Ya mechanic told this too. This is our first car and we didn't knew about this all.
Bought a 2009 Mazda 2, Took to Servicing; Mechanic Told Terrible Things. Need Suggestions » All Comments
Well you do now. :)
Not to worry bro, I learned the same hard lesson with my first car too….While that's true, it's not too late for OP. OP can replace and flush oil themselves. There is a lot of crap that's not needed on that quote.
I think you overpaid for a 10 year old Mazda 2. Doesn't help you now, but always pay an inspector to look at the car before paying for it. Also check their log books. If it was under serviced, you would know. If there's no log book, stay away.
Sorry but it's not just about this being your first car. This is about you handing over $5000 from your pocket to a stranger and walking away with "no returns" policy. The $5000 are even more valuable when you are an international student, the money possibly came from your parents life savings for which they worked 3x hard considering exchange rates or it came from a bank as a student loan. That's a lot of money to play games with. I suggest you seriously examine how you treat money, not just how you buy cars. The sooner you realise your mistakes the better it will be for whoever is sponsoring your education. If it's money that you earned on your own not someone else's, then I guess gamble away.
try to sell the car asap
Assuming the guy you bought it from was a private sale, and not through a licensed dealer - you really have no options, caveator emptor.
What I would do, get the mechanic to flush out the old engine oil, then repeat, then add fresh oil to try and flush as much old oil as possible.
If the brakes and auto sump are non-immediate/critical items then I'd seek a second opinion.
yes private dealer. He is a school teacher and looked genuine.
The mechanic told break is recommended in next 5000 KM.
I purchased a car from a school teacher and assumed she would not lie.
She was a bigger cheat than any one else! the car had numerous problems.lesson learnt: don't buy used car from a teacher
Name and shame the school where they teach !
Most likely at a school teaching how to sell cars.
Maybe she had no idea?
Or the car was fine and then the issues came up?My girlfriend had a Nissan Pulsar for years that ran perfectly fine until she sold it to someone and it died a month later.
Not our fault, sometimes things just happen.@Nereosis: Most importantly you did not specify if your girlfriend was a teacher. This could explain the situation
@bobs burgers: Interestingly she is, and isn't a liar either.
Maybe the OP's seller was just a (profanity)?
You've never heard math teacher explain why trigonometry is incredibly important to learn? Teachers are expert liars.
@freefall101: I dunno, given all other shapes can be decomposed into triangles, and the importance of triangles in engineering structures, trig seems pretty important.
Not to people in marketing and sales, sure , but to the people building the products that are being marketed and sold, definitely.
You bought a 10 year old car without even the most basic Google search of "How to buy a car?"
Get a quote from another mechanic then either sell it or service it. There's no other solution.
First car for us. I don't know how to drive; this was for my wife.
I'll get another quote. I'm just worried about engine being failed because of lumps.
you should have done a Mechanic check before hand over the money or ask someone who know a bit more car than you to go with you at least.
i would say this is a lesson learn
Most actually seems like minor stuff, especially for a 10yo car.
Given they want to sell you wiper blades all round (3 of them), I'd take their advice with a grain of salt.
Definitely get a second quote, and don't mention anything about the first quote to them
I am worried about engine being failed due to thick oils and lumps. I'm ok to repair breaks. Mechanic told other are optional repairs.
The engine won't fail because of that, do an engine flush and the car will be fine.
Thanks. Will take to another mechanic.
@[Deactivated]: Yeah, that mechanic is dodgy and trying to scare you and take your money.
Try to find a more reputable one.If the car drives, sounds, and feels normal… chances are, it is.
2 at the front 1 at the rear? Oil thick enough to end up lumpy doesn't sound minor to me.
Take it to another mechanic for a second opinion. Not saying your mechanic is doing this, but if you're so obviously naive as you seem (no offence), the mechanic might be using that to try to sell you expensive work too (edit: Though looking at the uploaded bill, none of it jumps out as being unreasonable).
For a $4,500 car, I wouldn't sink more than $1,000 or so (MAX) into repairs. If it runs, I'd let it continue to run until it doesn't, with just regular servicing. But the brake pads you can't really negotiate on or avoid (again, maybe second opinion on if it's needed and try to find a cheaper place).
- Sure, I'll take it to another mechanic in about 3 weeks. I don't know how to drive and my wife is away for next 3 weeks.
- Mechanic told only brake repairs are necessary, other are optional.
I've found a cheaper place to repair through friends.
Mobile mechanic. If you find one whos just started be honest about your situation he will likely cut you a deal.
We bought a used car
We did?
and a zoo.
What are our options?
Should we contact the guy who sold us?Nope, you bought it as is.
Should we invest on those repairs? Because if engine is going to fail, there is nopoint.
Here's the thing about mechanics, they ain't exactly well known for outstanding honesty, just like any other salesman really.
They're trying to sell their services so it's in their best interest to suggest that you must fix everything that is anything less than sparkling new.
