Jump to content


Please note: You can easily log in to MPN using your Facebook account!

OT: Car Maintenance and Money


Recommended Posts

This week, my 2008 CR-V and wife's MiniCooper[2012] spent a day in the shop.

 

CR-V has 102,000 miles. , Mini has 50,000 miles.

 

No bad news or surprises. Normal maintenance, oil changes, tires/break checks, fluid replacement, etc etc.

$400 invested in my CR-V, $250 in the Mini.

 

Different shops, Had fun speaking to the shop owners in between them having haranguing with other

car customers. I enjoy speaking to owners of local businesses - I ran a small business until I retired it 2015.

 

What was interesting, is that both shop owners spoke in identical terms - most car owners neglect maintenance and wait until their

cars come to a screeching stop , then the melt down act starts.

 

They blame the shop owner [ for over charging] when the car fix bill is astronomical

[ lets say +$1000]. And the owners complain loudly that the repairs take way too much time.

 

I heard some of it while I was waiting. The car customers were suddenly knowledgable

mechanics, positive they were being ripped off for repairs, knew someone that knew someone in the legal

profession, would file a complaints.

 

And worst of all indignities, the upset customer was going to rip

the shops good reputation on Yelp and on Fakebook. How awful, social media

sites were truthiness often dies. Life is so full of unfair inconveniences.

 

Both shop owners confirmed this is the standard behavior with almost all car customers.

Normal maintenance and checkups are neglected. And the threats and verbal

assaults have to be tolerated until the temper tantrum subsides.

 

I opined that their customers were stressed out and unprepared over the high cost of living

in our area [ a valid concern ]. Plus the customers took short term and unwise short cuts to

avoid expenses with their cars. Similar to avoiding standard dental and gum work until the pain

is excruciating. And expensive.

 

I take the side with these shop owners, if there is a debate. Their rep is on the line every day.

And they are not getting rich, not even close. Independent car shops work on small margins.

 

I am not referring to car dealers who offer car service- their prices are scary.

I do like their pleasant waiting rooms, and Keurig coffee. But only if its free

recall type visit.

 

Any good car repair stories, either way ?

 

 

 

 

 

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Replies 18
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Too many to relate. Most relate to design flaws that resulted in the need for premature repair.

 

One observation based on my mechanics recent experience. Noticed from time to time he had relatively new KIA's in his work shop getting serious engine work or replacement. Asked him whats going here, don't they have a 7 year unlimited k's warranty?

 

Yes he said, but this one has done 80,000 ks, the motor has blown, had its last known service at 1,500 klms. KIA understandably has denied a warranty claim as it hasn't had an oil change or been serviced as required. So now $5k bill for repairs.

 

Some folks think that a car is like a fridge with a 7 year warranty. Unless its an EV that doesn't work. Paying for regular service, at a dealer or an independent, is just like paying an annual insurance premium to keep the warranty valid.

 

A basic oil and filter change is less than $100 for most cars. Air intake filters are less than $30 and take 5 minutes to change. If money is tight skip changing the cabin pollen filter.

A misguided plumber attempting to entertain | MainStage 3 | Axiom 61 2nd Gen | Pianoteq | B5 | XK3c | EV ZLX 12P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any good car repair stories, either way ?

 

We have some excellent independent auto repair shops here in SE Pennsylvania. I have an older Toyota Camry, and keep up with most of the scheduled maintenance. The repair shop that I frequent has been working on various cars I've owned during the last 25+ years with fair pricing. They've raised their rates recently so I have to dig a bit deeper into my wallet.

 

When the car was under warranty, I took it to the dealer for maintenance because their oil changes offered rebates... a real money-saver.

 

One real annoyance though, my driver's-side sun visor broke last year. Apparently there had been a visor recall, however, when I contacted the dealer, the expiration date of the recall had passed. I wasn't aware recalls expired. :mad:

 

Anyway, I refuse to pay $100 for a replacement. I'll just check out a local junk yard as the visors available online look kinda cheesy.

