Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with car and mechanic

Would you like to play internet mechanic? Bonus points if you can recommend a mechanic or Hyundai dealer in Chicago.

nooneyouknow — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:09:21 -0800

Would you like to play internet mechanic? My car is having problems, one involving the brakes and two mystery problems. Bonus points if you can recommend a mechanic or Hyundai dealer in Chicago. My car is a 2004 Hyundai Elantra Sedan. FYI, I have 17,000 miles on the car. I don't know if this is important, but I read somewhere that not driving your car a ton was a bad thing.

Brakes - The amount of pressure I have to apply to the brake pedal varies a lot. Sometimes I only have to press the brake pedal down a little, sometimes I have to press it all the way to the floor, sometimes it's anywhere in between those extremes. This first started happening some months ago. I thought it was because of wear on the front pads so while I was at the dealer for a different issue I had them look at the brakes. They said the front brakes were fine but the rear brakes needed to be adjusted. After that, it was okay for a while, but the amount of pressure needed started varying again. So, I took it back to the dealer and said "My rear brakes need to be adjusted". They acted like I was speaking Greek. They looked at my brakes and said the rear brakes were at like 50% but didn't say anything about adjustment and offered to do some work on my front brakes for $250.00. That seemed quite expensive so I declined and took it to Meineke. The mechanic at Meineke said my front brakes were fine and that my rear brakes needed to be adjusted. So they worked on them and the brakes worked okay for a bit but now they are acting up again.

So, what does it mean that the rear brakes needed to be adjusted? Why doesn't adjusting them keeping the problem from reoccurring? Am I looking at having to get new rear brakes? Any idea how much that would cost?

Mystery 1 - In October, I took the car on the expressway for the first time in some months, and once I hit about 60 mphs it started shaking like it stole something. I don't know if the whole car was vibrating but it felt like it. The steering wheel was shaking so much that my entire forearms were vibrating. Any clue what this could be about?

Mystery 2 - When I turn the steering wheel to the left, there is this noise, it kinda sounds like metal on metal. But, it's not constant, it's noise-silence-noise-silence, like a record skipping. Sometimes its loud, sometimes it's quite soft. This only happens when the car is in motion and it never happens when I turn the steering wheel to the right. Any clue what this could be about?

I used to take it to the dealer where I bought it for service (which only involved getting it inspected every year and routine maintenance, I haven't had any problems with this car prior to the ones listed above), but I'm reluctant to take it back there since they acted like they had no idea of what readjusting the brakes meant when they had done it previously and suggested brake work that it seems I didn't need. So I would appreciate any recommendations for a decent mechanic or Hyundai dealer in the Chicago area.

Mechanic filter: Car alarm going nuts, how do I find out how to disable the alarm system temporarily so that I can drive the car to the mechanic?

BasileusPY — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:14:04 -0800

Mechanic filter: Car alarm going nuts, how do I find out how to disable the alarm system temporarily so that I can drive the car to the mechanic? I have a 1998 Toyota T100 2WD and the previous owner put in a security system. Don't know if it was factory installed or an aftermarket.

When I was out of the country for awhile, I let my mother use the truck and she told me that one night the alarm went off when the truck was inside the garage (nothing fell on it, no animals/people involved) and that the remote would not turn it off. She ended up disconnecting the battery. We have a back-up remote, so my mom took apart the one she was using, thinking that that might have been the problem, and started to use the other remote. Problems stopped.

But now the same thing happened to me with this other remote. Cannot even start the truck since when the key goes in the ignition, security system locks up the car and prevents starting along with going nuts and scaring women and children. Had to disconnect the battery again.

SOO... I want to be able to disable the alarm so that I can at least drive to the mechanic instead of getting it towed. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Automechanicfilter: The Case of the Thirsty Tank

desuetude — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:47:45 -0800

What could be some reasons why my gas mileage is very suddenly and dramatically craptastic? The decrease in fuel efficiency happened directly after I got stuck driving my car on a flooded road through deeper water than it should've been asked to handle. The car didn't stall, but it felt very close to stalling, and the steering was "stiff" for a few minutes. However, the functioning of the car returned quickly to totally normal. Except that my gas mileage is reduced by nearly half.

