91 civic h/b....what would you do?

[budz]

ok here's the dilemma i am faced with..... my 91 honda civic hatchback is leaking oil in the sparkplug well.....my mechanic told me i should change the timing belt since they have to remove the manifold to repair the leaking oil.....the cost will be approximately $1000.00, i only have like 77,500 miles on the car which is going on 15 years old....would any of you pay $1000.00 to have the timing belt replaced or buy a new car at this point?

as you can see i have low mileage on my car....the timing belt was replaced 8 years ago as i followed the recommended conditions that honda has....the years came before the miles so i changed the timing belt at 43,500 miles......i really don't want a car payment because i've been car payment free for over 10 years now.......and cuz then i won't be able to continue to be a newegg.com whore......
i always tell myself paying $1000 for a car repair is better than paying $20,000 - $25,000 for a new car.....

what would any of you do? no, i don't fix cars that's why i have a mechanic which is a neighborhood repair shop that i've been going to for years. it's a 3 man mechanic shop.....in the long run my friends tell me it's time to buy a new car cuz i've gotten my money's worth but i wanna run it to the ground before i have to buy another one.

i only bought this honda 15 years ago cuz my toyota sr5 liftback died. any comments please feel free to post. as always they will be appreciated. thanks in advance.

[offline]

I'm no mechanic.

I think your Honda is getting to that point where
the repair bills are going to make it a 50/50
decision on your part.

[BJ_M]

if no rust .. fix it , but get the water pump also replaced the same time .... get a pressure test done also first , if all cyl. good- ok , if not ... scrap ..

but those honda engines can go a long long time (ussualy always outlast the body)

if it is an automatic --- the transmission is a weak point in a 91 a bit also ...

brakes also ... not as bad though ...

[Faustus]

Just put rockets on it.

[pacmania_2001]

I've got a 1993 Honda Civic with 170,000km on it and it's only ever been small things that need to be fixed so they are a great little car.

I'd get the thing repaired and run it into the ground, thats what I'm going to do with mine.

[thecoalman]

if no rust .. fix it , but get the water pump also replaced the same time .... get a pressure test done also first , if all cyl. good- ok , if not ... scrap ..

but those honda engines can go a long long time (ussualy always outlast the body)

Ditto on that them things run forever, if the body is in good shape I'd go for it providing it's not going to add a lot to the cost of the bill. Otherwise I'd just get the oil leak fixed. I had quite a few good times in the same model car Drove it across the US 3 times.

[Tool Man]

I would find another mechanic.
$1000 to replace a timing belt!!

I got the belt replaced on my '94 Probe GT for less than £100 at a local grease monkey.

Ask around mate.

[zzyzzx]

A honda having that much trouble with so few miles. I'd bitch and moan about that.

Anyway, I'd fix the car and keep driving it. New cars are a rip. $1000 is nothing to spend on repairs when you consider how much a new car would cost to buy, insure, etc.

[Guest]

Take it out back behind the tool shed.

Sounds like car of the girls I stayed with when I lived on Maui only theirs was like an 81'.Holes in the floor.No key to start it .Just wires.That thing was scary to drive to the other side with driving along those sea cliffs.

[pyrate83]

ok here's the dilemma i am faced with..... my 91 honda civic hatchback is leaking oil in the sparkplug well.....my mechanic told me i should change the timing belt since they have to remove the manifold to repair the leaking oil.....the cost will be approximately $1000.00, i only have like 77,500 miles on the car which is going on 15 years old....would any of you pay $1000.00 to have the timing belt replaced or buy a new car at this point?

as you can see i have low mileage on my car....the timing belt was replaced 8 years ago as i followed the recommended conditions that honda has....the years came before the miles so i changed the timing belt at 43,500 miles......i really don't want a car payment because i've been car payment free for over 10 years now.......and cuz then i won't be able to continue to be a newegg.com whore......
i always tell myself paying $1000 for a car repair is better than paying $20,000 - $25,000 for a new car.....

what would any of you do? no, i don't fix cars that's why i have a mechanic which is a neighborhood repair shop that i've been going to for years. it's a 3 man mechanic shop.....in the long run my friends tell me it's time to buy a new car cuz i've gotten my money's worth but i wanna run it to the ground before i have to buy another one.

i only bought this honda 15 years ago cuz my toyota sr5 liftback died. any comments please feel free to post. as always they will be appreciated. thanks in advance.

Write a letter to MTV's Pimp My Ride and maybe just maybe Xibit will show up at your front step.

[budz]

hey thanks for all the replies.....$1000.00 to fix includes fixing the oil leak since the timing belt has to be removed for that process the timing belt might as well be changed at the same time....when you look at it the labor alone to replace the timing belt would be just as costly the next time.....the cost also includes the water pump being replaced as well.....after they open up the manifold i wanna make sure there is no burnt pistons and stuff.....thanks again for the replies

$1000.00 to fix is much less than purchasing a brand new car......i'd like to drive this car down to the ground before buying a new one......i wanna keep it for another 2 years at least.

my friends told me MTV PIMP MY RIDE is only in california....dammit!

