This is the thread for questions about car repair

Blown fuses, bad relays, bad compressor clutch, etc.

Mechanic says I need three evap valves replaced. Quoted me $750. Seems like a decent guy and admitted to me that it's not essential other than I might get some fuel smell and lose some mileage. Car is a 2000 Accord and I only drive it occassionally. Sound right?

So I'm getting this wheel noise when I drive at low speeds -- sort of a rhythmic "shuh shuh shuh shuh shuh" that increases and decreases with speed (presumably at faster speeds I don't hear it because the wheel is spinning too fast). I do have a slightly bent wheel cover and at first I thought it was just the sound of air rushing into it, but now I'm not sure (although, duh, I should probably try taking it off and driving without it to see).

Ok, I have a 2012 Honda now and Jiffy Lube insisted to me that it takes only synthetic oil. Is this true, and if so, how much more should a synthetic oil change cost vs a regular oil change?

How many miles do you have on it? General rule of thumb is, only go synthetic after 100,000 miles. Otherwise, regular oil every 5000 miles should be fine.

(Jiffy Lube will say every 3000 miles, but that's bullshit. Also, synthetic oil changes shouldn't run you more than $65)

your owner's manual should tell you whether or not it needs synthetic

^^^ that
best I can tell from Googling is that dealerships use some kind of synth/dino blend but if you go to an oil change place the only option will be full synth.

For my truck, I think the price difference is $40 vs $70.

Pros/cons of doing your own oil change (same 2012 Accord listed above)? I was considering learning with the extra time on my hands plus wanting to maintain social distancing (esp not wanting someone else in my car, although I could do a drive-in/drive-out oil change place). It seems like I would need to procure myself the special proprietary oil filter wrench as well as the proper filter, oil, a drain pan, a drain funnel, and some shop towels and such, but I guess that would probably pay for itself within a couple oil changes. OTOH, I would not have all the various other fluids if they need topping off and would not have someone more knowledgeable than me looking under the hood. What say you ILX?

Kind of feel like I'm living out a sitcom version of dealing with car repairs right now.

Short version - about two or three weeks ago, starting during the extreme cold, my car occasionally started doing this really loud squealing sound shortly after starting up. Not right away, but usually after it'd been running for a minute or two and usually happened after I'd been idling at a light and turning. It would go away once I accelerated to a certain point and then generally didn't happen again. Gut said it sounded like a belt and when I texted my FIL, who fixes old cars all the time, he agreed. Thing is, I just had the serpentine belt replaced in November and, afaict, that's the only belt that it could be in my model car. Initially I thought maybe just ice build-up somewhere in the extreme cold snap we had, but it kept doing it now and then after it warmed up to well above freezing.

Here's where it gets to sitcom like territory. Last week took it to a mechanic I trust and explained the problem. They called me later that day and said they checked the belt, couldn't find anything wrong and even drove it several times and never heard the sound. So I got to pick it up later that day and, boom, not a mile from the shop it does it again. So I go back to the mechanic and the guy who was working on my car offers to hop in and ride around with me to hear. Tried for about 20 minutes to recreate all the scenarios in which it happened before and... nothing. Never made the sound once.

Yesterday it did it several times, and I finally managed to snag a phone recording of the sound to at least play for the mechanic. Planning to drop it off with them this evening, but of course the sound didn't happen at all today so far, so I'm worried it'll be another round of "we didn't hear anything".