Swamp Auto Repair

[sancarlos]

My Ford Fusion doesn’t even come with a spare tire at all. Just some fix-a-flat type spray goop that will hopefully get you to a garage.

[HaulCitgo]

Buick wagon has no spare either. Wife's kia required turning a hex nut under floor mats with the jack and then it drops from bottom of car. Dumb as fuck. At night on I85 grass... No shot

[A_B]

My highlanders have spares underneath. Not too bad to get out. Hyundai Accent had no spare and I’ve replaced four fucking tired on it already.

[Brontoburglar]

so we had to lawyer up because we found out the night of the wreck that AAA had wrongfully canceled her insurance in late 2020 claiming that she didn't have a membership.

that was patently false, of course, as the house is in both of our names and you have to have a membership to have homeowner's insurance. and she was currently active on my membership at the time of the wreck. the only thing I can think of is that they screwed up not realizing that her membership was on mine.

anyway, we are in the final stages of getting the money from his insurer and should hopefully have it soon .... and we got a letter from AAA while we were on vacation last week saying that her insurance has been reinstated with no lapse in coverage

kill me now

lol this got dumber

1. we got the car. paid way too much for it because of the chip shortage. but it's done and dusted. we're back to two cars. we've switched our home and auto to state farm

2. AAA just debited LA this month for the six-month period from Nov-May after they said they reinstated her insurance. we called the AAA office and told them that we needed to get it canceled and tried to explain the situation. they said they could only date it to the day after the wreck. we quickly agreed because

3. we immediately sent everything to the lawyer and told him that AAA was taking responsibility for insuring her when the wreck happened. it was explained to me in May by AAA that we could only claim the AAA insurance at the time if we paid the six-month balance. we decided just to not pay the balance and move on without filing an errors and omissions claim and just wash our hands of AAA. but now that they are wanting (and taking) her money for that timeframe, we're getting him involved

[EnochRoot]

So here’s a question:

Last month I discovered the front brake pads on my 2015 Altima will need replacing. They’re down inside of 20% remaining. I haven’t driven the car since then other than to start it to keep the battery alive. Which also needs replacing as it’s apparently inside of 10% juice remaining. Car’s about 6 years old, so this story checks out.

So…the car’s got 60k on it. I’ve been the primary driver and I don’t drive it hard. It’s done maybe 10-12 trips to south Florida. The rest is neighborhood to grocery / box store driving.

Is there any risk in only getting the front pads replaced, and leave the rear axle alone until say, next year?

[Gunpowder]

I guess you can't say NO risk but probably not. You'll generally know when the brake pads absolutely need to be replaced.

EDIT: Wait - I misunderstood. What's wrong with the rear axle?

[EnochRoot]

I guess you can't say NO risk but probably not. You'll generally know when the brake pads absolutely need to be replaced.

EDIT: Wait - I misunderstood. What's wrong with the rear axle?

Nothing as far as I know. I was only told the front pads need to be replaced (he mentioned to do it at the next oil change, but I’m not waiting that long considering the synthetic nature of the oil requires less changing)…

I get why it’d be a good idea to replace all pads simultaneously, but is that even necessary? I don’t wanna replace pads that have half their lives left.

[GoodKarma]

So here’s a question:

Last month I discovered the front brake pads on my 2015 Altima will need replacing. They’re down inside of 20% remaining. I haven’t driven the car since then other than to start it to keep the battery alive. Which also needs replacing as it’s apparently inside of 10% juice remaining. Car’s about 6 years old, so this story checks out.

So…the car’s got 60k on it. I’ve been the primary driver and I don’t drive it hard. It’s done maybe 10-12 trips to south Florida. The rest is neighborhood to grocery / box store driving.

Is there any risk in only getting the front pads replaced, and leave the rear axle alone until say, next year?

You should be fine. I've done the same thing on a couple of my front-wheel drive cars that I only drove locally/short trips.

[EnochRoot]

So here’s a question:

Last month I discovered the front brake pads on my 2015 Altima will need replacing. They’re down inside of 20% remaining. I haven’t driven the car since then other than to start it to keep the battery alive. Which also needs replacing as it’s apparently inside of 10% juice remaining. Car’s about 6 years old, so this story checks out.

So…the car’s got 60k on it. I’ve been the primary driver and I don’t drive it hard. It’s done maybe 10-12 trips to south Florida. The rest is neighborhood to grocery / box store driving.

Is there any risk in only getting the front pads replaced, and leave the rear axle alone until say, next year?

You should be fine. I've done the same thing on a couple of my front-wheel drive cars that I only drove locally/short trips.

Thanks!

[Gunpowder]

Ahhhh - no that's not a problem. You'll know when a brake pad needs to be replaced. By the time it gets dangerous you will have had to actively ignore grinding for like a month.

I mean sheeeeeet there's a chance the one's in the front aren't as low as they told you.

