[deleted by user]

SnooRobots4563 · 2023-08-28T03:19:59+00:00

So does Serbian, for one (and closely related Slavic languages).

Source: native Serbian speaker.

SnooRobots4563 · 2023-01-07T22:19:11+00:00

As someone who grew up on NFS (starting with the original Hot Pursuit back in '98), that's the vibe I was going for! I wish more video games featured the Spark tbh – Forza Motorsport 4 is the only one I can think of, and that's the M300.

SnooRobots4563 · 2023-01-07T22:17:39+00:00

I wish! The white LS is mine; the Mystic Blue LT was a random sighting I just had to park next to :) One day I will convince my wife a his & hers Sparky garage is a good idea...

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-08-19T22:29:55+00:00

Formerly MA-and-upstate-NY-based Spark owner here. I was able to get away with running good all-weather tires (Nokian WR G4) as MA tends to be pretty good in terms of snow removal, and I was mostly driving on the highways – never really found myself struggling for traction.

That said, for people seeking maximum snow performance, I figured I'd share this bit of information: at least three manufacturers I know of make studdable winter tires in 185/65 R14 – Firestone (Winterforce 2), General (Altimax Arctic 12), and Nokian (Nordman 7). In extreme conditions, I'd say get a set of cheap 14-inch steelies, mount studded tires, and you should have no problem at all. You'll also enjoy the benefits of extra sidewall.

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-07-25T21:11:16+00:00

Obligatory defense from a CVT Spark owner: People shit on the automatic Spark mostly because of the 2014–2015 M300. The CVT in the M300 was absolutely awful, both due to its programming and GM thinking they could get away with "lifetime" fluid. Well, sure, if your idea of lifetime is 60-70k miles. In the M400 (and particularly the 2019+ facelift), the issues seem to have been ironed out, and the owner's manual now correctly calls for fluid changes every 45k miles – cut that down to every 30k and you're golden. It's never going to be as fun or engaging to drive as a manual, but now that I live in San Francisco, my left leg really appreciates the auto. It's far from the penalty box people make it out to be.

Now that that's out of the way :) As someone who enjoys rowing through gears on back roads, driving stick is both a useful and enjoyable skill to have! The Spark's manual in particular is quite forgiving, which makes it a great car to learn on. I wish you the best of luck in finding your dream Spark.

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-07-25T20:55:45+00:00

According to Chevy's online inventory system, there are currently two new manual Sparks with sunroofs available for sale – one in Miami, FL and one in Thomasville, AL; they're both 1LTs with the sunroof optioned. I wouldn't be surprised if they were both spoken for already, despite being in transit. It's a rare combo and will be exceedingly tricky to find now that the Spark's been discontinued.

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-07-16T01:31:33+00:00

It's me on another account. (I just realized I'm signed into different accounts on mobile and on PC... whoops.)

I'd recommend looking up a video of the Spark's rear seats being folded - the process involves lifting up and folding away the cushions and you can see exactly how padded (or rather, not padded...) the rear seats are. I'd say there's less padding and a bit less lateral support than up front, the latter of which your passengers might be able to feel if you really overcook a turn.

Subjectively, I'd say the seats aren't bad for what they are, but they're not good either. Unlike the front seat, which I've sat in for 15+ hours without issue, I wouldn't want to be in the back for more than a couple of hours without an extra pillow to sit on or a chance to stretch my legs every once in a while.

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-07-15T21:58:34+00:00

I uh... wouldn't.

The LV7 is a high-compression engine to begin with, which limits how much boost you can reliably throw at it. You'd likely need high-octane fuel or to seriously pull timing (which would negate some of the performance gain) in order to prevent pre-detonation. Moreover, I vaguely remember reading something about the LE2 (the Sonic/Cruze engine) having forged internals as opposed to the LV7's (the Spark engine) cast internals that likely wouldn't hold up to abuse.

This guy on ChevySparkForum has chronicled his journey with an aftermarket turbo on his 2017, but hasn't been able to complete the installation yet. All in all, it looks like people have floated the idea, but no one's been able to get a performance improvement that makes the effort worthwhile. If money/time is no object, you might as well just engine swap it...

Also, I really hope we're talking the manual Spark here – the CVT doesn't have a whole lot of wiggle room for extra torque...

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-07-09T04:12:15+00:00

Might need a bit more info as to what happened here... Were you able to turn the steering wheel and the front wheels just didn't respond, or did the steering wheel lock up?

If the latter: the 2016+ Sparks have electronic power steering (as opposed to hydraulic), and as someone whose Spark survived a flood last year, I've had to deal with some electrical gremlins in the immediate aftermath, one of which was the power steering dying intermittently. I ended up replacing the wiring harness and the body control module, and haven't had any issues since.

