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Bobby MSME

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  1. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from paul horn in CVT Service Interval   
    Looking at owner's manual for my 2017 Spark LS, there is no fluid change specified/necessary for the CVT under normal operating conditions.
     
    Under severe operating conditions, owner's manual recommends changing transmission fluid every 45,000 miles. "Severe" applies if any of  following applies: 
     
    . Mainly driven in heavy city traffic
    in hot weather.
    . Mainly driven in hilly or
    mountainous terrain.
    . Frequently towing a trailer.
    . Used for high speed or
    competitive driving.
    . Used for taxi, police, or delivery
    service.
     
  2. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from Mac in Oil change...computer or mileage   
    For the price of car, the Spark is indeed a very good value. In 3 years of driving it, I changed the oil twice only because 2 oil changes were free with the purchase of a new Spark. I will obey the oil life computer until the 5 year power train warranty expires. After that, back to my 50 year long method of looking at the dip stick, if oil looks clear and has no burned smell, keep on driving and go out to a nice dinner instead of oil change.
  3. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from Mac in Oil change...computer or mileage   
    I do not like to waste money on unnecessary procedures for car maintenance. In the long gone old days, manufacturing processes left some loose metal particles inside the engine and that is why it was advisable to perform a change of oil filter soon. 
     
    Since the new Spark comes with high quality synthetic blend oil, I see no sense in throwing it away too soon.
    If you are really worried about metal contamination in oil, may be just a change of filter would put your mind at ease. 
     
    As for the computer counting oil life, it is NOT based on actual chemical analysis of oil. It is more based on mileage, starts & stops and perhaps time. It is probably a very conservative formula to protect manufacturer from repair costs if the car is used to pull heavy loads, or driven on steep hilly roads when engine is laboring and getting hot. Over the last 50 years of my driving cars, I have learned to take a simple look at the oil dipstick, and check if oil is clear or dark, if oil has a burned smell or not. If neither are  present, I keep driving with the oil because I understand that oil does not wear out it's lubricating qualities or heat carrying out properties, which are the two main functions the engine oil performs.
     
