my car is dead. [updated again: i have a new car!]

[eakers]

i've been needing a new car for a little while now but car shopping sucks so much and my car was seemingly good on the inside (the outside has gone to hell) so i was kind of putting it off.

today she won't start. just a little click. it seems like what happened when the starter went on it before but it doesn't matter, this is the last straw for my stanza and i think she is going to car heaven now.



the car has been good to me but i really can't afford an import right now so my next car will be something domestic (or perhaps a hyundai). right now i am looking at cavaliers and sunfires and focus. i want something small.

byebye 1990 nissan stanza gl.

update
mommykins says she wants to share cars for the minimal amount of time.. in other words, i have to buy a car today or tomorrow so it can be on the road by friday.. monday at the latest

ACK.
so much pressure.

update 2
i now own a 2000 black hyundai elantra fully loaded

they are taking my car away tomorrow and giving me a whopping $100 bucks for it (stereo not included) but they are taking it away so im happy about that.

 

[Turin39789]

you need a k-car, check out the dodge aries, though many like the plymouth reliant

 

[conjur]

Just clicking? Most likely a dead battery. But, what caused that? Could be 1) the battery is old; 2) Alternator is going out and that makes the car run on the battery after it's started; 3) bad battery cables; 4) battery posts need cleaning; 5) electrical short somewhere in the car draining the battery.

And the replacement cars you've listed? About the worst in the world, quality-wise, for a used car purchase. Stick with Civic/Corolla...or an older Camry/Accord.

 

[iamwiz82]

just jump it.

 

[radioouman]

If you get a click, chances are hte battery is dead and doesn't have enough juice to turn the starter.

You should be able to jump it and get it running. You either have a bad battery (likely) or a bad alternator (a little less likely). When was the last time you got a new battery?

A new battery is a LOT cheaper than a new car.

 

[eakers]

Originally posted by: conjur
Just clicking? Most likely a dead battery. But, what caused that? Could be 1) the battery is old; 2) Alternator is going out and that makes the car run on the battery after it's started; 3) bad battery cables; 4) battery posts need cleaning; 5) electrical short somewhere in the car draining the battery.

And the replacement cars you've listed? About the worst in the world, quality-wise, for a used car purchase. Stick with Civic/Corolla...or an older Camry/Accord.

i don't think its the battery because all the check engine lights go on and the key in ignition bell starts going like crazy and the alternator is only a little over a year old.

the resale value of civics and accords here are retarded, for a few more thousand i could get a new one. i simply can't afford to buy an older import and have to do a million repairs on it when i finish school. i need a car that will last me until at least 2008, hopefully 2010. i found with my nissan the parts to repair it were 3X what it would take to repair a domestic and that is simply not acceptable for me. you can argue that i have to do more repairs on a domestic but i have had to do almost every major repair on my nissan in the last 3 years.

right now i am looking at domestics in the 2000-2001 range which imo will last longer than an import in the 97-98 range. (or hondas in the 95-97 range

)

 

[eakers]

Originally posted by: radioouman
If you get a click, chances are hte battery is dead and doesn't have enough juice to turn the starter.

You should be able to jump it and get it running. You either have a bad battery (likely) or a bad alternator (a little less likely). When was the last time you got a new battery?

A new battery is a LOT cheaper than a new car.

i have been looking for a new car for the past month, im not buying a new battery to put in a car that i'm getting rid of anyways.

 

[Doggiedog]

When my BMW's battery died, my headlights would light up and all the interior electronics would work including the radio.

I would also check the battery since working electronics doesn't mean the battery still isn't dead.

 

[Muadib]

I'm going with the crowd, it really sounds like your battery. Before you write off your baby, you should have someone give you a jump. It this point it can't hurt.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: eakers

Originally posted by: conjur
Just clicking? Most likely a dead battery. But, what caused that? Could be 1) the battery is old; 2) Alternator is going out and that makes the car run on the battery after it's started; 3) bad battery cables; 4) battery posts need cleaning; 5) electrical short somewhere in the car draining the battery.

