Topic: Car Repairs

[charlie]

Ok, so here's the situation. I've got a 2000 Kia Sephia with a little over 130,000 miles. I drive it 25-30 miles a day to and from work (and for lunch or appointments) and that's about it. That's all I want this car for, 6000-7000 miles per year. It's probably worth $1500-ish give or take a few hundred, maybe a little less.

I took it in for a cheap oil change and they came back with a whole list of stuff that they think could be fixed. Some of the stuff they said was optional or not urgent, other stuff sounded like they thought I should fix it soon, but nothing was so bad that they had any problems letting me take the car home.

My questions are:

How can I maximize miles / dollar with this car?
Anything in this list sound super essential or super unnecessary?

Item (Reason) - Cost [Labor/Parts]

• Replace both outer CV boots (left is torn, right is cracked) - $186 each [$152/$34] (I think, maybe $186 for both)
• Replace front brakes (right front pad cracked through) - $190 [$130/$60]
• Replace valve cover gasket (small oil leak) - $150 [$65/$85]
• Replace oil pan gasket (small oil leak) - $225 [$195/$30]
• Replace battery (214/550 CCA rating) - $120 [$20/$100]
• Replace tires (all tires cupped) - $345 [$80/$265]
• Wheel alignment - $70
• Replace front and rear struts (causing tire cupping?) - $1200 [$445/$755]

I don't mind fixing things that should be fixed and will extend the life of the car, and I want to fix things that are dangerous, but I don't mind if the car doesn't work perfectly. So... any thoughts?

[Steve]

1. If they arent making noise (you would know) leave them be. Or get a quickboot at the parts store for $15-20 each to regrease them for a few months. That price is 186 each.
2. Brakes are $25 at advance auto for both front wheels.
3. Price it out, they are easy to change.
4. Sounds high for a gasket that is around $20, but i dont know whats involved in dropping the pan on your car so it might be accurate.
5. Do it yourself, $50 or less at advance or walmart with a 2yr replacement warranty.
6. You get what you pay for, dont cheap on tires. I'm a fan of goodyear and bridgestone.
7. Not too bad, but haggle because alot of places toss them in free or cheap.
8. Let them do the labor, but price the part because they are usually 50-120 each.

#'s 3&4 could be debated. I would use some purple power and wash the motor in those areas very well and drive it for a day and inspect it yourself to varify they are leaking. It may be minimal or it may just be buildup from god knows how long and irrelevant. Dont use a power washer.

[charlie]

Thanks for the response, RoD.

Note that I won't be doing any of these repairs myself. I don't have the time, equipment, knowledge or desire to do that (at least not for the next five or ten years).

[Steve]

at least do your own battery

[VBprogrammer]

RoD's comments are pretty much what I was thinking. Prices seem a bit on the high side to me but I'm in a different country and I know my mechanic quite well. I'd say don't worry about the oil leaks unless they are making a mess (or using a significant amount of oil!). The CV joints will complain when they need done, having torn / cracked boots on them will loose the grease and allow dirt in which will make them fail much earlier. I would probably leave them until they started making noise then replace both joints. Don't replace the battery unless it gets hard to start the car!

[KnuckleBuckett]

I disagree on #1.  CV joints are nothing to fool with.  IMO

Oh and screw Goodyear.  Continental is nice.

[charlie]

I meant to fix the CV boots before, they've actually had a problem for a while, and I do hear noises, but don't know what causes them.

I guess I'm more worried about what's essential and what's not.

If the tires have good tread, do I have to get new ones even if they are cupped? Is it really necessary to replace the struts if I want to use this car for another three years and 20,000 miles? That kind of stuff. I'm not terribly worried about whether the price estimates are high (unless they are way high). I'm willing to pay someone $20 to install a battery for me. I'm just wondering whether the car will fall apart soon if I don't get this done.

Thanks for the input so far!

[Steve]

I disagree on #1.  CV joints are nothing to fool with.  IMO

Oh and screw Goodyear.  Continental is nice.

I had a drift car one time with CV axels so bad they made popping noises as loud as the radio and never broke. I agree nothing to fool with, and the prices given arent too bad, but it all depends on the mechanic. In my experience many mechanics encourage people to replace cv joints long before it is actually their time. And FYI, Continental tires are manufactured by Goodyear You should know that, im pretty sure you were a tire monkey too


@ charlie:

Most CV joints/axels are good for 20-30k so if it has been that long and you hear noise they most likely need to be replaced.

[charlie]

@ charlie:

Most CV joints/axels are good for 20-30k so if it has been that long and you hear noise they most likely need to be replaced.

We're talking about the CV boots, not the joints, and I don't think either have ever been replaced after 130,000 miles.

[Steve]

replacing the boots is pointless. once they tear the joints have corrosion in them. A boot replacement should cost 50-75 TOPS and is good for maybe a month or two. Replace the cv axels or dont bother. Def dont pay over $100 to replace the boots, and thats for both

[Perspective]

Replace the boots, they hold the grease in. No grease no lubrication = more expensive repairs down the road.

[Steve]

Once the boot rips the damage is done. The grease is waterproof and tacky and doesnt tend to really go away (much). The boot is to keep contaminates out, and thats too late. Once the dirt is in there is no way to reverse it.

[micah]

i don't want to hijack this thread so if someone just wants to PM me their thoughts that'd be cool.  I need a diagnosis on some noise my car's been making.

I was thinking it was a CV problem, but I've been told that's more of a "clicking" noise and I would notice it when I turned the wheel sharply in any direction..

What I'm getting is a "thumping" sound from somewhere on my front axle (I can't tell which wheel) that "thumbs" at about the same rate as the tire rotation - that is, it gets faster when I accelerate and gets slower as I slow down.

The catch is, it only happens everyone once in a while.  Maybe a few times a week.  I'm noticing it happens when I drive in certain places and I've decided, so far, the most noticeable common feature of those places is that they are all sharp down hill drives (possibly with a corner I have to turn).   

Once it starts, its a very disconcerting "knocking" noise and several times I've pulled over thinking I had a flat tire.  Then, after I drive for another half mile (as the road grade levels out) it goes away.

Any thoughts?  I've tried googling it and and thinking it may be the "bearings" but I don't know what that means - like, I don't know what those are and the descriptions I've read of "bad" bearings are only similar to my problems.

[Steve]

bearins are a whine usually. More details on the differences in road surfaces. i would say rotate the tires first, but the come and go makes me doubt its the wheels. could be a motor mount, rack and pinion, or even a loose exhaust pipe....

[charlie]

i don't want to hijack this thread so if someone just wants to PM me their thoughts that'd be cool.

No problem. People can post their thoughts here.

I'm still curious about my original question. So far it sounds like I should replace the CV boots. If it doing that keeps repairs to the joints away for a while (until I don't need the car anymore) then great. Also I won't worry about the oil leaks for the moment (but I'll be checking my oil levels and leakage more often now).

Are the brakes, battery, tires or struts urgent?