Car grief

[dit]

This is just an opportunity for those of us who have had bad/financial news about our vehicles to weep on each others' shoulders.

The Cooper S has been a bit giddy since a wayward Range Rover forced it to make serious contact with a high kerb about six months ago. Since then it's been in to two workshops, had two lots of tracking realignment and had the front bushes replaced.

Today it went in by invitation for a free brakecheck (with voucher for free MOT next time), so I asked them to look properly at the problem.

Result - the left driveshaft is stuffed, and I need two new front tyres as they're down to minimum since my last check.

I can't fault the attitude at the main dealers. They've fallen over backwards to keep costs down (won't go into details) but it still means a big bill I can well do without this time of year. It needs to be done though, I can't ignore the juddering any longer. I'm just hoping when it's all done I'll have my lovely car running like it was when I bought it.

But I could kill the Range Rover driver!

[Vivienne]

Was it an accident and aren't they responsible?

[dit]

It was one of those quick swerves against a high kerb to get out of the way that you don't think for a moment will cause a lot of damage. I made solid contact with the kerb, not the Range Rover, so I can't follow it up. Just one of those sod's law things, I guess.

Doesn't help that it comes within ten days of me having to replace my laptop.


(Eating gruel for the next couple of months will doubtless be very good for my figure......)

[britta1988]

I feel your pain.
Just had to get a new alternator for the giant (annoying) Cadillac I'm currently driving. It's my replacement for my wonderful old 1988 Buick Reatta that got totaled right before I came to school.
All I have to say is thank god for parents...
Hope things work out for you, dit.

[rx7]

I've done stuff like that. My Buick had 4 wheel covers when I got it and over the 4 years I've owned it, I've taken curbs at high speeds and I lost all 4 of them!

My woe is me story is that I've been driving that thing for 4 years and to be honest, it was far too big for me in the first place. Despite that, I've become quite fond of that car and it is so good in the snow! The windshield needs replacing, the front rocker panels are rotting out and it's more than what I want to deal with.

My dad found me a pretty little 98 Civic 2 door which I can't wait to get all legal and road worthy again. Needs new brake lines but that's it. My dog has already christened it just by sitting in the backseat.

Another car grief story isn't mine but my little brother's. He has a really nice 2004 Audi A4 and works in upstate New York. When it needed work done, nobody would touch it because it's an Audi. I've never known a mechanic to be scared of a German car before. He told them to think of it as a VW as they're related and they managed to fix it despite quaking in their boots.

*sigh* I grew up with my dad dissecting our cars and didn't think it was unusual at all to find him tinkering at our kitchen table with one of our cars' gaskets, or finding my car's headlight in our oven because the sealer needed heat to activate and work. Cars have problems you just don't want them to happen to your car.

[dit]

Just thought I'd let you know that the work was done, and it's made the world of difference to the car. It's funny how you get used to the feel deteriorating, to the point where you forget what's normal.

One good thing - I asked if they could grovel to Mini Central to say that the drive shaft really shouldn't have gone on a car with only 28,000 on the clock - and I got a heavy discount 'for goodwill'. Yay, Mini!

[FizzyLogician]

Yeah!

[rx7]

I quite agree. My car deteriorated with a stuck throttle and I forgot what was normal for a long time! Funny how you get used to that.

[Mayfayre]

I discovered that the pressure guage on my tyre pump was hopelessly optimistic the other day. I've now put the front tyres to their correct pressure and it's like driving a new car! And all for 20p in the air line at the petrol station!

[rx7]

Haha, I bet you get better gas mileage as well with properly inflated tires.

My Honda key fob isn't working so I need to go dissect it... there is no end to the automotive tinkering.

[amie8]

Isn't the ground clearance low on a Mini Cooper? Just found that out this week, driving down a country lane with a heap of frozen snow going right down the middle. The general sound of ice grinding against exposed metal wasn't as bad as the occasional "boing!" noises when I drove over a high bit. Looking forward to the thaw, when I can hopefully find and retrieve all the bits that have pinged off. Exhaust is still there, fortunately.

