Honda Car Forum

I got my car around one and half years back, and its not given me any
major problems since then. The only maintenance I gave her was the
regular oil-changes.

[Car Details: 1990 Honda Accord LX Sedan 4D, 142K milage
4-Cyl. 2.2 Liter , Automatic Transmission]

(1) Few months back the alternator went bad, and I had it replaced
from Autozone. I am fairly a new driver and I dont know much about car
details. The autozone people first tricked me into changing the
battery and eventually i had to change the alternator too. It all cost
me around 150$.

(2) Thereafter, after a couple of months the car wouldnt start when I
tried starting it after it had a quite day in the garage. It seemed
the battery got drained out or something, though I didnt feel so 2
days before.. when I last drove it. So I got it jump-started and took
it to FireStone. They said, the alternator I got from Autozone was
faulty and that they would have to change that. That alone cost me
377$!! I had no option since I work from 8 to 5, this is my only car
and I didnt want to bother my friends.

So all in all, though getting the alternator changed is a very common
and a trivial problem it did cost me a lot: (1) around 550$ (2) the
feeling that it is very easy for any mechanic to fool me (3) A
recently developed sense of distrust towards my car (I dont like
that!), though it was not at all her fault in all what happened.

My questions:
- What precautions do I need to take to avoid any potential problem
with my car? I am taking her to a mechanic this weekend, to get her
Engine, Transmission, Suspension etc checked. (I hardly know any of
these terms in detail, but I got the information from kbb). I'll also
have my car tuned up (change spark plugs and all that). Do I need to
give her any other periodic maintenance?

- Are there any good (honest) mechanics around Birmingham (AL). Incase
so, could somebody please give me their contact information?

- Is there anything I can do to not let mechanics fool me any further
(besides learning from my own mistakes) ? Incase there r some
easy-to-learn tutorials about the common car problems please let me
know.

- How bad is getting the time belt changed? I think that might be one
thing I need to do eventually. Please let me know if that has any
potential after-effects (such as leaks) and if its a very delicate job
(something that i should get done only from a talented mechanic)

- And my last question, how many times have i been fooled by
mechanics?? (Autozone/Firestone/or Both

Thanks a lot for ur time!!

> - How bad is getting the time belt changed?

Bad. This vehicle needs a shaft seal retainer. The dealer sometimes
provides a free retainer. Without this part, it may suddenly leak by the
pint.

> - What precautions to take to avoid potential problem?

Flashing oil light means reduce speed, stop engine and check your oil level.
Oil light stays on means to stop motor immediately.
Koji