    I rather throw the money down from the 2nd floor balcony of a crowded shopping center than waste on unnecessary oil changes. That at least will provide some entertainment value.
  4. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from Anthony H in Six years newer, 16% more power, still just as awesome.   
    Can you get an outside loan (loan based on equity in house, life insurance, etc) ?
    If yes, pay off the car with it and then you don't have to buy collision insurance (usually highest portion of your insurance bill) and just buy the minimum liability required by state of Michigan. 
    Since 1964, my method has been to keep driving the old jalopy until there are enough savings built up to buy the car with cash. With that I have never purchased collision insurance, and in 56 years have probably saved enough to buy 2 new cars for cash. When you save first, not only you save on interest paid to bank, you are collecting some interest on your savings. You only have to do it once (driving old jalopy) for the first new car, then repeat the process with nothing but new cars and skip the collision insurance.
  5. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from Anthony H in Did it again!   
    When I trade in my 2017 Spark LS, it will probably be another new Spark.
    This car is perfect for running around in the city. The only drawback of this small car is,
    if you have 4 people in the car, there is no space for suitcases. With 2 people, no problem whatsoever.
  6. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from Anthony H in Six years newer, 16% more power, still just as awesome.   
    CVT fuel economy is proven to be better than conventional automatic tranny's but not necessarily better than manual. But look at the hundreds of clutch shifts needed on every commute through city traffic with a manual.. Over 3 years of driving my 2017 Spark LS with CVT has been a joy. Note that I have owned manual shift cars before. Those are fine if you drive mostly on highways a lot. The fuel cost of driving a Spark CVT is so low anyways. A fillup on less than $15 good for 300+ miles? 
  7. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from ChevyBeat in Is blind spot alerts available on the 2020 Spark?   
    I don't see the need for a blind spot option with added price to the car, but I would like to be able to switch on the rear view camera while driving, to be able to turn on/off by command. That is probably a software change, and would not add to the price of the car.
  8. Like
    Bobby MSME reacted to Ray Dockrey in Features of my 2017 Spark LS I like best..   
    I got rid of my 2014 Spark in May. i loved that car but the main issue I had was other drivers. i cannot tell you how many times I got ran off the road, pulled in front of or got cut in front of. Why I have no idea. It just kept getting worse. It had almost 90,000 on it when I traded it in and it was still going strong. I ended up getting a 2017 Ford Escape that I love. Its not a large SUV but the road issues I was having with other drivers stopped. Its really strange. But I will say Oklahoma drivers are pretty bad in general anyway lol.
  9. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from aguim in Any 2016-2019 Spark owners out there with NO problems?   
    If you live where they use salt on roads during winter, rust will be a problem. Same if you live near any ocean. So good thinking.
    I used to do the same thing during my 37 years in Chicago area...throw in cans of rust fighters in every hole and nook and cranny under and around the lower part of car. I am now too old to do car maintenance even though physically I can do it, but  let some one else crawl under the car and get hands dirty haha. I just had full synthetic oil change done at dealer on Wednesday, for $53 including tax and disposal, and that includes tire rotation and washing the car! (I had a coupon from them by email).
  10. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from LittleBlue! in 400 mile club.....   
    Makes sense since lube property of oil does not wear off for lots of miles. If engine is doing clean burning and not mis-firing, and not doing frequent short trips (which can cause rust inside engine from water condensate not evaporating off with an engine reaching operating temperature) oil can remain good for as many as 50,000 miles. .
    On the other hand the filter gets clogged with stuff and when changed, helps oil from getting contaminated with carbon particles, which is the main reason to change oil.
  11. Like
    Bobby MSME reacted to Fire Spark in Any 2016-2019 Spark owners out there with NO problems?   
    None so far with my 2017. Mostly used in stop/go town driving so a lot of clutching and shifting. 41 MPG.
     
    I've always given the door hinge pins/bushings on my vehicles a shot of lube a couple times a year to keep them from squeaking/wearing. 70's cars were famous for getting saggy doors that you would have to lift up to latch because the hinge pins/bushings would wear if you didn't keep them lubed and it would throw those long heavy doors out of alignment. 
  12. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from LittleBlue! in Why?   
    My seat of the pants guess is dirty carbon deposits on valves. 
    That will cause misfiring and CEL (Check Engine Light) to pop up.
    Has a compression check been made?
    How about the spark plugs & coil?
    First try using something like Seafoam engine cleaner.
    Since the car was properly serviced, engine wear is unlikely cause.
    If that does not work,
    Find a good mechanic shop and have the valves cleaned if dirty
    or replaced if pitted and burned.
    Should be lot less expensive than a new engine.
  13. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from yijiang in Why must take down pan to replace CVT fluid.   
    I do not understand why even change transmission fluid at all! Unlike the engine oil which is subject to high temperatures of combustion and carbon particles, transmission fluid is in a sealed environment and does not lose lubricating qualities at all no matter how old. As for the filter in transmission, again the only thing it is necessary is to catch metal particles from wear or loose metal particles from manufacturing process. Unless your car has been used to pull extra loads or mountainous driving, the filter should be good for 100k miles or more.
     
    During my 60 years of driving cars, I changed the transmission fluid and filter only ONCE! And I never had any transmission repairs needed ever. OK, so I seldom stomp on the gas pedal, but I am always keeping up with traffic. The reason I changed the transmission fluid once was because the gear changes were jerky and I thought (wrongly) the fluid needed changed. It was loose bands and not the fluid. I love my CVT in the Spark since it has only 1 gear shift and is smooth as silk.
     
