[honeybee]

I had dropped the car at Linkway Honda in the morning for a general checkup. Here's the report of the checkup received:

1. Brake pads - parts not available - approximate price Front 8200, Rear 7600
2. Power steering cooler pipe leaking - pipe cost 400, pump overhaul 17000 - oil needs to be topped up regularly
3. Oil sump leakage - Labour 1800, oil seal to be replaced - minor oil leakage
4. Right hand axle oil seal leakage - part 3600 - need to check seriousness
5. Upper radiator hose pipe leakage - part 1700 -
6. Front Left Hand Winder Motor not working - Recheck
7. Clutch pedal overhaul - clutch plate assembly 25000
8. Fuel filter - Strainer 2800, filter 2700
9. Front seat motor - needs to be replaced

None of the parts are in stock and will have to be ordered from Gurgaon, which will only happen in the new year since Honda operations are "frozen" for the new year. Whatever that means.

Now how many of these issues can be sorted out locally without replacing parts? And for those issues which require parts, is there a reliable source in Mumbai for the same?

[saket77]

That's a long and expensive repair list, mostly comprised of fixing leakages. I think brake pads of reputed brands should be available in the open market. Guaranteed, it will be at least half the price stated by Honda. Probably, you can check with them if they can arrange for other parts too.

[sumeethaldankar]

Originally Posted by honeybee

I had dropped the car at Linkway Honda in the morning for a general checkup. Here's the report of the checkup received:

1. Brake pads - parts not available - approximate price Front 8200, Rear 7600
2. Power steering cooler pipe leaking - pipe cost 400, pump overhaul 17000 - oil needs to be topped up regularly
3. Oil sump leakage - Labour 1800, oil seal to be replaced - minor oil leakage
4. Right hand axle oil seal leakage - part 3600 - need to check seriousness
5. Upper radiator hose pipe leakage - part 1700 -
6. Front Left Hand Winder Motor not working - Recheck
7. Clutch pedal overhaul - clutch plate assembly 25000
8. Fuel filter - Strainer 2800, filter 2700
9. Front seat motor - needs to be replaced

None of the parts are in stock and will have to be ordered from Gurgaon, which will only happen in the new year since Honda operations are "frozen" for the new year. Whatever that means.

Now how many of these issues can be sorted out locally without replacing parts? And for those issues which require parts, is there a reliable source in Mumbai for the same?

All of these can be done locally from a good garage.Do not go to Hass for the power steering pump & rack repair as they will themselves outsource the work to a third party and charge you a bomb for it.

Suggest you get the critical components like radiator/Power steering/rack leakage sorted out first and then go on to brake pads/clutch etc. Not to say the latter are not critical but i am sure they would hold for a while unless they have reached the end of their of life.

[honeybee]

I shall be topping up the PS oil and monitor the same. So far I didn't see any issues other than the noise so am hoping the pump should hold good. Rack is good, it's only the house and pump they want to replace.

Radiator leakage has been diagnosed as a potential cause and no actual coolant leakage found. Also I have rarely seen the temp needle go beyond halfway mark.

Oil seal leakage has been classified as minor since oil level hasn't stopped much.

So the actual problem that worries me is the brake pads. They are at the end of their life, almost. They aren't screeching or squealing yet.

[biju1971]

honeybee,my recommendations since i have been doing the repairs to my accord at the neighborhood garage with varying success.
1. brake pads are easily available.had change the rear brake pads about a year ago,much lower than what is quoted above.
2.power steering leak-pipe will be available locally,had some leakage in mine,found the hose clips at the end at the pump and reservoir wasted and hence was leaking from there.
3.oil seal leak-can be done by your fng.I had my tappet cover gasket replaced as it was leaking.
4.are you saying gear box oil is leaking?
5.upper radiator hose-get it from the dealer,not easy to get.mine was leaking from the end,the pipe has sufficient length,so cut it at the end and put it back.
6.this can be done by a local mechanic.got a second hand motor/repaired for about 2000 rupees.
7.clutch overhaul-is dicey,parts are not available easily,the fng took the sample clutch plate,but none of them were matching with the original,lowered and put back gear box two times,the only thing that was bad was the release bearing which was available.actually on opening the clutch plate was not bad.
8.have not replaced the fuel filter on my car yet.
9.my seat motor had gone bad,the fng got it repaired i think the repair or replacement cost 2800.find a good auto electrician.
The problem with this car is the guy has to open the part and send it to multiple dealers/scrap dealers to get the spares.The spares are not easily available.however for critical parts like clutch plate/pressure plate i would advise you to go to the dealer.The parts are also available on ebay although i dont know the procedure to import the same.
I hope somebody in the forum could advice on how to get spares from ebay.

[d_himan]

Originally Posted by honeybee

I had dropped the car at Linkway Honda in the morning for a general checkup. Here's the report of the checkup received:

1. Brake pads - parts not available - approximate price Front 8200, Rear 7600
2. Power steering cooler pipe leaking - pipe cost 400, pump overhaul 17000 - oil needs to be topped up regularly
3. Oil sump leakage - Labour 1800, oil seal to be replaced - minor oil leakage
4. Right hand axle oil seal leakage - part 3600 - need to check seriousness
5. Upper radiator hose pipe leakage - part 1700 -
6. Front Left Hand Winder Motor not working - Recheck
7. Clutch pedal overhaul - clutch plate assembly 25000
8. Fuel filter - Strainer 2800, filter 2700
9. Front seat motor - needs to be replaced

None of the parts are in stock and will have to be ordered from Gurgaon, which will only happen in the new year since Honda operations are "frozen" for the new year. Whatever that means.

