What are your car's quirks?

[NSXType-R]

I know we had a discussion about cars having souls in the past, now I'm asking you guys, what are the little quirks you live with in the cars you have? The squeaks, the grumbles, the electronics that are never really fully straightened out, the door lock that never really opens unless you insert the key correctly, etc and all that other weirdness that comes with old and maybe newer cars.

By the way, they need not be all bad.

I thought about this today because I know exactly how the Accord sounds. The fuel pump has a specific sound, the suspension rebound has a specific thunk. That's why even though I was working in the front yard, I knew my mother drove into the neighborhood.

On the downside, I guess most newer cars drive don't have any quirks at all?

[wwgkd]

Well, my Jeep is mostly quirks at this point. If anything didn't rattle, it would stand out like a sore thumb. I have the soft upper doors and the driver side window zipper was messed up years ago so the window won’t zip shut, it’s just held in place at the corners by the two zippers. Though I'm about to actually fix that so it stops acting like a scoop sucking in rain and snow. The passenger side door lock sticks in cold weather (I may fix that before next winter, too.)

The sound system had a run in with too much water, and hasn't worked for 5-6 years, but I don't mind that too much. The driver side seat back adjuster is stuck in place, leaning just a little too far back for most people to be comfortable, though I have gotten used to it. After the combination of taller tires and lower gearing settles out, the speedometer reads about 15% higher than your actual speed, though this varies a bit since 2 inches of the 33 inch tire height is actually tread depth and when the tires are worn down it significantly effects the speedo. I kind of like this since it give me an excuse not to let other people drive it.

Course, most of these quirks come from decades of abuse and aftermarket parts. Still it makes for a car with character.

[Kitdy]

wwgkd, you seem to like your privacy, and that's fine, but we really need some nice pics of your Jeep with the plate blurred out. You did give us some shots, but they were shit.

This is a beast - get some nice before it (she?) dies.

Does it (she?) have a name?

[wwgkd]

No name. It's just the Invincible Jeep. I would give you better shots, but I don't have a camera. Am going up to the mountains this weekend for some fun, I'll see if I can get my friend to bring her camera to show it in it's natural element.

[whiteballz]

"quirks"? Too many. waaay too many.

[clutch-monkey]

shit i'd have to do an essay to list each cars quirks lol.

[cmcpokey]

shit i'd have to do an essay to list each cars quirks lol.

i am much the same, but don't believe for a second that just because a car is new, it doesn't have its quirks. just more of the stuff works.

noteworthy ones.... the CX-7 has voice commanded navigation, and if you say boobs it will show amusement parks on the map.

in the G, if you want to drive smoothly, start in 2nd gear, and forget about using 1st.

the rx has to be driven for half an hour or so before it wants to go into 2nd gear, before that point you have to double clutch... actually you do after as well, it just gets easier to get it to go in.

[clutch-monkey]

noteworthy ones.... the CX-7 has voice commanded navigation, and if you say boobs it will show amusement parks on the map.


that has to be an easter egg lol.

[cmcpokey]

that has to be an easter egg lol.

it doesnt work all the time.. but it is good for driving with friends.

[Niko_Fx]

The Z is good so far.

My wife's Scion Xa has a small compartment for garbage which my wife uses for coins. If the compartment is closed, it makes the coins rattle and they make an annoying little sound, if you open it completely it does the same, but if you open it half-way through, the noise stops...

[henk4]

I love it when I read on my little display that none of the rear seat passengers has attached his safety belt. Especially when there is nobody sitting there.
Main problem: too many gears to choose from....but main advantage, you can easily skip one or two.

[brandisher]

I have a 08 wagon WRX

1. Ridiculous wind noise at crusing speeds (70mph).
2. Makes weird squeeks and groans like an old house on slow turns, less noticable on faster turns.
3. Speakers rattle like there's a blown speaker, but after getting it professionally replaced, nope it still made the weird noise

That's all I can really think of at the moment. Think hard about getting a WRX. I know I will next time. . . .

[Kitdy]

No name. It's just the Invincible Jeep. I would give you better shots, but I don't have a camera. Am going up to the mountains this weekend for some fun, I'll see if I can get my friend to bring her camera to show it in it's natural element.

Females tolerate your presence?

EDIT: They surely don't tolerate mine!

[ruim20]

Hum, 1999 FIAT Brava, do i really need to say more?

Ok... 2nd gear never works right, you really have to slow down to get it down from 3rd, double clutch does nothing, going up or down.

You can run out of oil and the light never lights up, speaking of oil, i have to keep an eye on it every week, it magicaly desapears!

The engine managment system needs to be 'uploaded' almost every year. It needs it right now and to change the iddle engine to.

Apart from that i kinda like it, if i had it with the diesel 105bhp i wouldn't worry about changing car and run it to the ground. I willl probably run it to the ground as it is.

Oh! it has the best set of pedals i ever used, the cluth has about 10cms of run, the brake pedal is about 5 cms higher than the acelerator wich makes it perfect for heel and toe (you'll need it to get that 2nd gear in!).

[VOGUE_MAN]

In April I bought a new Land Rover Defender. Obviously long before I bought it I knew it was going to break down constantly and everything would always be broken. But rest assured, this is the first car I've ever owned that really had a soul. My Range Rover (which I don't own anymore but am stuck with the name) was like a lounge room and the Landcruiser is clinical like a hospital but the Defender makes you feel like you're part of the car. There's no carpets or any sound proofing so you hear every little creak and rattle and it's brilliant - plus it's already been about 10 000km and it hasn't broken down yet.

