It is a sad sad day for me today in the world of junk food. My favorite childhood snack has been discontinued. I remember in the afternoons of my youth how many hours I spent sitting watching cartoons after school while enjoying as many Cheez Balls as I could stand until the can would be gone and I'd have to wait for my mom to buy some more. The greasy treat was so wonderful. I remember it was like two treats in one. First you would eat the balls, then when you were done you had at LEAST 5 fingers if you're a one hand snacker to lick clean of the great cheesy residue. You can still get a similar experience from Cheetos Puffs, but it just isn't the same. There may still be hope however. While shopping at Target, I saw a giant container of Market Pantry brand cheese balls. I don't know if they are up to par with Planters, but it was a giant container for $5 so I figure they're worth a try. I'll keep you updated!
11.29.2010
A sad sad day in the world of junk food
It is a sad sad day for me today in the world of junk food. My favorite childhood snack has been discontinued. I remember in the afternoons of my youth how many hours I spent sitting watching cartoons after school while enjoying as many Cheez Balls as I could stand until the can would be gone and I'd have to wait for my mom to buy some more. The greasy treat was so wonderful. I remember it was like two treats in one. First you would eat the balls, then when you were done you had at LEAST 5 fingers if you're a one hand snacker to lick clean of the great cheesy residue. You can still get a similar experience from Cheetos Puffs, but it just isn't the same. There may still be hope however. While shopping at Target, I saw a giant container of Market Pantry brand cheese balls. I don't know if they are up to par with Planters, but it was a giant container for $5 so I figure they're worth a try. I'll keep you updated!
11.22.2010
Hyundai Rant
Let me start out by saying that in case the person who sold me my current car happens to read this, I hope that person or persons will know that I do not hold them responsible for any of the problems I've had which I am about to outline. I would have had problems with any car I bought and they frankly gave me a great deal on this car.
That said, I can not believe how angry I am with Hyundai right now. Let's start at the beginning. I bought my 2000 Hyundai Sonata in 2005, right after the warranty was up. And it would have been up anyway because warranty doesn't transfer to the new owner of a used car anyway. So when I bought it, there were two known issues with it: 1) the windshield washer tank was cracked, and 2) the brakes were squeaky because of dust build up (apparently a common issue with Hyundais). In the first months, I started to notice that the driver sun visor was very loose and would keep falling in my face as I was driving. Not very safe! I would often get frustrated with it and slam it back up and eventually I simply would move it to the side. Well one day as I was trying to put it back into position, the plastic piece of crap broke off in my hands. I had been meaning to take it to the dealer anyway to see about getting a new windshield washer tank and I had been, "experienc[ing] intermittent low-speed engine stalling" which I will explain in a minute why that is in quotes. So I took it in to have them run a diagnostic and give me a quote on how much it would be to fix all those things. I don't remember exactly but it was like $2500. And of course just the diagnostic cost like $80. But I asked them to itemize it and just the sun visor cost like $250! So I was like, ok screw that. I decided I could do without windshield washer fluid and I could just buy some nice sunglasses for $20. As for the engine stalling, I decided to have a family friend who has an auto shop take a look at it. He told me the engine stalling "could occur if the MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor electrical signal is interrupted as a result of engine vibration transmitted to the MAF sensor connector wiring harness." Again the quotes aren't because I'm quoting him exactly but that is basically what he told me and I will explain the quotes in a second.
Let's start with the sun visor. I decided last weekend that I was sick of not having a sun visor and I knew of a salvage yard relatively close to my house. So I drove over and went in and told the worker that I was looking for a sun visor for a 2000 Hyundai Sonata. Without even checking or thinking about it he immediately said "I doubt it." He then proceeded to explain to me that the Hyundai sun visors, particularly the driver side, were prone to being pieces of garbage that just about anyone owning a Sonata has had to replace, and therefore, the pickins are very slim at the salvage yard. He told me I could check online or ask a dealer. Well I already knew the dealer's answer to the tune to $250! So I got online and searched for 2000 Hyundai Sonata sun visor and the number one related hit was 2006 Hyundai Sonata recall. I looked into it and the sun visor had been recalled due to it being a piece of junk and breaking off all the time. So now I'm thinking, why didn't they recall any other year besides the 2006 since they all seem to be having the same problem? So I called Consumer Affairs and all they would tell me was that there weren't any recall campaigns for the sun visor of my particular Hyundai. I searched and searched and can't find anywhere that I can get one. I would bet money that it is the #1 most requested part for Hyundai Sonata's on salvage and parts sites.
Onto the next problem, the MAF causing the engine to stall. Back to the future, in 2005 when I first had the problem, as I said I took it to a family friend who first replaced the MAF for $1000 and then when that didn't work, we ended up having to replace the alternator and all kinds of crazy electrical crap and then a few years later it went bad again and fried my battery. So with that history in mind, I found the following recall today as I was searching for information about the sun visor recall.
Now you understand what I was quoting from above right? This is the exact problem I was having 5 years ago that I ended up spending thousands of dollars on fixing. So now flash forward to my phone call with Consumer Affairs. I've just been told that as far as sun visors go I humped. So I decide to try my next one and I mention the above recall and I am put on hold to while the guy researches to see if it applies to my vehicle. The reason the recall campaign does not apply to my car? I have a V-4 not a V-6. So of course obviously even though the problem description is exactly the same, it wasn't a product flaw at all and I get to live with having paid for it.
