My 2010 Liftback; Feels like I just gave birth!

[bewley]

I am so delighted to announce the arrival of my new (barely used) 2010 manual liftback with 8100 miles on it! Many of you can sympathize with the fact that I have coveted this model since its inception, and even the echo before it.

After driving it for several hours today, I couldn't be happier. I've been driving an amazing 1996, 4 cylinder geo metro hatchback for the last four years, and before that, a type 3 vw fastback, so you can imagine how much power I feel this baby has by comparison! The metro and fastback were amazing rides but I never even felt like speeding in either car (the metro was so loud at 70 mph and driving the fastback was like driving a motor boat on the highway). Believe me, I've also owned cars that have driven me, mainly a bmw 535i and a maxima); neither was as fun to drive. I'm a hypermiler (not pathologically/unsafely so) and I'm worried I'll be tempted to go faster and thus less efficiently in this, which is why my first and possibly only mod will be cruise control (the car came with the power package, keyless entry, and an alarm). I'm terrified to take the airbag out (I'm a chick and I'm kinda a little daft at anything more extreme than an oil change, not that I should blame my ignorance on my chickishness). If anyone in the Northeast would want to help me install it, i'd be happy to pay you for your time. I'd love to be present though and kinda do it with you, if that's possible. PM me if you have the time and interest. I'll of course drive to you (all I want to do is drive this thing, after all). Thanks for reading, and also thanks for all of the amazing posts that compelled me even further to get a Yaris. You guys are great! I'm so happy with this purchase!

[CTScott]

Welcome. If you are not too far from the CT border, come visit and I will help you install your cruise control. I even have the OEM parts on hand for a fraction of what they sell for.

[Lippitt]

My 2010 Liftback NYC – New York

2010 Toyota Yaris 4dr liftback Rice Toyota, Greensboro, NC
youtube.com/watch?v=jtMO6e42SDk

Trendy video you will learn a lot…

[NEexpat]

bewley,

Welcome.

I think I can speak for almost everyone here that I wouldn't pass on an offer from CTScott to assist with anything regarding your car.

cheers.

[nookandcrannycar]

bewley,

Welcome.

I think I can speak for almost everyone here that I wouldn't pass on an offer from CTScott to assist with anything regarding your car.

cheers.

^^^^^This.

[bewley]

CtScott, I feel like I am talking to my favorite rock star or something (after reading all of your amazing posts for a few weeks). And thanks for recommending him, guys! Scott, I would be so honored if you would help me with the Cruise Control and of course I'd be delighted to buy the OEM parts from you (and to see your moonroof in person; hope you've installed the drool protection mod). Would you pm me with a possible day and time that works for you and thanks so much!

Lippitt, thanks for the video. That's my color too! Didn't know it was wired for satellite radio. I guess that's good since I'm unfortunately finding the stock antenna kind of weak (my favorite radio station, WFMU, is in Jersey. the geo had no problem with reception, and that was with a wire hanger).

More significantly, I had a bit of a frustrating day. LOVED driving the Yaris, simply great handling by my weird standards, but by the end of a fairly long trip in traffic today, my right front brakes were squeaking loudly when engaged, which is a little troubling given the fact that there are only 8200 miles on the car presently. I coast as often as possible but obviously had to brake some in traffic. i checked brakes during the test-drive and found them totally responsive. Also, I put the ac on for a little to just check out how well it cooled and at long stop lights, I could feel the brake pad trembling as the car labored to keep the idle. Never stalled out but the tremble was disheartening. The car looks, smells and drives brand new aside from that. Clean carfax, no signs of damage or signs of odometer tampering, single owner, and bought from a major Chevy and Buick dealership. Do you think this sounds alarming? Should I bring it back to the Chevy dealer for servicing or just bring it to my guy for a tune-up, or to Toyota (it's still under the three year warranty, supposedly).

[BEEF]

I got my cruise control stuff from CT and it was great. nice, easy, clean install instructions. it really looks good and works flawlessly. definitely worth the money.

[CTScott]

I'll hit you with a PM and maybe we can turn it into another group install day / meet.

As for the brakes and A/C, I would bring it back for a check out. The brakes shouldn't be that bad with that low of mileage unless the car took some abuse. Also, idling with the A/C on should not make it run rough.

[bewley]

Good to know, Beef! I have no doubt.

CTScott, I think you're right and I will bring it in. I just drove it some more and it was absolutely fine. I don't get that squeak or the idle issue any longer. Weird but I'm bringing it in. Just say the word about an install day. Sounds like fun. My best friend just moved to Fairfield County a week ago and it's a perfect excuse to visit her.

[enviri]

yay fairfield county meet! lol let us know a few weeks in advance, i need time to demand a weekend off lol

[bewley]

Cool, Enviri! Looking forward to it.

So according to my mechanic, the right front brakes are in nearly new condition. He says I can replace the pads if the squeak bothers me but it's unnecessary. He also said that the idle isn't rough at all and he was confused by my worry (I replicated the idling hiccups I felt with the ac on). He said the car was in great condition. Game on! One slight frustration is that the tire pressure sensor light is on. I found a few receipts in the back seat pouch so I know the former owner had rims. I'm thinking the sensor was never reset when the rims were removed. My mechanic urged me to just leave the light on but I find it slightly annoying that the dealer appears to have cleared the light for my test drive. I don't give a hoot about the feature but I'm a little concerned about the ramifications of getting rid of the light. I'm still under the Toyota warranty; can't Toyota tell through a scan whether I've tampered with the sensor? my mechanic says i won't have trouble passing ny inspection next year. I got this car for $3000 under blue book so I'm not gonna bring it back to the dealer (i would have had my mechanic not been so glowing regarding everything else) ... anyway, i really don't want to have toyota fix this sensor. when i was looking at used yarises, at least half of their carfaxes reflected dealership repair of tire pressure sensors, which i was troubled by [albeit rather stupidly]. anyway, i guess i feel like if i'm reselling down the line, it's easier to just tell a dummy like me that an irrelevant feature doesn't work than to explain an ominously worded carfax entry regarding a repair. any thoughts. sorry for babbling. i promise i'm done.

