Off Topic Thread (Post All Off Topic Discussions Here)

Please feel free to discuss anything you would like that is non-technical or off topic in this thread. Have fun but be nice to each other.

I'm starting to notice warping on the drivers side rear door panel :banghead:

Does anyone have any insurance knowledge. My daughter is 17 and has been driving since 16, but I have not yet added her to my insurance policy. Will I be covered if she gets in an accident?

Does anyone have any insurance knowledge. My daughter is 17 and has been driving since 16, but I have not yet added her to my insurance policy. Will I be covered if she gets in an accident?

I believe it depends on your insurance company and state insurance laws or codes. I'm in a similar situation because I have a son at a college (military service academy). He is only home for two weeks in the summer and about two weeks for Christmas/Winter break. He is not allowed to have his car at school. I do not have him listed on my policy. Technically he does not reside in my immediate household. Regardless, I let him drive the Alero while he is home. From what I undertand the insurance company has no choice and a duty to indemnify and cover any accident. Of course, that does not mean I will not be cancelled or my rates raised or they get you on some other technicality. The problem is once you notify your insurance company they jack up the rates. According to my policy, I have to report all licensed drivers living in my household no matter what age.

That's how my mom's insurance is. When I turned 16 the Colorado DMV listed two drivers living under the same roof, so they automatically raised the rates on her vehicle until I got my own car. Even now she has to list me as exempt on her car (meaning I'm not allowed to drive it or covered under its insurance) in order to keep the rates down on her car. The rates for my car however, are through the roof :-)

- Jeremy

Thanks for the responses guys. I have always been told that they would get a hold of me when she got her license, and tell me I needed to add her to the policy, but it hasn't happened. It makes me nervous not knowing, but if I ask, I know the answer will be yes.

Does anyone have any insurance knowledge. My daughter is 17 and has been driving since 16, but I have not yet added her to my insurance policy. Will I be covered if she gets in an accident?


If her name doesn't appear on the Insurance card chances are your Insurance company will not pick up the tab when she get's into a wreck.. If I was you, I would either "A" take the keys away from her or "B" Get her Insurance...

I'm starting to notice warping on the drivers side rear door panel :banghead:

How bad and what part? We hit 105 degrees yesterday and I noticed on our passenger side door at the window trim area the top part of the door panel has a slight ripple effect. Not bad but noticeable.

How bad and what part? We hit 105 degrees yesterday and I noticed on our passenger side door at the window trim area the top part of the door panel has a slight ripple effect. Not bad but noticeable.




Just wait it gets worse... Mine is doing it on the driver side..

Just wait it gets worse... Mine is doing it on the driver side..

Did you ever get that A/C fixed? Living in your neck of the woods I am surprised you don't have a bunch of mildew growing in your Alero. :lol:

Did you ever get that A/C fixed? Living in your neck of the woods I am surprised you don't have a bunch of mildew growing in your Alero. :lol:



Nope, I enjoy my shirt sticking to my back when I get somewhere :rofl:

Nope, I enjoy my shirt sticking to my back when I get somewhere :rofl:


I really do not understand how you do that. Being in the Houston area is like living in a swamp. We hit 106 degrees yesterday in El Paso and without the A/C the car would be a death trap. When the A/C in an Alero works it works great though.

Yep...Mine is warping in the same area.

- Jeremy

Same here. Just noticed it starting a couple weeks ago. Hadn't cleaned the car in a while. It's starting to match my dashboard. :)

How about any of the dashboard vents? I noticed slight warpage on the center vent plastic trim. Cheap! :shakehead

New subject:

For the past 2 weeks I have ben driving the Alero more frequently and had a chance to see how the mileage is. In city is split about 60/40 between stop and go and freeway. I use about 7 gallons per week and get approximately 220 miles. That is 31.42 mpg in city. I'm doing alot better than my son did. :grinyes:

It must be that size 12 foot of his. :lol:

Dashboard vents appear to be OK as of now. Just had to replace the blower motor resistor on Saturday though. According to the date on the one I removed, it was replaced at some point about 9 months before I bought the car.