[Mayfayre]

Feb 7, 2012 16:36:35 GMT rx7 said:

Haha, I bet you get better gas mileage as well with properly inflated tires.

Here's hoping! I could have timed it better though - I'd probably be doing better with under-inflated tyres in al this snow!

[rx7]

Mini Coops have little to no ground clearance! Up here in the snow you'd probably have to buy the cold weather package which means you'd get about an inch or two more of clearance..

My friend has a VW Beetle that was originally bought in Florida... 2 inches of snow and he was stuck! My driveway is very unforgiving and I had to teach him to rock the car back and forth or as we call it jack knifing it. Him doing the jack knife all the way down my driveway with that dinky car was hilarious to me-I couldn't stop giggling. >

Fixed the keyless remote on my Honda=funny, I was standing next to it, pressing buttons and the alarm started shrieking at me! It's fixed now!

PS my dad who sets me up with the cars I drive is now saying the Buick was too big for me and the Civic (which has a nickname unmentionable in polite society), is more my speed.
-tried to tell him this 4 years ago when we bought it!

[dit]

Aaaand now the Mini has a flat tyre. It's one of the new ones that was only fitted a week ago so hopefully it's just a stuck valve or something.

The lovely man from the main dealers is bringing a foot pump, a torch and an 'implement' on his way home to sort it, which in my view is above and beyond the call of duty.



Edit: he came, he saw, he pumped it up and left his (personal, new) pump for me to use if it goes flat again overnight, and it's booked in tomorrow morning for sorting. Phil, the Service Manager - you are my hero!

Edit2: Tyre sorted - a problem with the beading (?). No charge.

[rx7]

My Civic needs new fuel lines! That's gonna cost me. It had a hole in the exhaust, needed a new battery, the brakes are wearing a bit thin... but when all is said and done I can most likely get a few years out of it then I should be ready to buy that RAV4 I've been dreaming about!

[mayb]

Ouch, that is going to be expensive rx7!

My Mazda needs new tyres. It is not that they are worn out or anything, they are perfectly OK, and it is only at the back. But over here in Germany they are such a pain in the arse!
I have been told that my tyres are perfectly OK, but... (and there it comes) if there is snow on the road, they are not anymore.



Thing is, I am thinking about selling the bloody thing anyway in about 3-4 months, so why buy new tyres now?

[bob]

I had lots of problems over x mas with my mondeo as the braked felt weird after changing the rear disks and pads, after getting new calipers both sides we discovered the master cylinder had given out when we bled the brakes as your supposed to vacume rather than pressure the fliud through apparently. Its all mended now though luckily but I need to get rslphs car back on the road properly as it wad dragged out of storage and into service as we had ni car. Its very naughty of me it was stored four years and just chucked back on the road,it needs a full service and the hub nut looking at.

[adrianmay]

Had the dumbest warning light come up on my dash.

It beeped and said STOP.

Then a 1 second pause during which I waited to find out which warning light would come on next. Would it be oil, coolant, WHAT? This light would determine if I tried to make it up the hill or pull over immediately.

Then next light was in little letters Brake

Humm, if I have brake failure, how am I going to stop? So, I didn't....until it was convenient...and they worked...so???

I get home and ask the hubby if he'd check my brake fluid. "Nope, too busy. Will take it in tomorrow." I ask, "Why take it in if we can look ourselves? There's nothing leaking out of the car." "Nope," he said, "do it later."

Well, later never came. So, I thought I'll do it myself then. First discovery, the prop-hood-up thingy is broken and my hood weighs a million pounds. Second discovery, the brake fluid reservoir is in the back middle on the engine. I'm 5 feet tall people. That makes it a little difficult to hold a very heavy hood over my head, unscrew something in the back/center of an engine and do it in dim light because it's raining.

Well, I worked it out and it is very low. So, now what? Do I fill it back up with the manual recommend fluid? Where did the brake fluid go? Should I be worried?

Not liking the hubby. Flat, can I borrow you for a minute. Promise to give you back to your spouse later or better yet, there has to be a lady on here somewhere who can be useful. I'm trying.