[clutch-monkey]

the 911 has an absurdly satisfying click when you slot the gearstick into fifth, like as if fifth is separated from the other gears by a gate or switch.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

My Volvo's glovebox stubbornly refuses to open. It's mostly sound based stuff with her - the rattle of the exhaust, the ping of the engine if she runs low on oil - all stuff thats easy to remedy but she complains about nonetheless.

One really odd quirk is that the headrests, despite being ergonomically designed, aren't built for anyone taller than 6'0, it seems.

[fpv_gtho]

Hmm, the Pulsar.

The clutch. Generally ive got it setup pretty close to the floor, and with the cable stretching/loosening on adjustment, it gets ridiculously close to the floor at times. One of my mates took it for a drive once, and being so used to his Falcon with the clutch adjusted pretty high, continually stalled it trying to get out of an uphill driveway. The pedal makes a constant springy noise whenever i lift off with even the smallest amount of tension still on the pedal.

Drive it at 140-160km/h and then slow down to 60km/h and you WILL go numb. Your hands at least. Havent done it on anything more than a straightline. I guess thats all a result of the deteriorating window seals, short gearing (approx 5000rpm at 160km/h) and steering wobbles.

For awhile, the tacho wasnt working properly. It would take maybe a minute or so before it would pickup. After awhile, i had to start tapping the tacho to get it working quicker. Soon after, i had to tap harder. Then harder still. One day i was being a smartarse, and not knowing my strength i punched it, cracked the plastic screen so needless to say its pretty rooted now.

[Matra et Alpine]

Cold switch-off procedures in the RX-8 .... If you only run the car for a few minutes - so it is cold - then you have to hold the revs to 4K for 15 seconds and switch off with the throttle still held. It's included in the manual now. Used to cause starting problems if you didn't' as lots of fuel would lie in the rotor tips !

Matra Bagheera rear glass latches. Would stick and you had to push down to release it. SOMETIMES it was sticky enough you could pull the lever, push the glass and it would release. Most of the time though it was a two-person job, one at each end. Used to get odd looks in car parks when I would ask someone to pull my lever while I pushed the glass :)

Door lock on the family Pug. Won't lock ALL doors unless you lock and then START to unlock when it then goes clunk on all. Should fix it some day :)

Quantum kit car. Will read 1/4 tank until you accelerate and then stop -- then it reads ( and acts ) empty. Big dent in the fuel tank means the fuel stays at the pickup end (front) but if you accelerate hard enough you can push it all the way to the back and the pick up suck air ..... until you brake hard and bring all the fuel to the front again. Maybe rallying it without a full stone guard wasn't a good idea :)

My now favorite quirk is on the RX-8. Fitted short-shift gearchange. MUCH better and now as you rest on the knob there is a very nice mechanical sound akin to a 1930s Mercedes Supercharger as you accelerate. Reckon the old part had less tolerance and the sloppiness "absorbed" the tranny sound :) Still it's good for getting a smile on petrolheads in the passenger seat :)

[ThisBlood147]

Squeaking and grunting in the rear from the stupidly stiff suspension I've put on the car. 2nd gear seems to have evolved into an on/off switch during the last two years. It also seems to have a miraculous hex on it that causes every traffic light I approach to turn red while driving it.:mad:

[whiteballz]

Where to begin.... just two of my cars for now..

Quirk of the Subaru Liberty that I learnt to drive on.. Its bullet proof.
Nothing EVER goes wrong on it for the 12 years we've owned it.

Quirks from the silvia?

Tunnels were awesome, cat back 3" pipe into a resonator into a hidden bent 3 1/2 tip.
When I picked up clutch once we couldnt talk for a number of minutes due to our heads ringing.
Drivers side door wouldnt unlock from the drivers side.
Sunroof would leak precicely down my girlfriends clevage when it rained. (always good)
Deliciously tractable and predictable sideways (more so than the E30 two cars later).
Shit broke. EVERY time I drove it.
As I was driving it to meet a potential buyer when I was selling it Cylinder No.2 dropped and was running on 3 cylinders. As SOON as the buyer drove away after checking it out the cylinder magically started to fire again and worked fine.

[NicFromLA]

My Ferrari California HATES the cold. Even if the car is hasn't been driven for a couple days, at 75 degrees (F) she revs, shifts, rides and handles better than at 60 degrees. Once the car itself warms up it's a little better, but for the most part it likes the heat.

[NSXType-R]

Haha, I love reading these stories!

Keep them coming.

The Acura TL is a weird one. It's a 1995 model year based on its VIN number, but based on Acura records the first generation TL was only sold from 1996 onwards.

According to my dad's buddy, who's a parts manager for Acura, it could be a test mule that as refitted and sold off again. Which explains why the check engine light always comes on and the engine runs roughly. My dad's been looking for the source of the issue for a long time since we've had the car, we haven't been able to figure it out.

[whiteballz]

Sorry to burst your bubble, Your car was built the year before it went on sale.

[NSXType-R]

Sorry to burst your bubble, Your car was built the year before it went on sale.

Probably, but that's what they said, and that's what I'm telling you guys. I had thought that too.

Who knows, I don't think test mules are worth anything anyway, not much of a big deal.

[clutch-monkey]

When I picked up clutch once we couldnt talk for a number of minutes due to our heads ringing.

you forgot the part when talking in the cabin with all windows shut, the sound would resonate so much it was like talking through fans at each other... which we solved by stuffing a mattress in the boot.

[whiteballz]

Wasn't in the boot though. It took up the rear seats :p
And yet people managed to sleep in it while I was driving through the cotter road in canberra at 2AM..

Aaaand the girls managed to sleep when we took it out to Mt wilson + Mt Tomah.. God knows how.