[CTScott]

When you come by for the cruise install, we can connect my techstream tool and find out which sensor has an issue (provided that the sensors are even present, with the rim change). Are the tire valve stems rubber or metal?

[bewley]

Thank you so much, CtScott. Gee, I guess that's what my mechanic meant by "the sensors aren't there." His English isn't great so I thought he meant that the sensors weren't properly detecting the pressure, but he did use those words. I think the tire stems are metal. I decided to add some pressure today (to go from 35 for 40 since the sensor light doesn't work anyway) and had a heck of time getting air into my tires. My friend tried as well and he had trouble. I was finally able to but it was weird. Is this common?

[bewley]

Bridgestone Potenzas, in case this could possibly matter.

[enviri]

could be a faulty tps sensor, or a sensor that wasn't synced up to the ecu, like how it is in my case.

[bewley]

Enviri, does that present a problem for you in any way, aside from the light being on?

i went down to the car just now and the tire was completely flat, the one that wasn't accepting air earlier. i guess i tore the valve some when I jammed the chuck on. i haven't had a flat in at least ten years (driving in NYC the whole time) and i get one on the fourth day with the car... after being concerned about this pressure sensor thing. could it be that 40 psi was too high? seems unlikely. lots of glitches but i still love this baby.

[junorico24]

I had a flat last week. Damn, i don't how long it has been like that. I swear when i pumped up the left rear, it always indicated loss air pressure. Then just last week i saw a damn NAIL wedge smack bang in the middle when i was pumping it up (which i do every 2 weeks).I must of been driving with a flat tyre for a few weeks or even months. :bellyroll:

BTW it's 32 psi or 33 psi for the rear.40 is ridiculous! :rolleyes:

[bewley]

when i get this fixed tomorrow morning, is there anything specific i need to ask for regarding the valve if down the road i want to replace the sensors? sorry for all the lame questions.

[bewley]

what luck we have, junorico. yeah, i guess 40 is a little ridiculous, especially in the city.

[CTScott]

when i get this fixed tomorrow morning, is there anything specific i need to ask for regarding the valve if down the road i want to replace the sensors? sorry for all the lame questions.

Most tire shops have the tool for programming the TPMS, so they should be able to tell you why the system was not happy. Most also sell replacement sensors, should that one now need to be replaced.

[bewley]

thank you, Yoda! very helpful indeed.

[enviri]

no issue aside from the light being on. Just have to keep your tires inflated the 90's way. Funny, last time i had a flat i decided to not take the saw mill pkwy, and went up fdr to 287. stupid nyc.

Enviri, does that present a problem for you in any way, aside from the light being on?

i went down to the car just now and the tire was completely flat, the one that wasn't accepting air earlier. i guess i tore the valve some when I jammed the chuck on. i haven't had a flat in at least ten years (driving in NYC the whole time) and i get one on the fourth day with the car... after being concerned about this pressure sensor thing. could it be that 40 psi was too high? seems unlikely. lots of glitches but i still love this baby.

[bewley]

junorico24, Dude, you might be my brother from another mother because we had the exact same experience, except there are two nails in my tire. Weird. are you tall and skinny with a big ass too?

Enviri, uncanny! I think my tire was 'nailed' today on the FDR! i was thinking 'wow, there's no traffic to the brooklyn bridge ramp, how lucky am i!' and the FDR was like "Bring out the nails!"

[nookandcrannycar]

Bridgestone Potenzas, in case this could possibly matter.

Brand and model of tire can matter.

I have a portable 12v Craftsman air compressor that I use to inflate my tires. I had the same Firestone FR710s on my car for 85,009 miles and I could (fairly easily) pump the tires up to the max PSI (44) on the sidewall (past my normal 38 PSI). I ordered the same tires again. I showed up to my appointment on time. A couple of hours later they told me my car was ready. I walked out to my car and saw the wrong tires on the car. I pointed this out to the service writer and he told me they screwed up my order, so they upgraded me to another tire at the same price :rolleyes: (this = true, but they should have asked me first).

I lived with the upgraded tires for about two weeks (I had 30 days to change my mind). ONE of the things I didn't like about the upgraded tire (which the rep said had more steel belts) was that I couldn't get the tires above 34 PSI (sidewall max 40) and I'll bet this was one of the reasons I was getting slightly worse MPG. I went back to the tire store, ordered the FR710s, returned at the assigned time 3 days later, and had new FR710s put on (no cost re Firestone's guarantee).

[nookandcrannycar]

Enviri, does that present a problem for you in any way, aside from the light being on?

i went down to the car just now and the tire was completely flat, the one that wasn't accepting air earlier. i guess i tore the valve some when I jammed the chuck on. i haven't had a flat in at least ten years (driving in NYC the whole time) and i get one on the fourth day with the car... after being concerned about this pressure sensor thing. could it be that 40 psi was too high? seems unlikely. lots of glitches but i still love this baby.

You might want to carry a portable 12v air compressor and a can of tire sealant (unless the sealant invalidates your tire warranty, or CTScott says it isn't a good idea :biggrin:) with you in your Yaris. My Craftsman compressor fits snugly in the side pocket on either side of my back seat. I think my compressor cost $20.00 or less.