    In summary, if it keeps your mind at ease, just drain some fluid from the drain plug, and add new fluid so you can sleep like a baby. Some added new fluid will boost the anti-corrosion qualities of the tranny fluid. Many of my cars were past 10 years old and I never had a tranny problem with them and I never changed the fluids. For record, I have bought only new cars since 1964 and all with automatic transmissions except my 1964 corvair which had a 3 speed manual.
  14. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from LittleBlue! in Why must take down pan to replace CVT fluid.   
    I do not understand why even change transmission fluid at all! Unlike the engine oil which is subject to high temperatures of combustion and carbon particles, transmission fluid is in a sealed environment and does not lose lubricating qualities at all no matter how old. As for the filter in transmission, again the only thing it is necessary is to catch metal particles from wear or loose metal particles from manufacturing process. Unless your car has been used to pull extra loads or mountainous driving, the filter should be good for 100k miles or more.
     
    During my 60 years of driving cars, I changed the transmission fluid and filter only ONCE! And I never had any transmission repairs needed ever. OK, so I seldom stomp on the gas pedal, but I am always keeping up with traffic. The reason I changed the transmission fluid once was because the gear changes were jerky and I thought (wrongly) the fluid needed changed. It was loose bands and not the fluid. I love my CVT in the Spark since it has only 1 gear shift and is smooth as silk.
     
    In summary, if it keeps your mind at ease, just drain some fluid from the drain plug, and add new fluid so you can sleep like a baby. Some added new fluid will boost the anti-corrosion qualities of the tranny fluid. Many of my cars were past 10 years old and I never had a tranny problem with them and I never changed the fluids. For record, I have bought only new cars since 1964 and all with automatic transmissions except my 1964 corvair which had a 3 speed manual.
  15. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from LittleBlue! in Tire rotation and oil change for 2017 spark.   
    You are right on all points., I did DIY oil changes from age 30 when I first owned a home with garage until age 71 when I moved into a condo in Florida with no garage! One of the reasons I did it myself because of couple of bad experiences. One time the oil change shop messed up threads of the inlet port where the oil drain plug fits. The person did not bother to do a few turns by hand before using power wrench, is what I am guessing. They had to rebore the opening and thread it and use an oversize plug. Another time at another quick oil change shop they installed wrong oil filter! As I am driving away, I noticed a trail of oil behind me, and was able to pull back in the shop before engine damage happened. With all the hundreds of oil changes I did in my garage, I never had a single issue. Only problem I remember is in one of my cars the oil filter was very difficult to access. 
    Now at age 79, I just stop by at the dealer where I bought the 2017 Spark LS and have them do the oil change. They even wash the car!
  16. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from LittleBlue! in Tire rotation and oil change for 2017 spark.   
    Your oil change costs only $30 because you are doing all the labor.
    The shop has to buy the oil, stock the oil, same with filter. Then they have to do the oil change, and dispose off the used oil & filter.
    My dealer sends me coupons for full synthetic oil change for $50+tax. For an old fart like me, it is just not worth it to do it myself. I hate getting under the jacked up car. And getting rid of the used oil is another trip somewhere (not legal to dump it in sewer or in garbage pickup).
  17. Like
    Bobby MSME reacted to sparkto in Tire rotation and oil change for 2017 spark.   
    I have a '17 Spark, owned it for 2 and a half years now. I exhausted my freebie oil changes for the first 4 changes, but I finally bit the bullet and started changing my own oil. Since I'm an amateur, it takes me longer since I have to figure out how to properly jack the car up without the best tools to do it. As it stands, I think your best bet is just to regularly look at the oil and check the basics: is it low? Does the color look good? If it looks good and isn't low, there's no reason to change it before the indicator goes off. The Sparks' 5W-20 blend is super thin and lasts longer than older, thicker oil blends.
     
    In so far as rotating tires, I have now switch out winter tires every November, so I end up rotating them when I do the seasonal switch.
     