It's not running particularly rough or loud, using more oil than usual, running hotter than usual, or anything else that would signal an obvious "car is working too hard" issue.

The gas tank has been run down nearly to empty and filled, fuel injector cleaner has been used once. It's been a couple of months, so it's not resolving itself, that's for sure. And no, nothing's leaking when it sits.

It's a 1996 meticulously-maintained Neon. So yes, it's getting up in years, and I know that some cars lose fuel efficiency as they age, but this was a VERY dramatic change.

2001 Corolla, Fog Lights Always On

churl — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:53:36 -0800

My 2001 Toyota Corolla has spontaneously developed a problem: the front and rear fog lights never turn off, even when the key is out of the ignition. A good mechanic was recommended to me, but he won't be able to see me for several weeks. He warned me to expect to spend $200 minimum. Is there anything I can do in the meantime to try to solve this myself? This is, naturally, a totally awful time for this to happen. This all began yesterday, with no precipitating incident.

My car simultaneously began exhibiting the following symptoms, which I'd never seen before:

1) Although my car normally has daytime running lights, my headlights stopped turning on automatically, both day and night. They do turn on normally when I engage them manually. My high beams also engage and disengage normally.
2) While the car is on, while the lights are off, the high beam indicator on my dashboard is blinking constantly, at roughly one second intervals.
3) When the door is open, the car's warning sound / idiot noise is emitted constantly (as if I'd left the lights manually turned on or the key in the ignition, but neither is the case)

Google gave me this, but in my case pulling the high beam switch does not temporarily solve the problem. I don't have a security system or anything unusual installed. I've tried pulling each of the smaller fuses in each of the obvious fuseboxes under the hood, and none extinguished the lights.

When making the appointment with the mechanic, I asked if there were a way to keep this from running down my battery. He said I could disconnect the battery lead while the car was off, but warned this would "wreak havoc" with my car's onboard computer.

The guy at the shop also told me to be prepared to spend at least $200 to resolve this. What little I can glean from Google seems to imply as high as $750 for similar problems.

Is there anything I can do to mitigate the problem myself? The solution doesn't have to be elegant or flawless, just get the car back to a state where I can drive it at night and it doesn't murder my battery. Any, any insight is appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Reasonable Car Repair?

kanuck — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:48:43 -0800

What are reasonable expectations between car repair shops / mechanics and their customers? Specific scenario inside.. Having moved relatively recently, I'm in the process of finding a good car repair shop / mechanic. I've got an older car that needs some HVAC work, so I took it into a shop that an acquaintance recommended to me. They diagnosed it and gave me a quote: 3-4 hours labor, parts costs in the $500-1000 range (depending on whether I'd like everything under discussion replaced).

1) based on various internet parts sites, they have a 100% markup on the parts in question (I'm looking up OEM/OES parts from companies like Bosch and Bohr).
2) the shop claims that they can only get the parts from the manufacturer (which no doubt charges maximum prices).
3) they want me to pre-pay for the parts.

How reasonable is this?

I've put down a small deposit @ other shops in the past for major repairs.. but no more than a few hundred $.

I don't grudge the shop some markup on parts since they deal with the overhead of orders/returns, but charging 2x the internet retail cost?

Is it crazy to think that if I could find several reputable-looking sites that sold these parts (new, OEM brands) in about 5 minutes, that they should be able to source in a similar way?

Is it reasonable to say "I'll order the parts myself and you guys do the replacement"? Should I expect the labor charge to suddenly go up in that situation?

Since parts need to be ordered anyway, I will have to get the car back first. I expect to be charged labor for the diagnosis, is there any reason I should feel bad for taking it somewhere else to get the work done? Are these all red flags that I actually should just take the car somewhere else?

