Originally Posted By: Olas
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: Olas
I don't really see not having the money as an excuse though, it's like saying you can't afford to pay your mortgage - if you bought a smaller/cheaper car or a smaller/cheaqper house you could afford the repair/mortgage payment.
Tell someone who lost their job or suffered some other financial hardship that. Typically an oil leak will not sideline a car, many times it is more of an annoyance than anything else, and it doesn't require immediate repair. Things happen, so if a $5 bottle of stop leak will slow or stop a leak for a person who fell on hard times why not? They can always repair the leak, or dispose of the vehicle at a later date. For the record HM oils and stop leaks don't always work, most of us know that. But there have been enough success stories with HM oils and stop leaks to give them a try.
I had a 93 Aerostar with an oil leak, I could have easily afforded to repair or replace the vehicle. For me it was more of a cost vs. value issue. I squeezed the last bit of life out of it, and disposed of it when it suited me. OTOH if any of my other vehicles spring a leak I'll fix them.
How much does the average gasket cost in the US? more than a bottle of stop leak?
You're totally missing the point. How much does it cost to install the seal or gasket for someone who isn't mechanically inclined? Some of these jobs can take a seasoned pro hours to do, and at $80-$125/hour it adds up real fast. So a $5 seal or gasket could end up costing someone big money to replace. Not everyone has the time, desire, or talent to do it themselves, or the friends to help them.