opinions wanted

[Maydnaella]

Ok I have a situation here and I need your opinions so I have a better idea of what I should do. My car (automatic 88 Lxi) has a few issues. According to the mechanics (notice plural, i took it to a couple of different ones) my car needs a new distributor, 2 new engine mounts, 2 fuel injectors and my car is shaking violently when I apply my brakes from freeway speeds. I don't know that this is all that's wrong with it or if there is anything else. Also I need to get it to pass the smog test.

So my question is....should I bother to fix all this stuff or should I sell the car (smogged) and get a new one so I can use that repair money to actually fix up the car not just get it to run properly.

Begin suggestions below this line. ready.... GO!
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[‹^› ‹(•¿•)› ‹^›]

Hmm! Did the mechanics ( Dirty money stealing scumbags ) give u a price quote??? I think u should base ur desicion based on the quote!!If the price is reasonable! I would say keep it!! But if the price is a lil crazy and u have enough money to buy a newer car!! buy the new car!!Our 3geezers are kewl, they lack the new age feel!! Sometime I think about buying a new car! But the Car paymets & Insurrance is something I can't afford!!

[87accordlx]

yeah i would say do the repairs, when something goes on our 3geez lots of things go with it, it's our curse, but when u fix these things it runs great with no breakages for a long time, plus i like your car, looks nice, but yeah if the quote is unbelievably high disregard the top part of this post

[BoredRec]

Originally posted by ‹^› ‹(•¿•)› ‹^›
Hmm! Did the mechanics ( Dirty money stealing scumbags ) give u a price quote???

Hey now, there are some of these "dirty money stealing scumbags" present on this board...ahem. Anyway what's wrong with the distributor? Injectors and motor mounts are common on any car, so eventually you'll hafta replace those. The shaking feeling might mean you need new rotors, at the least get them turned. That shouldn't make a huge dent into your checking account. If you get a new car you hafta ask yourself if the extra insurance, registration, car payments, etc will make up for the costs of getting your car fixed. I'd imagine it's paid for, so no car payment, plus low insurance. If you look into the market for a car that has the same features as an LXi, yer looking at the $20k and up range (for a new car, of course). To me, I'd say whats wrong with your car is not worth buying a new car for. I still need a distributor (I think), power steering rack, lower ball joints, brake master cylinder, and an A/C compressor, but I'm not giving up my car. Hope this opinion helps.

[anchovies]

If the fuel injectors are leaking then please get those fixed. The rest you can go without
That's it. Keep the car.

[Site]

I've always believed that it's cheaper in the long run to make repairs on a car that you own than it is to make payments on a car you don't own. Most of the stuff you've mentioned sounds like routine maintenance on an older car. My suggestion is this - hook up with one of the 3Gee geniuses from the board who lives near you and have them check the car out and possibly make some of the repairs, too. When you're a member in good standing of a board like this, you shouldn't have to pay full price for any repair to your car.

[dj99]

I'll give you $50 for that POS, and I'll fly down there to pick it up. OK?

[MoonScryer]

May: get it fixed. If starts, I doubt it's the distributor. Do the motor mounts, get your front rotors replaced (that is the violent shaking), and call it a good day. Even if you spend $500 on it, which I doubt you will, or you got snagged good, do you really want a new car, and all the crap associated with it? Finding a mechanic who will work on it, the insurance, the car payments, the insurance, the parts costs, the insurance....

Keep your 3geezl your wallet and your future will thank you.

[Maydnaella]

Oops, I think I didn't make myself clear. :-P Keep this one or buy another 3G to fix up not a brand new car. One mechanic told me the new distributor would be $300...and I dunno about that rest. That's kind of why I hesitated on fixing it.

And i've already put like $700 into it since I bought it and none of it was for kicks. Just other little problems here and there.


P.s. you can have my cat for $50. Feel free to fly down and pick her up anytime.

[‹^› ‹(•¿•)› ‹^›]

Why buy another 3geezer??? Unless it's a coupe!!! yeah!! Just save the money and get it fixed!! I thought u were thinking of buying a new car!!! Well Gewd Luck!!

[88LXiHB]

Originally posted by ‹^› ‹(•¿•)› ‹^›
Hmm! Did the mechanics ( Dirty money stealing scumbags )

:lol :lol Don't listen to Bored, ALL mechanics are the devil, and they like it IDB TOO!!!!

