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Comments
Well, I agree with that too. I am trying not to spend more that about the trade in value of our old cars on repairs at any one time...just so I have a mininmum in it should it do something like blow an engine or transmission, shortly after fixing something else.
yaffa
I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRICEY...ANYWAY THE PROBE IS SITTING UNTIL WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT I AM AFRAID IT MAY BE THE HEADGASKET...OR CRACKED BLOCK
With all good faith and intention, I'd encourage you to bail out because the odds of this working out well aren't very good. It might work out, but you'd have to be really lucky.
The tech says changing the fluid is a waste of time.
From a strictly objective point of view -- what would any of you "car geeks" be inclined to do? I surely do not want a car payment this year, and it seems stupid to be contemplating getting rid of a perfectly well-running vehicle over dumb stuff like this, but on the other hand, how much money do I want to keep putting into a seven year old car?
Opinions appreciated. Many thanks! Karen
Let's say a new car will cost you $325 a month. If you are paying (averaging them out) more than 50% of that on repairs every month, you might consider bailing out, because the car is NOT going to get better as it gets older, seems to me.
If it's less than 50% of $325 a month, then I'd drive it to anywhere around 80--95,000 miles and sell it for SURE.
To get a new car you have to pay maybe $20,000 plus the interest on that money. In addition with an older car you can save on insurance by dropping the collision coverage.
Why sell at 80-95K mi? It really does not cost much more to keep a car running above that mileage. I think old cars kind of reach a steady-state of repair costs.
As for the idea of dumping the car at 80K-95K, this is when many major components on a modern automobile start to fail---by "major" I mean suspension, alternator, pumps, compressors, etc. This is the benchmark for the start of failure, statistically speaking---not that this "failure" is bad--it's a natural rule of expendables---things that just wear out. Shocks, struts, battery, belts and hoses---those are all pretty tired by then....they may "work" but they won't work well.
Some folks are more than content to nurse a car along---they don't drive much and they drive gently and so god bless 'em....but if you want a used car that approximates the abilities and reliability of a new car, at the 80K mark you either have to bail or to re-inforce this used car with some serious maintenance and parts upgrades.
Many's the time I meet someone (in the appraisal business) who insists their old car has been "great" and trouble-free, and many's the time I drive it only to find quite a few serious faults that they have chosen to ignore or don't care about...I hear the suspension thumping around, a bad CV joint ("yeah but only on tight turns and I don't make tight turns!") various leaks ("oh, that, I just add a little coolant--it's fine"), dead AC ("Oh, I never use that").
So yeah, this guy has a decent enough running car, but it's way less a car than a new one, and it's running under diminished capacity. For THAT I wouldn't pay 50% of new car payments---for THAT I'd pay maybe 25% of new car payments.
I have found our older cars tend to average around 8-12 cents per mile to keep running This is for both maintenance and repairs. What I try to do is not put too much in at any one time. So the way I look at it is how much is it going to cost "right now" to keep the car going. My threshold is 100% of the trade in value or 50% of (private) retail value, whichever is greater...I try not to dump more that that in at one time.
This is getting difficult with a worn out 1991 Sentra that my kid uses, since it is only worth a few hundred as a trade-in
Since we have multiple vehicles (one of which is newer) the tolerance for the problems of the older ones is greater. I can see someone who has only one car not wanting to go too far beyond, say, 100K mi.
Part of this equation depends on what level of safety and reliability you want to acheive. Driving a car 15,000 miles at .12cents a mile for repairs is $1,800 bucks. 12 car payments is $3,900. 50% of that is $1,950 a year.
We aren't so far apart in our thinking actually.
Probably not...But, I do think it is unlikely a new car will save money. Maybe if you have a BMW now and are going to buy a car for $15-20K, you would come out ahead, though. Even if you spend $2000 or 3000 in one year, don't you think it is unlikely that you would have costs like that again the following year.
I drive a lot less than 15,000 miles per year...so when I think of the cost per mile it is more like $600-1000 per year. So how many miles you drive would also be a factor.
Also, it would have to be a pretty long loan or pretty cheap car to get a payment of $325, wouldn't it?
