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Ball Joint Separator
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Car repair prices fluctuate from repair shop to repair shop and car to car. Knowing if you were fairly charged can be very difficult to determine. Even online auto repair estimates miss the mark - often by hundreds of dollars. What makes it harder is that when you are overcharged it's not for the hundreds or thousands of dollars we hear about in the news, but rather a little at a time, and over an extended period.

The clearest evidence for this is with vehicle maintenance. Repair shops and dealers have created elaborate maintenance schedules for your car. When these are compared to your manufacturer's recommendations you begin to see just how much you are being ripped off. It's important to note that virtually all repair shops (dealers included) do not follow the recommendations of your manufacturer, but embellish the procedures with their own additional services, and more importantly the time schedule (i.e., the maintenance intervals).

Let's take one of the most popular cars on the road as an example, a late model Honda Civic, and look at service intervals based on mileage for the first year. According to the manufacturer, a Honda Civic needs to be serviced every 7,500 miles. Given that the average person drives 15,000 miles per year, we can expect the Civic to be serviced twice in the first year. There are three examples below to highlight the differences in price for maintaining this model. The first is from the manufacturer. The second is from a car dealer. The third is from a general repair shop. Note the additional services, the different maintenance intervals, and thus the change in price. All prices are approximated, but are fairly close...

• Manufacturer (7,500-mile service interval): First year maintenance will include two oil changes, some standard inspections, and two tire rotations. Total Cost = $120.00
• Dealer (5,000-mile service interval): First year maintenance will include three oil changes, some standard inspections, two tire rotations, fuel system cleaning products, engine protection treatment - these last two services are not recommended by the manufacturer. Total Cost = $180.00
• Repair Shop (3,000-mile service interval): First year maintenance will include five oil changes, some standard inspections, three tire rotations, fuel system cleaning products, engine protection treatment - these last two are not recommended by the manufacturer. Total Cost = $225.00

You'll notice that the repair shop in this example is the most expensive. That's because many local repair shops are still urging drivers to change the oil every 3,000 miles. If your shop is telling you this - find another place to service your car ASAP. No major manufacturer is the last two decades has recommended a 3,000-mile oil service interval. This is not to single out local repair shops, dealerships can be more expensive; however, given the competition (as well as other reasons, upselling, marketing...etc), dealers can be quite competitive for auto maintenance.

So, what we see is a $60.00 increase between a manufacturer and a dealer and a $105.00 increase with a local repair shop. If a vehicle's maintenance needs remained as they do during the first year we could easily extrapolate the overcharges. However, vehicles will need more and different services with age - although not as many as your repair shop or dealer is likely telling you - and so the math gets a bit more complicated. We also want to keep in mind that we've been discussing only maintenance. Actual car repairs can have even more variables. What's clear is that the overcharges skyrocket exponentially when you follow the advice of your service center. In short, stick to what the manufacturer has to say about maintaining your automobile. If your service center doesn't know what your manufacturer recommends (and this is very often the case) you're in the wrong place.

-Theodore P. Olson
RepairTrust
Making sense of Auto Repair

How To Install Struts

Installing new struts on a vehicle is a simple task, even for those who don't have any technical or automotive experience. However, it is a task that can be quite time-consuming for anyone who has not done this particular chore before.

To start, loosen the lug nuts and support the vehicle on jack stands. Take the tire off and then take off the brake calipers. This part will look somewhat different from vehicle to vehicle. Do not disconnect the brake line as this is not absolutely necessary and will further complicate the task. Now remove the rotor (the smooth circular metal disk that the brake pads and then take off the hub and bearing. When doing this, remember the order and placement of these parts. Next, separate the axle and transaxle and then unscrew the nut that attaches the tie rod to the knuckle. Now, remove the lower ball joint from the lower control arm so you can get to the nuts securing the cover plate. Remove the nuts and the entire strut assembly.

Now, simply position the new strut in place of the old one. Replace the cover plate and tighten the nuts that secure it. Then put the ball joint back in the lower control arm. Replace the nut that secures the tie rod to the knuckle, and put the transaxle back into position with the axle. Next, put the bearing and hub back into position and slide the rotor back in place. Put the caliper assembly back into position on top of the rotor.

Hopefully, the brake pads are still in place as they will occasionally drop out when the caliper is removed from the rotor. If they do drop out, you will have to compress the caliper back into position to be able to get it mounted back onto the rotor. After the caliper is aligned properly on the rotor, simply put the tire back on. Lightly tighten the lug nuts, lower the car off the jack and torque the lug nuts properly.

About the Author

Bond Mejeh produces automotive related articles for Quick Cash Auto, a service helping people sell a car. Quick Cash Auto not only buys pre-owned vehicles of any make or model, but they also provide numerous articles about vehicle repair and automotive news.

Please visit www.QuickCashAuto.com for more information and be sure to check out our automotive blog.

In which orifice should I insert this tool?

It's a ball-joint separator, for removing a wishbone I think. But how do I wield its mighty power?

All Respondent's answers, though a bit different, are correct and will work.

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