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For those who read my other threads recently, you know I was dealing with a dying clutch (on a 2005 Honda Accord LX). Today on my way to work, it was acting up terribly and then DIED completely on the freeway... I pulled over, and had to get it towed to my workplace a few miles away. So whoever said I had a few thousand miles to figure things out, guess you were wrong!
The folks who said I could fix it for under $1000 were wrong too, because the estimate I got yesterday was a whopping $2200 - and I am NOT putting that kind of cash into this car! I have someone from "Cash for Clunkers" coming to take a look, and we'll see what they can give me. Any other ideas on what to do with it? Literally not drive-able now, so selling it on Craigslist might not be an option. Argh!!!
Ironically, as I was waiting for the tow, a salesman from the local Mazda dealership called. He got in the exact used car I was looking to buy, and also said they have a special 0% finance offer on something brand new. I'll go speak with him tomorrow, and hopefully work out a fair deal.
What did it do when it "died"? Was the engine running but the transmission was not engaged & moving the car? Did it overheat and blow up? What? A clutch slipping will not just cause a car to "die."
Also, you CAN sell it on Craigslist, and you'll likely get more than you'd get from a salvage yard.
What did it do when it "died"? Was the engine running but the transmission was not engaged & moving the car? Did it overheat and blow up? What? A clutch slipping will not just cause a car to "die."
I know it's the clutch, so this is a moot point... but it was revving (high RPM) with no acceleration, then started to smell like something was burning. I was able to get it up to about 55mph for the first 10-15 miles, but about 3 miles from my destination it just STOPPED. Meaning, I gave it gas but nothing happened other than the RPMs going up & down. I was able to pull it to the side of the road, but couldn't even make it move forward enough to get off the freeway. So yeah, it's dead.
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Also, you CAN sell it on Craigslist, and you'll likely get more than you'd get from a salvage yard.
Yes, but I figured it was worth seeing what they could give me. I have other issues going on, from additional mechanical problems to body damage, even a title and registration snafu. It might not be worth the hassle of dealing with all of that, especially now that it's stranded in a public parking lot.
Suit yourself, but if you put a high-quality clutch kit in the Honda, it should be ready for many more miles if the rest of it's in good shape.
You could get another estimate. Post up in your local forum to find a good shop that can do the job right.
Keep in mind where I live, and double any costs you assume in other parts of the US. That's the "joy" of living in the Bay Area, lol.
I know the clutch is fixable, however you can see from my above post that it has other problems - and I lack the cash right now to fix it, but making low car payments is do-able. Just a personal financial decision, which would take a lot of explaining (about my specific situation) to justify.
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You don't need to give the car away, sell it as a "mechanic's special" to someone who can deal with the clutch swap.
I won't GIVE it away, they're just coming to see how much they can pay for it. If the offer is too low, then I'll put it on CL to see what I can get. What would you ask for a 2005 Accord LX with no clutch, 119K miles, a large dent on the side (plus other minor scratches/dings), a semi-broken window, minor oil leak, and something else unknown that's lit up my engine light? I have no idea.
I can't give you a realistic price without seeing the car, and I don't know the Bay Area's market anyway.
You could try to get a few more bids on replacing the clutch. If you found a quality shop they could tell you what the CEL is about. That could be as simple as a gas cap or it could be real money. I can't tell from here.
Beyond the clutch and the CEL, the minor oil leak is probably not worth bothering with. On a Detroit car no one would think it was unusual.
How old is the cam belt? That's another relatively costly maintenance item on these cars.
Sometimes a Mexican shop will offer a lot more value than one run by Gringos. And I'm a Gringo saying this! Seriously certainly for body work around here I wouldn't even look at anything but the Mexican run shops. But I digress. (This is cultural, not racial, OK? I find the local Mexican community has quite a work ethic, and they don't hold each other up on price. They treat me just as well...)
If the car is beat up and you have had it with it, I can understand moving on to a different car.
If you WANT a newer or just different car, you only have to justify that to the gal in the mirror.
Any outfit calling themselves "Cash for Clunkers" is no doubt going to low-ball you. If you want a few bucks in hand and the car gone quickly, and are willing to take less $ to do this, OK then. But CL or similar probably will get you more money, but will be more work for you and take longer.
