Car Advice: Fix or Replace?

[bearrock]

I need car advice from those more knowledgeable about cars then me (which would probably be 99% of this board).  

 

I have a 2001 Benz from a relative with appx 120k mile on it.  It doesn't get that much use, but I'm planning to use that as my commute car in the future and my wife will use the minivan more.  The problem is the Benz has a few problems:

 

- Wiper fluid isn't working.  I recently refilled it and it went empty in about 2 months.  I'm thinking there's a leak somewhere

- AC is only blowing out lukewarm to hot air.  I tried filling up the refrigerant with one of those kits.  Didn't change anything.

 

I called a local repair shop and they said it would cost $95 to hook up the AC to a pressure machine to gauge whether refrigerant is at a proper pressure and start from there.  

 

I'm debating between several options

 

1) Fix the wiper fluid.  Leave the AC like it is and sweat like a pig during the summer.  (I dread this option, but I guess it'll be the cheapest).

2) Fix both the fluid and the AC (Any idea how much it would cost for something like this?  Is the hook-up fee for AC diagnostics reasonable?)

3) Sell the car and buy a cheap commuter car (I'm thinking a really old small sized car with 100K+ on it.  Is it even possible to trade in a car without a working wiper fluid and AC?)

 

Any suggestions and tips would be much appreciated.  Thanks.

[twa]

wiper fluid is easily fixed, the ac can run into a lot of money....the start from there means just that 

 

you can trade in most anything, which is what I would suggest if you are not willing to spend a couple K,or you can find some kind soul to check out the ac

[grego]

as far as trading in the car, you can trade in any car that a dealer will give you an offer on, no matter the working condition. last car i traded in, i got 3 offers ranging from 3,500 to 5,000. it definitely pays to shop around for a quote, even it it takes a few hours. 

 

i would bet that if you called around, you could find a shop willing to give you a cheaper estimate on the AC. i know of a few shops that charge 75 just to hook up a diagnostic tool, which is ridiculous when you can go to advance auto parts and get that done absolutely free. 

[zoony]

Several years ago I had a 1986 Mercedes diesel. Air conditioning didnt work because of a leak in the hose. That's simple, replace the hose

$650 refurbished. Nevermind labor

That's why used Mercedes suck

[Springfield]

I wish I had nice things to say about older Mercedes with a generous amount of mileage.

[sacase]

I am in the same boat. I have am 06 E350. I am trading it in. I am starting to have this funky transmission problem, so I am getting out of it, into something newer. The bad part is its almost paid off, but I rather have a small car note, than have to pay 6k for the transmission and whatever other problems crop up. However in your case it seems like the problems are very minor and can be easily fixed. I would go the fixing route.

[TradeTheBeal!]

If you are on any kind of budget at all, a used hi-mileage Benz is a very bad choice.  Much like milk on a hot day.

[bearrock]

Thanks for the replies so far. I'm mostly scared about the AC. I guess I'll call around and look for a cheaper diagnostic fee.

Any suggestions on a good small commuter car if I go that route?

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

Sucks man.  I had an 82' Accord with 190K miles on it, AC crapped out on me (this was back in college, 1998).  If it is the AC, most likely it is going to cost more to repair than the car is worth.  I also had a Buick Skylark (right after the Honda) and was in a car wreck, one of the compressor pins sheared, rendering the AC useless.  

 

I drove it around without AC, but if you have any kind of commute w/traffic, it gets hot real fast.  My commute across Charlotte was roughly 30 mins to 1 hour, depending on I-85 traffic.  Sitting grid locked in June/July when its 90-100 degrees outside sucks balls.  I eventually made it through to the winter, but then got rear ended by some jack-ass without insurance, ended up trading it in.  

 

As far as a commuter car, you're looking for reliability and great/excellent gas mileage.  Personally, I'd stay away from European and SUVs, obviously for the ****ty gas mileage (I say this even though I own/drive a Sequoia lol).  Toyota's are very good cars (maybe an older model Camry or Corrolla).  I would say Honda, but not sure how much you want to spend.  

 

Volvo's are very nice, reliable, and one of the safest, but I've heard they are expensive to fix/get worked on.  I'm big on Toyota (obviously), they remind me of Honda before they became outrageously priced (think Honda circa 80's - 90's), when you used to get the most bang for your buck so to speak.

[757SeanTaylor21]

You said stay away from imports yet Hondas and Toyota Is imports lol

[Slateman]

Replace. It's an old benz with a lot of miles. It's going to need more maintenance soon. And repairing the Mercedes ain't cheap.

