What is my best option in this difficult situation?

I can promise you without a shadow of a doubt that on the symptoms you’ve described, its not the timing chain. You would have noticed if it had snapped as the engine would have blown up.

keep your job…...and get another part time job closer to home. to save more for the big day.
no answer on which car…....

@JeffVader Really? Well crap. Then I suppose we have absolutely no idea what could be wrong with it. Any ideas? Or could it be a number of things?

Personally, I think of it as ‘buy a new (to me) car now or later’. You’re going to have to buy one eventually, wedding or no. Do you qualify for a loan for a 4k (or even a 2k) car? I wouldn’t buy a brand new one unless you can only qualify for a new loan, or there is a great deal on payments.

I would sell the car for scrap/parts and then use that money, plus some honeymoon money, towards another car.

You are still going to need transportation after your Honeymoon so I would take some of that money and use it to make your life easier in the long run. I’m also running on the assumption that you can’t/won’t ride a bike or take public transit. A bike would be great- cheap as hell to operate and you’ll get in super shape for the wedding. End bike rant lol

I would put that $450 towards another used car but look for lower miles and a one owner model if you can!

@JeffVader: The engine does NOT ‘blow up’ when the timing chain/belt breaks, I have been in 2 vehicles when this happened… in the first about 25 years ago the chain did also damage some engine components when it broke (which is why they strongly urge replacing it before it breaks). The second time about 10 years ago, the belt breaking did not even cause any additional damage. However, the car will not move… so I agree that it’s not likely the timing belt/chain.

$450 sounds like a lot for just the timing chain. If it is worn, (170M miles would do it) it might be the problem. Like Jeffvader said, if it breaks the engine dies, but if the engine timing is off you could get those symptoms. Is there any chance of getting a ride with someone else and kicking in some gas money, even if they have to go out of their way to pick you up. Gas money would be a lot cheaper than a car payment.

What sort of car is it?

Honda engines will break componenets (valves, pistions0. if the Timing chain breaks.
GM engines will not . There is enough clearance.

We need more info. What kind of a car is it? Make, model, engine, year. Is there smoke from the tail pipe? What is the color of the smoke? white, blue, black. Does it start and then die?

If it is an old GM car it will run for another 50k if you fix it.

It is not likely to be the timing chain Could the mechanic have said the timing chain might be off one tooth?

Screw the honeymoon!!! I know that’s not what you want to hear…but if you have money set aside the responsible thing to do would be to use the money towards fixing your vehicle or buying a used one. Your honeymoon can always wait. If your working and have a dependable vehicle maybe you can save even more money for a better one on your one year anniversary?!?

@Adirondackwannabe I can only find a ride until
next week. I live the opposite way of everyone I work with. And everyone’s schedule changes on a daily basis so finding a new ride everyday would be nearly impossible.

@worriedguy Its a 98 chevy cavalier 2.4 liter. No smoke. It starts, then idles so low when I drive it that it usually stalls out. The mechanic hasn’t seen it since this happened but when I got my inspection done, he mentioned that it sounded like my timing chain needed replacing.

Can you take public transit… or car pool with a co-worker?...

Unless you have confidence that solving this problem will make your self-described junker serviceable for the foreseeable future, I’d scrap it and get a newer car. It’s clear you need a reliable, consistent mode of transportation. That need isn’t likely to change.

Interestingly, you do have the option of quitting your job particularly if it won’t pay for the cost of the new vehicle, but I’m assuming you would be using the car for more than just going back and forth to work.

We don’t have public transportation where I live. There’s a lot of country roads, fields, and crops.

Could be the fuel pump, too…

I’m inclined to agree that reliable transportation is crucial if you are not near good public transportation. Therefore, it would take precedence over a honeymoon or other luxuries.

@ItalianPrincess1217: First, I would take it to more than one mechanic. Do your best to find one that has a good reputation with someone you know. I am not talking about some chain like Pep Boys, because those are touch-and-go, but if that’s one of few options, then try there also.

Second, be wary of a mechanic who will just spit out a diagnosis so readily over the phone.

Third, depending on the various estimates/consultations with whatever mechanics you go to, it may not be something that expensive. You can fix it and maybe use money gifted to you from your wedding to help you buy a new one. You can also maybe shave the honeymoon down to save some money and put that toward the car too.

Lastly, I don’t know what you do, but I would seriously look at the cost of the repairs, gas, and insurance in comparison to your wages. Again, I don’t know what you do, but in some situations, it may be cheaper to quit the job.

