Welp... I Guess I'm Oppo's David Tracy Now! (Update)

"Mercedes Streeter" (smart) 01/31/2019 at 09:47 • Filed to: Smart, Snow

5

47

Yesterday sucked. I slipped hard into a state of depression. Had to take the day off and because my parents keep bothering me about that stupid house, I’m out of PTO.

Some rubbed salt into my wounds is the fact that the current temps are -21. It peaked -29 last night, so I wasn’t surprised that my battery is even more underpowered this morning.

If there’s anything that can make me feel a bit better, it’s that a coworker bought a $200 Interstate battery a few months ago and even his car is dead twice in a row like mine.

Weirdly, everyone with an old car but a recent battery had their cars start. All of the cars stranded at my condo complex yesterday and today were either made in the 2010s or had an old battery (my 450 and a neighbour’s beater Altima). Of course, people with garages and cars fresh off the lot also didn’t have issues. Either way, I’m having to take an Uber in this morning.

I’m ready for warmth, this snowstorm after snowstorm and now subzero cold crap is really dragging me down. Hopefully freaking everything melts on Monday. :(

Original post:

Ten vehicles and none of them can get me the five minute drive to work.

In fact, both smarts are so frozen that I can’t even close the doors. The 451's engine fired twice before the battery called it a day. When the battery finally failed the last gasp from the car was every conceivable error code it can throw up.

Only 4 people of my 15 people team made it in. The guy with the diesel Jeep Liberty didn’t even try. lol

I think the only vehicle I have that starts and can be driven is the CF Moto and it is at my mum’s house.

E90M3 > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:06

21

Gonna go ahead and pencil your intervention in for Saturday. 

shop-teacher > E90M3 01/30/2019 at 10:07

7

I'll bring chips.

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:09

4

I would say it's tiyto buy a real car, but I know you won't listen.

facw > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:10

2

Obviously time for a block heater! (which wouldn’t help you much with your battery situation).

random001 > shop-teacher 01/30/2019 at 10:13

2

Ooh, and some cheetos!

Mercedes Streeter > facw 01/30/2019 at 10:14

1

Maybe the engine would have stayed running! Also, the design of a smart's battery well does make it possible to have a heating element for the battery. The biggest problem in either case is that the heaters would need to be battery powered.

Mercedes Streeter > shop-teacher 01/30/2019 at 10:15

1

I mean, I have been considering getting a RX8 instead of a fifth smart! lol

fintail > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:17

5

To be fair, these have a 9 volt battery, right? :)

boredalways > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:18

1

Sooooo you haven’t installed the tire studs for any of your bikes yet so you can go full on Road Warrior in I-294?

Also, I think it's time you buy one of those lithium jumper boxes.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:18

1

I did make it to work, but the clutch didn’t feel all that great - the pedal was rather slow and mushy. It worked though, so I guess I can’t complain.

I did do an oil change with full synthetic just yesterday so I do think this should help with the longevity of my engine. But it pained me to hear it zip up to and stay at 2,000 immediately after startup.

The thing that got me was how it never got up to normal operating temp on my commute. I wait until the low temp light goes out, which occurs at 130 degrees, before turning on the heater or putting much of a load on the car (electrical or A/C compressor, or going above 3,000 RPM). The meter was stuck at 32 degrees for at least the first minute before changing. And when I did turn on the heater, the temp stayed at 140 degrees, never getting up to the normal 170-180. 

facw > E90M3 01/30/2019 at 10:21

8

Think how many Smarts and motorcycles and Smarts with motorcycle engines she could buy between then and now.

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:22

6

Wh y do you hate yourself? And money?

P5guy now GTIguy > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:22

1

Are you down to 2 smarts and 8 motorcycles ? 

facw > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:23

6

Given that Tracy has mentioned that his top choice for a non-Jeep is a rotary Mazda, I’m not sure you’re doing much to differentiate yourself...

shop-teacher > random001 01/30/2019 at 10:23

3

They will have to be knock off Cheetos from Aldi.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:24

8

He said a real car.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:25

6

Not enough rust. Really, though, this is all weather related. Tracy’ s cars fail in good weather.

E90M3 > facw 01/30/2019 at 10:26

1

I think we need to dissuade continuing down the path of David Tracey, not further delve into the abyss. 

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:26

2

Masochist

facw > E90M3 01/30/2019 at 10:30

1

Right, which is why I’m not sure you can afford to wait until Saturday.

Tripper > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:32

0

Hold up, ten!? Could you quickly run down the list for me, please?

E90M3 > facw 01/30/2019 at 10:34

3

So 2 PM then? 

facw > E90M3 01/30/2019 at 10:36

3

Seems safer. There’s a real risk if you let it go, there will be a post tonight about she picked up two more motorcycles cheap because they didn’t start and the owner didn’t want to stand around haggling in the cold.

