My brake pads are shot.  



And more.  

Well I am here at Kerechuk's in Alhambra having my brakes worked on.  I was so nervous last night about driving anywhere this morning that when I woke up at 4:18 this morning I thought I'd race out and try to beat rush hour traffic.  I left Chino Hills at 5am and arrived in Alhambra at 5:30am and waited for 2 hours before they opened at 7:30am.  Friendly receptionist took my order and car. She explained that to have it checked costs $34.40. If any problems are found, then half of that diagnostic price goes toward the cost of repairs.  

Bad news though.  Brakes are metal-to-metal.  A groove has been made into the discs and they'll need to be resurfaced.  

And to think that Richard just yesterday told me that his mechanic checked my brakes.  What did he check them with, a stethoscope?

So today's work on Friday, June 17, 2016, came to $422.73.  And what did I get for that? 

1)  Replaced worn front brake pads and damaged rotors from going metal to metal.  

2)  One Pad set for Front Brake . . . . . . . . . . $69.98.

3)  Two Disc Front Brakes . . . . .  . . .  . . . . $220.34.

4)  Two Bush, Caliper Pins . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . $9.36.

Total was $422.73.

Oil Change #4

Had another oil change yesterday.  

I asked Richard if his mechanic could put 20/50 grade oil in my 2000 Accord, LX.  He said "Ooh, that could overheat the engine." Never heard that before. Whenever I put 20/50 grade in my engine, the car always runs better.  Always.  Never noticed a rise in temperature or felt that it was overheating or saw any other visible signs of overheating, so I do not know what Richard is talking about.  

On grades of oil, this was suggested:

Well, he could be right.  As an engine gets more miles on it the tolerances open up a bit from wear.  Thicker oil may help fill those clearances a little better.  It certainly won't do any harm so I would do it.  Another benefit would be that thicker oil would have a harder time getting past the rings, so it would not burn as much oil as it would with a thinner oil.  

Then this: 

There will always be huge debates on what oil is best, so take the following with a grain of salt.  

10/40 is "thicker" than 5/30.  The idea is that since your engine is older, the tolerances between internal components have increased (due to wear).  So a slightly "thicker" oil will do a better job lubricating the engine.  

In reality, the only time it makes a difference is at the extreme temperatures.

But I notice a qualitative difference in how my car runs when I run it with a 20/50 oil, say, versus a 10/30.  With a 10/30, the parts of the engine cycle through very rapid.  

So get my oil changed.  His mechanic put in 10/30.  10/30 seems like a little thin for an older engine.  And sure enough the engine ran thin, did not accelerate responsively and generally ran quite fragile all the while eating up my fuel--a half a tank's worth.  So I drive to my errands and appointments all day yesterday.  I drove close to a hundred miles after I filled up my fuel tank.  Anytime I add oil to my engine, my gas mileage is immediately improved.  Immediately.  It also runs smoother and quieter.  It is amazing what adequate amounts of oil can do for an engine.  But yesterday after driving around and then home, I noticed that I was getting terrible mileage. I used up almost half a TANK of gas after driving only a hundred miles.  My tank holds 17.1 gallons.  So I don't know what is happening.  I will check in on a forum.  I am beginning to lose confidence in Richard.  Maybe it's time.    

Oil Change #3

Changed my oil on May 12th.  Cost me $26.08.   Hie gave me a mocking smile. What was that about?  I don't kniw.

Two days later I put 2 quarts of 20/50 grade oil in my engine. I thought Richard put oil in my engine!  If he did, why did it take 2 additional quarts?

Odometer read 192955.  I'm due for a change at 195955, which is this coming Monday.   As of this writing, my odometer reads 195874.

MPG

Filled up on May 30.  Took 16.385 gallons.  Cost was $48.26.  Odometer read: 194623.

Filled up this morning, Jyne 3, 2016.  Odometer reading was 195045.  Total came to $48.70, so I probably got the same number of gallons.

195045 minus 194623 = 422
422 ÷ 16.385 = 25.75 or 26 miles per gallon.  Now that is including some torturous city driving and torturous LA freeway driving.  Not bad for a 17 year old Honda Accord.

Points to remember when buying a used car.
For other pointes on buying a used car, check out Mr. Peters site.

Oil change #2 for 2016

Oil change today again at Richard’s.  The odometer reading upon driving into his garage was 188021, a full 1500 miles past my due date to get an oil change.  I did put 2 quarts of oil, 20/50, in the engine just last week to hold me over until I got it changed.  But now I've got fresh oil running through the engine as it should.  You want better gas mileage?  Keep the oil clean and fresh.  You want a smoother running engine?  Keep the oil clean and fresh.  

Oh, it cost me $26.08 this time, which is up about $5 from his usual cost.  He explained that the state's recycling program is charging more, so the increases have to be passed onto the consumer.   

When It Comes to Cars, Don't Buy New

by Gary North

When you buy used, you buy from someone who has made mistakes. He does not know how to buy used, or why. So, he bought new. Big mistake.

There are three factors with new cars that most people forget to consider in their budgeting: (1) property taxes, (2) collision insurance costs, (3) new car digital complexity. Eric Peters, a car guru, talks about these factors here.

People get in over their heads. Then they get into financial troubles. They lose their cars to repossession. This clogs the supply line with late-model used cars.

There is a fourth factor: the likelihood of a recession over the next two years. Recessions always push down used car prices. People who lose their jobs have their recent model cars repossessed. Also, people need cash. Finally, people put off buying a car. They fix their existing cars. New car dealerships face bankruptcy. They have to move trade-in used cars off the lot, fast. They are ready to make deals.

I don't think we will see another version of cash-for-clunkers next time. That ridiculous federal program has kept used car prices high.

Peters makes a good point: it's better to lease than to buy new with a car loan. That is because the leased car stays under warranty. The high cost of digital repairs is borne by the auto company. Because most buyers take six-year loans, they buy again after six years. This is really leasing.

The advantage of buying a used leased car is that the dealer has kept it in repair.

If you buy used, use the Consumer Reports assessment for car repairs. You can see which brands and models do well here. This changes from time to time. Toyotas are always high. But Subaru has moved way up in recent years.

You need negotiating techniques if you do not buy from Carmax. I discuss these here.

http://www.garynorth.com/public/403.cfm