Cheapest way for me to diagnose car troubles.

scarello — Fri, 29 May 2009 06:43:17 -0800

Engine is turning over slowly and I think it might be the battery. Affordable way to check this myself or just take it into the garage? The other day, I went to start my 2002 Toyota echo, and the engine had a really slow turn over before it finally started. I notice if I give it a bit of gas, it starts right away. No check engine or battery lights come on while driving around town. From the research I have been doing, it seems to suggest either the battery or the alternator. My wife bought the car used 3 years ago, so there is a good chance it is the original battery, so i am leaning toward a dying battery. Is there a cheap way to figure this out? I don't own a battery charger or a voltmeter, and am trying to figure out if it's cheaper to just have the dealer check it out when we bring the car in for an oil change tomorrow or pick up some items at the auto store and test it myself tonight (and get some tools in the process). Suggestions?

I wanna be a mechanical vagrant!

TheNewWazoo — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:27:07 -0800

I love renting a house in urban Atlanta! I hate renting a house in urban Atlanta! Can anyone help me find a place to fix my car... myself? So as much as I love living ~150yds from a MARTA station, and as little as I drive my car in town, and as nifty as my urban garden is, my car occasionally needs repair. I'm quite handy and would love to do minor stuff myself, but my steeply-sloped driveway and busy street precludes home repair. Can anyone help me find a public or co-op garage east-side ITP where I can work for a day or two?

Finding a new car mechanic

Silentgoldfish — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:07:41 -0800

I'm looking for a new car mechanic in Melbourne, Australia and/or tips for finding a reliable one in general... I moved to Melbourne a little while ago and it's coming up time to service my car. Where I used to live I had an awesome mechanic who was honest, blunt, and never felt like he was ripping me off despite my ignorance of most of what makes my car go. He was the kind of guy that when someone else would try and sell me stuff I didn't need he'd tell me if I really did or whether I could get away for another few years with what I already had.

Unfortunantely, he couldn't recommend anyone in Melbourne, and while I found him through word of mouth no-one I know here can recommend anyone similiar.

Any tips or tricks for finding another guy as good (and most importantly, honest), or any direct recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

Know any good mechanics?

orrnyereg — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:17:48 -0800

DC-area MeFites: would you recommend your auto mechanic? I need to get my Neon worked on and would like to not be ripped off. You've already helped diagnose the problem, now help me find the solution! I've had one solid recommendation for a mechanic in Annandale but that's pretty far away (I live in Glover Park). Can anyone offer suggestions for a mechanic who works on Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth closer in to DC?

A thousand grateful thanks in advance!

Heater core? What?

lunasol — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:53:33 -0800

The mechanic said my heater core needs to be replaced and it will cost $700. What does this mean? Lengthy explanation inside. Background: I bought my 1995 Toyota Corrolla this last summer. Got it checked out by a reputable mechanic (Mechanic A) who found no major problems.

I've only ever had one problem - one day about a month ago, I was driving it on a city street. I was stopped at a red light and when the light turned green and I pressed down on the gas, the car stalled out, luckily right next to a gas station. I was able to to steer the car into the gas station, where, after letting it sit for a minute, it started up again with no problem. I'm not sure if this is relevant to my current issue.

Once winter rolled around, I realized the heat didn't work - it would blow, but blow cold. So last Monday I took it to a mechanic recommended by a friend (Mechanic B) who changed the thermostat and cleaned out the heater core, which he said was clogged but didn't seem to think had been a big problem. After this, the heater worked perfectly.

I barely drove the car for a week after getting the heater fixed because I was home for Thanksgiving. I drove it yesterday with no problem, but today when I was driving it I noticed that a white steam had started to billow up from under the hood.

I took it to a mechanic - the steam had stopped at this point - near my house (Mechanic C) who told me that there was no antifreeze and that the heater core was ruined.

Here's where it gets a little confusing. He was not really able to explain very well what was wrong with the heater core or why it would cost $700 to replace. He says without a working heater core, the engine could overheat. He did say I should be able to drive it for a day or so without incident, so I drove it home and I'm planning to take it back to back to Mechanic A tomorrow for a second opinion.

However, before I take it to a mechanic, I'd like to have an idea of what's going on, since it sort of felt like Mechanic C was trying to scam me. I've been poking around on the internet and read these questions, but I have to say I still don't really understand what's going on here. Why would this repair cost so much? Will a failed heater core really ruin my car? If my heater core is still all clogged, why has the heat been working so well in my car? And am I safe to drive the car to the mechanic (4 miles away) tomorrow? (I drove it home with no trouble)

Thanks in advance for helping out a car-illiterate mefite!