And the replacement cars you've listed? About the worst in the world, quality-wise, for a used car purchase. Stick with Civic/Corolla...or an older Camry/Accord.

i don't think its the battery because all the check engine lights go on and the key in ignition bell starts going like crazy and the alternator is only a little over a year old.

the resale value of civics and accords here are retarded, for a few more thousand i could get a new one. i simply can't afford to buy an older import and have to do a million repairs on it when i finish school. i need a car that will last me until at least 2008, hopefully 2010. i found with my nissan the parts to repair it were 3X what it would take to repair a domestic and that is simply not acceptable for me. you can argue that i have to do more repairs on a domestic but i have had to do almost every major repair on my nissan in the last 3 years.

right now i am looking at domestics in the 2000-2001 range which imo will last longer than an import in the 97-98 range. (or hondas in the 95-97 range

)

The battery will probably still be able to work headlights, buzzers, etc, but will not have enough power to turn over the engine.

 

[Quixfire]

If you are looking at getting a Focus try and get one that is either a late built 2001, built after 01/02/01, or a 2002 model. The 2000 and early built 2001 have more issues with them.

 

[StageLeft]

can't afford an inport so you buy a crappy domestic? You have to pay your dues somewhere. Eitherway if I was going to buy a domestic I'd never consider a cavalier or a sunfire. They are ripoff piece of junk. You can get a low end corolla/sentra/civic in the same price range. Or just get a hyundai or kia with their long warranties.

Your car is worth $0 if it doesn't work - so even if you want rid of it just get this issue fixed then sell it. I've had a bad battery before and I'd get all my dash board lights going on and hear a clicking. It requires a lot less energy to light up a couple of lights than move a starter motor, so it could definitely be your battery.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: eakers

Originally posted by: conjur
Just clicking? Most likely a dead battery. But, what caused that? Could be 1) the battery is old; 2) Alternator is going out and that makes the car run on the battery after it's started; 3) bad battery cables; 4) battery posts need cleaning; 5) electrical short somewhere in the car draining the battery.

And the replacement cars you've listed? About the worst in the world, quality-wise, for a used car purchase. Stick with Civic/Corolla...or an older Camry/Accord.

i don't think its the battery because all the check engine lights go on and the key in ignition bell starts going like crazy and the alternator is only a little over a year old.

Lighting up the dash instruments takes MUCH less battery power than starting the car. A common misconception Most likely a $40 battery from Sears/Autozone/etc. will get you going along w/a free charging system check there.

the resale value of civics and accords here are retarded, for a few more thousand i could get a new one. i simply can't afford to buy an older import and have to do a million repairs on it when i finish school. i need a car that will last me until at least 2008, hopefully 2010. i found with my nissan the parts to repair it were 3X what it would take to repair a domestic and that is simply not acceptable for me. you can argue that i have to do more repairs on a domestic but i have had to do almost every major repair on my nissan in the last 3 years.

Even with incredibly low interest rates right now? Push the loan term out a bit and get a better car (import vs. domestic.) Interest won't be that bad as low as they are right now.

right now i am looking at domestics in the 2000-2001 range which imo will last longer than an import in the 97-98 range. (or hondas in the 95-97 range

)

What's your price range? Bet you could get a 2000 Ford Taurus for about $6k-7k. Or a Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique for even less. Friend of mine has a '96 Contour and it's running great.

 

[Shelly21]

stupid dp

 

[Shelly21]

Originally posted by: eakers
i've been needing a new car for a little while now but car shopping sucks so much and my car was seemingly good on the inside (the outside has gone to hell) so i was kind of putting it off.

today she won't start. just a little click. it seems like what happened when the starter went on it before but it doesn't matter, this is the last straw for my stanza and i think she is going to car heaven now.



the car has been good to me but i really can't afford an import right now so my next car will be something domestic (or perhaps a hyundai). right now i am looking at cavaliers and sunfires and focus. i want something small.

byebye 1990 nissan stanza gl.

Get a year old Hyundai Tiberon, It looks cool on the outside.

 

[eakers]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
You can get a low end corolla/sentra/civic in the same price range.

no i can't.

a 98 civic goes for the same thing as a 2000 cavalier or sunfire. and i'm sorry, honda is good but not that good.

furthermore, if i am keeping the car long enough i am going to have to do the same repairs on a domestic as i am on an import but the import will cost 3X as much to repair.

i only have like 8-9.5k (cdn) including taxes to spend on a car.

to be fair i have test driven a few corollas and tercels and echoes. i am not a fan of the tercel because there is absolutely no power to it but i am considering corollas and echoes if i can find one for a decent price.

also to be fair, everyone i know with a cavalier or sunfire have been exteremely happy with their car.

