Monday, September 13, 2010

I saved $115!

Yes, I did! Recently, I found out that our cars, both Hondas, have cabin air filters. Who knew??? I have been driving for many years and have had many cars, as has Hubby. I also grew up with both a dad and a brother that are excellent backyard mechanics. And I never knew that there was a cabin air filter in our cars. Maybe they are in all cars. I don't know. LOL!

Anyway, once I found this out, I decided that ours certainly needed to be changed as we had never changed them. I have had my car 2 years, but we have had Hubby's car for 6 1/2 years. So even if they were both changed by Honda before we bought them, it had been a while for both. So, I went on an internet search about how to get this done. When I read that it can cost $100-$150 to have it done by Honda, I of course, decided to figure out if we could do it ourselves.

Then last week, I got a flyer from the dealer where we bought my car and they had a coupon for a cabin air filter change for $64.95. How weird is that that I got this right after I found out these existed?

I went to some DIY car repair forums. Yes, I am either that cheap, or that talented. You decide. LOL! I found instructions and even found that there are how to videos on Youtube. I have no problem following instructions, but a video was just awesome! He and I both figured that I could do this easily. Notice I said I. LOL! He will assist on car maintenance, but he is not as comfortable with tearing apart something in a car as I am. (Please note, I do not do much work on cars. But occasionally, I am happy to jump in and get dirty.)

Last week, Hubby stopped by the auto parts store and got the filters for my car ($16.23), but they did not have his. I told him we would just order on-line instead of him checking stores all over town. Then we jumped on to ebay and there they were for only $9.50 shipped. So he ordered them.

After reviewing the instructions for my car, a CRV, I changed mine on Friday. It was pretty easy and only took about 25 minutes. I was totally impressed with myself. Of course, it only involved pulling out 2 stops on the glove box and the filters are right behind there. Still, I did it and saved. $54.

Hubby's car was another story. We went out Saturday evening after it had cooled off a bit, though it was still in the upper 80s, I think, and really humid. Hubby has a 2000 Accord and it took a little...no a lot more dimantling than mine did. I started unscrewing things. Hubby was my assistant. We worked at it for a good 45 minutes and though I had removed all the screws according to the instructions, I could not get the glove box out. I was hot. I was sweating. Sweat was stinging my eyes. I was getting cranky.

So, I said, maybe I needed to go rewatch the video on this, since I had not seen it in a week and a half. (I was working off paper instructions that I had found.) Hubby thought that was a good idea. (I think I was getting REALLY cranky.)

So in I went and watched the video and cooled off, both physically and mentally. LOL! It showed more screws to be removed than my paper did, so I was ready to proceed. However, by this time, it was really dark, so Hubby said we could wait until the next day.

Yesterday evening, I went out, took out the rest of the screws and it was easy breezy. I finished up in about 30 minutes and saved $61.

I am so macho!

10 comments:

Annie Jones said...

I love a macho woman...especially a pretty one like you! ;)

I did know about cabin air filters. I learned they existed just a couple of years ago; before that, I had no idea.

Great job on saving the bucks!

Frances said...

LOL! Annie, you are too funny!

People do look at me a little funny when I work on a car with my sculpted nails. (I do them myself, really cheaply, but no one knows that.) They just can't believe I am endangering my manicure. They are silly.

Sonya Ann said...

I think you are sexy! If I hit on you enough will you fix the focus?

Frances said...

LOL! SonyaAnn. I would, but my mechanic skills lean toward easy-for-laymen-to-fix issues that have been identified.

slugmama said...

Women who work on cars are HOT!
Well, hot in the good way, not sweaty cranky way...
I married the most unhandy man there is(in both car and house repair)so I've had to learn a few things.
Now that we make more money and I'm old and creaky I let Hubs have the repair place do everything...but at least I wait until I have coupons for the services to get it cheaper.lol

WTG Frances....you need one of those mechanic shirts with your name embroidered on the chest.lol

Frances said...

LOL! Sluggy. When I was young and working on cars I was the unsweaty kind of hot.

We generally take most things to the shop, now, too, 'cause I am pretty creaky myself. But this just seemed too easy and too expensive to have Honda do.

Unknown said...

That's great!

Frances said...

Thanks for stopping by LittlePeopleWealth!

McVal said...

You are SO cool! I don't even know what a cabin air filter is...
Good job!

Sonya Ann said...

Tag you're it!