Coincidentally, my Nissan, that I mentioned, exceeded my criteria just yesterday. Fixed exhaust leaks for $70 and when I got home noticed a wheel was not where it should be and it needs a control arm...which is $200-300
I actually came out about even on trading a used car in for a new car....the used one was more of an exotic european car that gobbled gas...so between the savings on repairs every month and doubling the gas mileage AND a lower insurance rate, my monthly costs for used vs. new were just about dead even.
But that case might not apply to everyone of course.
Because that was how I (mis)interpreted your initial comment that "...to be hard-nosed about it, what you do is compare your monthly repair costs to a replacement car and its monthly payments." followed by your 50% figure.
As you point out trading down would be an exception to the old car almost always being cheaper. If you go from, say, a used Porsche to a new Kia, you'll probably save money
I have a 1998 Subaru Forester with 154,000 miles on her. Aside from regular oil changes and fluid checks, I have never done much maintenance on the vehicle (not even a tune-up). **Please don't yell! Money is tight and a single girl can't trust a mechanic. Read on for proof!**
So I'm overdue for an oil change when I get a coupon in the mail from Pep Boys. So I make an appointment for their 'Winter Maintenance Package' which consists of an oil change, tire rotation, new wiper blades, and a radiator drain-flush-fill for $65. I drop off my car in the morning and I call after work to see if it is ready. The KID on the phone says, "Yes, but we have a problem. Your car didn't pass the pressure test and we found a cracked head gasket. If you want us to fix it, it will be about $800-$1000." HUH?! My car did not have a problem with overheating or with holding coolant. I immediately picked up my car and drove it home, which is less than a mile away.
The next morning I drive my car to work - less than three miles - and my thermostat gauge is all the way up to the red. I have no heat and my car is steaming under the hood. I managed to get to work and when I opened my radiator I find that it is bone dry. I fill the radiator with antifreeze and let the car run for 15 minutes to watch what happens. No leaks - not so much as a drip! - and my thermostat is working just fine. After seeing this, I decide it might be a good idea to get a second opinion so I stopped at a Mom & Pop garage around the corner. They charged me $40 to tell me that the head gasket was fine and they couldn't see a problem.
No wonder my car didn't pass the pressure test! Those morons didn't fill the radiator with coolant after flushing it! I called Pep Boys and told the manager what happened. He insisted that the coolant was put in and stood behind their original diagnosis that I had a cracked head gasket. They refused to refund my money. I will NEVER go to Pep Boys again, not even to buy an air freshener. BTW, this was in Bensalem,PA - just outside of Philadelphia.
Mechanically we've had a recent problem with the power steering system. We bought a new pump, pulley, hose, etc., to the tune of about $800.
Car continues to have a leak and now the Toyota dealer says it's the rack and pinion--which they couldn't tell was leaking because of the other leaks. That will run $700. (They're supposedly cutting us a $200 break on the labor; they're using a re-manufactured R&P, if I got that right.)
They're also talking about valve cover gaskets ($471), timing belt and seals (can't tell how much), possible water pump. You get the idea.
I'm upset that we did all the p/s repairs when they might not have been necessary. And if we knew then about all these other problems, we might have bailed then. We only did the repairs then because the car has been fine until now.
I don't really know this dealer. Are we getting taken advantage of? Is it worth repairing? What can I say to negotiate and get them to lower their charges? I have not yet spoken to the supervisor.
Thanks for any advice.
well its never too late to learn pick up a haynes repair manual and theres detailed instructions and pictures. and it aint that hard,, a year ago i knew nothing and now I do all of my and my GF's tune ups.
I'd tell them that Sears spent $20 Million in California in the 1990's Sears Settles for $20Mbecause of jerks like their manager, and I'd attach a copy of that article and a few like the one below. You can find plenty.
New Jersey Sues Sears Roebuck Over Alleged Fraudulent Practices at Auto Repair Centers
I'd also CC your State Attorney General on a complaint form.
Also, send a copy of the receipt where you bought the antifreeze. I hope you kept this, or put it on a credit card so they can give you a copy.
Some detailed, firm 'I'm not going to take this', should get ALL your money refunded from Pep Boys.
