Has anyone been able to keep 2 cars?

[debtmonster]

How about a 2003 Mercedes CLK 500 70 K on it stone leather interior. plan to surender but paid up to date. cheap oil change $276.00 tires $500 each. new plugs 16 $900.00
And a 2000 ranger 125K on it will keep for ever
I'm going cheap who needs.

I'm with you help

It does not cost $276 to do an oil change on that car. It only takes 8 quarts of oil. The oil filter is only $11 bucks and the oil is $7/quart.

$7 x 8 qts = $56 + $11/filter = $67 + taxes + shipping for the items.

Where's the rest of the $200 going to for this oil change? Are they throwing in a few steak dinner coupons as well? I do this for a living and $276 for a CLK500 oil change is a scam.

The oil filter is right on top of the engine and is a piece of cake to change:

http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/MercedesCLK500/Images/Engine.jpg

The NGK spark plugs for this car are about $8/ea. 16 plus x $8 bucks = $128.
You should be able to pop that cover off and swap them out yourself with some tools you could buy at Walmart, NAPA, Sears, Discount Auto or Auto Zone.

Newer BMW's and many GM cars have this same kind of oil filter and they are very easy to change. Some Cadillac's, newer Chevy Cavalier, Saturn Vue 4-cylinder's, Saturn Ion's, Aura's and other cars with Ecotec engines have those same filters making these cars fairly easy to maintain.

Even if I made $200k/yr., I'd still get my hands dirty and do all of this maintenance myself. I would not pay those absurd prices.

[hopingforsanity]

No wildcard exemption that I know of in NY. The $2800 car is worth that amount. The estimates I got( got a couple different ones, all range from 2K-2,200) my lawyer would not change the car's value. I am not sure what he did w/ the extimates I got, since I gave them to him(copies) and he just seemed totally like "are these all totally necessary?" I need brakes, and those were not put on the estimates, The big ticket repairs I have to get to pass inspection or so I have been told. I feel the whole idea of getting stuck with a lemon is what bothers me most. I really wish I could stop stressing sooo much on this...Will I know at my 341 meeting if the trustee is gonna take my nonexempt car? Or do I have to wait longer and stress even more.

[Tbornetun]

Do a KBB.com private party value on it. See where it comes out. What is the year/make/model? I would want to know what the attorney is doing with the value. If the car comes up as worth $2800 on KBB and it needs $2000+ in repairs to actually be worth that value, I would list it at $800-$1000. If a car is in poor mechanical shape, the value drops dramatically.

[debtmonster]

No wildcard exemption that I know of in NY. The $2800 car is worth that amount. The estimates I got( got a couple different ones, all range from 2K-2,200) my lawyer would not change the car's value. I am not sure what he did w/ the extimates I got, since I gave them to him(copies) and he just seemed totally like "are these all totally necessary?" I need brakes, and those were not put on the estimates, The big ticket repairs I have to get to pass inspection or so I have been told. I feel the whole idea of getting stuck with a lemon is what bothers me most. I really wish I could stop stressing sooo much on this...Will I know at my 341 meeting if the trustee is gonna take my nonexempt car? Or do I have to wait longer and stress even more.

Florida has no inspections. It's great if you're trying to save money and buy a beater car that's polluting, but I don't like it. This is why I wish we could dump this house and move north. It's nice not having cars polluting all over. I like states who enforce that you keep your cars tuned up and not drive with the check engine light on all day.

[hopingforsanity]

kbb said:
Good
$2,830

Fair
$2,330

For the exempt car. Which I'd place it in the fair category only b/c it's needs so much work. IDK why my lawyer didn't change the value of it, w/ the estimates I got. It's an olds alero and I have different light on the dash on each time I start it. seriously, this car has a mind of it's own.

[debtmonster]

kbb said:
Good
$2,830

Fair
$2,330

For the exempt car. Which I'd place it in the fair category only b/c it's needs so much work. IDK why my lawyer didn't change the value of it, w/ the estimates I got. It's an olds alero and I have different light on the dash on each time I start it. seriously, this car has a mind of it's own.

What happens when you plug the computer into it? What codes does it give back?

Oldsmobile is gone now, so I would think it would be harder and harder to find parts for that thing, just as it is with Daewoo. And if GM ever goes bankrupt, millions of people will probably have a hard time getting their vehicles services or getting parts.

[hopingforsanity]

What happens when you plug the computer into it? What codes does it give back?

One code that I know of stands for cylinder 3 misfire. Even though the plugs/wires were changed over the summer. The code were cleared, but haha on me the light still comes on whenever it feels like and when I bring it to auto zone that's the code it throws. I researched online about alero's and have found that many of these cars have the exact same problems. It is good on gas and pretty good in the snow, but the traction control/service vehicle soon, ABS, lights all come on at once, whenever the car feels like it. It's like I turn the car on and ding ding ding ding ding ding. I don't know that I have any options w/ it right now anyway...can't do anything until the discharge. Can't fix it have no available cash, can't get rid of it. But after being an alero owner I do have some advice for possible buyers of these cars--you'd be better off getting a horse and buggy.

