I am in a pickle. I have a T5R with just over 112K. It has been my daily driver for the last 3 years and is a fabulous car, but I think that I need a new front shock/strut, aftermarket CD broke, need tires, antennae is stuck up, needs a tune up, engine light is on. I just don't think that I have the time or patience to do all this. If it were summer maybe, but kids still need to get to school and I am tired of shoving all my bikes in the back seat and or never being able to carry kids and a bike at the same time.... I may just sell and get her into loving hands...

Wow,, this is kind of a vent, but I think it is time to let her go...

 

Where do you live?

 

It's really not that bad of a scenario, she's been at your service for the last 3 years and all she needs is basic maintenance.

Get the code scanned for free @ your local parts store, probably due to deferred maintenance, you got kids, that's understandable.

Antenna is stuck up, not imperative to get another from the junkyard or online, that can wait.

Get some used tires, $40 a piece.

"aftermarket" cd is broke, get a used factory head unit, have one of your kids show you how to use an ipod and download songs from youtube, free, I might add. Get a mp3 transmitter that you can plug in your cigarette lighter or get an cd to mp3 cassette adapter (under $3 amazon.com or ebay)

What else, strut is bad, it can wait til summer.

There is your solution, it may seem impossible, take a breather and don't get overwhelmed (easier said than done, I have no kids, single, one dog, one T5) so yeah.

 

ORRR.....

You shop around for a used car (someone else's problem) which you'll have to bring back up to standard for you and your family to be content with.

ORRR...

You can buy a new car and have to worry about making the payments on time.

Seriously, good luck. Sh*t's not that bad.

 

yeah you dont want to walk away from this car over what are essentially maintenance items. You'd kick yourself if you did. That's how I got mine, actually. some kid needed $$$ and didnt have money to fix the car, so my gain is his loss. I put about 700 bucks total into my car in maintenance stuff - pcv system, O2 sensors, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, ignition, timing belt (and N/A cams while i was at it), coolant flush, new t stat, cleaned the MAF, cleaned the IAC, swapped out the tranny fluid....and now i have a car that will run flawlessly for a while now.

 

Thanks for the responses...

Boxpin- I am in Nashville.

V-max-No new car for me, wife gets that luxury.. Yeah, used in my price range which may be the cost of the fix when all is said and done might just be a ratted out Civic.

It may just be anxiety about the bill. The last fix was about $2500. AC/heater heater core, plugs, wires and cap, spedo gear, and shift lock button,. I am going to get an estimate from a new mechanic, one that refurbished a T5R wagon and in my opinion he did an outstanding job. I will know more soon, but until then I need to be mindful of my now expired tags. Won't pass emissions testing with the check engine light on. Hard to ride under the radar in a yellow car. : )

 

Let me know if you decide to get rid of it. You say it is yellow right? That's what caught my eye. If you are paying a mechanic to fix everything, that is why it is costing you so much. You need to sell it to someone who will care for it and does the work themself. I know just that guy and he's looking for one. Either me or my son in law.

 

Yeah, you need to do most if not all the work yourself. Read up on google, there's endless info. The only thing I paid someone else to do was my timing belt b/c I was scared of f-ing up the timing...there's info on how to do that but fear overpowered my reading comprehension.

Start with the most important stuff first, get those tags renewed, (check engine light get scanned and go from there), get used tires.

I thought you said you needed a tune up?

 

Yes, it needs a tune up, not sure if the check engine is on because of a fouled plug or an o2 sensor. Wish I could do the work myself, but my condo association says no. I could get away with the small things, but not when it has to go up in the air.

Yeah Jim it is a yellow one, and yes I cringe when I have to go to pay a mechanic, I just dont have any other options.

 

if my .02 helps, I'd fix it. I'd rather dump 2500.00 into my car then take on another problem for 4500.00. The issues you have are minimal and a little time good as new.

 

I'm not sure I would keep cars this old and needing fairly expensive maintenance if I could not do most of the work myself. Luckily one of my son in laws is a mechanic, and he has had to bail me out a couple times when I get stuck.

 

If you are here talking about selling it, it's probably time. How long ago did you dump the last $2,500 in it? Heater core, plugs, wires and all?

If you can not do the work yourself, they are expensive to maintain.

 

I was able to save money by doing some of the work myself. Haynes make a good manual a must for do it yourselfers. Lets see pictures of it. Spark plugs, wires and cap about 128.00 one Saturday afternoon, I have a factory radio with cassette and CD make an offer. Struts you may have to pay to have done but some shops will only charge about 50 per strut.

 

Don't take this the wrong way -- it looks like you are the wrong owner of that car. Sell it to some college kid who works part-time at the diner. He can go around and show off his R volvo to his friends. You're right -- it will be in loving hands.

Go get a tin-can Jap toaster or Sienna or Odyssey minivan.

 

haha Henry,, I guess that is one use..

rspi- the AC evap behind the dash was replaced, along with the shift lock, spedo gear, and plugs, wires, cap etc. for the 2500.

blazen- yes, working on it myself would be the preferred method, but plans to buy a house with a garage did not work out in this market. I am in a condo where they do not allow residents to work on their cars in the parking lot. It may be 2 years (depending on market) before we have a place where I can work on my own vehicles.

This is why it is time to let go,, not to mention that I need space for my bikes and camping gear,, oh yeah, and my fam too...

 

sounds like you want to get rid of it. How much you want? I'm not looking tho...

 

Understood, wish I was closer would like to finally have a R if you are selling it. What kind of bike do you ride.

 

x2 how much you want for it? I am in Atlanta and will come pick it up

 

I can't have yellow in NY. People will wave me down to death.... LOL

Tboy: any reason why you can't put bikes on a roof rack?

 

I have way more miles than that, some little dents to fix, and seats need repair, but she is so reliable. i keep up on the maintenance and do a lot of miles especially in the winter. Yes I have AAA, but knock on wood, she's been very good to me. The Volvo brakes have saved me more than once too. I need to replace the timing belt again soon, and we're clicking on 153k which is low for a 95. Stick with it.