so, i'm not that into cars.
actually i'm not into cars at all.
i bought a new one in '06 so i wouldnt have to worry about it.
at all.
so of course all i do is change the oil every 3500 miles or so and wait till i hear nasty noises coming whenever i brake.
i'd been hearing those noises for the better part of about three weeks now. i did the same thing last time (waited three weeks after i started hearing the noises) and found out that if you dont get the brakes done on time, you hit the rotors. so i did that last time. and of course i did it again this time.
i dont like changing good habits.
last time i went to the local toyota pepole and they were kind enough to charge me about $600 for the whole thing.
nice.
this time i went to a local repair shop cause i dont like making appointments and stuff (more good habits. i know). they charged me about $248 for the same job. i checked the bills and they did the same stuff. both times.
checked the brakes.
cleaned and reset (or whatever) the back brakes.
replaced the front brakes.
replaced the front rotors.
oh. and the $248 included an oil change that i was due for.
i dont get it.
or is it something like a fool and his $ are soon parted...
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25 comments:
i also am not a car person. the other day someone asked me what kind of car i drive and i said white. like i KNOW? sheesh. also, i think dealerships are WAY more expensive on everything. always go w/ the local guy--but not necessarily just any guy you know. the hubs went to just any guy years ago and he put the brakes on alright----backwards! not.good.
Cars are great. Car maintenance is not. So I'm guessing you are not into the Honest Scrap award that I have for you?
Stupid car maintenance. I hate it. I gotta get a solenoid or a catalytic converter or both...hell I don't know, but whatever it is I know it is going to cost more than a case of beer and that is about the most expensive thing I buy these days!
I like cars, I like driving nice cars and I like shopping for them. I hate repairing them.
As a rule, the dealer is going to be charging you a premium on the labor, as well as the brand name parts.
A local garage will get cheaper parts, that are usually just as good, and chances are his overhead isn't as high, so he doesn't charge as much for labor.
You must choose your shop wisely though. Some of the little ones can be snakey and will find issues you don't need to pay for.
If you find a good shop you are lucky, some actually don't operate by ripping you off. They are the ones who try to give you a break and save you money whenever they can. They know your car will continually need servicing, and they want you back.
I did the same thing with my brakes last year. I went to a place that charged me the same amount (they didn't give me an estimate because the only guy who could do it wasn't there, but I'd checked around and knew about how much it should cost - $250 - so I wasn't too worried). I nearly keeled over when I got their bill and I flat out refused to pay it. I told them they were robbing their customers and the MOST I would pay was $300. And that's all I DID pay AND they threw in a free set of rear brakes, for when I need them :) It pays to be bitchy sometimes.
Shysters! Honest mechanics are more rare than hen's teeth!
Oh yeah dude, dealers are way way way more expensive. That is all i know about cars!!!
I just had my axel replaced. NOT FUN!! My car just would not move!! Bad bad car!!!
Happy Tuesday dude!!!
CK - mine is grey. now you know. i hope they're not on backweards. the car seems to slow down at an appropriate rate when i hit the brakes, so i hope thats all i need to know...
CG - correct and correct and incorrect. i have to figure it out and do it. i'm not very good with that. i'll get there. dont you worry. i'm sure you werent worried...
jess - my sentiments exactly. and what in the hell is a solenoid? sounds like something from a sci-fi movie. i say stick with the beer. it a better deal, gets you a LOT further, and you dont have to pay for gas.
rachael - i guess this guy worked so i'll go to him again. i wouldnt know what to do if he told me i needed to refill the halogen fluid. ok. that much i would know. i mean there really isnt any fluid in there. right? RIGHT?!
diane - you have a brass pair. the meek shall inherit the.....expensive car repairs i guess...
dental maven - you of all people would know. do hen have teeth?
b.e. earl - oh verdant one! thats what i've come to belive. but its only 2 years old. so we shall see...
michelle - i find that if you speak softly and carry a large tire iron they tend to be more cooperative.
Ack. I hate car repair.