[EnochRoot]

Ahhhh - no that's not a problem. You'll know when a brake pad needs to be replaced. By the time it gets dangerous you will have had to actively ignore grinding for like a month.

I mean sheeeeeet there's a chance the one's in the front aren't as low as they told you.

True. 60k-ish miles and it's not been driven hard. 2 more payments and she's mine.

I'm probably going to replace the car stereo (this used to be easy, but these integrated things make it a chore) for one that has Apple CarPlay.

There's another question. Has anybody dared to replace their in dash entertainment / logistics station with an aftermarket model?

[govmentchedda]

Ahhhh - no that's not a problem. You'll know when a brake pad needs to be replaced. By the time it gets dangerous you will have had to actively ignore grinding for like a month.

I mean sheeeeeet there's a chance the one's in the front aren't as low as they told you.

True. 60k-ish miles and it's not been driven hard. 2 more payments and she's mine.

I'm probably going to replace the car stereo (this used to be easy, but these integrated things make it a chore) for one that has Apple CarPlay.

There's another question. Has anybody dared to replace their in dash entertainment / logistics station with an aftermarket model?

Haven't replaced an in dash entertainment system since probably high school. It was easy enough on a 1990 Honda Accord. Also, I agree with GPJ, you'll know when you need to replace it. You definitely don't need to replace all 4 pads at the same time, but would likely want to do both of the fronts or both of the rears at the same time.

[Gunpowder]

Replacing the CD unit in a 2007 Honda Civic was one of the most difficult things I've ever done.

[bfj]

Ahhhh - no that's not a problem. You'll know when a brake pad needs to be replaced. By the time it gets dangerous you will have had to actively ignore grinding for like a month.

I mean sheeeeeet there's a chance the one's in the front aren't as low as they told you.

Brake pads don’t grind, they squeak when you need to replace them. If you hear grinding, that’s your rotors and they cost way more than pads.

[Johnny Carwash]

So between curb rash and stained-in break dust, my wheels are at a point where repairing them would probably make less sense than replacing them. I'm not sure how I'd go about getting them replaced though. The couple places I talked to told me I could find and buy the wheels myself, then take them to a shop for the work, but that sounds easier said than done. Any advice?

[A_B]

So between curb rash and stained-in break dust, my wheels are at a point where repairing them would probably make less sense than replacing them. I'm not sure how I'd go about getting them replaced though. The couple places I talked to told me I could find and buy the wheels myself, then take them to a shop for the work, but that sounds easier said than done. Any advice?

If you have a fairly common vehicle, you may be able to find at a salvage yard. We did that with some wheels for my wifes car a long time ago. Much cheaper than the quote from the auto place.

[The Sybian]

So between curb rash and stained-in break dust, my wheels are at a point where repairing them would probably make less sense than replacing them. I'm not sure how I'd go about getting them replaced though. The couple places I talked to told me I could find and buy the wheels myself, then take them to a shop for the work, but that sounds easier said than done. Any advice?

I've order parts from online stores with names like "genuine Honda parts" (research indicates its dealerships selling out the back door) and once through a site that sends requests to salvage yards, but I can't remember the name. Both ended up being incredibly inexpensive, but shipping wheels might be costly.

[Brontoburglar]

are you buying 2 or 4 wheels?

if you're buying all four, you can get "generic" wheels for your car. if you're buying too, you should probably try to match them with the other two staying on the car. I was told this a while back when I bought new wheels after I had a bent rim

[Rush2112]

So between curb rash and stained-in break dust, my wheels are at a point where repairing them would probably make less sense than replacing them. I'm not sure how I'd go about getting them replaced though. The couple places I talked to told me I could find and buy the wheels myself, then take them to a shop for the work, but that sounds easier said than done. Any advice?

Tirerack.com if you're replacing. They'll even ship to shops if they're on their list (and a lot are.) I don't know your type of car but if you're going generic you need to make sure they fit your cars lug pattern and the hold the curb weight of said car.

[Brontoburglar]

I guess spending $1400 on repairs/oil change/new battery is better than buying a new car

(I brought the car in for an oil change after discovering an oil leak. weeeee)

[rass]

Seems the transmission may be all but shot on my 2013 Outback. I'm about 14K miles out of warranty.

[The Sybian]

Seems the transmission may be all but shot on my 2013 Outback. I'm about 14K miles out of warranty.

But Suburus don't die!!!

[wlu_lax6]

Seems the transmission may be all but shot on my 2013 Outback. I'm about 14K miles out of warranty.

But Suburus don't die!!!

That was the old days. The new ones don't hold up as well. I drive an impreza, my wife has an ascent. I have driven an XT, Legacy, and Outback. My XT was great. The Legacy went great, then the Outback (made in the US) had some troubles (nothing major but lots of little things). My impreza is solid but low mileage use (but surprisingly loud inside the cabin) and our ascent seems to have had a number of recalls.