I can't give you a realistic price without seeing the car, and I don't know the Bay Area's market anyway.
You could try to get a few more bids on replacing the clutch. If you found a quality shop they could tell you what the CEL is about. That could be as simple as a gas cap or it could be real money. I can't tell from here.
Beyond the clutch and the CEL, the minor oil leak is probably not worth bothering with. On a Detroit car no one would think it was unusual.
How old is the cam belt? That's another relatively costly maintenance item on these cars.
Yeah, I'm pretty much done with it. And around here, even getting those things diagnosed will cost me $250+.
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Sometimes a Mexican shop will offer a lot more value than one run by Gringos. And I'm a Gringo saying this! Seriously certainly for body work around here I wouldn't even look at anything but the Mexican run shops. But I digress. (This is cultural, not racial, OK? I find the local Mexican community has quite a work ethic, and they don't hold each other up on price. They treat me just as well...)
No, you're absolutely right! I live in California, so we have our share of "Mexican shops" - and since I happen to speak Spanish too, I've used them for a number of things over the years. A couple of years ago, I got a "gently used" tire from one for $35, and on the way home it started to make weird noises... I drove it back to the shop the following day, and when they started to hem & haw about swapping it, I switched to Spanish and mentioned my (fictitious) husband Carlos might have to speak with them. They swapped it free of charge for a newer/better tire.
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If the car is beat up and you have had it with it, I can understand moving on to a different car.
If you WANT a newer or just different car, you only have to justify that to the gal in the mirror.
Any outfit calling themselves "Cash for Clunkers" is no doubt going to low-ball you. If you want a few bucks in hand and the car gone quickly, and are willing to take less $ to do this, OK then. But CL or similar probably will get you more money, but will be more work for you and take longer.
Thanks for the input, but I'm still not 100% decided on what to do (in terms of selling it). I'm going to borrow my sister's old BMW tomorrow, so at least I have something to drive in the meantime! But if I can get into that Mazda3 I want for a decent price, it's definitely a better option for me than diagnosing, fixing, and continuing to deal with this Honda. I've never really liked it anyway, but have driven it for EIGHT years and 119K miles. Is that good enough to justify finally getting something new(ish)?
P.S. Cash for Clunkers is actually a government program, so it's not as sleazy as you think; I'll get more on CL for sure, but as you said, that will require more time and effort than I can expend right now.
Correction: It WAS a government program, but apparently federal funding has expired now... they're somehow affiliated with the State, though, so it's not just some random place I found myself.
For those who read my other threads recently, you know I was dealing with a dying clutch (on a 2005 Honda Accord LX). Today on my way to work, it was acting up terribly and then DIED completely on the freeway... I pulled over, and had to get it towed to my workplace a few miles away. So whoever said I had a few thousand miles to figure things out, guess you were wrong!
The folks who said I could fix it for under $1000 were wrong too, because the estimate I got yesterday was a whopping $2200 - and I am NOT putting that kind of cash into this car! I have someone from "Cash for Clunkers" coming to take a look, and we'll see what they can give me. Any other ideas on what to do with it? Literally not drive-able now, so selling it on Craigslist might not be an option. Argh!!!
Ironically, as I was waiting for the tow, a salesman from the local Mazda dealership called. He got in the exact used car I was looking to buy, and also said they have a special 0% finance offer on something brand new. I'll go speak with him tomorrow, and hopefully work out a fair deal.
RIP La Honda, 2005-2013
How much is that new used car again? You're crying over having a $2200 repair bill but put you're running to the dealer to buy a USED car with some BS aftermarket warranty which is nothing more than a feel good piece of paper ( and you will pay about $1200 for that aftermarket warranty if you purchase it) that covers next to nothing and you're buying a what? 12-16k used car? You seem to think that buying a used car at a dealer somehow magically won't require repairs because the dealer doesn't sell cars that break down.
RIP your wallet for the next 60 months
My trucks have 150k and 197k. When I get to 250-280k I may sell them and get something else.
Note that I didn't ask for opinions on whether to fix or trade/sell, and even said my financial situation is too complicated to explain here... I'm only sharing the info about my car, and asking for advice on how (and for how much) to sell it.
And for the record, I will only buy new or certified used - not some used clunker with a useless warranty.
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