[bewley]

Nookandcrannycar,

Thanks for your reply. That's interesting; while that one tire was EXTREMELY difficult to fill, the other three were almost as bad. So maybe these expensive Bridgestones are just more recalcitrant when you try to fill to max (though I think the maximum psi listed was 44 on the side of the tire and I was going from 35 to 40)? Turns out the nails that the AAA guy found when he swapped the tire with the donut were not actually puncturing the tire and I had actually damaged the valve stem with the chuck after all. Good idea about the compressor and some sealant, especially since this was the final AAA call I can make for the year. In other news, I wrote the manager of the dealership a fairly stern email about the absent sensors and he agreed to install them but now I have to communicate with the guy who lied to me to get it done (after accusing him of lying in that email). Awkward. On an end note, I love, love, love my car! You guys are awesome, btw!

[bewley]

Nookandcrannycar, One more thing, you probably know more than I do about this but I just wanted to warn you that when I filled my tires to max on the geo metro, i could have sworn that they didn't last as long as they should have. is it possible that filling them to limit impels them to wear faster because of the thinner skin?

[junorico24]

Nookandcrannycar, One more thing, you probably know more than I do about this but I just wanted to warn you that when I filled my tires to max on the geo metro, i could have sworn that they didn't last as long as they should have. is it possible that filling them to limit impels them to wear faster because of the thinner skin?

YES.

[nookandcrannycar]

Nookandcrannycar,

Thanks for your reply. That's interesting; while that one tire was EXTREMELY difficult to fill, the other three were almost as bad. So maybe these expensive Bridgestones are just more recalcitrant when you try to fill to max (though I think the maximum psi listed was 44 on the side of the tire and I was going from 35 to 40)? Turns out the nails that the AAA guy found when he swapped the tire with the donut were not actually puncturing the tire and I had actually damaged the valve stem with the chuck after all. Good idea about the compressor and some sealant, especially since this was the final AAA call I can make for the year. In other news, I wrote the manager of the dealership a fairly stern email about the absent sensors and he agreed to install them but now I have to communicate with the guy who lied to me to get it done (after accusing him of lying in that email). Awkward. On an end note, I love, love, love my car! You guys are awesome, btw!

I'm running my new Firestone FR710s at the same 38 PSI I normally used on my previous set of 85,009 mile FR710s. On my previous set anything 41 PSI or above felt like I was driving on bricks. Firestone doesn't set them (as new) above 32 PSI because that is what is says on the Yaris door jamb. I noticed that it was a bit harder to get the FR710s to 38 PSI that is was to get the previous FR710s to that PSI toward the end of their 'life', but that is probably to be expected.

I was reading another thread within the last couple of weeks and one more expensive tire being compared to a cheaper tire was described as having more belts. This made sense to me re a recent Firestone experience. The more expensive (but not to me because the added cost was being adjusted off) Firestone Affinity Touring that were put on my car without asking me have more belts (I was told). As I lived with those tires (beyond the first couple of days) I found more and more bad reviews and I also learned that the strengths of that particular tire were lost on a car as light as the Yaris. I'm glad I went back to Firestone within 30 days and got the FR710s.

Your Bridgestones have the same 44 max PSI that my FR710s do. Some hypermilers swear by going over the max PSI to get the best MPG and feel they don't lose any longevity. I think your 35-40 PSI feeling is a good range. Over 40 is just overkill, IMO. I sometimes go to 40, but never above (well, not since testing/figuring out where I wanted the PSI to be when I got my previous FR710s 3 years ago).

[nookandcrannycar]

Nookandcrannycar, One more thing, you probably know more than I do about this but I just wanted to warn you that when I filled my tires to max on the geo metro, i could have sworn that they didn't last as long as they should have. is it possible that filling them to limit impels them to wear faster because of the thinner skin?

I had a 2001 Suzuki Swift (same as a Metro) before my Yaris. It had 151,000+ miles on it when I got my new (at the time) Yaris. Each set of tires lasted about 50k miles (I was finishing up the 3rd set -- including OEMs -- when I got my Yaris). I don't remember what the mileage rating was on those tires was for certain, but I think it was 40k for each set. I don't remember the PSI I kept the tires at nor the sidewall maximum on those sets of tires on the Swift/Metro. I had such good luck with the previous FR710s (I could have gone past the 85,009 miles) that I'm going to keep these at 38 PSI most of the time and monitor the wear and MPG to see if they live up to the last set. Thanks for your suggestions:biggrin:.

I started carrying around a portable air compressor once it became even remoltely hard to find a gas station with free air and i now look upon it (for me personally) as a safety feature.

[bewley]

85,007 miles is certainly impressive. No wonder you want to stay the course, both with the brand and the pressure...and for a reasonably priced tire as well. i just looked up my tire on the Bridgestone/Firestone site and it's more expensive but has a shorter warranty than almost every other tire fit for a Yaris on the site, which serves to confuse. I mean how are they deemed "high performance" if they don't last? So did you notice a difference in the way the car handled when you went back to the FR710s or just fuel economy? I wonder if the more expensive tire you were using was also heavier. perhaps the weight contributed to the worse mileage, along with your inability to inflate them beyond a certain point. Regarding the free air, the gas station where i filled the tires offered free air and i thought I was seeing a mirage. Now i'm thinking maybe the chuck was more worn because the air was free. Or maybe the air was free because the chuck breaks your valve stems...

[enviri]

and here i am using uhp falken/kumho tires that last no more than 20k miles lol.

[bewley]

ri-ight enviri!

