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I might be getting a Spark TODAY!


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WOOO HOO! I got my new car today! Completed the deal around 7:30 pm Chicago time (PITA!!) and I just got back around 1:30 am local time. I got me a beautiful blue sparky!! It had 52 miles on it when I got it, now it has over 300. Unfortunately, my mother had to drive it home as I still need to master the stick. The great thing is, I only paid 10k for it (minus the additional fees). Final price out the door is somewhere around 12k.

The Cavalier will hopefully be gone by the end of this month. I wish I could keep it as a winter beater, but it would be too expensive to insure both cars.

Edited by Trancer07
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Congratulations on getting your new Spark, you will master that stick shift in about twenty minutes, nothing to it. :) Best of luck with it.

Ha ha ha. I took it out on a good long run today with my mom. I'm...alright...on flat surface roads. Starting on hills or any sort of grade is a nightmare!!! I literally couldn't get it to stop rolling backwards and stalled it about 10 - 15 times before mom couldn't take it anymore. :doh: I'm almost thinking this is more work than it needs to be.

I think I'm also having the dredded A/C problem. That engine is a HOT little mofo, which I think is adding to the A/C cooling problem. The condenser just can't compensate for the heat from the engine. There's condensation everywhere on the AC stuff.

Edited by Trancer07
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When on a hill, put it in gear so your hand is free, then pull up hard on the parking brake and keep your thumb on the release button. Move your foot off brake and onto gas, as you feel clutch start to grab let the brake lever down and you are off. Practice in places where there is no traffic and you'll soon be able to get rolling without going backwards more than a few inches.

Edited by Greg_E
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+1 on what Greg said about using the hand brake as "training wheels". After owning manuals for years, it becomes second nature on hills. It's finding balance between clutch release point and throttle. Hill start assist works when it wants to, I found it to be more annoying than helpful. If you got the LS, we have identical cars! Condensation on the return lines is normal in the engine compartment, that means it's actually working. You may find it blows colder air when outside air temperature is above 90, below 85 is when it don't work as well, and sometimes does cold/cool thing. Normal for the engine compartment to reach +200 degrees during the summer, which is why so many of us in the south go through batteries faster than tires.

Edited by austex04
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When on a hill, put it in gear so your hand is free, then pull up hard on the parking brake and keep your thumb on the release button. Move your foot off brake and onto gas, as you feel clutch start to grab let the brake lever down and you are off. Practice in places where there is no traffic and you'll soon be able to get rolling without going backwards more than a few inches.

I saw a video tutorial on this a while back. I definitely wanna try it. It seems very time consuming though for just a quick stop sign.

Sweet, now officially welcome to the club. Now where are those pictures.

I'll take some pictures and put them up tomorrow. Edited by Trancer07
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If you got the LS, we have identical cars! Condensation on the return lines is normal in the engine compartment, that means it's actually working. You may find it blows colder air when outside air temperature is above 90, below 85 is when it don't work as well, and sometimes does cold/cool thing. Normal for the engine compartment to reach +200 degrees during the summer, which is why so many of us in the south go through batteries faster than tires.

Yep, I think we do have identical sparks. I know the AC was working good on the test drive on Saturday, but for some reason on Sunday when I did my practice run, it wasn't very cool. It doesn't do the cold cool thing. Hopefully it's just a fluke or maybe caused by driving it in more stop and go situations rather than continuous speed on open road.
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