Tranny problems (no, the other kind)

Nonce — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 07:57:16 -0800

Should I replace the transmission or replace the car? My 1997 Hyunday Sonata's transmission gave up the ghost. It no longer has reverse, and it only kind of shifts into second gear very hard. I took it to a local shop and to the dealer. The local shop thinks I should rebuild the transmission at $2,400. The dealer wants to put in a remanufactured transmission at about $2,700. Both of those options are insane and off the table because the car is worth less than $1,500.

Back in reality land, there are three options that I am aware of:

1) Junkyard transmission

If you think this is the way to go, how can I avoid getting ripped off? I saw this writeup when searching online, but it's almost entirely Greek to me in spite of being very clear and presumably helpful. If there is any geographically specific advice, I am in Northern Virginia, but theoretically could drive to Maryland or elsewhere in VA to pick up a part.

I don't like this because the shop will charge $450 or so to install it, and it's a gamble anyway. How can I make it less of a gamble?

2) Replace the valve body assembly

Apparently, one thing that is *for sure* wrong is that the solenoids are gone. A new valve body assembly (with new solenoids), available only from the dealer, costs about $650 and two hours of labor to swap out. Then I'm left with the same transmission I started with, which has 165,000 miles on it.

There aren't any flecks of metal in the transmission fluid. There is some sludge that the mechanic said is generally expected to build up with age, but also is not a good thing at all. Everyone says there is no way to tell how much life the transmission has left in it without taking it apart and inspecting it, at which point the labor charge becomes prohibitive.

3) Getting rid of the car

How would I do this? How much can I get for it?

Please help me figure out what to do. I hate the idea of gambling close to $1,000 on the car without a reasonable expectation of success (options 1 and 2), but I also hate the idea of selling the car for a lousy few hundred dollars because of this problem when it is otherwise functioning just fine.

Puddle-Related Power Failure?

rossination — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:26:59 -0800

What happened to my car? What did I do when I drove through that puddle? [1999 Ford Taurus] Today I pulled into a Safeway parking lot and my power steering and brakes failed (the dash lights and headlights dimmed as well). This went away about 15 seconds later. I stopped the car, re-started, drove around in the parking lot a bit, then left. I drove maybe another half hour tonight and the car has run fine.

After leaving the lot, it occurred to me that I drove through a 6" deep puddle on my way in. Is this what caused the temporary loss of power?

Either way, is it something I need to be concerned about?

long distance car buying -- slightly paranoid and overeager buyer

TayBridge — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:47:09 -0800

After months and months of looking, I've finally found my dream car. The problem is, it's a few hundred miles away from me... and my trusted mechanic. Help me make this happen! I'm in Orange County. My dream car is in San Francisco. I really don't mind having an excuse to fly up there; in fact, I'm looking forward to making a weekend of it. The prospect of finally ending my search for a new car and getting a little vacation out of it to boot is proving irresistible. However, I want to make sure that in my excitement I don't end up buying a lemon.

I've talked to the seller (a private seller, not a dealer) and received satisfying answers to all my concerns. I've checked the carfax report, and it's clean. It's been smogged and is registered until next year. If it was in Southern CA, the next step would be to have my mechanic check it out. Since it isn't, is it ridiculous to imagine I'll be able to find a trustworthy mechanic in San Francisco who'll be able to check it out on a weekend on short notice? (Unfortunately, the weekend is the only time I'd be able to get away from work.) Is it better to try to inspect it myself? I'm no expert on cars, but would it be possible to learn enough in a week to be able to determine for myself whether it's fundamentally sound? If it is, I'd appreciate any books or websites you could recommend.

To those who've bought a car long distance-- are there any particular pitfalls you can think of? Am I crazy to go to all this trouble for this car, or should I wait (probably a few months, at least) until one pops up closer to where I live? The car itself isn't rare, but the particular combination of options the SF car has is.

This is my first time buying a car without a parent's help, so I apologize for being so naive / overeager / particular / paranoid, etc. Thank you, Ask MeFi.

Was I taken for a ride?