If you are really concerned, take it to another mechanics or a mechanically-minded friend and see what they say.
Normally I'd say run the car into the ground to get your money's worth but safety issues like brakes etc. are worth checking out.P/s: Why are you paying so much for insurance (almost 25% total value)?
I'll take to another mechanic.
That was the cheapest insurance offered (<25Y F, international license)If your wife has lived in Australia for more than 3 months don't forget to change over to an Australian licence otherwise she will be classified as an unlicensed driver and the insurance won't pay out if she has a crash.
I think this applies only after you get the permanent residency. Not when you're in a student visa.
But I would definitely check once with the insurance guys, just to be on safe side.@nep: My husband was able to convert his Italian open licence to an Australian open licence when he was still on a tourist visa (was waiting for his fiance visa to be approved at the time). This was at a QLD Dept of Transport but they didn't care about his visa or visa status!
I'd complete the repairs as you're currently in a tough situation.
You may no longer be within the cool down period for your insurance so you're already out $1,000. If you are going to sell the car, you would lose your stamp duty paid and you're unlikely to get $4,500 as most people would do their checks. It may be months before you get someone willing to give you anything close to the price you paid.
If you were to sell the car and setting aside money for new insurance, you're going to have to find a car in the $3,500 category. There's still no guarantee you're getting a car in good condition.
Your better bet here is to repair the car.
Thanks for the suggestions, learnt a lesson. I'll probably keep it and repair brakes and hope engine wouldn't fail.
If you don't repair the engine and it fails, have you considered your financial position then?
I don't know what to do. The way mechanic told us is something like this:
You car has been underserviced. We could do engine flush, but after flush it might fail immediately. If you don't do, it might just heal over time. We wanted to do it today, but wasn't sure. Last time we did it for a car, it failed after one week.@[Deactivated]: "it might heal over time"
wtf? your mechanic is having you on mate, cars don't work like this.
I'd take it to a second mechanic for another opinion and watch it magically not need all this work.
@coffeeinmyveins: I took to another mechanic, and he quoted like 150 for brakes, says other repairs are not necessary, and could do engine flush during next service. I'll take to another mechanic as well for engine flush alternative (as suggested here to get oil changes few times).
Engine should be fine. Do an oil change now and in 2000 km. Should be no worries.
Definitely get brakes done. The rest is not so urgent, probably get belt done too because that will be cheap.
Oh and $132 for air filter labour?? Am I reading that right? That is daylight robbery, I would find it hard to trust this mechanic after that quote
i think 132/hr and they charged for 0.2 hr.
I'l take to second mechanic, will change oil frequently.
Will do the brakes in next 1-2 months.@[Deactivated]: Oh right. Sorry.
I saw your post on Aus finance. At 105k km, you should be fine, especially with that Mazda engine - very reliable.
A one off early follow up oil change is all you need (if at all, but peace if mind) then normal intervals.
Stress less, as others have said go to another mechanic, original guy probably saw you coming a mile away.
$132 is the hourly rate. They were charged 0.2 hours, so 12 minutes.
It's not that you repair the brakes, you maintain the brakes.
Ask the mechanic if it's ok for you to bring the Disks and Pads for him to put in. Might save you a bit.
Since you dont have a license, you probably did not take it for a test drive.Sounds like my wife buying me a 10$ PC game in the used basket at EBGames.
Sounds like my wife buying me a 10$ PC game in the used basket at EBGames.
Never ever buy PC games from the bargain bin or anywhere inside EBgames.
The product key is usually printed inside the case, and available for anyone to steal and claim. The actual disc that they tuck away in the draw is of no value when it comes to PC games. The game itself and 100% of its value is in the product key, which they do not remove from the case.
The product key used to be printed on the manual, but games don't include manuals anymore, so now they're either printed on a card, or on the inside of the case. For some stupid reason, if it's printed on a card, they leave the card in the case, making it easy to steal.
I would avoid EB games as a whole unless you're buying hardware. All of their games are in "used" condition. If the case has been opened and the contents removed, that is no longer brand new condition.
Some insurance companies will pay you out any remaining time. Worth checking.
Yeah, or will be happy to transfer the pro-rata credit to another vehicle
$400 is a small price for the ability to stop your car
The other stuff you can fix yourself or risk but i would get the brakes fixed asap - maybe through someone else
I'm also willing to repair brakes. I've talked with friends and they suggested me a cheaper place.
I'm more worried about engine because of thick oil and lumps.https://grimmermotors.co.nz/8-signs-and-symptoms-of-engine-d…
any of this happen ?
Plus you cant tell engine damage just by oil
Some hoon could be revving the hell out of the engine and change their oil all the time
None of 1,2,3,5,7,8
Can't tell about 6 because we just drove 500K since we got it.
Noticed engine leaking liquid under driver's seat after we parked for ~1 hr. It was odourless, colourless. Mechanic told it might be just water from AC.
