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Is this statement true?



 
 
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  #11  
Old November 21st 05, 02:13 AM posted to rec.autos.tech
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Default Is this statement true?

Julie P. > wrote:
>"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
>>
>> I remember riding the bus in the Phillipines.... each round trip from
>> Manila
>> to Baguio, they'd drop the engine, take it apart, and check it. Labour
>> was
>> very cheap and parts were very expensive.
>>

>
>I assume you mean "air bus" and not a regular bus?


No, it was a Mercedes diesel bus. Somewhat swankier than a schoolbus
but not as fancy as the Grumman Flxible city busses in Honolulu. Cheap
labor changes and weak currency changes the way you look at maintenance.

Here, folks have a tendency to replace things if they could potentially
cause a problem, because the parts are cheap and the labor is expensive.
When you have the thing apart, you might as well replace anything else
related.

In third-world countries, mechanics carefully razor-blade gaskets so
they can reuse them. I've seen folks resurfacing distributor rotors
with a small torch, just adding a little more metal onto the contact
and grinding it down. A couple hours work in order to save a two
dollar part, because those couple hours cost less than the part.

>Thanks, I agree. It's just with me, I do my own maintenance, and sometimes
>this can take a while, as there is a learning curve. So I am trying to be
>more cautious, especially as my car ages. I have not seen a mechanic in
>almost 6 years now, except to balance my tires and have them mounted. I even
>pull my own wheels before I hand them to them.


Some of the most interesting people I have met, and surely the most
exciting ones, were people I met while broken down by the side of the
road. I almost miss owning the 1954 Moto-Guzzi. It didn't run worth
a damn, but it made any trip into an exciting adventure.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
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  #12  
Old November 21st 05, 02:26 AM posted to rec.autos.tech
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Default Is this statement true?


"Julie P." > wrote in message
news:yI4gf.2586$BU2.1420@trndny01...
> A professional mechanic once posted in another forum that if your car is
> well maintained by a competent mechanic who maintains his education, it
> should NEVER break down without warning, leaving you stranded.
>
> Is this statement true?



A simple flat tire can be viewed as a breakdown...
So is a cracked block, or a deteriorated GM or Ford plenum, or an intake
gasket,
or a number of other things. None of these things necessarily signal their
demise...

Good maintenance will stop the most of it, but certainly not every instance.

Some of the drivers here never service their transmission, seldom change oil
and filter, etc and still get by pretty well.


  #13  
Old November 21st 05, 03:36 AM posted to rec.autos.tech
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Default Is this statement true?


"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
> Julie P. > wrote:
>>"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
>>>
>>> I remember riding the bus in the Phillipines.... each round trip from
>>> Manila
>>> to Baguio, they'd drop the engine, take it apart, and check it. Labour
>>> was
>>> very cheap and parts were very expensive.
>>>

>>
>>I assume you mean "air bus" and not a regular bus?

>
> No, it was a Mercedes diesel bus. Somewhat swankier than a schoolbus
> but not as fancy as the Grumman Flxible city busses in Honolulu. Cheap
> labor changes and weak currency changes the way you look at maintenance.
>
> Here, folks have a tendency to replace things if they could potentially
> cause a problem, because the parts are cheap and the labor is expensive.
> When you have the thing apart, you might as well replace anything else
> related.
>
> In third-world countries, mechanics carefully razor-blade gaskets so
> they can reuse them. I've seen folks resurfacing distributor rotors
> with a small torch, just adding a little more metal onto the contact
> and grinding it down. A couple hours work in order to save a two
> dollar part, because those couple hours cost less than the part.
>


But you said they dropped the engine in the Philippines every round trip,
which would be insane, even though labor is cheap. Why drop it at so often?
Maybe every 10,000 miles or so would be better. Labor is cheap, but they
still have to pay for it.

Julie


  #14  
Old November 21st 05, 06:06 AM posted to rec.autos.tech
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Default Is this statement true?

