Honda Car Forum

Hello,
Need some advice. Is it a bad idea to
buy brake pads from Honda and get to Pep Boys
for the labor of replacing them?

If not, any other chain shops that do
a decent job?

Also, do they do a decent job at some of the
fluid changes, like oil and cooling system.

Let me know any experiences you may have had!

THANKS

On 23 Aug 2004 15:28:02 -0700, corsica@ragingbull.com (curious) wrote:

>Hello,
>Need some advice. Is it a bad idea to
>buy brake pads from Honda and get to Pep Boys
>for the labor of replacing them?

Probably. My experience was that the chain stores may not bother to
clean and lube the hand brake lever and other parts. Might be OK on
the fronts.


>
>If not, any other chain shops that do
>a decent job?
>
>Also, do they do a decent job at some of the
>fluid changes, like oil and cooling system.
>
>Let me know any experiences you may have had!
>
>THANKS

"curious" <corsica@ragingbull.com> wrote
> Hello,
> Need some advice. Is it a bad idea to
> buy brake pads from Honda and get to Pep Boys
> for the labor of replacing them?

I think brake pads are so easy that I'd trust Pep Boys to do them right,
especially if you're going to hand them OEM pads.

Firestone did my 91 Civic's rear (drum brake's) shoes a few years ago, and I've
seen no problems. I don't even know what brand they used, though I'm betting
they were not OEM. (In my never-ending quest to learn more about my car and
mechanical engineering, I recently took apart the rear drum brakes and inspected
all, too, so I don't write this casually.)

> If not, any other chain shops that do
> a decent job?
>
> Also, do they do a decent job at some of the
> fluid changes, like oil and cooling system.

Pep Boys is the same roll of the dice as any other chain store for oil changes,
IMO.

Buy a new oil drain plug washer and Honda Filter, and bring your own oil, if you
want, and all should be about as good as you can get without doing it yourself.

Always be alert to the oil pressure light coming on right after an oil change.
Sometimes the technicians don't get the filter on right. Not likely, but I've
seen it personally once in my life, 20+ years ago, courtesy of a Sears kid
technician.

Of course, since then, no one but me changes the oil. :-)

As for the coolant system:
Consider the dealer or an independent shop that uses OEM Honda coolant. There's
evidence that Honda cars are persnickety about the type of coolant put into
them. If you want to sleep well and are not a DIYer, then you want OEM coolant
only.

I used Prestone in my 91 Honda Civic for a few years and think paid the price in
broken water pumps. I think I'm on my fourth, with two failing within two years'
time from 1999-2001, IIRC.

> Let me know any experiences you may have had!
>
> THANKS

Welcome. :-)

Caroline wrote:
> I think brake pads are so easy that I'd trust Pep Boys to do them right,
> especially if you're going to hand them OEM pads.

unless they "find other things wrong"...

sticky caliper? total pressure bleed? who knows. id do it meself.

Caroline wrote:
>
> As for the coolant system:
> Consider the dealer or an independent shop that uses OEM Honda coolant. There's
> evidence that Honda cars are persnickety about the type of coolant put into
> them. If you want to sleep well and are not a DIYer, then you want OEM coolant
> only.

to be on the safe side? sure.

ive had orange prestone in for the past 3 years- since the 3 yr/36k mile
change. just changed it again, the old stuff looked good as new- no
floating particles, no scale, nuttin... and the radiator core looked
brand new too, nice n shiny. its the silver jug, "100k miles" (ha!)
silicate and phosphate free stuff. to be mixed ONLY in a 50/50
concentration (or less coolant) with distilled water.

but no- the green crap is bad news in all modern aluminum engines.

On 8/24/04 12:48 AM, in article vEAWc.58304$mD.36577@attbi_s02, "SoCalMike"
<mikein562athotmail@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Caroline wrote:
>>
>> As for the coolant system:
>> Consider the dealer or an independent shop that uses OEM Honda coolant.
>> There's
>> evidence that Honda cars are persnickety about the type of coolant put into
>> them. If you want to sleep well and are not a DIYer, then you want OEM
>> coolant
>> only.
>
> to be on the safe side? sure.
>
> ive had orange prestone in for the past 3 years- since the 3 yr/36k mile
> change. just changed it again, the old stuff looked good as new- no
> floating particles, no scale, nuttin... and the radiator core looked
> brand new too, nice n shiny. its the silver jug, "100k miles" (ha!)
> silicate and phosphate free stuff. to be mixed ONLY in a 50/50
> concentration (or less coolant) with distilled water.
>
> but no- the green crap is bad news in all modern aluminum engines.

When my '96 Odyssey came up for its first coolant change, the parts guy at
the Honda dealer told me the orange Prestone would work as a substitute for
Honda fluid. He made a point, though, that absolutely nothing else would
work.

On 23 Aug 2004 15:28:02 -0700, corsica@ragingbull.com (curious) wrote:

||Hello,
||Need some advice. Is it a bad idea to
||buy brake pads from Honda and get to Pep Boys
||for the labor of replacing them?


Why not do them yourself?
It's a 2 hour job, at most.
It will save you probably $100.
Do you make $50/hour?

||If not, any other chain shops that do
||a decent job?

It's a crapshoot. Chain shops don't always get the best techs. They usually
have one that knows what he's doing, and a bunch of 'parts replacers'. The good
guy is supposed to do the critical jobs while the other guys do the ones he
doesn't want. He's supposed to keep an eye on the other guys, but unless they
ask him, he will never see your car
..
||Also, do they do a decent job at some of the
||fluid changes, like oil and cooling system.

That's probably well within their capabilities.


Texas Parts Guy