Ohio Adventures

drummerboy said:

Got my Ohio license finally (sort of. right now it's just a piece of paper) Took 3 trips to motor vehicles but it was pretty painless. Office is close by and they're very fast.

Snowing again. Looks like we get the edge of lake effect snow. That's ok. I like to watch it snow and I have the nice big patio doors to watch it.

Still having battery trouble with my car. Bought a new battery, had the charging system checked out, and everything looks ok, but if I don't drive it everyday there's a good chance I'll have to jump start it. So now I'm driving around with a portable jump starter. As soon as I get my NJ title straightened out I'll be shopping for a replacement.

sounds like you have a parasitic drain on the battery. 
Are you gonna trade it in when you go shopping for a replacement? That’s what I would do. 
Ohio valley is a snow magnet it seems. 


Jaytee said:

sounds like you have a parasitic drain on the battery. 
Are you gonna trade it in when you go shopping for a replacement? That’s what I would do. 
Ohio valley is a snow magnet it seems. 

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing about a drain.

And yeah, I intend to trade it in, hence the need to straighten out my title. It's 20 years old so I won't get much, but I'll get something.


Look to see if the glove compartment light stays on.


mrmaplewood said:

Look to see if the glove compartment light stays on.

Thanks. Wouldn't have thought of that.


I'm sorry to report that I didn't follow your blog which I assume included all the details, but I don't really know about how you ended up in Ohio.  For those who came fresh to your new thread, is there a possibility you could give a brief synopsis if that is possible, of what town you are living in, why you chose to move and live there, and how you will spend your time there?  Thanks!


Jasmo said:

I'm sorry to report that I didn't follow your blog which I assume included all the details, but I don't really know about how you ended up in Ohio.  For those who came fresh to your new thread, is there a possibility you could give a brief synopsis if that is possible, of what town you are living in, why you chose to move and live there, and how you will spend your time there?  Thanks!

Sure!

I decided to move here for two reasons. To be closer to my older brother, who lives in Chagrin Falls, southeast of Cleveland, and, as a new retiree, to cut my living expenses.

I ended up in Cuyahoga Falls, just north of Akron and about a 35 minute drive to Chagrin Falls.

Officially moved in on 12/9/22.

Cuyahoga Falls  seems like a nice town. Haven't really come across any neighborhoods that look dicey. Lots of convenient shopping, and it's a fast food haven. Could use an IHOP though. And a Trader Joe's.

Once the weather gets warmer I'm looking forward to exploring Cuyahoga Falls National Park, which is just next door to town. There's also an outdoor concert venue called the Blossom Music Center in town which looks pretty cool.

Hoping to get back into shape and start playing racquetball again. Maybe join the local community band, once I get my chops back in order.

That about covers it for now.


It snowed over the weekend, and I went out on a little exploration drive through Cuyahoga Valley National Park today.(Got the name wrong in the last post.) I should have taken pictures but it was a winter wonderland. The snow was just the perfect consistency to cover the tree branches, but not heavy enough to cause damage. It was just beautiful.


A weird thing out here is gas stations. There very few that are associated with the big oil companies. Only BP comes to mind, maybe Marathon. No Exxon, Shell, Sunoco, etc...

Gas stations are usually part of something like a WaWa (except there are no WaWa's here, but you get the idea.)


A not weird thing is that I'm pretty sure people are a lot more polite to me than in NJ. Even the kids will hold the door open for me.


Battery -- voltage regulator?


Formerlyjerseyjack said:

Battery -- voltage regulator?

Took the car to a local Goodyear, who analyzed the charging system. They said it was ok.

OTOH, my further research on the problem says it could be the regulator.


I could be wrong, but I believe modern systems have the regulator built into the alternator.  So what does it mean that the charging system was checked as ok.  The problem continues, that's what.


Dunno. We're going to try and test the regulator tomorrow.

Congrats on your move.

I think that you are correct regarding parasitic drain being your battery problem.  Chain store auto centers rarely do efficient, effective electrical repairs.  IOW, look for a local shop that has a good reputation for fixing automotive electrical problems.  Just my two cents.

Best of luck.


So, I went to a used car dealership today. I had seen a car on their website I was interested in (KIA Cadenza). The website had a price for the car, but when I got to the dealership, none of the cars were marked with a price or the car year. Or anything, for that matter. It seemed a bit scammy, so I left.

