So what do you drive ?

[JHamilton]

6 month, 13,927 mile check in. 2nd oil change last week, it was MUCH cleaner than the factory stuff after only 5k miles. I used the all wheel drive for the first time today as we have a bit of drizzle today (it's coming down at about an inch an hour). Wow, they have made huge advancements over the last 15 years. My last truck would violently clank in and out of 4wd high and I wouldn't use it. Now I just feel it slightly vibrate and tug on the steering wheel with no noise, it's really cool. Not as much 4x4 street cred as the locking transfer case but in reality, I'd rather have the world's largest Subaru.

[joeb]

Just had the battery die in my 2013 Ram. I looked at my records and they said I last replaced the battery in 2017. I didn't believe it, but sure enough that was the case. Pretty impressive stuff from the Duralast Gold battery. And I even bought the last one at the same store and had the receipt. In 2017 this battery cost $199, and today it was $219. I didn't think that was too bad.

[broadrun96]

My 2014 went 9 years on the factory battery, traded it in with the same one I bought it with. Had a hiccup at Petit one year but no issues after that jump.

I just turned 1800 miles on my truck that's a year older than someone's new Ram. But I'm thinking he's getting better mileage than my 16 currently.

[Gerard C]

Not the same story here about electrical components even EV bicycle batteries are now sky high, Bosch units went from € 370 to € 600. Two years ago I could have the alternator of my Bimmer fixed for circa € 70 now its € 160 when a brand new unit is € 240. And it becomes hard to find a long lasting 105 AH battery. Same for the motorcycles, the Yuasa made in Japan are almost impossible to source.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by joeb

Just had the battery die in my 2013 Ram. I looked at my records and they said I last replaced the battery in 2017. I didn't believe it, but sure enough that was the case. Pretty impressive stuff from the Duralast Gold battery. And I even bought the last one at the same store and had the receipt. In 2017 this battery cost $199, and today it was $219. I didn't think that was too bad.

That is impressive! My 4th gen would give me one warning, a slow crank and a weird code like 'service 4x4 soon' and I would have one more start left in the battery. It was every three years like clockwork. Those batteries are massive so that price is pretty good.

[Gerard C]

Yes they are massive and I wonder who is the handles' designer… When the location is far in the trunk not always easy to catch it!

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Yes they are massive and I wonder who is the handles' designer… When the location is far in the trunk not always easy to catch it!

Talking about poor location for batteries, on my 5 Series, the battery, and the fuse array, is behind a panel in the trunk. To get to them, you have to peel back the carpet, then pull the carpeted panel from under the rubber seals from the trunk opening.

That's not too bad, but it's the hassle trying to put the panel back afterwards that is not so easy. And for me, for reasons that have not been uncovered, for a period a couple of years ago, the fuse to the fuel pump would suddenly blow and need to be quickly changed. And twice it happened when in the middle of turning right in to a main road from a side road, and so I created a hinged flap in the panel to get to the fuses.

[Gerard C]

I know about the main fuse panel of the 5 Series. And yes, to put everything back the same it was when delivered makes you wonder who has been studying this mess. My comment works with the spare wheel too. Now you've created a flap may be you can try and find an automatic rearm circuit breaker to replace the fuse. But if you didn't it means it a big fuse which can't be replaced by anything but a new one!
You're not alone, Mike: https://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/threa...lowing.577050/
https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/f...-blown.733093/

[Mike Harte]

Thanks for that, Gérard. However, since I cut out the flap, it only blew once which was possibly 18 months ago, so, finger and toes crossed, it won't happen again. Now I've said that, it'll probably let go tomorrow!

The first time it happened, I was in the process of overtaking a farm tractor and trailer going down a hill on a country road, and it felt as if I had run out of fuel (petrol in my BMW). So, thinking that the fuel gauge must be faulty, it showing over a quarter of a tank, I called a taxi to take me to the nearest garage to buy a can and a gallon of petrol.

Got back and made no difference. Called the breakdown service, who came out and diagnosed that something to do with the crankshaft was the problem. Had it towed in to my local garage were they have MOT'ed my cars for more than a decade, and after some detective work, the boss deduced that fuel wasn't getting through because no power to the pump. And that is situated under the rear seats, so all of that had to come out. And all that was wrong was that the fuse had blown, and we still don't know why!

Who designs cars nowadays and then thinks that these things should go in inaccessible places?

[Gerard C]

If we're waiting for all parts subject to failure to be easily reached, we'll end up with a fully loaded trailer and some boxes on the roof rack I fear!