My oil change just cost me $800. Ask me anything except....

[LynneSin]

to borrow money

[virtualobserver]

1. did you fill it with oil of oregano?

[LynneSin]

2. I had to replace all the brakes and the right axle

I new I would eventually have to do the brakes.

Ugh I hate owning cars.

[virtualobserver]

4. You have to remember that $800 isn't a lot of money...

it's just one percent of the amount that the tooth fairy gave to the Romney children on a per tooth basis.

[sharp_stick]

5. The right axle?

as opposed to the wrong one, aren't they front and back.

I finally learned how to do my own brakes/rotors because I was so damned sick of spending the time and money elsewhere. I saw the little NAPA car pull up to the brake shop delivering the same stuff that I could buy at NAPA. Add the 30% jack-up on the cost of the parts and the outrageous hourly rate and I just couldn't take it anymore.

As for the axle, I don't think I'd try replacing one of those on my own, at least not yet.

[LynneSin]

12. I'm not very mechanically inclined

[sharp_stick]

13. I completely understand

as long as you have a mechanic you trust it's not quite as bad but man it gets pricey in a hurry.

[Kali]

22. gotta do the brakes BEFORE they stop working

when they just start squeaking or before. ask your mechanic to put you on a schedule and do maintenance instead of costly repairs.

*says the voice of MUCH experience*

[BlueJazz]

20. I'm guessing you mean the CV axle. It's not as hard as you might imagine.

I learned the basics from a book and then bought a specific guide to change the CV's in my car.
If you're able to change rotors and such, you wouldn't have that much trouble doing CV's

More time consuming than anything.

[dmallind]

3. Hey when I had the MB, the oil change alone cost $276! nt

[HopeHoops]

6. Where did you have it done (so I know not to go there).

[LynneSin]

9. I love my mechanic

He is very trustworthy and wouldn't try to screw me over.

[HopeHoops]

15. Then I'm REALLY afraid to know what kind of oil he put in!

[LynneSin]

16. IF YOU READ THE *#)%%#*%^ THREAD YOU )#(%)*#%*) MORAN

you'd see that he did more than change the oil

[HopeHoops]

18. TMI! TMI! TMI!!!!

[NYC_SKP]

23. HaHaHa- "Changing the Oil"

--

Is that what the kids are calling it these days???

[HopeHoops]

26. We called it that when I was in high school - and that was a long time ago.

[Initech]

7. That's a rip off. The only way you should get an oil change for that much...

...is if you drive a Ferrari.

[LynneSin]

11. It was more than just an oil change

But originally it was only to be an oil change

[rurallib]

8. Seems like any repairs I have these days my first thought is

"If this were an electric car, I wouldn't need this fix."
Well, you wouldn't have needed an oil change anyway.

[LynneSin]

10. If it was an electric car you'd still have issues with Axles and Brakes

[rurallib]

24. oh I know - but a multitude of other things would go a way.

[jmowreader]

25. Brakes yes, axles maybe not

You could use individual motors on the wheels.

[Wait Wut]

14. I've had that happen.

Now, I just tell them not to bother looking at anything else.

It worked until I went in for a $99 eye exam and it cost $650. Now, I don't talk to people, go to doctors, mechanics, or anywhere else they can find something wrong.

[taterguy]

17. Don't you wish you could bike everywhere?

[MiddleFingerMom]

19. In the early 80's, I had a VW Rabbit Diesel (52 fucking MPG highway!!!!!)

.
.
.
One morning it wouldn't start, so I had it towed to the shop of these German brothers
one of my co-workers with a Rabbit had recommended as honest and good.
.
.
.
I let them know that I was a doofus around cars, but that they could do anything shy
of $150 without contacting me.
.
.
.
Three hours later, they called and said it had been a fuse under the hood that I was
unaware of -- and that it was ready and the total cost -- including labor -- was about
$4.50.
.
.
.
You can BET they had my business (and that of many of my referrals) for YEARS!!!!
.
.
.

[NNadir]

21. I have a mechanic like that.

His father, the original owner, died a few years back, and his son, keeps the place exactly as if his father was still alive.

Like his father, his son has huge amounts of integrity.

When I learned his father had died I told him, "I don't know anyone in this town who didn't have huge respect for your father, and for you too."

I've had a lot of questionable mechanical interactions over the years, but like you, those kinds of things - there have been lots of them - have made me the most reliable customer he could possibly have.