# New car or repair?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-car-or-repair/35680>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** civic, honda\
**Created:** [August 27, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-car-or-repair/35680 "2009-08-27T22:42:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dmcvarish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@dmcvarish](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dmcvarish)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-car-or-repair/35680/1 "2009-08-27T22:42:29Z")

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My trusty 1995 Honda Civic has 176,000 miles on it. Last weekend it started revving on idle. We took it to Tony, our trusted mechanic. He said he tried everything to get the idle straightened out but it needs a new throttle at a cost of $500 for parts plus labor.Would you: 1) get the throttle installed or 2) tell the car goodbye and get a new one?

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-car-or-repair/35680/2 "2009-08-27T22:56:44Z")

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Exactly what did Tony say was wrong with the throttle? Throttle Position Sensor? A Throttle body? Idle Air Control Motor? I’m wondering because of the price.

Need input!

Actually, if you trust him and he spent the tim eto do the diagnosis, $500 isn’t all that much to have a good car again. Besides, if you’re considering trading it for a newer used car you may just do so and find out the newer used one needs a new tranny for $5000 instead of a throttle part for $500.

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**Author:** ![dmcvarish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@dmcvarish](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dmcvarish)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-car-or-repair/35680/3 "2009-08-27T23:58:36Z")

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All he said was a throttle—I would assume a throttle body.

Thanks for the advice.

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**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-car-or-repair/35680/4 "2009-08-28T00:15:23Z")

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You’d give up on your trusty Civic for a mere $500? Why?

Let’s see; last time I checked a new car cost nearly $20K.

$500 vs. $20,000.

Think about it.

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**Author:** ![edb1961](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/edb1961/32/122_2.png) [@edb1961](https://community.cartalk.com/u/edb1961)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-car-or-repair/35680/5 "2009-08-28T01:32:29Z")

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$500, that’s about 1 1/2 to car payments. So if the car lasts more than 45 days after the repair, you’re ahead. At least this helps me when my 2000 Blazer breaks.

Ed B/

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**Author:** ![Kendahl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Kendahl](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Kendahl)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/new-car-or-repair/35680/6 "2009-08-28T01:45:33Z")

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The best way to measure the cost of repairs is in months of new car payments not in dollars. If you have maintained your Civic and it hasn’t rusted out, it should still have several good years left.

I once asked my mechanic how long a Civic would last. He replied that the earliest he had ever seen one die was 180k miles. Its owners changed the oil once a year if they remembered to.