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  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244
    Just run to Jiffy Lube every other day and have them top off the oil. Run it until the engine BLOWS. That would be the most cost efficient method.
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
  • cryoulcryoul Member Posts: 4
    No Way Am I dropping nearly $4K on a nearly 7 year old car. out of the question. I'll invest a few hundred if I have to, shoot I just did the brakes and new tires that was a few hundred right there. but $4K on a rebuilt entire 4 cyl. 7 year old engine with 100K miles, no thanks. Thank you for the reply though. any better ideas? to keep the bill under a grand?? I'm all ears =)
  • cryoulcryoul Member Posts: 4
    TO: " euphonium" ---- No Way Am I dropping nearly $4K on a nearly 7 year old car. out of the question. I'll invest a few hundred if I have to, shoot I just did the brakes and new tires that was a few hundred right there. but $4K on a rebuilt entire 4 cyl. 7 year old engine with 100K miles, no thanks. Thank you for the reply though. any better ideas? to keep the bill under a grand?? I'm all ears =)
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    If you really have added 3 or 4 quarts of oil, you are lucky you haven't totally locked up this motor already. The car probably holds a max of 5 quarts, and you are letting it go almost empty before adding oil.

    If you are not going to fix the car, you should check the oil level at least every tank of gas (300 to 400 miles max). And add what is needed at that time, hopefulle one quart or less.

    And just keep driving it and hope it keeps running and burning oil.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    And, at 7 years old and 100,000 miles, the car should not be using oil like this. You, or someone else has abused this motor to cause it to burn oil. Of course, running it 4 quarts low is abuse in itself.
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244
    While backing our cars out of driveway, with auto transmission , my wife will put car in drive before the car is fully stopped. No banging from going from reverse to drive without a complete stop. I say it's not good for transmission. She says I'm crazy. Who's right?
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Eh....iffy as to damage, but it's not a recommended practice. I would say that if anything eventually gets damaged by doing this, it would be the torque converter, which isn't locked up at low speeds. So it's getting tweaked this way and that. The gear sets are pretty tough so not so worried about that.

    So if in the future you have torque converter failure, you know who to blame it on! :P
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Where do drivers pick up these kind of quirks? It wasn't designed to be shifted that way and if she thinks you're nuts send her to automotive school with cardoc. ;)
  • euphoniumeuphonium Member Posts: 3,425
    Does she still turn before signaling?
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244
    I read my wife everyone's comments in hopes she would change her evil ways, and stop completely before putting the car in drive... all I got was denial. :sick:

    " I don't do that." " I've only done that twice", she says laughing.

    She's done it every single time I get up the nerve to let her drive folks. But, maybe now she will think twice before doing it.

    Also.... Mr. Shift? What's with the sudden name change? You get accused of taking up too much bandwidth again? All of the Edmunds hosts have new user names. Steve is now Stever? Put me down for either jippy or Mr. Jips. :P
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited June 2013
    Oh it was just to rationalize staff names across all the various platforms, such as Forums, Answers, Live Chat, etc. It's also to let people know that it's a real Edmunds person answering them. My name was unfortunately too long for the new format, so I did the best I could with it.

    I did put in "YourMajesty@Edmunds.com" and "MarduktheMagnificent@Edmunds.com" but they were too long also. :P
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    It's also to let people know that it's a real Edmunds person answering them. My name was unfortunately too long for the new format, so I did the best I could with it.

    Is there really such a thing as a real Edmunds person? I thought y'all were like poker bots interacting with people who visit this site. :P

    BTW, bots are cheap.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Hello....I am....shiftright.....how are you today obyone?........

    I *think* all the Edmunds folks are real, but now that you mention it, I haven't actually MET them all......hmmmmm..........
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    The Forums section of Edmunds provides a venue for members to communicate with each other about all things automotive. Each discussion in Forums is monitored by an Edmunds Host to ensure a high-quality, civil environment free from pressure or solicitations.

    I thought these statements pretty much summed it up and I'm off topic. Perhaps I should be asking this in the lost section but I can't seem to find an About link one which shows the physical address of the company along with a phone and fax number. Best info i could find says based in Santa Monica with a satellite in Detroit. And of course this:

    job list

    Would be good if a dollar amount was placed along with the listings.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited June 2013
    yes there's a real office in Santa Monica and it's a pretty nice working environment!

    Maybe THIS will help acquaint you.