    One thing I think is that oil change shops are seriously overbilling for the 5W-20 blend, I spent nearly $80 before I decided to do my own oil changes. Now I grab a 5L bottle of SuperTech 5W-20 at Walmart for well under $20, buy a FRAM filter under $5 and bam, I have a sub-$30 oil change. I'm not sure why it takes $80 for an oil shop to do the change (takes all of 10 mins labour), and I see no need to waste the cash any longer at an oil shop where they over-torque the oil drain plug/screw.
  18. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from sparkto in Tires cupping and trashed at 22,000 miles?!   
    I sort of realized it, but the subject matter never gets old! 
  19. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from ChevyBeat in How Did You Increase Your M.P.G?   
    I measure tire pressure when car is sitting in shade outside. So yes, in winters I have to add more air than in summers. 
    Tire bursts are caused mostly due to under-inflation, not over-inflation. That is because under-inflation causes tire walls to flex more back and forth and that weakens the tire. Of course older tires will burst more often than newer because of fatigue and wear.
  20. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from thismarks in How Did You Increase Your M.P.G?   
    To get better gas mileage:
    1. Inflate tires 2-3 psi higher than recommended (ride will be slightly harsher, but not noticeably)
    2. Install correct oil grade recommended in user's manual (I think it is 5-30W) I get oil changes at dealer who 
    emails me coupons for full synthetic oil change for $49.95 so I have not memorized recommended grade of oil.
    3. Most important, anticipate stops coming ahead and coast there. Do not drive like my ex who is a digital driver
    meaning her foot is either on gas pedal or break pedal, and never off of both pedals,
    4. Do not stomp on gas pedal to accelerate, instead try to keep RPM below 2000 until you reach 30 mph.
    After reaching 30 mph, you cam increase rpm's to 2500. This only applies to CVT tranny.
    5. Use Shell's highest grade gas (or equivalent) every 10 fill-ups. It seems to clean fuel injectors and other gunk 
    built up better than the regular grade gas, but may not give you any better mileage.
     
    By getting higher MPG's your car will last longer, need fewer brake jobs and save money at gas pumps.
  21. Like
    Bobby MSME reacted to tootal2 in Furthest trip in your Spark?   
    my longest trip ever was 50 mile round trip
  22. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from Jim2029 in Where is the TRUNK button?   
    So if you had a trunk release button and you activate it, you still have to get out of the car to take things out or put things in the trunk, right? 
  23. Like
    Bobby MSME got a reaction from Mr.tozzi in Where is the TRUNK button?   
    So if you had a trunk release button and you activate it, you still have to get out of the car to take things out or put things in the trunk, right? 
  24. Like
    Bobby MSME reacted to sparkto in does anyone like the cvt?   
    Its slightly more noticeable on a very cold start, but then again any transmission would probably need some warm up time when it gets below certain temps. This past winter wasn't particularly bitter cold here, but it has certainly lingered around until April.
     
    I'm just glad its a feature and not a bug, I haven't had any problems with the transmission what-so-ever, it just takes getting used to two step CVT, it is an experience I never had with any other vehicle.
     
    P.S. the only thing I don't like about Ontario is how much salt they pour down. When I lived in Manitoba, it could certainly get a grade colder there than here, but they used sand. Vehicles never really rust there. I wished more locations would use sand, salt just corrodes everything.
  25. Like
    Bobby MSME reacted to Ray G Tennancour in does anyone like the cvt?   
    Love it!!!   I just purchased a 2019 Spark in December of 2018.  To break it in, I drove it on a 435 mile each way roadtrip.  I
    was not aware of the effect the CVT would have, but sure noticed that going up or down a steep incline on I-70 and I-15
    in Utah, the speed did not vary over 2 miles-per-hour for what I had the cruise set for.  I thought that was way cool!!!
    On my last trip to Mesquite (from Grand Junction, CO) the car averaged 48 MPG to Mesquite and 44. MPG coming
    back.  I am SO IMPRESSED!
     
     
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