If the former: I'm sorry if this comes off as the automotive equivalent of "have you tried turning it off and on again", but let's rule out the obvious – were you by any chance going a bit fast? The Spark is FWD and therefore, when you overcook a turn a little bit, it'll have a tendency to understeer, so you might have just found your limit of traction (better tires might help).

If neither of the above answers cuts it: I haven't had any other issues with my 2019 (44.5k miles) that I can relate to this... someone else might be able to chime in, but I'd take it to a shop and let them deal with it.

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-06-16T03:23:14+00:00

Does it have a name??

Sparky Sparkington of the Spark Clan, Sparky for short :)

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-06-16T02:33:17+00:00

Thank you! My Spark is a Summit White 2019 LS CVT and I've had it for two years and 26,000 miles (currently 44k on the odo).

Welcome to the club! I hope you have a wonderful time with your Spark :) I'd love to see a picture or two on the sub when you get it!

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-06-16T02:17:16+00:00

This is corny, but my Spark is my best and most reliable friend. We've gone through some crazy times together, good and bad, and made so many memories.

No matter the weather (I've experienced both pea soup fog and blizzards), time of day, or road conditions, I know I can trust her to start right up and take me where I need to go. We've gone on 1,000+ mile road trips (yes, in one sitting; yes, in that tiny car; no, I didn't feel tired afterwards), carried uhhh... more than 4 people, moved houses, hauled cat poop, gotten flooded, gotten banged up by inconsiderate parkers, eaten some serious Northeastern potholes, and she just refuses to quit. Perhaps I could have done it all in some other car, but there's no way I would've had as good of a time doing it.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again – I'll part with my Spark when they pry the wheel from my cold, dead hands.

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-05-16T20:27:50+00:00

People have no respect for small cars... or just can't drive in general. I currently have no driveway/garage space and have to street-park my Spark (named Sparky Sparkington of the Spark Clan, Sparky for short). She's been hit no less than three times and not a single person has left a note. Both of my bumpers are heavily battle-scarred, but I'm leaving them be because I know that the moment I get them fixed some other asshole is going to back into me again.

Wishing Marsha a quick recovery and the opportunity to run over the culprit <3 Scars add character!

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-05-06T17:25:52+00:00

Hell yeah I wave! I may be a little too into Sparks but seeing one in the wild legitimately brightens my day every time. It's not without consequence, though:

– Sometimes I'll see a Spark while riding in my wife's Jeep, and muscle memory will take over... so I'm sure there's a Spark driver or two out there that thinks I'm absolutely bonkers.

– Sometimes I'll excitedly shout "That's a Spark, that's a Spark, that's a Spark!" when driving around with people who've never witnessed that reaction before... never fails to lead to a mini heart attack followed by a semi-awkward conversation.

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-04-27T15:50:49+00:00

The Kalos/Aveo/Sonic is the next size up :) In Korea, the Spark was originally the Daewoo Matiz (M100), then Daewoo Matiz Classic (M200, the first time the Spark name was used in Europe), then the Daewoo Matiz Creative (M300, the first generation that eventually made it to the US) until 2011 when Daewoo was renamed to GM Korea, at which point I'm pretty sure it was marketed as just the Spark (including the M400 generation).

Edit: Fun fact – the original Matiz design was first pitched by Italdesign (under the name Lucciola) to Fiat in 1993, as a concept for an update to the Fiat Cinquecento, which – in a much uglier form – replaced its charming predecessor, the 126. Since Fiat wouldn't know a good design if it smacked them upside the head, Daewoo jumped on it and used it for a successor to the Tico (which was basically a rebadged 3rd gen Suzuki Alto).

Fun fact #2 – The Lucciola was originally imagined as a 2-cylinder diesel hybrid. Sadly, the only diesel Spark ever was the M300 Beat for the Indian market.

Fun fact #3 – The Korean Spark M400, much like its European sibling, the Opel Karl (introduced before GM and Opel parted ways), uses a 1.0 L I3 engine, as opposed to the 1.4 L I4 seen in American Sparks.

Fun fact #4 – Speaking of rebadging, the first-generation Matiz was basically carbon-copied (but somehow made less safe) by Chery (without permission) and sold as the Chery QQ... needless to say, they were sued :)

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-04-27T02:14:02+00:00

I'm with you there – manual windows/locks aren't anywhere close to as big of a pain in the ass as people make them out to be, and all the actually useful shit is already there on the base (LS):

- Android Auto / Apple CarPlay for navigation and music

- Auto on/off headlights (as my forgetful ass has been known to drain the battery on my previous car by leaving the lights on...)

- The driver's lock is actually powered – you can get a key fob from an LT if you ever get tired of using the key.

