[Eric]

Thanks for the reply,
While the mechanic that looked at my car said I need a new converter (he said it will cost me $500!), I’m not sure if I can be guaranteed to pass the smog test because I changed the converter.

The smog check report said the HC (PPM) went over maximum allowed values for 15mph.

HC Max at 15/25 mph: 64/47
Measured: 81/43 (FAIL)

CO Max: 0.55/0.54
Measured: 0.28/0.26 (Pass)

NO Max: 477/764
Measured: 149/110 (Pass)

I still think I am qualified to get the $500 in government assitance for getting smog check repairs (but very likely I can only get the assistance if I bring it to a smog check repair guy, DIY won’t have the costs covered). This means it might be cheaper to pay $500 for the repair. I will go to another gas station soon to get another quote.

If buying a new car is not required then I will not buy a new car. Even if I had to replace the car I think it’s more sensible to buy a used car from a guy with good documentation and hire a mechanic to look at it rather than buying new. While my car has some comfort issues, I am more than willing to take it to save the money. I guess to somebody that doesn’t know much about cars, having an old car is a little scary because I don’t know what sort of issues might occur down the line. 😛

Thanks

[Eric]

Hey,
Thanks for the reply. I am definately willing to drive a beater as long as I know it’s not going to start having more problems down the line costing me more and more to fix. If it makes economical sense to drive a beater, I am definitely going for the beater. The reason why a lot of the stuff hasn’t been fixed is because I’ve been trying to save money (passenger window is not nessesary for a car to function, windshield I was supposed replace at a junk yard with a friend’s uncle but didn’t get around to it, so I’m just seeing how long the windshield can last, hopefully after the car is worth retiring so I don’t have to pay for the windshield).

I’ll look into getting the correct light bulb for my brake light as a temporary fix (and since it’s so cheap I can ‘temporarily fix’ it multiple times after it breaks) because a dead brake light at night is a giant sign saying ‘PULL ME OVER!’.

[Eric]

My question was, should I hire somebody to repair the vehicle, or should I just get a new car? I am not a very car-knowledgeable person and it’s easy to care too little about the maintenance of a car that way. It’s kind of like how dentists think we all undervalue flossing.

I decided to keep the back window as in (well, I removed all the glass) as a cost saving measure. The brake lights are out, and my friend’s uncle and I tried to fix it by replacing the bulb and putting some epoxy over the crack(s) on the plastic shielding the light bulb. Apparently it’s not sufficient.

About all I would do right now to maintain a car is to do an oil change. :unsure: …I’m sure I could step up my game though.

I don’t know if I should continue to fix this old car or if I should just buy a new car because the old car is probably going to be more prone to having more issues that need fixing down the line. And buying another car could be a new car for like $15000 which I can pay in full so no interest, or I could buy secondhand and save some cash. I just don’t know which route to pick.

I could try to learn and DIY it but the thought of working on something that propels me at 60mph is scary if I am not 100% sure my own repair is done properly.

[Author]

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