[nookandcrannycar]

85,007 miles is certainly impressive. No wonder you want to stay the course, both with the brand and the pressure...and for a reasonably priced tire as well. i just looked up my tire on the Bridgestone/Firestone site and it's more expensive but has a shorter warranty than almost every other tire fit for a Yaris on the site, which serves to confuse. I mean how are they deemed "high performance" if they don't last? So did you notice a difference in the way the car handled when you went back to the FR710s or just fuel economy? I wonder if the more expensive tire you were using was also heavier. perhaps the weight contributed to the worse mileage, along with your inability to inflate them beyond a certain point. Regarding the free air, the gas station where i filled the tires offered free air and i thought I was seeing a mirage. Now i'm thinking maybe the chuck was more worn because the air was free. Or maybe the air was free because the chuck breaks your valve stems...

When I had the Firestone Affinity Touring tires on my Yaris for that brief period recently, I looked up the weight of each tire just because I was curious. if I remember correctly, the FR710s weigh 18 lbs per tire and the Affinity touring weigh 20 lbs per tire (both for 185/60-R15). I asked a weight/MPG question re tires a few weeks ago---namely would having a full size spare on a regular 15" steelie (steel rim) weigh enough more than the space saver spare to effect fuel economy. The answer was no, and I think it came from CTScott. I think the 8 lb increase of the Affinity tires over the FR710s is probably fairly comparable to the difference between a full size spare mounted on a 15" steelie and the space saver spare. Even if there is still a few pond difference, I don't think it would be enough to appreciably change MPG.

I like the way the FR710s handle compared to the Affinity Touring. Touring is an apt description. Those tires are better suited to a heavier car and to giving a smoother, more 'plush' ride. The Affinity tires aren't 'floaty', they just aren't as 'taut' as the FR710s and isolate imperfections in the road. The FR710s don't isolate the imperfections, and I don't want to be isolated prom the imperfections. I want the tires to feel as 'taut' as possible, transmitting as much road feel as possible, with the PSI just low enough so that I don't feel as if I'm driving on bricks.

I feel the inability to be able to inflate the Affinity tires more than 2 PSI beyond the 32 PSI door jamb spec (when using my portable compressor) definitely had at least a bit of a negative effect on MPG.

[bewley]

Thanks Nook, for clarifying and for answering questions you couldn't have known I had, like if the weight of a regular size spare would affect the mpg.

In other news, there were only two sensors missing, which seems odd given that all four tires are the same. Why would the previous owner have installed two after swapping out his rims, I wonder. The dealership where I bought the car is paying for and installing two new ones next week; supposedly they are on order from Toyota, but the repairs manager tells me that I will have to get them programmed elsewhere (and submit a receipt for reimbursement). I'm a little skeptical though I have a good feeling about the manager. Anyway, I paid a $137 dealer fee (putatively for transfer of plates and registration) with a credit card so if I don't get reimbursed for the reprogramming, I'll dispute that fee. This seems like a bit of a headache for something I feel I don't even really need and who knows whether the light will work as it should after this. Still, I paid a lot of money for this car (even if it was a deal) and I want everything working as it should.

[bronsin]

I agree its something we dont really need (TPMS) but thanks to nerdo geeks everywhere who demand it we're stuck with it!

There is a way to disable it somewhere in the forum I think under DIY.

[bewley]

Thanks Bronsin, I'm definitely gonna go that route if this route fails. The sensors remind me of that egg-genie for boiling eggs with more ease. Bright side: I guess the failing technology creates jobs? The production and installation of failing sensors, all the reprogramming after wheel, tire and rim swaps...

[auxmike]

You just need to slide the TPMS board out of its box and cut one leg of the connector leads and short it out to another next to it to turn off that light for good. I did it and I have no sensors in my newer alloy wheels and no light! It's on here somewhere , so easy to do...

[Altitude]

and here i am using uhp falken/kumho tires that last no more than 20k miles lol.

I've got a set of Falken 452's with almost 27K and plenty of tread left on them. Still going strong!

[bewley]

Thanks auxmike. i'm glad it's not difficult if it's needed since aside from installing light fixtures, i'm not exactly a skilled electrician.

[junorico24]

Damn it! I had a flat again. This time it was on my way to work. The same wheel, rear- left side on me Yari.The side walls raptured.It seems my problems are the tires and windscreen, which got hit again a month ago.I was an hour late for work.Thanks road assist.:bow: You're a guardian angel.


:laugh:

[bewley]

Oh, no! That literally blows. I'm glad it didn't cause a more involved accident. Could the wheel be bent after the original impact and causing undo stress on the tire? Or you think the tire was just weakened by the accident?

[bewley]

just an update: after spinning my wheels with the dealership regarding the pressure sensors, they are now saying they are going to send me a $250 check on Monday instead of replacing the two missing ones, so I guess I'm just gonna disable after all. now to uncover why i'm getting meh gas mileage. 28 with half city/half highway. i think it's because i'm still sorta gunning when going into first from neutral as it's taking a bit of time to get my sense memory working with the optimum transfer point. never had any problems learning a new clutch before but there's a bit of a learning curve with this one, methinks. one question, do you guys kill the engine at lights? in your opinion, is the gas savings worth the wear on my starter, battery and alternator? also, regarding the mileage, with only like 8600m on the car, is there any reason to get a tuneup to increase my mileage?

[junorico24]

Oh, no! That literally blows. I'm glad it didn't cause a more involved accident. Could the wheel be bent after the original impact and causing undo stress on the tire? Or you think the tire was just weakened by the accident?