EDIT: just remembered - Exact quote from clutch's GF in the back seat when I turned the car off
*wakes up* "wheres the noise gone?"

[wwgkd]

Females tolerate your presence?

EDIT: They surely don't tolerate mine!

Missed this the first time through. Well, she has low standards in friends. I'll see if I can get a pic of her to post along with the Jeep. Doesn't like getting her picture taken, though so it may be tough. Is selfconcious about her chest being too big or some such silliness.


Thought I'd post a few more here. Regarding the tires, they are loud enough at freeway speeds (70-75mph) that I can't hear a siren until it's almost on top of me. The tall sidewalls don't lend it a porsche like steering feel, either, you almost have to plan your turns in advance then wait for the tires to decide to change direction. On the other hand being over a foot wide they do follow the road very well, even when you don't want to. The tread goes so far down the sidewall that if you accidentally bump a curb you end up on top of the sidewalk before you can blink. Pedestrians are not amused. Sidewinds are an issue, too. Even little ones. When passing a semi on the freeway you have to steer towards it as you near the air coming around the front end to keep from being pushed into the next lane.

My dad had this old ford E350 extended van when I was a kid that was pretty cool. One year picking up kids for my birthday party we fit 2 adults and 7 kids, all with seatbelts. Didn't even have to remove the 6 bales of hay or 3 50lb bags of grain we had in the back, either. It had been converted to a 4x4 since they never made them that way and had a 460 V8. The downside to it was that it got 8mpg. Up hill, down hill, towing or empty it always got 8. And the transfer case was tricky; to shift into 4 wheel drive you either had to be going 30mph or the incredible hulk. Parking lots were best avoided unless completely empty since the turning radius was roughly 200 yards. Occassionally near the end of it's life when you switched from one gas tank to the other, the fuel gauge got confused and continued to read empty, so you had to switch back and forth a couple times to get it to read. In the middle of nowhere this gets you wondering if you remembered to fill both tanks.

[Kitdy]

My Ferrari California HATES the cold. Even if the car is hasn't been driven for a couple days, at 75 degrees (F) she revs, shifts, rides and handles better than at 60 degrees. Once the car itself warms up it's a little better, but for the most part it likes the heat.

Since when did you get a California? I remember you talking about liking them, but I didn't figure you'd actually pick one up.

A Cayenne first, and a California second. I think a many purists (Ferrer especially included) would have a problem with your selection of cars, but props to you for not caring what they think.

[culver]

I have a SAAB.

[johnnynumfiv]

the 911 has an absurdly satisfying click when you slot the gearstick into fifth, like as if fifth is separated from the other gears by a gate or switch.

Does that have the 915 gearbox?

[NicFromLA]

Since when did you get a California? I remember you talking about liking them, but I didn't figure you'd actually pick one up.

A Cayenne first, and a California second. I think a many purists (Ferrer especially included) would have a problem with your selection of cars, but props to you for not caring what they think.

I don't. I enjoy driving what I enjoy driving. And if I did the fact that I've been spending my spare time trying to unclog fuel lines in my 1962 Porsche must earn me a little credit.

[clutch-monkey]

Does that have the 915 gearbox?

yup.
just not the same with the G50.
edit: sorry it has the G15

[Ferrer]

My Ferrari California HATES the cold. Even if the car is hasn't been driven for a couple days, at 75 degrees (F) she revs, shifts, rides and handles better than at 60 degrees. Once the car itself warms up it's a little better, but for the most part it likes the heat.
Flappy or manual?

[Timothy (in VA)]

Ah, quirks. My '74 Cougar has a few of those.

- The windshield washer pump doesn't work, and hasn't since I've been the owner. The instrument panel lights don't work either; when I drive at night I have to have the map light on so I can read the gauges
- She has a tendency to overheat occasionally. I think this is why Ford added cooling holes in the bumper for the '75 models.
- It usually takes me two or three tries to get her to start, especially if she's been sitting for a while. A while back, there was a period when she absolutely refused to start if it was raining. Then she stopped starting altogether; turns out there was a problem with the ignition system.
- She does not like the cold.
- The power steering groans and whirs until she gets warmed up.
- The radio goes staticky in certain areas of my neighborhood; I think it gets interference from the broadcast tower on top of the hill.
- She smells funny, like an old car should.

[Rasmus]

The aftermarket cams cause it to run a bit off for the first few minutes. Don't know if I'd call it a quirk or not. Bad tune more than quirk.
Passenger side tail light rattles from time to time after hard accelerations.
Stock stereo head unit loses its connection to the ipod link every now and again.
Passenger side seat lever constantly breaks off.

[Matra et Alpine]

Passenger side seat lever constantly breaks off.
Presumably from them hanging on in shear panic as you plant it :)

[Ferrer]

The Bimmer's indicators self-center themselves when putting them on, so when you try to cancel them sometimes, accidentally, you put the other one on. Being, german though, that's not really a quirk, it's a stupid design fault that drives me mad.

And then there's the Lancia. There's quirk-fest for you.

For instance, the car won't let you engage high-beam when the headlamps are in auto mode, even though they are on because it's at night. So when driving at night, you can drive in auto mode, you've got to turn them off and then manually turn them on.

The handle from the sunroof cover has fallen off so many times that we can even be bothered to take it to the dealer to reair it again.

The windscreen wipers are simply unfathomable, after almost a year of ownership I still don't understand how the hell they work. So whenever it rains what you do is toss the lever about untill the water in the windscreen is wiped off. I think there's an automatic mode too, but they act so erratically that sometime when there's a lot of rain they don't move an inch and then when there's nothing they move about frantically.

