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[Asherdan]

[CortJstr]

I had one oil change place give me the excuse that they don't actually inspect any of the parts but just make recommendations based on mileage. So they're perfectly willing to remove a brand new air filter if you can't remember when you changed it last.

[AlohaDawg]

A few months ago, I needed to get my truck inspected and the lenses on the rear lights were cracked, so they wouldn't pass me.

The bastards wanted me to pay $150.00 each for the lenses.

I bought them online for $50.00 and managed to turn the 4 hexnuts on each side all by my myself.

This sort of thing is infuriating to me, but I think about my parents innocently taking their vehicles to get oil changes and it really, really pisses me off. It's bad enough that so many vehicles are junk, but then you try to take care of them and those people rip you off?

It's enough to turn me into Pat.

[Bozack]

It's enough to turn me into Pat.

Stay off the beach, AlohaDawg! Stay off the beach!

[Turbo Ninja]

My 1998 Honda Accord was still under warranty when I took it in a few months ago for regular maintenance.  The Check Engine light was also on, but that's pretty much a catch-all idiot signal and it usually means there's a problem with the emissions system.  The helpful samaritans at the dealership decided it was on because I needed a new catalytic converter (NOT covered by the warranty, btw) to the tune of $1,000 for parts and labor.

I checked out some Honda chat rooms and found out that this is a common "suggestion" even though the expected lifespan of a Honda CC is at least 100,000 miles and the car's emissions system has a learning curve that allows it to adjust to an imperfect, but still perfectly functional, converter.

I decided not to get the CC replaced, my car made the adjustment and everything's fine.

But it made me wonder how many people blindly plop down a grand because they don't know what the light means, how their car's emissions control system works, or that you're allowed to disbelieve a dealership mechanic.  Sad.

[arkabee]

cat should run less than 300, chockblock the back wheels, jack the front of the car, jack stand the front, spray bolt-breaker on the cat's rusted bolts, let sit, undo bolts, replace cat, redo bolts, lower car, vroom.
$1000 is insane.


incidentally, most hondas, you can take a paperclip and make the check engine light blink the actual service code, so you know exactly why the light came on.  on an accord, i do not know where that would be, however, without researching.

[Gimpson]

You can also take your car into Autozone and they'll pull the code from your car's computer and reset the check engine light.  That's nice information to have before you go into the dealership.