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You got ripped off.I have a 2013 Tundra truck with only 31K miles on it. For the ten years I have owned it there have been no problems. However, a couple of weeks ago it was running really rough and the Check Engine light was on.
Took it to a mechanic and he plugged in the diagnostic computer. The ignition coil in the number four cylinder had gone bad.
Like you I had never heard of an ignition coil. It supplies high voltage to the spark plug. Most modern vehicle have them.
They cost about $150 each and you need one for each cylinder. For the mechanic to do the diagnostic and replace the ignition coil and spark plug including labor it cost $300.
The mechanic said that if another one doesn't go out before then I should replace all of them at 60K miles.
/----/ I have a 2011 Volvo C70 convertible with 80k miles and feel the same way about my car. I use a trusted local mechanic who only does what is necessary at half the price of the dealer.When I grew up, car maintenance was extensive and at times expensive. A tune-up was required periodically (points, plugs, condenser), oil was to be changed every 3k miles, mufflers had to be replaced regularly (see Midas commercials of the day), tires were crap, and so on.
Now, not so much.
My wife's Beemer (2017 3-series) has only required an oil change when the car tells you (roughly 10k miles), and...that's been about it.
But she "loves" this car and is threatening to keep it until they pry Charlton Heston's gun from his cold, dead hands. We are at about 76,000 miles, and it has been a flawless, trouble-free, inexpensive ride until now. For some reason we are going through a quart of oil every 1500 miles or so; not sure whether to press the Panic Button over that. (There is no dip stick; the car tells you when your oil is low, and you have to let the car check it self while the engine is idling).
But I think I have to bite the bullet. A combination of BMW owner sites and the owner's manual recommend several things either now or shoulda been done already, namely,
Transmission fluid and other fluids seem to be "permanent." In fact, they tell you NOT to change the transmission fluid.
- Replace brake fluid (water gets into the lines and causes rust),
- Replace engine coolant (similar),
- Spark Plugs,
- Ignition Coils (I don't even know what that is. Are there four of them or only one?), and of course,
- Oil and filter.
Anyone here knowledgeable to add any thoughts? I think this whole service is going to run about $600 - NOT at the BMW dealer. The good thing is, my mechanic will not do anything that isn't necessary. He has proven invaluable in similar situations in the past with European cars.
one of the happiness days of my life was totaling my volvo...i hated that damn car and will never have another one/----/ I have a 2011 Volvo C70 convertible with 80k miles and feel the same way about my car. I use a trusted local mechanic who only does what is necessary at half the price of the dealer.
The problem with older, high-end cars like ours is that the manufacturers no longer supply OEM parts, and dealers can't or won't use after-market or used parts. The older our cars get, the harder it is to find parts.
As to the oil usage, I assume you have checked for oil leaks in the driveway by putting a large sheet of paper or cardboard underneath overnight. If you see oil stains, then you may have a leaky gasket. Not a big job.
Check the tail pipe by rubbing your finger inside the exhaust. If your finger gets oily, you're burning oil and may need a ring job. Kinda pricey.
If none of that reveals the issue, switch to high-mileage oil and see if that cuts down on the oil consumption.
/----/ To each their own. But why?one of the happiness days of my life was totaling my volvo...i hated that damn car and will never have another one
/----/ To each their own. But why?
As a side note, the Volvo gave it's life saving yours.
/---/ I understand. I'm lucky to have 4 Volvo dealers on Long Island within an hour's drive; the closest one is 15 minutes away. There are a number of independent shops that specialize in foreign cars.plus i am in a rural area...it was hard getting the volvo worked on and damn expensive...of course the prelude was the same....
When I grew up, car maintenance was extensive and at times expensive. A tune-up was required periodically (points, plugs, condenser), oil was to be changed every 3k miles, mufflers had to be replaced regularly (see Midas commercials of the day), tires were crap, and so on.
Now, not so much.
My wife's Beemer (2017 3-series) has only required an oil change when the car tells you (roughly 10k miles), and...that's been about it.
But she "loves" this car and is threatening to keep it until they pry Charlton Heston's gun from his cold, dead hands. We are at about 76,000 miles, and it has been a flawless, trouble-free, inexpensive ride until now. For some reason we are going through a quart of oil every 1500 miles or so; not sure whether to press the Panic Button over that. (There is no dip stick; the car tells you when your oil is low, and you have to let the car check it self while the engine is idling).
But I think I have to bite the bullet. A combination of BMW owner sites and the owner's manual recommend several things either now or shoulda been done already, namely,
Transmission fluid and other fluids seem to be "permanent." In fact, they tell you NOT to change the transmission fluid.
- Replace brake fluid (water gets into the lines and causes rust),
- Replace engine coolant (similar),
- Spark Plugs,
- Ignition Coils (I don't even know what that is. Are there four of them or only one?), and of course,
- Oil and filter.
Anyone here knowledgeable to add any thoughts? I think this whole service is going to run about $600 - NOT at the BMW dealer. The good thing is, my mechanic will not do anything that isn't necessary. He has proven invaluable in similar situations in the past with European cars.
I have a 2008 Hyundai that has never had a tuneup and has original spark plugs after 235,000 milesThe reality is that the only thing that has changed is spark plugs can now go for 2 years instead of 1 years, but they cost over twice as much since they now have platinum electrodes to reduce wear.
You never had to change oil every 3000 miles, and you change oil because it picks up carbon grit, not because it is worn out.
Bleeding the brakes every 6 years or so is a good idea, but anyone can do it and its very easy and cheap.
