Is automobile preventive maintenance worth it?

[Tgo01]

What do you all think, is it worth the cost? I always hear people say "it's worth spending a couple hundred dollars on preventive maintenance now then a couple thousand dollars on repairs later." I figured this time around on my car I'd try to take real good care of it so I opted to pay for that preventive maintenance. First of all the price was 400 dollars (which looking around on the internet that sounds about right) and of course they supposedly found some problems and said some things needed to be replaced so in all it cost me 800 dollars. No problem, I'm saving thousands right?

Now less than 5 months later the "check engine" light pops up. Take it down to the same place and something about it's not getting enough fuel so they need to fix that and oh yeah, a couple of belts should be replaced too, now they want almost 800 dollars to fix all of this. I know they can't possibly find every potential problem that is going to go wrong and all but what exactly are they "preventing" with this "preventive maintenance" when they can't even prevent problems 5 months later? Seems I would have been better off saving that 400 dollars and they could have found those problems that supposedly needed to be fixed this time around.

[Sean]

Isn't the point that without doing the previous $800 worth of repairs you don't know how much damage would actually have been done to your car?

[AnticorRifling]

I think PM is worth it. If for no other reason than to prevent surprise breakdowns and surprise expenses.

You pay X now to replace a belt that you see is worn OR You're driving down the road and that belt breaks, your shit breaks down, you call a tow truck, you're missing work/wherever you were going, you get the tow, you get it to the shop, you repair the belt AND any other potential damage that is caused as a result of the belt breaking and your shit locking up (not good on an engine for that sudden seize). Generally the OR scenario is X + a fuckton.

That's why you pay X now.

[Warriorbird]

Worth it if you trust the mechanic.

[Archigeek]

There are some dishonest mechanics out there. What was the company that got caught red handed? Jiffy Lube? They were saying they replaced parts when they were not, etc. Was a total scam that some TV show caught on tape.

My feeling is that the best mechanic is one you develop a relationship with, preferably a smallish shop in your neighborhood. Barring that, some of the dealerships have great service because they want you to keep coming back, other's don't. I had awesome service from Saturn for years, and was severely disappointed in my local Toyota dealership after I'd bought my FJ. My local mechanic does a great job on it though, so their loss was a mom and pop shop's gain.

[Ker_Thwap]

I already don't trust your mechanic. Follow the maintenance schedule in the owner's manual. Dealerships seem to be about 90% scummy in my experience, same with the national brand repair shops. All a preventive maintenance agreement does is chain you to a single repair place which then has every opportunity to rake you over the coals whenever they can. I've even suspected dealerships of setting up the next problem even as they fix the current problem. If I have to go to a dealership for some sort of recall repair, I stay with the car the entire time. Neighborhood mechanics are the best option.

[Drew]

Use synthetic oil, replace filters, replace timing belt when scheduled, drive a manual: car maintained.

[GS4-Seomanthe]

I was also very disappointed with dealership service. They do a lot of needless "work" and charge an insane amount for simple jobs. $119 to replace spark plugs? Please, this takes 15 minutes and even performance sparks are only $40. Replace the engine air filter for $32? Again, 10 minutes and $15 bucks in reality.

You can do most maintenance yourself, all you need is YouTube and a little focus. I take my car to my neighborhood mechanic for fluids (oil, coolant, transmission, etc) because I don't want to have to dispose of the used stuff. Sparks, belts, tire rotation, brake pads, air filters - these are within your grasp. Buy a few tools and they'll pay for themselves several times over when compared to getting screwed by dealership maintenance packages.

[Latrinsorm]

Don't forget to check your tire pressure! I may have read somewhere once you lose one PSI a month! If you didn't check for four years, therefore, your tires would have negative absolute pressure! Nobody wants that.

[Drew]

I take my car to my neighborhood mechanic for fluids (oil, coolant, transmission, etc) because I don't want to have to dispose of the used stuff.

That's why God invented storm drains!!!!!

[Drew]

Also let's see if Jack still reads these boards, this ought to draw him out.

[GS4-Seomanthe]

That's why God invented storm drains!!!!!

hmmm... I DO love that slightly sweet eau de antifreeze on my salmon...

[Sylvan Dreams]

I think in many cars, it's worth it. Sometimes, a piece of shit is just a piece of shit and short of rebuilding it, it's going to keep falling apart. My ex PT Cruiser was a testament to that. I kept it until it was cheaper to have a car payment on something else than to keep fixing it.

