Hydroplaned in my spiffy new car

[firefoot0315]

So it's been raining all day. I was on the return leg of my 100 mile round trip commute to school, and hydroplaned at a notorious trouble spot in Sanger. Did a 360 on the highway and smacked into the center k-wall. Damage doesn't look that bad, but then I don't know the full extent of it, and the right side curtain air bag did deploy. Still trying to sell the Caddy, so I could have driven it. I've slipped at that spot before in the Caddy, but traction control helped me out. Moreover, at almost 4000 lbs it is a lot more stable. Anyhow, guess it's a good thing I still have it to get me around. And now I know that once the Caddy is gone I am no longer invincible behind the wheel...

[BodybyFisher]

You raise a few good points

1) the weight of the car

2) it wouldn't have happened in the Caddy

I bought a 91 Nissan 240sx new, it was an overpowered 16 valve, rear wheel drive, light, white knuckle drifter. In the rain it was horrible. I never felt that way in my Cadillacs. On exit ramps in the rain you felt it sliding, it was horrible in the rain. I finally did a 360 in it in the rain, went into the woods and totalled it... NEVER AGAIN

Glad you are ok...

[rockfangd]

ouch, never really had that issue but then again i have always had big cars. Those smaller lighter cars just dont handle to me like the boats, Hope it works out ok

[Texas Jim]

About a year ago...I hydroplaned my Cadillac.

I credit the Stabilatrac saving me from wrecking it really bad.

I know it was all my fault.

I was late for an appointment and was running about 80 in heavy rain...passing two 18 wheelers...when I hit a big DEEP puddle of water.

The car snapped 180 degrees to the left...and I was looking at the grass in the center median...I jerked the wheel back and the car then snapped 180 degrees to the right and I was looking right across the front bumper of the 18 wheeler.

I turned the wheel back to the left and the car straightened out.

Somehow...I was still in my lane.

I can still remember feeling the various brakes applying themselves and resistance in the steering wheel when I was turning it.

It was a scary couple of seconds.

Thats about how long it lasted...but it seemed like it was a couple on minutes...not seconds.

Oh...I "DID" slow down after that.

I love StabilaTrac... :)

[Bruce Nunnally]

Rolando -- glad you are okay.

TexasJim -- actually that sounds like a 'normal' ride with TexasJim driving

[Texas Jim]

Rolando -- glad you are okay.

TexasJim -- actually that sounds like a 'normal' ride with TexasJim driving

Hey...WATCH IT...

I resemble that remark... :D

[firefoot0315]

Well I won't have an estimate til Friday, but closer inspection of the car with knowledgeable people looks grim. along with the obvious issues with the airbag and the right rear suspension, looks like the frame was bent (there are dents along the left side even though I hit on the right, indicating folding). Most of the opinions I'm hearing are that it's probably totaled, which is a bummer because this car had everything I was looking for: sporty, powerful, economical, reliable, plenty of space for my needs, relatively low mileage and age, and affordable. At this point, any prospective replacement I can think of will sacrifice at least one of those aspects.

[BodybyFisher]

But you didnt say safety, don't forget that aspect.

[CarlaValentine]

Well I won't have an estimate til Friday, but closer inspection of the car with knowledgeable people looks grim. along with the obvious issues with the airbag and the right rear suspension, looks like the frame was bent (there are dents along the left side even though I hit on the right, indicating folding). Most of the opinions I'm hearing are that it's probably totaled, which is a bummer because this car had everything I was looking for: sporty, powerful, economical, reliable, plenty of space for my needs, relatively low mileage and age, and affordable. At this point, any prospective replacement I can think of will sacrifice at least one of those aspects.

Get another Caddy. Then you sacrifice nothing, and gain safety.

Sorry about your car, but glad you are ok.

My Eldo handles better on wet/icy roads than anything else I have ever driven...including 2 4wheel drive SUV's. The only car I've owned that even came close was my Buick Century. Like the Eldo, it was a tank in the snow and rain...but I still prefer my Eldo. I ALWAYS feel safe driving it.