 

 

When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Moray.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are some thieves in the auto repair business as in other businesses. Nextdoor app can be of help finding an honest one. Speaking of honest, years ago I went to one with Honest in their name for annual inspection. Gave me a bill of $4K of work neeeded. I near shit my pants and after seeing their price breakdown it was obvious they overcharge and try to oversell. What do you think of replacing rear struts in a CRV for $1850. Thats just a couple bolts. Then they listed rear trailor arm bushings replacement. Instead of just pushing the old ones out with tool, they would just replace the entire arm. BS. In the end, I did all work listed and parts totaled about $500.

 

I'll go on as I had a recent experience with my oil heater. Place I've used for years for maintanence tuneup. Guy I never seen before comes and is obviously on a mission. Calls me down after ten minuites and says there's a broken heat exchanger and stops. Didn't replace filter or anything. Warns me of carbon monoxide in home and leaves. Hour later salesman calls to replace heater. In between I Googled cracked heat exchanger and see video from a tech saying if you're ever told of this make sure they show the crack to you. The guy who came said he couldn't get access. I told the salesman I'll think about it. Then I called another heater tech for 2nd opinion inspection and told him. He procedes to back of heater and takes off access panel and we both visually inspect exchanger. He also tapped it with a rod. He said by the sound he was positive it was not cracked. Used mirrors and did carbon monoxide test in heater and in my home air ducts.

Nothing was wrong with the heater. So beware, brother beware.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Too many to relate. Most relate to design flaws that resulted in the need for premature repair.

 

One observation based on my mechanics recent experience. Noticed from time to time he had relatively new KIA's in his work shop getting serious engine work or replacement. Asked him whats going here, don't they have a 7 year unlimited k's warranty?

 

Yes he said, but this one has done 80,000 ks, the motor has blown, had its last known service at 1,500 klms. KIA understandably has denied a warranty claim as it hasn't had an oil change or been serviced as required. So now $5k bill for repairs.

 

Some folks think that a car is like a fridge with a 7 year warranty. Unless its an EV that doesn't work. Paying for regular service, at a dealer or an independent, is just like paying an annual insurance premium to keep the warranty valid.

 

A basic oil and filter change is less than $100 for most cars. Air intake filters are less than $30 and take 5 minutes to change. If money is tight skip changing the cabin pollen filter.

 

Car manufacturers with sketchy ' warranties ' is def an issue. The warranty language has exclusions aplenty and you are forced to be an attorney to understand the document.

 

A reliable car is a necessity in my area. Life would be adversely effected if my vehicle was consistently in the shop.

 

Good you brought up parts, like filters. Auto parts can be an target of ' gouginess '. Air and cabin filters are a good examples.

 

 

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm proactive as opposed to reactive when it comes to my vehicle.

 

I tend to stay away from the chains now. The last good chain got acquired and became Mr Tire. The last time I used their services, they overstated the repairs and I had a huge repair bill. My brother knows cars and he said they ripped me off. Places like Monro are too expensive.

 

I had nothing but good luck with local repair shops. There is a good one less than a mile from work and they are also proactive, they let me know of any potential things that will need to be addressed in the future like corroded coolant lines to the transmission.

 

They have done good with my Saturn... 297K miles and still runs like a top!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dont think factory new car warranty's are sketchy, they simply require that the owner has the car serviced according to the service schedule included in the warranty book. Here it can be either a authorised dealer or independent. Listed wear items such as brake pads and tyres are excluded and the battery warranty may be limited to 3 years. Paint and interior trim user caused damage is not covered.

 

Our Government consumer affairs office is readily accessible, free to have disputes heard by their tribunal, decisions are binding on the respondent. Rest assured if that option is mentioned no reputable manufacturer or dealer wants to get embroiled in that process unless they have a strong evidence and big bucks are involved.

 

I used them to make phone call on my behalf to Ford some years ago when the dealer wanted to charge me to replace the front brake discs inside the warranty period. I pointed out the warranty exclusions specifically mentioned the pads but not the discs. GM and other manufacturers warranty's specifically exclude discs. The dealer replaced the discs at no charge. Some times you need to do a little arm twisting to assert your rights and if you don't know what they are free help is available.

A misguided plumber attempting to entertain | MainStage 3 | Axiom 61 2nd Gen | Pianoteq | B5 | XK3c | EV ZLX 12P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What do you think of replacing rear struts in a CRV for $1850. Thats just a couple bolts. Then they listed rear trailor arm bushings replacement. Instead of just pushing the old ones out with tool, they would just replace the entire arm. BS. In the end, I did all work listed and parts totaled about $500.