This idea is a little risky, so be careful if you consider it. I have notice a few want ads asking for rides to work. Generally, I need a ride to town X during the week, willing to share expenses, etc. I can’t say I’m crazy about the idea, but it beats giving up the job. Just try to check out anyone that offers a ride.

Is there a public transportation alternative to your work?

@marinelife She’s in Western New York state (I’m in the Southern Tier of NY). Our public transportation is ride a cow or walk.

How far is it to work? What kind of work is it? How are you getting a ride now?

@ItalianPrincess1217
Great car -good chooce. Fix it. Does it smooth out when you touch the pedal lightly?
It could be as easy as your idle speed contol motor is bad or disconnected. Or the timing chain jumped a tooth.
If you can drive it, go to AutoZone or Advance Auto and ask to use the “scan tool”. It is free. Plug it into the connector by your steering wheel. It will tell you any error codes even if your check engine light is not on.
Ask your fiance to do it or If you ask nicely one of the guys behind the counter might do it for you.
Fix the car.

If spending the money will fix it at least for the rest of the year. Do it.
Save your money and plan for what you will need next year.

Keeping your job is of priority. And, while you are at it get the extra job anyway.

First, timing chains don’t have to be replaced (as far as I know), timing belts have to be replaced every so often. Look at the blue book value of your car. That’s the best way to determine whether or not to spend any more money on it. Many people spend good money after bad on old cars. I hope you don’t do that.

Also, a timing belt needing to be replaced doesn’t cause chugging; it causes a loud squeaking noise when you start the car.

I would be sure I trusted the mechanic offering advise. I would actually get an opinion from a dealership or be sure your mechanic holds senior mechanic certification.

Could you sell the car and use public transport? Could your fiance take you to work? Could your parents perhaps run you to work?

@thriftymaid
Honda timing chains have to be replaced at 100,000 miles. It is right in the manual. That is an expensive job by the way. If you don’t do it the engine will destroy itself if the chain breaks. It is an interference engine.
The Cavalier is not. It has a timing chain that gets old. http://www.drivewire.com/vehicle/chevrolet-cavalier/timing-chain/

You need a car. The honeymoon fund isn’t going to grow if you’re not working.

So, the question ultimately is this:

Will you need to perform so much maintenance and repair to this vehicle that it will cost you more month-to-month than if you had a newer car with full-coverage insurance?

Or, another way to consider it is whether you might see repair bills so large occasionally that you have no good way to pay them?

It’s tough to come up with a solid answer to these questions because they involve prognostication of future events, unknowns about your driving and maintenance habits, and unknowns about this particular vehicle’s service record.

—

If it were me though, I’d likely attempt to repair the vehicle. Definitely get another mechanic’s opinion though. While it sounds like there’s the possibility of a timing chain problem, that particular problem is not something that should have to be guessed at.

Each pay check, make sure you set aside money for car repair/purchase. Hopefully you can build up a little nest egg to bail you out before the next problem occurs.

@worriedguy Thanks. My car has a timing chain which does not have to be replaced; I wasn’t sure if that was the case with all of them.

@thriftymaid It is hard to keep track of which cars have what system.

@ItalianPrincess1217 should definitely fix the car. In this economy a job is very important.
(More important than the honeymoon in my opinion.)
As adults, sometimes we have to make tough but responsible choices.

Look into public transit.

@ItalianPrincess1217 I asked the collective a question on transit in rural areas. Got some ideas to work on, they have plusses and minuses. I’ll keep thinking on it. I guess I’d say its your call: Big honeymoon or the car. You only get one first honeymoon, but everyone needs a job.

@Adirondackwannabe: But nobody says the honeymoon has to be directly after the marriage. People just generally do it that way.

@poofandmook is so right about taking the car to more than one mechanic. It’s possible that this mechanic is recommending an expensive repair you might not need. When I got my car I was always so scared that the repairs would be a big freaking deal- everything I’ve had done cost a lot less than I thought it would. It turned out that it just needed some very basic maintenance.

Or, tap into your social network and see if anyone has an old car they don’t really need. First try friends, relatives, and acquaintances, and then ask if those people know anyone, who has a car. Every family seems to have that one old car that gets handed down. At different times, my mom, my aunt, both grandmothers, and my neighbors all had old cars that they wanted to hand down to someone.

I would definitely have more than one mechanic look at it. From the sounds of things, it could be something with the fuel pump or fuel injections or possibly even the transmission. I would call around to mechanics to see what they charge for a diagnostic work up. If the cost of the repair seems reasonable to you, get it fixed, if not, you will have to get a new car (not necessarily brand new, just new to you). As much as you don’t want to eat into your honeymoon fund, perhaps you could pick up more hours at work or something with having a running vehicle to make up the money you took from your honeymoon fund. If not, take a less expensive honeymoon now and then save up for a second honeymoon later on.

