The Debt-Free Car Project Chapter 2: Preventive Car Maintenance

Edmunds.com

The Debt-Free Car Project Chapter 2: Preventive Car Maintenance

In Part 1 of the Debt-Free Car Project, we purchased our 1996 Lexus ES 300. Now we take care of some early repairs and preventive car maintenance.

Read the full story here

texases

So did you get a 4-wheel alignment? How much $$?

And how hard was the cabin filter replacement? In through the glove box opening?

bankerdanny_

If you are buying a very inexpensive car, you should have $400-$500 set aside for immediate repairs. It is certainly possible to buy a cheap car that needs very little done to it, but it's not likely.

jdbee

Can you comment on the $2237 control arm replacement (why it was recommended and why you chose not to do it)? Thanks for a real-world article that most of us can relate to!

rm2008

jdbee,

The control arm replacement was recommended because a bushing was cracked. We will discuss those repairs in Chapter 4. Chapter 3 will be out shortly and goes over another topic.

-Ronald Montoya

gsemike

$2,000+ for a control arm????????????????????

gsemike

btw: wish that it was easier to navigate through and see all the articles together

snow_driver

gsemike: that was the point of my original complaint about choosing a Lexus (or any other luxury car) as an "affordable" used car. Parts prices are going to be much higher than on a normal car. What if that control arm really ends up being defective and needs replacing? A $2200 bill will be completely out of reach of the kind of drivers that Edmunds is claiming to be aiming at. That family would either have to decide to drive an unsafe car or junk it and buy something else. Like, say , the much newer Taurus/Focus/Malibu/Altima/Legacy/etc./etc./etc. they should have bought in the first place.

peter_salinas

Not repairing the control arm will likely significantly reduce the useful life of the tires recently purchased. Not repairing a faulty control arm can lead to multiple problems, not the least of which involve vehicle occupant safety. What's going on?

1. Noise
When you are driving your vehicle and going over a bump or pothole in the road you will hearing clunking noise. Ride smooth degrades when the control arm is wearing out and you will inevitably notice a reduction in the quality of your driving experience.

2. Movement
Another obvious symptom of a failing control arm is too much wheel movement. If you place your hands on one of the wheels and push it you will feel more of a wobble. This is likened to the same symptoms of a bad CV joint or ball joint. There should be no play in the wheel beyond the acceptable level, so if you feel too much movement, have the car checked.

3. Steering Wobble
Driving at higher speeds of between 45 and 60 miles per hour will demonstrate control arm failure by exhibiting a wobbling in the steering wheel. This is similar to when the tracking and balancing is off and the steering wheel wobbles heavily when you drive. If you are sure your tracking and balancing is fine, the control arm is probably the cause.

peter_salinas

Not repairing the control arm will likely significantly reduce the useful life of the tires recently purchased. Not repairing a faulty control arm can lead to multiple problems, not the least of which involve vehicle occupant safety. What's going on?

1. Noise
When you are driving your vehicle and going over a bump or pothole in the road you will hearing clunking noise. Ride smooth degrades when the control arm is wearing out and you will inevitably notice a reduction in the quality of your driving experience.

2. Movement
Another obvious symptom of a failing control arm is too much wheel movement. If you place your hands on one of the wheels and push it you will feel more of a wobble. This is likened to the same symptoms of a bad CV joint or ball joint. There should be no play in the wheel beyond the acceptable level, so if you feel too much movement, have the car checked.

3. Steering Wobble
Driving at higher speeds of between 45 and 60 miles per hour will demonstrate control arm failure by exhibiting a wobbling in the steering wheel. This is similar to when the tracking and balancing is off and the steering wheel wobbles heavily when you drive. If you are sure your tracking and balancing is fine, the control arm is probably the cause.

peter_salinas

Not repairing the control arm will likely significantly reduce the useful life of the tires recently purchased. Not repairing a faulty control arm can lead to multiple problems, not the least of which involve vehicle occupant safety. What's going on?

1. Noise
When you are driving your vehicle and going over a bump or pothole in the road you will hearing clunking noise. Ride smooth degrades when the control arm is wearing out and you will inevitably notice a reduction in the quality of your driving experience.

2. Movement
Another obvious symptom of a failing control arm is too much wheel movement. If you place your hands on one of the wheels and push it you will feel more of a wobble. This is likened to the same symptoms of a bad CV joint or ball joint. There should be no play in the wheel beyond the acceptable level, so if you feel too much movement, have the car checked.

3. Steering Wobble
Driving at higher speeds of between 45 and 60 miles per hour will demonstrate control arm failure by exhibiting a wobbling in the steering wheel. This is similar to when the tracking and balancing is off and the steering wheel wobbles heavily when you drive. If you are sure your tracking and balancing is fine, the control arm is probably the cause.

rm2008

gsemike,

Thanks for the suggestion. We have now added links at the bottom of every chapter.

-Ronald Montoya

laesquire

I recently read an article about buying a beater truck that said one way or another, it'll cost $5,000 minimum. Either to buy, or to buy and to fix up. Seems this car meets that rule of thumb.

So in fairness to the economically challenged who may be reading this, they need to have some reserves for repairs, insurance, maintenance, etc., they can't blow their entire wad on the purchase price.