"High Tech Misfit" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:9cs0npgzine$.dlg@hightech.misfit...
>I think my '93 Accord is cursed! Up until the start of this year, it had
> been rock solid with very few non-routine problems. But since the start
> of
> the year, it has experienced a handful of silly and/or annoying problems.
> They include:
>
> - Bent shock sleeve causing an annoying squeak over the slightest bumps;
> - Stiff climate control slider switch (I may have posted about this issue
> here); panel was replaced with a used one;
> - Hood release cable broke;
> - Clogged fuel filter;
> - Muffler, catalytic converter, and some other exhaust parts replaced due
> to
> years of corrosion--not to mention loudness under acceleration;
> - Left front upper control arm replaced due to play in the ball joint.
>
> The first 4 items were minor in severity and cost, but the last 2 items
> set
> me back considerably more financially. And now, some more issues have
> just
> popped up:
>
> 1. When the control arm was replaced a couple weeks ago, my mechanic
> suggested that the EGR ports be cleaned. OK, I have no problem in getting
> that done, about an hour of labour. I had felt for some time that the car
> had been slightly "missing" at times (in fact, I had previously thought it
> was the tires).
>
> 2. This started a few days ago... I have been noticing gas fumes both in
> and
> out of the car but it's not always there. It's most evident upon starting
> the car (cold or warm) and just after it has been turned off, although
> sometimes it could be detected while driving. I checked for leaks
> underneath and there were none. In fact, the tank and fuel lines were
> replaced a few years ago. Would something else cause a non-liquid leak?
>
> 3. This started yesterday... the car is once again very loud under
> acceleration (louder than before the muffler, cat, etc. were replaced). I
> don't remember what other parts were replaced before besides the muffler
> and
> cat, but could there be some other part on the exhaust that would need
> replacing? I saw something on Tegger's site about an "A-pipe" that is
> known
> to cause buzzing, but I do not know if that was ever replaced.
>
> 4. Finally, my mechanic (who has always been honest and has done good work
> on my car) advised me that the radiator will likely need to be replaced by
> next spring.
>
> I have already spent $1700 (CDN) on maintenance this year (above issues
> and
> some regular maintenance). But with more money about to be spent on these
> new issues (radiator will wait for now), I am now wondering if this is the
> time to consider a newer car. I know that what I have spent so far this
> year averaged over 12 months is still lower than monthly car payments, but
> there's no way of telling what will go wrong next and how much more I will
> have to spend. And I would prefer to spend less time at the mechanic than
> I
> have been this year.
>
> Then again, even though the car has only 241,000km (~ 150,000 miles), for
> a
> car of this age to live through all those harsh winters and numerous trips
> over ridiculously rough roads, I suppose it doesn't owe me a thing. :-)
>
> So what do you think I should do? Should I keep it and maintain hope that
> next year will be better? Or should I start looking for something newer?

Everyone else posted good points about cost. Here are some other things you
can do, or think about. Have your mechanic or another mechanic/dealership
do a once over on the entire car, and see what else may need attention soon.
You can go through your old records and see what has/hasn't already been
done.

On top of the costs think about the time and inconvenience of taking the car
to the shop and the possibility it can have a major break down when you're
driving. Then think of the costs of a new/another used car, the payments
unless you're fortunate enough to pay off in full. With a new car, you'll
get peace of mind and knowing everything is new and *should* work fine.
Also the warranty. With a new car you could be making monthly payments on
something that would still depreciate but still hold more value. With a
used car, there are no monthly payments but constant maintenance going into
a car that is worth very little.

I was in a similar situation and every time I turned around there was
another unexpected problem that cost more $$$ than expected. Was finally
talked into buying new - tell ya what. The peace of mind of a reliable car
and not worrying about unusual maintenance, at least for a long time, was
worth it!

You'll need to check your circumstances and crunch the numbers to see if
it's worth it to you. If you decide to buy new and don't need to dump big
change into your car right away, you'll have the advantage of TIME while
shopping for another car which will give negotiating power to you.

I'm not telling you to buy a newer car, or to fix your current one. Just
something to think about..

Good luck!
-Dave