Car Maintenance

[MouseWife]

abg~ no kidding! At first I was like 'Did he say chain or belt 'cause I know this vehicle doesn't have a belt...' but he said chain. Then, I was like WTF this shouldn't be happening until *maybe* 100,000 miles!!! If I get back in the vehicle and it isn't right, I am having it towed right then and there to another place.

DPR~ See, this is what I don't get. The initial problem way back July 3, the piston/head whatever issue, Hubster and I were thinking if maybe this timing chain thing was connected? But, why didn't they find it then? If they fixed everything, like they say they do {but it never is} how could they not see that? And, if they are test driving it, how can they miss what is so obvious to me? And, I still can't believe when I turned around and brought it back with that noise they said it was 'normal'. If it were the timing chain and I went home, I wonder what would have happened to it? I have expressed to them over and over, I want my car safe, I do not want to break down anywhere any more!! I've been lucky to have been just 10 or so miles from my home.

LOL CM~ hey, if you have anything to add....

Thanks for the link to recalls. Of course, when I've asked them they say there are none. I'm so stressed over this. {she must be, you say, she keeps bringing this thread back to life!} This is the first new car we've ever owned. I swear, we never had problems like this with any old car we've purchased.

[MouseWife]

Oooooh! That site was so confusing!! Do you have to be a mechanic to understand what that stuff means? Are all of those things listed on the TSB/Recalls list things that are wrong or could be wrong with this vehicle???

I want a horse.

[Betty]

I think my car got jealous as the check engine light came on after it downshifted hard... and then all the little boxes around the drive letter for the transmission all lit up at once. Dagnabit. Took it right in to the dealer since he's the only mechanic near my office that I'm aware of - I'm sure there are little hole in the wall places but I have serious trust issues with mechanics. I'm hoping it's going to be warranty work - it's only a few years old.

sigh.

Stupid cars.

I got a "new" (to me) one so I could avoid the issues we were having with a 10 year old car. Now this.

sigh.

Stupid cars.

[MouseWife]

Originally Posted by Betty

I think my car got jealous as the check engine light came on after it downshifted hard... and then all the little boxes around the drive letter for the transmission all lit up at once. Dagnabit. Took it right in to the dealer since he's the only mechanic near my office that I'm aware of - I'm sure there are little hole in the wall places but I have serious trust issues with mechanics. I'm hoping it's going to be warranty work - it's only a few years old.

sigh.

Stupid cars.

I got a "new" (to me) one so I could avoid the issues we were having with a 10 year old car. Now this.

sigh.

Stupid cars.

I feel your pain, I really do. Yep, we had purchased a somewhat new van, it had only 26,000 but it was about 11 or 12 years old when we finally put it to rest. By that time the a/c wasn't working the brakes always a problem, the steering was becoming shakey. And that was our good vehicle!!

I am saying a little prayer to be sent your way that they fix it the first time, right, and that you never have to see their faces again.

[MouseWife]

abg~ it does help to know a few things. I knew that I didn't have a belt. And, I know that it is too early for the chain to be broken, replaced.

And, when they told me the noise I heard was normal. I swear, he couldn't look me in the eye when he said that. It was ridiculous.

I'm really sick over this. It isn't like an iPod {which would actually be a serious bummer} but my car. This concert in Irvine this weekend, I won't drive it up there, if I even get it back. Or maybe I should. Give them hell if it breaks down on me.

I think I now need to know more about the law.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I have trust issues with mechanics, too. I always used to watch them and make them explain *everything*. I was a huge pain in the butt.

I've made it my business to know a few things about cars, so at least I can have a better clue if they're trying to sell me a line of hooey. I've caught two of them trying to con me. I may not be able to work on them, but I know the difference in function between an alternator and a starter (one of the attempted cons).

[alphabassettgrrl]

Yeah, that's probably a good idea. I don't know anything about law.

I did see that - you knew you didn't have a belt. That's good. I had a timing chain break while I was driving but that was ... I don't remember the mileage, but we bought the car at 80,000 miles and drove it to 200,000. I guess it was about 150,000 miles. I learned I should change it every 80,000 miles and that I could have damaged things by its breaking while the engine was on. Ok. I guess I got lucky.

[MouseWife]

Originally Posted by alphabassettgrrl

Yeah, that's probably a good idea. I don't know anything about law.

I did see that - you knew you didn't have a belt. That's good. I had a timing chain break while I was driving but that was ... I don't remember the mileage, but we bought the car at 80,000 miles and drove it to 200,000. I guess it was about 150,000 miles. I learned I should change it every 80,000 miles and that I could have damaged things by its breaking while the engine was on. Ok. I guess I got lucky.

Oh yeah, I learned about the timing belt with our older cars. We learned later with the other vehicles that they switched to chains.

But, we did learn that you should change those belts every 60,000 miles, before they break, before they do damage. It could have been 80,000 or else, which is probably the case, your vehicle wasn't a Ford.

[alphabassettgrrl]

No, not a Ford, it was a little Toyota Tercel that did everything I asked of him and ran great though he'd had a hard childhood. I think it was a flood-recovered vehicle.

[GusGus]

Originally Posted by alphabassettgrrl

No, not a Ford, it was a little Toyota Tercel that did everything I asked of him and ran great though he'd had a hard childhood. I think it was a flood-recovered vehicle.

hmmm...

I wonder if he was mine. Was he silver?