Tag: automobiles

Things That Are Disappearing

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Today’s news chum brings news of three items that are soon-to-be gone:

  • If you’ve ever driven by the corner of Sherman Way and Tampa in Reseda, you’ve seen Lorenzen Mortuary across the street from the Jewish Home. According to the Daily News, they are going to have to relocate. The mortuary at 19300 Sherman Way was founded in 1952 by Virginia and Donald Lorenzen (who later served on the Los Angeles City Council). Virginia died in January at age 92; in early 2009, the Los Angeles County Office of the Public Guardian, serving as her trustee and conservator, received court approval to sell her real estate holdings to pay for her care and expenses. They were sold to Robert Hirsch, chairman of the board of the Jewish Home, who then donated the land. The Home plans to build Senior Housing, and so the mortuary has to move.
  • You might just have driven by that corner in a Chevy. If you didn’t, someone else did. However, if GM has its way, you won’t be able to say that: GM wants people to stop using the term “Chevy” and go back to the full name, “Chevrolet”. Some dealers even have a “Chevy Jar”, just like a curse jar. I’ve seen responses to this that say they don’t think an American car should have a French name. This is something I think GM will have trouble with—it’s like Anheiser-Busch trying to get folks not to call their swill “Bud”. (hmmm, interesting parallel there: Quality automobile are to Chevys as quality beer is to Bud). In other car news, Cadillac has redesigned their logo again.
  • And while in that car, you might have been listening to the radio. Thirty years ago, you might have been turned to KMET listening to Dr. Demento (I know I did in high school). Soon, you won’t be able to do that, at least on the radio. Dr. D is leaving the airwaves after 40 years. He’ll still be streaming a 1 hour show on the Internet. In many ways, though, the nature of novelty records has drastically changed. Nowaday, who makes audio recordings—they are all You-Tube videos.
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Prescription Drugs and Toyotas

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

The other day I had a doctor’s appointment. During the appointment, we got to talking about the relationship between prescription drug ads and Toyotas—more specifically, about the fears related to prescription drug side effects and unintended acceleration. I thought I would share some of these thoughts over lunch.

Prescription drug companies advertise their patented products heavily. During these ads, they mention all the horrific side effects of their products, but most people ignore them because, (a) the ads are designed to emphasize the good, not the bad, and (b) for the most part, these side effects are extremely rare. But still, we worry about those extremely rare side effects: in fact, some of us won’t take particular medicine out of fear for the side effects.

Similarly, the instance of unintended acceleration in Toyotas is very rare. The OC register reports that there is a new tally of the death toll: 56 people have died due to the problem. Put on your critical thinking caps, and think. Fifty six. Toyota issued over 10 million safety recalls over this: 56 problems. Whipping out my calculator, that’s .00056% — translation, extremely rare. About as rare, if not rarer, than prescription drug side effects. Yet, people are abandoning the brand over it, declaring Toyotas as unsafe.

Perhaps irrational fears have taken over our society? More worrisome, however, is that the lack of critical thinking (and math and statistics understanding) will cause people to elevate the irrational fears over the more probable, rational ones.

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Toyota. A Car To Be Proud Of.

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

One of the big items in the news is Toyota’s decision to stop selling a large number of models, and to recall an even larger number, to fix gas pedal problems. There are discussions back and forth regarding the extent to which this will harm Toyota, and whether this is a permanent stain on the Toyota escutcheon. You read the comments on these articles, and you see loads of Toyota bashing, and an equal number of folks for whom this isn’t a concern, plus a large number that are now scared to drive their cars. So, being someone who keeps a daily journal, the law compels me to write about this (well, it’s either this or the State of the Union, and you probably don’t want that).

First off, I think Toyota is doing the right thing. It takes guts to get potential problems off the road before they become lawsuits; the usual auto manufacturer approach is to ignore the problem until they can’t anymore. (cough) Pinto gas tank (cough) Firestone tires on Ford Explorers. In the short term, it is a publicity nightmare, but once the problem is fixed (ETA: it looks like a fix is near) and the quality ratings come back, Toyota will be fine. This is a lesson they will learn from. Further, America tend to like underdogs with quality (which is why Leno may succeed when he returns to 1135, and why Hundai is the bigger threat to Toyota).