[Sean]

Use synthetic oil, replace filters, replace timing belt when scheduled, drive a manual: car maintained.

Unless you own a VW in which case changing the timing belt/water pump cost as much as the car itself...just junk the car instead.

[Jack]

I was also very disappointed with dealership service. They do a lot of needless "work" and charge an insane amount for simple jobs. $119 to replace spark plugs? Please, this takes 15 minutes and even performance sparks are only $40. Replace the engine air filter for $32? Again, 10 minutes and $15 bucks in reality.

You can do most maintenance yourself, all you need is YouTube and a little focus. I take my car to my neighborhood mechanic for fluids (oil, coolant, transmission, etc) because I don't want to have to dispose of the used stuff. Sparks, belts, tire rotation, brake pads, air filters - these are within your grasp. Buy a few tools and they'll pay for themselves several times over when compared to getting screwed by dealership maintenance packages.

A single quality spark plug (Denso/NGK Platinum or Iridium) has a list price of about 20 dollars, assuming your car is less than 30 years old... Modern vehicles call for either a platinum, or iridium tipped spark plug. They cost more, but last longer so there is a trade off. Sure, you can go to Autozone and get four champion copper plugs for 40 dollars, but I'm not putting those in my engine. So let's say you have a four cylinder engine, that's 80 dollars in parts before taxes. Labor on a job like that is usually .5 hours, so 50 dollars using the average dealership labor rate. That's 130, so getting them done for 119 isn't so bad. An air filter is about 15 dollars, and .3 hours labor. Again, 32 dollars isn't a bad price.

[Tgo01]

Thread: Is automobile preventive maintenance worth it?

yeah it's worth it.... FOR ME TO POOP ON

Alright that made me laugh.

I guess my main issue is as others have said I'm not sure I trust this place. Bring the car in for preventive maintenance, a few things need replacing. Come to think of it they mentioned some belts needed replacing, I should find that paperwork to see which belts. Bring the car in for this issue oh yeah this and this is wrong and ALSO you need to replace some belts. If I didn't know any better I would swear this repair shop is just a front for selling people belts. Don't get me wrong it's not like the car is brand new or anything so I expect some things should start breaking down. I guess you all are right though, even assuming I keep up this average of spending 800 dollars every 6 months on this car that's still cheaper than buying another car. Let's just hope that average goes down...

[GS4-Seomanthe]

A single quality spark plug (Denso/NGK Platinum or Iridium) has a list price of about 20 dollars, assuming your car is less than 30 years old... Modern vehicles call for either a platinum, or iridium tipped spark plug. They cost more, but last longer so there is a trade off. Sure, you can go to Autozone and get four champion copper plugs for 40 dollars, but I'm not putting those in my engine. So let's say you have a four cylinder engine, that's 80 dollars in parts before taxes. Labor on a job like that is usually .5 hours, so 50 dollars using the average dealership labor rate. That's 130, so getting them done for 119 isn't so bad. An air filter is about 15 dollars, and .3 hours labor. Again, 32 dollars isn't a bad price.

The only difference the metal makes is longevity and slight differences in mpg. Platinum is fine as long as you aren't using nitro in your car. Also, autozone appears to have Platinum plugs for 6.99ea. In fact, their most expensive iridium plug is only 12.99 (caveat: these are both models for my own car). I've never been one to buy based on brand name alone so those suit me just fine.

As far as paying for labor, sure it may be a fair price -- but if it takes 15 minutes of my own time, why should I pay?

Edit: FYI I found Denso plugs on Amazon for $10ea - get them for less next time! :) http://www.amazon.com/Denso-IKH16-Iridium-Spark-Plug/dp/B000CJ04AU

[Drew]

On my car an air filter costs $5.96 at Autozone. I was quoted $45.99 to replace it. Some things I think dealers are ok for, but on stuff that is SUPER easy like that it's definitely worth your while to do it yourself. Sparkplugs on a Subaru WRX or other boxer engines, let the dealer do it.

[Tepin]

Preventative maintenance is definitely worth it, but if you aren't doing it yourself you need to have a mechanic you trust to do it for you. If that isn't an option then open up your owners manual and create a spreadsheet with your own maintenance schedule.

