honda hoses replacement

Hello,
I went in for a oil change to the Honda dealer for my 2001 Accord LX.
The service guy said that the hoses were getting soft and recommended
to get all 9 of them replaced along with the thermostat. He quoted
about $620 for this job. It seems rather high.

Is this a typical job for cars that are 8-9 years old? Is the price
right?

Also, he said the oil pan gasket was getting wet and would cost $240
to have it replaced. again it seems high. Any opinions here?

Are there other shops who do a decent job with hoses and oil gasket
and charge less? Honda does price matching to some extent.

Pls advise. Thanks

lora > wrote in news:79df637d-3e92-40a5-a6be-
:

> Hello,
> I went in for a oil change to the Honda dealer for my 2001 Accord LX.
> The service guy said that the hoses were getting soft and recommended
> to get all 9 of them replaced along with the thermostat. He quoted
> about $620 for this job. It seems rather high.
>
> Is this a typical job for cars that are 8-9 years old? Is the price
> right?



If the rad hoses are original, they're definitely in need of replacement.

If the thermostat is original, it's definitely in need of replacement as
well.

It's normally the rad hoses that fail early and catastrophically, so you
should change those. But the other hoses are a lot smaller and don't suffer
nearly the same stresses. You can leave them alone for a few years yet.

However, this issue partly hinges on how diligent you've been with your
coolant changes. All the hoses just /might/ be damaged if you're still
running nine-year-old coolant, or are using aftermarket coolant that is
incompatible with your Honda.

I'd get a second opinion from another dealership or independent if I were
you.



>
> Also, he said the oil pan gasket was getting wet and would cost $240
> to have it replaced. again it seems high. Any opinions here?



"Getting wet" where? And with what? Oil?

At the drain plug? A Time-Sert is indicated by Honda to cure drain plug
leaks. No $240 repair there.

At the pan gasket? You don't need to spend $240 to change a pan gasket or
to make sure the bolts are properly tight.



>
> Are there other shops who do a decent job with hoses and oil gasket
> and charge less? Honda does price matching to some extent.


/Anybody/ can do the jobs you've mentioned. But don't use aftermarket parts
on your Honda. They are almost universally inferior to Honda's OEM.
Independent garages can use Honda parts.


--
Tegger

"lora" > wrote in message news:79df637d-3e92-40a5-a6be-
>
> Pls advise. Thanks

This just doesnt smell right, Lora.
Is this a Honda dealership??

I would try to find an honest and capable independent
mechanic and check the story.

If you will post your location, maybe someone will know
a reputable mechanic in your area.

location is metro atlanta. How are the Goodyear shops?

Also, any suggestions on a fair price for radiator hose replacement?


On Jan 14, 8:28*am, "hls" > wrote:
> "lora" > wrote in message news:79df637d-3e92-40a5-a6be-
>
> > Pls advise. Thanks
>
> This just doesnt smell right, Lora.
> Is this a Honda dealership??
>
> I would try to find an honest and capable independent
> mechanic and check the story.
>
> If you will post your location, maybe someone will know
> a reputable mechanic in your area.

"lora" > wrote in message
...
location is metro atlanta. How are the Goodyear shops?

Also, any suggestions on a fair price for radiator hose replacement?


********
The radiator hose set, if purchased at NAPA, would cost you in the range
of US$35-40 for the two hoses. Labor will be based upon a flat rate table.
For example, if the shop charges $100 per hour, and this job takes a half
hour, the cost would be about ($50+$40) $90. I dont know the flat rate
for this job..

Goodyear stores are franchises, not independent shops. I dont think you
could say they are necessarily good or bad. Depends on the local
franchisee.
We used to have a guy on the group named Kevin Mouton, and I believe he
worked at Goodyear. He was as competent and honest a person as one could
want, BUT some of these places may not be good.

AAA has a list of approved mechanics. You can go to their website and
find the list. In general, those places are checked by AAA and have to meet
some standards. It would be a good place to start. If you cant find the
list, let me know and I will link it for you.

"lora" > wrote in message
...
location is metro atlanta. How are the Goodyear shops?

Also, any suggestions on a fair price for radiator hose replacement?

Try this link for Georga approved auto repair shops...
http://ww1.aaa.com/scripts/WebObject....WOMetaRefresh

> If the rad hoses are original, they're definitely in need of replacement.
>

Probably, being 9 years old. I'd change them just for peace of mind if
it was my car. But I'd do it myself.

> If the thermostat is original, it's definitely in need of replacement as
> well.
>

I dunno about this one. I've found that the thermostat can go a long,
long time so long as the vehicle receives regular coolant flushes. I
would not change this part unless it was failed.

> /Anybody/ can do the jobs you've mentioned. But don't use aftermarket parts
> on your Honda. They are almost universally inferior to Honda's OEM.
> Independent garages can use Honda parts.
>

Amen to that. Dealer parts, especially hoses, ALWAYS fit. The
aftermarket parts are really a hit or miss. Usually a miss, in my
limited experience anyway.

Good luck with it.

Chris

"Hal" > wrote in message news:561e71bf-15cd-46a0-b9b6-
> Amen to that. Dealer parts, especially hoses, ALWAYS fit. The
> aftermarket parts are really a hit or miss. Usually a miss, in my
> limited experience anyway.
>
> Good luck with it.
>
> Chris

If you can get dealer parts at a reasonable price, fine.

I have only had problems once with aftermarket rubber
parts that didnt fit properly (top radiator hose for a 97 Dodge
full size van) , and I cant remember ever having
high quality aftermarket parts that didnt hold up acceptably.

In other words, I wouldnt pay a dealership $600 plus for a
$100 job.

You can change the hoses yourself.Usually, the old hoses are on there so
tight, it is like they are glued on there.Remove the hose clamps and
wiggle a screwdriver blade under the clamps to loosen them up and wiggle
them off.I usually use a knife blade and I slit the old hoses at the
ends, that makes it easier to get them off.If you use a knife, be very,
very careful.Always cut away from you so you won't accidently cut
yourself.If it is one of those plastic radiators, don't use a knife.Wear
leather gloves if you want to keep your hands clean and be sure the
engine and coolant has had plenty of time to cool down.
You can do many other maintnance jobs on your vehicle and save money.
cuhulin

"hls" > wrote in
:

>
> "Hal" > wrote in message news:561e71bf-15cd-46a0-b9b6-
>> Amen to that. Dealer parts, especially hoses, ALWAYS fit. The
>> aftermarket parts are really a hit or miss. Usually a miss, in my
>> limited experience anyway.
>>
>> Good luck with it.
>>
>> Chris
>
> If you can get dealer parts at a reasonable price, fine.
>
> I have only had problems once with aftermarket rubber
> parts that didnt fit properly (top radiator hose for a 97 Dodge
> full size van) , and I cant remember ever having
> high quality aftermarket parts that didnt hold up acceptably.
>
> In other words, I wouldnt pay a dealership $600 plus for a
> $100 job.
>
>
>
>
>


Nor would I. I would just insist on OEM hoses. I also wouldn't replace more
than the rad hoses unless the smaller ones have been damaged by ancient
coolant. And we haven't actually seen the car, have we? So we have no idea
of what kind of care it's had.

I'm going to get eye-rolling and hostility when I say this, but I'm
convinced after years of experience that Honda's OEM suppliers put out, in
ganeral, OEM-branded product that is vastly superior to anything the
aftermarket makes, including often aftermarket parts produced by those same
OEMs.


--
Tegger