Honda Odyssey 1996

My Honda Odyssey has 106,000 miles on it. The dealership service
center says I need: front motor mount $320-330; outer cv boots
$330-380 OR new axle at $500-600; decarb and throttle service $162;
power steering fluid change $89.95 (squealing when hard turning both
ways); front sway bar bushings $170-200.

Also my air conditioner/heater system knob adjuster (internal to
dashboard not external) broke and is stuck in position at "heat" and
they say this will cost $95 just to look at and maybe $600-700 to
repair.

So which of these items are the highest priority to repair? Should I
get a second opinion and are these estimates within normal range for
these types of repairs.

I need to buy a new car and plan to do so shortly so I don't want to
put more into the car than necessary to make it run properly. I could
just bag the repairs and use it as a trade-in (but I have always been
advised against using trade-ins when buying new cars.)

Please advise!

 

I always check prices online to see how much more the dealer is
charging for the parts. The "check engine" light came on in our 2000
Odyssey and it was the catalytic converter that caused it. They
quoted me some horrendous amount to fix it and said that the part was
very expensive. It turns out that the part isn't that expensive (I
can get a new one for under $200 easily) so I'm glad I didn't ok that
one over the phone.

In you specific case... The front motor mount looks to be about $100
(less than $150). So if you can find a good mechanic from talking to
your friends then it is likely that you can get it done for less than
the dealer is quoting. The broken mount won't likely cause any
catastrophic problems in the short run but can cause a clunking when
putting it in gear. You don't want to let it go for too long but I
don't think it is necessarily an immediate fix. Others on here
(mechanics) may know better and encourage this be fixed soon.

I replaced the "half-axle" on my 1996 Nissan Sentra and it ended up
being pretty easy. A mechanic friend of mine recommended that I do
the axle rather than replacing the CV joint because of the extra work
doing just the CV joint. My Sentra's axle was only about $80. I just
checked "www.autopartswarehouse.com" and a 1996 Odyssey axle is about
$92. Again, a good mechanic can replace an axle pretty quickly so I
don't think the labor should be too expensive. The CV joint will last
for quite a while after it starts "clicking" when you turn but you
should get this done pretty soon.

Power steering fluid is really easy to put in most cars. I haven't
had to do it on our Odyssey so I can't say for sure on a Honda, but it
is very easy on my Sentra. I would recommend you find a friend or
neighbor that knows how to do this basic thing and have them show you
how. A bottle of power steering fluid is cheap at your local auto
parts store or Walmart.

They are probably quoting a replacement of the climate control system
for your broken knob. There may not be anything else you can do about
it except replace it. In the case of a 96 Odyssey though, I would
recommend trying to get the part from a junkyard. Some mechanics will
do that search for you if you ask them.

Good luck.