Personally I had a timing belt snap on a Prelude I owned. This trashed the heads on the motor. The car was beat to hell and not worth repairing but I was sad, it was a lot of fun to drive. This is a worst case scenario, most of the time if you blow a hose or break a belt you are just dealing with an inconvenient breakdown.

[Tgo01]

I knew something was fishy. The guy yesterday told me "The mechanic doesn't like the way the belts look so he thinks we should replace them." I found the paperwork and they did indeed replace 3 belts the last time I was there, so I called to see which belts they were replacing (I don't know much about cars but I don't think cars have that many belts) and suddenly they realized that they had already replaced the belts the last time I was there so they aren't going to replace them again and are taking off 150 dollars from the bill (he made it sound like they were doing me some sort of favor or something.)

So when I saw the same guy again today I asked him why he told me the mechanic said he "didn't like the way the belts looked" and said they should be replaced, he said something like "When the mechanic first saw the belts he thought he saw OEM on them so he had assumed they were the original belts on the car and thought they needed to be replaced, but when he got under there he said the belts looked brand new and it turns out that's because they were."

Mmm hmm. I'm just wondering if they would have caught this "error" had I not mentioned the belt thing prior to paying for it.

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Yup, they're trying to hose you. Next time they look at your brakes, I bet they'll tell you your rotors are cut and that you need 4 new ones. Pick a new mechanic. http://www.cartalk.com/content/mechanics-files has reviews of mechanics all over the place.

[Tgo01]

Yeah this place is really pissing me off now. Something is now leaking under my car, I noticed it not even an hour after I got the car home. I'm thinking (hoping) it's just the AC because I was using it a lot since as I said it's over 90 degrees outside. I called the place to see if whatever they did would cause something to leak and he said it's probably just the AC too (even though I've been using the AC in the car for well over a month now and haven't noticed any leaking) but if the liquid feels slimy I should bring it back in. Going to check tomorrow. If it's "slimy" I'm indeed going to bring it back in and have a few choice words for them if they have the nerve to try to charge me for anything.

Oh yeah and the morons didn't even close the hood all the way after they were done. I noticed the hood flopping around while going 75 MPH down the freeway.

[Stanley Burrell]

Late to thread. Apologies. Okay, let's see what we've got here.


Is automobile preventive maintenance worth it?

::starts up a steamroller facing your car::



"You tell me."



Sorry, I wanted to feel really cinematic and badass. Which this did, sadly.

[4a6c1]

Sorry I'm late to this thread too.

LOUD NOISES

[BriarFox]

I think whether or not "preventative maintenance" is worth it depends on what one means by the phrase. Some parts are meant to wear out and be replaced, like belts (especially the timing belt if you have an interference engine) and filters and so forth, and you should absolutely have them replaced regularly. You should also have the various fluids flushed and replaced as appropriate, following your car's maintenance schedule (usually in the back of the owner's manual), have the tires rotated every 5k, change the oil every 3k (regular) or 5-10k (synthetic), lube the various moving parts, make sure things that should be tight are tight, and so on and so forth.

Other than that, you can generally wait for things to be near or at the breaking point. If your mechanic says something is on the way out and you believe him or her (I always ask them to show me), then you should replace it because it's cheaper to replace it now than to replace it and whatever it takes with it when it breaks. If you're not sure about the mechanic's angle, you should ask how long he thinks it'll last. If it'll last awhile, they might be trying to freak you out so you replace it a long time before you need to. That's very common with brakes. Your mechanic will go, "Cough, ahem, cough, well, ya got about 30% left on those pads and the rotors are looking a bit thin." Well, that's what brakes and rotors do. Go back when they start screeching. They have a built-in warning system.

In general, avoid the Valvoline and Jiffy Lube and Midas shops and all that sort of crap. Those guys rarely have any clue what they're doing. You want an ASE-certified mechanic working on your car. Places that have them will generally have signs boasting about it. Some of the crappy shops will have an ASE sign up, but it might just refer to one general manager who's not in very often.

When in doubt, ask for an estimate, go online, find a forum for your vehicle, and ask the forum gurus about it. Some makes and models have very dedicated enthusiasts (VW/Audi, Subaru, etc.). You can often order the parts yourself online for a heck of a lot cheaper than the shop will supply them, since shops mark up parts costs almost every time. Make sure you order OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts if you do (i.e. If Bosch made the starter, order a Bosch starter). If you supply your own parts, some shops will raise their labor rate, but some won't, and you might save a few bucks that way.

