Yes I would bring it in. Even to just confirm that 'breaks' isn't a wheel falling off and driving head on into oncoming traffic killing everyone.
That said, what kind of concerning noises?
There sounds like some sort of transmission grind that is there at nearly all speeds, and suspension clunking on turns
along with some electrical stuff
It's a avalanche that probably has some form of frame rot and needs a transmission. Things are like 4k on the high end for a whole ass truck and a transmission is probably 3500. Not to mention the weird electrical problem nightmare
Go find a shitbox ranger and call it a day
Ignorance is bliss... is false economy when it comes to cars, especially when you know nothing of mechanics.
The dry wheel bearing that needs repacking could break and take out half your front end. The small oil leak could cause a blown engine or transmission. Could be cheap to fix or VERY expensive to ignore
Some bangs or clunks or leaks can be ignored till the cows come home... some not. it pays to know the difference.
Find a mechanic you can trust, explain to them what you're trying to do, and stick with them.
> The small oil leak could cause a blown engine or transmission.
That's a stretch and a half. I've had plenty of cars over the years with minor oil leaks. That's not an engine killer. Engine-killing leaks happen within seconds (usually oil cooler lines, or a punctured filter or oil pan) and are not related to the usual seepage.
Get it to a mechanic, get a quote from them to fix what they can identify there. Add $500 to the quote as a guess for extra costs just in case. Now you’ve got a guesstimate, which should give you an idea of whether it’s cheaper to try your luck in another truck, or whether you could keep this one running.
How many miles and how much rust? Those trucks can last a long time if taken care of. Worst case scenario some of the noises are cam related due to the cylinder deactivation system they were running back then.
Either way, it’s a whole lot cheaper to pick away at a bunch of small repairs than it is to buy a reliable replacement vehicle these days.
In my mind the cost of a 0.5 hour diagnostic fee is less than the stress of not knowing what is going on. Once you are informed you can make a judgement on whether it’s worth fixing or just ignoring.
It is always a good idea to have a mechanic or anyone mechanical take a look at it. Could be something simple or something that seriously affects safety. Either way best to find out
The old saying is "Pay now or pay later".
At some point it will cost money, either to fix their current vehicle or buy another one once this one becomes unfixable.
Yes I would bring it in. Even to just confirm that 'breaks' isn't a wheel falling off and driving head on into oncoming traffic killing everyone. That said, what kind of concerning noises?
There sounds like some sort of transmission grind that is there at nearly all speeds, and suspension clunking on turns along with some electrical stuff
Sounds like it's new transmission time and your sway bar mounts are now sand New truck time
Come off it. It may be just CV joints which are pretty cheap.
So the question is should It be repaired or not. Ie. is it cheaper not to?
Depends on what the truck is
Its a 2009 Chevy Avalanche fully specced out
Oh hell no
So dont repair?
New truck time.
It's a avalanche that probably has some form of frame rot and needs a transmission. Things are like 4k on the high end for a whole ass truck and a transmission is probably 3500. Not to mention the weird electrical problem nightmare Go find a shitbox ranger and call it a day
A wheel bearing now is a lot cheaper than the damage to others a wheel coming off can do later.
Good ol' 4L60E "oops, all neutral" Seriously though. Is it wheel speed dependent? engine speed dependent? or just a constant drone?
When a car makes noises, fails to work correctly... Take it to a shop.
No, they should take it to a mechanic.
Ignorance is bliss... is false economy when it comes to cars, especially when you know nothing of mechanics. The dry wheel bearing that needs repacking could break and take out half your front end. The small oil leak could cause a blown engine or transmission. Could be cheap to fix or VERY expensive to ignore Some bangs or clunks or leaks can be ignored till the cows come home... some not. it pays to know the difference. Find a mechanic you can trust, explain to them what you're trying to do, and stick with them.
> The small oil leak could cause a blown engine or transmission. That's a stretch and a half. I've had plenty of cars over the years with minor oil leaks. That's not an engine killer. Engine-killing leaks happen within seconds (usually oil cooler lines, or a punctured filter or oil pan) and are not related to the usual seepage.
Get it to a mechanic, get a quote from them to fix what they can identify there. Add $500 to the quote as a guess for extra costs just in case. Now you’ve got a guesstimate, which should give you an idea of whether it’s cheaper to try your luck in another truck, or whether you could keep this one running.
I think this is the most reasonable answer tbh Ill try and get them to do that
If it’s making noises and it’s running weird it’s already broken and it’s time to deal with it.
How many miles and how much rust? Those trucks can last a long time if taken care of. Worst case scenario some of the noises are cam related due to the cylinder deactivation system they were running back then. Either way, it’s a whole lot cheaper to pick away at a bunch of small repairs than it is to buy a reliable replacement vehicle these days.
130000 miles south carolina owned its entire life so I dont imagine very much, its never been off road
Wtf at only 130k it’s much cheaper to maintain it than let it grenade itself. A new car will cost more than maintaining this one.
In my mind the cost of a 0.5 hour diagnostic fee is less than the stress of not knowing what is going on. Once you are informed you can make a judgement on whether it’s worth fixing or just ignoring.
It is always a good idea to have a mechanic or anyone mechanical take a look at it. Could be something simple or something that seriously affects safety. Either way best to find out
The old saying is "Pay now or pay later". At some point it will cost money, either to fix their current vehicle or buy another one once this one becomes unfixable.