when your car breaks down, do you panic?

[whiskeytown]

My brakes were grinding for a few weeks, and tonight something broke in them....the vehicle is not drivable until I get it into a repair shop (or not stoppable without some horrible noise, grinding, horrible hesitation, burning noise, ABS brake light coming on)

I feel like I've lost freedom - I actually can't afford to fix it till after next week, but I can always take the bus/walk anywhere I need, including the theater...and it's warm enough to still ride the bike - once my job paychecks start, it shouldn't be an issue to get a towtruck to haul it to a garage or limp it somewhere - but still....

creeps me out....I've lost something - I could always go anywhere at a moment's notice -

I just feel like I've lost some freedom...very scary.

RB

[daryn]

grinding brakes sucks.. fix ASAP. just take it out of your poker bankroll! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[whiskeytown]

they are now broken brakes -

no bankroll - no money at all cause as a contractor, I stopped getting paid 4 weeks ago and the job paychecks take one or two to get going - so I have 6 days till my first paycheck.

it's just bus travelling - couldn't afford to get them fixed because of the colossal [censored] situation that switching jobs/pay schedules unexpectedly and without a backup causes.

it'll probably cost more now - probably broke something really important...

[censored]

RB

[Kenrick]

If you take the tire(s) off, you should be able to easily see what the problem is. If they've been grinding for awhile, the caliper may have worn through the disc. They'd have to be grinding for awhile to do that, though. Depending on the rim, you might be able to see the problem without taking the tire off.

Brakes are the easiest thing in the world to fix. There's a reason brake shops give lifetime warranties on brake pads -- because even if the pads wear out, they get to charge you for the easy labor to change them. Same with mufflers.

Just buying a Haynes manual for a car can provide sufficient knowledge for even a "not a car guy" guy to know what he's doing on the easier fixes that shops charge $40-$75 an hour to fix. And then once you take a head off or pull a piston, you realize just how easy it all is. The best line is from a buddy of mine: "This isn't rocket science; Follow the manual and bolt the stuff together."

If you want 500+ horsepower out of a turbocharged 4-cylinder, that takes a little more experience, though.

[cardcounter0]

The first time the brakes made a grinding noise, you were looking at a $49 repair. Now, since you didn't want to spend the $49, you are looking at a $250 or more repair.

Kind of like calling when you should have folded, hoping for that runner-runner miracle catch. It usually doesn't pay off.

[MMMMMM]

[ QUOTE ]
The first time the brakes made a grinding noise, you were looking at a $49 repair. Now, since you didn't want to spend the $49, you are looking at a $250 or more repair.

Kind of like calling when you should have folded, hoping for that runner-runner miracle catch. It usually doesn't pay off.

[/ QUOTE ]


How was that in any way like calling when he should have folded, or hoping for a runner-runner miracle catch? Do you think he was somehow hoping that the brakes might fix themselves if he ignored them long enough?

[cardcounter0]

Simple. I will break it down for you.

When the brakes made the first grind noise, it was a $49 repair. I can't afford $49 right now, maybe I can drive it for a little more until I can afford to get it fixed. (maybe my one out, the four of clubs, will come on the turn)

The brakes continue to grind. Now you need rotors turned, that's about $75 a pop. Can't afford that either, maybe I will drive it some more, until I can afford to fix it. (card didn't come on the turn, just one more bet to see if I get it on the river).

Now you are looking at $200-$300 in repairs, which if you couldn't "afford" $49 in the first place, how can you afford that. Plus the car is out of commission, so he has the time and trouble of alternative transportation, no car, bigger repair bill .... (gee, that other guy is raking the pot in with all my chips in it).

Read this about every hour until it soaks in.

[MMMMMM]

That much is clear. And the brake nightmare has happened to me before much as you describe;-)

My question again, now: In what way was this similar to chasing a longshot draw when he should have folded, hoping to catch a miracle card? When you chase a longshot draw at bad odds and catch a miracle card, you gain or salvage something when you hit, right? What could he have hit here to for a positive payoff? Maybe Giuseppe's mechanical elves could have come in the wee hours of the night to fix the brakes better than new?

Thus the analogy is inherently flawed. That was my point.

