How $1,500 Becomes $50

Just three days ago I was lamenting the high cost of what should have been a cheap automotive repair. Well, today the price came back down to normal.

But the reason was a little disconcerting.

It seems that as they began to take the head off the engine to see if they could get the spark plug out from underneath, they noticed a crack in the head. That means that the head probably has some kind of warp and would have to be replaced anyway (even without the crack). Since the ability to determine what caused the crack/warp is limited, it is uncertain that there are not also problems with the block.

The result is a new engine covered by the extended warranty. $50 total cost to me. Now I can give the car the bath and thorough interior cleaning it needs. And my son’s 67,000 mile car has the engine of one right off the assembly line.

Sweet.

The $1,500 Spark Plug

For the first half of my life, I was a do-it-yourself kind of guy when it came to many automotive repairs. I wouldn’t tackle transmissions or body work, but I have done almost everything else you can do.

Now everything is so interdependent and complicated. And they tell you that you don’t have to have a tune up for 100,000 miles. That last one has never proven true. Generally, by around 60,000 miles or so, the spark plugs, at the least, should be changed. It’s been done on my car and both of my sons cars. Mine was running like a dog. Seems a bad tank of gas fouled the plugs.

Even changing the spark plugs yourself has changed. First, there is typically a small screw or bolt holding each cap in place. Then the plugs are often deeper inside. But most significant change is the price. In the 70s, they were about $2 each. Now the cheap ones are $10 each and the ones they recommend are $40 each.

The day after Thanksgiving, my younger son set out to change his.