And for one last tip, if you find a good local mechanic, ask the guy what kind of beer he likes and take him a 12-pack when you pick up your car. I guarantee that he'll be more interested in fixing your car right later.

[Tgo01]

And the shit continues. So I took my car back to that place over a week ago and they said the leak was because there was a clog somewhere and it was causing the transmission fluid to leak out, so they said they removed the clog and they didn't charge me and everything was fine. Until today. The car flat out just stopped while I was driving it, I managed to get it started again and a few minutes later boom, just stopped. I got it started again because I wasn't too far from home and I just wanted to get home at this point but the car died again and I decided it would probably be better to call a tow truck.

When I got home I realized the car had been leaking a LOT. It looks like transmission fluid again. I just can't wait to see what shit they try to charge me for this time.

Anyone have any idea what would cause a car to just stop? The lights in the dash stayed on and the radio kept going, the steering wheel locked up but the car stopped. No noise, no error on the dashboard, nothing.

[Bobmuhthol]

Electrical is fine but engine doesn't start = fuel pump, or if you're lucky, spark plugs.

Actually if you say your car is leaking a lot, if it's the oil, you seized your engine so have fun with that.

[Drakefang]

Yeah, they may have unclogged something important.

[Tgo01]

I'm pretty sure it's transmission fluid that is leaking, it's reddish in color. I checked the oil level and it was fine. The thing is the car can start, I just didn't want to keep driving it in that condition because I don't know if it would make things worse if I keep driving it.

[Bobmuhthol]

Okay, if the engine starts but the car isn't going anywhere, you've got a transmission problem -- apparently again.

You should check the fluid level to confirm but nonstandard colors (red/green) would indicate transmission fluid.

[Tgo01]

The car starts and runs but it kept dying on me so I thought it was best to just stop driving it and get it towed to the place that "fixed" it on Monday since they're closed on Sundays.

[Tgo01]

I should clarify the "car starts" comment. The first time it died it took me a couple of minutes to get it running again, second time it died I just had to try to restart it once and it worked. Third time it died I couldn't get it started again so I pushed it off the road and called the tow truck. While waiting I thought I would try to start it again and it started up but as I said I think I might be making things worse if I kept driving it so I haven't tried starting or driving it again.

[Bobmuhthol]

Then I'm back to fuel pump or spark plug, assuming the car is just dying and not driving erratically or grinding or anything else.

[Bobmuhthol]

I like that someone is reading this thread and left me rep telling me to "quit acting like I know wtf I'm talking about." Obviously they don't, because they're not diagnosing it. And obviously they're fucking retarded, because cars aren't difficult.

[Drakefang]

I'd find another mechanic to tell you what they did to your car to make it worse.

[Tgo01]

Then I'm back to fuel pump or spark plug, assuming the car is just dying and not driving erratically or grinding or anything else.

Spark plugs I can deal with, but a fuel pump doesn't sound cheap. We're probably talking 500 or 600 dollars huh?


I'd find another mechanic to tell you what they did to your car to make it worse.

I'm really tempted to but I just want to give them the benefit of the doubt to see if they are going to own up to this and are going to fix it for free. If they come back with some outrageous estimate of 1000 dollars I think I'll have it towed somewhere else.

[BriarFox]

Chances are it's the transmission seizing because it's out of fluid. I wouldn't drive it until you get it looked at, though you can try getting some transmission fluid (make sure you get the right density) and filling it yourself and seeing if that helps. Sometimes it's a pain in the dick to fill the transmission reservoir, though, so you might just want the mechanics to do it. It does sound like this place knows jack-all, though.

[Tgo01]

Chances are it's the transmission seizing because it's out of fluid.

I thought that too and I asked the tow truck driver and he said if it's out of transmission fluid the car would just run hot. That just didn't sound right to me.

[BriarFox]

Transmission fluid works hydraulically, which is why the car won't move (most likely). Hopefully, you're fine, but if it screwed up the transmission or the clutch, you might be looking at $1-2k in repairs. The shop's insurance should cover it, since they fucked it up.


http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_happens_when_you_run_out_of_transmission_flui d

[Bobmuhthol]

Spark plugs I can deal with, but a fuel pump doesn't sound cheap. We're probably talking 500 or 600 dollars huh?

