The price of putting things off

Posted Feb 16, 2012 By Brian Turner

EMC Lifestyle - In the auto repair business, we see it every day: customers putting off a recommended repair(s) due to financial constraints or a belief they can nurse the problem through to the next oil change. In this post-recession snail's pace recovery era many drivers find themselves in, this is a very common and understandable situation. But what some service advisors fail to effectively communicate are the costs of putting off some needed repairs.

For example, a tech finds that the front brake linings are worn down to less than 10 per cent remaining and recommends replacement. The vehicle owner considers the mileage that these brake pads have lasted to date and extrapolates that the vehicle can go to the next service before they fail. The problem here is that when brake linings are worn down this much, their remaining lifespan isn't always consistent. They may last another 7,000 km and they may not. The lack of wear material makes them more susceptible to heat related failures. If they do fail on the road, other than the increased safety risk (which is substantial on its own) the brake caliper pistons may extend too far (to make up for the lack of brake pad thickness) and then require replacement. This will add a minimum of $250 to a front brake job on an average daily driver.

A customer visiting his regular garage is told that the oil pan on his car is rusted and leaking slightly. He decides to simply check the oil level on a more frequent basis rather than replacing the oil pan. In a few months he learns what engine oil can do to a paved driveway and faces the expense of repaving on top of replacing the oil pan.

That incessant 'check engine' light finally drives you to take the car in and get a diagnosis. The report comes back that an oxygen sensor requires replacement at $250 plus tax. Your emissions test for a license tag renewal isn't due for another eight months, so you decide to put it off until then. This critical sensor tells the engine computer how much or how little fuel to inject. The financial risk here is that if the sensor is on the fritz, your car may be burning more fuel than it needs to. At $1.30 a liter this can add up quickly. As well, if too much fuel is injected, some of it will end up in the exhaust stream as raw gasoline and this can permanently damage the catalytic convertor. Those exhaust mounted units can easily cost over $1,000 to replace.

These are just a few examples of the hundreds of scenarios that can happen to today's vehicles.

When faced with a large estimate for a number of different repairs and a small budget, it's important to ask for a prioritized breakdown of what can wait and what has to be done now. It's also crucial to know the risks involved with putting off any recommended repairs to a later date. If your service provider is truly interested in keeping your business this shouldn't be an issue.

If you have any questions, opinions, or stories on anything automotive please drop me a line, (By email to emc@perfprint.ca or directly to bjoeturner@hotmail.com listing 'Question for the Car Counselor' on the subject line or by post to Record News Communications, 5 Lorne St., P.O. Box 158, Smiths Falls, Ont. K7A 4T1).