YACT My Accord is making me cry!

[dabuddha]

Need some advice for my car.

specs: 1994 Honda Accord LX automatic 2.2L ~118,000 miles on it

Story: I just got my timing belt changed (timing belt, drive belts, water pump, etc) from the dealer (surprisingly, their price was cheaper than any other shop I could find locally) and they did a "complimentary" inspection of my car at my request. They came up with the following problems:

Found front motor mount broken $200.00
Found oil pan gasket leaking $250.00
Found sway bar bushings cracked $250.00
Found right axle seal leaking $200.00
Found muffler broken at weld $580.00 (Muffler and B Pipe)
Found power steering pump seal leaking $300.00
Found ignition wire with high resistance $175.00
Found distributor O ring leaking $100.00
Found valve cover gasket leaking $100.00
----------
Grand Total $2155.00

Now my problem is (besides the "grand total") that I don't know that much about cars. My dad's been the one whose always taken care of our cars. I am pretty good
with my hands and would have no problems fixing some of this stuff my self (If they're not too complicated). First thing though, I need this list of stuff to be
prioritized. I don't know which of those problems are serious and which aren't. That way I can take care of the major ones first. Secondly, I've been looking high and low (online) for any online "tutorials" on how to fix some of these problems. I've only been able to pull up dealer/garage websites however. Third thing, my
car makes a squealing noise whenever I'm driving. It goes away when I hit my brakes but comes back as soon as I let go of the brakes. Before, when my pads were
getting worn out, my car would usually squeal whenever I hit the brakes, not when I let them go. Any idea what this might be?
TIA for any help!

 

[edro]

Things to ignore:
Found oil pan gasket leaking $250.00
Found sway bar bushings cracked $250.00
Found right axle seal leaking $200.00
Found muffler broken at weld $580.00 (Muffler and B Pipe)
Found power steering pump seal leaking $300.00
Found ignition wire with high resistance $175.00
Found distributor O ring leaking $100.00
Found valve cover gasket leaking $100.00

The only thing I would worry about is the Motor Mount (it is shake stuff up and cause more problems), and the Muffler weld. Everything else is common on a car that age.

 

[Red]

Sounds like these guys dumped a bunch of oil in your motor and said all the parts are leaking.

 

[NutBucket]

Even if all of those things need to be "addressed" its way too much money. Example, front motor mount is a $80 part that takes 10 minutes to replace. The oil pan gasket is a bit more work but is a $15-$20 part that doesn't take more then an hour to replace. The axle seal can be fixed much cheaper then that. Really, you could drive on it until it starts making noise which won't be for quite some time. Those "high resistance ignition wires" will cost you $50 in parts (Autozone/etc.) and take 5 minutes to replace without any tools. Basically, tell the dealer to shove it and have a friend who has just a tad of mechanical ability help you out. Oh, that muffler and pipe you can have replaced at any decent shop for less then $200 easily.

 

[tnitsuj]

Originally posted by: dabuddha
Need some advice for my car.

specs: 1994 Honda Accord LX automatic 2.2L ~118,000 miles on it

Story: I just got my timing belt changed (timing belt, drive belts, water pump, etc) from the dealer (surprisingly, their price was cheaper than any other shop I could find locally) and they did a "complimentary" inspection of my car at my request. They came up with the following problems:

Found front motor mount broken $200.00
Found oil pan gasket leaking $250.00
Found sway bar bushings cracked $250.00
Found right axle seal leaking $200.00
Found muffler broken at weld $580.00 (Muffler and B Pipe)
Found power steering pump seal leaking $300.00
Found ignition wire with high resistance $175.00
Found distributor O ring leaking $100.00
Found valve cover gasket leaking $100.00
----------
Grand Total $2155.00

Now my problem is (besides the "grand total") that I don't know that much about cars. My dad's been the one whose always taken care of our cars. I am pretty good
with my hands and would have no problems fixing some of this stuff my self (If they're not too complicated). First thing though, I need this list of stuff to be
prioritized. I don't know which of those problems are serious and which aren't. That way I can take care of the major ones first. Secondly, I've been looking high and low (online) for any online "tutorials" on how to fix some of these problems. I've only been able to pull up dealer/garage websites however. Third thing, my
car makes a squealing noise whenever I'm driving. It goes away when I hit my brakes but comes back as soon as I let go of the brakes. Before, when my pads were
getting worn out, my car would usually squeal whenever I hit the brakes, not when I let them go. Any idea what this might be?
TIA for any help!

They are trying to rape you. Go to an independant shop (preferrably a Honda certified mechanic and have it looked at again)

 

[Lifer]

Originally posted by: edro13
The only thing I would worry about is the Motor Mount (it is shake stuff up and cause more problems), and the Muffler weld. Everything else is common on a car that age.

why would u recommend to change motor mounts? mine's been shaky for over a year now and it doesn't cause much problems?

what about the muffler weld? mine's been leaky for 2 years now and it still passed emissions

 

[lowtech1]

Have your car check at another shop for a second opinion.

> Found front motor mount broken $200.00
Can you feel the car vibrate when idling?


