Car issues... bleh

[erincon23]

We have a 13-year old Honda Civic that the two DS's drive. It's got nearly 220,000 miles on it, and we haven't had to put a whole lot into it --figured we had another two or three years on it, until I replace my 6-1/2 year old Santa Fe, that goes to the kids, and I get a new car.

Last couple of days, it's been making a loud noise. On Valentine's Day, it had a hard time starting for DS20, finally turned over. When he tried to go somewhere else that day, he got a lot of noise and a burning smell. Whoa! He drove my car that night.

Took it to the Honda dealer (where we always take it), and they said that the whole A/C system is shot - which we wouldn't really care about -- but it affects the cooling system, so it's not driveable (well, back home at least). $1300!!! No way. I told DH, well there goes our Disney money (we're driving down to Florida over spring break when DS17's high school band and choir performs there). He said, too bad, he'd rather junk the car (I think he really needs a vacation).

Good news -- DH's best friend's son completed mechanic school a couple of years ago and works on cars as a sideline. DH does that family's tax returns every year, so the son is always offering to help us out, and said he could replace the system with a remanufactured part for $300 and no labor charge! Yay! So the Disney trip is on, and maybe we'll still get another year or two out of the car. Now all we have to do is get the car to Dan's house, 20 miles away, for him to work on.

 

[Local_Girl]

Yay that the trip's still on! We've had car issues mess with our Disney plans more than once, and it's a real pain. One year, DH had the car detailed before we left and somehow water got up under the car and made the carpeting smell mildewy and awful. He pulled apart much of the interior floor of the car and had fans blowing on them (the NIGHT BEFORE our trip) to totally dry them out, as it would have been a long drive to FL with a damp stinky floor. Another time, the transmission failed in our van--the second transmission we had replaced in the van, and it was only 2 years old--only one week before we were supposed to drive to WDW. We ended up taking our old reliable car. It was super cramped for 4 of us (2 teens), but we managed and had a great trip anyway.

 

[cheap traveler]

2000 Honda Civic, AC issue that is tied to the cooling system? Doesn't seem to make sense. They are seperate systems, serviced by seperate "fluids" (actually a gas in the AC), and they don't run together at all.

AC: compressor, condensor, dryer, EVAP core, metal lines.

Cooling: radiator, water pump, rubber hoses, maybe some larger metal, heater core, engine block.

If it's the compressor that froze up, have the best friend's son check with the parts store to see if : A) they sell a bypass bracket, or B) you can fit a smaller belt on the system that will avoid the compressor. The bypass bracket basically takes the place of the compressor, giving you just a benign pulley instead of a compressor.

Best of luck!!

 

[erincon23]

Cheap traveler -- Honda told me that the car needed a new compressor, clutch and coil system, and that if we buy it remanufactured, it would come all assembled -- I easily could have misunderstood what they said (not knowing anything about cars). I'll pass along your information to our friend! Thanks!

 

[wishesuponastar]

So happy your trip is back on!! Hope the friend can fix the car for you. What a nice guy not to charge labor.

 

[bemily]

Can you have it towed there instead of driving? AAA maybe?

 

[erincon23]

Can you have it towed there instead of driving? AAA maybe?

That's what I was thinking - we have towing insurance on the car. I just have to find out if it's covered for this situation. On the way home from the dealership, I told DS to take side roads because it would be easier to pull over if he had trouble! Fortunately, he and the car made it home in one (unburned) piece. But I don't think it would be a good idea to drive it the 20 miles to where it will be repaired.