The Delta is a big car, yet there's not headroom in the back at all. Oh, and the headrests in the back have to be put all the way up for them to be not too annoying, even for me which I'm a short bloke.

There's quite a lot of turbo whistle from the engine and with the radio off it is clearly audible.

The buletooth system won't let you dial or search for a phone number in the stored memory of the car unless you are stopped. So, if you've suddenly remembered you've got to call someone while you are on the road, bad luck!

Altough there's a CD slot in which you can insert CDs in the radio, there is no CD button in the radio. So you can't actually listen to any CD at all. So it's not reall a Radio-CD, this.

Everytime you break a bit hard, and sometimes even without the ABS going off, the emeregency lights flash a couple of times.

And off the top of my head I think that this is all for now. :)

[csl177]

yup. just not the same with the G50. edit: sorry it has the G15

Wuss. Real Porsches have 901 dogleg CR 5 speeds. :p

My cars don't have quirks. They have character. :D

[henk4]

interesting quirks
I personally find any self resetting indicator annoying, up until the last Xantia I always made that mechanism unfunctional, so I always had full control of the indicators. Unfortunately it is now to expensive to do that to the C5.

Lancia:
You should always switch your lights on also during the day. In Italy it is mandatory, so probably the auto function is a bit of a waste.
For the wipers, why not study the manual? Ditto for the CD player.
The (lack of) interior space of the car is not a quirk, but a given. (seems to be a characteristic of the cars you are buying:))
The fact that blue tooth does not seem to work properly should be a sign that you NEVER under any circumstances should make phonecalls in a moving car...
That the emergency lights flash might be a sign that keeping a proper distance in Italy is not a high priority.
Some people love the whistling of a turbo
The sunroof handle is just plain stupid.

[Ferrer]

For the wipers, why not study the manual? Ditto for the CD player.
Men never read manuals. ;)

However, you've made me remember another quirk with that. Recently the hour changed from the winter-time to the summer-time and of course the car's clock had to be changed. I started going through the menu that is accessed by the buttons on the steering wheel. I looked through every sub-menu several times, but there was nothing, nothing that let you change the clock.

I was so fed up that even I resorted to lokking in the owner's manual. Until, I discovered that there's another Menu button on the right side of the radio, which let's you change the car's settings. This button not only it's small, but it's actually more accessible by the passenger than the driver... :p

[henk4]

Men never read manuals. ;)

However, you've made me remember another quirk with that. Recently the hour changed from the winter-time to the summer-time and of course the car's clock had to be changed. I started going through the menu that is accessed by the buttons on the steering wheel. I looked through every sub-menu several times, but there was nothing, nothing that let you change the clock.

I was so fed up that even I resorted to lokking in the owner's manual. Until, I discovered that there's another Menu button on the right side of the radio, which let's you change the car's settings. This button not only it's small, but it's actually more accessible by the passenger than the driver... :p

Actually I never bother doing these sort of things, you are only dealing with unessential aspects anyway. (is that why your button is more accessible for the passenger?) If something needs to be adjusted I always leave that to the younger generation.

[Ferrer]

Actually I never bother doing these sort of things, you are only dealing with unessential aspects anyway. (is that why your button is more accessible for the passenger?) If something needs to be adjusted I always leave that to the younger generation.
Well, at home I am the younger generation. :)

[Revo]

And then there's the Lancia. There's quirk-fest for you....
Ferrer, you have just described yourself as a typical "dumb user". :p

Now, some quirks from my vehicles.

Fiat Punto and indicator stalk. About 99% of the time it works just fine. But every now and then, the indicator stalk stops working. Most likely it is bad connection somwhere. However, the problem is infrequent enough not deal with it.

Saab 900 and stalling engine. When doing a gear change and you let RPMs drop to idle, the engine might stall. Again, that happens very occasionaly, but it does happen. Especially if strangers are behind the wheel, as if Saab is trying to test them out.

Saab and reverse gear. You are not guaranteed to find it every time, but it is there all right.

[Cyco]

Revo do you also find that the 1st time you look for 5th it didn't feel like it went far enough forward? Also a Saab speciality is the crappy earth connections, as electricity is by Lucas

[Sauc3]

BMW E34 535i from 1988:

She doesn't like to stand for more than a couple of days, and anything longer than a week and she's REALLY grumpy. It takes around 20-25 minutes of driving with minimal stop-starting before she's mild mannered again. Usually she shows her displeasure with various levels of accelerator pedal being withheld from proper use.

She needs to wake up and stretch before starting. Turn the key to the full power but not engine on setting, and then let all the noises die down. If you turn it on too early, she is very unhappy and generally won't start the next time you try. She needs to wake up EVERY time you stop.

Dashboard instruments such as fuel guage, trip meter, service interval meter, oil temp and fuel consumption meter work intermittently, mostly when she's warm. The colder weather seems to give her chills and she shuts those things off to warm up.

She ONLY likes rain water to hit her windshield, so she's caused a leak in the windshield washer reservoir. If your windshield gets dirty you're shit out of luck and need to visit the petrol station, or wash the whole car. She LOVES being washed.

The last time someone drove her, she dropped the diff out of protest (seriously). I don't let other people drive her anymore.

The right rear door's lock is temperamental and decides at random whether it will lock or remain unlocked. It's also the side I leave camera gear in...

She doesn't like cold to the point of breaking the valve switching between cold and warm air in the air con. Only warm air remains, which can only be switched on at one temperature and one speed - HOT and HARDEST.

She doesn't like to be a working car. I had a job as a pizza delivery driver. For 2 days. She broke down on both attempts.