[rass]

Seems to be a history of Subaru engine issues in the general era/area of my car, including some recalls, but there was never an outright recall for my year/model.

[A_B]

Old Subaru's never die. They just go to a WNBA game and regroup.

[elflaco2]

somewhere in my basement there's a plaque from Subaru of America certifying me as a Parts Professional.

[Steve of phpBB]

When my 2010 Outback turned 9 years old, we drove it over Loveland Pass in Colorado in winter.

Hit black ice, skidded into the trees, and totalled it. Without even triggering the airbags.

Used the insurance money to get a 2016 Outback.

You should look into that.

[A_B]

I shudder to think about your bicycle recommendations.

[The Sybian]

Brought my car in for an oil change at Valvoline Instant. Part of their service is testing your battery. About 10 minutes after leaving the place, I got a warning light pop up saying "Charging System Problem." Seems like more than a coincidence. I did change the battery myself about a month ago. New battery was bigger than the factory battery, but the guy at the parts store told me it was the correct one. It fit, but it was difficult to bolt the bar in place.

Brought the car to the dealership today, and they said it's a failed battery sensor. Seems like a common problem, just wondering if the oil change guys or me installing the battery could have caused the damage. The replacement sensor is fucking $490, and they don't have any in stock and waited 4 hours to order it, after the parts store closed, so I'm looking at 3 days without my car and my fucking daughter left all her soccer shit in the car, which she gets yelled at 3 times a week. Now I need to drive 40 minutes round trip to get her soccer clothes tomorrow.

On a lighter note, when I told my wife I was getting an oil change Saturday then told her last night I was bringing the car in, she said "nobody brings in cars for oil changes as much as you do, I haven't brought a car for an oil change in 20 years!" "Maybe that's because I bring in both of our cars?" "Oh, good point."

[Nonlinear FC]

Brought the car into our trusted neighborhood (sort of) repair shop prior to driving down to GA a few weeks back. Got the oil changed and the wanted me to spend $700 on brakes, but I told them to hold off (this isn't really relevant to anything.

Got back and noticed that on our tilted driveway, their appeared to be an oil leak. When parked level, no leak.

Anyways, brought it in today and, yep, they installed the wrong size plug/part. Replaced it at no charge.

So, that was nice, if not kind of a PITA to deal with on a Monday.

[sancarlos]

Sybian, how often does your wife think the oil needs to be changed?

[The Sybian]

Sybian, how often does your wife think the oil needs to be changed?

whenever I tell her it does, or the light comes on. She has no clue. I do get her surprise as I brought it in Saturday then told her last night I was bringing it in. I also needed transmission fluid replaced, and the oil change guys couldn't do it. I had two decent drives trips weekend, and put off the oil change for a couple weeks, didn't want to risk running out completely. Had that happen once when I had a leak. Light came on for low oil, I figured I could make it home. Engine seized in the middle land of I-78 during rush hour. Not fun trying to get to the shoulder while coasting and everything shuts down. Even the power steering. Can't come back from a seized engine...

[EnochRoot]

Went to go pick up a dinner at Jersey Mikes earlier this evening and noticed when I got back into the Rogue (2019) the display said "Chassis Control System Error."

So that's a generic error message that could mean one of dozens of issues with a car that has about 15k miles on it.

[wlu_lax6]

I have contemplated getting one of the obd devices to read errors like this. They are cheap.

[EnochRoot]

I have contemplated getting one of the obd devices to read errors like this. They are cheap.

Hell yes. Thanks for the suggestion!

[wlu_lax6]

I have contemplated getting one of the obd devices to read errors like this. They are cheap.

Hell yes. Thanks for the suggestion!

I have seen ones way cheaper than $120. Seems like price point closer to $40 is common

[A_B]

Hey all you DC area folk. Got any recommendations on good auto shops? Kid probably needs to get a oil change and have a general look over soon and I don't really want to take it somewhere sketchy.

[Nonlinear FC]

My place is out in MoCo... All Brands Auto Repair. See above for just one example of the opposite of shady from a repair shop. My wife's family (including us) have been going there for 30+ years. Straight as an arrow shop, but probably not super convenient for your daughter.

[wlu_lax6]

Hey all you DC area folk. Got any recommendations on good auto shops? Kid probably needs to get a oil change and have a general look over soon and I don't really want to take it somewhere sketchy.

For my old Subaru XT, my go-to guy was this place. The guy is actually Japanese. He whttps://www.yelp.com/biz/japanese-auto-care-arlington

Also have had good experiences finding recommendations here
https://www.cartalk.com/mechanics-files

[Gunpowder]

I have contemplated getting one of the obd devices to read errors like this. They are cheap.

Hell yes. Thanks for the suggestion!

I have seen ones way cheaper than $120. Seems like price point closer to $40 is common

Make sure it's ODB II and not ODB I