Husband just got his 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning Flash in Anti-Matter Blue in July, and I got my 2027 Honda Odyssey Elite in Smoke Blue Pearl at the end of September. No shortage of comfort, seats, cargo space, and towing capacity in this house.
Hi! New owner of a 2027. My high beams were turning on too much during my morning commute this morning, so I somehow turned them off with the lever/stick thing. Now I’m trying to get them back on after figuring out how to turn down the sensitivity in settings, and I can’t figure it out. Google said to hold down the lever for 30-40 seconds, and the dash light flashes occasionally but doesn’t stay lit. Ideas? I feel stupid. Last car was a 2012 BMW X3 with a lot of features but not as many as this Odyssey Elite. Thanks!
Hi all! I’m picking up my 2027 Odyssey Elite this week, hopefully. When I was reserving it and going through add-ons, the sales guy talked me out of the OEM rear bumper protecter because they apparently peel up over time. But as you can see from my current BMW X3, my husband is not careful when loading and unloading. He has his own pickup, but I know we will still use my van for moving things. We are also planning on kids in the future, so I’m factoring in taking a stroller in and out.
Ideas? Does anyone have the OEM rear bumper protector and like it? Better aftermarket options? Is there a cloth option that could be stowed easily? Do I just suck it up and expect my bumper to get scratched over 15 years of ownership?
UPDATE: Didn’t realize that the black plastic bumper protector is included from the factory, and it’s the chrome one that’s the add-on. The black one should be fine, so this post is moot!
Hello! I’ve been a HomeKit user for the last six years or so. I found this Raspberry Pi Zero W when cleaning out my father-in-law’s house after he passed and decided to try to use it for HomeBridge as I have a few non-HomeKit devices I’d like to bring over (Samsung fridge, Skylight calendar, etc.). The Pi didn’t come with anything except for the chip and the case it’s in, so I got a power cable, a USB cable, and a microSD card. I downloaded the Raspberry Pi setup app on my MacBook Air and went through the setup process for the microSD card. Now I’m stuck in trying to get it onto my WiFi. I think I followed the steps for SSH, but when I look at my router’s app to find the WiFi address, I don’t see it listed as connected. When I try to find it in Terminal, it says it can’t find it. The green light on the Pi flashes intermittently in a random pattern. I can’t tell if that’s good or bad.
Suggestions? I know quite a bit about Apple and HomeKit but pretty much nothing about Raspberry Pi, Android, coding, etc. I was hoping this would be easy. Am I in over my head?
ETA: To clarify, it’s a Pi Zero W.
Hello!
I am a cash buyer on the hunt for a Honda Odyssey Elite in smoke blue pearl in the Kansas City area (USA). Not likely to trade as my current car is a 2012 BMW X3 with well over 200k miles. Trying to get my Oddy before the holidays.
I’ve been checking inventory online for the 2026 Odysseys for the last couple weeks. None of the dealers on the Kansas side of the state line had the exact trim and color, so I decided to walk into the closest dealer on Saturday and reserve one out of their allocation. They were nice about it and quickly passed me up the chain to someone who could look in their computer system and take down my information and deposit/fee. No price negotiation or signatures beyond the credit card receipt which I am fine with. They thought they could get it sometime in September. Fine. My current car still drives. They said something about their system not showing any within a six state area right now. A little weird because there is one available in Missouri listed online from Honda and the dealer. I just wanted to try to find one closer before going that route.
Got a call today that the one they thought they could get is gone. I suspect it’s because the 2027s were announced yesterday. Asked if I still wanted the same color, probably hoping I’d either settle for one of the boring colors on the lot or agree to a 2027. They’re the exact same car, so I’d rather get the color I want. They’re going to let me know the tentative date tomorrow after talking to the dealer trade guy.
I guess what I’m asking is how long should I let the allocation wait go before I call the dealer in Missouri or widen my search? Like I said, I’d like to be certain that it will be here by Thanksgiving as we have some roadtrips planned.
Just put $500 down to reserve a 2026 Elite in Smoke Blue Pearl! Apparently they didn’t have any in a six state area around Kansas City, so it’s coming out of their next allocation (I assume; it’s “not in their system yet”). Hopefully we can still negotiate a good deal. We didn’t talk price today. But I did some homework on dealers, and this one was recommended. We did a test drive at another dealer, and the girl couldn’t have known a Civic from a Prelude.