Was I right?


drummerboy said:

So, I went to a used car dealership today. I had seen a car on their website I was interested in (KIA Cadenza). The website had a price for the car, but when I got to the dealership, none of the cars were marked with a price or the car year. Or anything, for that matter. It seemed a bit scammy, so I left.

Was I right?

yes. It’s a bait and switch operation. Some insurance companies are refusing to insure kia and Hyundai cars because they can be stolen very easily. Even teenagers are stealing them without breaking the lock or windows. 


I absolutely think you were right.  I think you need some consistently positive recommendations from an MOL or Facebook-style local online group, about trustworthy dealerships in your area (or else check out private car buying opportunities in local papers or on auto apps).

drummerboy said:

So, I went to a used car dealership today. I had seen a car on their website I was interested in (KIA Cadenza). The website had a price for the car, but when I got to the dealership, none of the cars were marked with a price or the car year. Or anything, for that matter. It seemed a bit scammy, so I left.

Was I right?


Jaytee said:

yes. It’s a bait and switch operation. Some insurance companies are refusing to insure kia and Hyundai cars because they can be stolen very easily. Even teenagers are stealing them without breaking the lock or windows. 

How?


GoSlugs said:

Jaytee said:

yes. It’s a bait and switch operation. Some insurance companies are refusing to insure kia and Hyundai cars because they can be stolen very easily. Even teenagers are stealing them without breaking the lock or windows. 

How?

Apparently people were posting tiktok videos of themselves stealing Kia/Hyundai cars to see how fast they could do it.


Jaytee said:

drummerboy said:

So, I went to a used car dealership today. I had seen a car on their website I was interested in (KIA Cadenza). The website had a price for the car, but when I got to the dealership, none of the cars were marked with a price or the car year. Or anything, for that matter. It seemed a bit scammy, so I left.

Was I right?

yes. It’s a bait and switch operation. Some insurance companies are refusing to insure kia and Hyundai cars because they can be stolen very easily. Even teenagers are stealing them without breaking the lock or windows. 

Oddly enough, they did have a Cadenza on the lot, and the salesperson had pulled it out so that someone could take a test drive. I still felt uncomfortable though - more so than the normal uncomfortableness I feel when buying a car.


mjc said:

Maybe this will say more to others than it does to me:

https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/hyundais-kias-are-easy-targets-amid-boom-in-vehicle-thefts

I think this is the key part (so to speak): "Many 2015-19 Hyundai and Kia vehicles lack electronic immobilizers that prevent thieves from simply breaking in and bypassing the ignition. The feature is standard equipment on nearly all vehicles of that vintage made by other manufacturers."


"this is the key part"

blank stare


So, I'm about this close to buying a new car, and of course it's a Kia (2020 Sportage, 45k miles)

The first two insurance agents I called to get a quote said they're not covering KIAs (Allstate and State Farm) because of the theft issue, though KIA is rolling out a fix, and the Sportage is at the top of the list to receive it.

Then I talked to an agent referred by the dealer and I got a quote for $700 a year, which is less than half what I'm paying now through a NJ agent for my old Mercedes. Can't wait to cancel that policy.


While shopping for my next car, I visited a few dealerships, and I don't know if this is a NJ vs Ohio thing, or whether used car culture has changed, but the salespeople I dealt with were all very laid back. By that I mean there was no hard pressure (except maybe the last one, a little bit). I hate shopping for cars because I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to negotiating.

Overall, it's been a a pleasant experience. 


My experience has been that many dealerships on Route 22 have hard pressure game-playing hustler techniques.  However, the two places where we bought most of our cars have been low pressure, and open to accepting documentation of a reasonable price using consumer reports data, etc.  We have generally used Toyota of Morristown and Madison Honda with these less pressured, respectful experiences.  

drummerboy said:

While shopping for my next car, I visited a few dealerships, and I don't know if this is a NJ vs Ohio thing, or whether used car culture has changed, but the salespeople I dealt with were all very laid back. By that I mean there was no hard pressure (except maybe the last one, a little bit). I hate shopping for cars because I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to negotiating.

Overall, it's been a a pleasant experience. 


You will eventually adjust to the laid back lifestyle…that’s a good car, and that anti theft fix will help with your premiums. 


In order to add a comment – you must Join this community – Click here to do so.