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

You said stay away from imports yet Hondas and Toyota Is imports lol

I know, I meant European cars.  Japanese cars are fine    I went back and fixed it.  But European cars are a pain in the ass and expensive to fix.  

[grego]

I am in the same boat. I have am 06 E350. I am trading it in. I am starting to have this funky transmission problem, so I am getting out of it, into something newer. The bad part is its almost paid off, but I rather have a small car note, than have to pay 6k for the transmission and whatever other problems crop up. 

 

i was in that position about a year ago.

 

traded in a mercury mountaineer with over 100,0000 miles on it (and zero problems over five years except for an easily fixed throttle position sensor right before i got rid of it) for a chevy equinox- which got about double the gas mileage and a decent warranty. 

 

unfortunately, while i really like the car and love the savings on gas, its had too many minor problems. had to practically break the dealerships arm to fix the last one (camshaft position sensor- covered under warranty, and, apparently under recall for every equinox that year except mine, but damned it they felt like replacing it).

 

still, i traded in an older car with high miles for a nearly brand new car with a warranty and far better mileage and got a lower car payment to boot. 

Any suggestions on a good small commuter car if I go that route?

 

 

honda fit. got one 2 years ago. love it. good gas mileage, great reliability. and more room inside that you would think by looking at it. 

[Elessar78]

I'm always the minority on this, but I don't buy into the "repairing it is more than the car is worth" argument. To me that's one of those "truisms" set upon us by Car Dealerships, like the whole 2 months salary to buy an engagement ring.

 

Even major things, like getting a whole new engine ($2500), is still cheaper than buying a new or used car. Let's say the KBB value on your car is $1,000 and repairs are $2,000—if the true replacement cost is $8-$20K for a used or new car then no way is it cheaper. 

[Elessar78]

 

Volvo's are very nice, reliable, and one of the safest, but I've heard they are expensive to fix/get worked on.  I'm big on Toyota (obviously), they remind me of Honda before they became outrageously priced (think Honda circa 80's - 90's), when you used to get the most bang for your buck so to speak.

Yep, feel the same way. I'm a Honda loyalist. The rest of my family is Toyota. Both are great manufacturers, although Toyota has a black mark with that recall a few years back. I stick with Honda because now I have a familiarity with their cars. Seems like you do too, because you have a feel for their pricing. Yeah, Honda is a bit ridiculous. Even their used cars are pricey, but that's more so because they do last.

 

I actually don't mind buying high mileage Hondas for that very reason. I regretfully parted with my Accord Coupe because we needed a family vehicle. 130K and still had a lot of life left in it. There are a lot of people who drive 75K miles on it in like 3 years and trade it in for a new car. Usually that means highway miles, so I feel like it's a good value. In the manual, it says Accords can take an oil change every 10K miles, so 3 years I can count on even the most negligent owner to get 7 oil changes in that span.

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

Yep, feel the same way. I'm a Honda loyalist. The rest of my family is Toyota. Both are great manufacturers, although Toyota has a black mark with that recall a few years back. I stick with Honda because now I have a familiarity with their cars. Seems like you do too, because you have a feel for their pricing. Yeah, Honda is a bit ridiculous. Even their used cars are pricey, but that's more so because they do last.

 

I actually don't mind buying high mileage Hondas for that very reason. I regretfully parted with my Accord Coupe because we needed a family vehicle. 130K and still had a lot of life left in it. There are a lot of people who drive 75K miles on it in like 3 years and trade it in for a new car. Usually that means highway miles, so I feel like it's a good value. In the manual, it says Accords can take an oil change every 10K miles, so 3 years I can count on even the most negligent owner to get 7 oil changes in that span.

Yeah man, all those recalls hurt them a lot.  But they were excellent as far as reaching out to me on their own and telling me to come in to replace a recalled part either by phone or mail.  If I were to buy another car, it would be an Accord, Crossfire or Camry.  I have a Sequoia right now and would buy another one or a Tundra (same chassis and engine), would even go Pilot.  

 

My Accord was still going after I sold it.  I told my dad to sell it and get as much as he could for it, think he got $200.  Crazy thing was a year after he sold it, we went home to visit and passed it lol, still going strong as hell.  The great thing about Honda, they have maintained the quality, even though the prices got jacked up in the 2000's.  

 

Toyota basically followed their business model, high quality, reliable cars at a lower price.  And you have seen their prices start creeping up as well, not quite to the WTF level yet, but they are getting there lol.

[NoCalMike]

When it comes to cars, it is always a bad idea to listen to other folks' horror stories.  People can give you worst case scenarios all day that will scare you out of a fixable situation.  

