butch33

I was given a rough quote of 1500 bucks to have my brakes lines replaced on my 99 civic se sedan

I live in canada so its in a harsh enviroment which helps explain the leak

the quote is from my honda dealer .he said they dont do splice jobs there so I'd have to look elsewhere to have the lines spliced instead of totally replaced which is what they only offer

I wanted to get another 2 years out of the car which is in very good condition otherwise and has very ,very low mileage (96,000 km's)

I knew the car might start to cost me in repairs but nothing to this extreme

1500 bucks repairs to a car that might be worth 4,000 seems a little crazy but on the other hand I'd rather get the job done right via honda as opposed to some fly by nighter who can splice the lines

arrrrgh

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

how many lines have to be replaced tho? all of em? i thought there was only one leak. splicing lines is the normal way that almost everyone does. they sell the brake lines at any auto store for dirt cheap and they come with the fittings already on them. just be sure you get the right flare type either double or bubble. and look for the greenish coated lines they are much more durabe and corrosion resistant, plus you can bend it by hand. alot of people just diy it. but if you dont know anything about this, maybe just have a shop do it other than the dealer. its really a waste of time to replace the whole line unless its totally degraded to the point where other spots may fail.

crayzd

Always get a second opinion. I do the brake work on my 96 myself, get a good manual or find a good writeup on what you are doing and save yourself a lot of money.

speedfoos

iTrader: (17)

My guess is most of it is labor to get the lines out. There are some creative bends to route them up against the firewall and down the back of the car. I doubt all the lines need replacing though. Get a second opinion.

shadymechanic

The operative word here it is a 1999. If you can do the repairs adequately then save yourself some $$. It does require bending brake lines, you can use a line bender to assist you - ask at autoparts store. One thing about splicing lines in a salty, cold environment is that they will most likely get eaten again at the splices. Brakes lines are nothing to skimp on, especiallly on a snowy road.

Cold weather is a son of a gun to work in when you are working with metal. Do this is a heated place if possible.

butch33

I went back in the afternoon and they offered me 4 grand for a trade in towards a 2009 dx-g .threw in a remote starter

I'm gonna jump at the offer instead of forking out 15oo or more for new lines .Heck , I'll be lucky to get 2ooo for the car next year at this time so its a no brainer

thanks for your advice and I'll be seeing ya'll up in the 2009 civic threads

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

heh not a bad deal

crayzd

Good move.

butch33

thanks

sql_civic

iTrader: (10)

Just one last comment here... There is absoluetely no reason to assume that the job will get done right by a Honda dealer. Nor is there reason to assume that an independent garage will mess it up. Many independent garage mechanics are the creme of the crop who get fed up with working for dealers. For example, one of the very few guys that I let touch my cars is Bill from Accurate Brake and Muffler. He does excellent workmanship on both the routine and custom jobs for a reasonable price and personally backs up his work.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

very true. i picked up a new pricing guide for the honda dealer here and the cost for some services is rediculous. $40 for a regular oil change, $75 for trans fluid change, $140 for spark plugs, $150 for valve adjustment, $700 for replacing timing belt! just to name a few.

shadymechanic

Ditto. Dealers are good for OEM parts, sometimes.

butch33

thats why my plan moving forward is to just buy /own for 4 years /trade in for new so that I'm never in need of a 15oo$ brake line replacement

it was nice milkin the 99 til 2009 without any major problems til now .and if not for the salt/sand etc.. here in wintery canada I'd probably keep her for another 2 more years if not for the brake line problem

I absolutely agree with the comment regarding independent shops / mechanics .There are some very reputable mom and pop shops here who I would have definately consulted with before submitting to honda's 15oo$ quote .However , if their estimates were in the same ballpark as the honda dealer I would have leaned heavily towards getting it done at honda for ease of mind .

at the end of the day however -I think I'm making the best move here by snagging the 4 k trade in offer + remote engine starter / block heater included

thanks for all the comments and suggestions

butch33

didnt think I'd feel all misty when I switched cars today at the dealer

had a lil tear in my eye looking at my 99 sitting by itself with the plates off

hopefully someone else gets a few good years out of it once the dealer fixes the lines / sells it

screech74

Hate to tell you but you got played. The oldest trick in the book is when you go to a dealer and they quote you an outrageous amount. They do this on purpose and make it sound like your car is going to die and you need to buy a new one. Now they've suckered you into years of more payments when really you could have replaced the lines yourself for 50$ or even a shop would have done it for 150$.

Lesson learned for next time.

Stock 99

I'm no expert about civic brake lines but they'd have to be made out of gold to cost $1500 (even installed). I did my truck a couple years ago and almost the entire brake system was replaced for just under $1000. The Toyota has 4 piston front calipers which were the priciest part (around $400 for the pair).

I'd say you got burned but really they gave you $4000 for it. That's what I just paid for mine private sale.

and really, a few years? I drove a 1991 with 380 000 Kms on it before I bought the one I did. The engine ran perfectly! The rest of it not so much. LOL

I was describing it to people as a 'coffin on wheels' the engine did run really well though.

Hell, I'd get misty too, even at this point. The suspension on the 99 civic is to die for.

johng

Haven't used a dealer in well over 10 years.

Getting my brake lines replaced today from firewall back for $350 + tax.