What happened to "just an oil change"?

Hopefully Debodun's brake setup is split in two, front and back. So if one part goes out, the other still functions (barely) as long as you keep the fluid filled. I drove my daughter's car home that way and then to the shop - a little tricky but do-able. And knowing where the emergency brake is comes in handy too!

The line can be patched with a new section for very little, although some garages will not want to do this. A complete replacement of brake lines can run as much as $1500, which what was quoted for my daughter's car.
 
I’m a little behind on seeing this post but really wanting to comment about it.
My wife was in bad shape and in between the hospital and a nursing home so not sure which she was in at the time.
I spent every moment I could visiting her and trying to take care of everything in our lives.
I stopped into a place to have the oil changed thinking that it would be a ten minute job and they ran the car up on a lift and I could see through a window of the waiting room that a guy had a long handled wrench and pulling on the steering linkage.
Like the arms that control the front wheels.
I opened the door and yelled “Hey just change the oil. I’m in a hurry!
So the head dude walks over to where the guy is torquing around on my front end and they both give me a funny look.
Then they look at each other and you could tell that the one with authority was telling the other that it would be okay to just change my oil.
The guy in the office said that that was their complimentary 12 point inspection.
I told him that my wife was near death in a hospital and that I only had minutes for this oil change but I mentioned that there was nothing wrong with the steering linkage when I drove in and that there better not be when I drive away.
To say that I was angry would be about the understatement of the year.
 
This began with.
What happened to "just an oil change"?

Thankfully multi point inspection is done by most services & "IMO" is a good service. One could be cynical & think the service is just trying to generate costly repairs. But consider the age of a vehicle & other factors like road conditions & impact of weather on undercarriage parts. Pointing out a potential problem can save you in the long run.

Deb's brake issue is one of those that only she can decide on what to do. She knows she has vision problems that might cause her to lose driving ability. So buying a new or low mileage used vehicle is an expense she has to think about. Or make the lowest cost repair that will keep her driving an otherwise useable car.

I have empathy for her at her age & being single to have to make this kind of decision.
 
I just got my oil changed at a drive through oil change place yesterday. You sit in the vehicle while they change the oil and do the inspection. I don't mind the inspection but turned down the cabin air filter check because I'd changed it myself about a year ago. Everything else checked out and they topped off the windshield washer fluid which was great. I picked the place because they got a 4.5 rating on Yelp with 1400 reviewers and a 4.6 from Google with 1800 reviewers. They were friendly, polite, quick and efficient. We'll be taking the vehicle on 1000+ mile round trip and probably another 100 miles in driving around the area next week so I was glad to get it done and checked.
 
Michael Z said:
Hopefully Debodun's brake setup is split in two, front and back. So if one part goes out, the other still functions (barely) as long as you keep the fluid filled. I drove my daughter's car home that way and then to the shop - a little tricky but do-able. And knowing where the emergency brake is comes in handy too!

The line can be patched with a new section for very little, although some garages will not want to do this. A complete replacement of brake lines can run as much as $1500, which what was quoted for my daughter's car.
Click to expand...

The U.S. federal government mandated the dual reservoir master cylinder (dual-circuit brake system) for all new passenger cars beginning with the 1967 model year. This safety requirement was implemented to prevent total brake failure by splitting the hydraulic system into two circuits—front and rear—allowing for partial braking if one line failed.
 
The braking system is one if not, the most important controls you have over your vehicle. I've had the brakes fade and go out without any warning while I was driving a loaded dump truck. A very scary and helpless feeling.

This thread about the brake line was started back in February, it's now April. Plus there was also mention of previously being told about the brake line, a few years ago. There is no debate if the line is bad.

No money or time saved can compensate you for any property damage, personal injury to you, or to others from a brake failure.

Please, bite the bullet and get your brakes fixed.. (y);)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top