We are launching our website in tandem with the Dream Big Grow Here small business competition in our area. Since we are still developing the site you will notice that features will go live as we get them up and running. Our first order of business is a form for you to submit the automotive question(s) you would like answered. We will put a new post on the front page as soon as the form is live.
But now, help us fund our dream by voting for us in the Dream Big, Grow Here contest.
On the website below, select “Services and Hospitality” for contest. For Sort by select “Dreamer”. For Search enter Ask My Car. When the page loads, scroll down until you see our dream. You will have to prove you are real person by logging into facebook (Click the log in to Facebook button). Then you can vote. Sometimes it takes the voting website a few minutes to respond, so please be patient. You can vote once a day this week. The contest ends at 5pm CST with the category vote winner automatically advancing to the next round. I am including a hyperlink to the Dream Big site in case you have trouble accessing the web page below.
Thank you in advance!
I am retired and on a fixed income. My 2006 Subaru Outback will eventually need a very expensive repair. The car has almost 80000 miles on it. I had planned to drive it until about 150 if I could.
Is it cost effective to repair the Subaru.
If I take out a loan to buy a
new car I will really be crimping my monthly budget.
Molli, Thank you for your question. In our experience, Subaru’s usually need head gaskets and timing chains every 100,000 miles and can last for close to 300,000 miles. Since you didn’t list what the repair is, we are replying with the most common repair for your car. Depending on the year and engine configuration of your Subaru (2.5L) the base head gasket job for parts (including tax and labor) costs between $1500 and $1600. Adding the timing belt, idlers, and tensioner adds about $400. The typical total cost for an automatic transmission car runs between $2100 and $2300. We would recommend having these repairs completed over taking out a new loan. If these are not the repairs that the car needs, feel free to give us more details.
I have a 2003 lincoln aviator with 180k on it. The last few week my Lincoln has been running good at times. And every time I bring it to the shoping thay can’t find nothing wrong with it. So I need some help. When I start the truck up it runs good. After the truck runs for about 5 mins that’s where it gets strange. when I stop for a red light or if I am in traffic the truck starts shacking and then it stalls. I well re start right up and run fine. It just did this made once a month now it’s 3 or 4 time a day. I did replace the fuel filter and air filter and even the battery and it’s still doing the same thing. Any help would be great
It sounds like your idle air control (IAC) valve may be acting up. This is the valve that allows air into the engine at idle (and when your foot is off the gas pedal). If it is not allowing enough air in (or is stuck closed) when you let off the gas the engine will starve for air.