 

r. So beware, brother beware.

 

Absolutely ! Buyer beware. My repair shop wants + $400 for all struts[ 4 ] replacement.

No arm twisting . Strut replacement is a ' manufacturer recommendation '. Not a necessity

at this time.

 

I sarcastically said I don't need gold plated struts on my 100,000 mile CR-V.

 

The struts will eventually lose fluid [ as I understand ]. Thats the time to replace for me.

 

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One real annoyance though, my driver's-side sun visor broke last year. Apparently there had been a visor recall, however, when I contacted the dealer, the expiration date of the recall had passed. I wasn't aware recalls expired. :mad

Convenience recalls can expire, that"s up to the manufacturer. Safety recalls never expire, even to subsquent owners,

I would like to apologize to anyone I have not yet offended. Please be patient and I will get to you shortly.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Regarding routine maintenance, absolutely stay on top. And no need to pay attention to the recommendations of those '10 minute' oil change places that recommend every 3000 miles. Follow manufacturers recommendations, usually 6000 or 7500 miles. And if you have a belt driven cam and your engine that is of the 'interference" type, do not neglect inspecting/replacing that.

 

My horror story involves our new Subaru Forester Touring. Horrible gui on the in dash touch screen. I"d like to know who designed it, and thought, 'this is safe to drive this way"! It"s not. We love everything about the vehicle EXCEPT the combination stereo/gps/bluetooth phone interface dash touch screen. Not at all intuitive. We wish we had spent more actual road time with the car before buying. We would have walked away.

I would like to apologize to anyone I have not yet offended. Please be patient and I will get to you shortly.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Stillearning +1. I've consistently seen advice to change oil every 10,000 miles or yearly (more often doesn't hurt, although 3000 miles seems frequent). Also belt driven engines should have a timing belt/aux best/tensioner/waterpump replacement after 5 years.

 

Cheers, Mike.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Regarding routine maintenance, absolutely stay on top. And no need to pay attention to the recommendations of those '10 minute' oil change places that recommend every 3000 miles. Follow manufacturers recommendations, usually 6000 or 7500 miles. And if you have a belt driven cam and your engine that is of the 'interference" type, do not neglect inspecting/replacing that.

 

My horror story involves our new Subaru Forester Touring. Horrible gui on the in dash touch screen. I"d like to know who designed it, and thought, 'this is safe to drive this way"! It"s not. We love everything about the vehicle EXCEPT the combination stereo/gps/bluetooth phone interface dash touch screen. Not at all intuitive. We wish we had spent more actual road time with the car before buying. We would have walked away.

 

Solid advice every which way. I had belts and timing belts, tensioner all replaced at 90k. They wear down over time, and if they break, engine over heats- good bye , car.

 

I have been admiring the Forester. Good tip on the GUI/controls, thanks

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...our new Subaru Forester Touring. Horrible gui on the in dash touch screen. I"d like to know who designed it, and thought, 'this is safe to drive this way"! It"s not. We love everything about the vehicle EXCEPT the combination stereo/gps/bluetooth phone interface dash touch screen. Not at all intuitive. We wish we had spent more actual road time with the car...

 

I have been admiring the Forester. Good tip on the GUI/controls, thanks

Ours is a 2018, the master 'head unit" is made by Harmon Kardon. Avoid, or at the very least, spend time with it before you buy. You may find it suits you. In the 2019, Subaru has gone with a different manufacturer. We drove a new Outback recently. Much better overall experience. It syncs with Apple Carplay and we used our iPhone X for nav. Much better, and it constantly updates maps, unlike built in car GPS units which, after a few years often have outdated maps.

 

I would like to apologize to anyone I have not yet offended. Please be patient and I will get to you shortly.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've always been one for regular maintenance. When I first moved to Houston, I couldn't really change my own oil since we were living in apartments. So I started going to one of those Texaco oil change places. Every time I went I heard the exact same schpiel. "This is your air filter, and as you can see it's pretty dirtyâ¦" When I lived in MI before TX, I went to this one dealer and they were always very cool about the service. The guy would go, "yeah, your air filter is dirty but I'll clean it for ya" and he proceeded to blow it with an air compressor. So I never fell for that stuff from the Texaco kids.

