When you buy a car, you’re not just buying a car, you are also buying yourself thousands of moving metal, rubber and plastic parts, and as sure as the sun rises and sets, all, if not most of them, will need fixing or replacement during the life of the vehicle.
Different parts come at different prices, of course. Sometimes, however, we just don’t know what the shops ought to charge us for these parts. We might be paying an arm and a leg for a part that should just cost us the hairs on our back. Or we might be buying a cheaper version of a justifiably expensive part, only to regret later on that we didn’t get the pricey original (which usually happens when your car conks out in the middle of a deserted highway in the dead of night). Be aware of the worth of your car’s major parts, and when you do, the knowledge of all other costs for the other parts should fall nicely into place.
1.) Oils and filters. Automotive technologist Alex Loinaz observes that cars that frequently use well-paved, relatively dust-free roads can keep their oils good for up to 15,000 km On the average, though, oils are good for 5,000 to 7,000 km before requiring replacement.
“Some shops will insist that you change oils every 3,000 to 5,000 km, even if the oil still visibly looks good. Changing oils too soon is wasteful and not environmentally sound. A good quality oil filter that can still filter better than 20 microns will keep your oil clean. Fakes or cheap replacements are the problem,” said Loinaz.
2.) Spark plugs. Original spark plugs have been known to last up to 100,000 km. Compare such durability to fakes or ripoffs, which will literally lose their spark at the 5,000-km mark. “Regular plugs can last up to 20,000 kms,” Loinaz observes. “A good technician can read the plugs, and based on that inspection can make the correct recommendation. So regular plugs can even last longer than expected based on experience and a trained eye,” he added. In effect, what Loinaz is saying that by buying substandard or fake spark plugs, you are virtually paying more in the long run. That’s already on top of the headaches misfiring spark plugs will cause you as they wreak havoc on your car’s fuel efficiencies.
3.) Air filters. Despite that pitiful-looking air filter after a particularly tormenting drive through a long dusty road, air filters are hardy things that only require frequent inspection and dust blow offs, according to Loinaz. A trusted technician can pretty much judge if your car needs to have its air filter replaced.
But beware of using air filters that have reached the end of the line. By continuing to use dirty or overused air filters, you are paying the price—in terms of fuel inefficiency. Ferman Lao of Speedlab says that a clogged air filter can make fuel efficiencies spiral southwards. Olson Camacho of Project O points to air filters as one of the culprits to bad fuel efficiencies. Auto expert Deana Sclar estimates that a dirty air filter can cause the driver to lose one mile (1.6 km) per gallon (3.3 liters) while running at a speed of 50 mph (80 kph). “By keeping your air filter clean, you get that extra mile back,” she says.
4.) Wheel alignment. Loinaz says that wheel alignment services can become one of the cash cows of enterprising auto shops. “The flat rate (time) for most common wheel alignment is less than an hour since many shops do not have caster or camber adjustment. They may suggest to do those, but may not actually perform the job since there are no adjustments except a toe-in setting and toe-out on turns check,” said Loinaz. “If they charge you P1,200, then that means their flat rate is P1,200 but on the other hand the same facility will charge P300 for a tune-up that will also take less than an hour flat rate to perform since most modern cars today are electronic and don’t need adjustments, so from a flat rate point of view, wheel alignment is the most common easy money maker,” he said.
So, the next time you have your wheels aligned, make sure it’s with a shop that actually performs what it guarantees to do. Otherwise, you would have paid for two jobs, but what you actually got was just one.
5.) Diesel injection pump calibration. Loinaz observed that this could be another area for some unscrupulous shops to make easy money, since the parts and calibration process are expensive, and opens itself to fake or imitation parts with you ending up paying for original parts. These “holes in the wall” calibration services, he adds, would most likely not even have the correct or appropriate test bench and data to perform the job properly. After spending thousands of pesos, the owner may still find his or her vehicle’s engine still belching smoke, and generally performing poorly. Many times, the only adjustment made has been the setting of the volume screw that controls the amount of diesel injected. But at least they mounted it on the test bench.
6.) Shock absorbers. For their role in taking direct hits from bad roads (and possibly from bad driving, as well), shock absorbers become top candidates for frequent repairs and changes. Naturally, some unscrupulous technicians take advantage of this to make a quick buck, recommending replacements for still perfectly good shocks.
“A good technician knows when a shock absorber needs replacement based on its jounce and rebound. Some cars come with stiff settings and others soft, and two different models will behave differently and these are sometimes used as comparison to convince that replacements are necessary,” says Loinaz.
7.) Clutch service. Some clutches only require adjustments of the pedal free-play and travel. Some technicians who take advantage would then recommend clutch disc, pressure plate and release bearing replacement when the only problem is really an adjustment, says Loinaz.
Automotive enthusiast Leslie Sy reminds car owners that in order to minimize repairs for clutches of manual transmission cars, some bad driving habits need to be unlearned, as well as avoiding overloading the vehicle, which can prematurely wear out clutches.
8.) Sway bar bushings. Bushings, when worn out, sometimes make unusual noises in the under carriage. “Sometimes technicians recommend an entire suspension tear down when only the rubber bushings need replacement,” says Loinaz.
9.) When tie-rod ends and ball joints actually need replacement, some technicians will offer a “magic” solution. And that’s not good. “Some would suggest repairing them either by injecting some kind of chemical that would harden and take up the loose space, yet these are dangerous quick fixes on the guise of repair savings,” warns Loinaz.
10.) For older model cars, using fake/imitation contact points and condensers can cause premature engine trouble, leaving some technicians to recommend the replacement of the entire distributor. Loinaz reminds car owners: “A well-equipped shop will have diagnostic testers that would reveal the condition of the ignition system, such as the contact points and distributor. Without the proper equipment, it’s a hit-and-miss type, which may end up with unnecessary replacements of ignition components from the coil to even the entire ignition system. Then they recommend that you use all kinds of ignition system enhancers as a performance benefit.”
Here’s one rule of thumb for you to check if your so-called shop or technician has been honest in their dealings with you or to other customers: “Always ask that all parts that have been replaced be returned to you so these are not recycled back and passed on to other customers,” stresses Loinaz. Sy added: “Always ask for a written guarantee on all works done, or at least make sure it’s written on the receipt.”
Other parts that may easily get worn out, and thus be taken advantage of by shady shop owners, are rubber bushings, wheel bearings, rubber engine mounts, wheels/tires, engine belts, and CV joint rubber boots.
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