(no subject)
So, last week, my car's check engine light came on. I don't drive to work on a daily basis -- or, okay, ever; it's actually quicker to walk, given parking and all -- and so it was easy enough to let it sit in the driveway for a few days until I could take it to the garage this Saturday.
So I did, and they told me they'd run the computer diagnostic, which would cost a set fee, and give me a call to let me know the results and cost before they did anything else. Fine, I said.
The guy gave me a call back today. It turns out that what it is is that the charcoal vapor canister, which is part of the vapor emissions system, needs to be replaced. This isn't something that will cause my engine to break down if it's left alone for a while, so that's theoretically an option I guess, but it's not a good thing; having parts of your emissions system messed up is not exactly desirable, for a multitude of reasons.
The problem is that the part costs $263 and change. With 2.5 hours labor, plus the diagnostic fee, that puts it at $530-odd.
I can do it, but that's a big chunk of change; it'll mean tightening the budget on a lot of things, and basically spending as little money as possible for a while. (I could probably ask for money from my parents. I don't want to. I'll mention it to them the next time we talk, as I update them on life in general, and they may offer or insist because the car is technically in my father's name, but I don't want to ask for it or count on that. They're on vacation for a week anyway, though, so this needs to be decided first.) The garage would presumably let me pay it in installments, too.
The question isn't so much finding the money, as I can if I need to. It's more that... well, I like this garage. They seem honest to me. It's small and locally owned, their gas is cheap, their employees are friendly and prompt, and they don't talk down to me nor throw out an intentionally bewildering spray or jargon -- all of which, as a young woman, I appreciate. But the thing is that, while I do have some idea of the internal workings of cars, I have never had more done to mine than a tire and oil change and the occasional state-mandated inspection. (Which I just had, but I don't know if they're supposed to check this as part of it.) So I don't know that this is a fair price, beyond my gut feeling that they're an honest business.
So my question to you, o knowledgeable friendslist, is if this seems a fair price for the problem at hand. (My car, if it matters, is a 2000 Toyota Corolla.) I can make a decision without such input, but it's always nice to have more information.
(And this, dear friends, is another reason why being a grown-up kinda sucks. Can't it be like when we were kids, and pictured it as a lovely state in which one has lots of free time and money and knows everything and has no restrictions? When I rule the world, this will be the case.)
So I did, and they told me they'd run the computer diagnostic, which would cost a set fee, and give me a call to let me know the results and cost before they did anything else. Fine, I said.
The guy gave me a call back today. It turns out that what it is is that the charcoal vapor canister, which is part of the vapor emissions system, needs to be replaced. This isn't something that will cause my engine to break down if it's left alone for a while, so that's theoretically an option I guess, but it's not a good thing; having parts of your emissions system messed up is not exactly desirable, for a multitude of reasons.
The problem is that the part costs $263 and change. With 2.5 hours labor, plus the diagnostic fee, that puts it at $530-odd.
I can do it, but that's a big chunk of change; it'll mean tightening the budget on a lot of things, and basically spending as little money as possible for a while. (I could probably ask for money from my parents. I don't want to. I'll mention it to them the next time we talk, as I update them on life in general, and they may offer or insist because the car is technically in my father's name, but I don't want to ask for it or count on that. They're on vacation for a week anyway, though, so this needs to be decided first.) The garage would presumably let me pay it in installments, too.
The question isn't so much finding the money, as I can if I need to. It's more that... well, I like this garage. They seem honest to me. It's small and locally owned, their gas is cheap, their employees are friendly and prompt, and they don't talk down to me nor throw out an intentionally bewildering spray or jargon -- all of which, as a young woman, I appreciate. But the thing is that, while I do have some idea of the internal workings of cars, I have never had more done to mine than a tire and oil change and the occasional state-mandated inspection. (Which I just had, but I don't know if they're supposed to check this as part of it.) So I don't know that this is a fair price, beyond my gut feeling that they're an honest business.
So my question to you, o knowledgeable friendslist, is if this seems a fair price for the problem at hand. (My car, if it matters, is a 2000 Toyota Corolla.) I can make a decision without such input, but it's always nice to have more information.
(And this, dear friends, is another reason why being a grown-up kinda sucks. Can't it be like when we were kids, and pictured it as a lovely state in which one has lots of free time and money and knows everything and has no restrictions? When I rule the world, this will be the case.)