Car maintenance

[Lilac]

How often do you need to replace the battery, tires, and brakes in your car?

I know absolutely nothing about cars, but in the last month I''ve had to replace the battery (it was fine one day and totally dead the next and I didn''t leave any lights on or anything), get an oil change (which I know I generally get every few months, so that was expected), and now I was just told I need to replace my tires and brakes. I don''t get it - the car isn''t that old! It''s a 2006 Honda Accord with a little under 35,000 miles on it. I bought it a little over 3 years ago.

It''s possible this is totally normal for me to have to do all this maintenance at this point in the car''s "life" - so I''m just looking for some reassurance that I''m not seeing a bad mechanic or that there isn''t something actually *wrong* with the car and this is all normal.

Just seems like SO much money to spend all at once... but obviously necessary for safety reasons.

 

[y2kitty]

Where do you live? I live in Arizona and we need to get new batteries every 1-2 years and new tires quicker as well (the heat rots them).

 

[elrohwen]

I generally get new tires every few years - maybe every 3? I know you can try the penny test (put a penny in the tread and if you can see Lincoln's head they're too worn down) but I generally just wait until I can feel the car not handling well. Plus, if I go to the dealer (they do cheap oil changes, so sometimes I go there) they'll tell me if it needs new tires and it's generally right on with what I was thinking.

For batteries, I'd say replacing every couple years is normal.

For brakes, I generally wait until there's a problem (squeaking or some other noise) but dealer also checks them when they do the oil change. It seems like something needs to be replaced every 4-5 years? That's just an estimate though.

I would say the things you've had done seem normal to me.

ETA: Mileage definitely plays the greatest part in when you need to replace things, but unfortunately I never really remember the mileage thing and just go by years since I tend to put the same amount of miles on my car each year. Of course that varies from person to person.

 

[perry]

Where you live, how you drive, and how you take care of your car greatly affect these things.

You are at what I consider the low milage mark for breaks. It may be totally legitimate. But, perhaps not. I tend to get my breaks to last 50,000 miles.

A good battery should last 4-5 years. But you have to take care of it to do that.

Tires. Lots of tradeoffs there. I prefer tires that really grip the road well in the cold and wet. These also wear faster than most tires - so I typically replace tires at about your milage. High milage tires may not grip the road so well - and I have owned tires that allowed the car to slide in the rain (those OEM tires were quickly replaced).

Do you have a good mechanic or not? No way to tell from here. Your best bet is to start to educate yourself on basic auto care. Ask your mechanic why you need to change tires (it may be because of a bad alignment or road damage). Spend some time on some tire websites and lean what the different numbers and codes mean on a tire. Look at tire codes and see how you can tradeoff milage for grip - or speed rating. Make the choices that are best for you.

Batteries: I tend towards Sears - and then add distilled water a couple times a year to make the battery last. I also clean the terminals once a year. That can increase the life of a battery.

And so on. If you set a goal to educate yourself about 1 topic a year - in 5 years you will know the answers to your questions.

Perry

 

[HVVS]

Date: 12/29/2009 5:52:33 PM
Author:Lilac
How often do you need to replace the battery, tires, and brakes in your car?

Battery: May last 6 years, will probably last less. "fine one day and totally dead the next" is a drag, but usually what happens. The first major cold snap is when you know your battery is shot. Or, due to the electronics, an undriven car can sometimes draw down the battery in 30 days. I've heard more than one Chevy truck owner say that their undriven & unstarted truck can do it in just 7 days. Another factor is heat in the engine compartment. Heat kills batteries. Better quality batteries last longer. I've been using Autozone batteries. In a vehicle that's driven daily, they work fine.

Tires: Depends on the softness of the rubber -- sticky performance tires last the shortest miles, maybe only 15k to 20k. Really hard rubber compounds last a long time but may harden even more and be slick as snot on rainy days. Failure to keep tires properly inflated, balanced, and rotated and / or car aligned will accelerate wear or start odd wear patterns that make tread wear off in just one area, say the inside or the outside of edge of the tread. 35K on an average OEM set of passenger tires may be the typical service life of them.

Brakes: I have no idea. It depends on the quality and thickness of the pads, the amount of stop & go urban driving, how bad you ride the brake pedal, the weight distribution of the car, whether or not any caliper or brake cable sticks and make the brake(s) drag, etc. 35k for brake linings in the type of driving you do may be normal. Warped rotors have been a problem with all cars ever since they started importing Chinese-made rotors. I get pretty tired of resurfacing / replacing warped rotors.