[firefoot0315]

The whole reason I switched from the Caddy was to save on gas and maintenance costs. That's not to say that a newer Caddy would still run $80 a week in gas and leave me wondering when the next thing would go out, but I figured a Honda would give me a relatively worry-free few years and hundred thousand miles at 30 mpg since I don't have the time, money, or advanced mechanical know-how to keep an older luxury car in tip-top shape.

And in other news, I halfheartedly listed the Caddy on ebay for extra exposure, and found I actually have a bid on it. Which means that in a matter of a week or so it'll be gone. Then I'll be in a rental and hard-pressed to find a replacement car (assuming the Acura totals). I know the world keeps spinning after a fender bender, but everything seems to be moving so fast

[BodybyFisher]

I would stick with a Honda never ever break down, they run forever <wink>

Its funny, I am working on an 01 Infiniti I30 right now, great car huh?, nope, its a RUST BUCKET underneath, its built cheaply, it uses the same engine as a Nissan Maxima, and the CATS are a problem. Infiniti wanted $2000 to replace the Pre-Cats to stop a P0430 code so it could pass inspection and be sold. That's $2000. I just bought a CAT gasket, and spent $12 for it and $5 for a NUT...... The doors don't line up to close correctly and when it rolls it the road noise is horrible.

The owner has had a series of O2 sensor problems, stalling problems, and was just charged $300 for front brakes, and the mechanic said, Its an Infiniti, you know! What a laugh.

We are deluded into thinking, that these imported cars run forever and they are cheap to fix, right?, wrong

At least you will get better gas mileage

If the frame is bent, HOPE for a total, it will never be the same

[KHE]

I get 28-29 mpg on the highway with my '05 Deville. No way would I consider a ricer....

[scott y]

Ya, to what KHE states...my '94 STS is in that range

[Texas Jim]

I only get 22 to 24...but mine is a VIN "9"...

[firefoot0315]

I average up to 20 in my '94 VIN 9 STS, usually around 17 or 18 combined city or highway. Could very well just be my car, and from all I've read in the past few months it probably is. Still, don't want to buy a new Caddy to find out it too has poor gas mileage. it's dicey from where i'm sitting.

[BodybyFisher]

As I said, I am working on an Infiniti, I accidently found this thread, for a 30,000 maintenance service, But it gets good gas mileage,

30,000 Mile Maintenance: $4,189.45!!! Please help!

History of Car:

I bought a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) 2006 Infiniti G35 Coupe (6 Speed MT) from the Infiniti Dealership in February 2009 and at the time it only had 24,000 miles on it. After the first week of owning the car I noticed the engine was making a "pinging" sound when I would accelerate, and figured it was an octane level issue, so for the next 2 weeks I made sure I was only putting in Premium Fuel (and currently only use premium gas). This pinging noise continued to happen upon acceleration so I eventually took it back to the dealership and let them drive it for the next couple days so they could troubleshoot what was going on with the car and they said they couldn't hear anything that sounded like pinging.

In addition to this pinging sound in the engine, I had noticed that my clutch was vibrating when I was engaging/releasing, and insisted that the dealership check it out and fix it as I had only had the car for 3 weeks at that point. The dealership said that it was standard that the 6-speed MT G35 Coupes felt like that when releasing the clutch and it was supposed to feel, and I quote "rough", when releasing the clutch and they didn't fix anything on the car.

Present:

So let's go ahead and fast forward 1 year and 2 months. The car now has 35,000 miles on and had taken it in a few times for oil changes in the past year but nothing major has happened -- the engine still makes the 'pinging ' sound when accelerating even while only putting in Chevron Premium gas.

So it was about time for an oil change and I took the car to the Infiniti Dealership yesterday and this is what they are saying now:

*Note that when I had bought the car with 24,000 miles they salesman said that they had preformed the 30,000 mile maintenance on the car since it was a CPO and it was nearing the 30,000 mile mark.