As for the folks who comment on these articles… sigh. I really shouldn’t read the comments, but they are such a train wreck and demonstrate the obsessed narrow mindset so well. My opinion: Those who hated Toyota before will hate them even more, and will be even more pro-American manufacturers. Those who loved Toyota before will still love them once this problem has passed. Those on the fence will hopefully do what everyone should do when they buy a car: remember that brand name alone only affects how long the company will be there to service thing. Every brand (well, every brand except Chrysler :-)) has high quality and low quality cars. Cars need to be judged based on the specific model, its reliability characteristics, its features to fit your functional needs, and the responsiveness of the underlying manufacturer to correct problems once identified.

What’s more worrisome are those who don’t understand the real reason behind this problem. There are still people who mistakenly believe that gas pedals actually connect through a mechanical mechanism to the throttle. Silly humans. In most cars these days (and in all the calls involved in the recall), the cars are “drive by wire”, meaning the gas pedal actually just activates a sensor, which sends a message to the computer which directs the throttle. Many things can cause accelleration surges, from mechanical problems that send wrong data to the sensor, to malfunctioning computers, to nearby radio interference. This is why they are more complicated these days. Luckily, it looks like Toyota is narrowing on a solution.

People also don’t understand what to do if they have uncontrolled accelleration. Hint: It’s not turning off the car, which is increasingly difficult. Doing that disables your power steering, and other sensor mechanisms (I’m thinking of air bags). Stomp and hold on the brakes (don’t pump), and shift the car into neutral (disconnecting the power from the wheels). They say that when you stop the car you should turn it off, but if you can’t, then I would just put on the emergency break, leave the nose pressed against an immovable object (a wall, for example), curb the wheels as appropriate, and leave it running in neutral. It will run out of gas eventually. Walk away at right angles to the car :-).

Will I worry about driving my Toyota? No, but my Matrix is before the years of the recall. I also have a keyed ignition, and know how to stop it. I would, however, ensure when getting a car for my daughter that if it was subject to this recall, it had been repaired.

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Start Your Week Off Right, Chum

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Ah, Monday. The start of another work week. Perhaps my lunchtime findings can give you something to think about…

  • From the “Damn Microsoft and their Start Button” Department: Actually, this has nothing to do with Microsoft, and everything to do with “Start” buttons. Specifically, automobile start buttons and keyless entry systems. Hardware keys, even though they can be easily duplicated, have one distinct advantage: everyone understands how they work. You put in the key and turn it to on, or to off. The keyless starter systems, however, have no such universal protocol: although it is understood how to turn the car on, turning it off completely is another matter. Different manufacturers use different approaches. It turns out that turning a car off is critical: it relates to dealing with uncontrolled acceleration, as well as simply turning the car completely off when you park (some haven’t, and have returned to either no car or dead battery). It also turns out that some of these systems can be affected by nearby radio frequencies. After reading this, I’m not sure I’d want a keyless car.
  • From the “Shades of Therac 25” Department: You think by now we would have learned about software safety. But we haven’t. The NY Times has an article about how people have been mistakenly given too much radiation, making them (effectively) dead people glowing. Missed warnings. Missed filters. All leading to non-reversable problems. Yet another reminder that we need to be careful with our technology.
  • From the “And When I Die” Department: And speaking of death, the Washington Post has an interesting article on some new services that are springing up: digital lockers to store site passwords and messages that would be sent to a virtual executor when you die. Now you have a way to pass on your Facebook or LJ password to a trusted friend who can post your obit when the eventual occurs. My worry would be that the service would still be around.
  • From the “Divided House” Department: USA Today is reporting on a poll that President Obama is the most polarizing president to date. In fact, the article notes that excessive partisanship and polarization towards the president started with President Clinton, and has continued ever since. In many ways, this polarization is one of the most harmful things we’re seeing in politics today: we’ve lost the ability to listen to the other side and work towards compromises (and that goes for both parties, as there was equal polarization under Bush 43). Hopefully, our leaders will realize this before it is too late.
  • From the “Can You Hear Me Now” Department: Lastly, something that might help my cell phone bill. It appears that Apple will be working with Verizon for their new Tablet, and as a side benefit of that, will add Verizon as a carrier for the iPhone once the exclusivity period runs out with AT&T in June. This would be good news for us, as we’re on Verizon, and we have lots of friends with iPhones. Perhaps they will get fed up with AT&T and switch.
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News Chum for the Changing Times: Brand Loyalty, Matchbooks, GPS Wedding Gifts, and the Deli capital

