Never rains...

[April Thompson]

On Wednesday, I took my '04 L26 in for the valve cover recall (you know, the one where they let us know in October, but they didn't have the parts, then they had the parts in February, but then they didn't again?); they did whatever it was they were going to do... but then the service advisor gave me a laundry list of things my car needed, including:

Oil pan gasket,
valley pan gasket (and because of that, the upper intake gasket as well!),
struts,
brakes,
front axle seals,

Add to that the gearbox is starting to go out, doing a number where it "slaps" whenever I touch the accelerator and when I start from idle it acts as if I'd been in neutral then gives an almighty yank! I'd changed the fluid & filter in January, and reset the adaptives, but those adaptives had maxed out again within days! So... I have to ask myself: how long can I nurse this motor along for? I'll need a car to be in tip-top shape for fall, when my road trips between Moline and Joliet double every week, but I can't keep pounding sand down a rat hole, nor can I just go buy a new vehicle! ...Though I've had my eye on a Mazda CX-3, to be fair; it's got the essential must-haves, including heated leather seats and HUD!

[stealthee]

If the car is going to start nickel and dimeing you then it will cost less to get another car.

My hope is to get rid of mine before it starts doing that to me.

[EHB]

that was aweful sweet of em to do a full inspection for ya when you just took it in for a valve cover gasket. i bet they already had a date circled for when they could do the work for ya.
i still need to make an appointment to get mine done .

[BrandonHall10]

If the car is going to start nickel and dimeing you then it will cost less to get another car.

Depends. If you're talking about a "dealership new" car, no way. It's cheaper to fix what you have.

If you're talking about another used car, maybe... If you get lucky and find one that has just been gone through or was very well maintained. You could also be buying a turd that puts you right back where you were with you're previous vehicle.

9 times out of 10, you're better off financially to fix what you already own and have paid off. The only reason to get a different car, is because you want a different car. There's nothing wrong with that.

[April Thompson]

I have to keep nursing my car along for a while longer, I'm afraid. I just hope I can get a chance to replace my gearbox, otherwise that's the big determining factor... well, that or else I win the lottery, in which case the next Grand Prix I get is a 1967 ragtop and the '04 gets part-exchanged for new!

[Burbman]

Oil pan gasket and axle seals can drip for a long time before they need to be replaced. Keep an eyeon fluid levels. Brakes you need, valley pan aka LIM gasket is a maybe.

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