For most recent cars that would be a waste of money. I keep cars 12-15 years, never do that, never had a problem.
3 Likes
That’s the way I thought and operated in. I made an appointment at the Acura dealer to have the coolant and thermostat replaced. After going over it they said they never had a thermostat go bad but they could order one if I insisted. Rather they said just wait for time to replace the timing belt, then they do the pump, coolant, etc. all at the same time. I think i got wiper blades or something and went home feeling dumb and not having spent anything. They were right though.
1 Like
You missed the opportunity to test low quality parts from your local auto parts store.
Auto technicians have seen thousands of vehicles with oem hoses and belts lasting well over 100,000 miles, and do-it-yourself mechanics that are the cause of their own problems.
15 years ago I stopped including new radiator hoses on my estimates when replacing radiators in vehicles less than 10 years of age.
Quality oem hoses can last the life of a vehicle, at $50 each new hoses will inflate the estimate. Also, because most hoses have a low sales volume, they are not stocked at the dealer and must be ordered. A one-day parts delay can result in a lost sale.
3 Likes
Are you kidding me???
On what are you basing this? It sounds to me like you’re just trying to pad the bill. Routine hose replacement went out 20+ years ago, the quality of those parts is infinitely better than it was back in the 90’s. Coolant on many cars is good for 150K miles, do you plan on changing that early too? Part of being a professional includes advising people what to spend money on and what not to. There’s very little to be gained by replacing perfectly good parts. I can understand replacing parts that have to be removed to do a repair of some sort at an appropriate mileage, but if I’m removing a radiator at 60K miles to do an A/C repair, I’m not recommending new hoses just because.
Would you? On my wife’s car replacing the thermostat requires removing the intake manifold.
Would you? On my car (the one with 155K) the water pump is inside the engine driven by the timing chain, and I drive it 80-100 miles a day with no worries.
I do understand that in your climate things may age more quickly, but I still think your maintenance intervals are excessive for a modern-day car. When I was starting my career people thought that the A/C system needed a yearly evacuate and recharge, but that’s gone away. Brakes used to wear out at 30K, that’s not really true anymore either. Cars don’t have serviceable fuel filters anymore. Things just last longer nowadays.
2 Likes
My old 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3L Automatic, went 196,930 VERY HARD miles before the trans gave up the ghost, at 75K, I replaced the plugs, wires, air filter, fuel filter, belt and tensioner for maintenance, that is it other than brakes and oil changes… The valve body went out and had to be replaced before 75K, I replaced the trans cooler line hoses due to leaking, but no other hose was ever replaced, OWM radiator, don’t remember ever replacing the t-stat or anything else… I replaced the input/output sensors on the trans once (very common on those)…
I sold a radiator back around 2015ish for either a Lexus or an Infinity due to a rock hitting the condenser and causing a freon leak, the radiator, condenser and dryer were all sold as one unit, the ONLY place you could by one was from the dealer, it was at that time, my cost (wholesale) well over $500.00, I remember the MSRP being in the upper $600.00 range…
The ONLY vehicles I can think of right off hand that was towed in with a blown heater hose, or any hose for that matter for model years 2000ish and up are the (G) Caravans (iirc) with rear HVAC that had one hose that would blow early in life, not long out of warranty, they came from the dealer at 1st with the heater pipes that went from the front to the rear of the van, we just threw the pipes away and replaced the heater hose pipe assembly, aftermarket finally caught on pretty soon and started sell hoses without the long length of pipping… BTW, even towed in they didn’t blow head gaskets… The heater hose on those were simply a bad design, not normal wear and tear…
Our climate/weather, we just hit 11° for a low and not hit the coldest season yet, in the summer we had 95-100° days with high humidity for a month or more…
I think BC drives Chrysler K cars.
2 Likes
@bcohen2010 drives cars with proven technology . . .
Throttle cables, rear drums, cast iron blocks, speedometer cables, antenna masts, 4spd automatic transmissions
His holy grail is a 1997 Camry
3 Likes
He would save money not doing his laundry list of replacements on a Camry of that vintage. My ‘96 ES300, based heavily on the Camry, never had any of those parts changed for the 17 years we had it, except the serpentine belt when the timing belt was replaced. The parts that did fail, the starter, the valve cover gaskets, and the high-pressure power steering hose, are not on his list.
Don’t you have to remove the plenum to replace one of the valve cover gaskets on that Lexus ES300 you mentioned?
And the water pump was driven by the timing belt?
Yes, they removed the plenum. Oil levels were dropping slowly, but the leak dripped on the exhaust manifold. As for the water pump, you’re right, I bet it got replaced with the timing belt. It’s been a few years (20 or so).
1 Like
Heater hose blew out in the 88 Grand Voyager 3.0V6 at 65mph coming back from skiing. Dad coasted from i5 off the next ramp into the gas station lot. Of course he’d opted for 10mi towing at the time being 40mi from home. There were shops in the larger town a few miles away but he filled up jugs of water and patched something to limp home under power to the trusted mechanic. AAA membership was purchased later. Parked it to the left of the mini Mart using a phone to call home for a rescue
We used lots of towing with that van for various reasons. Trans had been. Rebuilt in 1995 after drive went away on a brake shop test drive. A good sign when the tech runs back to the shop with the keys. Trans shop was next door soit was backed onto their lot unril after the july 4th holiday. Outlasted chryslers work by a mile.
Our Mazda Protoge needed new thermostat due to a long warm up. Fixed that and we noticed a puff of steam from a hole in the top of the radiator. New one in the next day with no further issues. Car was 15yrs old. Water pump changed with timing belt every 60k except for when the cam seal started leaking and a timing kit with water pump was done about 40k after the last one. That car really just needed oik changes and checkups every 5-7k
those were the good old days, huh?
3 Likes
150 miles from home developed a pin hole leak in my upper hose on the riviera. Stopped at Walmart for some hose tape. Got me home and for the three days for Napa to order a new one.
1 Like
My perception of auto parts stores:
There’s NAPA..
Then there’s..
all the rest!
To be fair, those were non-interference engines, so most people let the timing belt go much longer than the 60,000 mile recommendation. In fact, I have seen vehicles in junkyards which are 25+ years old, with well over 100,000 miles, and still the original timing belt. This summer I picked up some parts from a 1991 Dodge Shadow in the local “you pull it” yard, and it appeared that the car was junked when the timing belt lost some teeth, even though this engine is not interference, and it could have run again with a new belt. It wasn’t in bad condition, other than the damage which happened in the junkyard.
1 Like
Maybe it didn’t make economic sense to pay for a timing belt job on a 1991 Dodge Shadow
Maybe that was the last straw and the previous owner could afford to retire the Dodge Shadow and buy a newer car
1 Like
I remember (perhaps incorrectly) that the labor time for those t-belts was only around 2 hours. $50 for a belt, it’s a pretty cheap job.
Was cheap insurance and on an otherwise reliable car. Just following the schedule as badt as we could. Bigger bill every 6yrs on average. The oil leak came at the same time as a brake job and tuneup along with a squealing PS belt which we didn’t mention but they fixed anyways. $900 all 8n 9n a then $1,200 car but it got us from a to b for a few more years with maybe $300/yr including oil changes.
2hrs labor is probably at least $400, plus the $50 for the belt, according to you, plus tax
So around $500
Might not make sense on a 1991 Dodge Shadow
I’d spend $500 to keep a 1991 Civic or Corolla going, but not a 1991 Dodge Shadow
1 Like