@BartholemewH: maybe its there, i just guessed the approximate location of what i saw from sid of car
Nah. Just drive it. Mechanic is probably just tricky. Cars are very reliable. Lumpy oil is much better than no oil. Just as long as you don’t runout of water it’s all good. You did get a road worthy so a okay
This sound very encouraging :)
Where did you mention you got a rwc?
Also, I'd do some research for a trustworthy mechanic. They're a godsend if you can find a good one
Roadworthy certificates have very little to do with the mechanical condition of the car. It could have no oil or coolant and still pass.
I would disagree. They check for its road worthiness which also includes braking capacity, emissions and major structural damage. It’s whole purpose is to keep more dodgy cars off the roads.
The seller obtaining a RWC would also be slapped with a mechanics ‘upselling’ for questionable service items.
However, most of this can be void if the seller is in positive connection with the RWC provider ( which I don’t believe is in OPs situation)
They check for its road worthiness which also includes braking capacity, emissions and major structural damage. It’s whole purpose is to keep more dodgy cars off the roads.
Presence's comment still stands, they don't check for fluid levels, just checks for signs of leaks. if there's little to no oil left in the car, it's not going to leak oil and pass. A car can sit on idle(such as while being in the pits) without any coolant and the temp gauge would still show normal range.
It depends on the person issuing the RWC, but you're assuming they are a good and through mechanic.
@Broke-Ken: A vehicle which has legitimately passed a RWC would have fluids in it. Even an empty wiper fluid bottle would fail. Malpractice is a separate issue.
They check for its road worthiness which also includes braking capacity
Some do, but I've taken my car for a "while you wait" rego check at multiple locations and received a brake test print out while my car hasn't moved a millimetre.
just invested like $4500
Not sure invested is the word you're looking for there…
Low yield investment.
What they said about the engine is just don't want to get into trouble when your engine fail, engine flush might block your engine oil pick up. Trans sump leak is normal for an old car, don't worry about it as long as your trans fluid level is right.
Thanks, They recommended doing it in next service.
Investigate joining the local automotive association. They usually offer vehicle inspection services. As they are not trying to sell you servicing, they can be a valuable independent source of advice. The added benefit is the roadside assistance that comes with the membership.
Not sure about other states but RACV stopped doing pre-purchase inspections over 10 years ago.
You can still get pre-purchase inspections from the RAA in S.A.
Come in spinner!
Nothing you have been told now would not have been revealed had you of gone to the effort and expense of a proper pre-purchase mechanical inspection.
"International Student" Not sure what this has to do with the situation really.
Sad story which is all too common and can be put down to peoples own ignorance.This was our first car, and I accept my ignorance. I never knew about pre-purchase inspection. I should have posted here before purchasing.
What make is it?
mazda 2neo2009
It's literally I'm the first line of ops post.
first thing I would do is remove the $1000 insurance and purchase third party property only. You will need this if your brakes fail and you hit a Porsche.
2nd thing I would do is flush out old oil and change to new oil yourself.
It will cost you no more than $150 first time,
you need to buy 2 car stands <$100
1x 5L oil $30
1x oil filter $15
1x oil tray $5tools: 1x 17mm spanner & 1x rubber mallet and 1x car jack that is in your boot.
if you get stuck with this, post up another thread here :)
I don't think I'll be able to do it. I don't even know how to drive, and it's my wife's car (her first car).
You don't need to drive to change the oil
Moreover, changing the oil is much, much easier than driving. If you can undo a bolt and tighten it back up, then you can change the oil.
ask Youtube how to change the oil or call a mobile mechanic guy to do it for you, may also need an engine flush bottle in addition to the list.
He will also need a magic lamp.
I've worked on that particular model and the filter and sump plug are both easily accessible without a ramp
I've always changed car oil without car stands. I find there's enough space to reach under while the car is still on its wheels, including with small cars. Or if the driveway slopes down slightly from the garage (which almost all driveways do) then you can just park the front wheels on the very edge.
A few times I did drive the front wheels onto some spare pavers to give an extra inch.
How can he post if he is stuck under the car?
Yell out to the wifey
She will be back only in 2 weeks
You don't need car stands, just park with side of the car up on footpath and there is plenty of space to get under
Follow the advice from your Reddit post. Get a second opinion.
For the love of god don't use a Bridgestone service centre, find a non-chain-brand mechanic. $132/hr for labour is a joke.
Yeah I noticed that too, go to a real mechanic, preferably non-chain.
Bridgestone specialise in tyres don't they…They do general servicing as well but charge like wounded bulls. Once gave me a quote for $3000 that I ended up paying $800 for elsewhere.
how much you you think is a reasonable /hr fee is you were running a shop? He only charged him 0.55hrs. most places are 1hr or part thereof.
So he actually did a favour to OP.I think the mechanic I normally use charges $70/hr.
Those are completely normal for a car that age.