Sometimes all of this stuff is going bad but you don't notice or look for it, but it gets caught say, when the car is getting its annual state inspection.

Oil: I change mine every 3000 miles. And the filter, too. The new oils are supposed to last longer and manufacturers say 7000 miles or something. I do what I've always done. Oil is cheaper than engines.

 

[Karl_K]

3 years is a little on the low side for a battery but since it died there isn't much question there.

35k-40k is pretty average for oem tires.

35k on brakes in city driving is not uncommon.
Newer oem brake pads don't last as long as they did in the old days.
Spent the extra $20-$30 for modern ceramic pads.
Have him show you why they need to be replaced it should be obvious and if he cant point it out go elsewhere for a second opinion.

 

[Lilac]

Thanks y2kitty, elrohwen, perry, HVVS, and Karl!

My husband has been doing some more research on this since we just found out we have to spend all this money and while it really irritates me to have to spend so much at once, he''s pretty much seen information to support what you''ve all said. It''s mostly typical (maybe slightly early for some things) but in the end we just have to spend the money to make sure the car is safe. Next time I''ll be sure to get tires rotated/aligned, etc. to hopefully extend the life of those. Unfortunately the battery was inevitable and I guess its time was up

. The brakes are used for half highway, half city driving and I guess I do use the brakes a lot in traffic and driving around the neighborhood. I will be asking the mechanic to show me *exactly* what the issue is because sometimes I wonder if he exaggerates things to get us to spend more money.

Thanks again!

 

[reader]

Tirerack.com is amazing. Good prices and great reviews on tires, and you can just plug in your vehicle and get tire recommendations and reviews.

Hondas have fans, cars that have fans have forums and forums have smaller mechanics that specialize in your car and are Much Cheaper than the dealer.

Clean your battery terminals when the weather changes.

At 35K, you might also be due for plugs and wires, and should consider flushing the brake fluid. It can absorb water from the air over time and cause damage to the brake lines as well as be less effective.

How is your alternator testing out? Sometimes, but not always, when a battery fails there might need to be a new serpentine belt and tensioner or alternator needed. Best to keep an eye on it.

When should the timing belt and water pump be changed on that car? A Honda forum would be great for answering that question.

I''m not a Honda person, but a VW one, but I do have an uncle I can ask if you like...?

 

[MustangGal]

I had a Tiburon for about the same amount of time as you that I traded in last year. It had 55K miles, I had replaced the battery twice (AZ heat eats them), but the tires and breaks were fine. Tires and breaks really depend on your driving habits, but all the tires I''ve had lasted at least 50K. Batteries here usually go about 3 years, so that sound normal. Maybe get a second set of eyes to looks at the tires/breaks?

 

[HVVS]

How is your alternator testing out? Sometimes, but not always, when a battery fails there might need to be a new serpentine belt and tensioner or alternator needed. Best to keep an eye on it.

Good catch, Reader. Sometimes it *is* the alternator and not just the battery.

 

[radiantquest]

It is normal to have to get things like tires and brakes and batteries and such. It is just unfortunate that they all happened back to back. I had a car that the battery was fine one day and the next it wouldn''t start. It was the oddest thing.

I usually go through brakes like crazy. I warp rotors like nobodys business. I don''t know why, but I do. I just bought a new Honda so we will see how it goes with these.

Tires should last a good amount of time. Someone mentioned tirerack. You can go there and look up tires and it will tell you their rating. It should say how many miles they will last for too.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

I just had to replace my front tires, which was a horribly expensive experience. I'd forgotten how much that can hurt! I feel for you.

Is there a legal minimum for tire tread depth where you are? There is in the UK (I think it's 3mm off the top of my head) so I check them every three months or so to make sure there is enough tread left. I've replaced front tires roughly every 30k miles but I have a fairly heavy engined, diesel car, front wheel drive. My last little car did better on tires. Front tires on a front wheel drive will wear faster than rear ones, too. I usually ask the dealer to rotate them when the car is in for an oil change, so they wear more evenly. Also, to get the most out of them, make sure that the tracking is correctly aligned and the inflation pressures are right. That being wrong can shorten their lives a fair bit.

Jen

eta battery life - my car is nearly ten years old and still has its original battery. Maybe you could ask the dealership to check that the alternator is charging the battery properly?