 

After a while, I figured, yeah it has some miles on it, so go ahead and replace it. I don't remember why I checked it after I got home, but when I saw what they did, I was livid. Apparently they didn't have my size air filter in stock so they took a larger one of the same width and cut the length to fit! Not only that, but because of the way they did it, the cut end was squished in such a way that it left a big gap that I'm sure all of the air would go through, bypassing the filter.

 

I'm sure I went back and bitched, but I don't remember the result. I'm pretty sure I just went to an auto parts place and replaced it with the right one myself.

 

Another thing they always tried to sell me on was changing the transmission fluid. Holy dumbfuck, my car is a manual. :rolleyes:

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A trusted mechanic is a valuable asset. I remember once taking my car to a brand new quick-lube place as I had a coupon for a free oil change. Guy brings me into the garage bay and tells me my radiator needs flushing. He opens the cap and I see a brown liquid in it, as if it was completely rusted out. I told him thanks for the info and that I'd call to schedule it. Went home and checked the radiator the next day, and it was back to antifreeze green. Never had a problem with it.

 

It's amazing to me how many people take their cars to dealerships. While I'm sure there are a couple of honest mechanics working at dealerships, most places are not to be trusted in my experience. I had one roommate years ago always having to put money into his car because the dealer told him so. Wouldn't take my advice to go elsewhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My beef is with tire stores selling front end alignments with a new set of tires. The sell is "you don't want your new tires to wear out prematurely" If the old tires were worn evenly, the steering wheel is centered and the car drives normal, odds are you don't need an alignment. The next step is to show the customer all the suspension parts that are worn out. Almost all suspensions have a little play but most customers don't know that. So if a tech shows them that a part has some play, it's an easy sell. bottom line is; If your car is wearing out front tires or the steering wheel isn't centered, get it fixed. If it drives as it should and dosn't wear the front tires unevenly, Nothing needs to be fixed, don't waste your money. I've seen techs build a $1500. repair bill on this kind of work when it wasn't needed. I completely recommend regular oil changes, brake inspections and drivetrain maintenance as outlined in the owners manual. And that's another thing. Who reads their owners manual? I've been the owner of a shop restoring classic cars for over forty-one years and it doesn't matter if it's an old car or a new car. Most of my customers have never read their owners manuals.

When it comes to my own vehicles. I once owned an 83 Suburban that I drove to 520,000. miles pulling a car trailer and never even rebuilt the motor. Good maintenance and luck. ~BOB

I'm practicing so that people can maybe go "wow" at an imaginary gig I'll never play. -Nadroj
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorite thing about service recommendations is they always have two tables, one for normal use and another for extreme conditions. The person at the dealer will always find an excuse to say you live in extreme conditions.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorite thing about service recommendations is they always have two tables, one for normal use and another for extreme conditions. The person at the dealer will always find an excuse to say you live in extreme conditions.

 

I think the ' dealer recommendation' is a form of soft selling. My CR-V is 2008 and a variety of parts could or should be replaced.

 

I google each repair recommendation to better determine my risk of not doing it this week, for example.

IOW, its easy to throw $ into an aged car. I pace preventative maintenance based on my driving habits, which are minimal mileage.

 

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Finally something I know about and have a recent story.

 

To paraphrase Levon from The Last Waltz. I thought you weren't supposed to talk about it.

 

Yeah, I have a late-model Camry V6 XLE, and I'll be f*****ed if these damned potholes on my commute haven't f***** that moth********* srut mount assembly damned near torn a hole in my hood. Strut mount.

 

F***.

C****

Sh**

 

THat make you happy, all that asteriisks?

 

C***

 

F***

B***

SH***

MOfo****

 

HOWEVER

 

In my modest opinon, I don't feel the need to replace LR front end parts at one time.

 

Also, I want to see and measure for myself alignment problems after suspension work to see if it meets my financial schedule.

 

HOWEVER, even though I can measure alignment, I'm not going to put my car up and do what they cats can do for a hundy or so.

 

It's easy to see if the allignment is good after front-end work, though. Like, some string and some rulers, and just see if it's good while driving is the simplest.

 

I f******** hate cars, but once you're in it, you never forget stuff and you get some idea of what's wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...