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Car maintenance/repairs, which to prioritize?
Pure Din
Boston-areaRegistered User regular
Boston-areaRegistered User regular
I've been really busy and stressed out lately and have noticed there are a few problems that are stacking up with my car. Since it's kind of an old car I don't know which things are important to fix, which things I can leave as they are for now, or which things I can fix myself. I don't have a lot of time to take out of work to go to the garage, drop the car off, get a friend to pick me up, etc, and I think if I were to get everything fixed I feel like it would take several trips.
This is a (mom car alert!) 2002 volvo v70 with about 98k miles.
Things that are possibly problems:
-- I was running errands yesterday, and when I parked the car I realized I couldn't use the parking brake anymore, the handle was stuck. On the way home I started freaking out so pulled over at a mechanic place but they told me they wouldn't have time to look at it until the next day. But then I hit a giant pothole while backing out of their parking lot, and when I got home the parking brake was suddenly working again.
-- Battery had to be jumped twice in the last month, but it hasn't happened again since the weather got warmer. I have the AAA plan where they'll come out and jump me as many times as I need to, and the last time they tested the alternator and said it was ok but they couldn't test the battery because it was hidden under other stuff.
-- Passenger side door doesn't open from the inside (my boyfriend crashed my car and had to get a bunch of body work done on that side, the problem started as soon as the car came back from the body shop but I don't think they'd fix it now because it was over a year ago)
-- Driver's side door has a massive dent (that's my fault)
-- Haven't changed the oil in about 13 months which might or might not be a problem depending on which website I look at. I've driven less than 3000 miles since then, running small errands every week or so and a longer trip like 60 to 150 miles each way about once a month.
-- Also I'm not sure about what other kinds of maintenance things I should be doing. Since the car is a certified pre-owned I used to get factory scheduled service but then the last one I got was out of pocket (2 years / 5000 miles ago) and ended up costing another $2200 on top of that because the cv joint somethings had to be replaced. Someone in my office told me I was majorly ripped off, but I'm really clueless about cars and I'm afraid if I try to keep track of these things on my own I'll end up shortening the car's life and costing myself a lot more in the long run...
This is a (mom car alert!) 2002 volvo v70 with about 98k miles.
Things that are possibly problems:
-- I was running errands yesterday, and when I parked the car I realized I couldn't use the parking brake anymore, the handle was stuck. On the way home I started freaking out so pulled over at a mechanic place but they told me they wouldn't have time to look at it until the next day. But then I hit a giant pothole while backing out of their parking lot, and when I got home the parking brake was suddenly working again.
-- Battery had to be jumped twice in the last month, but it hasn't happened again since the weather got warmer. I have the AAA plan where they'll come out and jump me as many times as I need to, and the last time they tested the alternator and said it was ok but they couldn't test the battery because it was hidden under other stuff.
-- Passenger side door doesn't open from the inside (my boyfriend crashed my car and had to get a bunch of body work done on that side, the problem started as soon as the car came back from the body shop but I don't think they'd fix it now because it was over a year ago)
-- Driver's side door has a massive dent (that's my fault)
-- Haven't changed the oil in about 13 months which might or might not be a problem depending on which website I look at. I've driven less than 3000 miles since then, running small errands every week or so and a longer trip like 60 to 150 miles each way about once a month.
-- Also I'm not sure about what other kinds of maintenance things I should be doing. Since the car is a certified pre-owned I used to get factory scheduled service but then the last one I got was out of pocket (2 years / 5000 miles ago) and ended up costing another $2200 on top of that because the cv joint somethings had to be replaced. Someone in my office told me I was majorly ripped off, but I'm really clueless about cars and I'm afraid if I try to keep track of these things on my own I'll end up shortening the car's life and costing myself a lot more in the long run...
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2. Battery (convenience)
3. Dents should at least get primer on any area that is through the paint (to prevent rust)
4. Other door - why didn't you take it back immediately - call them regardless to see if they'll stand by it.
5. Parking brake - leave it in gear for the time being.
The battery needing jumping if the alternator is working fine means you either have something draining your battery when it shouldn't, or a dying battery. This often comes to light in winter, because lead acid batteries are affected by cold weather. If the battery is more than 3-4 years old, that's most likely the culprit. Once again, autozone will sell you the battery and the couple of spanners/sockets required to swap that out, it's not a difficult job. Just remember to disconnect the negative terminal first, and reconnect it last.
Getting all four front CV joints replaced should cost about $1000 including labour here in Australia, so in the US it should be less than that. For instance I looked up replacement axles (all four joints AND the axles assembled as swap-in units just to make it easy), and it came to $140 for parts from, you guessed it, autozone. $2200 was your wallet getting repeatedly assaulted. NEVER take your car back to that workshop.
The passenger side door not opening could be a couple of things. When you pull the interior door release lever, is there any resistance, or does it just swing out easily? It should be as hard to pull as the driver's side. If it is not, then the linkage inside the door just needs reconnecting. A local garage can do this in about 20 minutes. If it does feel like you're pulling against the resistance of the door catch and nothing happens, that's the catch itself requiring repairs/replacement, which is again a simple job for the local garage, but a bit more expensive and time consuming.
