crr243

Hey all,

I drive a 2004 Honda Civic SE (1.7L) with 150,000 km.

I had my car in for an oil change at the dealer this morning (I know, but it's only $40 CAD). When they hoisted it up, they brought me in to show me (a) a bead of coolant on the weeping hole on the water pump; and (b) worn front bushings. The quote to replace the water pump and timing belt was $675 and the quote to replace the bushings was $500 (they quoted $775 to replace the whole LCA...).

I had the water pump and timing belt replaced in 2013 at 110,000 km (it was worn and definitely needed replacement), so this is 2 years later with only 40,000 km on the pump. Naturally, I questioned the assessment.

I brought the car to an independent mechanic a bunch of coworkers recommend. He's never worked on my car. He was actually tested about 4 years ago by the APA, who went to a bunch of mechanics with a loose battery terminal. This independent diagnosed the problem the quickest of the 20 or so shops they visited, and charged the least ($30), without trying to up-sell anything. My coworkers have similar stories, so he seems reputable.

He hoisted the car up and took a look at the bushings. He said they're showing wear (150,000 km and 11 years will do that), but they have plenty of life left on them. He recommended that I leave them alone unless I start noticing degradation in handling, clunks, or creaks. Note also that he quoted $500 to replace the LCA, which is the same price Honda wanted just to replace the bushings.

He also checked the water pump. He said he noticed no evidence of a sustained leak on the pump or on the top of the oil pan. He did a pressure test on the water pump and didn't see a leak.

I had the breaks replaced last year by the mechanic I go to regularly, and he never mentioned that he noticed anything wrong with the bushings, though he may not have looked. I also had the coolant replaced at the Honda dealership about 6 months ago and they made no mention of a problem with the water pump then.

I've had no issues with handling and no clunking or creaks. I've noticed no leaks, even when I had some cardboard under the car to diagnose a small oil leak (it was the drain plug gasket) about 4 months ago. The air conditioner and heater work fine, I've seen no issues with coolant levels, and no unrecognized noises from the cooling system.

I'm inclined to believe the independent, given the word of mouth reviews of him, the fact that he could have very easily convinced me that something is wrong just to get my business, and that he's independent of both the dealer and the mechanic who installed the water pump.

I think I may bring it in to the mechanic who replaced the water pump to get his opinion, but does this diagnosis seem reasonable (without being able to see the car)?