blacks2k

i understand that u may be busy and all, but its not that hard to get an independent to work on it, u will undoubtedly save some money as well compared to a stealership

DaveFromSydney

Its a bit academic now, since the job is in progress, but would one of you kind people who have so much more time than I do, like to get a ballpark quote on a decent secondhand steering rack and the labour to fit it? I wonder how much I would have saved? And whether, being second hand, it would have lasted the next 70000 kms or more that I expect to keep this car for.

As for being loaded, etc, surely paying $75000 to get the car in the first place was the bigger mistake than the odd few thousand on repairs.

honda9krpm

Could you elaborate on the symptoms? Is the car drivable? How did the symptoms develop? Did you hit something, did you battery go flat, any thing unusual leading up to the issue etc etc?

Could you also elaborate on what parts of the rack broke, what cause does honda suggested and why isn't the broken bit repairable?

Car stealership and service departments are sharks. The invoice is generally a reflection of how much you can pay rather than what is wrong with your car. That's why I tend to do my own TLC on the car........but hey if anyone know a good + ultra reliable honda mechanic on the gold coast I will be keen to give them a try.

DaveFromSydney

1. There had been more noise from the steering than usual for weeks prior and I was going to mention it at the next service. Like the noise from any power steering unit when the wheel is turned at low speeds, e.g. in a carpark - but much louder.

2. For the last week in similar circumstances and also on the road I was getting a "bumpy" feeling. Like the wheel was going to get stuck and then by using a bit more pressure it got past that. Each day it got a bit worse. It seemed that if it continued I would arrive at corner one day and find the car refusing to turn and the car would plough straight on.

The Honda service people just say the electric motor in there need replacing but it is not a separely replaceable part. It just comes as a complete rack assembly.

I asked why not try to get a secondhand one and they said, quite reasonably, that they were difficult/impossible to check.

The cost of $2700 is for 3 hours labour (plus or maybe including a wheel alignment) and the part itself. So I guess the part is costing $2400.

honda9krpm

Do you have any EPS light?

Vuey

hey Dave

i would have been more than happy to call my contacts at Hanny's and gotten a quote for you and posted back my findings.

DaveFromSydney

No - I did not notice one of those.

DaveFromSydney

If you would be so kind, I would still like to know, if only to kick myself for the money I could have saved.

And if you post the results here then everyone else can be better informed for the next time they have to make a similar choice.

DaveFromSydney

Got it back today, after 2.5 days in the shop.

Total cost was:

3 hours of labour @ 99.50 = $298.50
Full wheel alignment = $65.00
Steering rack (SET, SUB COMP, G/O) = $2133.14
Tie rods (SET, RACK END CO P) = $258.32
Clips = $12.58
Seals = $30.44
GST = $279.80

Total = $3077.78

honda9krpm

Damn! That's an expensive list.

It looks like they replaced the whole system. Just to make sure that they did the job, I would ask for all of the old parts Dave.