Auto Mechanic Help

[Alyada]

Hey guys,

I recently took my car in for a standard oil change. I'm walking out of this place with a $500 estimate to "fix" everything that's "wrong" with my car.

I got this puppy last year, not even being a year old yet. The mechanics say:

- Oil Leak (there is evidence of this, but I have not noticed any leaking or lessening of oil in my car. I got the oil changed about August of '07, do you think it would just need to be replaced around April of '08?)
- Coolant Leak (just filled this prior to this year. Still seems pretty full. The mechanic showed me evidence, but I'm not buying)
- Front wheel bearing going bad (can't show me this, but I did some research and, supposedly, I'm supposed to be able to hear this bearing going bad. I hear nothing from my car, going fast or slow)

Do you guys have any general motor information or some tips on how to avoid this catastrophe? I drive an 2002 Oldsmobile Aroura.

Thanks.

 

[Rayn]

Many auto shops do that kind of "free inspection check" of your car to find things that may be wrong, but sometimes they are con-artists just yanking your chain. Get a second opinion about and look into the shop's reputation if you can. Dealerships do the same thing as well. I don't know the engine setup for your car, but cars around that year are difficult to change the oil yourself since they are usually compacted behind/ beneath other components.

Oil Leak- A likely place is the oil pan if it is indeed leaking through the seal. What I would do is check the dipstick every time over the course of a few weeks and gauge how much oil you are losing. If you have to put in a couple quarts every other week or so then yeah get that taken care of.

Coolant Leak- Check the hoses and try to find the leak yourself, if you have the leak get it taken care of. Also try to keep track of how often you need to fill it up the reservoir if it may be leaking

Wheel Bearing- The bearings just like brake pads going out make this horrible racket while driving. Metal scraping is typically how it sounds, but if you have not heard anything then that isn't a problem.

Just get a second opinion or better yet, go pick up a Chilton's manual for your car and get to know your car. Possibly even take it out to a dinner and a movie (just kidding about this part lol). In any case good luck.

 

[Mistra]

There's a long history of mechanical checks on vehicles that will come back with various things wrong.

The things you see mentioned there, are all high man hour repairs.

The most pertinent of the three things to investigate further on and get a second opinion is the wheel bearing, but don't... let that get in your head as it's something of dire importance.

You can physically see if there's an oil leak, so let your eyes be the judge of that.

Additionally, checking the fluid reservoires under the hood will help you discover if there's reasonable evidence that you have a leak elsewhere.

If you can't hear the tire grinding or whining slightly as you turn, chances are you are it's ok. As mentioned, often times shops will quote you out on things that could be an issue later, but only the ones that are have high repair times. If all we paid for was parts on repairs, fixing things wouldn't cost nearly as much, but man hours... that's where the money is made for auto shops.

Surprised they didn't try and tell you your shocks were leaking too, that one I always did find entertaining to hear.

 

[eiteen]

what kind of car is it?

oil leak - unless your car is sitting in a puddle every morning then i dont see it as a huge problem. it also could be caused by your drain plug washer because whoever has been doing your oil is reusing that washer so its leaking from there. another possibility is that the seal around the pan could be bad, but in all honesty thats not even that hard to fix.

coolant - keep an eye on your temp gauge and see if its causing your temp to fluctuate. you can also check for leaks by looking at the hoses and it will look like the coolant has dried onto the ends of the hoses. if you do decide on checking your coolant level in the radiator make sure you dont do it after a long drive! if it bothers you that much, you can always carry distilled water in your trunk and top off your coolant before you drive anywhere.

wheel bearing - if it aint broke, dont fix it. and yes you will be able to hear obvious noises coming from your wheel if the bearing is going bad.

 

[Anttaru]

Hey guys,

I recently took my car in for a standard oil change. I'm walking out of this place with a $500 estimate to "fix" everything that's "wrong" with my car.

I got this puppy last year, not even being a year old yet. The mechanics say:

- Oil Leak (there is evidence of this, but I have not noticed any leaking or lessening of oil in my car. I got the oil changed about August of '07, do you think it would just need to be replaced around April of '08?)
- Coolant Leak (just filled this prior to this year. Still seems pretty full. The mechanic showed me evidence, but I'm not buying)
- Front wheel bearing going bad (can't show me this, but I did some research and, supposedly, I'm supposed to be able to hear this bearing going bad. I hear nothing from my car, going fast or slow)

Do you guys have any general motor information or some tips on how to avoid this catastrophe? I drive an 2002 Oldsmobile Aroura.

Thanks.

If you have a coolant leak you'd smell it. It actually has a sweet candy like scent as though there was sugar in the air. But mainly, a coolant leak will lead to your car overheating. When there is a coolant leak, the thermal stat will be high even shortly after toping the coolant. If neither of these symptoms are present, then your being screwed over.

Evidence of oil leak is easy to make. If there actually is one, it's just as easy to fix.

As for the wheel bearing. You would hear something but it just might be on it's way to the junkyard in the sky for real.

Next time you bring your car into a shop, tell them your getting a second opinion cause the last place was full of shit.

 

[Alyada]

Thanks for the advice guys. ;D

 

[Acks]

Throw in my 2cents here.

Oil leak - you'll notice a dramatic loss of oil on the dipstick. Some oil does burn overtime depending how you abuse your car.

Coolant - you'll see dried coolant if there's a leak (green/blue and crusty). Even if your reservoir tank looks low, it doesn't mean it is. Some of it is probably dispersed throughout the car.

Wheel bearing - Yeah, you'd hear a weird sound as you accelerate

 

[Lanien]

The oil and coolant were covered well, but for the bearing, try accelerating slowly with the wheel turned all the way in one direction to see if you have a crunching noise. If you hear it, it could be a few things like the axel, bearings or even the break calipers. If he says it is the bearings though, and can't show you, then he is full of shit. Doesn't hurt to try my way though.

 

[iaredrew]

Is this coming from a stealership or a local shop? Brand-name or no-name?

Leaks are easy to detect. If you don't see any puddles or smell anything strange, they're BSing you. Your car is new enough that If there was some sort of weird serious oil or coolant leak, your dash would flash a light at you.

Now are you guys as well as the original poster thinking axel bearing or wheel bearing? Cause I know FWD axel bearings will clunk when you turn. Wheel bearings are a different story. Wheel bearings hum, axel bearings clunk.

 

[Acks]

Both. I had a friend with a bad wheel bearing. You get that nice rubbing kinda sound vvvvvvVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV as you accelerate with a slight amout of vibration. Either way, he'll hear/feel something.

If not..."This forum does not represent or condone anything said by its members. Any damages yo u receive are your own issue, etc. SE is not responsible if your car is stolen by a 3rd party."