This torbie girl started life as a barn cat before her previous owner tried to make her an indoor cat. She and her sister were surrendered to the shelter where she struggled to acclimate. She started to open up in a foster home. The foster parents are in my social circle and needed to find another foster or her forever home before going out of town. My husband and I offered if they didn’t find anyone else. Well, here we are! Our two orange boys are excited to meet their new sister, but we are giving her space to adjust.
Hello, fellow Lightning owners! We’ve now had our truck for a week, and things seem to be going well. We got our level 2 charged installed in Wednesday, and that has helped a lot with charging anxiety. I noticed that you can connect the charger to the Ford app over WiFi. Is that a useful thing to do or not worth it? Thanks!
Made a trip to Menards today and decided to put what we bought in the frunk since the bed was full of boxes to go to storage. At least one guy kept staring and was very confused 🤣
My husband and I are in the process of cleaning out his father’s century house after he passed. One of the bedrooms has a drop ceiling that has been there since at least the early 90s if not earlier. We’ve had crazy humidity the last couple days, and a section of the plaster fell through the drop ceiling. The house is also next to a municipal airport and on a dirt road, so we’re not sure of the exact cause. The plaster also could’ve been a ticking time bomb just waiting to fall.
Anyway, this is more of a rant as we plan to sell as is once we have the personal property cleaned out. If we do decide to repair, any advice? DIY or contractor? We’re reasonably handy but prefer to not work in ladders, and we’re not strapped for cash.
Day 1 with my husband’s new F-150 Lightning. Waiting on our level 2 charger to be installed next week. Drove it around a bunch getting a feel for it, and decided to charge when it got down to like 12%. Found a decently fast level 3 charger at the mall. Hoo boy is it different from pumping gas! EVGo took forever to install their app and sync the charger to the truck. The charging station was close to the mall entrance, but where’s the canopy? The trash cans? The squeegee? The convenience store where I can get lotto tickets and a soda so large it will be warm before I can drink it? I’m honestly wondering why more gas stations haven’t installed level 3 chargers. Kansas has them at the rest stops on the turnpike that have gas stations and fast food, but the local gas stations don’t seem to have them.
All jokes aside, public charging doesn’t seem safe for women. I was with my husband, and there was a tweaker looking guy hanging around saying the charger he was trying to use wasn’t working, so he was looking at the charger we were using to see if he could use the Tesla plug at the same time we were using the other one. Buuuut he didn’t drive a Tesla. Cue all of my alarm bells. We left when it got up to 66%. I normally have no qualms about pumping gas by myself. I stick with the nice gas stations like QT and Casey’s as much as possible. The well-lit, clean ones that are 24/7 and have cameras. So charging stations have a way to go still. Can’t wait to get our home charger.
Still shopping for my Odyssey and looking for hitch cover inspo! My current car has a Pittsburgh Steelers logo hitch cover (born and raised in the Burgh, don’t hate!), but it’s rusty after almost 15 years of use, and I don’t want to bring that rust over to my new Odyssey when I get it.
2025 Flash, new at 106 miles. $66k out the door with all weather mats, spray-in bed liner, the roll-up tonneau cover, and a $2k charger install credit with a local electrician. Should be ready to come home this weekend!
Hi all! Having a rather annoying issue where the handle on my trunk hatch won’t open the trunk, whether the car is locked or unlocked. It’s not jammed because it will open perfectly fine using the button on the dash or the key fob. I can also close it from the button on the hatch.
I’m trying to avoid going to the dealer to get it repaired because that will likely be $1000, and I’m going to sell or trade the car in the next several months as it has over 200k miles. This is just adding to the list of repairs, including a windshield, the TPM system sensors, the rear wiper motor, the engine mounts and solenoids, struts, tires, oil gasket, etc. I just dropped $500 for an oil change, brake fluid, and an AC recharge. My husband and I are tired of pouring money into this car. It was my mom’s, I’ve never been a fan of the cost of BMWs, and I am ready to move on to a Honda Odyssey.
Is this something I might be able to DIY? I’ve replaced the tail light LED chips myself. Would it have a serious impact on trade or resale value if I do nothing? I don’t need top dollar, but I hate to see it go for pennies.
Hi all!
My husband is in the market for a Lightning. He’s had F-150s in the past and loves the idea of a truck that won’t cost our firstborn child in gas that he can use as a daily commuter and a weekend project hauler. We test drove a 2025 Flash at the end of June but weren’t ready to buy that day and walked because the dealer was way too pushy. Unfortunately they seem to have jumped $10-20k in just two weeks. Any suggestions on where to look? We’re in KC and trying to find one for less than $60k.