Brocktoon — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:54:12 -0800

Did I get ripped off by my mechanic? I have a 1988 BMW 535i sedan, 6 cylinder. Today he replaced the power steering hoses and the antenna. He charged me $344 for parts and $570 in labor. Service includes a hand car wash. Was I ripped off?

Need a Somerville MA mechanic

Lisa S — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:45:22 -0800

Does anyone know a good, reliable auto mechanic in the Somerville, MA area? We drive a 1997 Toyota Corolla and need some help finding someone who'll keep it happy -- competently, honestly, and, preferably, cheaply. Referrals?

What's wrong with my car?

amro — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:33:34 -0800

What is wrong with my car? As you can hopefully see from this photo, there is something large and metal that I believe is a part of the rear axle pressing hard into my rear passenger side tire and making it bulge out rather dramatically. There are more photos here. It's clearly not driveable, and I'm having it towed to a garage in the morning. But I hate looking like a dumb broad when I describe what's going on with my car to a mechanic, and I also fear that, to someone less than scrupulous, I have a big target on my head that says, "I'm a sucker and you can charge me anything!" Unfortunately, I don't yet have a trusted mechanic in my town (although I'm asking around tonight among local friends for recommendations). Therefore, I'm hoping to get at least an idea from you fine folks as to what could have happened. I don't recall going over any large potholes, and I didn't have an accident. The car just began making a loud noise, faster or slower depending upon how quickly the tires were rotating, as I drove home from work today. The noise obviously came from the metal pressing against the rotating tire, but I can't pinpoint anything that might have caused the axle, or whatever is pressing into the tire, to come... undone. Any thoughts from the more mechanically inclined? I'll be checking in and happy to provide any additional information. Oh, and it's a 2006 Saturn Ion, automatic tranmission.

PT Cruiser owner regrets purchase, wants to improve the car he can't afford to dump

mccarty.tim — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:43:56 -0800

I'm an ignorant person when it comes to cars, so this is a pretty dumb question. I own a 2007 PT Cruiser which has no anti-lock brakes. It skids like crazy, and got me into a minor accident. Is there any way I can get add anti-lock breaks to it? My mom's friends told her that the best way to buy a car was to get an auction proxy, so we went to an auction lot to go car shopping. We were intending to get a compact Japanese car with decent milage. However, the proxy talked us into getting a 2007 PT Cruiser which was $9000 on the lot. I was no fan of the aesthetics of the Cruiser, but I did like the interior space and the fact that the proxy pitched it as being 28 MPG (A good but not great amount. Turns out he was mistaken, it gets 20). We rushed to bid on it, and the next day we got it, only to discover it was a cheap model with no antilock brakes. I don't blame the proxy for this, he was as surprised as we were, and I really don't think this is in the spirit of false advertising. It's just the nature of auctions, it's fast paced and you don't get to test drive the car, and I had no prior knowledge of how a PT Cruiser drives.

I'm no good at threshold braking and recently skidded into a guardrail because a guy behind me in a huge truck was tailgating me at a high speed. It was scary, and it took two weeks to get it repaired, but insurance paid for it, and I was okay. I now know I should have taken that turn slower, or let the guy in the pickup hit me.

The guy at the repair shop says the brakes are pristine, so I can't blame it on old brake pads. The mechanic did remark he got 3 PT Cruisers who got into the exact same type of wreck.

This brings me to my question. I would love to trade in the PT Cruiser for something that I can afford to buy gas for and with good enough brakes to handle the curvy roads in my town. However, it seems to be outside of my means to do so. Would it be possible to augment the car with an antilock braking system? Or if not, is there a good, safe way to learn how to threshold brake?

Thanks for your help, guys.

Don't make me call CarTalk.

drpynchon — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:51:30 -0800

Help with my friend's car trouble... So I got a call from a friend with this: 1 month ago her car engine failed to start. She turned the key, the lights went on, the engine sounded like it was going to turn over appropriately then she just kept hearing a recurring screech from the the thing and it wouldn't start. At that point her battery and spark plugs were only 6 months old (this is a 2003 Toyota Solara I think).