I figured out my mileage a few weeks back on one of my many road trips to the east side of Michigan, and I get right around 33 MPG - most all highway, between 70 and 75 MPH with the AC on. Not bad for 104,000 miles....

I really do not understand how you do that. Being in the Houston area is like living in a swamp. We hit 106 degrees yesterday in El Paso and without the A/C the car would be a death trap. When the A/C in an Alero works it works great though.


That's true but I do save on gas without it though :)

Well on to another subject. The temperature gauge. With the summer here what does everyone's temp gauge read? Ours reads right at the center mark in just about all driving conditions after the engine is fully warmed up and even with the A/C on.

Rolling down the road with the AC on and about 90 degrees outside, mine runs just below the halfway mark. If I'm sitting in traffic, it'll go a little above halfway. Wintertime, it runs a bit farther below halfway, but not by much. But, in the winter it's usually about 70 degrees colder outside....

Eh, during hot days when its like 90+, its 1 or 2 hashes above the centermark.

New topic.

What color is your Alero and how many doors?

'02 Alero GL2 (3.4L V6) - Galaxy Silver. 4 door.

This thread has been stale for a while. I'll add to it.

99 GX. 4 door. Onyx black with stone chip white accents on the front third of the car. The stone chips went away after I whacked a deer a couple years ago, but they came back fairly quickly.

Yeah, this thread has been dead for awhile. Post a pic of your Alero.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y186/lizzywiz/alero2002.jpg
'02 Alero GL2 (3400)

I'll have to dig the camera out. I think I'll wash it first and get the giant bird turd off the hood. I'd swear there is a giant bullseye painted on my car that only birds can see. That critter must have eaten good before starting its trip south.

:(

You guys are getting 30+ MPG? Is that with the 4-cyl? I've only had my 2001 4-cyl for a few weeks, but I checked the MPG and it was 18. I was horrified. The reason I got this car was because I figured it would get better than the 18mpg my Grand Prix got. So this time I put in the good gas with some fuel injector cleaner. We shall see... we shall see...

On the highway I can pull about 32MPG. City it drops down to about 25-28 depending on traffic. Mine's a 99 with the 2.4L.

If you're getting only 18MPG, you've either got a serious problem or a really heavy foot.

Mine is a 4 door red alero v6 3400

White 99 GLS, 3.4L V6 w/custom wheels stock 16" size, 126K.

Put a K&N air filter in about two months ago and fuel mileage went from 24-25mpg in the city to 26-27mpg in the city. Haven't had a chance to do any extended highway driving yet, but before the filter installation was getting about 29-30mpg, so hopefully that will improve as well.

:screwy: Well just fixed up a 99 olds alero and just a comment buy aftermarket parts if possible or go to a junk yard for anything else----why you ask...
went to fix the four way flasher in this car so I went to the dealer Westbrough Buick and needed two plastic parts Plastic bracket and bezel each 29 and 30 dollars for 50 cent parts. Not to say I am willing to bail out GM but the pricing is at best stealing from their customers.

Worked in this business for 40 years and never Have seen such out and out over pricing of cheap parts in my life..

Also general comment on the repairs I had to make to get this car to a save level for my granddaughter---ft wheel bearings, rotors ( cheap junk at best) DRIVE SHAFT FIX RUSTED OUT TRUNK ETC ETC ETC ETC ETC.

gm YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!

If she lives in your home she has to be listed as a driver on your policy to be covered. If she lives elsewhere I don't think she has to be on your policy but I'm no expert.

Hey BNaylor - I notice your vehicle list includes the 99 Buick Regal.. I have a 98 Regal GS 3800 SC with about 245K miles on her. Just did the rear struts and sway bar, and the front sway bar. I have new tires on her also. She seems to have a fairly good oil drip on the belt side somewhere, but the upper gasket set has been replaced already. With all this recent shelling out of cash, makes me wonder how long before the head gasket goes. Just wondering how many miles you have on yours, and if you've already done the head gasket or anything else major?

Check your oil sending unit......usually leaks at the electrical harness connector....