Car Maintenance Makes Me Cry Follow-up

[bjarvis]

I have to admit that as much as a nearly $1800 bill hurts me, my Civic is running much better than it did prior to all of the maintenance work.

As I drove out of the NTB parking lot, I could definitely feel the brakes were much improved. After driving about 30 miles each way to the data center (all highway) for a night project, I felt the steering was more responsive, the ride was smoother, gear shifting as I accelerated & decelerated was smoother and overall drive seemed quieter.

I still need to have the timing belt and the cartridges for the airbags replaced but that should be done next week --after my next paycheck.

Comments

[danthered.livejournal.com]

You can skip the costly and unnecessary airbag cartridge replacement. They don't expire; industry and independent tests of well-aged airbag systems clear back to the first ones (in '74-'77 GM vehicles) have invariably shown perfect function with nary a dud. The recommendation or insistence on replacement is from Honda's lawyers, not their engineers, and AFAIK this 'requirement" does not exist on the same models in other markets. If I were you I would have zero qualm about skipping it.

airbags?

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

I suspect you could skip the airbag cartridges - unless you've been being rude to little old lady pedestrians.