Julie P. wrote:
> A professional mechanic once posted in another forum that if your car is
> well maintained by a competent mechanic who maintains his education, it
> should NEVER break down without warning, leaving you stranded.
>


> Is this statement true?


If you're willing to spend the big $$$ to keep your car in like new
condition, I'd say it's very close to true.

the reality is the cost would be basically the same as buying a new car
every three years, because you'd be pretty much overhauling it about
every three years.

Oh, and even then... I've had a couple of batteries "just go" on me and
others - they got you to work in the morning, and they were just dead
after work. What about running over a nail? It's not a breakdown, but
you're still stranded if you don't have a spare.

Overall though, if you keep on top of the maintenance and either do it
yourself or have a good relationship with your mechanic (and he's a good
one) then the odds of you being stranded are pretty slim. But it will
be expensive, because you'll be replacing a lot of parts that are "wore"
but not "wore out" and sometimes there's a long time between "wore" and
"wore out." My buddy replaces his battery every three years, I don't.
When the car starts to crank a bit slower and the battery is getting
old, then I replace it. I've had 4 year old batteries and 8 year old
batteries. Stuff like tires -> once you get a crack in the sidewall, is
the tire junk? On my Trans Am it would be. On the Beretta it's not.

Ray
  #15  
Old November 21st 05, 06:12 AM posted to rec.autos.tech
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Default Is this statement true?

Comboverfish wrote:

> If you want to learn how to maintain all aspects of your car, then
> that's great. Accept the growing pains that come with... when
> backyard mechanics run into a problem, very frequently it's not the
> part that is at fault. Also know who is a competent mechanic and who
> isn't. Pep Boys doesn't pay enough to employ competent mechanics, so
> you won't see too many there (unless they're just in the store to buy
> oil for their own car).
>
> Toyota MDT in MO
>
> P.S. All starter comments based on the educated guess that the 2.2 and
> 3.1 use the old early 90's SD shimmed starter. I'm positive they do...
>


sometimes it is the parts. the only in-stock tie rod for the Beretta
was a no-name one. Stupid me bought it. The cinch bolt head stripped
off while installing it... and I had my torque wrench set to 41 ft-lbs
like the manual said. Note that the tie rod didn't strip, the cheapo
bolt came apart like it was improperly heat treated - it didn't snap so
much as twist apart like a piece of licorice.

First and last time I buy a suspension part that doesn't say Moog on it.
(I'll consider TRW because I'm not sure if my race car counts as normal
use and the balljoint didn't snap, but it did bend about 45 degrees.)

Ray
  #16  
Old November 21st 05, 09:02 AM posted to rec.autos.tech
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Default Is this statement true?


Julie P. wrote:

>A professional mechanic once posted in another forum that if your car is
>well maintained by a competent mechanic who maintains his education, it
>should NEVER break down without warning, leaving you stranded.


> Is this statement true?


Some people who make a living studying things like this think it could
cut the failure rate for cars by 80-99%, but I don't believe they
differentiated between expected and unexpected failures. And keep in
mind that even highly pampered, well-designed and maintained vehicles
costing millions or even billions and full of sensors still fail
unexpectedly. I'd like to see what Caterpillar thinks because they
probably have the best database for terrestrial vehicles.

>1) Brake line burst (cause: my failure to replace very rusty line for years)


Brake lines have also been known to rust from within, and I had a VW
recalled for this.

>2) Alternator died (I had warnings, but thought it was just the battery.
>PepBoys mechanic failed to check alternator when I replaced battery a few
>days earlier)


I had a Delco rebuilt alternator die in less than a month, but I'm sure
if I had monitored its case temperature I would have detected the
bearing failure earlier.

  #17  
Old November 21st 05, 04:18 PM posted to rec.autos.tech
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Default Is this statement true?

news > wrote:
> My buddy replaces his battery every three years, I don't.
>When the car starts to crank a bit slower and the battery is getting
>old, then I replace it. I've had 4 year old batteries and 8 year old
>batteries.