The prices he's charged and quoted are not.bruh relax, this mechanic is trying to milk you, you sound like you dont know anything about cars, we need more info how many kms on the clock? a mazda 2 is not simply gonna have a broken tranny, japanese cars in general are very reliable and they do last along time even if not properly cared for, all the stuff this mechanic listed is bullsh!t. the only thing you need is a oil filter and oil, thats it, go to any fuel station mechanic and let them do it, its usually around 70-80 bucks. its even cheaper if you do it yourself.
like wtf is there changing of blade wiper seals? is your wiper making a noise while you use it? NO so its not needed.. see its stupid stuff he put on there specially the tranny rebuild sounds like a load of sh!t again its good to get some more info like KM,s on the car. i would definitely %100 percent recommend you take it to another mechanic.
around 105K
The things on order section are already done (paid ~250). The ones in suggested repairs are yet to be done. I have no idea of wipers, they were running fine. But repaired today.
Get a second opinion.Don’t go into panic mode just yet.As other poster said,he might be trying to “milk” you.Find a mechanic you can trust(ask friends if they can recommend etc….) They are a very reliable car,I have a 2005 Mazda 2 Genki,things are literally bullet proof if looked after.Your mileage is also quite low.Good luck!
see man this is what i mean, 105k aint Sh!t for a mazda 2 or any other Japanese car for that matter, definitely does not need a tranny rebuild lmao. and you already went through with most of the stuff that the con artist recommended and paid for it which is against what most people told you on here, why post about it and ask opinions and than go do what you wanted to do at the first place,
they saw a guy walk in and they could tell you didn't know jack bout cars, you probably mentioned from all the excitements that this is your first car. and they saw a walking money bag. they looked at each other and said Fook yeh boys we got one in the bag
If the car has been neglected for 10 years (as the state of the oil would suggest) it's completely likely the brake discs need resurfacing or replacing. Wouldn't get it done by someone charging $132/hr though.
Japanese cars in general are very reliable. If you have the know how or have some good friends, they'll most likely know how to change engine oil and oil filter at home for a fraction of the cost of a mechanic.
When driving the car, if it doesn't make any weird sounds, or blow smoke it's a good sign your car is still in good condition. You'll just have to invest a 200 (give or take) on engine oil, oil filter and engine flush for the next 2000km to be safe.
Engine flush is an additive that is added to engine oil when cold, let the car idle for 10min and drain out the old oil. Once all the oil is drained, you top up with new oil. Drive it 4000km or so and repeat it again. This time, the oil should look cleaner and you can service again at usual 10,000km interval.
Never ever trust what a mechanic says. End of the day, they need to make ends meet.
Disclaimer: I personally bought private cars and have done home servicing on any 2nd hand car. I got car once with bad engine oil. After the steps as above, it drove fine. Look after the car and it looks after you.
Give it an oil change and you'll be fine. This mechanic is trying to rip you off. Welcome to car ownership.
With that bad condition, how it passed the safety test to transfer to new owner
Dont know where OP is but SA doesnt require roadworthies
I once took my Toyota Aurion to Sydney City Toyota Dealership at Waterloo in NSW for a service and made the mistake of telling them I neglected to service it for 18 months. I was told that the fuel tank needed to be dismantled to be cleaned due to blockage and it would cost $2000. I took it away and went to Rockdale Toyota instead. Rockdale Toyota Recommended a $50 fuel flush and by the way did I know my water tank was cracked? To access and replace it they needed to dismantle the engine and it would cost $1200. I said no to the water reservoir replacement and no it wasn’t cracked. I concluded Toyota dealerships either were ripping off customers or doing research at customer’s expense. Don’t trust mechanics is what I learnt.
Why dont you pay insurance monthly?
What city do you live in? I can show you how to do a few things and have a look if you live on the gold coast?
Ditto. If in a sydney I have someone for you but you’ll need to turn on PM
Canberra. thanks for generous offer.
Hey mate
Not sure why I can't PM you, but I was going to send you the name and number of a mechanic in Canberra City (scrivener St in O'connor). He's really honest, and one of the cheapest mechanics I've ever used, and helps that he really knows his stuff too.
That all aside, I'm not sure what other's would recommend, but I certainly wouldn't recommend an engine oil flush. Personally, I would suggest that you find a reasonably priced oil that is acceptable for your car, and change it every 2000km or 2 months until it clears up. When I was a student, I bought a car that hadn't been serviced in the last 60,000ks and had 140,000km on the clock when I bought it; the first few services had really black oil, but it gradually lightened up. When I sold it, the engine oil used to come out almost the same colour as it went in. Not saying it will happen for you, but I personally wouldn't risk the flush, as that will dislodge a lot of particles that you may not want floating around your engine bay, and removing crud that might be protecting your seals from leaking probably is a real possibility too.
I've enable PM. Thanks
Is there a logbook with service history in the glovebox or elsewhere in the car? Paperwork from the mechanic suggests that there is as they apparently updated it.
I'd be looking in there to see when it last had an oil change and any other servicing, if it's been recorded.
