# What to do about my Honda? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 2, 2014, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192 "2014-04-02T19:17:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/21 "2014-04-03T01:34:52Z")
> [@Everyday\_Essentials](#): > > Hey there! Single mom looking for honest, educated, opinions… What exactly is the source of the oil leak? My opinion will be significantly different on what to do if the engine has a cracked block from what it would be if the oil sender is leaking. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/22 "2014-04-03T01:41:22Z")
> [@Melchior](#): > > I would and DID recommend one. Hilarious. I would not take a Honda or Toyota if you gave me one and $10,000 to boot. My 2001 Passat outperforms my boss’s 2010 Toyota Camry hybrid. It’s not even close. I’m struggling to find a place in my post where i mentioned performance. I have no doubt that your V6 Passat gives pretty good performance. I’ve already made clear that i like VWs. Also, the fact that your 190HP 2.8L V6 outperforms a 187HP 2.4L inline 4 is not especially surprising to me, especially given that the Camry gets 8 mpg better fuel consumption on the highway and 16 mpg better around town. But none of that helps the OP at all. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/23 "2014-04-03T01:59:19Z")
What did they say was wrong with the engine, and what are they wanting to do to fix it? I had the valve cover gasket replaced on my car and it cost me about $40 in labor and $20 in parts. That was a minor leak though. Can your son or his father in law fix it for free (or discounted)? If you do that and buy your own parts, I don’t see why it would cost almost 2k to fix. Hell, I have been quoted $300-400 to replace an engine on a car before. A working engine for a 1999 Accord is about $600 on the internet. Looking on [car-part.com](http://car-part.com) some engines are in the $200s for cars with 120k miles. You’d have to pick it up in person though. As others have said, 11.9% for a car loan is pretty steep. I don’t know your credit history though, but that is high. The average lifespan for a car in the US is 17-20 years. For a 15 year old car, even if you fix this it is going to have other problems. Get a cheap mechanic and buy your own parts. This isn’t for huge leaks like the kind that cause you to lose 2 quarts of oil a week, but I’ve have good luck with lucas oil stabilizer for a car that had an oil leak. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/24 "2014-04-03T01:59:38Z")
1. I’d show **Rick** ’s post to your son. Ask him if he knows which one of those things is causing the leak. If he doesn’t know, ask him if he can find out. Because if he doesn’t know, and he and his FIL are talking about charging you $1800-$2000 to fix it, something’s _really_ wrong with the way they’re treating you. Might want to switch mechanics if you can’t get a straight answer from your son. Based on **Rick** ’s cost estimates, if the problem isn’t the rear main seal, it’s well worth the couple hundred bucks to fix the leak, no matter how many miles the Accord has on it. (My 2000 Accord has 215K on it, and is running strong. I love that car. And since yours is a 1999, they should be pretty comparable.) If it is the rear main seal, then the mileage might should play into your decision; even Accords get old eventually. How many miles does it have on it? Also, consider how the body and interior are holding up, and whether it just feels solid when you drive it, aside from the oil slick you’re spreading down as you go. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/25 "2014-04-03T02:26:07Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > What exactly is the source of the oil leak? My opinion will be significantly different on what to do if the engine has a cracked block from what it would be if the oil sender is leaking. I forgot the oil pressure sender, I knew I was overlooking something. :smack: As far as a cracked block or head gasket leaking out externally, that would make the previous repairs even more What The Fuckish. As in putting spark plugs into an engine with a cracked block puts it right up there with “Your husbands arms were cut off with a chain saw, we can’t reattach them, but we did do a manicure on his nails.” In other words a complete waste of time and money ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/26 "2014-04-03T02:28:20Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > **Everyday Essentials** (the OP) is brand new to the SDMB, so it might be worth pointing out that **Rick** , the author of the previous post, is an experienced mechanic and is well known around these message boards as something of an expert on all things automotive. ::: blushes and kicks the dirt with the toe of his shoe::: Aw shucks, thanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Melchior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Melchior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melchior)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/27 "2014-04-03T02:54:43Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I’m s and is very reliabletruggling to find a place in my post where i mentioned performance. I have no doubt that your V6 Passat gives pretty good performance. I’ve already made clear that i like VWs. > > Also, the fact that your 190HP 2.8L V6 outperforms a 187HP 2.4L inline 4 is not especially surprising to me, especially given that the Camry gets 8 mpg better fuel consumption on the highway and 16 mpg better around town. > > But none of that helps the OP at all. I meant performance as in it runs and is very reliable. It’s 10 years older than my boss’s Toyota and there is absolutely no comparison. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/28 "2014-04-03T02:54:49Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > I am baffled about the existing car and the repairs done to it. > The car is leaking a quart of oil a day and they put in new spark plugs? > WTF? Over. > From an auto repair perspective this makes about as much sense as giving a manicure to someone that has arterial bleeding. > This is right up there with “We couldn’t fix your brakes, so we made your horn louder,” > Such a major oil leak can only have a few sources basically: > Front main seal > Rear main seal > Oil pan or gasket > Valve cover gasket/ cam seal > With the exception of the rear main seal these are all fairly minor repairs. ( read cheap) > Even a rear main seal isn’t that bad, it does require removal of the transmission, but you said your son has done that on his car. > The PCV system should be checked and cleaned when the repairs are done as excess pressure in the crankcase could very well be the cause of the engine leaking. > At full retail price with the exception of the rear main we are talking a couple of hundred bucks for any of those repairs. > The rear main would be more $ but even at full retail it wouldn’t hit $1700. > What else are they proposing to fix for that amount of money? Pretty much this. Per Rick’s note the repairs your son performed have nothing to do with the problems you are having re oil. The cost of replacing oil seals should not come anywhere near what you are being quoted. Get another opinion from a different mechanic. Not your son and not your future FIL. The problems to are describing and the costs you are being quoted do not make sense. Do you remember exactly what he told you the problem was that would justify a $ 2,000 repair bill? