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| | Date: | 2008-06-03 09:50 |
| Subject: | How about a free-form automobilia meme? |
| Security: | Public |
| Current Mood: |  risk-taking |
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Not very much fun at all: Car shopping.
Sad enough to try to avoid: Saying goodbye to a car you love.
The Audi is past due for its 120,000 mile service. It also has a few niggling problems. I took it to the dealer near where I work (since some of the niggling problems are too Audi-specific to be fixed by our primary-care mechanic). Here's how the estimate broke down:
Major service: $900
Moonroof occasionally opens by itself: Replace switch, $130
Driver's door window sometimes gets stuck: Replace window guides, $230
Check engine light: Replace right catalytic converter: $1800
CVT clutch occasionally slow to engage: Replace CVT for the bargain price of seven thousand five hundred US dollars
This car, with its high mileage, only blue-books for about $8000, so we have to think about possibly replacing it. Did I mention it's an Audi? The A6 that ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) reillye gave me for my dot-com boom 40th birthday? You know, the nicest car I've ever owned and probably ever will? The one that, modulo a couple parking-lot dings and a slightly dirty interior, is in near-showroom condition? I'm not ready to give it up just yet!
So here's what I decided to do: The car is up for inspection this month. If it passes, I won't worry about the catalytic converter. I'll have the major service done locally--no need to spend $108/hour for the basic stuff. I'll hold off on the window and moonroof until and unless I need something else done at the dealer.
As for the tranny: They based their statement that I needed a new one solely on my description of the symptom, although what they wrote on the service order sounds worse than what I'm seeing. I've driven lots of cars, enough to know by sound and feel when there's a real drivability problem, and I'm not seeing it here. So I'm going to bet $7500 and towing by AAA that the CVT's not going to fall out any time soon, and just have the fluid and filters changed.
Suppose the worst happens, and I have to buy a new car NOW. It's Prius time. For those of you in that market, given that all hybrids are in high demand these days, how hard is it to get a Prius? Is the wait long? Are they charging thousands over sticker? Does it come with an appropriate set of Politically Correct Bumper Stickers or do I have to supply those myself?
I think the Social Action table could put together a collection of Politically Correct Bumper Stickers for you. ;)
Ironically, they don't have the one that I really want, the blue one that says "Many beliefs, one faith." I also like the one that says "McCain: Bush's Third Term", but I know too many people who would think, "And that'd be a bad thing?"
Hmm...
That sounds a bit expensive. I'd get a second opinion. Preferably from a non-dealer mechanic. I'm sending and IM to my old roommate to see what he thinks of that price range for the repair, I'll let you know if he gets back to me.
Okay. After some long back and forth on IM.
The price? You probably won't get much cheaper. According to Jon, less than 1% of all mechanics in the world know how to handle a CVT. Hence the premium on the price.
He thinks it would just be a performance issue, not a physical risk of danger, but has no idea how that could impact inspections.
This makes sense, given that I spent some time reading forums and such, and everyone who had to have their CVTs replaced mentioned numbers in this range. Part of the problem (confirmed by Aamco) is that it's almost impossible to rebuild a CVT. When they go, they're trashed badly enough that to rebuild wouldn't cost much less than to replace.
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