What do you spend on your old cars?

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Mr. FP and I currently have two cars. We got by for a year or so with one, but then we moved into a new house and I had a temporarily long preschool commute (Big Brother will be at our neighborhood school next year, but I didn't want to move him in March).

Anyway, Mr. FP bought a 2008 Honda Fit and I still drive my 99 Accord. The Check Engine light is on and would cost another $450-ish to turn off (evaporative leak) but fortunately I do not have emissions testing this year. The transmission may or may not be bad (I have been warned not to drive the car in remote areas or on the interstate lest I be stranded). The brakes have only a few thousand miles left on them. It needs an axle (ripped CV boot). Also, I was rear-ended and got a $700 check to fix the bumper, which I am tempted to just pocket and leave the bumper askew. There are only 140K miles on the car.

I'd like to keep the car going one more year. After  that, both our boys will hopefully be in full-time preschool/kindergarten within walking distance and I will not have these midday runs that I currently do (when I must drop off Little Brother at daycare around lunchtime and then head to work for the 1-6 or 3-8 shift--it would be easier to take the bus to work without daycare dropoff.)

So how do people decide how much money to sink into an old car? Should I just drive it gingerly (it is about 7 miles to my workplace, all on well-traveled, well-lit city streets, and I rarely drive my children around) and do nothing? (Except, of course, the brakes, when the time comes.) Sink a couple grand into it and have it fixed up? Something in between?

I have all the information I need and am just interested in getting some fresh perspectives on the issue.

[pagoconcheques]

You can probably fix the evap canister (likely needs a valve too and maybe a couple of vacuum hoses) yourself for under $100.  One of the main causes of this problem is overfilling the gas tank--it's one of the reasons you're supposed to stop putting gas in the first time the nozzle shuts off automatically.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

You can probably fix the evap canister (likely needs a valve too and maybe a couple of vacuum hoses) yourself for under $100.  One of the main causes of this problem is overfilling the gas tank--it's one of the reasons you're supposed to stop putting gas in the first time the nozzle shuts off automatically.

I dunno--might be  a tough starter project as the mechanic said the underside of the car is basically solid rust and I don't even change my oil. I felt really accomplished because I refilled my own washer fluid.

FWIW I do not overfill my tank. Car's just old :-). Good tip, though!

[gooki]

My personal rule is only do the repairs if the cost is less than 50% of the cars current market value. And if I'm concerned about long term reliability, repair and then sell.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Thanks for the advice! For now, I just had the transmission flushed, to see if that helps, and passed on the evap canister. I'll drive it around for a while and when the brakes start to go, I will have the codes re-run to see if it is still throwing a transmission code and at that reevaluate the vehicle.

FWIW the guy said that the transmission fluid looked like engine oil--really dirty engine oil--and evidently this is a bad thing.

As far as the bumper, the guy said he could probably reattach the existing, scratched-to-hell one for a cost of about $60-$80. It won't look great, but at least it will be in the right place. That seems like a repair more in line with the condition of the rest of the vehicle. Then I can pocket the rest of the $700.

So... limping along. If I was sure I needed a car long-term AND I had money lying around, I would just replace it. Neither of those things being true...

[Rural]

You could always rent a code reader from AutoZone or Advance auto parts, clear the code yourself to turn off the check engine light, and return the code reader for full refund of the rental price. Doesn't fix the underlying problem, but there's no reason you have to look at the light if you don't want to. That you can fix for free.  Just ask about their loan a tool program.

[Joggernot]

You could always rent a code reader from AutoZone or Advance auto parts, clear the code yourself to turn off the check engine light, and return the code reader for full refund of the rental price. Doesn't fix the underlying problem, but there's no reason you have to look at the light if you don't want to. That you can fix for free.  Just ask about their loan a tool program.

Drive to the store, walk in, and ask them to turn off the check engine light.  No need for money to change hands because they do it for free.

[wienerdog]

If you do drive old cars (96 and above) having a code reader is a must.  If you have an Android phone you can't beat Torque. Buy a Bluetooth interface and you are good to go.  Should have less than $20 in the setup.  I can't remember what I paid for the pro version of Torque (< $5) but they have a free lite version also.  There might be an iPhone version also but I try to stay away from that stuff.

http://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Reader-Compatible-Android-Torque/dp/B005C6KIVS

With that combo you can see what the code is and reset it to see when it comes back.  The evaporative  leak is hit or miss.  You can turn it off and it might stay off for 2 months.  Sometimes only one warmup...

To answer the original question I do the work myself but my 1999 Cabrio has only cost me a $52 crank sensor in the two 1/2 years that I have been driving it besides normal oil changes and fuel.

[AutoZealot]

Thanks for the advice! For now, I just had the transmission flushed, to see if that helps, and passed on the evap canister. I'll drive it around for a while and when the brakes start to go, I will have the codes re-run to see if it is still throwing a transmission code and at that reevaluate the vehicle.

FWIW the guy said that the transmission fluid looked like engine oil--really dirty engine oil--and evidently this is a bad thing.

