Everyone Can Relax. I've Found A Car.

Michelle called as I was driving home from work with an overdue report on the state of our 2005 Honda Pilot, which I took to our mechanic about three weeks ago for an assessment.

I knew with it having 264,000 miles on it that it was likely there was some work that needed doing, but what I got was a list not unlike what Ray Stantz delivered as he drove the proto-Ecto 1 up to the fire station.

Here's what's been done:

Front and rear brakes replaced.

Some front bearings and bushings replaced.

Transmission flushed.

What needs to be done:

Wheel alignment.

Likely four new tires.

Then returned to the mechanic for the following:

Timing belt kit, including water pump.

More front end bushings and bearings.

Rear shocks.

So far, only about $1,300, which seems a lot for a car that old, but I've been watching the used car market and that seems like a bargain if we can squeeze another 50,000 or so miles out of the thing.

Still, I should probably get my tools and cigarettes out to see if I can do some of the work myself.

The Red Herring is Ailing

So this isn't good.

Or maybe it's not all *that* bad, but it might be.

Ignore the airbag light. That's a sensor we should replace, but they're hard to find. More worrying are the check engine and VTM-4 lights. Who knows how much that's going to cost to get fixed.

We'll find out. We've got 264,000 miles on this thing so it has fought the good fight, but if we could squeeze another 50,000 or 75,000 miles out of it' I'd be happy. But it's all going to depend on what's wrong with the thing. It's been very reliable up to this point, so I hate to see it go.

It does have a few other problems: Leaking power steering, and maybe a tie rod that's causing some unusual wear on the front passenger tire. We did get it to our mechanic today, so at least that part is over.

Don't want to break the bank. But Isaac says he wants to use this car when he gets back from his mission in 2028. We'll have to see if that happens.

And for this Honda Pilot, 2005, I do mean reliable. Aside from tires and regular maintenance, we've replaced the starter. Everything else has just been hanging on.

 

My Grandpa Car

I was visiting my father-in-law over the weekend, and happened to come as my brother-in-law and their family were leaving after a brief Spring Break visit.

We got to talking about my car, a 2005 Honda Pilot which we bought from my father-in-law for $10,000. I don't remember when it was, but we've had it ever since, which I think is about ten or so years after that.

Carl, my brother-in-law, asked what work we've had to have done on it to keep it running. It's got 260,000 miles on it now.

I had to think about it for a bit.

Aside from regular maintenance, from battery replacement (once), new tires, (once) and oil changes and such, the only repairs I've had to have done is to replace the starter and replace the gas cap.

So it's been a *really* reliable vehicle for us.

I don't have an accounting like the one in this video, but I believe it's comparable.

There are some repairs which should probably be done:

1. I've got an air bag sensor that's gone bad.

2. The power steering has developed a small leak.

We've tried finding a used sensor at the scrap yards, but apparently this is a common failure point on Pilots, so the one we need is always missing.

And as for the power steering, the leak is small enough to the point I'm not that worried about it yet. It's more an annoyance to have to top up the fluid every once in a while than anything else.

Knock on wood, it'll keep running for a lot longer.

Honda Mileage - Another Missed Milestone

I've been watching the odometer in my 2005 Honda Pilot for this particular set of zeros to come around.

Not that there's anything significant about 260,000 miles other than the fact that I missed seeing 250,000 miles roll in.

So, of course, today this happened:

At least it got warmer.

Check Engine Light OFF

As I continue my quest to keep our 2005 Honda Pilot on the road, I have a little victory.

The new gas cap I was hoping would fix the evap system warning that triggered the check engine light has done its duty. The cap is on and the light is off.

That doesn't mean the dash is free of warning lights, but the newest one has been taken care of.

It's got just north of 250,000 miles on it, and I'd like to keep it going a while longer. I like not having a car payment to worry about.

Now if I could only figure out that stupid TPMS light . . .