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

Yea I agree with the others and say just fix it. If you can find somebody to help you do some of those things (maybe there's somebody on the board closeby), it's really not much at all to fix what you listed. Distributor and fuel injectors can be bought at the junkyard, mounts are fairly cheap (about $30-40 each), and rotors aren't that much either (but DO NOT get the cheapest ones you find -- you get what you pay for and they will warp again). I paid $100 for a distributor from the junkyard here and it works great, and that was one of the higher priced junkyards. Got a spare injector at another junkyard for $10. Even if a mechanic fixes it all though, just do one thing at a time as you can afford it. First and foremost would probably be fuel injectors, since your engine can catch on fire if those leak enough. Then brake rotors and pads, then the distributor and mounts can wait for last. The distributor is soooooo easy to replace though that even if you have little knowledge on doing things like this, I think you would be able to figure it out (do you have a repair manual?). And if not, that's what we're all here for A shop would probably rip you off for that, so that's why I'm suggesting getting it from a junkyard and doing it yourself. Now once those things are fixed, you won't have to worry about them for a looong time to come

[night]

if the dist has a lot of brown/tan 'dust' in it it needs to be changed out. you can change the bearings on some but its no big deal to get a used one.
turn the rotors is cheap. will warp again easier if ur hard on the brakes though.


i am very likely to be taking my car down within a week (gotta clean out the garage first) then all my stuff will be up for grabs.
anything that has anything to do with that engine is gettin the boot.
so if you can hold out a bit u can have my stuff cheap. maybe even the rotors if you want. theyve never been turned but i want some new blanks on there depending on how much they are. might as well replace all that while the car is on stands.

[Maydnaella]

thanks everyone!! if you say I can do it then i will! someone point me in the right direction for fuel injectors. which ones should i get?

[2Fast_Fiero]

Stock injectors shouldn't be expencive, go to a Pep Boys, Napa, AutoZone or Checkers Auto Parts. I dont remember the other 2 names of Checkers since they have 3 different names. But one of those places will have brand new stock injectors. I must say tho, your car which is perfect on the outside, has a s**t load of problems on the inside. I'm Soo Sorry. In a way I wish my accord was more like yours tho, cause the body is messed up, which is mainly paint, and now ofcource...blown motor lol.

[YK86]

Is it the injectors that are leaking or is it the seals that have gone bad?? Mine was leaking around the bottom seal (where the injector seats in the intake manifold) and had brown marks clearly visible. When I took it apart, the rubber seal was rock hard while a brand new one was very soft. A set of lower seals and upper o-rings for all 4 injectors cost about $25.

I would buy mounts brand new. I've tried junkyard ones that looked good and came out of a lower mileage engine but it still vibrated alot. I bought new ones and it made a big difference but it's one of those things you don't really have to change unless it's cracking or falling apart.

As for the other stuff, everone else pretty much took care of it. Also, I say keep the car. If you spent $700 already, you might as well pay a bit more and have it running good. Atleast you know you won't need to change those things for a long time.

[Site]

Originally posted by YK86
Also, I say keep the car. If you spent $700 already, you might as well pay a bit more and have it running good. Atleast you know you won't need to change those things for a long time.

That is so true. You get another 3G and you get it's problems, too. At least on this one you're aware of what the problems are and have done some long term fixes.

[POS carb]

those people are ripping you off

[Bobs89LXi]

Talk to Justin. He lives near you. Perhaps he can hook you up with a decent mechanic or help you with the repairs himself. That is the good thing about a board like this. It is a excellent resource. Good luck May.

[Vanilla Sky]

i can be your live-in mechanic... LOL :lol

seriously... keep the car... nothing a couple hundered couldn't fix...

can't you get a whole MSD ignition for like $500 new? if ya could, just go with that...

go with performance injectors while you are at it... they will cost about 4 times stock ones, but you have to think: PERFORMANCE as opposed to stock (even though it won't make any big difference as of now)just get new rotors and pads... no big deal there

do yourself a favor... have your boyfriend take the car in to the same places... mechs almost always wanna charge the "helpless pretty little girls" twice what it really costs

all in all... keep the car...like i said... do some performance stuff when you repair, like new perfomance injectors

best of luck Marie

Derick

[Neuspeed87lx]

if i remember right your car was in really good shape right ? your car is the maroon one right ? i think i remember seeing a pic of your car and if it was yours it was in really good shape so i would say fix it

[Maydnaella]

the smog repair station told me it's gonna cost me $450 to do the repairs to get it to pass the smog. says i need a new cat.

[Vanilla Sky]

in the infamous words of yourself Marie "chin up"

everything will pan out and it all come out OK...

Derick

[flamed89]

nopi has a cat for $130, its pacesetter

[markmdz89hatch]

hang in there... ...like the other guys said, if you go and get another 3G to replace this one, when you buy the car, you'll buy it's problems right along with it. Even with low mileage, the other factor in deteriorating parts is TIME, and all 3g's have stood that test, so there's always something to do.

Like Vanilla said, take this time to do some of those improvments and upgrades you were looking for, and when yo replace this stuff, replace it with hi-perf parts. Then ur half way there.