December 19, 2014 / Posted in  Cars

For about 6 months now I’ve been experiencing a BMW X3 muffler rattle. At first I ignored it but as it became more persistent and embarrassing, I decided to get under the car and troubleshoot it. All the connections under the car were firm and in good condition. What was causing the muffler rattle that sort of sounded like an aluminum can in my exhaust? I also noted, it only seemed to happen on start up, idle, and when the car was under no load decelerating.

I took a video and pasted it below with more details. Basically, there is a baffle in the right exhaust pipe that opens and closes based on a vacuum line. At idle and no load, the baffle closes and it opens once the engine starts winding up. It’s also closed when the car is off...

October 7, 2014 / Posted in  Cars

The family and I recently purchased a 1999 Coleman pop up tent trailer, and I’ve been itching to do some trailering ever since. The BMW X3 can easily pull the trailer, I had no problem doing 65 MPH+ up the Altamont pass on the first trip out, but you definitely feel the extra weight when braking. Even though the trailer weighs less than 2,000 lbs., it comes with electric brakes that engage automatically when you depress the brake pedal in the car. To make those or any electric trailer brakes work, you need a brake controller as well as the 7 pin trailer harness connector. I had already installed the hitch and the 4 pin connector, now I needed to get the full 7 pin trailer lights for my BMW X3 and brake controller if I wanted the proper trailer solution.

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July 31, 2014 / Posted in  Uber

Not too long ago I signed up to be an Uber driver to see what it was like. I had a good experience, and while I enjoy driving and writing up reviews, I also like getting paid. You might be interested in making some side money driving for a ride service like Uber or Lyft and are asking, how much Uber drivers make? Keep reading as I go over my experience getting paid by Uber and some of the costs also associated with driving.

Fare Income from driving for Uber

First, lets look at the fares I had on my Saturday driving for Uber. My first fare John was around four miles, took about 10 minutes and I collected around $13. My second ride was around 53 miles, took 50 minutes, and I collected about $99. Uber closes their books for the week Tuesday mornings at midnight...

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July 2, 2014 / Posted in  Uber

Recently I saw an article about yet another lawsuit against Uber in London, and I thought that was it – it’s time for me to find out what this hubbub was all about. What is this thing called Uber that’s shaking up the world? And what’s it like to be an Uber driver in Silicon Valley California?

Getting on the Road

I might use Uber for a ride in the future, but first I wanted to see if I could become a driver. Uber’s claim is drive as much or little as you want, so what did I have lose by applying? I went to their site, and after submitting approval for a background check, and uploading a copy of my license, registration, and insurance, I was nearly ready to be an Uber X driver. It took a few days to pass my background check but sure enough I did...

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