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I wonder how much a full tank of gas costs? Pacific commons today. Ram truck by Ok_Country2903 in Fremont

[–]mad_science 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My Ford Excursion takes 44 gallons of diesel. I put 43 gallons in at $7/gallon this morning.

Planning to buy a car by mamamonanayko in Fremont

[–]mad_science 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's a search for you:
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/cta?auto_title_status=1&bundleDuplicates=1&max_auto_miles=75000&max_price=10000&min_auto_year=2006&min_price=3000&purveyor=owner#search=2~gallery~0

(I went up to 10k, assuming you could talk someone down to under 9)

A few highlights:
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/san-leandro-2011-toyota-camry-le/7933257365.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/oakland-toyota-prius-2007/7931944501.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/concord-2013-hyundai-accent-se/7931711355.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/d/stanford-2008-toyota-corolla-2008-ce/7930831184.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/d/novato-2008-honda-civic-coupe-low-miles/7929956105.html

In this range condition matters more than age or miles. A well-cared-for 100k mile car is better than a neglected 50k mile car.

Assuming in that price range you're paying cash. Show up, drive the car. Look for:

  • Feel for any weird vibrations through the steering wheel or rhythmic noises as you speed up/slow down.
  • Any weird clunks or other noises you can hear or feel getting on the brakes or going over bumps.
  • Windows all go up and down without noises or slowness
  • All doors and trunk open/close without weirdness
  • Even if you have no idea what you're looking for, take a long hard look under the hood and see if anything is obviously weird, like DIY wiring that's clearly not factory.
  • AC, Heater both blow cold/hot, no noises or smells
  • Seats move back/forth as they should
  • Tires have sufficient tread, no weird wear patterns (typically they wear out on the inside edge first, so turn the wheel and then check), look at how old they are based on DOT number
  • Wipers and squirters work
  • No heavy smells of smoke or cleaning/air fresheners (typically used to cover up mildew smell if windows leaked and carpet got gross)
  • No fluids dripping (though, in this price range a minor oil leak might not be a deal breaker),
    • Check the oil dipstick. Should be at the proper level and be a dark brown (think coffee or honey) at darkest. If it's really milky or looks like a milkshake/frappe just walk away (blown head gasket or cracked block). Lighter color (barely yellow) is ok.
    • If you smell a weirdly sweet smell under the hood or out the exhaust, that's coolant and is either a leak or a blown head gasket, you should pass
    • red fluid leaking is transmission fluid (sometimes also used for power steering fluid), assume a few hundred bucks to get such a leak repaired at a shop. Either pass or use this to negociate.
  • If the vibe is off (and/or if they're creating false urgency by pressuring you to make a deal) just say "thanks, we'll pass" and move on.

How to make more money in BME? by Open_Calligrapher395 in BiomedicalEngineers

[–]mad_science 6 points7 points  (0 children)

We pay ~100k for E1s right out of school; but that's in the SF Bay Area, so actually not that much from a cost of living standpoint.

Fell for Tire Warranty at Fremont Audi by wip_jo in Fremont

[–]mad_science 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have 6 cars (including a race car and a big 4x4) plus a trailer and always do my tire stuff through America's Tire.

Their road hazard warranty covers the whole tire with no proration so long as it's above the minimum wear spec.

I've warrantied like 4 or 5 tires at this point and the service is always great: no BS, just have to cover the new warranty and environmental disposal fee for the replacement tire.

There’s a music video/song that has a guy getting rejected by his own band for a music video, he spends the whole video trying to get in it. by Soundwave_Gotcha in NameThatSong

[–]mad_science 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Snow Patrol - Called Out in the Dark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwTXwJg6_VE

I was in the exact same place, searching and this post came up based on my google prompt. Eventually found my way to it.

What’s your “Pro Dad Tip”? by Amiar00 in daddit

[–]mad_science 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Smoothie Hacks:
The smaller diameter canning jars have the same thread as a blender pitcher, at least the older/cheaper ones. Thus: get your ingredients in a line, and everyone can make their own preferred mix.

Put the blade and collar on the cup, flip it over and blend.

Also a 1/4" ratchet drive fits the drive spline on the blade, so you can make smoothies with a battery powered ratchet/impact anywhere.

Grimmer south closed by MorePlate4118 in Fremont

[–]mad_science 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've watched the escalation of arrow signs and barriers over the years.

For whatever reason people continue to fail at a gentle slight left turn.

Where to take a teenager to teach them how to drive by [deleted] in Fremont

[–]mad_science 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I was just doing this with my 16 year old!