Modern oils have detergents in them which help to keep the internals of the engine clean. An alternative to the engine flush would be to have the oil changed more regularly than the specified interval suggests for the next few changes which should clean out your engine more gradually than a flush (if, in fact, it's even that dirty to begin with).
Brakes are a no brainer. If they're almost worn out you need to have the pads replaced.
Less than $500 to reseal the transmission sump doesn't sound too bad to me. Probably wouldn't worry about it immediately unless you're losing a lot of fluid. Being a 2009 I assume there's a dipstick in the engine bay that you can check to make sure the level is OK.
If you're a student / don't have much money I'd definitely suggest developing some skills around how to do basic fluid checks on your car to identify potential issues before they turn into worse problems. Google should have plenty of advice.
At 10yrs old and 105k, your car is due some bigger services. Many people sell their cars at this milage for this exact reason.
Clean wiper blades yourself and if they're noisy etc. on a wet window, replace.
Definitely: Change engine oil + new filter, change brake fluid, and replace worn belt.
Get 2nd quote on gear box. Do a full flush + filter service.
Get 2nd quote on brakes. They're probably due and most likely originals.I'm surprised mechanic didn't list radiator flush given they need doing every 5yrs and this car is 10yrs old. Spark plugs might need replacing if not already replaced at 90k by previous owner.
Get the oil sorted first, check the price of his oil change to a regular place (eg ultratune/Kmart tyre & auto etc). Get the brakes done by a brake specialist… Brakes also have "telltales", if they start "screeching" with a metal on metal sound, this is usually means there is less than 2000km in them. If you paid your insurance in one lump sum, I'd cancel it and go with a monthly plan to soften the hit and free up some cash for repairs. I got a policy through ubicar which turned out a lot cheaper for my p-plater daughter (though do your homework, it's not the usual policy you'll be used to as you have to install an app so they can track and rate you as a driver).
“Brakes also have "telltales", if they start "screeching" with a metal on metal sound, this is usually means there is less than 2000km in them.”
Err… it usually means the brakes are rooted, including the rotors.
“… this usually means there is less than 2000km in them.” Yes, how about 0km.
$4500 is not much for a car, $1000 for your 4500 car is not much, refer to my username
Thanks for the suggestions, learnt a lesson. I'll probably keep it and repair brakes and hope engine wouldn't fail.
Dont "hope" anything.
Take the car for a 2nd opinion to another mechanic and see if the results marry up.
If the 2nd mechanic also advises of issues, then you need to fix them.Australian metro roads are already clogged with traffic due to avoidable break-downs, we don't want you stuck on the Sydney M5 holding 10km of traffic because you're hoping
Relax.
Oil sludge is not completely uncommon for a 10 year old car. If it's not blowign smoke, sounds fine, isn't having any other noticeable problems. Just keep on top of annual servicing it should be driveable for some time. Modern engines are built to last!
It may be an upsell for the mechanic but from the sounds of it an oil flush may not be a bad idea. I wouldn't do it on a much older or higher mileage car though just keep on top of it every 3/6months.
Any leak I'd be worried about and get that checked out before you have liquids all over the place. If it's minor than see how you go.
But honestly this is not surprising for a $5000 second hand car. Sometimes you get a lucky, sometimes you get very unlucky. To me, this is somewhere inbetween so not the worst news.
take to another mechanic or two and get their opinions and fix the issues that are critical or safety related.
It all looks like a normal service that you have been quoted for, the brake pads and machining looks a bit expensive thou.got mines done for less than $300
Just like any major purchase like a car, house or even computer, do your research.
With this, definitely get another mechanic to give you an opinion and bring the report with you just so they can be verified as well.
But how did the car feel when you bought the car assuming you didn't have it towed back to your place?
When u change oil use oil recommended for diesel only engines n same grade like 5 w 30 or 5w 40 do it for a couple of service n the engine will clean itself as they have powerful detergents to clean than using engine flush which will damage seals n accumulate residue which can block the pick up do this before fixing the leaks
I find it funny how people call rip off that a mechanic would charge $15 for wiper blade, yet they go to a bar and pay $10 for a G&T and its fine.
Theres an unfair stigma to mechanics, the extra costs is converted from the convenience to you, so you don't have to do it yourself.
Why go to a restaurant when you can cook at home for 1/2 the price
Why go to a bar when you can make the drink at home for 1/2 the price
Why pay $12 delivery when you can pick it up yourself.And clearly no not many people have read the post and cost breakdown properly, and are jumping to conclusions.
OP paid a total of $250 for a service plus wiper change, air filter change, and sump gasket change. A little in the pricey side, perhaps. But definitely not ripped off.
Because when you walk into a fancy bar, the price expectation is there. If you refuse to pay, you don't get a drink.
At a mechanic, you can never be sure what the final bill is as there are many variables. Also, it's hard to gauge the pricing based on the appearance of the establishment. If you refuse to pay the final bill, you may not get your vehicle back.
