Howdy All,

I don't know much about cars, but I went to this mechanic to service my AC. He did a great job but he told me that my break fluid and battery contacts were dirty. I drive a 1997 Honda accord LX, with about 110k on it. Are these things I really need to be concerned about???

Thanks,

J

 

I assume he pointed these out to you? Do they look dirty? Dirty battery connections can cause your car to not start, andcontaminated brake fluid can cause mushy brakes or worse,can corrode a brake line (no brakes).

 

i'm going to guess you dont really need to worry about those things. if you look at your battery terminals and they are really bad i would replace them, but if they are just a little bad i wouldnt worry about it.

the dealer recommends you flush and replace your brake fluid at some interval i dont remember what, but no one ever does, i wouldnt worry about that either.

if he tells you your johnson rod needs to be replaced thats when you know hes lieing to you

 

I'm surprised he didn't tell you that you needed to rotate your muffler bearings, and check the blinker fluid. Those are some very important tips that almost all of us overlook.

 

Most people shouldn't mind if a mechanic makes one aware of the little things that, if neglected, could cause major problems down the road. I, myself, would not cut corners on brake fluid. Battery connections & ground wires can cause all sorts of headaches if allowed to get corroded, loose etc. A quick search around this forum would certainly bring up the results of not following the major manufacturer recommendations. Anyway....each to his/her own.

On another note....Had a girl friend once who went to a mechanic to check her car out. He told her she needed her spark plugs rotated...(she believed him...btw she was blond...LOL)

Jim

 

Guys and girls ........It is a sign of a good technician to notice thing that the car needs and could cause issues and more money to spend if not corrected AS LONG as the tech is being Honest ,and not trying to sell UNNEEDED WORK
a very dirty brake fluid could and will cause master cylinder failure which will mean a lot more money in the long run and a possibility of a failure when you do not want it to,, At the same time it brings in extra work for the tech,, Now all this ,again ,assuming the work is really needed
as for the battery ,if the cable are full of junk ( corrosion ). they should be cleaned or again will possibly have a no start issue and replacement of cable ends and or cables if corrosion gets too far .
I for one ,always will point out to my customer when a car is in need of work that might cause further issues and cost them more money later,, it is up to him ( her ) to decide if they want it done and they are always welcome to get a second opinion .
But again a good tech should keep the customer informed of potential problems that might cost a lot later

the battery , you can take care of it yourself, make sure you have the radio code if car is equipped with anti-theft radio, disconnect the cables ( 10mm wrench ) use a wire brush, sand paper, to clean the battery posts and cable ends, put all together,apply some vaseline on the cable ends ..