I don't think I'm so much upset about having already spent a bunch of money on fixing it, but I am kind of pissed off that with a recall from 2000 when the dang car was brand new, the guys who did the diagnostic at the dealer didn't even think to check it. Or even mention it to me so I could go and tell the other auto shop what the problem was and how to most likely fix it.
So, I don't think I'll be buying another Korean made car for a along time.
That said, I can not believe how angry I am with Hyundai right now. Let's start at the beginning. I bought my 2000 Hyundai Sonata in 2005, right after the warranty was up. And it would have been up anyway because warranty doesn't transfer to the new owner of a used car anyway. So when I bought it, there were two known issues with it: 1) the windshield washer tank was cracked, and 2) the brakes were squeaky because of dust build up (apparently a common issue with Hyundais). In the first months, I started to notice that the driver sun visor was very loose and would keep falling in my face as I was driving. Not very safe! I would often get frustrated with it and slam it back up and eventually I simply would move it to the side. Well one day as I was trying to put it back into position, the plastic piece of crap broke off in my hands. I had been meaning to take it to the dealer anyway to see about getting a new windshield washer tank and I had been, "experienc[ing] intermittent low-speed engine stalling" which I will explain in a minute why that is in quotes. So I took it in to have them run a diagnostic and give me a quote on how much it would be to fix all those things. I don't remember exactly but it was like $2500. And of course just the diagnostic cost like $80. But I asked them to itemize it and just the sun visor cost like $250! So I was like, ok screw that. I decided I could do without windshield washer fluid and I could just buy some nice sunglasses for $20. As for the engine stalling, I decided to have a family friend who has an auto shop take a look at it. He told me the engine stalling "could occur if the MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor electrical signal is interrupted as a result of engine vibration transmitted to the MAF sensor connector wiring harness." Again the quotes aren't because I'm quoting him exactly but that is basically what he told me and I will explain the quotes in a second.
Let's start with the sun visor. I decided last weekend that I was sick of not having a sun visor and I knew of a salvage yard relatively close to my house. So I drove over and went in and told the worker that I was looking for a sun visor for a 2000 Hyundai Sonata. Without even checking or thinking about it he immediately said "I doubt it." He then proceeded to explain to me that the Hyundai sun visors, particularly the driver side, were prone to being pieces of garbage that just about anyone owning a Sonata has had to replace, and therefore, the pickins are very slim at the salvage yard. He told me I could check online or ask a dealer. Well I already knew the dealer's answer to the tune to $250! So I got online and searched for 2000 Hyundai Sonata sun visor and the number one related hit was 2006 Hyundai Sonata recall. I looked into it and the sun visor had been recalled due to it being a piece of junk and breaking off all the time. So now I'm thinking, why didn't they recall any other year besides the 2006 since they all seem to be having the same problem? So I called Consumer Affairs and all they would tell me was that there weren't any recall campaigns for the sun visor of my particular Hyundai. I searched and searched and can't find anywhere that I can get one. I would bet money that it is the #1 most requested part for Hyundai Sonata's on salvage and parts sites.
Onto the next problem, the MAF causing the engine to stall. Back to the future, in 2005 when I first had the problem, as I said I took it to a family friend who first replaced the MAF for $1000 and then when that didn't work, we ended up having to replace the alternator and all kinds of crazy electrical crap and then a few years later it went bad again and fried my battery. So with that history in mind, I found the following recall today as I was searching for information about the sun visor recall.
Sonata ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING Recall - ID# 10514
Recall Date: Sept 11, 2000
Model Affected: 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA
Description:
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SOME SONATA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.5 LITER V-6 ENGINES AND ALL ELANTRA MODEL VEHICLES MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT LOW-SPEED ENGINE STALLING, WHICH COULD OCCUR IF THE MAF (MASS AIR FLOW) SENSOR ELECTRICAL SIGNAL IS INTERRUPTED AS A RESULT OF ENGINE VIBRATION TRANSMITTED TO THE MAF SENSOR CONNECTOR WIRING HARNESS.
Consequence:
THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL RE-ROUTE THE MAF SENSOR CONNECTOR WIRING HARNESS.
Potential Units Affected:
165977
Notes:
HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY 039/040
Now you understand what I was quoting from above right? This is the exact problem I was having 5 years ago that I ended up spending thousands of dollars on fixing. So now flash forward to my phone call with Consumer Affairs. I've just been told that as far as sun visors go I humped. So I decide to try my next one and I mention the above recall and I am put on hold to while the guy researches to see if it applies to my vehicle. The reason the recall campaign does not apply to my car? I have a V-4 not a V-6. So of course obviously even though the problem description is exactly the same, it wasn't a product flaw at all and I get to live with having paid for it.
I don't think I'm so much upset about having already spent a bunch of money on fixing it, but I am kind of pissed off that with a recall from 2000 when the dang car was brand new, the guys who did the diagnostic at the dealer didn't even think to check it. Or even mention it to me so I could go and tell the other auto shop what the problem was and how to most likely fix it.
So, I don't think I'll be buying another Korean made car for a along time.
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