 

Not to say whether this particular situation is fixable or not.

 

For the A/C, is the coolant stuff remaining full but the A/C is not working, or is it leaking?  I had to have the hoses on my van's AC replaced and that was the problem (Two sets of hoses an upper and lower, I only had to have one set replaced).

[Kosher Ham]

The wiper fluid problem is likely a very small thing, unless they for some random bs reason have to do an absurd amount of labor to fix the problem.

 

The A/C could be easy, could be a costly repair. Just depends, same as a home A/C repair.

 

As far as the question whether to fix or trade...that depends on several factors, your budget, your credit, would you like to keep the car, is it practical, etc.

 

I dropped about 1600 into my hooptie ( 2001 Accord EX Sedan, just my daily driver ) about 20 months ago. My wife was confused and expected me to buy a new hooptie or a new car ( we have 2 other newer cars to begin with ) . I explained to her that even if this car lasts me only 2 more years...it's worth not taking on full coverage on a new car or having to fix another cars unforseen problems. This damn car has nearly 230k on it and keeps rolling along just fine with basic maintenance. I don't mind spending money, but I hate wasting it.

 

I do understand however the difference in cost repairs on expensive cars. My old Lexus... they told me it would be 1,800 bucks to update the radio...seriously ? Nope. My Jag was always an absurd amount to fix anything.

 

Good Luck with it.

[88Comrade2000]

Does the cost of the repairs seem to high and better spent on another car?  Then replace.

 

Given the age and what you intended to use your car for; it's probably best to replace.

[Elessar78]

I dropped about 1600 into my hooptie ( 2001 Accord EX Sedan, just my daily driver ) about 20 months ago. My wife was confused and expected me to buy a new hooptie or a new car ( we have 2 other newer cars to begin with ) . I explained to her that even if this car lasts me only 2 more years...it's worth not taking on full coverage on a new car or having to fix another cars unforseen problems. This damn car has nearly 230k on it and keeps rolling along just fine with basic maintenance. I don't mind spending money, but I hate wasting it.

 

I do understand however the difference in cost repairs on expensive cars. My old Lexus... they told me it would be 1,800 bucks to update the radio...seriously ? Nope. My Jag was always an absurd amount to fix anything.

 

Yeah, generally, car owners look only at the car payment but you really have to look at total cost of ownership over the expected span you plan on owning the vehicle. A few years after the great recession hit, the average age of cars on the road was 10.8 years. A quick google search says that average age is now 11.4 years.

[Elessar78]

I asked my buddy who a) owns a 2003 Benz with 100K miles and is a car guy.

 

He says move on. He says his AC repair cost 400 from a local garage. Dealer wanted $1400-2000. Long term the drive train will be ok, but the electronics will start to go, he said.

[Kosher Ham]

Yeah, generally, car owners look only at the car payment but you really have to look at total cost of ownership over the expected span you plan on owning the vehicle. A few years after the great recession hit, the average age of cars on the road was 10.8 years. A quick google search says that average age is now 11.4 years.

 

Exactly. I bought the Honda from a rich lady when it had 40k on it for 1000 bucks...that was 10 years ago. I had another car, but the deal was too good to be true. She had all the maintenance records, etc. I snatched it up. She wanted a convertible, fine with me.  I was looking for a car at the time to replace my old daily driver (  1991 Escort GT ), that I bought new as a college kid. I had a brand new Lexus at the time but prefer to keep the miles off my newer cars.

 

This thing was practically new.

 

You start adding on car insurance, interest rates, repair costs, gas consumption, etc...that **** adds up much more than people realize over the time of ownership.

 

I'm not cheap by any stretch, but I see no reason to buy something like a car ( My Dad restores and builds Hot Rod/Classics ), when you can repair it and get your value back on the cost of repair. Don't get me wrong, I understand not liking a car and getting a new car or having a kid when you have a 370z and having to get rid of it.

 

The Honda has paid for itself ten times over at least. My putting a little cash into it was not an issue for me. Hell, 250 of that money was replacing the windshield.

 

Side Note: I am considering buying a new car soon. haha. But the Honda will still be around.

[twa]

I asked my buddy who a) owns a 2003 Benz with 100K miles and is a car guy.

 

He says move on. He says his AC repair cost 400 from a local garage. Dealer wanted $1400-2000. Long term the drive train will be ok, but the electronics will start to go, he said.

 

shopping around helps,but most dealers and high end shops replace most of the ac system in many cases to avoid complications

 

unless you are buying a car with a warranty you could just be trading troubles.

 

I commute in a 92 , but then I drive a mile a day .....maybe