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dmarleyTook the car in to the dealership to get some stuff looked at.
Let's just work our way up the cost ladder here:
Recall thingy (sometimes, supposedly, if you don't put the car properly in park it will disengage if you get out while the car's on or something)--Will be fixed free of charge.
Computer display--Computer display is fubar. It will cost around $250 to fix, but the mechanic said that so long as it didn't bother us to have it flashing the wrong date and time constantly, it wouldn't hurt anything.
Power steering fluid--There's a leak. Will cost around $200 to fix, but mechanic says it's not serious. So long as we add some power steering fluid now and then it'll be okay.
Oil/filter change--$35
Transmission fluid--Hasn't been changed in ten years. $70
Oil leak(s)--There are two. Neither is serious, but then neither is minor, either. The mechanic recommended fixing the one that will be cheapest to repair (the other will cost $500) and cutting the leakage in half. I only lost about a quart every couple of months, so that's livable. $100
Fuel injection system--So gunky that it will have to be cleaned, lest gunk matter screw it up for good. I wondered why the gas didn't seem as responsive as it should. $200
Rear axle--My dad mentioned in passing that he thought I should have it looked at, because he heard the rear of the car whining when he sat in the back seat. The whole rear is fubar, and will have to be completely replaced. $1100
Total cost, with tax and all: $1600. Please see subject line for remarks.
The sad thing is, I know I'm getting ripped off. I know they're charging me more than if I found some guy in an oily garage. The problem is that I don't know any guys in an oily garage who will actually fix my car. So, even though I know I'm getting screwed by the dealership, I also know that they will in all probability actually fix what they say they're going to fix, which is sometimes worth paying for.
My dad, by the way, doesn't actually remember mentioning the rear axle to me. I called him to let him know he was right and thank him for letting me know, and he said, "So, you're calling to thank me for costing you $1100?" and I said, "Yeah, something like that." :)
Anyway, the good news is that we screwed up our taxes to the point that we won't have to hock anything, or even worse, miss DragonCon, so that's all to the good. And there's a certain virtuous liberation in getting major repairs done on one's car before it actually breaks down and leaves one stranded by the side of the road. So, all in all, it could have been worse.
Let's just work our way up the cost ladder here:
Recall thingy (sometimes, supposedly, if you don't put the car properly in park it will disengage if you get out while the car's on or something)--Will be fixed free of charge.
Computer display--Computer display is fubar. It will cost around $250 to fix, but the mechanic said that so long as it didn't bother us to have it flashing the wrong date and time constantly, it wouldn't hurt anything.
Power steering fluid--There's a leak. Will cost around $200 to fix, but mechanic says it's not serious. So long as we add some power steering fluid now and then it'll be okay.
Oil/filter change--$35
Transmission fluid--Hasn't been changed in ten years. $70
Oil leak(s)--There are two. Neither is serious, but then neither is minor, either. The mechanic recommended fixing the one that will be cheapest to repair (the other will cost $500) and cutting the leakage in half. I only lost about a quart every couple of months, so that's livable. $100
Fuel injection system--So gunky that it will have to be cleaned, lest gunk matter screw it up for good. I wondered why the gas didn't seem as responsive as it should. $200
Rear axle--My dad mentioned in passing that he thought I should have it looked at, because he heard the rear of the car whining when he sat in the back seat. The whole rear is fubar, and will have to be completely replaced. $1100
Total cost, with tax and all: $1600. Please see subject line for remarks.
The sad thing is, I know I'm getting ripped off. I know they're charging me more than if I found some guy in an oily garage. The problem is that I don't know any guys in an oily garage who will actually fix my car. So, even though I know I'm getting screwed by the dealership, I also know that they will in all probability actually fix what they say they're going to fix, which is sometimes worth paying for.
My dad, by the way, doesn't actually remember mentioning the rear axle to me. I called him to let him know he was right and thank him for letting me know, and he said, "So, you're calling to thank me for costing you $1100?" and I said, "Yeah, something like that." :)
Anyway, the good news is that we screwed up our taxes to the point that we won't have to hock anything, or even worse, miss DragonCon, so that's all to the good. And there's a certain virtuous liberation in getting major repairs done on one's car before it actually breaks down and leaves one stranded by the side of the road. So, all in all, it could have been worse.
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(no subject)
Date: 2003-08-22 07:40 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-08-22 11:56 am (UTC)hello
Date: 2003-08-22 03:56 pm (UTC)