My Chinese SUV has been mechanically sound under the hood but not always great in other parts like the door locks and other secondary amenities. And except for the fact that the car isn’t very comfortable or quiet inside, it’s actually a pretty decent vehicle. It’s definitely more “utility” than “sport”.
Last week, I noticed a small pool of water under my car as I left work. Uncertain whether it was mine or not and the fact that my home is only 5 miles from work, I decided to risk it by driving home. It turned out that the water was indeed, from my car and that automobile engines really DO require some sort of coolant. Two thirds of the way home, the temperature gauge was pegged in the red and there was noticeable change in power. Instead of heading to my house, I took it to my auto club’s shop and shut it down. Steaming smoke was seeping out of a few seals and I was certain that this was going to be a very expensive repair.
The next morning (Sunday morning…yes…you heard me) the shop called me and let me know that my engine wasn’t ruined but it was in need of new hoses, gaskets, fluids along with other maintenance items. Below is my invoice.
| Parts | Qty. | Price | Labor | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Hose | 2 | 35 | 70 | |
| Gasket | 1 | 32 | 300 | 332 |
| Anti Freeze | 2 | 90 | 180 | |
| Oil | 1 | 85 | 85 | |
| Oil Filter | 1 | 25 | 25 | |
| Spark Plugs | 4 | 25 | 100 | |
| Chassis Oil | 2 | 115 | 80 | 310 |
| Exhaust Manifold Gaskets | 2 | 18 | 36 | |
| Clean Choke | 120 | 120 | ||
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| Total | 1258 RMB | |||
| USD (7.7RMB to $1) | $163.00 USD | |||
I’m not sure what this repair would cost in the US. I recently replaced my front bumper, had it painted and installed for about $90 including parts, labor, paint…everything. In this case, I probably got screwed in some areas but in all, I think this is probably much better than U.S. prices for car repairs.
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