The sticking handbrake requires attention as soon as possible, or you're going to end up having to get your car towed sooner rather than later, and that is an expensive exercise best avoided. This could just be a matter of adjustment, or parts could require replacement. Again, hit up your local garage, tell them what the problem is, and see what they diagnose.
As long as the dent in the driver's side door doesn't interfere with the door lock or the window operation, ignore it.
Cars require maintenance, that's just how it is. You will have to make time somehow, or eventually you'll end up riding the bus...
To start with, get the park brake fixed, the battery replaced if it needs it, and the oil changed.
Next, find out if your timing belt has been changed. This is very important and if it hasn't been done it should be your first priority. I don't know offhand whether your engine can be damaged if the thing breaks but when it breaks (It will) you'll be stranded and most engines will be badly and expensively damaged. This is usually done at around 100k miles or after a certain number of years: either way you are probably due or nearly due if it hasn't been done yet. When they do this, there are probably some other inexpensive but important things that should be done, such as belt tensioners and the water pump. If the mechanic charges you too much for these extras, be wary: many mechanics include them in the price because it's not really a good idea to NOT do them.
Change the battery before next winter. Like, whenever you have the money this summer. Many places do it for free (with purchase of the battery of course).
If it were me I'd probably have check the door out. That sounds tremendously inconvenient. If you aren't broke I'd also do the cosmetic stuff: Those cars are very nice and will last a long time if they're treated well. No point in driving another 150k with a beat up vehicle.
Everything else is your preference. Most (like 99%+) people that drive an automatic never use the parking brake ever at all. If you drive a stick get it looked at: it's common for the cables to seize up if they don't see regular use (and then break free and be fine), but if you use it often and it still seizes you should probably look into it.
Most of all, find yourself a mechanic that you can trust (I know, easier said than done!). A good mechanic for someone in your situation is someone that will take the time to consult with you about everything that needs to be done, and give you an honest answer about the urgency and price of each item. Someone else said that you might have got taken for a ride with your CV joints... possibly true, unless your car is the XC model or has the AWD option (even then... seems steep!) but regardless, when having work done on your vehicle, don't shop by price, shop by trustworthiness!. If you find someone you can trust, pay him what he's worth! Feel free to haggle, but remember that a good mechanic is looking out for your best interests and that is a valuable commodity. A bad mechanic is cranking out repairs to maximize his profit, or cranking his customers for repairs they don't need. Either one will probably cost you money in the long run.
All the Park position on the gear selector does is engage a tiny little ratchet and pawl in the gearbox that is supposed to hold the car if the parkbrake fails. In some gearboxes it is only made from plastic.
It is NOT designed to be used to keep the car stationary all the time, and especially not under load (the car trying to roll downhill).
Not using the parkbrake is a bad habit to get into.
I remember enough about my time there (we're talking 11 years ago now, jeez) to know that Volvos will be good to you for waaay longer than 100k miles, and sometimes two or three times that, IF you stay on top of the oil and fluids. You are not staying on top of the oil and fluids. That needs to happen first of all. Oil changes are every [miles] or [time], whichever comes first. It's not just because they want to see your pretty face or even your money every 6 months, although I'm sure that's a factor... it's really for the health of your engine. It's true that you won't break down the day after the 6-month mark or the second the mileage ticks over, but do the best you can and your engine will run better for longer. Oil changes are far, far cheaper than engine bits, and they don't take long at all; in some cars they can even meaningfully increase your gas mileage. It's always worth doing. While you're doing this, get your other fluids topped off and your battery changed. This is another thing that isn't expensive to do but will save you grief later.
I will tell you right now that I don't know anything about parking brakes, but it's probably a good idea to have it looked at.
Personally I wouldn't worry about the stuff that is purely cosmetic right now. That's the stuff that can take a long time and is also completely irrelevant if your car isn't running.
Man, memory lane. That was a fun place to work. Except when the angry guy was writing. He wasn't fun and tended to throw things when he got mad. Especially his stapler. And then it would break and he would get mad at it for breaking. I think he had some shit going on at home or something. Anyway.
Mechanic wants to sell me some fancy tires--he claims they'll last longer (priced at 159 compared to 130 for the cheaper tires). Is he telling the truth?
Oil Changes - very important to keep on top of, $30-50 every six months is nothing.
Passenger door - sounds like the inside latch may not have been hooked up, contact the repair guys and see if they will do it, if not it shouldn't be hard to do yourself if you have the tools and time, use the internet for help, it is extremely handy for finding out how to take the door apart and put it back together.
Other maintenance you may want to get checked is the transmission fluid, after 80-100k km it will start to get brown, it is supposed to be red, it can cause major issues if it is not taken care of, most places charge up to $100 to do this.