All-in, at least, if not closer to $800.


he said if it's out of transmission fluid the car would just run out.

Transmission fluid alone shouldn't give your engine trouble starting, and it shouldn't kill the engine (but it will definitely stop you from moving). It is possible that you were on the cusp of things going wrong which allowed you to keep moving for a little while, though -- for example, leaking brake fluid will still let you stop for a while until it's totally gone, and you can feel a huge difference (i.e. you can't stop to save your life anymore).

[Tgo01]

Just checked my records, they replaced the spark plugs in December. I just have a bad feeling about this now. I had a bad feeling a couple of weeks ago when I originally brought it in there and the guy said "Well the part is only 120 dollars but it's going to be an all day job because the mechanic says the way they built your car he has to remove a lot of things to get to the part that needs to be replaced." That sounded shady to me. "Yeah the part is only 120 bucks and normally it's an hour job but...it's going to be an all day job because it's impossible to get to the part."

I wonder if they're going to give me a lot of shit about whatever they are replacing this time.

[BriarFox]

What are you driving anyway? I looked back but didn't see it in the thread. I'll buy the "all-day job" (or at least a few extra hours) if it's a Kia or a VW/Audi or such.

[Tgo01]

2006 Dodge Stratus.

[Bobmuhthol]

A very quick search reveals that a common problem with that model is that oil builds up and fucks the engine.

[Tgo01]

If there was something wrong with the engine though it wouldn't start at all right?

[Asrial]

Late to the thread, but caught a glimpse of "stopped while driving" and wanted to toss in my .02 on it.

How old is the car? How many miles are on it? Can you currently start it back up or is it dead right now?

My thought is the timing belt.

A few months ago I was having issues with mine having an extremely rough cold idle to the point that the engine would sometimes die on me (I was also getting belt squealing). As luck would have it, it died completely as I was driving to a shop to have it looked at. Just straight shut off on me without any kind of warning. Trying to start it would sound like it was capable of starting, but 'something important' wasn't catching (don't know a better way to describe the sound).

Anyways, my timing belt was destroyed.

[BriarFox]

What model?

R/T V6 2.7L
SXT V6 2.7L
SXT L4 2.4L

[Bobmuhthol]

So I took my car back to that place over a week ago and they said the leak was because there was a clog somewhere and it was causing the transmission fluid to leak out, so they said they removed the clog and they didn't charge me and everything was fine. Until today.

If this is consistent with the problems other people have with that car, your "clog" was oil sludge. It doesn't directly destroy the engine, but it causes other problems like leaks or crank shaft damage. From what I did read, people seem to keep going back to their mechanic over and over for the same problem, no matter how many times they "fix" it.

Something to look at: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:2aikYrouPyMJ:www.carcomplaints.com/Dodge/Stratus/2006/engine/engine_seizure_failure.shtml

[Tgo01]

Trying to start it would sound like it was capable of starting, but 'something important' wasn't catching (don't know a better way to describe the sound).

Yeah that's a good way to describe what was happening, it would sound like it was going to start but it just wouldn't. It does get started eventually though and I'm pretty sure they replaced the timing belt in December, or so they say, I'm really having trouble trusting this place at the moment.


What model?

R/T V6 2.7L
SXT V6 2.7L
SXT L4 2.4L

SXT V6.

[Asrial]

It does get started eventually though and I'm pretty sure they replaced the timing belt in December, or so they say, I'm really having trouble trusting this place at the moment.I had my timing belt replaced a year prior, too. Thing is, they didn't replace any of the pulleys that were horribly rusted so I chewed through the new belt from friction on those parts.

The place that fixed it the second time replaced the belt, the tensioner, the idler pulley, and the water pump. It cost ~$750.

How many miles are on your car? You're 'supposed' to replace the timing belt and associated parts every 90k miles.

Just casual chat here (and not a mechanic's thoughts) has me also wondering if all this 'work' that has been done recently might have messed up the timing belt somehow.

[BriarFox]

Well, you have a very obvious cause of your problems. Don't go hunting for other ones. That way lies madness. I think your shop is pretty full of it, by the way. Dodge parts aren't that expensive since they're domestic, and the mechanics should know a 2006 Dodge Stratus more or less front to back since they're so common. I highly doubt you need a fuel pump (wtf, Bob), but if you did, a cheap one would cost about $150, and expensive one about $280. That's just parts cost, of course, but a fuel pump should only take an hour or two to replace. It's messy, though, since they have to take the fuel tank off.