She called AAA to get it towed and the guy that came ran diagnostics on site after attaching electrodes to her battery. He said the battery was surprisingly underpowered given its relative youth, gave her a receipt with some metric of the batteries inadequacy and juiced it up with his gadget, apparently buying her a week of time. It started without trouble.

She took it the next day to a mechanic who thought the alternator was busted and he replaced both the alternator and the battery. From there the car started and ran fine until today. Now it's doing the same thing it was a month ago. Engine rumbles but fails to fully start.

Any ideas? Also, is she entitled to ask for repairs of the problem without being charged an arm and a leg? She paid almost $500 for the work done last time.

Is the transmission dying again?

winston — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:42:38 -0800

CarFilter: Why does my transmission hate me so? 1999 Suzuki Esteem GL, manual 5-speed transmission, 1.6 L engine.

Purchased in January 2004, a lease return with 70,000 km. We both had a little trouble shifting into 3rd at first but eventually got the hang of it -- don't know if that's related.

July 2006, the transmission died a spectacular death. The transmission shop said they'd never seen a manual transmission in such bad condition. Every gear except second had multiple teeth completely missing. They did not see any of the tell-tale signs that would indicate that the transmission or clutch was abused. They believed that this transmission, at this age, without abuse, should not be showing any damage. They could not explain the damage other than maybe it was somehow defective when it was originally put together.

For a variety of reasons, I trust that this transmission shop is completely honest. Not to say they couldn't have made a mistake, but I don't believe they deliberately scammed me. I did personally inspect all the broken pieces they replaced -- everything was obviously badly broken.

So we replaced the following with new parts:
-Every gear except second, plus some other hard parts (don't remember the names, there were two arm-like things that were bent)
-All soft parts inside the transmission
-The clutch (it wasn't absolutely necessary yet, but the end of it's life was approaching and it was cheaper to do it while everything was disassembled anyway).

All together, including tax, it came to about $4000 (CAD). If we'd got a rebuilt transmission instead of new parts, it would have been $3500. The new parts had a parts and labour warranty for one year, unlimited mileage.

In the past few weeks, I've done alot of driving in slippery conditions. If the wheels start to spin, I try to start in second gear (I do not do this unless both drive wheels are on a surface too slippery for the car to move even a little bit in first gear). It has often been impossible to shift into second when at a standstill -- it just clashes and doesn't engage. Other times it works fine. Yesterday the car popped out of first gear while driving -- this was something that had happened a few times before the transmission went out the last time.

The car is currently approaching 140,000 km

Is the transmission or clutch dying again? If so, what could explain the short life-span of the parts in our transmission? Both drivers of this vehicle have long experience using a manual transmission on multiple vehicles (each of those driven for a longer period of time than we've driven this one) and have not previously had/caused transmission problems. This does not to seem to be a problem for 1999 Esteems in general, AFAICT.

Click and Clack, where are you?

jujube — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:59:21 -0800

Car Trouble Filter: Check engine light goes on. Mechanic says it the catalytic converter, cost = $1,500. Then the check engine light goes off, on its own. What should I do? I have a '99 Subaru Legacy. About 100,000 miles, maybe more. The check engine light came on, and I brought it in to the mechanic the next day. He says it's the catalytic converter. Apparently there are two in the Subaru, and he also needs to put in a new oxygen (filter? detector? I forgot, but something like that) because he can't replace just the catalytic converter. I could just replace ONE of the two catalytic converters, but according to the mechanic, the second one could go and take the new one I replace with it, which would mean that I might end up having to replace both again. . .

Here's where it gets convoluted. I had JUST brought the car in for smog inspection (legally mandated where I live), just a few days before the check engine light came on. The car passed the inspection, no problem. So I find it weird that the catalytic converter could be malfunctioning, and still pass inspection just a few days ago.

And even more complicated. . . So the day after I get the quote from the mechanic, the "check engine" light goes off on its own. Huh? Now I'm more confused. Two days after that, the check engine light comes back on again.

What's going on? Any mechanics or someone with more car knowledge out there?

Thanks.

vroom vroom!

bitteroldman — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:46:37 -0800

CarMaintenanceFilter: Do I really need new spark plugs and a fuel-injector cleaning when I just got them done? April 2006, 67900 miles (10860 km), Mechanic A
I had my spark plugs replaced.

