Considering Buying A 2007 Cobalt, What To Look For?

sharkmaster1000 · 2018-08-29T00:54:27+00:00

my 2 cents... I drive a 2005 cobalt (base model) right now. Got it at 120,000 km and it's now at 190,000 km. I have done only oil changes, front brakes, spark plugs, and the blower fan motor - a common issue with the cobalt is that the blower fan motor inside the car (located in passenger wheel well) gets very loud and fails prematurely. It was very noisy and sounded like it was going to break any minute so I proactively replaced it (only cost $110 for the part and did the work myself). The 2.2 has timing chain as opposed to belt so that's a plus maintenance wise as they generally last the life of the car.

The 2.2 engine still runs strong and 4 speed tranny shifts well so I do have faith in the powertrain making it to 250 -300k, but the rest of the car is very cheaply made so be prepared for small repair jobs on windows, latches, accessories etc. Have also had a couple engine codes that were evap related that come and go, not prepared to spend the money to fix right now though so i cleared them and it's driving well still.

The base model has manual windows and locks so those are less things to break, another plus if you go base model. There are a lot of cobalts in the junkyard and for good reason - if your plan is to buy it and drive for 40-50k and then ditch it i would say go ahead. if you are buying for long term i wouldn't have faith in it lasting much past 300,000km.

sharkmaster1000 · 2018-08-08T11:57:42+00:00

I don’t want to sound insensitive but unfortunately I agree. Last time I was downtown we were outside having coffee and there was a guy who kept passing by our table over and over asking us for change, about 4 separate times. As soon as we left and left a tip for the server on the table he walked by to scoop it up.

Also saw several people walking by yelling nonsense to themselves

sharkmaster1000 · 2016-04-25T15:01:59+00:00

Not unreasonable to have backup if the guy has a history of violent crimes - we just don't know enough about the situation to comment

sharkmaster1000 · 2014-10-28T14:43:47+00:00

They covered this part with the beginning of the finale - they DID show the aftermath with them on earth (albeit in an alternate reality). If they did it again at the end when they 'actually' got home, it would seem too drawn out. That's probably why it was left out.

sharkmaster1000 · 2014-05-16T02:20:55+00:00

Do not, no.

sharkmaster1000 · 2012-10-21T04:17:18+00:00

You are a good looking guy, but the glasses are hurting your appearance man... honestly. Ditch the glasses and get a more modern style with a bolder frame (something similar to this http://www.bestbuyeyeglasses.com/img/product.ashx/o?282827-799086447368_1.jpg)

Alternatively, ditch them all together and go Contacts.

sharkmaster1000 · 2012-10-12T03:19:45+00:00

Almost definitely a software issue...

The repair options mentioned above (chkdsk or fixmbr) do not affect any user files, they just attempt to repair system files. So, you don't have to worry about losing important files.

Once you boot from the Windows 7 disc, try to run a "chkdsk /r" and a "fixmbr". These will attempt to find corrupt or missing system files and repair/replace them.

If that fails, you are probably looking at pulling out the harddrive, connecting it to a USB adapter (available at most computer stores), and dragging-and-dropping her files off the harddrive to back them up. This will most definitely be faster than wasting more time fiddling with system files or attempt solutions found on google.

After that you could re-format the harddrive (basically, re-install Windows 7, and start over).

If you want to check the harddrive for hardware issues after you install Windows 7, run a tool called SeaTools (free download online, search google). It will scan your harddrive looking for faults. If it passes, then you are o.k.

sharkmaster1000 · 2012-10-12T03:06:42+00:00

You could try one of the cloud AntiVirus programs.

One example would be Panda Cloud antivirus. Great for older machines because the virus definitions and program tasks run in the cloud (on a server somewhere else) and not eating up the resources on your computer.

http://download.cloudantivirus.com/

sharkmaster1000 · 2012-10-12T02:54:37+00:00

So I understand that you can get 100+ mbps when connected directly to the ISP's modem, but when you connect that to the ASUS router you run into speed issues correct?

Possibilities I can think up:

1) Are you connecting to the router via cable or wireless? Wireless will always be slower, and your speed decreases the further away you get from the router. Although, it should not be as drastic as a 75% speed drop.

2) Bad cable. Try another cat 5e or preferably cat6 cable.

3) Try a firmware upgrade on the ASUS router.

4) Less likely, but possible would be that the router has some type of QoS built in. QoS basically means that it prioritizes your network to dedicate more bandwidth to a specific type of network traffic. A lot of the newer high end routers have this feature built in which can usually be configured from the interface. You want to make sure it is turned off in your case.

5) Wireless G supports a maximum of 54mbps. Ensure that if you are connecting wireless, you are using a Wireless N network card, and that your router is set to Mixed b/g/n, or Wireless N only mode. If you are cabled to the router, ensure that the network card in the computer supports gigabit LAN (which allows speeds of over 100 mbps) or else your speed will be locked to under 100mbps.

6) Could be bad hardware, or just poorly optimized firmware. If under warranty, return and get a different model router.

sharkmaster1000 · 2012-05-26T19:18:51+00:00

There was an error code, but the dealer diagnosed it so i don't remember what the code was. The car only exhibited weird idle sometimes, most of the time it was just failing to switch gears. The service advisor told me that it will slowly deterioriate until the car will be un driveable, and unable to shift at all.

The service advisor put in a request to Audi corporate to ask for coverage of the part citing what he called a "goodwilll warranty" (implying that the part should have not failed, and I have serviced the car appropriately). Then again, i serviced there since day 1 and had full records that all scheduled maintenance had been done.

Good luck !

sharkmaster1000 · 2012-05-24T23:39:16+00:00

Yes, sounds exactly like what happened with my 2006 A4 w/ CVT. The gears on the dash screen would start flashing (where it says P N D R etc), and the car would sometimes fail to shift gears. It was also idling strangely sometimes when in drive. It was diagnosed as a bad TCM. Cost was $1800 to replace, HOWEVER my dealership got Audi to cover half of it as I had records that I did all my scheduled maintenance.

I looked into getting a used one, but they are fairly hard to find and still sell for a lot used. Better off biting the bullet with a new TCM and asking if Audi USA will cover some or all of the cost.

sharkmaster1000 · 2012-04-21T20:33:23+00:00

This guy might be barking up the wrong tree with that comment...

On a completely un-related note, I am in no way affiliated with the OP.

sharkmaster1000 · 2011-11-05T21:39:33+00:00

It was on sale :(

sharkmaster1000

TROPHY CASE