Living Car Free - Warning for the Car Lite

I know this is the car free forum, and this response is likely to prompt all sorts of "sell it!" responses. However, I just went through an experience that I wanted to share and hopefully prevent someone else from going through the same thing.

We are a car lite couple who drives on average once every 1-2 weeks, only trips longer than 15-20 miles. We have thought several times of getting rid of the vehicle (a 2001 S-10 pickup), but it's paid off, insurance is around $500 per year, and it has over 100,000 miles, so selling it wouldn't give us a significant boost in income and it's still convenient to have a truck for camping, hauling things, and getting to distant places. It's worth more as a vehicle than as money saved.

About 2 months ago I had the oil changed at a quick lube place. Shortly thereafter we noticed a gasoline smell. Upon further inspection, I noticed a 90 degree elbow on the top of the fuel pump had cracked. When I touched the fuel line with the crack, it broke completely, rending the vehicle useless. On start-up it would spit gas all over the place. No mechanic that I talked to ever heard of this problem, and I attribute it to the quick lube place. Probably accidental, but something must have happened there that caused this line to fracture. Regardless, it's hopeless trying to pin the blame. The fuel pump is only sold as one entire unit, so I had to replace the whole thing.

Since we don't need the truck for everyday transportation, it sat for about 6 weeks before we had it towed to a shop to replace the fuel pump. This was a $750 job. Bummer #1.

The first drive with the new fuel pump, the battery light came on. I figured this makes sense...the truck sat for a long time and the battery crapped out. I put a new battery in ($50), but the light didn't go away. I was up in the mountains at this point and made it about 1/2 way home when the vehicle died on the expressway. $155 towing back home, thankfully covered by insurance. Bummer #2.

I took it back to the shop who replaced the fuel pump, suspecting that they messed something up which was causing the alternator to not charge the battery. The mechanic was skeptical and said the fuel pump wouldn't work at all if any wiring was wrong, but agreed to look at it free of charge.

Here is the important point: he explained that an alternator is not designed to charge a drained battery; it's designed to maintain a fully charged battery. On an older vehicle, especially in warmer climates where air conditioning is run, using a car with a low battery can put a lot of strain on an alternator, causing it to prematurely fail. They ran some tests and the conclusion was exactly that -- we needed a new alternator. Bummer #3 for $269.

Moral of the story, save yourself a major headache and buy a $20-30 wall charger for times when the vehicle has been sitting longer than normal. An overnight charge every 2-3 weeks could save you a battery and an alternator. For us, I'll chalk it up as another life lesson as we re-evaluate how much we need this vehicle.

I guess you could chalk it all up to "lessons learned". 1) It's not a good idea to just a leave a car in the driveway 2)the general outrageous cost of maintaining a vehicle.

But on the other hand, it would be better to leave the vehicle in the driveway rather than sell it for little or nothing now and then decide in six months that you made a mistake... that you really need a car occasionally. (My take on it is that you're better off evolving into "car free" rather than plunging head first... although others are welcome to disagree :))

As you are in California, I would imagine there are some car shares you could use? Failing that,, have you talked to local rental places for prices for regular ( once or twice a month) rentals? Now, compare that over a year with the insurance costs, plus "normal" maintenance, what do you get? Not saying "sell" just , how do the numbers come out?

That goes to show you that when it comes to an older vehicle, you either drive it or sell it. The OP spent a ton of money trying to be car lite but it looks like with todays vehicles, they have to be used constantly or suffer mechanical setbacks! Incredible.

More reason to be car free.

That's good advice. I've been driving cheap vintage italian cars as my cars for the last ten years. Of course I do all my own work (except mounting tires, paint, and welding on the restorations) so I've never had expensive repair bills like the ones mentioned, but driving the cars regularly is the best medicine. I've never needed a tow truck. (my current car is a '69 fiat spider).

there are solar battery savers.
for instance this one http://www.batterystuff.com/solar-chargers/SE150.html

The last car I owned, gave me all sorts of headaches with dropped valves and head warp. It wasn't worth much to sell as is, other than for someone to come and tow it away. After six or seven hundred dollars worth of repairs that I couldn't afford, and coming up to registration renewal... well, the decision to turf it was a good one. I recouped the repair cost and spent much of it on a bicycle and the associated gear.