The first flat i found a nail on the left rear on my newer KHUMO tire.I had it repaired and moved those two to the front.The older TOYO tires up-front, the dude at the shop said they were still good.To save money they moved those two at the back had a wheel balance and it all cost $60 bucks.All was good until i hit a gutter lol :thumbsup: it ripped the side wall, a small rip on my old TOYO tires at the back.And it was all good for a few days.Then it exploded or rapture on that fateful morning on the way to work.The rims weren't bent.Thank god, LOVE.

[nookandcrannycar]

just an update: after spinning my wheels with the dealership regarding the pressure sensors, they are now saying they are going to send me a $250 check on Monday instead of replacing the two missing ones, so I guess I'm just gonna disable after all. now to uncover why i'm getting meh gas mileage. 28 with half city/half highway. i think it's because i'm still sorta gunning when going into first from neutral as it's taking a bit of time to get my sense memory working with the optimum transfer point. never had any problems learning a new clutch before but there's a bit of a learning curve with this one, methinks. one question, do you guys kill the engine at lights? in your opinion, is the gas savings worth the wear on my starter, battery and alternator? also, regarding the mileage, with only like 8600m on the car, is there any reason to get a tuneup to increase my mileage?

People have posted different lengths of time that the engine has to be off at a stoplight to compensate for the gas it takes to restart the car -- lengths of time members have posted (that I've seen) range from I think 20 seconds to 1 minute. I've never read a post where the poster was concerned about wear on the starter, battery, or alternator re turning the engine off at stoplights. Re your MPG, I would wait until you are comfortable with the clutch and are no longer 'gunning it'. If, at that point, you are still getting the same poor MPG you are now, then address the situation at that point. It is possible, but it's hard to imagine that spark plugs would foul in 8600 miles. The drive-by-wire clutch on the Yaris is definitely very different than on any other car I've had...but it has lasted the longest....I'm still on the original clutch.

[bewley]

Thanks so much Nookandcrannycar! That is great to know, about the clutch lasting a long time! I kind of went back and forth regarding getting the clutch since the auto tranny lasts forever and since there's very minimal gas savings with the clutch. In the end, I just couldn't see myself losing the control. I initially missed the swift/metro clutch, though this is getting easier by the day. I think the car is also driving better in general. It had been at the dealership since May and obviously hadn't been driven by the owner all that much before that so maybe it needed a little breaking in? You must be a very good driver, with your record for endless tires and clutch.

[enviri]

i just think the engine hasnt 'broken in' to get better mileage. my friend's yaris complained about the mileage until he hit about 20k miles, when he finally hit consistant high 30s-low 40s on highway. maybe he just got used to cruising, or it truly has broken in. something to consider. or not.

[nookandcrannycar]

Thanks so much Nookandcrannycar! That is great to know, about the clutch lasting a long time! I kind of went back and forth regarding getting the clutch since the auto tranny lasts forever and since there's very minimal gas savings with the clutch. In the end, I just couldn't see myself losing the control. I initially missed the swift/metro clutch, though this is getting easier by the day. I think the car is also driving better in general. It had been at the dealership since May and obviously hadn't been driven by the owner all that much before that so maybe it needed a little breaking in? You must be a very good driver, with your record for endless tires and clutch.

Thanks. I've always been able to make a clutch last a long time, but the Yaris really has been better than other cars re how long I've been able to make the tires last. I've learned a few new things re tire life from reading posts on Yarisworld and that can't have done anything but help extend the life of the tires. I love to drive. It relaxes me. I must have inherited it from my grandfather. During the part of his lifetime I was around for, he drove 70,000 miles a year just for pleasure. It skipped across the family generation wise -- my aunt feels the same way I do but my mother never did and my cousins don't. I recently read a post by a member who drove from Ottawa, ON Canada to London, OH for a car part and then back to Ottawa. That sounds like something I would do.

[bewley]

My baby made it through the WORST storm NY has ever faced. I couldn't believe it, not really a mark and a downed tree within a couple of feet of her (I parked as far as I could from a tree but it was pretty late when I found out that the indoor parking lot i'd arranged to park in for the hurricane was closing because of concern about floods, and when I got back to park locally, every safe-ish space was taken). Anyway, there were all these branches on the car but not a mark was left! I was so lucky as so many of my friends and family are in distress and chaos (my 101 year old grandma is in trapped on the 16th Floor of an apartment without electricity or water (and thus toilet), for instance. Six of my friends are literally homeless because their first floor apartments were flooded to the ceiling for hours. A friend owned one of those 80 houses in Breezy Point that burned down to the ground! Just utter chaos here amongst my peeps. The hatchback was so useful today. I know hundreds without power and my husband and I drove around with candles, hot coffee, gallons of water, small generators, pumps, etc. Just a great little car for emergencies. I was surprised how well the car dealt in fairly deep puddles and driving over oil slicks and stuff, given how light it was (though the ABS system kinda blows, gotta say). It was shallow, in light of what my family and friends are facing now, but I was REALLY worried about my new (used) Yaris when wind was just tearing up trees in front of my building. I kept thinking, why, oh why did I get $1500 deductible on comprehensive. Just one less headache. And Nook, I LOVE to drive too! Totally understand your passion for it.

