600 Mile Tank
WOW! I just filled up my CAV. I got 42.6 mpg on this tank of gas. That is amazing. That's better than the best highway mileage I ever got with the car. That's nearly 200 miles more than I would be getting without the
Hypermiling techniques. At today's gas price, that's $23 saved. I'm not sure if I can improve on that, but I'll give it a try.
Labels: Chevrolet Cavalier, hypermiling
1995 Cavalier
So, my Cav has been sitting in the driveway for a month and a half now. I've been too sick to work on it, but ABL is going back to work and she won't be able to ride her bike there everyday, so we need a second car. So, out of necessity, I dragged my sorry butt out of the house and went to work getting the front end in the air. I was so weak, I was resting between steps. Pull out the floor jack, rest, pull out one jack stand, rest, pull out the other jack stand, rest, jack up the left side, rest, put the jack stand in position, rest, move the jack, rest...It took forever. When I finally got the front end in the air, I spent over an hour trying to get a reading on the voltmeter. Yes, it's been a long time since Stevens Tech. Mental note: Battery puts out DC and Alternator puts out Alternating current...
I eventually diagnosed the faulty Alternator, and spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how to get it out. My Haynes manual covers approximately 10 years worth of Cavaliers with at least three different engine combinations, with 3 different power levels, so as you can guess it can be pretty vague in spots. The tension pulley looked nothing like the manual described and took several hours of Googling to determine exactly which one it was. Apparently, since the 1995 model year was the first of the redesign, some things were "improved" on the future versions. Around mid-day, I gave up looking for the pulley and collapsed inside the house. I seriously thought a trip to the ER was in my immediate future.
After a night of reflection, and more googling, I was determined to get that Alternator out. It was a slow process, but I got it out and ordered a new one on-line. While I was lying in bed, I realized that the alternator (with 200,000 miles on it) probably just had worn out brushes. So, in the middle of the night I sprang out of bed and hit the web, the brushes are just $2 versus a new alternator at $100 so I figured I would take a look at the inside to see if it was repairable.
The Haynes manual says they are not user serviceable, but I fixed an electric lawnmower once by fixing the brushes. I took it to Advanced Auto Parts because they say they check alternators and all they said was "it doesn't work". The brushes are just a $2 item, but if the diode inside went bad, that's a $40 part. I may still take it apart if I get the energy, but for peace of mind, I just may use the new one.
I got the latest issue of Consumer Checkbook Magazine and they found the prices among area shops to replace an alternator ranged from $280 to $650, so I think I'm ahead of the game.
While the car was up on jacks, I replaced the spark plug wires (hopefully I did that right). I think my next project will be to replace the wheel bearings (front and back), I'll also check the drum brakes in the back, and I'll probably take the car in to have the head gasket fixed by a professional. Assuming it starts after I replace the Alternator. Did I mention I love this car?
Labels: 1995 Cavalier, Alternator, Chevrolet Cavalier
Requiem For A Cavalier
I was up in New Jersey this weekend for a wedding. On the drive up, my Chevrolet Cavalier rolled through the 200,000 mile mark. I had recently calculated that the car cost me around 20 cents a mile to operate (cost of the car, gas, insurance, repairs, etc). Of all the cars I've ever driven, that Cavalier was my favorite. Sure the BMW M Roadster was a blast to drive and had heated leather seats, but it was expensive to maintain and was prone to problems plus I thought the exterior looked awkward.
The Cavalier was my first new car. I built my first business on the back of that car. I moved my possessions to Virginia in that car. I took my wife to the Drive-In Movies in that car. It lasted 200,000 miles on minimal maintenance and with virtually no rust.
I know what Motor Trend had to say about the Cavaliers - noisy, uncomfortable, plastic, underpowered, etc., and some of those may have even been true. But, there were small details that really stood out to me. The backs of handles were textured, giving them a pleasant feel. The car was reliable, cheap, and got excellent gas mileage (better than most cars today, 13 years later). Sometimes I find myself admiring the curve of the roof line, it's a beautiful arc. There are large radius' in places that let me know the car was designed entirely in a CAD program.
I'm sad to report that on the drive home, as I entered Maryland, the warning lights started to blink on my dashboard, first the little battery, then the brakes, then the airbags. By the time I got to Baltimore, my radio had gone dead. By the time I made it to the DC Beltway, the car was trying to stall on me. I coasted for awhile and the car seemed ok, I drove a little bit further, then coasted for awhile. But it finally died altogether (200,300 miles) at the ramp to 270 North(and I mean on the RAMP to 270 North - If you were stuck in traffic, I apologize). AAA sent a tow truck and dropped the CAV at my house.
In running condition, the blue book on the Cavalier is around $1000. I think the problem is the Alternator, which is a $100 part that I could probably replace myself. If I fix the alternator, I should really fix the Head Gasket. If the cylinder head is warped or cracked, that's a $200 part. The gasket and bolts would run around $40. So, do I dump a couple hundred in to the car and hope the engine holds together for another 100,000 miles? Do I spend $6k - $12k to convert it to electric? Or do I spend $20k+ for a new car?
Labels: Chevrolet Cavalier
