Car Advice?

[Mike N]

Truth. Aftermarket car (or house etc.) warranties are just putting money into an 'account' that you have to ask permission to use. A better use of your money would be opening a separate interest-bearing account at the bank then taking the money you would be putting into the warranty and putting it in that account. You make money from the interest, and you can withdraw it whenever you want.

Our house came with a 1 year home warranty when we bought it. House built in 1980, we bought the house in 2003.

Anyway, within 6 months the dishwasher crapped out. I called the 1-800 number and the agent on the other end said that the way it works is I'll have to pay their tech to diagnose the dishwasher and if they deem it to be junk then I'll get the new unit at no charge (builder grade unit, no doubt
) and I'll have to pay labor for the tech to install the new unit.

They gave me some dollar figures over the phone and it was cheaper for me to buy a decent dishwasher and install it myself, which is exactly what I did.

 

[BeeBatty]

I believe in 10% auto budget. Never pay more than 10% of your annual income for a car. You better be making 700k if you are going to buy a 70K Tundra but alas folks are probably paying 25 to 30% of their income on cars, So I only bought a new car once and was so disgusted with the payments I paid it off in 9 months.

This reminds of the notion I was told growing up that one should never pay more than one week wages for the roof over their head. It was probably valid advice at a time when one did not live near a coastline/body of water or was looking for a home in 1978. Many car parts now cost more than my first 3 cars combined.

 

[BeeBatty]

I pretend I am making a $100/month car payment.

That is pretending in 2025.

 

[Mike N]

This reminds of the notion I was told growing up that one should never pay more than one week wages for the roof over their head. It was probably valid advice at a time when one did not live near a coastline/body of water or was looking for a home in 1978. Car bumpers now cost more than my first 3 cars combined.

I've yet to pay over $5000 for any car I've ever owned, and at last count I've had 120+ vehicles with all but maybe 7 that I never registered or drove...... I am the master of the $50 car because I can fix them myself. Many of those 120 vehicles were ones I bought cheap, registered, fixed and flipped.

But in any event, my advice to @Dr. Cheese and anyone else currently used car shopping is to have a mechanic you know and trust look over any potential purchase. The slimy car dealers will shove all that "clean Carfax" crap in your face, but that report is only worth the paper it's written on. Unless a repair was done by a legitimate shop and documented by the vehicle VIN, you'll never know what was done behind the scenes.

Example is a Chevy Cruze my cousin bought years ago and brought to me at the shop to look over. He's all puffy chested about the clean Carfax and anyone with a decent pair of eyes could tell that the car was repainted, probably by a paint roller versus a spray gun. Backyard Billy probably had a roller in one hand and a Miller Lite in the other........

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Sadly, if that's the case, we'll all be dead. The science is quite clear about what happens if we don't stop burning crap.

This is bordering on political, so I don't want to take any further than to say science, these days, has become politically motivated.

 

[turf3]

I've yet to pay over $5000 for any car I've ever owned, and at last count I've had 120+ vehicles with all but maybe 7 that I never registered or drove...... I am the master of the $50 car because I can fix them myself. Many of those 120 vehicles were ones I bought cheap, registered, fixed and flipped.

But in any event, my advice to @Dr. Cheese and anyone else currently used car shopping is to have a mechanic you know and trust look over any potential purchase. The slimy car dealers will shove all that "clean Carfax" crap in your face, but that report is only worth the paper it's written on. Unless a repair was done by a legitimate shop and documented by the vehicle VIN, you'll never know what was done behind the scenes.

Example is a Chevy Cruze my cousin bought years ago and brought to me at the shop to look over. He's all puffy chested about the clean Carfax and anyone with a decent pair of eyes could tell that the car was repainted, probably by a paint roller versus a spray gun. Backyard Billy probably had a roller in one hand and a Miller Lite in the other........

I have to say, though, that the out of state dealer I bought my truck from, was very much on the up and up. Sent me photos of the undercarriage, engaged two guys to drive the thing 150 miles to my meeting location, exactly as advertised. So they're not ALL slimy (Unlike the one just before this that installed a tracker on the truck I was interested in (and did NOT buy), then refused to remove it even though I clearly told them "remove it or I walk".)

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I would say that @Mike N ’s advice to have a “mechanic you know and trust” look over any potential purchase is spot on. In the DB forum, we give the same advice to newbies considering buying their first DB, where you substitute “luthier” for “mechanic”. If you aren’t an expert, talking to one about any major purchase is a good idea.

[old man yelling at clouds]
In general, one big problem with today’s instant “get it now online” culture is that we sacrifice the relationships with experts that used to be the norm. I’ve been taking my cars to the same shop for over 30 years. They know me, and I know them. When they give me advice, I generally take it, because I know they haven’t steered me wrong in all these years, and because they aren’t trying to sell me anything I don’t need. And they know I recommend their shop to anyone who will listen.