I’ll try to answer all these questions…
Public transportation isn’t an option. As I said, I live in the country. No buses, no trains, no subways. My fiancé works too difficult of a shift for me to manuver around. And my schedule is always changing. As of right now, my mother has been able to work around my schedule and give me rides. But she is only able to do this for another week. Then I’m on my own.

We will definitely take it to another mechanic for a second opinion. Yes, when I push on the gas it does smooth out. But as soon as I let off the gas, it either stalls out or feels like it’s going to stall. The engine also has a very bad tick.

As far as my job, I plan to keep it. I happen to like it! ;) And extra money is always nice. But it’s only a part time, low paying job. I only took the job for something to keep me busy and give us extra spending money.

Our honeymoon isn’t something we need. However, we have already booked it and put our non-refundable deposit down. It’s a cruise. And it’s actually fairly cheap. To pass it up would be silly (I think).

I guess I just can’t see putting money into a car that already has 175,000 miles on it. And I will need a new/newer car eventually anyway. I just didn’t plan on it being so soon. But things never work out how you expect them to, right? I have a lot of thinking to do. The first step is to take it to a mechanic and get an idea of what exactly is wrong and what the cost will be to fix it. And then I’ll take it from there. I appreciate everyone’s advice on this issue. It’s really been helpful :)

I didn’t see ‘ride a bike’ anywhere – also, you could get a used moped for around $400.00.

@YARNLADY I could fix my car for that price. If I rode a bike or a moped to work, I’d have to leave 3 hours early to get there on time. No thanks.

Toyota is selling brand new Camrys for no money down and $100 a month. That’s way better than quitting your job.

Anything is better than quitting your job AND not having a job . . . then you are back to square 1 and not having a car will be your excuse for not getting another job…

@mrrich724 Selling or leasing? Sounds like a lease to me. Otherwise how in the world could they get rid of them for only $100 a month?

@ItalianPrincess1217: Not sure if you’ve noticed this, but Toyota hasn’t exactly been known for being a great company lately.

@poofandmook, if you’re going to let that one over-hyped problem affect your decision, you’re crazy. Toyota makes good cars. That doesn’t mean a Toyota is right for everyone, but there are other, much more valid reasons on which to base a decision.

@ItalianPrincess1217, sometimes you can buy a car for crazy low payment per month, because you have a huge balloon payment on the end. The idea is that you’re essentially paying lease rates, and at the end either sell the car, or get another loan to cover the remaining principal.

@ItalianPrincess1217

a couple, friends of mine, bought one for that price! I know, unbelievable.

@robmandu: Oh, no.. I don’t really care one way or the other. But you know how many people do care, which is why it’s over-hyped. Probably enough people that Toyota might have to do some damage control in the way of really great deals like the one suggested above. Because you know that tons more people heard about the Toyota mess than have read the article you just posted. That’s all I meant by it.

@ItalianPrincess1217
If it smooths out after you touch the gas I’m willing too bet it is an easy fix. Idle speed control. You also have one valve ticking. When did you last change the oil and filter? YIt could be a stuck lifter. No big deal, but it can give you a rough idle. Change the oil and put in 5W30 first. You might get lucky.

Don’t buy a new car. No matter how cheap it seems, the payments will suck you dry. You can’t afford it. Sorry.

Well. I bought a car today. A Toyota. And you know what, I love it. It’s a 09 Corolla. Beautiful. We can absolutely make the payments on it and we got the price down to
something we were comfortable with. We were planning on buying a new car within the next 2 years anyway for when we have children. It just happened a little sooner than expected. But all in all, we walked away with a great car at a good price. I’m happy.

@ItalianPrincess1217 Glad you guys managed to work things out. Did you have to dip into the honeymoon fund for it?

* * * Y A Y * * * keep us informed about how it works out.

No we didn’t have to dip into the honeymoon fund at all! No money down. So we got a new car and we can go on our honeymoon. We’re very excited about that.

Oh, that is great news, thank you

That’s great. Have a great wedding and a wonderful honeymoon!

Thank you!

@ItalianPrincess1217 wasn’t the 09 Corolla one of the cars recalled by Toyota?

@talljasperman I’m not sure why you sent me a pm and still left the same comment on this post. But I answered your question in a pm. Check it.

Now that you have changed the fuel filte, I suggest that you change the spark plugs too, which is a whole lot cheaper than the $450.00 job the mechanic proposed.

@Legalriter Already tried that. Didn’t work. But regardless, I already bought a new vehicle and got rid of my junk one. Thanks though :)