Cup of Coffee

July 26, 2024: Say Yes To Crack

28 Comments

I'm always surprised at how few people crack their windows when they park outside in the summer. I hate getting into blazing hot cars, and maybe it doesn't make a huge difference, but it definitely makes a difference.

28 thoughts on “July 26, 2024: Say Yes To Crack”

  1. I am one who cracks the windows on a hot day, usually just the front, about an inch or so. If I have the dog with me, I leave all the windows down all the way and the sunroof open. The dog is always buckled in with a seat belt strap on his harness so he's not going anywhere and there's not much in my car worth stealing.

  2. I’m a “depends on the vehicle” person. I find that with a tailgate & sunroof on both the Subaru & Toyota, I can dump enough hot air quickly that it’s not worth the risk of rain or forgetting they’re cracked and then it raining later. Both also have A/C, which also helps. In a car without A/C or a tailgate, or something old like my truck (vent windows!), cracking makes more sense.

    1. I had decent AC in my Tucson last year, nothing this year. I checked it awhile back and the compressor is not kicking in, so the clutch is probably shot. Just over $200 for the part retail before the shop markup, make it $250, plus about $150 labor. You have to pull a good vacuum on the system after you install the compressor and before you install the refrigerant to clear any contaminants. Not the kind of equipment a shade tree mechanic has in his garage.

      1. Yeah, something in the AC system of our Focus is dead, no cold air. It's one of those things where I'm definitely not messing with the coolant, it's beyond my skill and tools

  3. If I'm gonna be away from the car awhile I roll everything up and lock it, but like a quick trip to the grocery store in town on a nice day I roll em all down and leave it that way.

  4. I wasn't sure where that headline was going. Plumber butt? Crack between couch cushions?

  5. Alright, I'm angry and need advice.

    My KIA needed a new mirror. The nearby dealer forgot to order the part for three days after my request. Then when it came in they gave me an estimate so I scheduled for today. I was there for almost two hours before the guy came out and asked ME what the estimate was I was given. Then he said, whoops, we forgot to paint the mirror and won't be able to get you a new estimate for a while.

    So I wasted three hours of my day and was given a bogus estimate that they don't have on file anywhere. Obviously, I'm going to talk to a supervisor when I'm calm and ask for some kind of discount. But do I have any real recourse? I don't think my mechanic would have easy access to this specific part, and I can't go a long time without my mirror. And taking it to a different KIA dealer isn't a real threat I imagine.

    2. I am fortunate in the fact that the 2 main auto dealers in town are owned by good friends (hockey parents) and the local Tire Maxx is also owned by good friends (hockey parents). All my auto needs funnel through those 3 businesses, so I always have the ability to back door a complaint or issue.

      For your situation, if the dealer won't deal with you, you could probably reach out to a body shop and see if they can hook you up.

      1. zooomx - we are going to be up your way from the 3rd to the 6th or so. My wife's sister's family and her parents have rented a cabin on a lake up there.

  6. Ebay motors for the part, any reliable body shop and paint and install. I have come to avoid dealerships for any maintenance, unless it is covered and cost free.

  8. Searching for actual Olympic sports to watch, I found the Little League Softball region championships. Rhode Island just beat Connecticut 3-6 to win the New England region title. In the Central Region championship, Ohio leads Missouri 1-0 in the top of the first. I haven't watched a girl's softball game since Elder Daughter hung up her glove fifteen years ago. These girls are way, way better.

  10. I'm just now hearing that I probably should have watched the opening ceremony.

      1. I was thinking more for Gojira playing in front of a bunch of headless Marie Antoinettes.

        3. The Gojira performance has been posted on social media a bunch but then the Olympics jack heeled booted anti fun police get it yanked. It's is very cool.

          1. Also I don't get why when an organization has to continually remove copyright stuff that's gone viral, why they don't just post it on their own site. 99 percent of people don't care where it's posted - they just want to see it. I couldn't find the full Gorija performance on the Olympics or NBC/Peacock site.

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