Her keys work with her locks only. I got a new and spare key because it was never originally included, and it's not worn down enough to unlock or start the car.

If she's having a bad day she doesn't like 80kp/h - 87kp/h, with violent wheel wobbling. She also doesn't like braking from 120kp/h down to 90kp/h, with just as severe wheel wobbling.

Probably not her fault, but the left rear has a slow leak. Never goes down below 15psi though.

Her auto-dipping mirror when switching into reverse has stopped working after a fight about all the other stuff that wasn't working. That stopped working and everything else started working again.


All this talk is making me miss her. I'm gonna go for a drive!

[whiteballz]

Thats a shitbox right there.

Jks jks.


The last time someone drove her, she dropped the diff out of protest (seriously). I don't let other people drive her anymore

When did I drive it? :p

[clutch-monkey]

in my first mini the headlights would switch off everytime i went around a corner, only to flick back on again when the car straightened up.
was..entertaining. good for testing your memory.. "i hope this corner is as sharp as i remember it..."

[Sauc3]

Thats a shitbox right there.

Jks jks.



When did I drive it? :p
It's an absolute shitbox, and I love 'er.

If you had driven it she would've dropped it before you even got in.

Seriously though, mate got in, drove a block and a half straight, all good, waited at a stop sign to turn, as soon as he was about to go *BANG*...
He did nothing wrong, hadn't been driving for more than 20 seconds and my car just wasn't having it.

[henk4]

as long as the famous BMW-blue smoke does not appear when lifting, you are more or less ok...

[fpv_gtho]

in my first mini the headlights would switch off everytime i went around a corner, only to flick back on again when the car straightened up.
was..entertaining. good for testing your memory.. "i hope this corner is as sharp as i remember it..."

Reminds me of my brothers LR Discovery, which used to turn the headlights off if you put the blinker on.

[Lagonda]

Everytime you break a bit hard, and sometimes even without the ABS going off, the emeregency lights flash a couple of times.

You're braking pretty damn hard if that happens. If not, something's wrong and you should get it checked out. You don't want a faulty or misbehaving brake system.

[henk4]

You're braking pretty damn hard if that happens. If not, something's wrong and you should get it checked out. You don't want a faulty or misbehaving brake system.

now that you mentiion it, I may have felt the ABS only a couple of times , when braking on snow, doing about 15 kph....for the rest, braking is just a loss of energy.

[Ferrer]

You're braking pretty damn hard if that happens. If not, something's wrong and you should get it checked out. You don't want a faulty or misbehaving brake system.
Well all of the other cars I've driven didn't have that problem, so I don't think it's me in this case. However, watching the Stig's lap in the 500A SS had the same problem, and I've also read reviews which highlighted it, so in a car that's far less sporty I guess it's normal, and an overzealous health and safety measures.

(Of course it doesn't happen at all when driving "normally")

[Revo]

Revo do you also find that the 1st time you look for 5th it didn't feel like it went far enough forward?
Yeah, sometimes.

Somehow, every gear change is different in that car. They range from effortless, silky-smooth affair to ####! where is my gear now?!?

But I suppose there are worse gearboxes out there, so I don't want to complain too much.

[Matra et Alpine]

Alfa gearboxes must be the ultimate "quirky" :)

Going back to Alfasud, sprint and 33 .. friend was an alfa-nut and had "Cloverleaf" of all.
HORRIBLE to drive and never able to find a gear, always clunky and wooly ..... until you drove it enough to learn where to apply pressure and how much and THEN it was one of the sweetest gearboxes around :)

[Commodore GS/E]

If i drive my Commo on the Autobahn (which i do rather often), it begins to rattle in the dashboard. I have searched for the source of the noise for a long time, but i just don't find it. That can be very frustrating sometimes, but at least it only happens if i drive on unrepaired Autobahn parts. Which you see rather often in Thuringia (sadly). Apart from that, i never had problems.

[Revo]

until you drove it enough to learn where to apply pressure and how much and THEN it was one of the sweetest gearboxes around :)
Exactly. The variable here is the driver and his (or hers) skills, not a set of geared wheels.

I suppose the bottom line here is that those difficulties only make each well executed gear shift so much more satisfying.

[Matra et Alpine]

Nearly what I was saying Revo ... the Alfa gearbox change mechanism WAS a terrible design leading to all that uncertaintly of where things were and how to get to them.
The driver had to learn.
A good gear linkage - no quirks - has none of that. Liek the Ford Type 9 :)

[NSXType-R]

Wow, that's a crapload of quirks for the BMW. I couldn't live with that. :D

[clutch-monkey]

Wow, that's a crapload of quirks for the BMW. I couldn't live with that. :D

that's cos you're a honda fanboy :p you're used to everything working! :D

[Cyco]

Yeah, sometimes.

Somehow, every gear change is different in that car. They range from effortless, silky-smooth affair to ####! where is my gear now?!?

But I suppose there are worse gearboxes out there, so I don't want to complain too much.

Do you also have trouble finding reverse at times?

There is a small break away link for the gear shift to help the engine go under the car in a big accident. Unfortunately it is rubber and cops a lot of heat off the exhaust. They need fairly regular replacement, or modification to a less safe, more solid design. They also happen to be a massive pain to replace...

[NSXType-R]

that's cos you're a honda fanboy :p you're used to everything working! :D

That's true. Take the '83 Accord- it starts after the second try after it's been sitting for a month and half. As long as you warm it up, it's fine. Cold starts are usually okay too. The battery needs to be looked after especially if it's been sitting for a while, but what battery doesn't run out of juice?