[meimichan]

My husband's not home yet AM, and I'm not sure I trust myself and my semi woeful lack of car knowledge to help you out here.

Yes, you do need to add more brake fluid, but I'm not sure if you'll need to bleed the brakes or not. Running low like that is not a good thing.

I'll get back to you when TOH gets home and I can ask him. Provided I haven't fallen asleep for the night. I am very close to doing just that.

[FizzyLogician]

Refill it so you can get it to your mechanic tomorrow after making sure your brakes work. He will need to check for a leak, flush the lines, and check your pads. (Do you have any brake fluid?)

[rx7]

Use recommended brake fluid in the manual as it's specially fortified for your car. Every car needs a brake fluid refill from time to time but if you go through a lot in a few days, then it's time to worry.

[adrianmay]

Thank you ladies. I've been begging the man to look at this for three days now. The useless man is gone for the evening and (not meaning to sound too girlie) it's cold and raining. I really don't fancy a walk up to the auto parts store tonight before it closes.

I was reading the manual a little more and it said the following...

"The correct type of brake fluid is found labeled on the brake fluid reservoir." So I'll look there before setting out tomorrow.

It also said, "The fluid level may drop slightly after some time due to the automatic adjustment of the break pads. This is no cause for alarm."

But then it says, "If break fluid level falls considerably below the MIN mark, the break warning light will come on. Do not continue to operate the vehicle. The complete brake system should be thoroughly checked and the cause corrected."

So when I get it there tomorrow, what do ya think this is going to cost me. Do any of you budget for car disasters in your monthly budgeting. I'm thinking about it. How much do you think I should set back per month?

[FizzyLogician]

That depends, AM.

Tomorrow, it depends on whether you just need your lines flushed and brake fluid added, vs replacement of a leaky line or master cylinder, vs replacement of pads. Maybe $200?

And the budget is equally difficult to answer. It depends on the make of your car, its age, how much of the maintenance you can do yourself, and prevailing local rates.

[adrianmay]

Ok doubt anyone can diagnose this one but why not try. My car smells very strongly of burning carbon. I don't know how else to describe it. It's very acrid. The smell is not just the usual exhaust fumes, coolant or gasoline smells. It smells like burning carbon paper. Yes, I am that old that I know what carbon paper is.

[amie8]

Overheating fluids? Oil leaking onto something hot?

I'm also old enough to remember carbon paper (there is even a major bank over here who still issues paying-in books with a slip of carbon instead of a counterfoil), but I don't ever remember setting fire to it.

[adrianmay]

School disciplinary reports came in the mail with the carbon paper between the pages. Not that my parents would know that.

It could be a leak. I've had issues with that before. After dinner I'll go peek. There's nothing on the ground but if it's a small leak or if it's spraying onto some thing hot, I guess it might go unnoticed. Thank you.

[Vivienne]

When I first became a secretary carbon paper was everywhere then came the ncr paper. Possible exhaust issues?

[adrianmay]

Ya know that's what I wondered at first, too. The smell is definitely coming from the engine compartment though. I really have no idea how my car works. It isn't easy to look around in it either. Everything is so packed in there and turned in funny directions. I thought about buying a Chilton's (Haynes for those of you outside the US) for my car to see if I could begin to understand it. Don't know how useful that would be.

EDIT: Haynes is from California. I didn't kow that. Why could I only find Chilton's in the past. Gee, the more you know.

[Vivienne]

Doesn't the Chilton's book cost a small fortune? Maybe your OH can help?

[rx7]

Chilton's car manuals come relatively inexpensive-my dad has many of them. I would recommend getting one as it does increase understanding of a car somewhat, depending on how mechanically able you are.
The reek of carbon could be an exhaust blockage, a hole in the exhaust, maybe the car's heater core is acting up. There might be a rusted out hole in the bodywork that's leaking into the cabin.

On another note, why Honda, why?!
Put on my a/c for a test yesterday, the battery light has come on and now won't disappear. I really think it's just a sensor issue but my dad, Mr. Mechanic, says not to drive it until he can take a look which is sensible. I can drive my mom's Audi but I'm more comfortable in my Honda.