I still agree, many independent tradies unfairly cop a lot of crap. Then again, my usual tradies establish a network of clients and do not take on new ones so a lot of the bad tradies going around are the same people who are there to make a quick buck and move on.
I would recommend https://www.toponeauto.com.au/ if you are based in Sydney for a second opinion of your car. He has been looking after my car for years and never try to up sell me for anything.
I definitely wouldnt pay $1000 comprehensive insurance on a $4500 10yo car. Get 3rd party only. You can always cancel the comprehensive and you get a refund pro-rata and take out 3rd party only.
You may find replacing oils creates more problems. Fresh oils will also clean the engine and possibly remove debris/oil that are blocking up potential oil leaks. with the transmission, the trans fluid could be whats keeping it going as clutch material and gritty oil could be the friction material keeping clutch packs together.
As mentioned its could be time to pass it on…
if oil is thick but the motor is not sludgey yet on the inside then you're safe. If you're in brisbane i can have a look for you
engine will clean itself out replace oil no flush give few good hwy drive buildup will be clean in no time.
Dear OP
We have a saying in Australia when it comes to cars…
BUYER BEWARE
Thats why its important to carry out a mechanical check BEFORE you buy the car.
As your mechanic said the car has been under serviced so there will be lots of "catch up" servicing to be done.
Hopefully this underservicng has not resulted in any damage.
If no damage then there is no tragedy!
Its not unusual with cars being sold as it comes to the point where owners dont want to spend any more money on them so one needs to watch out for it and factor these costs into their offer price.But let me also tell you that NEW CARS can cost $600 to $800 to service and nothing wrong with them! So dont know why you think $1000 is a tragedy. You certainly need an education in cars by the sounds of it.
I run engine flush through my cars regularly and so give it my blessing.
It thins the oil and clears out all the sludge and then helps with effective draining of the old oil.
Its an excellent preparation for an oil change.
The engine flush is ony about $10-$15 a bottle and only needs to be poured into oil and engine left running for about 15-20mins so minimal additional cost to your service but a good investment.Anyway before you spend too much fixing the car do an engine flush and change the oil and then have your mechanic run a compression test to check the internal condition of the engine.
If it comes up with bad results just sell the car.Bottom Line.
There is no such thing as a cheap car or bargain buy when it comes to used cars. Cars being offered cheap are done so for good reason! So best avoided. If you must then ALWAYS approach with great caution and suspicion. Basically treat any cheap car as GUILTY until proven innocent.
In fact same can be extended to any used car.The cheapest car to buy is one with only 1 or 2 owners and one you can see that has been serviced regularly and backed up with a long service history (receipts)
Flush is great if the car is serviced on time and the engine isn't badly sludged. If it's bad then flush is a nightmare. It will dislodge the chunks and they will block the inlet screen to the oil pump.
I am in the boat of not using any kind of "flush" chemical product inside the engine. Who knows where that dislodged sludge will end up? The sludge has built up slowly over time and aggressively removing it could cause the engine to fail straight away as the mechanic suggested. The sludge itself could be taking the place of certain seals too. After flushing you might have oil leaks. Your mechanic is actually being as honest as he can here and giving you the options.
The best method for heavily built up and caked on sludge is probably to remove the valve cover and oil sump and manually remove as much sludge as you can, then refill with oil and drive.
If the sludge hasn't built up too much inside the engine but the oil is just old/thick/lumpy then you could do a couple of oil changes back to back (~1000km apart) to try to get it back to a semi-normal state. This is probably the most cost-effective and least aggressive option.
Always a possibility with underserviced cars but little choice for OP.
I agree. Flush is bad if your engine is badly sludged.
My new brother-in-law hasn't serviced his Corolla in 5 years. It's the worst I've seen. I just put clean oil in it (there was none showing on the dipstick) and no filter and then changed the filter 3 months later assuming it had filled up by then.
Ongoing I'll just change the oil & filter every 12 months. Anything beyond letting it gradually desludge is asking for trouble.
Name the mechanic so i can work out if they are retail style up-sell place or a genuine bunch.
Those charges look retail up-sell place to me. The service is fair enough but he really stung you for the wiper blades and air filter.
While the seller appears to have been parsimonious with the truth, you are equally to blame for not carrying out some basic checks. I'm not sure why you feel school teachers would be more honest than others but this is Australia and the white part started out as convicts.
Sludgy oil (why isn't it mentioned on the invoice?).
i don't recommend flushing chemicals as they can loosen too much sludge and block the pan strainer.
Either take it back in 1000-2000km and get the oil and filter changed again or learn to DIY as it will probably need a few changes to come good (or fail). Just keep driving until it breaks because I feel if you sell it and buy another you will just buy more rubbish because you are a bit wet behind the ears.
Pro tip: sludge occurs due to lack of maintenance, numerous short trips and not getting the engine up to temperature. Increase the maintenance (oil changes) and consider walking or public transport if the journey is less than 20 minutes.Worn serpentine belt: normal wear and tear for 10 years old.