[RacingManiac]

Steering wheel shakes at 120kph....gets better at 130 or 110. Wheels are balanced and whatnot...I think its something in the steering linkage that vibrates....

[Matra et Alpine]

EDIT: Do you trust the guys who balanced them ?
Most dont' get it right and instead of working on the in/out balance properly will just throw more weights on till the machine says "OK". Especially if it's a third or fourth tyre and all the old weights are still on there :) :) YES, I've seen em do that :(


Check the balance weights are still on :)

Out of balance disc or a worn bearing or ball joint or at a pinch an arm bush.
Get under and start pushing and pulling :(

[johnnynumfiv]

Wuss. Real Porsches have 901 dogleg CR 5 speeds. :p


At least you don't have to shift with the 914's Rube Goldberg designed linkage. Fast shifts usually lead to disaster.:p

[Commodore GS/E]

Take the '83 Accord- it starts after the second try after it's been sitting for a month and half. As long as you warm it up, it's fine. Cold starts are usually okay too. The battery needs to be looked after especially if it's been sitting for a while, but what battery doesn't run out of juice?

Sigh. Those were the times when Honda built well-engineered, reliable cars. Today, ot seems like they constantly build cars that nobody wants/needs. They even decided to redevelope the next gen Civic AGAIN because it's not up to the competition. Sad days.

[NSXType-R]

Sigh. Those were the times when Honda built well-engineered, reliable cars. Today, ot seems like they constantly build cars that nobody wants/needs. They even decided to redevelope the next gen Civic AGAIN because it's not up to the competition. Sad days.

Honda still makes decent family cars. I don't like the direction that the design is going though. They make butt ugly cars- the Acura ZDX and the Crosstour especially. And the design theme through Acura is terrible- the beak needs to go.

Other than that and the fact that the S2000 is dead, I really have no complaints.

[Kitdy]

Honda doesn't really make any cars for gearheads anymore though. The Si sorta, but it is vastly outclassed by it's forced induction competitors.

The S2000 cost 55 grand in Canada before it was canned which I is a ripoff of epic proportions. Acuras are ugly and don't have the sporting credentials that Infiniti or BMW have - which is fine, Acura is going for a different market, but disappointing. The CR-Z is garbage, as is the Insight and Ridgeline.

The Civic is old, the Crosstour a joke. What do you exactly mean when you say you really have no complaints? Honda's current lineup is so boring. The only saving graces are the Accord and Fit.

[Matra et Alpine]

yes, the loss of a real sporty edgy Honda is a shame.

BUT, I'd rather have a couple of years of money-makers than have another government prop up another car maker somewhere in the world :) We know who we mean :)

Howeer, I do think the Civic does hold it's own in looks in todays line-up.
( hmmm, do you guys get the same ones we do ?? :) )
Needs a proper, full-on Tyre-R relaunch, but the Mugen 200 will do till then I think !!!

[NSXType-R]

Honda doesn't really make any cars for gearheads anymore though. The Si sorta, but it is vastly outclassed by it's forced induction competitors.

The S2000 cost 55 grand in Canada before it was canned which I is a ripoff of epic proportions. Acuras are ugly and don't have the sporting credentials that Infiniti or BMW have - which is fine, Acura is going for a different market, but disappointing. The CR-Z is garbage, as is the Insight and Ridgeline.

The Civic is old, the Crosstour a joke. What do you exactly mean when you say you really have no complaints? Honda's current lineup is so boring. The only saving graces are the Accord and Fit.

That's true, the CR-Z is not the car I wanted either. What exactly do you want? I can complain all I want, it's not like Honda's going to listen.

[Ferrer]

EDM Hondas aren't bad, altough not terribly outstanding either. They've always been the forgotten cars, not quite as popular as generalist manufacturers but not quite as good to against the big boys either.

[csl177]

At least you don't have to shift with the 914's Rube Goldberg designed linkage. Fast shifts usually lead to disaster.:p

Consider it character building. Then change it to a side-shifter to avert further carnage.

The CSL does have a quirk I've got to find and fix: It won't run smoothly unless the throttle if pegged. If not fixed it just might kill me. :eek:

[Matra et Alpine]

....a quirk I've got to find and fix: It won't run smoothly unless the throttle if pegged. If not fixed it just might kill me. :eek:
As the old joke goes .....

That's easily fixed with some adjustment to the nut that holds the steering wheel :)

[clutch-monkey]

i've noticed mum's car hates fuel.
it just dumps the stuff straight into the exhaust whenever you lift off.

[whiteballz]

That an awesome quirk, Espeically doing hektic tough laps in parramatta on a saturday night with a manatee and four pizza's in the car.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

That an awesome quirk, Espeically doing hektic tough laps in parramatta on a saturday night with a manatee and four pizza's in the car.

Jealous...

[clutch-monkey]

That an awesome quirk, Espeically doing hektic tough laps in parramatta on a saturday night with a manatee and four pizza's in the car.
setting off car alarms was fun :cool:

Jealous...

next time regi...

[NSXType-R]

Bump...

After having the Acura TL for a couple months, it has a very unusual quirk- the contacts for the power doors are probably loose. Sometimes, the car will lock all the doors multiple times by itself. I have yet to be locked out, but I can already see it happening.

The '83 Accord has a very loose trunk latch. You need to push the trunk release switch back in for the rear to catch properly.

And the Subaru Forester likes eating its front brake rotors. They're not OEM, but it still goes through them pretty quickly.

[pimento]

And the Subaru Forester likes eating its front brake rotors. They're not OEM, but it still goes through them pretty quickly.

Maybe you should try the OEM ones then. :p

I think most of my car's quirks stem from the fact that it spent most of its life in Wales. In saying that though, it's been pretty good.