[nookandcrannycar]

My baby made it through the WORST storm NY has ever faced. I couldn't believe it, not really a mark and a downed tree within a couple of feet of her (I parked as far as I could from a tree but it was pretty late when I found out that the indoor parking lot i'd arranged to park in for the hurricane was closing because of concern about floods, and when I got back to park locally, every safe-ish space was taken). Anyway, there were all these branches on the car but not a mark was left! I was so lucky as so many of my friends and family are in distress and chaos (my 101 year old grandma is in trapped on the 16th Floor of an apartment without electricity or water (and thus toilet), for instance. Six of my friends are literally homeless because their first floor apartments were flooded to the ceiling for hours. A friend owned one of those 80 houses in Breezy Point that burned down to the ground! Just utter chaos here amongst my peeps. The hatchback was so useful today. I know hundreds without power and my husband and I drove around with candles, hot coffee, gallons of water, small generators, pumps, etc. Just a great little car for emergencies. I was surprised how well the car dealt in fairly deep puddles and driving over oil slicks and stuff, given how light it was (though the ABS system kinda blows, gotta say). It was shallow, in light of what my family and friends are facing now, but I was REALLY worried about my new (used) Yaris when wind was just tearing up trees in front of my building. I kept thinking, why, oh why did I get $1500 deductible on comprehensive. Just one less headache. And Nook, I LOVE to drive too! Totally understand your passion for it.

As the storm hit I thought about you, Bronsin, and Geraldo Rivera's house. With your description re traffic you encounter I figured you live in or near NYC and I hoped that you and yours made it through unharmed (I hope your grandma is out of her situation safe and sound by the time you read this). I thought about Bronsin because in a recent post he included hurricanes among things he doesn't have to worry about. I don't know which city he lives in, but he mentioned in one post that he visited a nearby Toyota dealership in Mt. Laurel NJ, so I figured he doesn't live too far away. A creek that runs off the Delaware River and through Mt. Holly NJ (about 10 miles away from Mt. Laurel) hit 2.5 feet over flood stage according to the website I viewed, so I hope Bronsin and his wife are safe and sound. Geraldo Rivery invited cameras into his house a year or so ago. He lives in Edgewater,NJ right on the Hudson with a dock. His house probably didn't get flooded, but if he had a boat at his dock it might have been damaged. One of the reporters for The Weather Channel said that this is New Jersey's Katrina. IMO he should expand that thought considerably -- in a geographic sense -- re what your peeps are going through....wonderful that you and your husband can help in any way those who need the help.

I ended up spending more time in Florida than previously planned, so I postponed most of my trip. I had planned to get up to the far north of Maine and out to Montauk and North Fork (among other places), but realized I didn't have enough time to get to enough desired destinations before it would likely start snowing. Sandy started forming after I had already returned to Texas.

[nookandcrannycar]

My baby made it through the WORST storm NY has ever faced. I couldn't believe it, not really a mark and a downed tree within a couple of feet of her (I parked as far as I could from a tree but it was pretty late when I found out that the indoor parking lot i'd arranged to park in for the hurricane was closing because of concern about floods, and when I got back to park locally, every safe-ish space was taken). Anyway, there were all these branches on the car but not a mark was left! I was so lucky as so many of my friends and family are in distress and chaos (my 101 year old grandma is in trapped on the 16th Floor of an apartment without electricity or water (and thus toilet), for instance. Six of my friends are literally homeless because their first floor apartments were flooded to the ceiling for hours. A friend owned one of those 80 houses in Breezy Point that burned down to the ground! Just utter chaos here amongst my peeps. The hatchback was so useful today. I know hundreds without power and my husband and I drove around with candles, hot coffee, gallons of water, small generators, pumps, etc. Just a great little car for emergencies. I was surprised how well the car dealt in fairly deep puddles and driving over oil slicks and stuff, given how light it was (though the ABS system kinda blows, gotta say). It was shallow, in light of what my family and friends are facing now, but I was REALLY worried about my new (used) Yaris when wind was just tearing up trees in front of my building. I kept thinking, why, oh why did I get $1500 deductible on comprehensive. Just one less headache. And Nook, I LOVE to drive too! Totally understand your passion for it.

Come to think of it, CTScott and enviri might have been touched by Sandy as well. I hope both of them (and any other Yarisworld members potentially in Sandy's 'wake'), their families, friends, and their Yari and other possessions all escaped harm.

[enviri]

my yaris got some bruises from the storm. got more than a few dents on the roof, and one next to the filler cap.

[CTScott]

Come to think of it, CTScott and enviri might have been touched by Sandy as well. I hope both of them (and any other Yarisworld members potentially in Sandy's 'wake'), their families, friends, and their Yari and other possessions all escaped harm.

We came through unscathed, but are now going on 48 hours without power, thanks to two trees that are hanging in the power lines at the entrance to our neighborhood. Fortunately, we have a generator, but it is still a hassle. I really feel bad for the people who lost their homes and those who will be heading into this cold weekend without power.

[nookandcrannycar]

my yaris got some bruises from the storm. got more than a few dents on the roof, and one next to the filler cap.

Sorry to hear about the damage to your Yaris. I assume you, family, and friends are okay? (since you didn't mention otherwise)

[enviri]

yeah we're ok. loss of power going on 3days now.

[nookandcrannycar]

We came through unscathed, but are now going on 48 hours without power, thanks to two trees that are hanging in the power lines at the entrance to our neighborhood. Fortunately, we have a generator, but it is still a hassle. I really feel bad for the people who lost their homes and those who will be heading into this cold weekend without power.

Glad to hear all is okay except normal delivery of power:thumbsup:. I closed on my house a couple of weeks before Hurricane Ike, so 99+% of my belongings were still out of state. I purpously picked the lot that I did (and paid extra for it) in order to be on a corner and to have a great view of a forested area BUT be just far enough from the trees that if they were uprooted and fell over, they wouldn't hit my house. We also have true underground utilities in my specific area. I volunteered for a couple of weeks in the 9th Ward in New Orleans earlier in 2008 for Habitat for Humanity, and 3 years later much of the area was still as the storm left it. I also happened to be in Houston in 2007 during Tropical Storm Erin and couldn't leave my hotel (11 inches of rain in that specific area in a little over 24 hours). The Wikipedia entry for Hurricane Rita has been completely revamped, but it used to have only one photo on the page --- the contraflow of all lanes North on I-45 near Woodlands Parkway in complete gridlock re people trying to leave at the last minute. Taking all of this into consideration, I decided to evacuate the area ahead of Hurricane Ike.

