Cloud's car stuff

[Cloud]

not ready, though, guys! I want to save a bit more money and see if I can improve my credit score first. And I need to figure out how to fix and sell my present car.

You know . . . I'm the kind of person who, if I need a white blouse, will go to the mall, go to the most likely store and find a nice white blouse, then--will have to look at every other store in the mall that could contain a white blouse just in case.

Very annoying. But then, sometimes, when I'm ready, I'm ready!

[HungLikeJesus]

I'm the same way, Cloud, especially with expensive items (i.e. anything more than about $20).

[Cloud]

Here's an article I thought interesting on fuel economy myths, and a site where you can compare the official numbers:

Top 10 misconceptions about fuel economy

fueleconomy.gov

[Cloud]

Check out http://www.fordcustomgraphics.com/cars.php Ford has a new program in which they'll install vinyl graphics on certain cars. You can play around with the colors and graphics, which is pretty fun. I'd probably have to get a Fiesta, which makes me cringe, since I had an old Fiesta which was a piece of crap. The new ones look a bit better tho.

Over the weekend I went to a couple more car places.

Went to another Chevy place to drool over the HHRs.

Went to the Honda place--the fit is still OK, 'tho the salesman said the front passenger seat doesn't fold flat anymore, which I'm not sure is true. Still liked the Element.

Went to the Nissan place. Kinda liked the Cube, tho it's not on the CR recommended list and they only had one '09 one. Loved the Murano--very nice car, but prolly too expensive; and the Rogue might be a possibility.

Sill on my list: Mazda, Hyundai, and possibly VW

[lumberjim]

only buy a VW if the VIN begins with a W.

srsly

[Undertoad]

for West Germany?

[lumberjim]

Let's break down the Vehicle Identification Number, starting with the first character. (Please note the letter "I" as in indigo, the letter "O" as in orange, and the letter "Q" as in queen are NOT found in any VIN Numbers.)
(We will use the following VIN as an example: 2FTRX18W1XCA01212)
The first character represents the country of manufacture, and can be a letter or a number, each signifying a different country. The most common ones are as follows:
(1 = USA, 2 = Canada, 3 = Mexico, J = Japan, K = Korea, W = Germany, Y = Finland, Sweden)
So using the Auto VIN Decoder in the above example, this particular car was made in Canada.
The second/third characters represent the manufacturer, also known as the make. The most common are:
(A = Alfa Romeo, B = Dodge, C = Chrysler, D = Daihatsu, E = Eagle, F= Ford/Eagle, G = All General Motors vehicles (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn)
H = Honda/Acura, J= Jeep, L = Lincoln, M = Mitsubishi, N = Nissan/Infiniti, P = Plymouth, S = Subaru, T = Toyota/Lexus, V = Volkswagen)
So using the Auto VIN Decoder in the above example, this car is a Ford or an Eagle..since Eagle is no longer made, it is most likely a Ford.
Other popular makes use a 3-character initial sequence:
(TRU/WAU = Audi, 4US/WBA/WBS = BMW, 2HM/KMH = Hyundai, SAJ = Jaguar, SAL = Land Rover, 1YV/JM1 = Mazda, WDB = Mercedes-Benz, VF3 = Peugeot, WP0 = Porsche, YK1/YS3 = Saab, YV1=Volvo)
The fourth character is the type of restraint system.
In the above example, "R" represents hydraulic breaks using the VIN Decoder.
The fifth, sixth & seventh characters are the vehicle line, series and body style. This will obviously be different across makes and models.
In the above example, characters 5, 6 & 7 are X18: X18 is a Ford F150 Pickup 4WD Super Cab
The eighth character is the engine type.
With the Auto VIN Decoder, W represents a 4.6 liter V-8 engine.
The tenth character represents the year of the car. Pay close attention to this one:
B = 1981 F = 1985 K = 1989 P = 1993 V = 1997 1 = 2001
C = 1982 G = 1986 L = 1990 R = 1994 W = 1998 2 = 2002
D = 1983 H = 1987 M = 1991 S = 1995 X = 1999 3 = 2003
E = 1984 J = 1988 N = 1992 T = 1996 Y = 2000 4 = 2004
For the most recent used model year, 5 = 2005 LIKE THAT THRU 2009.....

