Car maintenance

[honey-lilac]

We bought a 2002 Ford Explorer in the fall of 07. It had 70K (ish) on there at the time. It now has slightly over 100 K. And despite my begging H to do it, the car has not once been looked at. The "change oil" light has been on for more than a flipping year but H is convinced it does not need to be looked at. So now I'm taking matters into my own hands and getting it serviced. What's the best option? I know dealerships cost a lot, but I'm afraid of getting ripped off at a smaller place. I've BDTD - I had one guy try to charge me over $100 to change the oil in my Civic, yeah right, not gonna happen. I don't have any car-knowledgable friends and like I said, H won't do it. Where should I go, and how much should I expect to be out? I'm assuming nothing *crazy* is wrong, like there's no issues with it that I can tell, it's running just fine, but I remember that at 100K they had to change belts and stuff on my old car; I know 100K is a "big" service.

[cristeen]

I'd ask friends and family for recommendations for a mechanic. They don't need to be knowledgeable to have a good mechanic. And then any work over $100, take it to at least 2 mechanics for a quote... until you find one you can trust. We found one we could trust after years of going to the dealership and getting ripped off, and now we'd never go to anyone else. But I just asked a co-worker for a recommendation.

[honey-lilac]

We don't have family/friends in the area, knowledgable or not. Or co-workers.

ETA: But you'd take it to a non-dealership mechanic? Chain or not?

[MacroMama]

You can go to yelp.com and see what others have to say about the mechanics near you. Just type in mechanic and your city and state.

It's really helpful!

[honey-lilac]

Awesome, thanks!!

[FloridaBorn]

I wouldn't be surprised if it needs a new timing belt and some spark plugs, also a new air filter, and perhaps breaks. Maybe some freon in the A/C. At 100,000 miles my RAV4 needed a new O-Ring distributor cap.

[honey-lilac]

I know it varies by area, but about how much would those cost...? Hundreds, thousands?

[BetsyS]

We go to a mechanic in a shady part of town. He's honest, does great work, and we love him. Which is good, cause we aren't car-handy, and dh drives a 96.

My last "oil change" on my car cost $300 (I drive a 2003 with about 90,000 miles on it). That was oil change, new brakes, tires rotated, and an alignment.

I would say that it wouldn't be uncommon to spend $500-$1000 on work if your car hasn't been looked at in over 2 years. Plus, a whole year of "change oil" means that your car has probably been running low on oil for a while, which can be hard on an engine (ask me how I know ).

[dachshundqueen]

Changing the oil, air filter, and spark plugs really aren't that difficult. Go to Auto Zone and get the guide they have for your vehicle, complete with pictures and learn to do those three items yourself.

Buy a lifetime alignment at the alignment shop, it's around $150 and saves long term. Brake jobs are a bit more complicated.

I assure you - you can do it.

Liz

[Ola_]

We've used dealerships, chain stores, and small independent shops. From our experience the independent shops or small local chains were the best. Sometimes you have to find a new place if the one you chose isn't working out (you feel they are overcharging or the service is bad). I look for a place that will tell me how much things will cost up front, explain what is involved and why, gets approval before doing any work.

We get our oil changed regularly, we buy synthetic at Costco and just pay for the actual change (not all shops will do this, which frankly has helped me to eliminate some shops that I felt wouldn't be very flexible). It's not expensive and IMO it's a good investment in having a car that runs well. Our mechanic also does an X-point inspection (I forget how many things they check exactly), but it's basically a look at your tires, brakes, etc. while they have it up on the hoist. If we have any concerns we ask them to take a look at that also while they have it up there. They are good at suggesting less-expensive or alternative repair options too when we need something done. All qualities to look for in a good mechanic IMO.

[nd_deadhead]

Somebody has to say it - your DH is nuts!

A car - especially an older one - should have the oil changed every 3 months or 3000 miles, whichever comes first. Your Explorer should have had 12 oil changes since you got it! Just adding oil doesn't cut it - you have to drain out the old oil to remove all the gunk and crap that builds up.

Just think about what oil looks like fresh out of the bottle - it's yellow, and if you poured it in a glass jar, you could see through it. Now think about what oil looks like on the dipstick - it's black!

What possible reason could your DH have for not wanting to service the vehicle? If he thinks he's saving money, he's dead wrong. Regular maintenance makes the car run more efficiently (giving better gas mileage), and makes it last longer, delaying the next purchase. Right now you are just asking to have the engine seize up - which can be pretty dangerous if it happens on the highway or in heavy traffic.

We go to an independent mechanic, and he takes very good care of us. Because he's been caring for my Jeep for 14 years, he knows its quirks and its history. He has gone out of his way to save me money over the years - I trust him. I have never had good luck at a dealership.

[lookatreestar]

agh seriously!! you havent even changed the oil once!?!

lol, that said i am married to a car guy so yeah the little stuff is what keeps a car running forever imo.

the places around here are usually $20 for an oil change which is not bad at all.

[lucifugous]

Of course a trustworthy mechanic is the best option, but if you don't know which are and which aren't, I would take it anywhere but a dealership! I don't believe that dealerships give a significantly higher grade of service; the advantage of using them and the reason they can get away with what they charge is that getting a new car serviced only at the dealership keeps the warranty intact.

[Aka mommy]

You don't have any friends that are gearheads or carguys? That's honestly the cheapest way to go about it. My dh works on our friends cars and is able to do everything pretty much, he charges them mostly just for products and is honest.

Otherwise, i'd avoid dealerships. They will charge a ton more in labor and tell you a ton of things you don't need to do. I 2nd going to AutoZone. You may even be able to find one of the techs there who is willing to do side work for you. Buy a Chilton's Manual, it's a repair manual and costs about $20. It will help you learn about your car. Changing the oil is super easy, and i would bet you could do it yourself.

[zebra15]

Originally Posted by nd_deadhead

Somebody has to say it - your DH is nuts!

A car - especially an older one - should have the oil changed every 3 months or 3000 miles, whichever comes first. Your Explorer should have had 12 oil changes since you got it! Just adding oil doesn't cut it - you have to drain out the old oil to remove all the gunk and crap that builds up.

Just think about what oil looks like fresh out of the bottle - it's yellow, and if you poured it in a glass jar, you could see through it. Now think about what oil looks like on the dipstick - it's black!

What possible reason could your DH have for not wanting to service the vehicle? If he thinks he's saving money, he's dead wrong. Regular maintenance makes the car run more efficiently (giving better gas mileage), and makes it last longer, delaying the next purchase. Right now you are just asking to have the engine seize up - which can be pretty dangerous if it happens on the highway or in heavy traffic.

We go to an independent mechanic, and he takes very good care of us. Because he's been caring for my Jeep for 14 years, he knows its quirks and its history. He has gone out of his way to save me money over the years - I trust him. I have never had good luck at a dealership.

Im in no way car savvy. I use Firestone for most car issues. (national chain) if the problem is a warranty issue then obviously i work with the dealer. For tires I use Sams club. I like using Firestone because all my records are in one spot and there is a firestone near my mom and she can go and pay my bill (a great luxury from 2k miles away) This is priceless to me, espically the time I needed the immediate 700$ brake repair. (i now get the brakes inspected on a regular basis, callipers are expensive)

I do oil every 3 mos... my car is pushing 65k miles, $30 for an oil change is a small piece of insurance in my book.

I am convinced your DH is a doof-fus OR something much worse??