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Date: 12/30/2009 3:52:40 PM
Author: HVVS

How is your alternator testing out? Sometimes, but not always, when a battery fails there might need to be a new serpentine belt and tensioner or alternator needed. Best to keep an eye on it.

Good catch, Reader. Sometimes it *is* the alternator and not just the battery.

oops, you already knew that! I should read the whole thread, sorry!

 

[Lilac]

So I''m supposed to go replace the tires next week (we ordered them from Costco last week but because of the holidays they''re not coming until Monday). Brakes will have to be done next week as well. Already took care of the oil change and obviously replaced the battery because the car wouldn''t start. Thanks for the advice on the alternator - I think I''ll ask the mechanic to check it out when I bring the car in for the brakes. At this point I''ve kind of accepted that DH and I have to just spend the money and hopefully we won''t have to again for a couple years. It just feels like SO MUCH at once and so much money to spend at once! But it''s necessary, unfortunately.

I''m very nervous now though - DH and I planned a weekend away in Baltimore over New Years. We''re supposed to leave tomorrow and drive there (from New York) and come back on Sunday. Now I''m starting to wonder if we should cancel the trip because of the brakes and tires - I tend to worry a lot and now I''m wondering if we can even make it there the way the car is now. It''s supposed to rain tomorrow while we''re driving. But I *really* don''t want to cancel - we''ve been looking forward to our weekend away for a while now.

I wish all of this car stuff had happened 2 weeks ago... or 2 weeks from now.

 

[sctsbride09]

Lilac- I know this is a long shot, but is there any way your husband could fix the brakes before you go? Its way cheaper to replace them yourself and it only takes a couple hours. Then you could feel nice and safe for your drive. Im like you in the sense of not wanting to go on a long car ride with things like that out of order, you just never know what kind of weather you might hit. Good Luck, hope you get to go on your trip.

 

[swingirl]

Date: 12/30/2009 5:08:15 PM
Author: sctsbride09
Lilac- I know this is a long shot, but is there any way your husband could fix the brakes before you go? Its way cheaper to replace them yourself and it only takes a couple hours. Then you could feel nice and safe for your drive. Im like you in the sense of not wanting to go on a long car ride with things like that out of order, you just never know what kind of weather you might hit. Good Luck, hope you get to go on your trip.

Oh dear. If you are not experienced with car repair the brake system is the LAST place you want to start with.

Your mechanic should tell you whether you are "don''t drive another mile" or "you got a little left on the pads". Same thing with the tires. Are they bald and should have been replaced 5,000 miles ago? Keeping yourself and everyone else on the road safe is number one priority. Consider renting a car for your trip if you still want to go but don''t take an unsafe vehicle on the road.

 

[Lilac]

Date: 12/30/2009 5:22:57 PM
Author: swingirl

Date: 12/30/2009 5:08:15 PM

Author: sctsbride09

Lilac- I know this is a long shot, but is there any way your husband could fix the brakes before you go? Its way cheaper to replace them yourself and it only takes a couple hours. Then you could feel nice and safe for your drive. Im like you in the sense of not wanting to go on a long car ride with things like that out of order, you just never know what kind of weather you might hit. Good Luck, hope you get to go on your trip.

Oh dear. If you are not experienced with car repair the brake system is the LAST place you want to start with.

Your mechanic should tell you whether you are ''don''t drive another mile'' or ''you got a little left on the pads''. Same thing with the tires. Are they bald and should have been replaced 5,000 miles ago? Keeping yourself and everyone else on the road safe is number one priority. Consider renting a car for your trip if you still want to go but don''t take an unsafe vehicle on the road.

DH unfortunately knows nothing about brakes other than some research he''s been doing, but even if he did he''s going to be at work until the time we leave tomorrow so he wouldn''t have time to fix them.

If we would have to rent a car to go on this trip at that point we would probably just cancel the trip altogether - it''s way too expensive for us to rent a car. We''re also both under 25 so the rental rates for people under 25 are insanely expensive at most places. While we *can* afford it, we just wouldn''t want to spend so much money knowing we also have to fix our own car once we get home.

I know DH spoke to the mechanic this afternoon to find out just how bad the brakes/tires are (to see if it''s the type of thing where they should have already been replaced or if it''s just something we should get around to doing in the next few weeks). I''m not sure what the mechanic said - I''ll speak to DH and find out when he gets home from work. I guess tonight we''ll make the decision whether to go or cancel based on what he said.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 12/30/2009 5:57:36 PM
Author: Lilac

Date: 12/30/2009 5:22:57 PM
Author: swingirl

Date: 12/30/2009 5:08:15 PM

Author: sctsbride09

Lilac- I know this is a long shot, but is there any way your husband could fix the brakes before you go? Its way cheaper to replace them yourself and it only takes a couple hours. Then you could feel nice and safe for your drive. Im like you in the sense of not wanting to go on a long car ride with things like that out of order, you just never know what kind of weather you might hit. Good Luck, hope you get to go on your trip.

