive I went with my GTI. I guess that is what MINI calls progress.
That's how we are about Fit's. We love our GD, like my Mom's and friends GE's, but have zero desire to own a GK. Ended up with a Golf instead.
Maybe VW is winning the hatch game by not messing with the good formula.
ash- yah, i still liked how the R56 drove when it test drove it, i was a little confused with this shape and didnt buy one cause i was more a R53 fan. the current gen just looks kinda nasty..
Originally Posted by GAFIT
That's how we are about Fit's. We love our GD, like my Mom's and friends GE's, but have zero desire to own a GK. Ended up with a Golf instead.
Maybe VW is winning the hatch game by not messing with the good formula.
i completely agree.. it's the simple comical shape + the respectable performance. VW definitely got that part right. now if the folks at their germany plant would learn how to assemble these cars better..
yah, last time i used a regular funnel and twist tied it to the hood damper. it was so ghetto..lol
looks like you're not much of a VW fan. honestly im not either, but i enjoy my GTI and R.
Don't get me wrong...it drives GREAT! Caps used to express just how well it drives.
There are just some things that are poorly engineered (plastic oil pan, fill hole blocked, start/stop button is finicky and poorly placed) and some things that are poorly executed (rotors are junk, paint is worst of any vehicle I've owned).
Our Fit is actually better engineered and better executed for what it is.
Doesn't drive near as well though. Like comparing a bank vault (Golf) to a Coke can (Fit). Sadly, I don't think you can get great engineering and execution from Honda anymore either.
Maybe I'm just old and reminiscing, but I truly believe that the automobile in general hit a peak in the late '90's and has gone downhill, due to efforts to speed production, since the mid '00's.
Look at those late '90's/early '00's Maxima's, Accord's, Lexus GS/LS, etc. They are still on the road with 300k+ miles and few problems. They don't have the infotainment, but otherwise are generally nicer than some of what we have now and hold up better.
Are you guys losing some coolant? At nearly 10K Miles, our reservoir tank is down perhaps a cup or more. Looking around on the forums, it seems pretty common with VW's of recent generations. Our '10 TDI did it too. I'll report it for the 10K Service, but I doubt they'll find anything.
I've had a couple of Subaru's that seemed to need a top up on occasion. My GTI needed coolant, but the issue was a leaking water pump that was fixed by VW on a warranty extension. Seems they are now on the 3rd redesign of the pump. Since the replacement I have smelled coolant many times after a good hard run. The dealer did a pressure test & proclaimed no leaks. I haven't had any coolant loss, but I get the smell, odd.
You guys are a rare breed anymore. You actually open the hood & check things, most folks don't know where the hood latch is.
Ken let us know how that funnel works for you. I've been thinking of buying that one. I have a funnel that fits, but it is very fiddley to use.
Don't get me wrong...it drives GREAT! Caps used to express just how well it drives.
There are just some things that are poorly engineered (plastic oil pan, fill hole blocked, start/stop button is finicky and poorly placed) and some things that are poorly executed (rotors are junk, paint is worst of any vehicle I've owned).
Our Fit is actually better engineered and better executed for what it is.
Doesn't drive near as well though. Like comparing a bank vault (Golf) to a Coke can (Fit). Sadly, I don't think you can get great engineering and execution from Honda anymore either.
Maybe I'm just old and reminiscing, but I truly believe that the automobile in general hit a peak in the late '90's and has gone downhill, due to efforts to speed production, since the mid '00's.
Look at those late '90's/early '00's Maxima's, Accord's, Lexus GS/LS, etc. They are still on the road with 300k+ miles and few problems. They don't have the infotainment, but otherwise are generally nicer than some of what we have now and hold up better.
i see.. im da kinda guy that just takes it how it comes and just adjust my ways to match the car. i did notice that the oil filler is a bit weird, but then i just worked around it. sure my STI's filler neck is nicer cause it's an actual neck, etc. but then there's nothing to remove under the Golf to do an oil change and it is super easy to do.
Originally Posted by Alco RS-1
I use a flexible rubber funnel on the Fit and the Golf. I can press it in place, and it works great.
Good move on buying the oil plug removal tool kenchan. It's inexpensive, it makes the work easier and it doesn't bugger up the plug.
Rubber Funnel For Oil Change
huh, thats a cool funnel. probably cheaper than the $25 i just paid too, huh? hahaha. i noticed some of those quarter turn funnels are like $50. wow..
i got the funnel and oil change kits today. real happy. yah, i tried the plug tool with my new plugs.. fits like a charm.
Originally Posted by Alco RS-1
Are you guys losing some coolant? At nearly 10K Miles, our reservoir tank is down perhaps a cup or more. Looking around on the forums, it seems pretty common with VW's of recent generations. Our '10 TDI did it too. I'll report it for the 10K Service, but I doubt they'll find anything.
yah, my GTI did lose coolant. on some Golfs i read that if you open the reservoir cap the air pressure neutralizes and brings up the coolant. id try that first. i bought coolant at amazon, mine uses the pink color. some loss is normal imho.. especially in the winter months the liquid seems to contract.
oh yah, my GTI lost about 7-8mm of brake fluid over the first year of ownership too. doesnt seem to be leaking, appears to be from reduced pad thickness..(?) not sure but i topped it off last yr with some off-the-shelf castrol dot4. haven't dropped since. brake performance have been solid from day one.
oh yah, my GTI lost about 7-8mm of brake fluid over the first year of ownership too. doesnt seem to be leaking, appears to be from reduced pad thickness..(?) not sure but i topped it off last yr with some off-the-shelf castrol dot4. haven't dropped since. brake performance have been solid from day one.
Ding ding ding..... We have a winner! You are absolutely right Ken. As your pads wear the fluid level will drop. Remember to remove some fluid before you add new pads. Once you compress the pistons fluid can & usually will come out the top of the master. Ask me how I know that. :-p
I'm not sure how old your car is, but VW says to flush the fluid at 3 years for the first time & every 2 years thereafter. Or every time you do a track day. :-)
haha, yah definitely will need to take some out when i change pads! usually i have a spotter watching the reservoir while i do brake work so i should be okay..
my GTI is coming up 2yrs this summer, so next yr (if i still have my GTI) i will do the flush. this car is so easy to maintain, i like it a lot.
LOL, not good company to keep. I don't think any of their motors make it much past 100k without a head gasket replacement.
We had a new '05 Forester that consumed coolant at an alarming rate. We finally sold it at only 100K Miles, as we didn't want to deal with the car any longer. Subaru actually had a TSB in place to add stop leak. I still have the bottle of Subaru brand stop leak, Subaru P/N and all. It didn't do any good. I think the next gen of 2.5L engines revised the open deck design to provide better sealing, as our problem was shared by others.
The Subaru upholstery also began to rip at the seams on thee driver's seat at only six months and my wife is not at all large or heavy. We should have demanded a replacement.
The AWD was cool though. No wheel slip on full acceleration is fun.
Oh well, everyone has a nightmare ownership story and that's ours. <g>
Last edited by Alco RS-1; Mar 18, 2018 at 07:39 PM.