Infernal combustion vehicles are EXPENSIVE to maintain. The less you use an older vehicle the more likely things are to fail. Also as parts become less available for an older one the more they will cost to a certain point. We do our own vehicle maintenance on the farm (for the most part) but it can still cost a thousand dollars a year in parts to keep and old truck running that only gets driven once a month. Vehicles are made to be used and will last much longer if used periodically.

I would look into car sharing, even if you have to set up your own car share with a couple of neighbors. I have done that in the past. I was car free and if I needed something from the lumber yard or nursery I would buy my neighbor a 12 pack and give him $10 for gas (cheap back then) and he was happy and I was happy.:lol:

Aaron:)

My take on this is be careful what mechanics you use (auto or bicycle) as a bad mechanic can seriously mess up other components on your vehicle. I had a similar experiece years ago with a bad mechanic, and it ended up costing me $1000 extra to repair the damage which was ultimately caused by the previous bad auto mechanic.

BTW, don't EVER go to a "quick lube" place for oil changes, etc.....EVER...it's like going to x-mart to fix your Cannondale road bike...

I wonder if several car-lite families could share a vehicle so their combined lite use amounts to more regular use for the vehicles. Too utopian I guess.

The rental car route is a good one. I have used it a couple of times in the past year or so -- the first to get to a randonnee around 200km from home, and the second to pick up Machka at the airport and get her back to my place.

You can get a vehicle that suits your needs at that particular time. If you need to pick up lumber, hire a pick-up; if you need to travel long distance, get a comfortable mid-sized sedan; if you need to move household stuff, get a van; if you want to go on vacation, get a Winnebago.

You can be almost guaranteed that a rental from a reputable firm will be properly maintained, and you won't have to worry about replacement parts... unless you stack it.

Sorry, didn't read Aaron's second paragraph in #8 above. I fear most of us have lost the ability to cultivate such good relations with our neighbors.

About 2 months ago I had the oil changed at a quick lube place. Shortly thereafter we noticed a gasoline smell... On start-up it would spit gas all over the place. No mechanic that I talked to ever heard of this problem...
I had that problem with two American cars back in the 1970's. They used rubber and plastic parts in the fuel system that disintegrated after a few years.

Also, one of my 70's American cars ate alternators and batteries due to one electrical problem after another. It seemed to me that individual electrical components failed randomly, but always resulting in a dead battery and sometimes a destroyed alternator.

In my opinion, the bad quality reputation American cars had in the 70s was well earned and richly deserved.

I don't think you can necessarily blame light car usage for those kinds of quality issues. It's still a good idea to keep the battery from discharging completely. I like the idea someone mentioned about a solar trickle charger.

As an ex-mechanic and someone that has "stored" cars I will tell you, based on what you said nothing is out of the ordinary. When cars sit they go to hell in a hand basket and quick.

The best thing you can do is to take your vehicle for a spin once a week enough for it to get all nice and hot, and I mean a spin, not just idling in the driveway.

Moral of the story, save yourself a major headache and buy a $20-30 wall charger for times when the vehicle has been sitting longer than normal. An overnight charge every 2-3 weeks could save you a battery and an alternator. For us, I'll chalk it up as another life lesson as we re-evaluate how much we need this vehicle.

Even better, you can buy solar chargers.

Actually what you're talking about goes for anything gasoline engined powered, not just cars. During the hurricane season (Richmond gets the aftermath storms, not the hurricanes - usually) our shop is flooded with rush generator work from people who used them last summer when the power went out, then put them away until this summer.

Doesn't work. Carburetors clog with old fuel.

I make a point to use my generator any time I have to do some kind of work outside that involves electrically powered tools, rather than just plugging into a wall outlet. This guarantees that it gets used about once a month. Also, if you're going to use the car/equipment in lite mode, add Sta-Bil (brand name) to the gas and make sure the stabilized gas runs through the carburetor/fuel injection. It adds a lot of time to the storage capabilities and keeps the fuel system from gumming.