Do not change the ignition coils. If they work, there is no point in changing them. They do not wear. You do not change them until they stop working.
Always change the transmission ATF and gear oil every 6 years or so.
Again, it is not the fluid itself, but the grit it picks up.
Even more so if the AFT lubricates the differential.
I have a 2008 Hyundai that has never had a tuneup and has original spark plugs after 235,000 miles
Oil change every 7500 miles
The reality is that the only thing that has changed is spark plugs can now go for 2 years instead of 1 years, but they cost over twice as much since they now have platinum electrodes to reduce wear.
Bleeding the brakes every 6 years or so is a good idea, but anyone can do it and its very easy and cheap.
Even more so if the AFT lubricates the differential.
naw it didnt ....long story...basically coming off beech mtn in a snow storm...come around a steep curve...cars all over the place..i put mine into a ditch...all the drivers out of their cars yelling for me to get out of my car and join them....for safety reasons...i get out...standing with a guy who goes...i will kill the sob who rams my car...just as a car hits the end of my volvo and sends it spinning into his car..totaling them both...
hubby made me sell my honda prelude to buy that damned volvo..granted at this point i was i was on a high risk policy due to well...speeding...lots of speeding...damn prelude would just purr at 90 mph...i keep a hat on the passenger side...that i only put on when i was drag racing...hubby kinda got pissed off...ahh those were the days my friend...i was young dumb and hostile lol okay i was in my late 20s
I still prefer good old copper. Big deal if you have to change em more frequently.
I like to bleed em every spring. Then go work the ABS on some gravel and come back and bleed em again. Speed Bleeders ftw...
Changing the differential oil is something I've put off and need to get under there and do.
I just spent around two hours rethreading the spark plug thread on the #2 cylinder of my 350 small block TPI engine.I like NKG copper spark plugs.
/----/ Watch the first part of this video about oil changes. It's about 25 seconds long. The rest is pretty funny as well.I guess the point is, you do maintenance so that you won't get stuck with some inconvenient engine failure, OR the lack of inexpensive maintenance would lead to a catastrophic failure.
I used to live next door to a Gulf Oil (do they still exist) chemical engineer, and he said that engine oil NEVER loses viscosity to the extent that it would harm the engine. He replace his OIL FILTER once every 15,000 miles, but only added oil when needed.
While I don't keep my cars "forever," I haven't had to replace my spark plugs since I sold my GTO in 1973. Now, you pull them at 50k miles and they still look perfect (tan color, no carbon buildup). Replace them just for the hell of it.
I have had many mechanics tell me that if your transmission fluid needs replacement at 50k miles, do it. But if you go 70 or more, just leave it. The new fluid has detergents that will do the transmission more harm than good, and will shorten the lifespan of the tranny.
I guess the point is, you do maintenance so that you won't get stuck with some inconvenient engine failure, OR the lack of inexpensive maintenance would lead to a catastrophic failure.
I used to live next door to a Gulf Oil (do they still exist) chemical engineer, and he said that engine oil NEVER loses viscosity to the extent that it would harm the engine. He replace his OIL FILTER once every 15,000 miles, but only added oil when needed.
While I don't keep my cars "forever," I haven't had to replace my spark plugs since I sold my GTO in 1973. Now, you pull them at 50k miles and they still look perfect (tan color, no carbon buildup). Replace them just for the hell of it.
It seems my wife and I actually spend a lot of maintenance for our cars, but we buy used and older cars 20 - 30+ years old. Oil changes every 3k miles. A lot of maintance costs we put in these older cars. My wife just bought a 1988 Nissan with 55,000 miles on it for like $800. She drives just beater cars and puts maintance into them. She had a 2004 Honda before and a 1995 Honda. She also had a 2001 Subabru. Cars we bought for $800 - $2000. Her past cars she bought them at 150,000 miles and with maintance and repairs was able to drive them to 250,000 miles. I don't think the 88 Nissan Sentra will last as long as the Honda's or Subaru, but it has only 55,000 miles on it.When I grew up, car maintenance was extensive and at times expensive. A tune-up was required periodically (points, plugs, condenser), oil was to be changed every 3k miles, mufflers had to be replaced regularly (see Midas commercials of the day), tires were crap, and so on.
Now, not so much.
My wife's Beemer (2017 3-series) has only required an oil change when the car tells you (roughly 10k miles), and...that's been about it.
But she "loves" this car and is threatening to keep it until they pry Charlton Heston's gun from his cold, dead hands. We are at about 76,000 miles, and it has been a flawless, trouble-free, inexpensive ride until now. For some reason we are going through a quart of oil every 1500 miles or so; not sure whether to press the Panic Button over that. (There is no dip stick; the car tells you when your oil is low, and you have to let the car check it self while the engine is idling).
But I think I have to bite the bullet. A combination of BMW owner sites and the owner's manual recommend several things either now or shoulda been done already, namely,
Transmission fluid and other fluids seem to be "permanent." In fact, they tell you NOT to change the transmission fluid.
- Replace brake fluid (water gets into the lines and causes rust),
- Replace engine coolant (similar),
- Spark Plugs,
- Ignition Coils (I don't even know what that is. Are there four of them or only one?), and of course,
- Oil and filter.
Anyone here knowledgeable to add any thoughts? I think this whole service is going to run about $600 - NOT at the BMW dealer. The good thing is, my mechanic will not do anything that isn't necessary. He has proven invaluable in similar situations in the past with European cars.