And I wait until the car won't start, then I push-start it and drive to
the auto parts store for a battery. Why replace it before you have to?
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
  #18  
Old November 21st 05, 05:56 PM posted to rec.autos.tech
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Default Is this statement true?

"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
> news > wrote:
>> My buddy replaces his battery every three years, I don't.
>>When the car starts to crank a bit slower and the battery is getting
>>old, then I replace it. I've had 4 year old batteries and 8 year old
>>batteries.

>
> And I wait until the car won't start, then I push-start it and drive to
> the auto parts store for a battery. Why replace it before you have to?
> --scott
>



I have a professional 200/100/50/10/2 Schumacher starter/charger/tester
which I use in this situation, as well as a portable 1000 amp jump starter
battery.

Julie


  #19  
Old November 21st 05, 07:11 PM posted to rec.autos.tech
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Default Is this statement true?


Julie P. wrote:
> A professional mechanic once posted in another forum that if your car is
> well maintained by a competent mechanic who maintains his education, it
> should NEVER break down without warning, leaving you stranded.
>
> Is this statement true?
>
> I think back to the last eight times I have completely broken down:
>
> 1) Brake line burst (cause: my failure to replace very rusty line for years)
>
> 2) Alternator died (I had warnings, but thought it was just the battery.
> PepBoys mechanic failed to check alternator when I replaced battery a few
> days earlier)
>
> 3) Belt tensioner gave way (due to my failure to realize this was a
> minatainable component over the years)
>
> 4) Blower motor and radiator fan stopped working for unknown reason (still
> trying to diagnose this).
>
> 5) Total loss of engine oil, due to mechanic claiming my Fram filter I
> provided him for an oil change was faulty. I actually think he didn't put it
> on right. I now do my own oil changes and have never had a problem with a
> leak or Fram filter.
>
> 6) Starter died (I had thought it was my loose battery terminals all this
> time)
>
> 7) Starter #2 died. I had warnings. Hammering on it got it to start.
>
> 8) Starter bolt cracked, thereby cracking and dislodging starter. Cheap
> chain discount auto part/service store said it was my fault (VIP Discount
> Auto in New England). Strange, both of their lifetime warranty piece of crap
> starters broke off the bolts since they shook so violently when starting the
> car. One time they had to pull the engine in order to have a machine shop
> drill out the bolt! Cost them over $500, and they tried to make me pay. But
> since going to an AC Delco starter, never a problem, and it always starts
> quietly!
>
> So, as you can see, all of the above breakdowns, with the exception of the
> radiator fan and blower motor above (#4) have had have been due to my own
> failures, at least in part. So that statement the mechanic made above does
> make sense, for th emost part.
>
> Julie


Beware of people who make Never and Always proclamations. Those who
make such statements are always wrong because they never consider all
of the possibilities for automotive breakdown. (And they are usually
trying to sell you something)

  #20  
Old November 21st 05, 10:16 PM posted to rec.autos.tech
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Default Is this statement true?

I think it isn't so much continuing education (that comes into play
more in terms of diagnostics, especially on weird problems and/or cars
where feature creep has turned into more of a dead run) as
attentiveness.

A lot of otherwise good mechanics don't have the time (or don't want to
take the care) needed for ad hoc predictive maintenance -- which takes
a thorough drive under a variety of conditions as well as inspection in
the garage. The ones who can are worth their weight in towing bills!


Even they can't foresee everything -- some flaws are without
superficial symptoms, and some cars are just a hive of problems. But
they can prevent a lot of unscheduled breakdowns and also give you an
idea of what you'll likely have to spend, and when, into the future,
and how to know when it's time to bring 'er in.

That last is important because unless your car is a SERIOUS lemon, you
drive it a lot more than your mechanic does, and he or she will
probably enlist your surveillance expertise.

Cheers,
--Joe

 




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