$248 doesn't sound unreasonable if they actually replaced the rotors. That's an expensive procedure. However, I took my car to a shop where they said they replaced the rotors, but the next shop found they had, in fact, not done that work. Nothing worse than a shop that just flat-out LIES to you.
More than a teenaged boy. Yes. You have no idea. I think there's something wrong with me.
Hen's have no teeth. You can trust me on this one.
Oh MAN!! That suuuucks.
The dirty little secret: the dealer will ALWAYS charge more. They try to sway by telling you that it's way better put their authorized brand parts put in the car. But the truth is, a brake pad is a brake pad is a brake pad.
And yes, I found this out the hard way too. :)
ARRRGHH! The frustration!! I HATE car trouble. Mainly because of crap like this. But at least it sounds like you finally found the right service people! (I might have to borrow them, you don't mind sharing, right?)
A car is to get somewhere. And back. That's it. Start when I turn the key. Stop likewise. Cannot get excited about a car.
They must have smelled you coming. Luckily, the man of the house here enjoys changing the oil and whatnot. If it weren't for him, I'd be stranded on a highway. As an aside, before I met him, I ran out of gas while I let the engine idle, parked in a parking lot with the keys locked in the ignition. TWICE.
Also, I'm sorry that when you were in Utah we wouldn't let you walk on the grass. We've loosened up a bit about that, but not our liquor laws.
It's called being a "Suckuh"...
no offense. I'm a suckuh too.
that's why I always check with my husband first. Cause I don't know jack about cars and how much everything should cost.
I hate car repairs. They suck. I usually just ask some of my friends and find out who they hated/loved and go from there. Word of mouth is usally good if more than one person will give a good report.
Start looking now, before the next repair is upon you. Good luck soldier! :)
I sold my Toyota about 3 months ago. I made payments for 5 long years. In the end I just used it to get me to work. I'll be a happy fellow if I could live withing walking distance of work, shops,and friends. I enjoyed reading your blog. BTW I see that you are interested in Rumi. I posted and entry on Rumi a couple of days ago, if you care to check it out.
Goodfather – so do i. and I would have NO idea if they put peanut butter and marshmallow fluff in there. Actually, I would like to know if that were the case. Cause I would go in there and get me some.
Diane – well then, lucky for whomever it is that you find to…um…yeah…
Dental maven – trust me, I trust you. But the next time I see a hen I might just go for a little look-see…
Cinnamon – now that I know the dirty little secret, I will try to stay wit this new guy. Hopefully the relationship will last for a while.
Heatherpride – I hope so. But time will tell. Still hope not to be there for at least another 20,000 or so miles. I know, I know. I drive too rough.
Pearly pearl. Its…nah….forget it. They have greasy hands and you won’t be able to get that stuff off.
Steenky bee – THAT is an accomplishment. I think there is a direct correlation between how much hair one has on ones chest, and their ability to work with car engines and whatnot. I am deficient in both categories. And now the entire blogosphere knows that important tidbit of information.
And regarding your second post, perhaps I shall visit there again. I was in Switzerland a few years ago when I was convinced to go along with family on vacation. And I actually preferred Utah. I’m serious. Nicer people, and less trouble getting around. Mountains in salt lake are gorgeous.
Sweet cheeks – they do suck. Aptly put. I could have just written that and been done with it. But I get long winded… my brother in law told me to go to a different guy. That’s probably why I ended up where I did. I seldom take his advice. Unless he’s talking about a new beer he’s tasted.
Pink cowboy - I shall go there and check it out. As you (and everyone else) can see, I’ve been rather lax in my blogging duties. Walking distance to friends shops and work. I don’t think I’d end up doing much in the way of work….
tatooedminivanmom - i AM a suckuh. perhaps i should buy a bike.
I admit that I love cars. However, I have no desire to know anything about how they work.
We are lucky though. My husband's cousin is a mechanic and he always gives us a good deal. I couldn't imagine having to pay for the work at a dealership. Yikes!
jessica - i'm in agreement. love that they get me from here to there. and that they have radios and CD/MP3 players. and that they keep working. thats all i need to know. and i have no such cousin.
I hate bloody cars and sport, which would make me an unsteriotypical man, but I'm not, so thats alright then.
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