Brake fluid: Normal. Should be done every 2-3 years. I doubt it's burnt but it might be overloaded with moisture (brake fluid is hygroscopic)
Brake pads 20% sounds normal. I'd just monitor. It's taken me 190,000km to get to 20% so I've still got 20,000+km left
Auto trans leak: these things happen It's a 10 year old car that you didn't check before buying.
Get another quote from an honest workshop.
Welcome to Australia
I dont think so. You havent even seen the full list of required repairs.
How on earth can you even suggest that?Another one with no idea!
Looking at what OP has mentioned the costs are very reasonable.
Engine service, brakes, transmission etc all all up.
Agree the costs listed are all very reasonable.
What don't you "think so"?
I think I have a small clue. I'm a qualified motor mechanic and ran a workshop for 8 years before I started fixing aircraft and still work on cars on the side.
WESFIL WA1185 are $22 posted and they charged $29 - more than 30% markup and $26 to change it. Money for jam in that.
tridon 6mm wiper blade refills are $11/pair at SCA
then you would best understand that the mechanic is entitled to his mark-up.
and imo, a 30% mark-up is low.
Yeah seems pretty reasonable, I remember someone posting on here that were charged 50 bucks for a filter
It says Bridgestone on the report.
I would describe that as a retail style shop. I was at Goodyear for 5 years. We upsold like crazy. It's the business model so yo can pay for the corporate structure above you.
Where are you located? find a highly recommended mechanic is the next thing i would do tbh
u already got screwed over by the car seller you dont want to get screwed over again by a mechanicif you are in the Ringwood area these are really good. Had some really good experience with James. Was recommended to him by a close friend of mine.
http://www.htpautomotive.com.au/
also if you a worried about breaking down there is always RACV roadside assist its $110 a year. Or you can wait till your car is stuffed and get it over the phone for $150 or so and you can use it straight away.
Our car broke down the other week and a tow would have costed around $160. Joined up and they sent over a mechanic to have a look and it got a towed to my mechanicI think his mechanic has things under control.
OP is not complaining about the mechanic.'
Just the state of the carOnly mentioned this because people are saying the quotes of things the mechanic has listed looked a bit suss
now we can review what the OP has upvoted and judge him
10 year old car needs maintenance my gawd outrage. Seriously how have you survived this long?
Anyway all looks legit and normal. Surprised tyres were on there too. Got to pay to play
It's an old car so all of those issues are not unexpected.
The only think that surprised me if this mechanic was truthful is the brakes.
Either this mechanic or the mechanic who did the Roadworthy is telling lies.
It wouldn't have passed Roadworthy if brakes were at 20%.
$1000 on insurance on a mazda2…. but why?
Some of the newish first gen Mazda engines have a problem with sludging. If the service interval of 10,000 kms is missed then they can get sludge. Usually, if the sludging is not too bad, you just do more frequent oil changes. Oil is $17 at Woolies, so this can be put in and then changed a couple times + an $11 or so filter each time. Oil drain pan is like $5? If you check the oil dipstick and it gets dirty quick you can change or at every 5000kms. Brakes are kind of expensive too? Close to the price of front and rear? If the sump is leaking, just tightening it might help… lol, common problem on old cars.
Always buy a car with a few months warrantry if you have no experience in cars mechanics etc
Thus you can buy a 2.5yrold toyota yaris prob for around 5-6k not sure check.
Usually there isnt any major faults.Love the advise re: Yaris with a price guide approx. half their value. If a 2.5 year old Toyota was 5k I don't think people would be buying 10 year old Mazdas.
yeah lol i havent really checked the prices though
thick and lumpy
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
See sometimes that's the problem about buying used cars especially those with a lot of miles/kilometers, they may be cheap initially but its a big open invitation to a lot of problems and sometimes become an endless money pit.
The price quoted for the leaking transmission pan gasket seems reasonable, it is high because they are recommending a full service not just to repair the leak which is the correct course. So labor + oil which can be up to 8 - 10 liters for a full flush and a new filter which is only accessible by removing the oil pan anyway.
As for brakes it's not really clear if the quote is for just machining the old rotors only or replace and machine the new ones which is pretty unnecessary. Not worth the price if there going to use the old rotors.
It's usually a good idea to change the brake fluid anyway when changing pads and rotors and the price of the replacement serpentine belt on a transversely mounted engine is reasonable due to the limited accessibility (can be difficult without a hoist).
Did they also tell you that they can't do a wheel balance cos of the clunking sound it made when he hit the tyres?
But that's ok - they got me for the whole road king package …I wouldn't stress too much about the engine, just service the engine oil regularly and use engine oil flush next time.