[pyrate83]

Oh well it would have been cool.

[Guest]

hey thanks for all the replies.....$1000.00 to fix includes fixing the oil leak since the timing belt has to be removed for that process the timing belt might as well be changed at the same time....when you look at it the labor alone to replace the timing belt would be just as costly the next time.....the cost also includes the water pump being replaced as well.....after they open up the manifold i wanna make sure there is no burnt pistons and stuff.....thanks again for the replies

$1000.00 to fix is much less than purchasing a brand new car......i'd like to drive this car down to the ground before buying a new one......i wanna keep it for another 2 years at least.

my friends told me MTV PIMP MY RIDE is only in california....dammit!

Maybe theyd come to Hawaii for a special episode.I'd hit em up anyway.

[lordsmurf]

Find one of those mechanics that is cheap, usually not certified, and is a "friend" of somebody you know.

[zzyzzx]

Even if you didn't want the car any more, fixing it and selling would ne the next option because there are always people stupid enough to pay way too much for a used, even old high mileage Honda.

[Guest]

Find one of those mechanics that is cheap, usually not certified, and is a "friend" of somebody you know.

I had this patient when I was practicing in rural Kansas.He mentioned he did auto work on the side. I told him I wanted him to replace my break pads.I didnt really think about it,but my buddy reminded me we were treating this guy for basically being a dumb ass.He burned 60 % of his body cuz he was burning brush using gasoline. He started the fire standing downwind.WTF?There was no way I wanted this guy to work on my car ,let alone brakes. I told him after work the same day I asked him.He told me he was really counting on the money and started stalking me.Creeepy!Glad I was only there for a month.

[HRMaddie]

I am not a certifited mechanic (I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night though), but I don't think the timing belt is causing the oil leak onto the spark plugs. I would think that the seal on the piston is wearing out, at some point in the future you would probably start seeing smoke coming out of your exhaust pipe. How long that would take who knows? Maybe your mechanic thought the seals on the shafts that the timing belt is turning are wearing out, but once again if that was the case I don't believe you would see oil on the spark plug. I owned a Contour with 90,000 miles and was changing the spark plugs for the second time when I noticed oil on one of the plugs. I just had the timing belt replaced along with all of the seals and water pump. I promptly traded it in for an Accord. I don't believe your problem is the timing belt.

[budz]

I am not a certifited mechanic (I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night though), but I don't think the timing belt is causing the oil leak onto the spark plugs. I would think that the seal on the piston is wearing out, at some point in the future you would probably start seeing smoke coming out of your exhaust pipe. How long that would take who knows? Maybe your mechanic thought the seals on the shafts that the timing belt is turning are wearing out, but once again if that was the case I don't believe you would see oil on the spark plug. I owned a Contour with 90,000 miles and was changing the spark plugs for the second time when I noticed oil on one of the plugs. I just had the timing belt replaced along with all of the seals and water pump. I promptly traded it in for an Accord. I don't believe your problem is the timing belt.

my problem isn't the timing belt....it was suggested to change the timing belt since they would have to remove it to fix the oil leak.....that timing belt i have in there now has 35,000 miles on it.....it does make sense to change the timting belt since they're going to remove it anyway....i spoke to my cousin who's a mechanic who also suggested to change the timing belt because once they remove the belt then put it back on who's to say that belt will break....my cousin can't fix my problem cuz he's in california.....your comment about the seal on the pistons is correct....i never said the timing belt was the cause of the oil leak.....thanks again everyone for the replies....i've decided to just pay the $1000.00 to fix the oil leak, have the timing belt and water pump replaced as well.....my car only has 77,640 miles on it....i have maintained the car since i bought it brand new...it has had all the recommended servicing....i'd like to run this old honda civic to the ground before buying a new car...btw my eyes are set on that SCION XB car...neat little car i must say....my friend at work has one.....it is very roomy in there.......when my honda goes to that big heaven in the sky maybe my next car will be that SCION XB......

[Soopafresh]

My timing belt broke on my Acura and it cost a lot to fix, plus they had to do a valve job on it. Don't wait. Do it.


It's almost always less expensive to fix up an older car (especially Hondas) than it is to get a new one and make the payments.

[budz]

My timing belt broke on my Acura and it cost a lot to fix, plus they had to do a valve job on it. Don't wait. Do it.


It's almost always less expensive to fix up an older car (especially Hondas) than it is to get a new one and make the payments.

on having to make car payments and higher insurance for a new car.......i did check out that new car by TOYOTA called SCION XB.....it's a boxy looking thing but something i would consider to purchase after my honda civic goes to the honda heaven.....hopefully i can keep it running for another year or 2......

[sacajaweeda]

You better be getting a new set of muffler bearrings outta the deal too for that kind of money.