Mercedes Streeter > P5guy now GTIguy 01/30/2019 at 10:36

0

4 smarts and 6 motorcycles. Of my 10 vehicles, the only one that I can start * and* drive in this weather is my scooter, and it's currently at my mum's house.

Mercedes Streeter > fintail 01/30/2019 at 10:37

2

Need to go to the dollar store and get another one! lol

Cé hé sin > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:37

3

It is evidently time to buy an eleventh vehicle.

Hooker > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:47

0

I was under the impression you had a newer smart? Orange and white? That one still in your stable? Am I dreaming? Have I lost my damn mind?

Mercedes Streeter > Tripper 01/30/2019 at 10:49

0

Cars:

2005 smart fortwo coupe

2005 smart fortwo cabrio

2012 smart fortwo coupe

2016 smart fortwo edition 1

Motorcycles:

1 970 Yamaha DT175

1979 Kawasaki KE100A

1980 Honda GL1100

1982 Suzuki GS850G

1992 Suzuki GSX1100G

2009 CF Moto Fashion 250

Tripper > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:51

0

Dayum. I was only aware of two smarts

Mercedes Streeter > facw 01/30/2019 at 10:52

7

“My Cars Wouldn't Start, so I Bought This BMW Instead!"

Mercedes Streeter > shop-teacher 01/30/2019 at 10:54

0

Can't be any more unreliable than a smart! *Prices spare RX-8 engines*

Mercedes Streeter > Hooker 01/30/2019 at 10:56

0

MBFS wants to repossess that one because of a mistake on their end. If I take it out of storage they’ll probably snatch it from me.

And yes, I've lawyered up about it. :)

Mercedes Streeter > Tripper 01/30/2019 at 10:58

1

I happen to build a collection kinda fast. :O

Hooker > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 10:59

1

DRAMA! I hate that for you though! I hope you get some quick resolution. I love that color combination. And you had an amazing story going to get it!

PS9 > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 11:34

2

Ten vehicles

For real?

VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 12:16

1

Put em all together and you’d have one hell of a Transformer. 

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 12:19

0

If it’s any comfort, it’s literally so cold, the SSJ wouldn’t start this morning. It was parked outside overnight . It’s so damn cold, the computer calculated the air density at 3.007 and rejected start. They had to stand outside in -45F wind chill with a heat gun on the front end before it could even be switched to the extreme temperature map.

random001 > shop-teacher 01/30/2019 at 12:30

1

Sweet!

Mercedes Streeter > PS9 01/30/2019 at 14:03

0

Six motorcycles, four smart s.

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 14:40

1

Talk about damning with faint praise! At least get a Miata and some snow tires.

PS9 > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 18:16

2

Y tho? 

Mercedes Streeter > PS9 01/30/2019 at 20:00

3

Why not?

PS9 > Mercedes Streeter 01/30/2019 at 22:19

1

Because 10 places to sit ain't something you need when you only got one butt! 

Mercedes Streeter > PS9 01/30/2019 at 22:47

0

Sure you do! Variety is the spice of life! I now have a bike for almost every motorcycle segment. I've pretty much stopped collecting smarts in favour of my new addiction 

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Mercedes Streeter 01/31/2019 at 10:20

1

Block heater

Dru > Mercedes Streeter 01/31/2019 at 14:55

0

Dang!  Are you at liberty to say what happened?  I would expect better from MBFS.

Mercedes Streeter > Dru 01/31/2019 at 16:43

0

Sure! I made the mistake of intentionally going 3 months late on my car payments to help my parents in t hei r bills. I did it because I knew MBFS offered many months of extensions and it’s a thing I’ve done before with my last car from them.

Well, this time was different than the other times. I sent the documents twice, both times they claimed to have never received them. Okay, whatever, I continued to pay my bill while trying to get them those stupid documents.

I tried for a third time and they simply never sent the docs. While waiting for them to send the docs back for that third time I tried to make a payment within my grace period (I was told my account was noted for a pending extension while I played telephone with them).

Nope, the second it crossed 4 months they decided to charge it off. I offered to pay the late balance in full. Nope, they want the car back. Now they’re trying to say that the reason they’re doing the repo is because I was refusing all of their dozens of calls. Uh, I did? You guys called like twice and both times you left a generic voicemail. I never even received a warning that my car was going to be repossessed. They then sent a PI after me who only wants to call me at work because I’m supposedly ignoring her. She hasn’t called my personal phone even once, even after I told her my personal phone and consented her calling it at any time.

So far as I can tell, they’re trying to build a case that I never actually tried to extend my loan and that I just abandoned them and the car.