Hello!
My husband and I are going to look at this 1972 Karmann Ghia today. Anything we need to look for specifically? It’s listed on Facebook Marketplace. Guy says it’s highway worthy but obviously not show quality. My husband and his best friend want it for the project anyway. They’re asking $6500, so it seems to be a steal. My husband has worked on 90s and 2000s Toyotas, and the best friend tried to get a 70s split window up and running.
Hello all!
I’m in the market for a minivan in the next couple months. My current ride is a fifteen year old BMW X3 I got from my mom with over 200k miles. It’s just me and my husband right now, but we are planning to have a baby in the next year or so. Also, my parents are in their 70s and like to come visit once or twice a year. We have the funds to buy in cash, so cost is not a huge issue, but I’d like to come in under $40k for a low mileage used model.
Here’s where I’m at:
* Odyssey: Pros are it’s a Honda, highly rated for safety, could have a tow hitch installed, and the Magic Slide in the center row. Cons are no hybrid, and the second row doesn’t fold flat.
* Pacifica: Pros are Stow n Go and it could have a tow hitch installed. Con is that it’s not a Honda, no sliding second row, and not a hybrid.
* Pacifica PHEV: Pro is the PHEV. Cons are no second row sliding or fold flat, not a Honda, not rated for towing (not even sure if it could hold a hitch mounted bike rack?), and not a full EV.
Thoughts? Which features have you found most useful for car seats and aging family members? My best friend has a Town and Country that she absolutely loves, so her vote is the Pacifica or Pacifica PHEV. My husband doesn’t really care as long as I’m happy. We will of course test drive all three, but I’d like more opinions than just me, my husband, my best friend and her husband, and the salesman. Everyone else I know has a car or an SUV.
ETA: I’ve ruled out the Sienna, the Carnival, and VW’s new bus.
Hello! I just upgraded from an iPhone 13 to an iPhone 17, and I’m still getting used to Always On Display. I don’t really want to turn it off completely, but I do want to turn it off while I’m driving if my phone is locked. I don’t have cars with CarPlay, so I have my phone mounted on the dash. I’m used to the screen being off and not a distraction unless I have Maps up. My Driving Focus limits notifications. But apparently I will look at my phone even with just the clock. Any ideas? I tried making my own Shortcut, but I couldn’t find triggers that made sense to accomplish this. I basically want AOD to turn off while I’m driving if the phone is locked and turn back on once I’m not driving.
Hello!
I’ve read through the wiki already, but it wasn’t quite clear. My husband and I currently have standard gas vehicles, but we are looking at trading them in for the Chrysler Pacifica PHEV and Ford’s rumored $30k EV truck. We do not currently have charge stations at home, so we would be starting from scratch. We live in a semi-rural suburb of 6k people with no public charging nearby except for the rest stop on the turnpike. We also work the same hours, so taking turns wouldn’t work super well either. I suppose it’s also worth mentioning that we have a two car garage that is mostly climate controlled and has plenty of standard 120v outlets. Thoughts?
How do I help my sad looking hydrangeas?!
Hello! I got these double-down hydrangea starts (the two-packs in the boxes) about six weeks ago from Costco. We’re in 6b, and I knew it was probably too soon to plant, but my husband was anxious to buy them when we saw them and get them planted. I stupidly backfilled the holes with compost instead of tilling it in first or mixing in the hole. I watered just about every day at dusk and installed a Raindrip drip irrigation system after a week or two and had it water twice daily at dusk and again at dawn. I’ve done the scratch test, but I’m worried they’re either in transfer shock or straight up dead. The only one showing signs of life is the second one. It was green in the scratch test and has one itty bitty leaf bud. I think it’s also put up another shoot or two since I planted them. I also pruned them all last week.
Anyway, how can I try to save them?? We had a ton of rain over the weekend, and I wanted to get bulbs in, so I pulled up the drip irrigation for now. Should I continue to water daily or back off to weekly? I’m willing to give them time and hope for the best until next year. But I want to make sure I’m not totally screwing them over. If they’re toast I’ll just wait for the potted ones to go on sale and try those.
I also know we need to get mulch down. We bought our house last year, and the front flower bed was super neglected. It’s a work in progress.