Now how many of these issues can be sorted out locally without replacing parts? And for those issues which require parts, is there a reliable source in Mumbai for the same?

Having owned a 2.3 AT, my 2 cents...

Are you dealing with Imtiaz? Recommend him, gives practical advice.

1. Brake pads - I had ordered OEM brake pads from g1parts.com, US. Around 3.5k including shipping. Don't buy from Honda, too much dealer margin.

2. Suggest you replace PS hose and
Radiator hose. Only Honda OEM will do. Do it at the dealers -good pricing. I stalled in traffic once with smoke bellowing, absolutely no leaks or warning signs. Replaced j
Hose and never reoccured.Why take a risk?

3. Axle seal leakage/rear main seal...leave it be. Labor intensive. Not really needed unless the car is leaking copiously.

4. Winder motor - chor bazaar

5. Seat motors are tough to come by. If it is the seat height motor only and you can live with it, don't bother. New seats are quoted really expensive - and 25k. ASS rates are a joke.

6. Fuel strainer etc ASS may be better. However, clutch overhaul better done outside. I had an AT, so don't know the cost. I Got my AT box overhaul done outside.

[honeybee]

Most issues seem to be livable with, for a short while at least, till I am able to get it done piece by piece. Will get the car back next week and take it to the FNG for repairs.

Thanks all of you for the replies!

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by honeybee

I had dropped the car at Linkway Honda in the morning for a general checkup. Here's the report of the checkup received:

1. Brake pads - parts not available - approximate price Front 8200, Rear 7600
2. Power steering cooler pipe leaking - pipe cost 400, pump overhaul 17000 - oil needs to be topped up regularly
3. Oil sump leakage - Labour 1800, oil seal to be replaced - minor oil leakage
4. Right hand axle oil seal leakage - part 3600 - need to check seriousness
5. Upper radiator hose pipe leakage - part 1700 -
6. Front Left Hand Winder Motor not working - Recheck
7. Clutch pedal overhaul - clutch plate assembly 25000
8. Fuel filter - Strainer 2800, filter 2700
9. Front seat motor - needs to be replaced

None of the parts are in stock and will have to be ordered from Gurgaon, which will only happen in the new year since Honda operations are "frozen" for the new year. Whatever that means.

Now how many of these issues can be sorted out locally without replacing parts? And for those issues which require parts, is there a reliable source in Mumbai for the same?

That would cost you more than 1/4th of the actual value of the car.
In case of an old car like this, it makes sense that you stick to aftermarket parts and mechanics, you will shave off more than half of this.

[honeybee]

Very true. I did provision for an equivalent amount but not for problems such as these.

[honeybee]

The latest update is the rear dampers are recommended for replacement. Cost around 34 to 35 - thousands of course.
Will be collecting the car tomorrow. Other than checkup, I got the throttle body cleaned and PS fluid topped up.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by honeybee

The latest update is the rear dampers are recommended for replacement. Cost around 34 to 35 - thousands of course.
Will be collecting the car tomorrow. Other than checkup, I got the throttle body cleaned and PS fluid topped up.

The car's maintenance cost is surely creeping on the higher side. However, being a 2003 car, that was expected, isn't it? You may discount the repair charges against the lower cost of purchase

By the way, what jobs did they carry out this time and what was the total damages to the bank? I believe the car was at HASS?

Regards,
Saket

[honeybee]

They have done an inspection to come up with recommendation on what all needs to be done. Plus they have done a throttle body cleaning and topping up of power steering fluid. Total damages for this should be around 4-5k, considering the estimate of 2.5k for general checkup and 450-500 Rs for a litre of power steering fluid.
Haven't carried out any of the recommended repairs yet.
Parts, none of them, are in stock and it being year end the service advisor has confirmed that parts can only be procured by around 10th Jan.
Will be looking at the recommendations along with my mechanic and see how it could be done in a fraction of that cost.
Yes, even if I got all these works done at the service centre the price would still be attractive but I want to see how many items are really necessary and can be bought outside for cheap.

[honeybee]

Got the car back with two problems.

The co driver's window winder motor finally seems to hage gone belly up, as also the driver's seat motor. As a result the co driver's window is permanently rolled up, and the driver's seat has been 'fixed' in a set position. I can increase or decrease the height, reclining angle and lumbar, but no forward or backward movement.

The power steering belt noise is gone after a tightening of the same, the throttle body was cleaned, which has resulted in a smoother acceleration and the total damages ar 3335.00, very reasonable.

I checked the availability of the brake pads with Chandrika automobiles at Dadar, tha ks to the directory reference by GTO. The guy confirmed he had the part in stock, but said that a complete replacement would set me back by a whopping 2.3 grand. Yes, this is about five to six times cheaper than the Honda spares. Unfortunately the shop had closed by the time I reached there, about 6:45pm today.

[honeybee]

My local mech has sorted out the window and seat problems. Am going there in a short while, so I shall know what he has done then. Expected damages are in three digits as against the five digits at Honda.

Have also ordered the AC filter and brake pads, let's see if they arrive soon.

Also bought 60w Philips (made in Germany) HB3 bulbs and replaced the high beams.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by honeybee

Also bought 60w Philips (made in Germany) HB3 bulbs and replaced the high beams.

How about the clear lens of the headlights? Are they cloudy? Do clean them if they are. Makes a huge difference while driving during the night.

And do post some frontal shots of the car.