Make the complaint to your local Better Business Bureau, and your state Attorney General's Consumer Protection department.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
It sounds as if they may be recommending repairs they would like to sell you rather that ones you really need. Are the valve covers leaking? Would simply tightening the bolts cure that problem?
On a side note, I took my car back to the independent garage where I got the second opinion because I needed to have state inspection and emissions and my check engine light has been on. Interestingly enough, they informed me that I had two error codes associated with the cooling system - possibly from my Pep Boys incident. I will also include this information in my complaint letter to Pep Boys. But the best part about all of this? The independent garage (Alexander's in Bensalem) checked my cooling system AGAIN and found no serious damage. They were able to reset everything and my car passed emissions with no problems and with NO extra costs for me!
If you paid with a credit card, after the PB Mgr blew you off, I would've started with disputing the charge with your credit card company. The issuers are much more inclined to side with the card holder, especially with a good case like yours (well backed up with paperwork). Might work, might not; there's also a good chance some idiot in the office will not know what to do with a charge-back or will miss the deadline.
I'd think an attorney is not worth it in this case, even if they agree to take it on a contingency basis (Bob? ... Bob? Bob?).
We're probably in different tax brackets, so 85.00 is not really an issue, and I've stopped frequenting the chains, but would have definitely gone to battle because by that time I would have been pretty angry, and, yes, it is about the money! :mad: I did it couple of year ago for 69.95 with a major medical outfit.
So, just another thought, and good luck.
Thanks!
Seems unlikely to me, too.
i would think you'd want to go after damages with exxon. sounds like a very bizzare incident. they aren't disputing it are they?
gashauler, "Fuel and Oil Additives" #888, 9 Feb 2007 9:08 am
if there was water in the tank, it might be a problem the station is having with the integrity of their storage system following a heavy rain or something.
good luck to you. tell us how you do.
Years ago, I was a manager for a LARGE Sears Auto Center. We had a gas station and we sold a LOT of gas.
One day, a water pipe broke under the ground and it dumped a lot of water into one of our tanks.
When I got my first call from an irate person, I didn't believe him. Before I could get off the phone with him, I had two more incoming calls!
I ran out to the pumps and pulled the emergancy shut off switch.
Oh, what a mess I had on my hands...towing bills, fuel system flushes, carb rebuilds. I'm sure we paid for a lot of things the water didn't affect, but we paid. Oh, did we pay! I signed refund slips for a month afterwards. As I recall, I think about 40 cars were affected.
by learning that I saved $800! And it's the exact same warranty - a platinum warranty issued through Toyota.
I'm in Phoenix, Arizona, but the dealer I worked with was Bernardi Toyota in Massachusetts. It was simple and painless and I purchased it online. Follow-up with the Business Manager was great! I would encourage everyone to check out these prices before purchasing an extended warranty.
In August, the engine broke and was replaced under warranty at no charge to me in Birmingham, AL at about 35,000 miles. I moved to NY and took it to a dealership in November for an 5,000 mile maintenance. I informed them that I got a new engine. The dealership told me that I had to flush my engine because it's dirty as well as a coolant. I called the Toyota dealership In Birmingham and they told me there was no need for a maintenance and the engine & coolant flush was done when the new engine was replaced.
They give me a new engine but kept the old valves that were in good condition. If they were in old condition they replaced it. So my question is, do I need an engine or coolant flushed?
I think with a car this old you'd be better off a) having it thoroughly gone over by an indepedent shop and b) setting aside repair money each month in a private account as opposed to spending that money all at once on an extended warranty.
Well, how does the coolant look to you?
Did you look at it? Is it discolored?
Depending on which coolant you have, it should either be fairly bright green, bright pink, bright orange or red.
If it has a brownish tinge to it, then it may need to be replaced.
As for the engine flush.........
Are they talking flushing the oil??
If they are, then I suggest you take the vehicle to a real mechanic and stay as far away from that dealer as you can.
Honestly, I would get a second opinion.
At 35,000 miles, there is no reason your vehicle should need the engine flushed and coolant replaced, unless the earlier engine was replaced from a head gasket failure??
You aren't telling us the whole story, which we need to be able to help you determine if the coolant needs to be replaced.