2010: A
In the above example, the "X" indicates that this car was made in 1999.
The eleventh character indicates the assembly plant.
In the above example, the C indicates Ontario, Canada
Characters 12-17 represent the vehicle's unique fingerprint. It is these six digits which make every single vehicle in the world different.
So using the Auto VIN Decoder one last time, the Vehicle Identification Number: 2FTRX18W1XCA01212 represents a 1999 Ford F150 Pickup 4WD Super Cab manufactured in Ontario, Canada with hydraulic brakes and a 4.6-liter V-8 engine.
So there you have it, the Auto VIN Decoder. If you are in the market for a used vehicle, use this decoder to make sure that it is indeed the exact model that the seller is claiming it is. Once you have verified the Vehicle Identification Number is accurate, you can proceed with your VIN check and learn everything you need to know about that particular car.

[skysidhe]

I wonder if I will ever be able to use that information.

I never knew! It's so cool to know. I'm in the know now.

I'm rambling...I'm tired.

[Cloud]

very interesting! tire codes are also quite useful to know

[lumberjim]

TIRES:

P255 75 R 15

P= PASSENGER CAR
255= MILLIMETERS WIDE
75 = SIDE WALL HEIGHT, % OF WIDTH (191.25MM IN THIS CASE)
R= SPEED/WEIGHT RATING
15= INNER DIAMETER

[Cloud]

wait, I thought there was part of the tire code that showed the year manufactured? No time to look for it now tho

[Cloud]

okay, found the info on the year made on CR (at the end of this stuff). I remembered this from last time I bought tires.

Size. P235/70R16 is a common one. P denotes passenger-car tire, even though the tire may be designed for light trucks (an LT, or light truck, prefix is for heavy-duty light-truck tires). The number 235 is the cross-section width in millimeters, while 70 is the ratio of sidewall height to cross-section width (70 percent). R means radial-ply construction and 16 is the wheel diameter, in inches.

Load index. This number is based on the weight the tire can safely carry. You'll find it after the tire size; the 104 load index for most of the tires tested for this report correlates to 1,984 pounds. Choose tires with a load index at least as high as the one that's listed on your vehicle's placard.

Speed rating. This letter denotes the maximum sustainable speed and is found directly after the load index. For S-speed-rated tires, it's 112 mph; for T, 118 mph. Speed ratings for other tires include Q, 99 mph; H, 130 mph; V, 149 mph; and Z, 150 mph plus. While such speeds may seem wildly impractical, tires with higher speed ratings tend to provide better handling at legal speed limits. Choose tires that have a speed rating at least as high as the one specified on your vehicle's placard.

Tread-wear rating. Grades for our light-truck tires ranged from 300 to 540. In theory, a tire graded 500 should last twice as long as one graded 250. But the tire makers certify the tires meet the wear ratings.

Traction and temperature scores. These scores denote a tire's wet-stopping ability and temperature resistance. For traction, AA is best, C is worst. For temperature resistance, scores range from A (best) to C.

Maximum pressure. This is a tire's maximum safe air pressure, given in pounds per square inch. But that doesn't mean you should inflate your tires to that pressure, since automakers typically recommend an inflation pressure well below the tire's maximum air pressure. Follow the advice on the vehicle's placard.

When the tire was made. Every tire has a Department of Transportation (DOT) number following the letters on the sidewall. The last four digits determine the week and year the tire was made; for example, the digits 2204 would signify that the tire was made during the 22nd week of 2004. Don't buy tires more than a couple of years old.

[lumberjim]

I think I heard that they stop doing that thing with the year.

[Cloud]

hmm. the information still seems current on the NHTSA and safercar.gov sites.

[lumberjim]

maybe they stopped putting the plain date, and switched to a code..... It was something