[cardcounter0]

No, obviously, he was trying to let the brakes grind until he could "afford" the minor $49 repair. In other words, not only was he shooting for a long shot draw, but even it it had hit, he was actually drawing dead.

And chances are he needs to spring for an expensive $19.95 oil change too, and save about $300 in engine repairs after the brakes get fixed.

[Cosimo]

I think MMMMM's point is that in the poker analogy, one could actually win sometimes. With brakes, ignoring it will never result in a win.

[daryn]

my point is that this is stupid!

[busted_player]

not true at all that you can't ever win.

if its an old car you only plan on driving say for another year or a few months or whatever, then ignoring the brakes and planning on just letting it degrade until you get rid of it, then that can be the highest EV, but a gamble, since towing costs can be a forced cost if you breakdown on the road.

[wacki]

www.autozone.com (http://www.autozone.com)

$9.99 for a set of brake pads. If you have disc brakes, it is as simple as loosening (don't even have to remove) two bolts, remove old brake pads, and slide in new ones. No jack needed, just loosen 2 bolts per wheel. Pick up a howto book at autozone/autonation/pepboys or similar store.

[Chah Ngo]

I really think there is a twofold reason for doing this yourself. First, you will save a bunch of dough on a relatively simple task. I do not think however that you are going to get by with just brake pads. Pull the wheels off and check the rotors. If they are badly scarred you will either have to get them resurfaced or replaced. I think the most this will cost is around $80.00 (getting the rotors turned should be around $15.00 per, replacements could be as much as $40.00 per - call around). Putting new pads on ruined rotors will get you by for a while but is not safe and short lived. You will also need to check your fluid and possibly bleed your brake system. You have probably boiled some brake fluid off. Again, this is not difficult but is a two person job.
The second benefit is that you will have a greater understanding of how your car works and I feel this will benefit you. The less you are hostage to the garage to fix your ride, the better. Brakes really are easy, and the folks I know who work on cars for a living consider them gravy.
Think of it this way, the minimum you are going to pay a shop to do this is $40 per hour. If it takes you twice as long, you are making the same as you would in a 10-20 game earning 1 BB per hour.

[MMMMMM]

Indeed it is stupid, Daryn, but it is also the way "certain" people think and argue on the Other Topics forum (which was also my more hidden point;-)--I have had to correct bad analogies there many a time).

[tolbiny]

"My question again, now: In what way was this similar to chasing a longshot draw when he should have folded, hoping to catch a miracle card? When you chase a longshot draw at bad odds and catch a miracle card, you gain or salvage something when you hit, right? What could he have hit here to for a positive payoff?"

he's hopeing to get rear ended and then charge the reparis to the other guy's insurance company

[wacki]

Ya Chah Ngo is right.

When I talked about brake pads, I meant if you caught it in time. Your rotors are more than likely screwed. Autozone used to turn the rotors for $4 and rotors for a Honda accord cost $24 last time I checked. Removing rotors is a bit more work. You have to remove the lug nuts, and 4 bolts. I highly recommend you have someone atleast break (loosen using mechanic speak) the bolts with an impact wrench. If you strip those bolts it will be hell to get them out. It's still worth it to me to do it myself.

You get to know your car better, which means you can take care of it better. Make sure you get replacement bolts and replace the old bolts that held the rotors on with new bolts. They cost about a buck each. You can get them at either autozone, or even a hardware store. Talk to the guys at autozone about thread pitch and bolt strength markings. It will save you many headaches in the future. Use a torque wrench to put the bolts back in and use the appropriate torque settings. Believe it or not most mechanics actually get that part wrong. :-)

good luck.

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]

And chances are he needs to spring for an expensive $19.95 oil change too, and save about $300 in engine repairs after the brakes get fixed.

[/ QUOTE ]

Buy a case of oil yourself at sams, a self sealing pan at lowes/walmart/autozone, and recycle the oil at walmart. It feels good to be a man. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[whiskeytown]

one slight problem with your theory....

if I can last in the game a couple more hrs., my rich uncle will drop by with the $2000 grand in chips he owes me...

so you see...your analogy is sorta fulla shita /images/graemlins/grin.gif

RB