That's not even the most frustrating part of what is supposed to be a simple procedure. In order to get just barely enough room to cram a 1/4" ratchet on the top fuel filter bracket bolt, one has to move the E85 sensor by removing two 7/8" nuts from the transmission crossmember! And of course there is just enough room to turn the bolt only one click at a time - mostly because the ABS unit is in the way. Can't GM think of better places to put these things? And don't even try doing it without removing the bracket - while it might be technically possible, the lack of any room to work makes it easy to strip threads. Last month I learned how to use a tap. This month I get to learn how to use a thread file...
Thursday, 17th of February, 2011
Monday, 14th of February, 2011
Friday, 4th of February, 2011
Picture - As things warmed up, I discovered one burst pipe... fortunately after I pryed away the insulation I was able to verify that the crack happened above ground. But while I've got some running water in one place, I might as well fill up all the buckets and do some dishes, because there is only one shut-off valve for all the water.
Today's wheel swap is best documented by video:
Tuesday, 1st of February, 2011
Good For: Comfortable commuting on a budget. I was not expecting anything exciting when I found the Sebring parked in my spot - after all it is just the Chrysler version of the Stratus/Avenger. I opened the door (which can pivot out at an extremely wide angle by the way) and was a little surprised to find leather heated seats, LED lighting, and an analog clock on the dashboard. This one even has the sunroof, and the headroom it eats up is not noticable since the power seats adjust nicely. The 6-speaker XM audio system appears to have mid ranges on the dashboard too, and it sounds good. The turn signal has the 3-blink lane change feature. Little things add up to make a cold, winter morning commute a lot more comfortable than what you would normally find in a $22k mid-sized car.
Compromises: The 4-speed automatic actually does a good job with the 2.4L four-banger, and the chassis seems to perform well too (the stock Bridgestones are not worthy of it).
Overall reaction - Thumb up: The Sebring is still kind of a small FWD sedan, but there is a lot of value in the creature comforts packaged in it. It gets renamed to the "200" in 2011, and stays competitive with upgrades to a 6-speed automatic, 18" wheels, and the available 3.6L Pentastar.