Car Maintenance Rant, Part 2

Personally for me anyways, I don't really service my vehicles then I use the money saved from that to buy my next vehicle. I would change oil and air filter regularly but other than that I only did a few other minor things to the already used Trailblazer I owned for 12 years and 200k. Sold it to cheap friend a year ago and he hasn't had a problem with it and added 20k more to it. I then went and bought a 6 year old 100k Trailblazer and have done nothing to it either the past year.


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I follow the fluid change schedule pretty strictly, usually to the dealer if it is still under warranty, and independent shop afterward. Their prices on fluid changes are fairly close.

So far the Honda dealer here hasn't tried to talk us into anything not normally scheduled, but he may be an exception to the rule. A close friend of mine who is an aircraft mechanic has his car worked on there (more to save him time, he could do it himself of course) and says they run an honest shop. Or at least an aircraft mechanic is not the guy they'd pick out to try to fool.
 
SmithOp said:
Agree with Mike, I owned a Ford Aerostar in the 90s that was nothing but trouble, always in for $500 dealer repairs. Now own an 07 Honda CRV with 110,000 miles, still going strong. Just put on a set if 90k Michelin from Costco, expecting it to make 200k easily. AC compressor went out on a trip to Phoenix last summer at 97k, pulled in a dealership in Costa Mesa and was fixed free under the 100k warranty. $37 for oil, filter, and tire rotation.
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Since when does Honda have a 100,000 mile warranty that covers the AC compressor?
 
I agree - just say no to the dealer unless it is something a neighborhood mechanic cannot handle. We have learned this the hard way.

And BTW our 2000 Toyota Highlander has had a check engine light every year for the past 6 years. The sensors keep needing to be replaced - known issue. We would NEVER buy a Toyota Highlander again for that issue. So it's not just american cars with repeat issues. The neighborhood mechanic replaces it for half the cost - each time it's a diff sensor.

We bought a Prius before this started happening - not a single issue has gone wrong.
 
frayne said:
No problems with mileage or the temp. and I asked the same question why the temp. didn't run hot or cold. The service mgr. said it was probably and intermittent issue. He said they did get a code noting the problem. They also flushed the cooling system.

IMHO the bottom line, dealerships are going to soak you on car maintenance if you let them.
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Thermostats operates with a metallic spring and sealing flange (plate) that expands or contracts depending on the temperature of the coolant passing by it. It's a pretty simple device. To have an "intermittent" problem is extremely unlikely and I doubt the code reader the dealer uses could determine a coolant temperature variation is an issue directly related to the thermostat, which is always responding to a few degrees of fluctuating coolant temperature in a dynamic environment (coolant flowing, cooling..heating). However, it's easy to change and it's one of the jobs a "paid by the job" mechanic loves to do sine he usually beats book time by 50%.

On changing coolant and doing a flush....modern cooling systems rarely need this done. Look at your owners manual and see what the manufacturer recommends. In our cars, it's 120,000 miles.
 
BellBarbara said:
I agree - just say no to the dealer unless it is something a neighborhood mechanic cannot handle. We have learned this the hard way.

And BTW our 2000 Toyota Highlander has had a check engine light every year for the past 6 years. The sensors keep needing to be replaced - known issue. We would NEVER buy a Toyota Highlander again for that issue. So it's not just american cars with repeat issues. The neighborhood mechanic replaces it for half the cost - each time it's a diff sensor.

We bought a Prius before this started happening - not a single issue has gone wrong.
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Im not into spending money on sensors or getting scalped at the shop over it. My check engine light was on for the last 7 years I owned the vehicle.


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SmithOp said:
Hondacare extended warranty, my wife's car, she complains about any little noise so it paid for itself every time I didn't have to look at it, just sent her to the dealership.