Fuel pumps:
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search/Fuel+Pump/C0401/C0025.oap?model=Stratus&vi=1434124&year=2006&make=Dodge

[Bobmuhthol]

I highly doubt you need a fuel pump (wtf, Bob)

He said his car wasn't starting but the electrical system worked. That's a fuel pump problem.

Edit: The way he described it at the time, which was amended.

And as far as cost, you don't get to choose what part goes in or what price to pay unless you're doing the repair yourself. You'll be paying the highest possible parts price + labor.

[Tgo01]

If this is consistent with the problems other people have with that car, your "clog" was oil sludge. It doesn't directly destroy the engine, but it causes other problems like leaks or crank shaft damage. From what I did read, people seem to keep going back to their mechanic over and over for the same problem, no matter how many times they "fix" it.

Something to look at: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:2aikYrouPyMJ:www.carcomplaints.com/Dodge/Stratus/2006/engine/engine_seizure_failure.shtml

If they give me some outrageous estimate I'm going to take it somewhere else, if they give me the same outrageous estimate I'm just going to buy another car. Hell between the almost 2k I've put in this car since December I could have used that plus the car itself as a trade in for another car with a warranty. I really don't want to buy another car but this is getting ridiculous and I really have no idea if the car is just a piece of shit or if this place is ripping me off.

[BriarFox]

And as far as cost, you don't get to choose what part goes in or what price to pay unless you're doing the repair yourself. You'll be paying the highest possible parts price + labor.

You're going to the wrong shops. I've bought my own parts and had the mechanic put them in before, and other times I've requested specific parts and had them installled. Heck, when I put a Magnaflow catalytic converter and exhaust on my old car, I saved almost a grand supplying the parts and working a deal with the mechanic.

[Bobmuhthol]

I don't doubt that I'm going to the wrong shops, but find me a customer-oriented mechanic near Boston.

[BriarFox]

Try to find an ASE-certified small business and then talk with the mechanics specifically, not the desk guy (if the shop even has one). Buy him beer.

[AnticorRifling]

He said his car wasn't starting but the electrical system worked. That's a fuel pump problem.

Edit: The way he described it at the time, which was amended.

And as far as cost, you don't get to choose what part goes in or what price to pay unless you're doing the repair yourself. You'll be paying the highest possible parts price + labor.

Have you ever asked?

Several shops here allow me to bring in my own parts if I want work done, their money is made on labor. You can also (again it requires asking) pick which part you want them to use if they are ordering it because it is your vehicle unless you're working with a shitty shop.

[Parkbandit]

2006 Dodge Stratus.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2uUDkMYtrQ

[AnticorRifling]

Excellent. It was the first thing I thought of when I saw dodge stratus too.

[Tgo01]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2uUDkMYtrQ

Holy shit that IS me! Don't you talk about my Dodge Stratus!

[Drakefang]

So, today is Monday. Have you taken the car in, yet?

[Tgo01]

So, today is Monday. Have you taken the car in, yet?

Yup, waiting for them to call back and try to tell me how it's not their fault.

[Back]

So whats your verdict?

When you say preventative maintenance I think of things like oil change, air filter, tire rotation, then on to more detailed things like all fluid checks, brakes, radiator flush...

My plan is once a year I get it all done, or, as soon as I notice something "isn't right" with the car's action I take it in.

I just had a 600 mile road trip so before I hit the road I had the oil change basics switching to synthetic, tire rotation/align/balance and brake check, and a recommended fuel injection cleaning. My mileage has actually gone up 2-3 miles a gallon.

I also watch my mileage like a hawk. Not sure people do that like I do. I reset that Trip B every time I fill up. If the mileage is not consistent you know you have an issue. As long as you weren't somewhere idling forever.

[AnticorRifling]

I still say it's worth it. Especially if you're a heavy driver or live in traffic or do anything that's wear and tear to the vehicle. If your driving conditions are light it might not be as big of an issue.

[Drakefang]

I'd say I was with Back on this, in that what I consider as preventative maintenance pretty much is his list of things. Most places are going to check for ways to make more money when you get your car tuned/oil changed and rotated tires. If something crops up, you attend to it.