Hence why I do not want a car at all. Plus if you think about it, you can have a top of the line bicycle for less that the cheapest new car. Also too, you can replace every part on the bicycle for the cost of a few exspensive repairs. (Tranny, Engine work, etc) Of course than theirs the obvious measures such as insurance, GAS, etc.

Hence why I do not want a car at all. Plus if you think about it, you can have a top of the line bicycle for less that the cheapest new car. Also too, you can replace every part on the bicycle for the cost of a few exspensive repairs. (Tranny, Engine work, etc) Of course than theirs the obvious measures such as insurance, GAS, etc.

There are some (many) situations where I'd rather have a car than a bicycle. And I certainly would not rather be dependent upon a multi-thousand dollar bicycle over a multi-thousand dollar car as my sole means of transportation. Cars aren't inherently bad; bikes aren't inherently good. Use what gets the job done. I used to be militantly anti-car when approaching grad school. I only wanted a bike, wanted nothing else, said I'd bike everywhere, etc. I thought the way you did. But upon getting here, and being fortunate enough to obtain both a new bike and a used car (which belongs to my parents, but is being lent to me), I've come to realize both vehicles have their place, and I wouldn't want to have to go without one or the other.

Hence why I do not want a car at all. Plus if you think about it, you can have a top of the line bicycle for less that the cheapest new car. Also too, you can replace every part on the bicycle for the cost of a few exspensive repairs. (Tranny, Engine work, etc) Of course than theirs the obvious measures such as insurance, GAS, etc.


Cars have their place and can be useful if used properly. However I complete agree with the cost of repairs...my last truck repair was over $1100, that is about the cost of a Azor Oma...loaded.:notamused: But I can't see riding the Oma 700 miles to my next jobsite with 2,000# of equipment in the rear. Once I get to the jobsite the stuff comes off the truck gets parked and I ride a bike back and forth:D

Aaron:)

There are some (many) situations where I'd rather have a car than a bicycle. And I certainly would not rather be dependent upon a multi-thousand dollar bicycle over a multi-thousand dollar car as my sole means of transportation. Cars aren't inherently bad; bikes aren't inherently good. Use what gets the job done. I used to be militantly anti-car when approaching grad school. I only wanted a bike, wanted nothing else, said I'd bike everywhere, etc. I thought the way you did. But upon getting here, and being fortunate enough to obtain both a new bike and a used car (which belongs to my parents, but is being lent to me), I've come to realize both vehicles have their place, and I wouldn't want to have to go without one or the other.

A well-articulated and balanced position.

But I can't see riding the Oma 700 miles to my next jobsite with 2,000# of equipment in the rear.

Funny how nobody has yet invented a bicycle that can reasonably transport 2000 pounds of equipment over 700 miles powered by a single person.

(on the other hand 1 and a half gallons of diesel fuel is enough fuel for a train to do the same, if you believe the statistics the freight railroads group was sharing on NPR recently)

Funny how nobody has yet invented a bicycle that can reasonably transport 2000 pounds of equipment over 700 miles powered by a single person.

(on the other hand 1 and a half gallons of diesel fuel is enough fuel for a train to do the same, if you believe the statistics the freight railroads group was sharing on NPR recently)

I do...now about that passenger rail...:notamused: When I get assigned a new job site, the first thing I look for is a cycle commutable motel, then rail transport to and from (which is rare once I leave the eastern seaboard), then the distance from my house, then the closest airport. Current job site is in south central Ohio. 45 minutes to the nearest commercial airport, over an hour to the nearest train station. Flying takes about 5 hours total time portal to portal, driving around 8 hours, train over 18 hours. The Dawg takes over 18 hours, costs the same as airfare and the station is 20+ miles away...you pays your nickel and takes your choices.

Aaron:)

The last car I owned, gave me all sorts of headaches with dropped valves and head warp. It wasn't worth much to sell as is, other than for someone to come and tow it away. After six or seven hundred dollars worth of repairs that I couldn't afford, and coming up to registration renewal... well, the decision to turf it was a good one. I recouped the repair cost and spent much of it on a bicycle and the associated gear.

I'm kinda going through a similar situation right now; my only car is an antique Volvo that I never touch and it gives problems the 2 times a month I do take it out. Although it's in great condition I doubt anyone would want to buy it...how much do you get for a car when you junk it?