Quote from the Service Consultant:

1.) Replacement of Rear Brake Pads and Resurfacing of Rear Rotors: $435.00

2.) Replacement of Engine Drive Belts: $210.00

3.) Coolant / Radiator Flush $119.95

4.) Add Radiator Cap $21.38

5.) Power Steering Fluid Flush $109.95

6.) Fuel injection Service $189.95

7.) Transmission Service $89.95

Total: $1,176.18 + Tax = $1,287.92

In addition they are saying NOW that clutch feels loose and shaky when engaging/releasing so that would probably need to be replaced as well. Here is the quote for that portion:

*Note that this would be the THIRD clutch in this car and it ONLY has 35,000 miles -- I would assume I don't know how to drive manual but have been driving manual for the past 12 years and my last car had 150,000 miles on it with the original clutch.

1.) Clutch Replacement $1267.89

2. ) Flywheel $1381.91

Total: $2,649.80 + Tax = $2,901.53

So what was a $50.00 oil change is now $4,189.45 in repairs and maintenance. Now that I've had the car for a year they are saying they can hear the engine "pinging" which is why they need to perform the Fuel Injector Service and that the 30,000 mile maintenance was never done on the car when I originally had bought it (even though the salesman said those services were performed) with 24,000 miles.

[BodybyFisher]

That all adds up to a rip off if you ask me, all of the flushes, etc at 35K miles

It was not clear if the car was in warranty and now its out of warranty and NOW they feel the clutch slipping and hear the pinging..

If you browse the foreign car forums, there are some expensive problems out there. One other thing I notice is that many of these owners are young, and many don't do their own work.

[CarlaValentine]

That seems like an awful lot of "maintenance" for a car with so few miles. Sounds more like a stingy dealership than a poorly made car though. I would guess the prior owner beat it up a bit since the 2 biggest problems were present when he bought the car. The dealer's refusal to do the work when it was first bought would have been a deal breaker for me. I almost feel bad for the guy that got stuck with that crap deal and the shady dealer it came from.

[BodybyFisher]

In all my time here, I have never seen anything like that from a Cadillac, or dealer. I have seen that a few times with other brands however

[Texas Jim]

I am glad my Cadillac don't need expensive maintenance like that every 30,000 miles...

[BodybyFisher]

I am glad my Cadillac don't need expensive maintenance like that every 30,000 miles...

That car would FOLD under the punishment you deal out Jim,

He was on his third clutch....I venture to guess you'd be on your 5th,

[Texas Jim]

I am glad my Cadillac don't need expensive maintenance like that every 30,000 miles...

That car would FOLD under the punishment you deal out Jim,

He was on his third clutch....I venture to guess you'd be on your 5th,

But the Cadillac has never, ever, even had to take a deep breath.

It just does whatever you ask it to do and seems to ask for more.

I love my Cadillac...

[firefoot0315]

Well, still have the Caddy for sale, but not with any sense of desparation because it's a better ride than the rental car. And then today on the highway it got stuck in 1st gear. I got P094 shift solenoid A problem. How easy a fix is this? I don't want to pour hundreds of dollars and lots of sweat into a car I'm trying to sell, but at the same time I can hardly sell it with that problem, nor can I afford to take the loss on it if someone were to buy it as-is.

I'm feeling like none of these woes would have come up if I hadn't bought the Acura. Karma is a...well it's unpleasant anyhow.

[scott y]

Apparently it's a straght forward repair (replacing the shift A and B solenoids) but very messy. I researched the job roughly 3-4 years ago and found plenty of info from others who've conquered it successfully,however my local tranny guy(very familiar with the 4T80E) replaced both solenoids,fluid and end screens for $350! Way better than me having to bum a ride to work and end up doing in the driveway on the weekend.

[scott y]

On another note, the 94's seem to be cursed with the shift solenoids failing if you look around at different sites. If you are more of a diy guy(which I would assume that you are since you're here) you may puchase the solenoids fairly inexpensively. The big test is to drop your pan, and if the pan is full of trash put it back on and go cry. If the fluid looks and smells good you may proceed with the repair...