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Times change. Some things go out of style. Some come back into style. Sometimes, the changes bring about interesting new ideas. Today’s set of lunchtime news chum all seem to be connected with the changing times:

  • From the “Brand Loyalty” Department: When I grew up, my parents always bought Buicks. Then, after we moved to Brentwood, they moved to Mercedes and Audis — their brand loyalty was dead. According to the New York Times, that problem has gotten worse: the brand romance and loyalty is gone. People don’t stay with the same manufacturer and move up the line — they go to each car model individually. This has significant impacts on the future of multi-line companies, such as GM and Ford, and even foreign manufacturers such as Honda and Toyota.
  • From the “Gotta Light?” Department: When I was young, you found matches in every restaurant. You pocketed them, even if you didn’t smoke, and kept using them. I still have a large collection. But with the advent of non-smoking restaurants, they’ve died… and if you don’t smoke at home, how do you light your trendy candles. Guess what? Restaurant matches are coming back, even in non-smoking restaurants. Turns out: they are still great advertising.
  • From the “Unique Gifts” Department: Looking for that perfect wedding gift? In the old days, you either went off the registry, or tried to come up with something unique… but that was hard. How about a box that can’t be opened until you reach the right GPS coordinates? Further, you only get 50 guesses…
  • From the “Hot Pastrami” Department: When I was young, if you wanted good deli, you went to New York. Nowadays? According to the LA Times, Los Angeles is the deli capital. From Langers to Brents to Nate and Als to even Weilers: LA has the best delis, and the best deli families.
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Automotive Woes

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

My wife’s car (2002 Honda CRV) is back in the shop. About a month ago, the check engine light came on and it was running rough, so she brought it into our local dealer (we use the dealer ever since the car had a broken valve retainer many years ago). The dealer diagnosed the problem as worn spark plug, the intake system having a buildup of carbon, and the intake and exhaust valves being tight. They adjusted the vales and performed a decarbon service, and replaced the spark plugs. We thought we were fine… until the end of last week, when the check engine light came on again. This time the diagnosis was a blown head gasket… and today we learned it warped the head. I’m surprised because we had no warning of this, and they didn’t detect the problem. From listening to Car Talk, usually there are signs the head gasket is going — temperature problems, leaks, smoke, something. I’m not looking forward to this bill.

This has just been a bad quarter for cars, as in late August we had a $1,300 repair on my car: tires, combined with replacing a key and key fob… and in July, the aforementioned CRV had a 120,000 mile service that totaled to a bit over $700.00 (included replacing brakes and the control arm bushings).