I left in the late morning on September 11th 2008 and headed up US 59 toward Lufkin and then Shreveport, LA. I spent that night in Shreveport and got the last room in my hotel. The desk clerk told me the hotel was mostly filled with people fleeing a potential hit from Hurricane Ike. The room I snagged was actually only available for that night and the entire hotel was already booked for the next night. I'd never been to Graceland, so I decided to spend the next night -- the night of the hurricane (9-12-08 to 9-13-08) in Memphis and go to Graceland the next day. I drove toward Memphis the next day and stopped just short of Little Rock, AR at a Starbucks to let rush hour pass by and catch up on a couple of things. I came across a picture on the internet (posted just a few minutes earlier) that showed a car at a point on US 59 where I had been almost exactly 24 hours earlier. I had sailed through that stretch with no traffic. The picture showed the person and car 24 hours later in a virtual parking lot on this rairly rural stretch of US 59. Rush hour passed, and I continued toward Memphis and arrived at my hotel there. I watched some weather news and then went to bed, sleeping through the time Ike was hitting the Houston area. Ike continued through Arkansas and eventually up into the rust Belt and beyond. I walked outside in the morning and looked out over the balcony. The wind (and Memphis is 135 miles East of Little Rock) had picked up ALL of the outdoor furniture in the pool area and deposited ALL of it INTO the pool. Outdoor furniture from other areas was also strewn in new areas. I stayed one more night and was back at my house on the 15th, 2 days after Ike hit. My next door neighbors had ridden out the storm in a building one of their sons owns and they were fine and their house was fine. My neighbors next to them decided to stay in their house and ride it out. He is one tough soldier (literally) and still serves reserve duty when duty calls. He said his house shook and HE and his family were scared. He, his house,and his family ended up being fine. the day after I returned he was being lowered onto Galveston Island (a little over 70 miles from us) on a wire out of a helicopter -- something to do with his reserve duty. I never did go down to look at Galveston Island. Parts of it (I heard and saw pictures) seem similar to damage caused from Sandy. Ike was a much stronger (than Sandy) Category 4, but it was 'only' 600 miles wide (vs 900) and was hitting, obviously, a MUCH less populated metro area.

During construction of my house , my construction manager kept mentioning that hurricane clips were being used in the construction of my house and that this was above code (hurricane clips aren't required here once you get more than 50 miles inland from the Gulf). I had my house inspected after Ike and the inspector said all was finer and added "this is a really well built house". Considering that the storm (I'm told) was at 108-112 mph (high Category 2, low Category 3) as it moved through my subdivision, I was pretty happy.

I needed to get gas the day after I got back. I spent about 4 hours in line at one station and then they ran out of gas. Then I spent 2 1/2 hours in line at another station and then someone drove by and said another station nearby now had electricity and had just opened about a mile away. i drove to that station and was able to fill up about 30 minutes later. Seven hours in gas lines, 3 days after the storm. Given the much higher per square mile concentration of people in much of the Northeast (as well as other factors) the gas scenario (in your Tri-State area especially) appears to be 'orders of magnitude' worse. This might be one time that the mandatory attendant law in New Jersey is actually beneficial and keeps tensions from coming to a boiling point in a normally routine situation.

We had water and gas service in my subdivision after Ike, but we didn;t have power for 3 weeks. In general, those of us who are single just toughed it out and families bought generators. there were downed trees and downed power lines for miles in each direction. There are many Starbucks in my area and many of them were able to get generators. The ones that did were constantly packed. People were sitting on the floor and half the time even the floor was full and people had to go outside...no AC outlets outside. Without power at home, many people were deprived of internet connections (remember this was pre 4G and pre iPad), and the WiFi network at Starbucks was up. An amazing number of out of state insurance adjusters were working out of these Starbucks locations. The only two things that bugged me re the after math (other than 3 weeks without power inside my house) were parking outside (re now power for my garage door opener) and the exhaust fumes that hund in our neighborhood from all of the generators. All in all, microscopic, trivial annoyances compared to what others went through and what so many Sandy victims are going through.

My heart goes out to all of you who are suffering through the aftermath of Sandy.

[nookandcrannycar]

yeah we're ok. loss of power going on 3days now.

:thumbsup: (hope you get your power back soon :smile:)

[DeathBeard]

I wish I was located near ctscott

[nookandcrannycar]

I wish I was located near ctscott

When I wondered how CTScott and his family were faring through the aftermath of Sandy, my next thought was that he is probably more prepared for what might happen than anyone in Connecticut except the military. :thumbsup:

[CTScott]

When I wondered how CTScott and his family were faring through the aftermath of Sandy, my next thought was that he is probably more prepared for what might happen than anyone in Connecticut except the military. :thumbsup:

Here's a facebook PM I received from one of my neighbor's this week, during the outage:


"Dude it wasn't very nice to have all the lights on and the big screen going. My wife is very angry with me for not getting a generator installed."

[nookandcrannycar]

Here's a facebook PM I received from one of my neighbor's this week, during the outage:


"Dude it wasn't very nice to have all the lights on and the big screen going. My wife is very angry with me for not getting a generator installed."