I was there just yesterday, in fact. My power steering had been whining. A new pump and install would have been very expensive, and they said it might end up being needed, but first let’s try replacing the reservoir (which had a broken filter screen) and draining the system since the fluid was basically original fluid. I went with that, and the steering pump is now dead quiet. They knew that if they had told me I needed a new pump, I would have done it, but they were looking after me.

Years ago, the car needed an expensive repair right when we were in the middle of an expensive renovation and we were short on cash. They let us pay what we could that day, and told me to just pay the rest when I could. Which was the next week, and when I came in to pay it off, they said “are you sure? We can wait”. I paid. You can’t put a price on a relationship like that.

We have similar relationships with doctors, appliance shops and repair people here in town, contractors, landscapers, etc. I will always go to these places first rather than save a few bucks, because you can’t buy peace of mind.
[/old man yelling at clouds]

 

[turf3]

The only problem with the trusted mechanic is when they retire. My Volvo mechanic sold his business off and I don't know who the successors are doing. My Toyota mechanic retired. For the Subaru and the Ford, I got nuthin'.

Moving across country twice in 20 years really screws things up.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

This is bordering on political, so I don't want to take any further than to say science, these days, has become politically motivated.

Sorry differences of opinion make you angry. I just left them go and move on.

 

[Sertsa]

The only problem with the trusted mechanic is when they retire. My Volvo mechanic sold his business off and I don't know who the successors are doing. My Toyota mechanic retired. For the Subaru and the Ford, I got nuthin'.

Moving across country twice in 20 years really screws things up.

I can relate. The owner of the shop I trusted retired and sold the business last year, all the mechanics have since left, and it's gone from a trusted, honest place to one that's... not. So I've been searching and found it's best to mention my car is a manual when making an appointment, as quite a few mechanics haven't driven nor worked on one.

----
General question for all: Since factory "infotainment" systems are difficult to replace, how important is a vehicle's having with a good audio system to you? And is anyone else checking if a used car has a CD player?

My enthusiasm for one car cratered when I turned on the radio. The salesperson said, "It sounds so much better with bluetooth." I didn't believe him.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I would love to have bluetooth in my old Honda. As it is, I have a portable bluetooth speaker, but it's nowhere near as nice as having the sound come from the speakers.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

"forget new. I asked my mechanic about driving it to Texas to see my daughter next month - he said he doesn't trust new vehicles to make the trip."

He really said a new car can't be driven on long trips? Really?

 

[turf3]

"forget new. I asked my mechanic about driving it to Texas to see my daughter next month - he said he doesn't trust new vehicles to make the trip."

He really said a new car can't be driven on long trips? Really?

Mechanics are like everyone else; many of them have no sense of statistics and work off scuttlebutt. A very difficult thing for untrained humans to do is to evaluate the real risk of uncommon events.

 

[gln1955]

"forget new. I asked my mechanic about driving it to Texas to see my daughter next month - he said he doesn't trust new vehicles to make the trip."

He really said a new car can't be driven on long trips? Really?

Kansas is littered with abandoned new cars.

 

[MonetBass]

"forget new. I asked my mechanic about driving it to Texas to see my daughter next month - he said he doesn't trust new vehicles to make the trip."

He really said a new car can't be driven on long trips? Really?

I think what he meant was new cars shouldn't be driven on long trips until they have a few thousand miles on them. But honestly modern engines may no longer need a break-in period. Maybe @Mike N can clarify.

 

[RavenousPoe]

This is bordering on political, so I don't want to take any further than to say science, these days, has become politically motivated.

Science does not care about politics, only those that seek to deny proven science are weaponizing it to be political.

 

[Mike N]

Science does not care about politics, only those that seek to deny proven science are weaponizing it to be political.

Those types of conversations typically turn political, and that's not permitted here at TalkBass.

 

[RavenousPoe]

Back on subject, though, my best friend and guitarist in both of my bands is a mechanic by trade. Honestly, I couldn't imagine how much different and difficult my vehicular endeavors would be without him. Any potential purchase, including the Equinox EV, all go through him first.

 

[Mike N]

Back on subject, though, my best friend and guitarist in both of my bands is a mechanic by trade. Honestly, I couldn't imagine how much different and difficult my vehicular endeavors would be without him. Any potential purchase, including the Equinox EV, all go through him first.

Imagine how much more expensive vehicle repairs would be without him. I'm the mechanic in my band, the guitar player is a painter and we swap work all the time.

 

[Mike N]

I think what he meant was new cars shouldn't be driven on long trips until they have a few thousand miles on them. But honestly modern engines may no longer need a break-in period. Maybe @Mike N can clarify.

Modern engines are broken in by the time you turn the key. Moly rings, low tension at that don't take the time to seat against the cylinder wall that the old cast iron rings did.