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Lunchtime News Chum: Truth in Advertising, Barbies, Neverland Rides, and Fried, not Baked, Goldfish

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Lunchtime reading of various news sites over the last few days has unearthed a few nuggets of news chum, almost all of them related to various aspects of business and marketing:

  • From the “I Liked The Company So Much I Bought It” Department: The LA Times is reporting that Burger King is unearthing a deep secret in their newest ads: most celebrity endorsers do not use the products they endorse.
  • From the “She Looks Just Like Me” Department: Those of you that have daughters will remember shopping for Barbies, and noticing that the black Barbies looked just like the white ones, but with different color plastic. No more. The LA Daily News is reporting that Mattel is coming out with a new line of black dolls that has more authentic features, which Mattel defines as “fuller lips, a wider nose, more distinctive cheek bones and curlier hair”. The line, called “So In Style”, includes a hair-styling set that will allow girls to curl, straighten and style their dolls’ hair for $24.99.
  • From the “Buy It Now” Department: Remember how GM was going to this big experiment of selling their cars on eBay. It didn’t work. The NY Times is reporting how GM is abandoning eBay’s auto marketplace, as of today. Instead of eBay, GM is going to focus on its new, national marketing campaigns and its money-back guarantee program in which dissatisfied buyers can return their vehicles within 60 days.
  • From the “George Washington Slept Here” Department: Coming soon to a carnival near you: Michael Jackson. Well, not Jackson himself, but his rides from Neverland. The LA Times is reporting how carnivals are marketing the former Neverland-rides and their connection to Jackson… and it’s working. The saddest part of the article is at the end, where it notes:

    Though busloads of sick and underprivileged children would occasionally visit Neverland, Jackson sometimes hopped on rides alone, chugging through sleepless nights on his steam train, tooting a whistle heard on ranches for miles around. But mostly the rides were unused, a silent amusement park with no cotton candy, no flashing lights, no stomach-churning exhilaration. “These rides are built to move people every day,” said [the man who bought many of the rides]. “But at Neverland they just sat and sat.”

    Almost makes you feel sorry for the rides.

  • From the “If Joe Camel Said So” Department: The OC Register is reporting on how a coalition of restaurants and food companies are launching an ad campaign to say high-fructose corn syrup is good for you. Well, if not good for you, then at least no worse than other forms of sugar. Do you think they are protesting too hard?
  • From the “No, No, the Other Goldfish” Department: The SF Chronicle is reporting on how a Houston TX woman got so mad at her husband that she netted out her husband’s pet goldfish, fried them, and ate them. Officers who were dispatched to the woman’s home arrived to find four fried goldfish on a plate. The woman said she already ate the other three. Hmmm, I thought goldfish were supposed to be the baked, cheesy treat.
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Lunchtime Observations: Hidden Profit Centers, Automotive Division

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Recently, David Pogue wrote a piece in the New York Times where he bemoaned how wireless carriers create loads of profits through voicemail instructions that we cannot escape (although if you know how, you can disable the instructions). I mention this because I’ve run into another profit center that has raised my hackles–this time from Toyota.

Two days ago we took my car in for service (it is a 2006 Toyota Matrix, with under 23K miles). The bill amounted to around $1,300! Two of the items on the bill, to me, are examples of how Toyota milks the service profit (and I believe this is at the corporate level, not the dealer)… and I don’t think just Toyota does this — I know others do as well. It is also not a comment on the quality of their vehicles.

First, my tires had worn out, and were riding rough. I had my wife ask about this when she brought the car in, for I felt tires should last over 22K miles. According to the dealer, the tires delivered with the car by the manufacter are poor-quality tires and don’t last long. I have no way of verifying this — I just know the tires had to be replaced sooner than I thought. This was the bulk of the bill, because we ended up putting on higher quality tires so they will last long. I’m happy with the new tires, and the car rides smoother — I just wish I had been able to go longer on the old ones.

Secondly, my wife lost her car key. Now, in the old days, you could go to the hardware store — a replacement key was perhaps $5, at most. Today? Over $350 to replace the key and the fob. The key has a transponder (RFID) that has to be programmed to match the car, and the key fob for the alarm has to be programmed for the alarm system. The electronics and the metal are probably perhaps $30, plus the programming labor. But they charge $350. I guess this is because they can, but it is a major problem (especially if you lose your keys). There are other impacts of this: for example, if you lock your keys in your car or lose your keys, AAA can’t help you. You have to go to the dealer, and pony up quite a bit.

I’d say this is nickle-and-diming, but it is much more than nickles and dimes.

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