    More About Edmunds

    Map and Directions

    Fax Number: 3103096400

    Hope that helps! :)
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Thanks! I had thought Edmunds was a bunch of servers run by a bunch of geeks. :P
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741
    To do that we hire highly talented people — the kind whose professional and technical achievements are fueled by a desire to make a difference, the kind who aren't afraid to challenge existing benchmarks and set new ones.

    Hmmm,, Really?
  • j5757j5757 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 Toyota Highlander. Yesterday I took it for a brake job. I am new in the area and do not know the mechanic. The mechanic told me that the brakes are fine, but that my problem is larger. He said the wheel bearings in both front wheels need to be changed. He said that he will do the job for 1K and add a much needed trans flush at no extra cost.

    How can I confirm that he is being upfront about the need to change the bearings? I have had no symptoms, though when I drive the car above 70mph the steering wheel seems to vibrate - something which I have not noticed before. Also, it seems odd that both the right and left wheel needs bearings.

    The car has 115K on it.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Too much $$$ and dubious, though not impossible, diagnosis.

    Parts are $77 each for the bearing and 4.8 hours labor to do both sides. So here in California this job would bill out at something like $775, padding it out pretty generously.

    Seems to me a wheel bearing that is so bad as to cause a vibration at speed would be howling like the devil. If the bearings are a little loose, an adjustment might fix that.

    I'd go somewhere else and get a 2nd opinion.
  • kristina15kristina15 Member Posts: 2
    Go for a second opinion, but don't tell the either that you are doing it. Transmission flushes are a pain, so I don't know that anyone would throw that in for free.
    Really, I would go get an alignment & tire balance first (somewhere else). Then see if it's still doing it. You could have hit a curb or pothole and knocked the alignment out a little or a weight off a tire.
    As for the brakes, when the vehicle is cold/cool, stick you finger into the rim and rub as much as you can, up & down on the rotor. If you feel medium-deep ridges or bumps, you need new rotors or to have them worked, and new brakes.
    Old school way to check bearings is to jack the vehicle up (SAFELY), sit or kneel on the ground in facing the wheel, grab the wheel with hands on either side and try to shake it gently back and forth. It should not move (older vehicles might have a little movement).
    Good Luck with it! It's getting harder and harder to find reliable mechanics. :)
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    I agree with MrShift, in that if bearings are bad, they tend to make a growling noise at low speed that turns into a wail at road speeds. If you're not hearing anything like that, i would ask for more supporting evidence from the first mechanic as to why he thinks the bearings are bad.

    I'm not a fan of transmission flushes. If you're concerned about the fluid, just get the fluid and the filter changed.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    I don't know about other brands, but I do know that GM in my service manuals does not give a spec for the rocking motion as a way of checking bearing looseness. They give an in and out movement for the hub at the center. They say to pull the whole wheel in and out and that movement should be less than 0.005 inch.

    I noticed that my previous bearing was making a very little noise but the in and out was not as much as that 0.005 in. spec. The wobble was less than 1/8 inch on 16-inch tires. The warranty replacement Timken was tight on both tests.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Is .005 inch measurable? That's less than a hair eh?
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    I'm curious, what were the symptoms that made you feel it needed brakes?
    The vibration above 70 mph points to wheel balance first, it could be due to warped rotors if it occurs while braking only.
    I'm not a fan of trans flushes, would that flush include dropping the pan and replacing the filter?
    I haven't had many wheel bearings fail myself, but when it did there was always a noticable grinding or humming noise a low speeds. When turning the wheel by hand it was obvious. I had a rear wheel bearing go bad once and it would intermittently feel like I was braking.
    I once helped a friend replace a spindle on a Chevy Nova that the wheel bearing was bad on. He let it go and it overheated and welded itself to the shaft.
  • raferafe Member Posts: 5
    I've been thinking of buying a 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid. It has 100,000km on it and a brand new battery. Everything I've been reading lately says that the battery is a problem in the car.

    My question: Is the problem with the actual battery or the car? (In other words, can the issue be fixed with a new battery, or does the problem continue no matter what battery is in there).

    I drive 40,000 km a year, so I need the battery to last a LOOOOONG time or else the fuel savings gets eaten up by the cost of battery replacements!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Though Honda has not issued an official statement on the matter, a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) published in late 2012 extends the warranty on the IMA drive battery.