As for Disrupted - more expensive tires will have better tread and rubber and can definitely last longer, I think my Michelins are good for 250k km or something, cheaper ones may be in the 100-200k range. If you have an old car and don't drive much I doubt you even have to spend $130 on a tire, my first car was a 92 Nissan Sentra and I drove year round on $40 winter tires.
$2200 is far too much even for a dealership. You've got room to negotiate that one.
Do what everyone else is saying in regards to the rest of the repairs. I know a lot of synthetics actually recommend yearly oil change even if you haven't gone the 15k miles or whatever.
I've known people to stick religiously to the 3000 miles / 6 month oil change cycle...but go by what the manual says. I believe that Volvo specifies 7500 miles for V70 models - double check though. Everything I've seen says the 3k / 6 month model is long outdated unless you are driving in severe conditions (towing, racing, etc). Check fluids regularly to make sure they are topped off, but anything more than the manual says is wasting money and oil. I've never changed oil more than once every 5k miles and never had issues.
The parking brake is a funny one. The handle / pedal actually connects using a cable, and over time that cable can rust. If you don't use a parking brake frequently, it can have trouble engaging / releasing. Also, if you use the parking brake when it's very cold out, moisture can freeze in the cable and give it just enough resistance it won't release.
The door and dent are cosmetic, so it would really be up to you.
This advice may put me at odds with some other posters, but when it comes to maintenance, it's oil / fluids / belts / filters according to the manual, start planning (over the next few months) to change tires when they are down to 3/8", and brakes when they squeak. Everything else is fine unless something changes - a gauge, check engine light, something sounds or feels different, etc.
There are a lot of people who will pay thousands of dollars to replace something (like a timing belt) at 100k miles, when it hasn't been a problem and is unlikely to fail. It doesn't add value when you sell or trade the car, and are you really expecting to drive the car 300k miles when it might start to matter? - Retracted, this is incorrect information for this engine.
Definitely agree with this - do preventative maintenance as directed by the manufacturer. However, be aware that driving a car briefly and infrequently (i.e. short drives in the city only) means you're driving it under severe conditions, so the more frequent oil/fluid maintenance applies.
This i absolutely disagree with. A timing belt is a wear item, and will absolutely ruin your engine (and instantly turn your car into worthless scrap b/c replacing an engine costs more than an 10yr old volvo costs) if not done on time. Most people actually recommend doing it ahead of the 100K maintenance interval just b/c it's so critical.
Here's a picture of a volvo 5 cyl engine after a timing belt failure. Those are broken valves sitting on top of the pistons.
I did some research, and it looks like this engine does have interference heads - which means that if the timing belt breaks, a valve can impact the piston as several people mentioned.
I thought Honda was the only company that made the particularly stupid design choice of using a belt (instead of a chain - which almost never fails) with interference heads after the mid-90's. Apparently the modular Volvo engine has the same problem.
It fucked up my ford pretty bad IIRC when it failed while I was driving down the highway.
It's pretty hilarious trying to steer a sedan from the leftmost lane when the belt fails. By that, I mean, not at all.
$300-600 plus labour for a CV joint? You are getting ripped the fuck off, dude.
$140 for both complete front axles.
I have a little bit of experience with Volvo service departments, although I worked as a technician for a truck dealership, not a car mechanic. And let me tell you, from my experience, they're just happy to sell the billable hours, they won't give a crap about you supplying your own aftermarket parts. They just won't warranty the part itself. But considering those CV joints are just standard Lobro couplings, unless the O.P. decides to take up drag racing they should get a nice respectable life out of them.
Buy a diesel car with gear driven camshafts.
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Oh I know, I was being really, really, really forgiving with those numbers. Still a far cry better than $2200!
The problem I have with car maintenence isn't money but feeling stressed out going to the shop and paying for things when I don't really understand what I'm paying for. The $2200 was something I already paid two years ago, I didn't shop around because I didn't realize it was a bad deal. That's why I thought getting these things fixed would take so long, because I would need to get a quote, get another quote to make sure I'm not getting hosed, then wait until they order the pieces and finally bring it in for getting stuff fixed.
I just made an appointment to go to a chain store that I've been to before and tomorrow to get the oil changed and the battery looked at since those should be pretty quick to do and seem to be the most urgent. Does the regular vs synthetic oil matter if I'm supposed to change it based on time and not miles?
I looked up the service interval for the car and it says something about adjusting the cable in the parking brake at 105k miles along with the timing belt and a bunch of other stuff. However from what people are saying here, maybe I should just do both the 97.5k and the 105k service at the same time, since the car is getting kind of old anyway? Nearby me there are a few non-dealership volvo mechanics on yelp that have good reviews for not fixing stuff that doesn't need to be fixed, and it seems like I can take some time to shop around on that (just not more than a few months).
Actually tires are the one thing I'm not clueless about, I had a blow-out on the highway four years ago on my old car so I've been really paranoid about tires ever since. I replaced them last year, the treads were fine but they were starting to get dried up.
For instance, my girlfriend's Golf has low-profile tyres which have a standard operating pressure of 44 psi, and a heavy load recommendation of 48 psi.