Honda Extended Warranty | Coverage


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Am I reading this right? This is a long list of things that could make 'a little noise' (or worse) that are not covered:

Parts other than HONDA Genuine or AMERICAN HONDA authorized parts; wiper blades; battery (except for the nickel-metal hydride battery in hybrid VEHICLES); cables; steering wheel; belts; radiator hoses; heater hoses and vacuum hoses; spark plugs; plug wires; distributor cap and rotor; timing belt replacement when performed as routine maintenance; exhaust system; head pipes; tailpipes; catalytic converter; mufflers; hangars; heat shields; gaskets (except for the manifold block gasket) and related fastening hardware; fuel tank straps; fuel hoses; brake system wear items such as drums/rotors or shoes/pads; clutch disc; clutch pressure plate; throw out bearing; external shift linkages; pilot bearing/bushing; glass; mirror glass; body parts; body structure (except for hood hinges, trunk hinges, door hinges and sliding door rollers); hood; fenders; doors; rear hatch; trunk lid; grille; panels; bright metal; sheet metal; paint (except for covered hinges painted to match the original VEHICLE color only); bumpers; moldings; lenses; bezels; bulbs (except for instrument panel illumination bulbs); High Intensity Discharge (H.I.D.) headlamps; sealed beams; fuses; body seals; weather-strips (except for window sash and window run channels); outside ornamentation; emblems; tires; valve stems; wheels; wheel covers/ornaments; rims; trim rings; caps; wheel studs; lug nuts; wheel locks; fastening/securing hardware for non-covered components; stripped or cross threaded fasteners (e.g., nuts, bolts, studs, screws, etc.); body seals; squeaks; rattles; buttons; carpet; dash pad; console; window handles; knobs; boots; pedals; pads; rearview mirror (except for electronic failure of the auto-dimming mirror); interior trim; upholstery; floor mats; electronic/audio accessories and cellular telephones other than AMERICAN HONDA AUTHORIZED ELECTRONIC/AUDIO ACCESSORIES/NAVIGATIONAL; DVD ENTERTAINMENT AND SECURITY SYSTEMS; Safety Restraint System fastening hardware; seat belts and airbag(s) deployed due to collision. If YOU believe there is a defect in these parts, please contact YOUR DEALER immediately.
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What do you pay for this?

-ERD50
 
ERD50 said:
Am I reading this right? This is a long list of things that could make 'a little noise' (or worse) that are not covered:



What do you pay for this?

-ERD50
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Those are mostly wear parts, no warranty will cover them. I didn't pay anything extra, but I'm sure it was bundled in the pricing. Its AWD and had that serviced several times when it made funny noises going around corners, plus the rear door locks made funny clicking noises.
They did try to upsell "flushes" but I told her to decline, the last one was brake fluid lol.
 
Mulligan said:
Im not into spending money on sensors or getting scalped at the shop over it. My check engine light was on for the last 7 years I owned the vehicle.


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In my state you cannot pass inspection with a check engine light - it's automatic failure. We have since learned to reset it, drive the car a bit (but not on the highway) and we will get by sometimes.
 
SmithOp said:
Those are mostly wear parts, no warranty will cover them. I didn't pay anything extra, but I'm sure it was bundled in the pricing. Its AWD and had that serviced several times when it made funny noises going around corners, plus the rear door locks made funny clicking noises.
They did try to upsell "flushes" but I told her to decline, the last one was brake fluid lol.
Click to expand...

IMO a brake fluid flush is not a bad idea if you want to keep your braking system in top shape.
 
SmithOp said:
...
They did try to upsell "flushes" but I told her to decline, the last one was brake fluid lol.
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(bold mine)

Mr._Graybeard said:
IMO a brake fluid flush is not a bad idea if you want to keep your braking system in top shape.
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Right, no laughing matter.

A relative was an aircraft mechanic, and he flushed the brake fluid of his cars, and recommended it. It's in some car manuals, and many mechanics will recc it. Brake fluid absorbs water - very bad thing for brakes. You might get rust, you might have the water turn to steam, and that means little/no brakes as the steam compresses unlike liquid.

Muffler bearing rotation - not so much ;)

-ERD50
 
Re brake flushes, I do this on all my old VWs and Benzes. I have a repurposed garden sprayer fit up with an ATE master cylinder cap on the hose end. I suck the reservoir dry with a turkey baster and pump and bleed the system with fresh DOT 4 fluid every few years. MB used to recommend this every 2 years. The old stuff sure looks a lot different than the new stuff.

