12/17/08 Poll of the Day.. Now with an actual poll

NewUser123456789NewUser123456789
in Everything Else

Hey guys,

My wife's car broke down last night, I've had a bad night/morning..

It's overheating, I don't know if it's the thermostat or the water pump so off to the mechanic..

I normally do most of my own car repairs..  AC Compressors, brakes, alternators, batteries, etc.. But this one is out of my league.

Comments

  • Derek1112Derek1112
    Sorry to hear about the car. Nothing comes to my mind yet for a poll. Still too early for me.
  • wrldstrmanwrldstrman
    I bought my car new back in 97 chevy cavlier. It now has 220.000 thousand miles on it. I plan on driving it til it reaches 1.000.000 miles or til it wont run any more. I have a local guy that does my car repairs. I wouldnt buy a new car now  costs way to much
  • Derek1112Derek1112
    I do most of my repairs myself, bought new in 05 and earlier this year bought used 06.
  • jonebonejonebone
    My ride is a 2006 Fiji Blue Honda Civic SI. Nothing too special, but gives the sporty look and feel at a pretty decent price. I bought it off the showroom floor in August 2006 and talked the guy down $2,500 off sticker. Nothing to brag about because he was priced way too high anyway image



    Do a lot of my own work, but honestly it's getting to the point where I'd rather pay someone and not lose a Saturday.
  • jaredkkjaredkk
    As long as you have a job, now is one of the best times ever to buy a car.  Interest rates are as low as they've ever been.
  • arch_8ngelarch_8ngel
    I live by the mantra that if you're going to buy a NEW car, you need to be able to pay cash. Otherwise you can't really afford it and should buy used. Too many people fall into the trap of monthly payments, without realizing their total cost is ridiculous.



    I have one car that was bought new (as a wedding gift from my dad), and the other my wife and I bought used. If we ever get a shower installed at the office, then I might sell the second car and bike to work every day.



    I do some very basic maintenance myself (fluids and changing lights), but I don't have a garage or the tools necessary to do real work on the car myself.
  • CUSTOM NES GUYCUSTOM NES GUY
    Well most of you know I love cars and classics.

    I do all of my own car repair and paint and body work also. I have never been to a mechanic in my life. I have never bought a brand new car, probably never will but right now I own 6 autos.

    I have never had a car payment in my life. I wouldnt even know what one looks like.

    Just got finished putting a new engine and transmission in my 69 Chevelle. First time I ever rebuilt a transmission. Slowly restoring it. Its taking alot longer to restore than my Monte because now I have kids lol!

    Heres a vid of it after the engine was broken in some -



    If some of you guys were near me I would surely help you out.
  • QuackQuack
    My cousin used to work for Honda, so I trust him with my Civic...which I bought new in 2003....and don't plan to sell anytime soon.
  • NewUser123456789NewUser123456789
    Well, mechanic just called, radiator has a split in a seam... $375 for the radiator, installation, and a complete coolant flush and fill.. Not as bad as I originally thought it was going to be.. Looks like a great Christmas for me, I get a new radiator for my wife's car for Christmas... YEAH ME...
  • the tall guythe tall guy
    I do my own mechanic work, and a lot of my friends mechanic work. I currently drive the newest thing I've ever owned ('94 Jeep Wrangler). I used to be way into offroading (I had 6 jeeps at one time), but I kinda gave it up when gas started going crazy and now my daily driver is my only 4wd vehicle. I'm with Custom NES Guy on loving the classics though, I've got a '67 Mustang and a '65 Fairlane... both in need of a lot of love.



    The only crappy thing is not having a garage... nothing sucks quite like having to change a starter while it's snowing.
  • arch_8ngelarch_8ngel
    Paul - glad to hear that the damage isn't too bad. And it's a heck of a lot cheaper to catch something like that now, than in 3 months after you melt some seals in your engine.
  • NewUser123456789NewUser123456789
    Thanks Arch... Yeah I was glad to hear it was the radiator.. Could have been a lot worse.
  • NationalGameDepotNationalGameDepot
    I don't know jack about cars, so I pay someone to do all my repair. I don't but a new car when the warrenty is up. My current car I am dring I put every mile on but 4, so that is about as new as you can get.

    ~~NGD
  • i2a2n2i2a2n2
    never bought new but bought a few lemons lately my last car just blew a piston and beens is how it was a 3 cylinder it wont go far on 2. I'm now looking for a new used car image



    on the topic of thermostate and water pump. if you take the belt off of your water pump and spin the water pump and it doesn't move freely or makes some odd sounds its possibly the pump if you take the water pump off and take the thermostat out rinse it a few times then take a pot and fill it half way with water. Put the thermostat in the pot and put it on the stove and start to boil the water get it boiling fairly good and check the thermostat and see if it is open or still closed. if it is still closed it is probably time for a new one.





    anyways just my 2 cents. image
  • projectingstarsprojectingstars
    PSerge...I feel you. My car wouldn't start on Friday, so I went in and it turned out to be the sensor on my clutch. So, in essence, when I pushed in the clutch on my car, the car wouldn't recognize that I was pushing in the clutch. That was $250. Then, I get the car back the next day, and it suddenly dies on me in the middle of a busy street! So, I get the car towed back to the auto shop, and it turns out the fuel pump wasn't giving any pressure...or something. I know next to nothing about cars. It turns out that was an additional $450, so $700 altogether. And, it just started snowing hardcore here so the money is really tight right now.
  • CUSTOM NES GUYCUSTOM NES GUY
    If I had to pay prices like that I would be severely in debt. The newest car I ever bought was a 2002 GMC Envoy with 67000 miles for $4000. The car had a body shop estimate for over $11,000 but had a clear title. I fixed the whole car and painted it for about $1,100. And that was a little over 2 years ago. Been driving it everyday since.
  • NirvanaNirvana
    I don't have a car, and I've never bought one. For now, that is.
  • the tall guythe tall guy
    Originally posted by: i2a2n2

    never bought new but bought a few lemons lately my last car just blew a piston and beens is how it was a 3 cylinder it wont go far on 2. I'm now looking for a new used car image

    on the topic of thermostate and water pump. if you take the belt off of your water pump and spin the water pump and it doesn't move freely or makes some odd sounds its possibly the pump if you take the water pump off and take the thermostat out rinse it a few times then take a pot and fill it half way with water. Put the thermostat in the pot and put it on the stove and start to boil the water get it boiling fairly good and check the thermostat and see if it is open or still closed. if it is still closed it is probably time for a new one.


    anyways just my 2 cents. image


    If you're going through the trouble of actually removing the thermostat, I'd suggest just buying a new one, they cost around $8 and will last longer than one that's already been used. 
  • mb7241mb7241
    I've only ever owned 2 vehicles, a '92 Nissan Sentra (2-door; R.I.P.) and my current '87 GMC VanDura 2500 (full-size van...if you were at the Expo, odds are great that you saw it). I haven't had to do any real repairs on them; really the only maintenance has been regular oil changes and an electrical issue that was fixed. Heck, I haven't even driven that van 2500 miles since I bought it in February. I've never bought a brand-new vehicle (or any vehicle with a warranty, written or oral), and I don't plan to anytime soon (I don't like buying things on time...I paid cash for both vehicles I've owned).
  • NewUser123456789NewUser123456789
    Who voted yes to the second question, Do you buy a new car when the warranty is up??
  • i2a2n2i2a2n2
    not me

    with regards to the thermostat when you live out in the sticks like I do you don't like to make more then one trip to the local canadian tire (local 20 km away) so no harm it checking stuff twice and fixing it once
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