> Found oil pan gasket leaking $250.00
I'm not familiar with the accord, but the gasket shouldn't cost that much to replace...see if tighten loose oil pan bolts would stop the leak.

> Found sway bar bushings cracked $250.00
That is damn expensive for a bushing replace ment.

Found right axle seal leaking $200.00
Found muffler broken at weld $580.00 (Muffler and B Pipe)
Found power steering pump seal leaking $300.00

Found ignition wire with high resistance $175.00
> Check clean the contacts if needed to see if it would help.

Found distributor O ring leaking $100.00

> Found valve cover gasket leaking $100.00
See if tighten loose bolts would stop the leak.

 

[NutBucket]

For your squealing grease the caliper pins. This should fix the problem. Should take you all of 15 minutes to do.

 

[dabuddha]

Originally posted by: lowtech
Have your car check at another shop for a second opinion.

> Found front motor mount broken $200.00
Can you feel the car vibrate when idling?


> Found oil pan gasket leaking $250.00
I'm not familiar with the accord, but the gasket shouldn't cost that much to replace...see if tighten loose oil pan bolts would stop the leak.

> Found sway bar bushings cracked $250.00
That is damn expensive for a bushing replace ment.

Found right axle seal leaking $200.00
Found muffler broken at weld $580.00 (Muffler and B Pipe)
Found power steering pump seal leaking $300.00

Found ignition wire with high resistance $175.00
> Check clean the contacts if needed to see if it would help.

Found distributor O ring leaking $100.00

> Found valve cover gasket leaking $100.00
See if tighten loose bolts would stop the leak.

The car does vibrate when I idle. I probably should get that taken care of at least. BTW I don't plan on getting anything done by the dealer. I know those prices are really high, just wanted to show how much they want to rape me for
As for the ignition wires, my dad was telling me it's pretty simple so I'll pick up the parts and take care of that on my own. I'm just looking for something online that'll show me how it's done. I saw a "Hayne's" manual for my car and I liked how it was put together. Seemed real easy to follow. I'll check on tightening those bolts to see if that'll take care of those problems. The muffler I'll get done from an outside shop this weekend sometime.

Thanks for all the responses btw!

 

[NutBucket]

Be careful when tightening bolts on your car. Aluminum does not take kindly to overtightened fasteners. If you want to be safe I recommend using a 1/4 drive rachet on small things, like the oil pan bolts, valve cover bolts, etc. Just be wary of everything that bolts to the motor inself. You'd be hard pressed to strip the bolts that hold in the motor mount, for example.

 

[Thegonagle]

Motor Mount?get that fixed. That should take care of that engine vibration.

Oil pan gasket?clean it off at a self-serv car wash, and monitor. Make sure that all of the bolts are tight, and get in the habit of checking the oil every week or two. Don?t over tighten, it?s an aluminum block.

Sway bar bushings?forget ?em for now. As long as you?ve got some bushing left, you?ll never notice. It?s not dangerous, but if the links or bushings fail, the car will lean a lot in corners, and the parts will probably make a lot of rattling noises.

Right axle seal?This is the transmission seal where the axle-shaft is attached to the transmission. Clean it off and monitor. Check your transmission fluid level from time to time. Refill with Honda ATF. It will get worse over time, but if it?s not bad now, you don?t need to worry too much right now. Never let the transmission fluid get low!!!

Muffler?The Honda replacement parts are stainless steel and last a darn long time, but they?re expensive. You can go to a local mechanic and get it replaced for much less. Don?t worry until it starts to make too much noise though.

Power steering?check the fluid, refill with Honda Power steering fluid, and forget it, unless it?s leaking badly.

Ignition wires?they really checked those? Does is misfire under mid to heavy throttle, or does it run poorly in the rain? If not, forget ?em! If you?re nervous, some Belden brand wires from Napa will be $25-40, and are of fine quality. Use the silicone grease that?s included in the box on the inside of all the boots to ensure a water-proof seal. Replace them one at a time to prevent mixing them up.

If you?re going to replace those wires, replace the spark plugs while you?re at it. Use a small amount of anti-seize lube, and do not over tighten! To get spark plugs started without cross-threading, turn them backwards slowly, without the ratchet, until you feel it ?fall? back into the threads, then start tightening by hand for several turns, and then finally tighten with a ratchet.

Distributor cover gasket?Does it run poorly in the rain? If so, this is the first place to look. If not, don?t lose any sleep on this one. First, unscrew the distributor cap (you don?t need to detach any of the wires). It?s held down by two Phillips screws. There?s a gasket between the cap and the body that keeps water from leaking in. Take a look at the gasket and check look on the inside of the cap for any condensation. If you see any cracks in the gasket, or any condensation, get the part at the dealer and replace it yourself. It?s $15 at the most, and should be much less, IIRC. Use the remainder of that silicone grease from the plug wires to coat this gasket for a longer lasting seal.

Valve cover gasket?AFTER you have some new, nicely sealed-up plug wires and you?ve checked that distributor gasket, you can clean this off at the self-serv car wash and monitor the leak. Keep checking that oil. (Come to think of it, why didn?t they replace this as a matter of course when they replaced the timing belt? Maybe the cover doesn?t need to come off, but I thought it did. I could be wrong.)