June 2007, 78000 miles (124900 km), Mechanic B
I had my fuel injectors cleaned (with the cleaning compound, using the injector cleaning machine)

Dec 2007, 78200 miles (125133 km), Mechanic C
Regular maintenance, but they tell me that my injectors need cleaning and sparks need to be replaced. When they tell me this, they don't know that I had the work done.

Mechanic A - seems to be reputable and very knowledgeable
Mechanic B - no real proof, but I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that they are honest and skilled as well
Mechanic C - this is the car dealership. Does this make them more honest or reputable? I don't know.

FWIW, I live in a relatively cold climate (winters of -10 Celsius, about 5 F), and have driven rarely in the past year (about 2700 miles, 4300 km). Most of the time, the car sits in the driveway.

So my question is: Did either Mechanic A or B do a shoddy job, is Mechanic C trying to rip me off, or is it "just the way it is", even though I was under the impression that the above-mentioned work would last a whole lot longer than 1.5 years (or 11000 miles) - I am told that sparks should last 25000 miles (40000 km) and injector cleaning should be good for 12000 miles (or 20000 km).

What the clunk is wrong with my corolla?

mr. remy — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:07:09 -0800

[my old jalopy filter] What is my Corolla's clunking problem? So my dearly beloved car, a 1996 Toyota Corolla sedan, has been making some funny noises lately. Since I don’t know an engine manifold from a monkey’s uncle’s sister Aster, I thought I’d ask for some off-the-cuff diagnostics before bringing it into the shop. Let's play Car Talk.

Here are the symptoms:

1) When I start the car I get a few clunky-rattly sounds, like a shock cord repeatedly whapping against a metal bin.

2) When I try to accelerate from – say – 10 – 25 miles per hour I get the same clunky-rattly shock-cord whappy sound, and really poor performance. The whole car seems to shudder and lurch, and takes twice as long to reach the desired speed as it should.

3) Not sure if it’s related, but the whole car vibrates rather intensely when I’m idling at a light, even if I’m in park.

Thoughts? Ideas? How do I go about repairing this [X] without getting ripped off? Any good mechanics in Culver City?

Is there a short course to learn for fix my old BMW?

mboszko — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:49:05 -0800

Are there any schools that have something like a week-long auto repair course? Preferably BMW-focused, and preferably in the DC Metro area, but even without those two, would still be useful. I've seen a number of adult/continuing education evening courses that take a couple of months, but with my crazy freelance schedule, I can never know if I'm going to have to work late and end up missing a bunch of the classes. However, it looks like I'm going to have a break in my freelance schedule for a solid week, and I could go somewhere for a week of day classes.

I'm not doing this to become a mechanic, but just to get better at servicing my own car. I just bought an old used BMW (1990 525i (E34/M20)), and I'm hoping to save some money on the repairs that know are coming soon, if I were just a little more confident in repairing my car.

If there isn't a week-long course, what would you recommend? Are the evening adult classes useful? Are there any other options?

Thanks for taking the time to help!

some don't like it hot

kidsleepy — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 06:41:52 -0800

For about a week, I've noticed a "hot" smell coming from my engine. I don't know how to describe it except that it smells like an iron that has been left on. What is it? I get this smell even when I drive the short (less than 5 minutes) distance between home and work. I don't notice it when I am driving, but it's obvious once I step out of the car.

I drive a 1998 Camry, 175K miles, oil last changed in May, just passed NC state inspection three weeks ago. I know nothing about cars except to check the oil gauge, which I did, and it indicated there was enough oil. Is the smell indicating something serious ($$$) or just something simple that I am overreacting about because I am automobile-ignorant?

Need a BMW mechanic near Fort Lee, NJ

SampleSize — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:49:22 -0800

Anyone know a good BMW mechanic in the Fort Lee, NJ (Near the George Washington Bridge) area? I have a 1988 325ix and need someone trustworthy and competent to take care of it. Service at the BMW dealer is outrageously expensive. I've tried various BMW message boards and come up empty. Something in a 30 minute radius would be nice, but I'll take what you got!