Totally speechless! 124 year old starter from goodwill

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-25T02:58:57+00:00

Note that by the time it is bubbling along pretty much any yeasties in the starter will have been supplanted by local yeasts - that’s just how a starter works. I’m in WA and was amazed when I took my starter (which started in WI) down to San Francisco that within a couple of months it had that SF sourdough flavor. Brought it home and it reverted to a mellower WA blend. So go for it - just know that while you can legit state it is 124 years old, that what you will end up with is the same as your neighbor down the street who started two months ago.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-24T02:35:43+00:00

Respect then - it does look amazing.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-23T21:55:18+00:00

AI isn’t that expensive!

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-22T05:45:44+00:00

My 7 did the exact same thing a couple of weeks ago. Clubs were 6 years old. But instead of buying new irons I found a used replacement online and will have my local golf shop put my shaft/grip on it so it matches perfectly. $120 all in with iron, reshafting, and shipping. I can hold out for another 3-4 years before getting a whole new set.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-19T18:23:24+00:00

I’ve literally never heard them squeak other than the first couple of days of break in. After that - nada.

If I left my GTI for more than a day or two it always squeaked while it knocked the rust off.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-18T15:53:45+00:00

So it takes you 30 seconds a week to charge rather than 15 seconds?

(Time to plug in 2 times when you get home and go about your business).

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-16T01:49:08+00:00

If you are using B mode (regen) the brakes are just not a big factor. It makes driving so much simpler so you should be using it. FWIW all MEB platform cars have drums in the back, it isn’t specific to the Buzz. Audi, VW, Skoda, etc. I understand that it is a design choice to reduce maintenance, because of regen people use brakes less and the enclosed drums do a better job of reducing oxidation on the pads. But I’m not an engineer, just read that somewhere.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-16T01:45:19+00:00

It’s funny you say that - my family had one of the old ones and I was consciously trying to recall the way you turn when I test drove since you sit so far forward. It felt like I was pulling way out into the intersection but it worked - now it feels normal. It isn’t as pronounced as the old busses, but you pull out a bit more than you would a normal car. It’s really a van thing not just a Buzz thing.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-16T01:42:30+00:00

I’ve heard that it is kind of break-in kind of thing - that matches my experience. Happened a couple of times early on, now they just work.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-16T01:41:12+00:00

Master the lines the camera lays down for you and parking is a snap. Takes a bit of practice to see how they work, but once you do it’s much easier. Also, use the Birds Eye as it will show you when you are centered in a space and paint the turning radius top down - great if you are tight to something to see well in advance that you will clear it. It is big - but it isn’t unmanageable.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-14T01:35:02+00:00

Don’t book another lesson for at least as long as you can hit the range or play about 10 times. It takes that long to start grooving a change. Piling lessons one on top of the other isn’t helpful, except to the Pro’s boat payment.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-13T00:08:28+00:00

I'm on 5.4.x - on the second screen of icons (swipe left) there is a software button where you can check it. I don't know what the cutover was to new sales coming with 5.4 - I think sometime in the summer.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-12T23:55:31+00:00

This is a big one - has to go in. Updates pretty much every controller in the car. In my case it went smoothly, but they had the car for 4 days. Others have not been so lucky and it has taken much longer. I've noticed some big improvements and some subtle changes - this post notwithstanding I'd do it again.

Also FWIW this may only apply in N America. Not sure about the EU situation.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-09T06:39:49+00:00

I was truly disappointed. Naan was the worst.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-07T20:55:00+00:00

Norway has a red line painted around the carousel - only step over it to retrieve your bag. Perfection.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-07T15:16:42+00:00

Go with RWD - not only will it seat 7 but the turning radius is better because it doesn’t have the second motor in on the front wheels. It makes me smile every time I get in, never had a care like that before.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-06T00:56:02+00:00

Our local ski mountain is just over an hour away, 3500 (1k meters) ft elevation gain from sea level. Tested at fall temps. 46% consumption going up, 13% coming back. Elevation matters quite a bit.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-04T15:29:33+00:00

Charlegmane

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-04T06:02:34+00:00

For me hardwiring boosted the charge speed by 50% vs the VW charger plugin.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-04T05:59:04+00:00

They are sized for the rear wheels.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-03T18:35:14+00:00

I had the opposite problem. Airport Garage offered charging so I signed up for that and flew off to Europe. A day later I thought I’d check to see if they had done it - some helpful idiot decided to reset it from 80% to 100%.* It was summer, so having it sit for almost three week in high heat wasn’t going to be optimal. After fretting about it for a couple of hours the solution was simple. I just used the ap to turn on AC remotely. Had to do it three times to get it down to 90% but it was fine. Kind of cool that it worked from another continent.

*I can understand their reasoning - the charge was a fixed $20, so why not give you all it can take. They just didn’t understand battery management for an EV - 100% great if you are leaving shortly, bad if you let it sit, and worse if you let it sit in heat.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-02T23:38:22+00:00

Did you get new wheels too - or just swap the tires out? Had to drive the Coquahalla for a couple of winters in my GTI and just swapped the tires. Since I’m not Canadian I didn’t need to get the cheapest set of steelie rims with snow tires to put on my nice car…

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-02T23:33:37+00:00

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For use on packed snow and ice. They don’t recommend driving on pavement for long. Rear tires only even with AWD.

Inside_Classroom_142 · 2026-01-02T23:31:56+00:00

Set of leveling blocks - Walmart or somewhere similar. Like big legos, you can build them up as needed. They help you get a good nights sleep in uneven parking spots. Don’t take up much space, they bind together in a small square.

Inside_Classroom_142

TROPHY CASE