I hope this helps. I should have been writing a paper right now! This is somewhat of a repeat of of what others have told you, but I go into a little detail for you.

EDIT: Your brake squeal sounds like a wear sensor on the brake pad(s). That's how they often behave (terrible screeching when you're NOT braking). You probably do need new brake pads again. The wear sensor will fall off soon and stop making noise, but then the next sound you hear will be the sound of the metal pad backing plate gouging a rotor.

 

[dabuddha]

Originally posted by: Thegonagle
Motor Mount?get that fixed. That should take care of that engine vibration.

Oil pan gasket?clean it off at a self-serv car wash, and monitor. Make sure that all of the bolts are tight, and get in the habit of checking the oil every week or two. Don?t over tighten, it?s an aluminum block.

Sway bar bushings?forget ?em for now. As long as you?ve got some bushing left, you?ll never notice. It?s not dangerous, but if the links or bushings fail, the car will lean a lot in corners, and the parts will probably make a lot of rattling noises.

Right axle seal?This is the transmission seal where the axle-shaft is attached to the transmission. Clean it off and monitor. Check your transmission fluid level from time to time. Refill with Honda ATF. It will get worse over time, but if it?s not bad now, you don?t need to worry too much right now. Never let the transmission fluid get low!!!

Muffler?The Honda replacement parts are stainless steel and last a darn long time, but they?re expensive. You can go to a local mechanic and get it replaced for much less. Don?t worry until it starts to make too much noise though.

Power steering?check the fluid, refill with Honda Power steering fluid, and forget it, unless it?s leaking badly.

Ignition wires?they really checked those? Does is misfire under mid to heavy throttle, or does it run poorly in the rain? If not, forget ?em! If you?re nervous, some Belden brand wires from Napa will be $25-40, and are of fine quality. Use the silicone grease that?s included in the box on the inside of all the boots to ensure a water-proof seal. Replace them one at a time to prevent mixing them up.

If you?re going to replace those wires, replace the spark plugs while you?re at it. Use a small amount of anti-seize lube, and do not over tighten! To get spark plugs started without cross-threading, turn them backwards slowly, without the ratchet, until you feel it ?fall? back into the threads, then start tightening by hand for several turns, and then finally tighten with a ratchet.

Distributor cover gasket?Does it run poorly in the rain? If so, this is the first place to look. If not, don?t lose any sleep on this one. First, unscrew the distributor cap (you don?t need to detach any of the wires). It?s held down by two Phillips screws. There?s a gasket between the cap and the body that keeps water from leaking in. Take a look at the gasket and check look on the inside of the cap for any condensation. If you see any cracks in the gasket, or any condensation, get the part at the dealer and replace it yourself. It?s $15 at the most, and should be much less, IIRC. Use the remainder of that silicone grease from the plug wires to coat this gasket for a longer lasting seal.

Valve cover gasket?AFTER you have some new, nicely sealed-up plug wires and you?ve checked that distributor gasket, you can clean this off at the self-serv car wash and monitor the leak. Keep checking that oil. (Come to think of it, why didn?t they replace this as a matter of course when they replaced the timing belt? Maybe the cover doesn?t need to come off, but I thought it did. I could be wrong.)

I hope this helps. I should have been writing a paper right now! This is somewhat of a repeat of of what others have told you, but I go into a little detail for you.

Wow thanks for all the info. I'll probably spend the weekend taking care of all this. How much does it usually cost to get the motor mount fixed? My dad was telling me they basically just lift the engine out of the car and replace the mount and place it back in (to sum it up)

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: dabuddha
Wow thanks for all the info. I'll probably spend the weekend taking care of all this. How much does it usually cost to get the motor mount fixed? My dad was telling me they basically just lift the engine out of the car and replace the mount and place it back in (to sum it up)

That sums it up, but it's oversimplified to the point that sounds like a lot more work than it is.

They don't pull the engine out of the car. All they really do is support the engine temporarily from below, and lift it perhaps a cm or two to give clearance while they replace the part.

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: dabuddha
I'm just looking for something online that'll show me how it's done. I saw a "Hayne's" manual for my car and I liked how it was put together. Seemed real easy to follow.
Thanks for all the responses btw!

My local library used to have Hayne's and/or Chilton's manuals.
Check with yours if you can't find anything on line.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: Thegonagle

Originally posted by: dabuddha
Wow thanks for all the info. I'll probably spend the weekend taking care of all this. How much does it usually cost to get the motor mount fixed? My dad was telling me they basically just lift the engine out of the car and replace the mount and place it back in (to sum it up)

That sums it up, but it's oversimplified to the point that sounds like a lot more work than it is.

They don't pull the engine out of the car. All they really do is support the engine temporarily from below, and lift it perhaps a cm or two to give clearance while they replace the part.

If its the front mount on the Accord you don't even need to support it. Front mount is the torque mount and doesn't support any weight. It just keeps the engine from rocking back and forth during normal driving. If you can change your oil you can change this mount yourself