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/29 "2014-04-03T03:29:52Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > What exactly is the source of the oil leak? My opinion will be significantly different on what to do if the engine has a cracked block from what it would be if the oil sender is leaking. For the record **Gary T** owns his own repair shop and is every bit my equal (if not superior) in his automotive knowledge. I would take my personal car to him for repair, and the names on that list are **very** few. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/30 "2014-04-03T03:43:00Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > For the record **Gary T** owns his own repair shop and is every bit my equal (if not superior) in his automotive knowledge. > I would take my personal car to him for repair, and the names on that list are **very** few. Now I’m blushing. :o ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/31 "2014-04-03T04:02:06Z")
Get a room you two. Yep the repair cost sounds like he is trying to take advantage of you, you could replace the whole engine (used) for that amount. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/32 "2014-04-03T04:12:18Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > Yep the repair cost sounds like he is trying to take advantage of you, you could replace the whole engine (used) for that amount. Which might be called for if the block is cracked. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/33 "2014-04-03T04:19:14Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > Yep the repair cost sounds like he is trying to take advantage of you, you could replace the whole engine (used) for that amount. That’s what got me too. In the case i described above, i was offered the choice between a full overhaul of my Civic’s engine, and a replacement engine. The replacement engine (a reconditioned engine), along with a replacement water pump, timing belt and clutch was quoted at about $2500 including labor. I know that an Accord is not the same as a Civic, but i imagine that the costs for replacing an engine in a 4-cylinder Accord aren’t _that_ much different from the same job in a comparable model-year Civic. > [@Gary\_T](#): > > Which might be called for if the block is cracked. Right, but the biggest warning sign in the OP, IMO, is not just that she’s been quoted two grand, but that no-one seems to have explained to her exactly what’s actually wrong with the car. A quote should demonstrate a pretty good sense of what actually needs to be fixed. I think the OP should make her son hand over his CRX. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/34 "2014-04-03T04:32:55Z")
> [@Melchior](#): > > Look at older VW Passats or Audi A4s, from 2000-2008 or so. There are lots of them out there and I love my 2001 Passat GLX. It is amazing! V6 190 Hp engine. Don’t get the 4 cylinder turbo, as turbos tend to be delicate. My mechanic calls Hondas and Toyotas “appliances”. I have a 2001 A4 and I love it. I also like fixing cars in my spare time. These two statements are not unrelated. I personally don’t buy into the whole attitude of Honda and Toyota as being the _only_ cars reliable enough to drive, but seriously, that vintage of Audi or VW would be very, very close to the bottom of my list of reliable or inexpensive to run cars built in the last couple of decades. They’re pretty fun cars and the styling and interiors are cool but, man, not reliable nor cheap to fix. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/35 "2014-04-03T14:07:48Z")
If by “leak” the OP actually means “burns” a quart a day, that would be major engine repairs. It also might explain the spark plugs if they tried to put in some “hotter” plugs to burn off the excess oil and prevent fouling. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/36 "2014-04-03T15:02:01Z")
> [@JerrySTL](#): > > If by “leak” the OP actually means “burns” a quart a day, that would be major engine repairs. It also might explain the spark plugs if they tried to put in some “hotter” plugs to burn off the excess oil and prevent fouling. If it were in fact burning a quart a day it would be leaving a huge smoke screen behind it. She could sell it to the Navy to hide aircraft carriers. ---
**Author:** ![Melchior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Melchior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melchior)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/37 "2014-04-03T15:05:19Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > I have a 2001 A4 and I love it. I also like fixing cars in my spare time. These two statements are not unrelated. > > I personally don’t buy into the whole attitude of Honda and Toyota as being the _only_ cars reliable enough to drive, but seriously, that vintage of Audi or VW would be very, very close to the bottom of my list of reliable or inexpensive to run cars built in the last couple of decades. They’re pretty fun cars and the styling and interiors are cool but, man, not reliable nor cheap to fix. Look at how many 2001 A4s and Passats are on the road, vs Hondas and Toyotas. No comparison, the German stuff is far better and \*worth \*fixing! ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/38 "2014-04-03T15:06:39Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > If it were in fact burning a quart a day it would be leaving a huge smoke screen behind it. > She could sell it to the Navy to hide aircraft carriers. 🙂 I once owned a 1962 Studebaker Hawk GT that burned a quart every 50 miles until I rebuilt the engine. It was very handy in spraying for mosquitoes. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/39 "2014-04-03T16:34:09Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > For the record **Gary T** owns his own repair shop and is every bit my equal (if not superior) in his automotive knowledge. > I would take my personal car to him for repair, and the names on that list are **very** few. Seriously, **Rick** and \*\*Gary T \*\*in one thread? ::swoon ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192/40 "2014-04-03T17:20:38Z")
> [@Melchior](#): > > Look at how many 2001 A4s and Passats are on the road, vs Hondas and Toyotas. No comparison, the German stuff is far better and \*worth \*fixing! Are you saying that there are more 2001 Audis and Passats on the road than 2001 Hondas and Toyotas? Sorry OP, for continuing this side track. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-my-honda/685192.md?page=3)