I agree with some of the comments about Midas (stopped using them after being a regular and them always finding something wrong with my low mileage car) and Jiffy Lube. I do use Grease Monkey, though, because I trust the mechanic that runs the shop. He lets me bring my own parts in from AutoZone and doesn't push for some of the bullshit maintenance that they're required to tell me about. I've never felt ripped off by taking my car to the two local Chevy dealerships, either. Some folks refuse to use them for service, that's fine. We do/did have an ASE certified mechanic who did a lot of the work on the family cars in his own home garage. He charged half the labor amount he'd charge at his shop. Always felt like that was a good deal but you had to accept how long he took because he was doing it for a lot of people and on his own time.

[Tgo01]

I called them yesterday and they said they couldn't reproduce the problem I was having with the car shutting off so they were running more tests. Call them back today and they "think" they know the problem, it's something wrong internally with the engine and they think it's something wrong with the fan because the car was overheating. They are going to call back within an hour with pricing information. I asked what about the leaking we had, just a coincidence this leaking started after they fucked with it a couple of weeks ago, he said if the fan stopped working and the car was running hot it would have forced all of the coolant out of the engine.

Is that true? Why would it force the coolant out of the engine? Not only that the big puddle of fluid I noticed was after the car was sitting in my driveway for almost 24 hours, why would it force all of the coolant out of the engine because it was running "hot" if the car was just sitting there?

I knew they would find someway to absolve themselves of all responsibility.

[Tgo01]

They never got around to calling me so I called them back. I was honestly so pissed I can't recall exactly what they said but something about the car was running so hot the coolant melted through the gaskets and that is why it's leaking. They still really don't know exactly what the problem is or what caused it so they think a whole new engine is needed and it's going to cost almost 5,000 dollars to get it fixed. I asked how this could have nothing at all to do with what they did and he assured me they didn't do anything to cause this. I said how come their mechanic didn't notice these gaskets were melted when we brought it in two weeks ago and he said it probably happened after that. I understand sometimes shit just breaks but the car was running perfectly fine, never a single problem with this car in 6 years and suddenly 6 months after I bring it to them for preventative maintenance BOOM major problem, 700 dollars to get it fixed (after they were kind enough to realize we didn't need the belts replaced AGAIN) then 2 days later car is leaking, then a week later the car needs 5 grand in repairs. Everything just fits in so perfectly with them having no culpability at all.

Time to get a new car, the car is only worth 8,000 dollars in excellent condition.

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Short answer: yes, actually.

Longer answer:
If it was leaking reddish colored shit, but that shit was coolant, it may be your ratio of antifreeze-to-water was off and the inside of your radiator is rusty. Coolant is usually green (although it does come in red/orangey colors).

The coolant ratio being off leads to overheating in a roundabout way. You run the car, coolant gets hot, the fan is there to cool it off.

The build up to the problem happens when the car is running and getting hot, but the last straw is letting it sit when you park. Now the fan isn't running and the engine is still 230 degrees. The water is boiling and going out the overflow, leaking out from there or from some other crack in your rusty radiator. The next time you run it, now the coolant has no water in it and the car overheats because pure antifreeze can't move heat as well as the 50/50 mixture could and the damn thing is half empty.

A faulty fan would exacerbate this whole situation I'm sure.

Further reading:
http://www.familycar.com/Classroom/CoolingSystem.htm
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_the_water_in_car_radiator_rusty
http://www.challengers101.com/CoolantMix.html

[Warriorbird]

This seems more like "Do I work with my mechanic if I don't trust them?" The answer is always no.

[Bobmuhthol]

Maybe this is a silly question but how did you not notice that your engine was hotter than normal?

[Tgo01]

Maybe this is a silly question but how did you not notice that your engine was hotter than normal?

I'll admit at the time it died I didn't really pay attention to the heat because the only thing going through my mind was "Oh shit my car just turned off!" First time that has ever happened to me while in the middle of the road.

Prior to that though I didn't notice it running hotter at all. I even asked the guy how could I have not noticed the car running hotter before this all happened and he said it's possible it happened instantly. I'm thinking yeah sure, how convenient that this "just happened" so they can absolve themselves of all responsibility. But don't worry, I confronted him about the possibility that they did this to my car and he assured me that if it was their fault he would own up to it.