A mate of mine was given a Toyota Echo with 150K KMs on it, it had a seized engine due to poor engine oil maintenance. After he fixed it by replacing the oil and doing whatever he did to unseize the engine, the car ran for another 150K (10 more years) before he traded it in for a Kia. All he did was replaced the oil every 10K KM. Japanese engines are very reliable as mention by the other posters. As long as it's not making any weird sounds, vibrations, or smoke, you should be ok.
Congrats and thank you for buying insurance.
Unfortunately there are some dishonest mechanics. We have just found a fantastic mechanic, who is so honest compared to previous! And he is a mobile mechanic too!
Well done for getting a second opinion. Enjoy your new (old) carMy brother Vinnie will sort it out for you, no problem.
Should we contact the guy who sold us?
If you bought it from a proper car dealer, contact them (you have some rights there like a warranty) .
If you bought car directly from some person you don't know, it is your responsibility to check car out etc, and as far as I know, you have no rights after purchase to return car or claim anything back from them . If you bought car from a friend or something, you could go and talk to the friend, Maybe they will take it back.
You should also go to a 2nd or 3rd mechanic just for free quote on what work it really needs . There is a good chance the things you're mechanic mentioned on, although they probably might happen, they also might not. With a car of relatively low value (such as yours) you have to start thinking, well is it really worth spending say $2,000 , on a car that is only worth $5,000 , spending all that money on extra mechanical work for something that "might fail" .
Any car under $5,000 , I would mostly just be spending at the mechanics on basics, things that are significant in keeping my cars safe, keeping them on the road (passing rego checks in NSW) . If I was to spend on anything extra, it would be a bit like a luxury spend.
As long as my cars stays safe, stays running, stays registered (and roadworthy) , if a mechanic told me spend this or this might fail 1 day etc, I cannot afford those luxuries atm. Worst comes to worst, it's often cheaper to sell, and buy a vehicle without issues, rather than throwing more and more money into a lemon. Just my humble opinion based on experiences.Edit: I just realised the year model. I would be looking into whether these came with a 10 year warranty option. Maybe it's still under warranty ?
The seller may have had issues with the car just out of warranty, and sell the lemon to OP. Just as likely though, nothing major wrong with the car at this time, and mechanic is mentioning the expensive extra options so he can have more work and more $$ for himself.For minor leaks, you can buy many things from super cheap auto store . They have things to save money on repair of minor leaks. A mechanic repair it best (but expensive) vs stop leak additives (cheap, but can cause issues later) . They also sell the stuff there to flush engine oil.
I sent my car to service using a Groupon voucher, the meachinc looked very honest and told me over the phone:
1. Belt crack- very bad very dangerous and car can broken down on your way home.
2. No brakes pads left, must replace.
3. Front light cover needs polish
All up cost $900I told him I don't have 900 budget, he said brake pads were priorities. When I said no, he changed and advised belts were more important.
The following day I sent my car to another garage near my workplace, the mechanic told me belts looks Okay- not due to be changed.
Only front break pads may need replacement but Okay to last another 10k without safety concern.
Well the original mechanic has to recover the $5 Groupon minor service charge somehow.
I paid more than $100 to Groupon for the service. I understand everyone has to make money to live, so I didn't choose the low price providers.
Every belt, unless it's practically brand new, will have cracks and/or be "worn". But they rarely break and usually are only replaced when they've stretched too much.
Even if they break it's not really dangerous. Worst case you lose power assisted steering, brakes will still work fine.yeah those groupons are there to get people in to dodgy placces. Once you have paid "something" you are likely to spend more. Which was their whole plan all along. A real mechanics doesn't need gimmicks to bring people in.
Honestly don't panick. Change the engine oil first then again after 1000km or 1 month whichever comes first. Keep doing it until the oil is clear when you change. Shouldn't take long. Engine oil only $25 for decent semi synthetic ones. Brake pads cost about $200 to change all 4. I have a Mazda 2 2008. Are you in WA?
Good advice.
And oil filters sometimes < $10 online or even auto stores if you shop around. Pretty easy to change with new oil.
Maybe get a RAC or other professional mechanical check now to ease your mind, as you probably should have done prior to buying.
Car yards have some warranty over a certain price I think, so if you've made every rookie mistake in the book, please learn now how to buy a car for non mechanics.
A cheap engine oil replacement can be done by any competent amatuer for less than say $50. And brake shoes get quotes. Kmart quoted me $1290, a workshop 300 meters away did the job on front and back for $180 cash.
Good luck.
An update:
The car was damaged slightly during canberra hailstoorm. There were small dents on bonnet and roof. The insurance company decided to write off.
Thanks all for suggestions.
I’ll keep in mind the suggestions in next purchase.
Congrats on the write off!
Insurance did come in handy
for the love of GOD or your own god please don't take any mechanic advise from a Tyre centre.
I think the teacher who you brought the car from, has taught you a lesson in buying used cars.
A lot of people hating on OP and offerting no advice, poor form.
OP take your car to NRMA and see what they say.
Nothing you can do, you should have done sufficient checks before purchasing… unfortunately