    Cars that were previously covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles are now covered for 11 years or 137,000 miles, while cars originally sold with an eight-year, 80,000-mile warranty are now covered for nine years or 96,000 miles.

    Customers who’ve already replaced the drive batteries are also extended a warranty, though only for three years or 36,000 miles.
  • doriezzelledoriezzelle Member Posts: 1
    Hello, I hope it is the right place to find out the solution

    I bought One of my favourite DVD GPS Player for my MERCEDES B CLASS and I would like to know if someone has experience with the Bluetooth Connection of my iPhone 4s.

    It should be fully compatible!
    http://www.autocardvdgps.com/b-class-navi-dvd-/479-touchscreen-dvd-player-with-g- ps-navigation-and-bt-ipod-fm-pip-rds-for-benz-a-class.html
  • tidalpooltidalpool Member Posts: 1
    my 2005 rover, at 48,000 miles just decided to pitch a hissy. It will no recognize either of our keys and sits must on the concrete. After being towed to the dealer, (75.00) and having a diagnostic ran, (175.00) I was told I needed a new steering assembly (6,500.) and install, (900.00).
    I looked for a new part, no joy. I did a low mileage replacement part at 2k. My dealership informs me that each steering column is geared to on car only, and that regardless of the low mileage from the part store, my vehicle will not run, nor will they assume any responsibility for the part. Further, there is no way to check the part prior to installation to confirm it is a valid part. My concern is that the dealer has a conflict of interest here. Are thy jerking me around to get the higher price? Or are they telling me the truth?
  • bvequebveque Member Posts: 3
    Just a solid follow-up to my own post on my 2004 Chevrolet Suburban LT; I discovered the problem through massive trial and error. What I discovered about this vehicle (and most Chevys from 1996 through today) is that it IS NOT a fuel issue, not at all. Many believe a fuel pump, regulator, or filter is the sole problem for these trucks failing to start. The problem is the ignition security system that Chevy uses, going all the way back to 1996. Seeing as I am a poor American (lol) I could not afford the cost of a new fuel pump, let alone installation seeing as it's just about impossible for a backyard mechanic such as myself to drop the fuel tank to check the fuel pump. This truck provides no easy way of draining the fuel tank, so dropping the tank in my garage is literally out of the question. So, being completely at a loss on this problem, I bugged a local mechanic and explained my issues in great detail. His reply was "this does not sound like a fuel issue, it sounds like your key". I was blown away when I heard this and started scanning the net for answers. I came across a website that sells bypass modules for the ignition security system for less than $200 ... this compared to the $1500+ cost to replace the module, I gave it a shot. My truck starts now, runs great, and I have had no problems since installation ... that I was capable of performing myself. If you want more information on this option, contact me and I will point you in his direction.
  • hpmctorquehpmctorque Member Posts: 4,600
    The car: My daughter's '02 Jetta 2.0 with ~81,000 miles.

    The issue: Two types of oil approved by VW for this engine are Mobil 1 5W40 and Castrol synthetic 5W40. My daughter took her car to a local gas station for an oil change and asked for synthetic. No other instructions. The old Castrol oil was replaced with Duralene 5W30 full synthetic. I'm not familiar with this brand so I don't know the quality of this product.

    After having been driven about 1,400 miles since this oil change the level is down about 1/3 quart. That's normal for this car.

    Question: I have a supply of Castrol 5W40 synthetic. Would it be okay to use the Castrol to bring the level to the "full" line sometime before the level gets to the "add" mark? In other words, would mixing oil brands damage the engine or cause adverse effects? It would be convenient, since I already have the oil, but I don't want to cause any harm. Please advise.
  • euphoniumeuphonium Member Posts: 3,425
    Duralene is made by United Oil Co. & been in business since the early 20's.

    Adding less than a pint of Castrol would be a no worry. If it is down less than 1/2 a quart, I would check the level after sitting all night to get a better reading.
  • rbillieuxsrrbillieuxsr Member Posts: 47
    I now own a toyota 98 corolla--clock radio and lighter are out. Looked under hood fusebox and seem like all fuses ok Is there another fusebox under dash? cant see it. What else could interrupt circuit? everything else working rbillieux
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yes there should be one at the driver's side lower kick panel and maybe another under the dash finish panel (under steering wheel area). The "book" is a little vague but definitely there are fuses in those areas. Cigarette lighter is #19. the radio might have an inline fuse.
  • fixit16fixit16 Member Posts: 6

    2010 Malibu ignition key will not turn to off position. Dome light stays on, car does go all the way into park

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132

    @fixit16 said:
    2010 Malibu ignition key will not turn to off position. Dome light stays on, car does go all the way into park

    This sounds a little like some problems with other cars where the ignition switch is not acting right. That's the swtich, not the ignition lock cylinder which is actually the key. Are you able to take the key out but the accessories seem to be staying on?