 

[eakers]

Originally posted by: conjur

What's your price range? Bet you could get a 2000 Ford Taurus for about $6k-7k. Or a Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique for even less. Friend of mine has a '96 Contour and it's running great.[/quote]

i test drove a 96 ford contour and it broke down while i was test driving it so i am kind of biased against them now.

 

[DougK62]

Don't listen to the domestic-hating morons like Skoorb. A newer domestic is just as reliable as a newer import. Just be sure to keep up on maintenance on anything you get. A Cavalier/Sunfire would be a great choice (if you can get over the nasty exteriors - eww). You can get one just a couple of years old for very little cash, since the general public is still brainwashed with the 80s/90s notion that import cars are far superior - they were then, but aren't anymore.

 

[vi edit]

Some darkhorses to look for:

Mazda Protege - fun little car, very reliable, very reasonable used prices
Chevy Prizm - basically a toyota corolla. With it you get toyota reliability with chevy low resale (in your favor right now)
Hyundai elantra - dirt cheap, and all recent reviews say that they are pretty reliable (poor crash ratings though )

 

What all of are forgetting is that she lives in Canada. Car's are pricier there. Taxes are also very heafty.

Car payments are tough to make when you're a student.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: DougK62
Don't listen to the domestic-hating morons like Skoorb. A newer domestic is just as reliable as a newer import. Just be sure to keep up on maintenance on anything you get. A Cavalier/Sunfire would be a great choice (if you can get over the nasty exteriors - eww). You can get one just a couple of years old for very little cash, since the general public is still brainwashed with the 80s/90s notion that import cars are far superior - they were then, but aren't anymore.

You are a hateful little person aren't you, doug? And regardless of your unsubstantiated claims that a new domestic is as reliable as a new import doesn't change the fact that the numerical data slaps your silly notions in the face. Be it consumer reports, JD Power and associates, etc. new domestic econoboxes are not as reliable as new imports, so stop speaking out of your rectum.

since the general public is still brainwashed with the 80s/90s notion that import cars are far superior - they were then, but aren't anymore.

*BUZZ* Wrong.

a 98 civic goes for the same thing as a 2000 cavalier or sunfire. and i'm sorry, honda is good but not that good.

Perhaps, but I assure you that the average 98 civic owner is not spending 3X as much on repairs as the average 2000 cavalier owner.

I personally do not like echos because on the highway in wind they turn into a spinaker, but an echo may be your best bet if you're looking at this from a purely monetary perspective. They are small but the interior is surprisingly big, they are surprisingly peppy, and you have toyota quality.

 

[Banana]

There are a lot of small car choices out there--you don't have to get a Cavalier or Sunfire. Consumer Reports and the car magazines, FWIW, rated those two cars horribly. I drove a rental Cavalier (it was new) and vowed never to set foot behind its wheel again. Go with a Hyundai.

(I drive an Olds, so no, I'm not a domestic hater.)

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: 1YellowPeril
There are a lot of small car choices out there--you don't have to get a Cavalier or Sunfire. Consumer Reports and the car magazines, FWIW, rated those two cars horribly. I drove a rental Cavalier (it was new) and vowed never to set foot behind its wheel again. Go with a Hyundai.

(I drive an Olds, so no, I'm not a domestic hater.)

for the record, I would count personal experiences of friends and family higher than JD Powers or Consumer Reports. I have had good luck with domestics. I have only been stranded by a vehicle i own once, and that was due to an overlook of routine maintenance on my part. A pulley froze up. I had heard some squeeling 2 weeks before, but had ignored them.

 

[radioouman]

Take a look at the Ford Escort and Escort ZX2. These cars get very high marks for reliability from the brainwashing magazines such as Consumer Reports and J.D. Power, yet they are domestic and very inexpensive. My wife had a 1999, and it was an excellent car. She had no problems whatsoever with it.

 

[Blieb]

Heh.

Sorry your car died bro ...