[Ferrer]

Mazda.

If you unlock the car and do not open the doors it locks itself after a couple of minutes.

The fuel gauge indicator is stupid. When the reserve light pops up it descends to empty very quickly. Then you go to a petrol station to fill it up, only to discover that most times there are still 10 litres or more of petrol inside.

The boot release switch is next to the bonnet release switch.

Pretty much all cars blind you at night and sometimes you can't really tell if they have their high beams or not. This is a problem with SUVs especially.

The passenger seat is actually lower than the lowest setting of the driver's seat. And it is fixed.

The radio always is on the hunt for new frequencies on which to hear the radio station you currently have on. Even if is it heard perfectly. This drives me up the wall.

The fuel filler cap release is inside the glove box behind the seats. If you don't pull you can't refuel the car (because you can't open the fuel filler).

[Man of Steel]

Renault Twingo II, bought new in 2008.

- Power stalls up to 30 km/h, after that suddenly it picks up. According to dealership the fuel supply is cut down in low range for fuel economy reasons. We are talking about a modest 1.1 litre here...
- After only 50K or so, you hear all sorts of noises from the interior. But I am used to that with my earlier cars. If I want a quiet ride, I will order a Rolls dear sir.
- The aftermarket radio has fragile front plate which trembles when driving over bad roads. The Kenwoord radio is annoying to say the least at is virtually impossible to change a setting without pushing another button.

Alfa Romeo 147 from 2007, bought last year.
- Italian cars do not have any quirks. The quirks which do occur are built in on purpose to show just how good the cars are actually. :)

Ah well OK. The fuel cap here as well is a nightmare. The first two weeks it was almost Mission Impossible to get the darn thing locked again. Surprised looks from other people at the gas station while you are spending 8 minutes locking it were quite common.

When too much water reaches the bottom of the car (when washing, not when it rains luckily) part of the handbrake system is in "rusty mode" and the system blocks the rear wheels when driving again the next day. After a *clunk* sound the brake is released and there is movement again.

[NSXType-R]

Maybe you should try the OEM ones then. :p

I think most of my car's quirks stem from the fact that it spent most of its life in Wales. In saying that though, it's been pretty good.

My dad does maintenance on all our cars, and his parts supplier can give them to him for free. I told him he might as well just get OEM ones as he'll save time replacing them all the time... but he's stubborn.


Mazda.

If you unlock the car and do not open the doors it locks itself after a couple of minutes.

The fuel gauge indicator is stupid. When the reserve light pops up it descends to empty very quickly. Then you go to a petrol station to fill it up, only to discover that most times there are still 10 litres or more of petrol inside.

The boot release switch is next to the bonnet release switch.

Pretty much all cars blind you at night and sometimes you can't really tell if they have their high beams or not. This is a problem with SUVs especially.

The passenger seat is actually lower than the lowest setting of the driver's seat. And it is fixed.

The radio always is on the hunt for new frequencies on which to hear the radio station you currently have on. Even if is it heard perfectly. This drives me up the wall.

The fuel filler cap release is inside the glove box behind the seats. If you don't pull you can't refuel the car (because you can't open the fuel filler).

Speaking of fuel filler cap releases, the Forester's release is automatic or nonexistant. There is no button, you just pull it open. Seems pretty dangerous to me. I've heard of stories where people just siphon gas out your car. I don't want my gas stolen. Or worse, have sugar poured into the gas tank.

The Forester also has an inconsistent fuel gauge. It feels like the length the needle travels is not "to scale". It drops very quickly after the halfway mark.

And the Forester either has an unusually loose rear hatch or a really sensitive "looseness" sensor. You really need to slam it for the sensor to turn off. And the door ajar sensor is just a door ajar sensor. It doesn't tell you which door, it just tells you at least one of the 4 doors are open or the rear hatch isn't fully shut. So stupid.

The 1983 Accord's temperature gauge is either sluggish or broken. You need to warm it up of course, but you need to drive it at least 10 miles for the needle to lift up even a little bit.


Renault Twingo II, bought new in 2008.

- Power stalls up to 30 km/h, after that suddenly it picks up. According to dealership the fuel supply is cut down in low range for fuel economy reasons. We are talking about a modest 1.1 litre here...
- After only 50K or so, you hear all sorts of noises from the interior. But I am used to that with my earlier cars. If I want a quiet ride, I will order a Rolls dear sir.
- The aftermarket radio has fragile front plate which trembles when driving over bad roads. The Kenwoord radio is annoying to say the least at is virtually impossible to change a setting without pushing another button.

Alfa Romeo 147 from 2007, bought last year.
- Italian cars do not have any quirks. The quirks which do occur are built in on purpose to show just how good the cars are actually. :)

Ah well OK. The fuel cap here as well is a nightmare. The first two weeks it was almost Mission Impossible to get the darn thing locked again. Surprised looks from other people at the gas station while you are spending 8 minutes locking it were quite common.

When too much water reaches the bottom of the car (when washing, not when it rains luckily) part of the handbrake system is in "rusty mode" and the system blocks the rear wheels when driving again the next day. After a *clunk* sound the brake is released and there is movement again.

Haha, the quirks on your Alfa are not quirks, they're called character. :D

[Ferrer]

The Forester also has an inconsistent fuel gauge. It feels like the length the needle travels is not "to scale". It drops very quickly after the halfway mark.
That also happens to an extend with the Mazda. The first and last quarters of the fuel gauge drop faster than the middle ones.

Also if I fill it to the brim the needle goes off the scale.