Oh dear. If you are not experienced with car repair the brake system is the LAST place you want to start with.

Your mechanic should tell you whether you are ''don''t drive another mile'' or ''you got a little left on the pads''. Same thing with the tires. Are they bald and should have been replaced 5,000 miles ago? Keeping yourself and everyone else on the road safe is number one priority. Consider renting a car for your trip if you still want to go but don''t take an unsafe vehicle on the road.

DH unfortunately knows nothing about brakes other than some research he''s been doing, but even if he did he''s going to be at work until the time we leave tomorrow so he wouldn''t have time to fix them.

If we would have to rent a car to go on this trip at that point we would probably just cancel the trip altogether - it''s way too expensive for us to rent a car. We''re also both under 25 so the rental rates for people under 25 are insanely expensive at most places. While we *can* afford it, we just wouldn''t want to spend so much money knowing we also have to fix our own car once we get home.

I know DH spoke to the mechanic this afternoon to find out just how bad the brakes/tires are (to see if it''s the type of thing where they should have already been replaced or if it''s just something we should get around to doing in the next few weeks). I''m not sure what the mechanic said - I''ll speak to DH and find out when he gets home from work. I guess tonight we''ll make the decision whether to go or cancel based on what he said.

Yeah, agreed that it''s NOT a good idea to attempt to work on the brakes unless your DH knows what he''s doing. My husband is very handy and does the breaks, oil, and other misc. maintanance. For everything else, even though my DH has rebuilt an engine before, we still go to a mechanic. One mess up can end up costing thousands! (You definetly do not want make major mess ups when doing more advanced stuff, like the transmission!)

Re: tires. I''m not sure how often we have replaced the tires on my car. I did so about 1.5 years ago and it was about $700 and I got the mid-range tires (each type has a certain amount of milage expected to get from the tires and I got the middle ones because I will sell my car before it''ll need again need new tires.)

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Lilac, are you a member of something like AAA? Might be different where you are, but in the UK, the AA will check over a car for safety. Local police might do that too - might give you piece of mind if someone independent took a look for you?

One of my friends is a police officer and she is currently working in a road safety division - she does a lot of vehichle inspections, but I don''t know if there is a similar service where you are. Might be worth asking?

 

[Lilac]

Date: 12/31/2009 3:49:32 AM
Author: Mrs Mitchell
Lilac, are you a member of something like AAA? Might be different where you are, but in the UK, the AA will check over a car for safety. Local police might do that too - might give you piece of mind if someone independent took a look for you?

One of my friends is a police officer and she is currently working in a road safety division - she does a lot of vehichle inspections, but I don''t know if there is a similar service where you are. Might be worth asking?

Thanks so much for the suggestion - I''ll definitely look into this when we get back.

We decided to continue with the trip - the mechanic says the tires/brakes should be fine until next week, but we decided to just go and replace the brakes today before we leave. Tires can''t be changed until next week unfortunately because Costco had to order them in, but at least the brakes will be done. I''m still a little nervous, but more reassured than before (especially now that we can do the brakes before we leave).

 

[Lilac]

Update: It started snowing here this morning. A lot. Came out of nowhere - within 15 minutes of us standing in the mechanic''s office it started snowing and the whole ground was covered and it kept piling up. We got VERY nervous driving on bad tires in this bad weather, so we decided to just go ahead and have him replace the front tires (and front and rear brakes) because the mechanic said the back tires have about another year left on them.

We already ordered 4 tires from Costco that now we''re going to have to somehow return. We already paid for them. They were ordered to be shipped in, so I hope they take them back. Otherwise we''re out about $500. I know they have a generous return/exchange policy, but I''m not sure it extends to tires that were special ordered.

This is a very expensive week. But on the bright side, now we''ll have the new tires and brakes for our trip.

Thanks again to everyone for the advice. I really appreciate it!

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Glad to hear you''re going to be safe for your trip. Sounds like you did the right (if expensive) thing.

Good luck with returning the costco tires, I really hope they''ll help you out.

Jen