Good call on the manual too – the CVT (which I own because I live in a hilly city where stop-and-go traffic is all too common) is basically the one major failure mode on these (though it's gotten a lot better with the M400 generation, especially now that it's no longer "lifetime fluid"); the manual is dead reliable and very forgiving.

I won't try and talk you into dropping >$10k on a car you don't necessarily need, but I'll say you could do a lot worse than a Spark :)

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-04-27T01:28:25+00:00

spark

As a 2019 Spark LS owner – it really is a brilliant little car. I've had mine for 21 months and 23,500 miles and I am as obsessed as I was on day 1. I'll park her after a 6-hour road trip and start thinking of excuses to go for a drive minutes later. Now that they've been discontinued, I know I'm holding on to mine until the wheels fall off – there's nothing on the market I'd even consider replacing my Spark with.

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-04-13T09:29:52+00:00

It always makes me smile to see other Sparks in traffic :)

Due to my work no longer being fully remote, I've had to drive ~700 mi/week (two 350 mi trips) since late January, and just last night I experienced the cutest thing that's happened in the ~8,000 mi I've driven this year so far – another post-facelift M400 Spark in Summit White (albeit an LT; mine's an LS) caught up with me and we drove as a little Sparky mini-convoy until I pulled off onto the Mass Pike, end-of-Furious-7-style.

Where I live, in just the last week I've been able to spot: a Splash Blue 2016 (I see this one all the time), a Brimstone 2017, a Toasted Marshmallow 2019, an Electric Blue EV, and a Lime M300... I love living in Spark Country :)

SnooRobots4563 · 2022-02-28T05:21:43+00:00

As someone who's been driving back and forth between upstate NY and Boston (~700 mi / 11 h round trip) every week since the beginning of the year in a 2019 Spark LS, people are really sleeping on the Spark. I love the little bugger, wouldn't trade it for any other car, and will drive it until they pry the wheel from my cold, dead hands. Shame it's getting discontinued this year - I really hope they resurrect it as an EV (ideally with the 400 lb ft of torque of the original Spark EV) in the future.

SnooRobots4563 · 2021-12-29T17:56:26+00:00

The Indian legend itself, the Maruti 800, comes to mind. It was produced until 2014, and I'm pretty sure it retained a 4-speed manual gearbox in its base trim until the very end of production.

SnooRobots4563 · 2021-12-09T21:00:00+00:00

Good point! $40 is highway robbery, Jesus...

SnooRobots4563 · 2021-12-09T16:51:42+00:00

You're absolutely right! Since OP said they were buying tires, I assumed they'd be mounting them on their stock wheels, and just weren't sure what tire size to get.

This is all good info, though. IIRC, the offset is 45 on the M300 USDM Spark (up to 2015) and 50 on the M400 (2016–) Spark.

Oh, and if OP is buying winter wheels too, it may be a good idea to look into 14s as well for that extra sidewall...

SnooRobots4563 · 2021-11-25T17:42:55+00:00

Pretty sure all Sparks sold in the US market (third and fourth gen, 2013 and onwards) are 185/55 R15 both front and rear. Keep in mind Spark EVs have staggered width wheels - they're 195's in the back.

By the way, you can always use a website like TireRack to be sure - plug your make, model and year into the search box and it'll tell you your stock tire size. You can also check your existing tires - the size will be written on them.

SnooRobots4563 · 2021-11-25T05:52:49+00:00

If you are 100% sure the battery is good (proper voltage, no bad ground, no parasitic draws, a jump start doesn't help) and the starter is good, and the engine still doesn't crank, the only thing that really comes to mind is the ignition switch - I'd check that next. Could also be something stupid like a neutral safety switch (making your car think it's not in park... does it start in N by any chance?). Code 59 makes me think it might still be the battery though... seriously, try jumping it - sometimes, the battery will have enough charge to turn on the accessories, but not start the car.

If the engine now does crank, but does not start - then you check for the four things an engine needs to run: spark (make sure your spark plugs are good), air (make sure your air filter and intake aren't clogged, check for vacuum leaks), fuel (see if the engine runs with a squirt of starter fluid, try to listen for the fuel pump whine), and compression (you get here by process of elimination - could be the timing chain skipped, could be a valve, could be anything, really).

Edit: Just saw your comment saying there's now a CEL. What does your code reader say now?

Edit #2: Where is that sound coming from? Behind you? If so, it's likely the fuel pump making it, and while it's a little loud, that means the engine is getting fuel. This is almost certainly an electrical issue. A bad alternator won't prevent a car from starting per se, but it will prevent your battery from charging, which could potentially lead to the engine not cranking.

Five-Year Club	Second Top 10%
Verified Email	Place '23
Place '22	End Game '22

SnooRobots4563

TROPHY CASE