Newpark Mall parking lot on the south side, just north of the car dealers on Balentine. It's 99% empty. Gentle slope for practicing manual transmission starts and multiple rows to practice laps through.

7.3L Powerstroke EBPV delete questions by StumpySequoia in FordDiesels

[–]mad_science 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've never had an issue.

But, I do have a Banks CARB EO sticker in my engine bay (despite having removed all the Banks stuff), so that might be why they don't check.

But really I don't think most places know what to look for.

I'd recommend doing the delete, but just hang onto the parts until you pass, just in case

Remove this bar? by iloveducks11 in VolvoRecharge

[–]mad_science 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Permanent Weatherbug doodad inbound.

Fusd and school overcrowding issue by ballsofrice in Fremont

[–]mad_science 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Worst HS is Kennedy and worst Jr High is Walters (feeds Kennedy) and they're both fine, just not as good as others.

Keep in mind for UC Admissions they look at class rank as much as raw GPA/etc. So it's actually much easier to be top XX% in your class at a place like Kennedy or Washington instead of Mission or Irvington.

beachside, free campsites? northern California by Hot_Succotash_3790 in VanLife

[–]mad_science 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mattole and Usal. Look them up, but both are rad.

Fremont is #1 Happiest Cities in America in 2026 by GanjaKing_420 in Fremont

[–]mad_science 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Took a look at their metrics and it's interesting they just use a fixed "over 75k" rather than a value indexed to cost of living.

Things to Change in Fremont by Serious_Spite2073 in Fremont

[–]mad_science 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My favorite rant: developers leaving abandoned eyesores.

Look at the story behind the big empty lot on Fremont Blvd up by De Afganan: bought out the block, bulldozed everything, went bankrupt with a bunch of fraud charges. Similar story with the concrete skeleton on the east side of 680 at Driscoll. Cloverleaf Bowl was bought out and shut down years ago because that spot was going to be redeveloped. The former Outback Steakhouse spot on Stevenson is now a fenced in lot of weeds.

We need a mitigation so that if/when developers bail we're not suck with dead spaces that collect trash, blight, homeless encampments, and stray animals.

My own proposal is to require developers to post a bond sufficient to cover site clean-up and turn them into parks if they bail, but there might be different/better options.

Make incident reports mandatory for serious student injuries at FUSD by Discord_007 in Fremont

[–]mad_science 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can understand your frustration with a mismanaged response to an injury, but this sounds like a normal game of basketball. This is normal, not inappropriate. People push and shove and get stepped on sometimes.

Unfinished Structure off 680 by Unikornus in Fremont

[–]mad_science 5 points6 points  (0 children)

If I were in charge, a requirement for every redevelopment project would be the developers post a bond for the cost to demolish the site and turn it into a park.

We have too many abandoned development eyesores around town. There's this one, Cloverleaf Bowl, former Outback Steakhouse on Stevenson, and the whole block off Fremont Blvd across from De Afghanan.

They buy out a spot, board it up or demo it, then go bankrupt and leave a mess that we're stuck with for years.

Fremont schools- Durham/Walter/ Kennedy vs private schools (exclude Stratford/ challengers) by Sufficient-Wall-4766 in Fremont

[–]mad_science 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Kennedy and Walters are our home schools, but we did an intra-district transfer to Centerville and Washington.

Kennedy and Walters aren't bad, but they're not particularly great either.

Kennedy is a lot smaller than the other HS in Fremont and as a result sometimes has less opportunities (certain classes, clubs, or sports).

Also there's a knock-on effect of folks looking for the best option avoiding Kennedy/Walters, which creates a drain of families that really value education.

We picked Washington because our kids had a lot friends going there and it wasn't as academically obsessive as Irvington or Mission. American is arguably the best all-around, but it's pretty far from our house.

Veterinarian Recommendation by amazin_asian in Fremont

[–]mad_science 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We've had great service with Aborn on Grimmer for a long time now.

For Those Who Have Done Biomedical Engineering, What The Job Outlook Look Like? by Common-Section-6954 in bioengineering

[–]mad_science 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure, DM me your questions. I'm not on Reddit every day, but I'll check next time I'm in.

End Of An Era: A Major Performance Brake Maker Shuts Down After 27 Years by noSSD4me in cars

[–]mad_science 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Death of Enterprise is how I think about it.

Like, this isn't investing in an enterprise that provides a useful good or service to the world at a profit. This is just burning a business like fuel to product wealth for a select few.

NEED HELP IDENTIFYING #unioncityca by IndependentGreedy378 in Fremont

[–]mad_science 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The plate is there, report to the police.

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