My nonexempt car may not be eye candy to look at but it has a very reliable engine.
I have to stop being so negative. And I am rambling again.

[Tbornetun]

If fair is 2330 and you have that many problems with it, I would value it at $1500 max. It is considered Poor condition if it has major mechanical defects. You may be able to exempt both vehicles. Jump on your attorney to amend the schedules if the trustee attempts to take your vehicle or if they want you to pay the BK estate for it. He is the one that put an incorrect value on it.

Speaking of polluting and what not. 75% of the vehicles I have owned have had the check engine light come on, sometimes stay on, etc. 99% of the time it was for a stupid oxygen sensor or some other lame sensor and had no impact on how the vehicle ran, its efficiency, etc. The check engine light is on in my Jeep right now, has been for months. We hooked it up to the computer (my husband has his own) and it claims it is something with the gas cap. Stupid.

[debtmonster]

When you run with the light on and don't change the oxygen sensor, the car runs full rich. Eventually it clogs the catalytic converter and/or puts lots of carbon on top of the pistons and causes other problems over time. That's why the car smells foul from behind. You don't notice it when you're driving it, but people behind you can smell it big time. For the money you're wasting on fuel, it's cheaper to replace the oxygen sensor for the $60-100 bucks and reset the code. I have never let my cars stay like this for any length of time. I am a big time stickler for car maintenance. Cars = freedom. When they break down, you're in trouble. I'll keep my car running perfect before I eat if I have to as I never know if I will keep the car for only 15,000 miles or 150,000 miles.

[hopingforsanity]

Alero's have 2 service lights--one check engine soon, other is service vehicle soon, both come on, either they take turns or come on both at once. Evil car.

My lawyer doesn't think I have to worry about the 2 cars, he feels my appraisal on my nonexempt car is low enough where it would be more of a hassel to sell it than to take it. But I never have any luck whatsoever and in the pit of my gut have this terrible feeling that I will loose the car that has never left me stranded anywhere, never had a light on..it does leak a little oil, and doesn't look pleasable but I trust it. It is a 1994 and has high mileage...

I already talked to my attorney b/c I noticed 2 cards are not mine on my schedules(matched them up to all my acct #'s) and so I am missing 2 cards(my sears acct and a discover). He doesn't seem very attentitive to ammending anything. If he read to me the last 4 digits on all my cards instead of reading to me the actually creditors I might had caught it. Last conversation was about how the trustee will have more complicated cases than mine... He is prolly tired of me calling him with questions every couple of days. Ok, I am now literally freaking out more so than before. It's too late to do anything. Something about 10/15 as my last day to ammend anything. And next wk is my 341 meeting.

I know everyone here has there own problems...probably worst than mine. I feel guilty about posting about my fear of loosing a car.

[epiphany]

Your lawyer is almost assuredly correct and you should listen to him. However, for the sake of argument, let's assume he is not. You would still be able to "buy back" that asset from the trustee, which would be a small price to pay for a chapter 7 dishcharge.

I think you are worrying too much. I know, easy to say, blah blah blah, but I am almost done with this process so I really do know of the worry you are going through.

Best of luck,
ep

[epiphany]

I know everyone here has there own problems...probably worst than mine. I feel guilty about posting about my fear of loosing a car.

Don't you or anyone ever feel that way here. Your fears are just as important as anyone else's. And losing a car is a big deal.

Good luck with your 341. I think you will feel much better after that....I know I did. Please come back and report your experience afterwards.

ep

[Cali]

We could have kept our SUV and truck, but decided to only keep the truck.

[Tbornetun]

When you run with the light on and don't change the oxygen sensor, the car runs full rich. Eventually it clogs the catalytic converter and/or puts lots of carbon on top of the pistons and causes other problems over time. That's why the car smells foul from behind. You don't notice it when you're driving it, but people behind you can smell it big time. For the money you're wasting on fuel, it's cheaper to replace the oxygen sensor for the $60-100 bucks and reset the code. I have never let my cars stay like this for any length of time. I am a big time stickler for car maintenance. Cars = freedom. When they break down, you're in trouble. I'll keep my car running perfect before I eat if I have to as I never know if I will keep the car for only 15,000 miles or 150,000 miles.

My husband is also a mechanic, the vehicle is not running too rich. The computer adjusts eventually and the light goes off. As for the current vehicle, with the "gas cap" code. It will come and go. We have a feeling it has to do with the quality of gas that we are purchasing from the various gas stations. (causing condensation, vapor lock, etc.) Nothing to repair.

[debtmonster]

I'm sure it stinks when somebody is behind it. It's not doing any good for the air quality that we breath. For what little it costs to fix it, I would fix it. If it's $1000 to fix it, that's another story.

Good luck with it.