I am sure the dealers have a much more sophistcated bit of equipment they need you to amortize.
 
Rick_Head said:
It's actually a good idea. Now the otherside. You need after at least 5 years, maybe 7. I did my own after 11.
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Yep, 5 years is a decent interval, although some of the German car makers recommend more frequent changes. That would make the '07 Honda in question due for a flush, most likely ... assuming it hasn't been done before.
 
I brought my brand new 2014 Silverado into the Chevy dealership at 5,000 miles to get the free oil change. This is the first and last time I will bring this machine into the dealer. They forced me to wait 3hours for a mandatory safety recall and I left with what sounds like an exhaust leak after they mucked with my rear axle/transfer case. I thought about going back to complain but that's all it would be is just another complaint. I am thinking about bringing the truck to my old mechanic friend, but I'm hesitant I will come across as an impossible to please person.

All I know is when I brought the truck in for the oil change, it was whisper quiet and now it sounds like a dang exhaust leak every time one of the cylinders fires.
 
kgtest said:
I brought my brand new 2014 Silverado into the Chevy dealership at 5,000 miles to get the free oil change. This is the first and last time I will bring this machine into the dealer. They forced me to wait 3hours
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Same here, except with a Toyota Tundra. Well over 3 hours to change the oil and rotate the tires (and that is with an appointment scheduled several days in advance). Never again.:nonono: It's easier and a lot quicker to do it myself and I don't end up with new problems.
 
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Nunthewiser said:
Re brake flushes, I do this on all my old VWs and Benzes. I have a repurposed garden sprayer fit up with an ATE master cylinder cap on the hose end. I suck the reservoir dry with a turkey baster and pump and bleed the system with fresh DOT 4 fluid every few years. MB used to recommend this every 2 years. The old stuff sure looks a lot different than the new stuff.

I am sure the dealers have a much more sophistcated bit of equipment they need you to amortize.
Click to expand...

The difference between the old and new fluid is enough proof for me to realize this needs to be done every couple of years,
 
ERD50 said:
(bold mine)







Right, no laughing matter.



A relative was an aircraft mechanic, and he flushed the brake fluid of his cars, and recommended it. It's in some car manuals, and many mechanics will recc it. Brake fluid absorbs water - very bad thing for brakes. You might get rust, you might have the water turn to steam, and that means little/no brakes as the steam compresses unlike liquid.



Muffler bearing rotation - not so much ;)



-ERD50
Click to expand...


I dont dispute the facts but how is water getting into a closed brake fluid system? I flush the fluid when the pads / rotors are changed, ie when the system is opened up. Opening it up just for the sake of flushing is why I lol'd.

I dont disagree with doing it on old cars where seals have cracked and opened up the system to water intrusion, its just unheard of on modern cars with good seals IMO. I hope you are replacing all the seals too! Maybe its because I live in California, we dont have rust problems like back east driving in snow/salt.

If you are heating up the brakes enough to boil the fluid, thats driving like a Nascar driver.


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SmithOp said:
.............If you are heating up the brakes enough to boil the fluid, thats driving like a Nascar driver................
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Or driving with a trailer through the montains. When that brake fluid turns to steam, the pedal goes to the floor.
 
I dont dispute the facts but how is water getting into a closed brake fluid system?
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I don't think any of them are sealed. Take alook at your M/C cap. Doesn't it have a tiny vent hole?
 
travelover said:
Or driving with a trailer through the montains. When that brake fluid turns to steam, the pedal goes to the floor.
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+1. On our mountain, with a 1500' drop over less than 3 miles, you can tell the residents from the resort guests by the smell of burning brake fluid, from those who don't know to down shift and save the brakes.
 
Interesting item on the brake fluid change. I have owned cares for almost 45 years and have never done one or ever had a garage recommend one. And I generally keep my vehicles a long time (current fleet is an 05, 06 and 08).

Learn something new everyday.
 
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