    If so, you will want to disconnect the negative lead of the battery because it may be draining your battery with the ignition and computers being ON. Then reconnect the negative (- or black) lead when you are going to drive it for service.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • swharrellswharrell Member Posts: 6

    Help ......... My 1998 Trooper shuts itself off just like you turn off the key when you put it in drive or reverse, then proceed ten feet or more ! It does not shut its self off when in park or neutral and you gun the engine

    Its an auto / four wheel .... 1st mechanic put a new alternator in ... that was not the problem It has been with a 2nd mechanic for almost three weeks with no word on a solution

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481

    I'd take a long shot guess at the TCC --Torque Converter Clutch Solenoid. Easy to test--unplug the solenoid at the transmission and if the symptoms go away---there you go.

  • swharrellswharrell Member Posts: 6

    Thank you, Thank you, Thank you ........ We will try it tomorrow .... I will let you know !

  • swharrellswharrell Member Posts: 6

    Thanks Again Mr. Shift, But ....... No cigar .... :(
    Any other thoughts ........ :) All Comments are Welcome ... :)

  • nickimomnickimom Member Posts: 11

    i have a 2004 hyundai elantra gt. tried to get it to pass inspection. did some work.obd system readiness status of catalytic converter is not ready. I have driven 96 miles. how many miles does it take for catalytic converter monitor to be ready

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481

    It's not a matter of miles as much as drive cycles. Some of these cycles are rather complex. First thing I'd do is check your state smog laws. Some states allow cars 2001 and newer to pass smog if one register is not set. Another idea is that even if you're getting a P0420 code, you could have a bad after-cat 02 sensor.

  • nickimomnickimom Member Posts: 11

    had codes. got them taken care of changed 02 sensors. now just waiting for obd system for catalytic converters to be ready. had 4 codes all cleared, no check engine light.

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481

    You might try idling the car for 20 minutes, then driving around, then bring it in.

  • nickimomnickimom Member Posts: 11
    edited July 2014

    that didn't do it,. went back to mechanic, he said drive it on my vacation. but....10 miles after leaving mechanic, check engine light came on... got it checked out at another place - catalytic converter. Guess it really needs replacement. Any idea of the cost.? 2004 Elantra GT.

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,433

    not sure of exactly which engine, but a quick look on RockAuto shows a bunch in the $150-$225 range. No clue about installation, but not normally that hard I don't think.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481

    I think replacement universal cats are in the $400 range but yours is part of the exhaust manifold I believe, so I'm not sure there. By all means shop around--if you are in California, or if it's a California spec car, then you'll pay considerably more. I think the part from Hyundai is like $1000.

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited October 2016
    Someone recently asked me about the danger of overfilling your engine oil and what can happen as a result--this is becoming more critical as some manufacturers have eliminated the dip stick.

    Here's one technicians take on OIL OVERFILL
  • matt6565matt6565 Member Posts: 6
    edited November 2016
    Recently bought a 2017 accord and noticed it would drift to the left. The mechanic said it was normal but I didn't think so. I pushed him until he rotated the two front tires. The car stopped drifting left but now started drifting right. The mechanic said this was normal because the roads cause all cars to drift. If I let go of the steering wheel, the car would pass over into the other lane in about 10-15 secs(40-50mph). Is this normal? Or should I keep pushing the mechanic?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited November 2016
    You could test drive another one on a familiar route and see if it drives the same way.

    Because of road camber, most cars will drift to the right. 10 seconds doesn't seem too extreme. Drifting to the left isn't normal.

    You could have a bad wheel or tire that needs replacing though. You may have to harp on the safety factor to get satisfaction. If you have another dealer you can get to, you could ask them for help.

    The bottom of this page has some useful info. (AGCO Auto)
  • matt6565matt6565 Member Posts: 6
    I feel at this point they will just say it's because of road camber. But I'll take your advice and bring it to another dealer. Thanks.
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