As far as the bumper, the guy said he could probably reattach the existing, scratched-to-hell one for a cost of about $60-$80. It won't look great, but at least it will be in the right place. That seems like a repair more in line with the condition of the rest of the vehicle. Then I can pocket the rest of the $700.

So... limping along. If I was sure I needed a car long-term AND I had money lying around, I would just replace it. Neither of those things being true...

Transmission oil should be red/pink of some variation... if it looked like engine oil, it's likely never been changed.

don't bother fixing the bumper - just do the $80 fix.  Limp that thing along ...

[Rural]

You could always rent a code reader from AutoZone or Advance auto parts, clear the code yourself to turn off the check engine light, and return the code reader for full refund of the rental price. Doesn't fix the underlying problem, but there's no reason you have to look at the light if you don't want to. That you can fix for free.  Just ask about their loan a tool program.

Drive to the store, walk in, and ask them to turn off the check engine light.  No need for money to change hands because they do it for free.

They used to do that here, too, but they now say company policy will only let them read the codes, not clear them. That's why I suggested the rental, but if they're still clearing codes in some areas, it's worth asking.

[Greg]

2008 is old?  No it isn't.  My 1988 VW is old.  Maybe you mean the '99 Honda.  Still.

Between my wife's '83 BMW and my VW, and an old Lancia, we spend about $180/month on maintenance and repairs.  But, I do my own wrenching so this is the cost of supplies and parts, not labor.  It works for me since I am more careful with our older cars than most mechanics and I like doing the work.

The evap code could be as simple as a new gas gap.  A torn CV boot doesn't mean a new axle it means a new boot, unless you let it go for too long and the joint grease gets dirty.  If you change the transmission fluid, if it's an automatic you might want to change the filter and pan gasket too.

[2ndTimer]

We have a 2001 and a 2008 Honda Civics and we give them whatever they want in terms of mechanical stuff but nothing for body repairs.  Will continue to do this as long as we need two cars. 

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

2008 is old?  No it isn't.  My 1988 VW is old.  Maybe you mean the '99 Honda.  Still.

Between my wife's '83 BMW and my VW, and an old Lancia, we spend about $180/month on maintenance and repairs.  But, I do my own wrenching so this is the cost of supplies and parts, not labor.  It works for me since I am more careful with our older cars than most mechanics and I like doing the work.

The evap code could be as simple as a new gas gap.  A torn CV boot doesn't mean a new axle it means a new boot, unless you let it go for too long and the joint grease gets dirty.  If you change the transmission fluid, if it's an automatic you might want to change the filter and pan gasket too.

LOL, no, the '08 is the new car--just bought it a few months ago. Feels brand-spanking new after all the years with the Accord.

I assume that I DID let it go too long such that I now need an axle. But I don't notice any problems, so I'm just gonna drive it like that until I do. I actually paid for the smoke test and they found a leak, so it's definitely not the gas cap. It won't be a problem until and unless I need to pass emissions, which wouldn't be until next June if I still want to keep the car then.

I wish I had mechanical skills. If I did, I could put in a transmission myself and really keep the thing running for less than an arm and a leg. Alas.

[FIRE me]

If you do drive old cars (96 and above) having a code reader is a must.  If you have an Android phone you can't beat Torque. Buy a Bluetooth interface and you are good to go.  Should have less than $20 in the setup.  I can't remember what I paid for the pro version of Torque (< $5) but they have a free lite version also.  There might be an iPhone version also but I try to stay away from that stuff.

http://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Reader-Compatible-Android-Torque/dp/B005C6KIVS

With that combo you can see what the code is and reset it to see when it comes back.  The evaporative  leak is hit or miss.  You can turn it off and it might stay off for 2 months.  Sometimes only one warmup...

To answer the original question I do the work myself but my 1999 Cabrio has only cost me a $52 crank sensor in the two 1/2 years that I have been driving it besides normal oil changes and fuel.

I second Torque Pro and a cheap Bluetooth adapter. Worth every penny. Keep the Bluetooth adapter  in your glove box (don't leave it plugged in all the time) and presumably your cell phone is with you at all times.

Instant data anytime you have car trouble. Torque Pro reads and clears fault codes, and provides data for many many sensor readings. Electrical, fuel pressure, vacuum are all included, provided your car is OBD II or better. Tip: when the car is running well, make a list of normal values for all sensors.

[foggnm]

It sounds to me like you might consider being a little more pro-active with your scheduled maintenance. If all these repairs are only going to cost ~$2k, it is well worth it to get them done if you can drive the car another year or two. Old cars have cheap insurance and as long as they are able to be run safely, then keep driving it. I bought a $5k 12 year old car last year. Unfortunately I had to spend about $3k on it in the last year, but I am very happy that I still have a very functional car that I'll likely drive for 5-7 years for $8k.

[2ndTimer]

It sounds to me like you might consider being a little more pro-active with your scheduled maintenance. If all these repairs are only going to cost ~$2k, it is well worth it to get them done if you can drive the car another year or two. Old cars have cheap insurance and as long as they are able to be run safely, then keep driving it. I bought a $5k 12 year old car last year. Unfortunately I had to spend about $3k on it in the last year, but I am very happy that I still have a very functional car that I'll likely drive for 5-7 years for $8k.

Yes!