94 Honda Accord Ex

I've bought this car for $2,400 (price was 2,995 for sale) and has/was 175 thousand miles on it since Nov. 19th, 05 till now sitting on 181,000 now ...I had pretty much change alot of new parts in it worth about another

1,500 which is new Monroe struts in the back, new rotors and brakes-all (ceramic pad), arm in the back passenger side with ball joint and bushing, ball joint in the front passenger side, CV drive axle, front right ball joint, half shft core, the moogs, new moon roof, new front tires and which the labor is along out of the 1,500 estimated about 500 dollars of labor for all that with tax ....what do you think???? And i just had my AC recharged for 85 dollars 2 weeks ago, now that i hear slightly wheezing when I accelerate ....what would that be now?????? I open the hood up I kinda suspect it's somewhere by one of the belts because before about 2 or less month ago it was screeching (could it be just maybe it's lose now??? or is it hoping it's not the "timing belt" !!!!!????

"davi" wrote

I think one really should use genuine Honda brake pads. Less dust, less noise, less wear on the rotor. The various "high life" pads available on the market are said to simply be made of harder material, increasing brake pad life but reducing brake rotor life.

OTOH reports are that maintaining (= taking cuts on and even replacing periodically) brake rotors is not as big a deal as it may once perhaps used to have been.

If you're trying to learn something about buying used cars, I would check the used car appraisers at

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and

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I think $1500 for parts and labor at a dealer's is in the ball park of what all you list should have cost. Just guesstimating, but figure maybe: $150 for each ball joint (parts and labor); $200 for the CV joint; moogs (shock absorbers?) $150; $300 for the tires; I dunno for the moon roof but ISTM $200 to $500 seems fair; $100 for the brake pads. This gets you in that $1500 range. You can provide a more exact breakdown of charges and people can comment more intelligently.

Did you have the work done at the dealer's?

Re the suspension work you had done: ISTM Honda suspensions are the one area that could stand major upgrading about mid-life. I recently developed, for the first time, a tire wear problem on my 91 Civic, 178k miles. I suspect it was due to worn suspension parts, many of which I replaced. I did it myself, but to have a shop do it would have run around $1000 I figure. (I had no ball joints replaced; just did all the front lower arm bushings; the front springs; all the rear bushings.)

Screeching tends to be a sign of a loose belt.

See the free online maintenance schedule at

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for your 94 Accord, and follow it. If you have no idea when the timing belt was last changed, then bite the bullet and change it as soon as possible. Figure $500 to $700. Get a quote with the details of what will be replaced and post it here, if you want help shopping around. The belt is due at

90k miles or six years, whichever comes first, for normal driving; more often for severe driving (see the maintenance schedule... ). If it breaks, you risk damaging the engine to the tune of thousands of dollars of repairs /if/ it can be repaired. They do break. This newsgroup does see reports of failed belts.