But my old Audi was worse. It actually produced fuel if I went right and eliminated it if I went left.

Actually that car was full of quirks.

Like if you had the aircon it would make the car overheat according to the engine water temperature gauge. It had a button which cut the fuel pump. The front and rear fog lights were operated by the same button...

I sort of miss it... :o

(Yes, I am embarrassed but what I've just said)

[Revo]

Italian cars do not have any quirks. The quirks which do occur are built in on purpose to show just how good the cars are actually. :)
Damn right!

2006 Fiat Punto.

At certain revs, you can hear a horrendous metallic rattle from the engine bay. Like the engine is about to vibrate apart.

Fix? Take one cable tie and secure the PLASTIC air filter intake pipe back to its bracket. Job done.

[drakkie]

Mine has quite a few, it being handbuilt is really noticeable. Just a few:
- a metallic scraping noise every time you pull away after starting (ABS testing itself)
- door panels falling off at every possible opportunity.. No matter how good you try to attach them they will fall off anyway.
- inconsistent fuel gauge, the first half I can drive 250km's on. The second half 50km's.
- a tendency to still lock the wheels under braking, even with ABS. May be due to my bigger brakes though.
- rev and power limiter on 1st and 2nd...
- no oil use for quite a while then suddenly using 1l:1000km without apparent reason or consistency.
- some annoying rattle in the dashboard only starting after driving longer distances (200+ km)
- wheelspin in the rain, even in fourth gear sometimes. Yes, with traction control.. Also not consistent!
- noises and rattles everywhere
- being able to drive up to 180 km/h in fourth :)
- the really noticeable variable cam timing kicking in / turning off :)
- a really annoying angle of the fuel filling hole thing. Its probably under a 75 degree angle from the ground. Can be quite unhandy..
- Not being able to open the boot with the contact off.
- Driving a short distance <2km and trying to start it again is virtually impossible. Takes full throttle and a lot of patience...

And in general the strangest parts failing! Not too long ago my door lock was jammed shut. Had to pull out the grinder to open my door :o

1999 Ford Puma 1.7l VCT

[Man of Steel]

Haha, the quirks on your Alfa are not quirks, they're called character. :D

I know, that's my relief. ;)

Little Fords aged 10 years or older fall apart in big chunks. Just like Drakkie's vehicle, my ex '99 Fiesta had a whole listing of quirks.

- Refused to start, but making a terrible noise from the starting engine instead
- Suddenly losing power or engine stalled when braking (like approaching a
roundabout), the cause of this remains a mystery forever;
- A most unreliable fuel metre which caused two unplanned 'pit stops'
- Light bulb failures, would die instantly due to too high voltage on the
battery;
- The control unit for the warning lights went bezerk and kept making ticking noises;
- Cracking suspension and interior noise;
- One of the spark plugs could not be replaced anymore (bend or break
principle) - well actually this was my bad due to lack of maintenance
- To add with the '99 Ka : Bucketloads of rust

On both Ford's the clutch died in my ownership, probably they were hexed. Must say that Fiesta kept going - had it for 12 years and travelled +240 K.

[Man of Steel]

Damn right!

2006 Fiat Punto.

At certain revs, you can hear a horrendous metallic rattle from the engine bay. Like the engine is about to vibrate apart.

Fix? Take one cable tie and secure the PLASTIC air filter intake pipe back to its bracket. Job done.

Et voila. Italian car ownership phrased perfectly. :)

Actually I am not that handy myself. I rather spend a lot of ca$h at the dealership, thus supporting our local economy which will drop another 3% this year. ;)

[drakkie]

Little Fords aged 10 years or older fall apart in big chunks. Just like Drakkie's vehicle, my ex '99 Fiesta had a whole listing of quirks.

- Refused to start, but making a terrible noise from the starting engine instead
- Suddenly losing power or engine stalled when braking (like approaching a
roundabout), the cause of this remains a mystery forever;
- A most unreliable fuel metre which caused two unplanned 'pit stops'
- Light bulb failures, would die instantly due to too high voltage on the
battery;
- The control unit for the warning lights went bezerk and kept making ticking noises;
- Cracking suspension and interior noise;
- One of the spark plugs could not be replaced anymore (bend or break
principle) - well actually this was my bad due to lack of maintenance
- To add with the '99 Ka : Bucketloads of rust

On both Ford's the clutch died in my ownership, probably they were hexed. Must say that Fiesta kept going - had it for 12 years and travelled +240 K.

Your problems are not uncommon on Fords. Even modern ones. I've been through a few of them also on the Puma and previous Fiesta:

Suddenly losing power or engine stalled when braking (like approaching a
roundabout), the cause of this remains a mystery forever;
Most likely the clutch pedal sensor. I was lucky it fell off or I would have never found the cause. A poor plastic mounting bends after some use.. Also the throttle position sensor is notorious. Both of them are €25 parts and fixed in ten minutes.

- Cracking suspension and interior noise;

Suspension bushings. Typical Ford problem. Easily fixed with Powerflex or Polyurethane bushes. Never need replacement anymore once fitted.

- The control unit for the warning lights went bezerk and kept making ticking noises;

Just replace it with a cheap ebay one. It's located in the dash behind the aircon/ventilator panel.

And offcourse rust.. Floorpans and rear quarter panels are most notorious. The way they fixed the inner/outer panels is to blame for the last. Water will stand in there and eat your car inside-out.. :o

[Ferrer]

We also had a Puma in the early noughties and the door panels also fell apart.

I'd like to sum up the car like this: Catastrohpic build quality, terrific driving experience.

After it came the supercharged green beast, which kind of was like the Puma but with better build quality and a massive price tag.