I knew it! :biggrin:

[bewley]

Hey Nook, Thanks for thinking about all of us. Things are pretty crazy here. Lots of friends with no electric still. No heat and sometimes no working toilet, now for weeks. It's pretty crazy. The gas shortage is pretty crazy, I'm sure it's just as bad in CT and probably even worse in Jersey. And now many places aren't allowing people to fill containers. My friends in Red Hook all offered up their drowned cars to the people who needed gas for generators and we went around siphoning last week. Enviri, I'm really sorry about the damage to your car. Hope you guys who lost power finally got it back.

[enviri]

in the beach areas in CT, everyone's in a shelter waiting for the insurance to deem the houses to be condemned or not. everyone about 1.5mile away from shore, life is normal. Gas is like normal, or near normal. The damages are small dents. nothing big. It's one of those things that irk you for the first few days then it's like..."eh, not worth the 300$ per dent fix"

[bewley]

i know what you mean. it's so weird to go inland in Brooklyn where life is virtually normal (except the gas lines) and then go to Red Hook, or worse, the Rockaways, where everything is still so, so bad. My family at least has power (except my sister) now because of course the priority was getting Manhattan sorted (downtown was dark for almost a week and driving down there was eery if awesome). I have about twelve friends, all in Red Hook, who had to move permanently and lost almost everything. And our friends who own businesses there are screwed. People have been amazing though. My husband was on BBC World News (he's English) and after his friends saw it, manyl donated money (and because of the exchange rate, they donated quite a bit) So many volunteers and donations in Red Hook, it does warm my heart. I'm just sad for all of the people who are trapped on the higher floors of the projects (http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/living-hell-nycha-houses-article-1.1197748), that sounds like total hell. switching castes, I was in Southport last week. I helped my aunt and visited a friend who moved up there recently. The fire fighters are awesome up there and they drove over a truck to power her sump pump. The gas situation was not great then so I thought it would be worse by now. i had to drive north on Post Road to find a station both with power and fuel but not too much of a wait once I found one. Glad the dents aren't too bad.

[nookandcrannycar]

Hey Nook, Thanks for thinking about all of us. Things are pretty crazy here. Lots of friends with no electric still. No heat and sometimes no working toilet, now for weeks. It's pretty crazy. The gas shortage is pretty crazy, I'm sure it's just as bad in CT and probably even worse in Jersey. And now many places aren't allowing people to fill containers. My friends in Red Hook all offered up their drowned cars to the people who needed gas for generators and we went around siphoning last week. Enviri, I'm really sorry about the damage to your car. Hope you guys who lost power finally got it back.

Thanks. I feel for those suffering even more with the Nor'easter hitting all of you. I've heard good things about people in CT seeking customer service re their utilities (phone numbers being manned by actual people 24/7) and the opposite about LIPA. I've heard some LIPA representatives have been rude and that the phone number listed on the notices they leave when people aren't home is not manned by a person at any time. I've heard that some people in Nassau and Suffolk Counties are so frustrated with the Long Island Power Authority that they want the military to come in and be in charge of the power until all power is restored. I also heard about the tent city on the grounds of a racetrack in New Jersey that can serve 4,000 people. It sounds as though local law enforcement and the USMC and other emergency personnel are doing a great job serving at that site. So much need. So much will need to be done for so long. Hopefully at least some of the rebuilds will incorporate some building strategies from hurricane prone areas.

[nookandcrannycar]

i know what you mean. it's so weird to go inland in Brooklyn where life is virtually normal (except the gas lines) and then go to Red Hook, or worse, the Rockaways, where everything is still so, so bad. My family at least has power (except my sister) now because of course the priority was getting Manhattan sorted (downtown was dark for almost a week and driving down there was eery if awesome). I have about twelve friends, all in Red Hook, who had to move permanently and lost almost everything. And our friends who own businesses there are screwed. People have been amazing though. My husband was on BBC World News (he's English) and after his friends saw it, manyl donated money (and because of the exchange rate, they donated quite a bit) So many volunteers and donations in Red Hook, it does warm my heart. I'm just sad for all of the people who are trapped on the higher floors of the projects (http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/living-hell-nycha-houses-article-1.1197748), that sounds like total hell. switching castes, I was in Southport last week. I helped my aunt and visited a friend who moved up there recently. The fire fighters are awesome up there and they drove over a truck to power her sump pump. The gas situation was not great then so I thought it would be worse by now. i had to drive north on Post Road to find a station both with power and fuel but not too much of a wait once I found one. Glad the dents aren't too bad.

I heard a phone recording (either on the radio or TV news....can't remember which) of a woman stuck in a situation like the one you describe. Harrowing.

[nookandcrannycar]

Thanks. I feel for those suffering even more with the Nor'easter hitting all of you. I've heard good things about people in CT seeking customer service re their utilities (phone numbers being manned by actual people 24/7) and the opposite about LIPA. I've heard some LIPA representatives have been rude and that the phone number listed on the notices they leave when people aren't home is not manned by a person at any time. I've heard that some people in Nassau and Suffolk Counties are so frustrated with the Long Island Power Authority that they want the military to come in and be in charge of the power until all power is restored. I also heard about the tent city on the grounds of a racetrack in New Jersey that can serve 4,000 people. It sounds as though local law enforcement and the USMC and other emergency personnel are doing a great job serving at that site. So much need. So much will need to be done for so long. Hopefully at least some of the rebuilds will incorporate some building strategies from hurricane prone areas.

At some point yesterday (before I wrote this....but I didn't hear about these particular details until today) Reps Peter King and Steve Israel sent a letter to Obama requesting that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers come in and assume the work of LIPA stating "It was the USACE that went into Baghdad and Kabul to turn the lights back on".....probably all over your local media by now, but adding newer, better information to a previous post never hurts :biggrin:.