Well I must say I was surprised that I needed two new tires at 27,000 miles. And also rear right shock. They want me to buy a pair at 410.00 installed. I'm 61 and never have had to get shocks..I'm shocked..hehehe
anyways I got yokahama 205's and will have to get 2 more this week. total cost of tires installed 600.00. I must say I have NEVER paid so much. Now I'm second guessing myself if I did the right thing. also i was just told to make sure the tire company sells me new manufactured tires. I was told you have to watch out that the date is fairly
recent not like 2007 etc. any advice?

 

The tires usually don't have a straight up date like food does, its encoded into the stamped DOT# on the sidewall. You'd have to decode the mfg date.

 

Tire Tech Information - Determining the Age of a Tire this kinda helps i guess

 

Since its an '09, I take it that the new vehicle 3yr/36,000 mile warranty has expired and you dont have Hondacare extended one? Shocks and struts are covered. Ive had shocks fail prematurely. Its rare, but happens. Unless you are at the Honda dealer, it should not cost $410. The rears are plain shocks, not struts, so the labor is minimal.

 

thank you for responding..You helped!

 

You should only be worried on tire dates if you are going to a mom and pop shop,

If you go to any reputible large tire shop or a dealer, You DONT HAVE TO WORRY!

How to read tires is easy on the age,
BY LAW ALL TIRES HAVE THIS PRINTED ON THE TIRE SOMEWHERE ON THE SIDEWALL!

its a serial Number something 788443145 SOmething like that or less digits give or take
Just look at the LAST 4 DIGITS
out of the last 4
the last 2 of the 4 is the year and the first 2 of the last 4 is the week

so example
3209
Means 32 second week of 2009 so 32end week is about april give or take

So if the very last 2 digits are below 07 i wouldn't use the as tires have an expiration date on the rubber wich is 6-7 years!

 

thank you all..yes I know how to read the date etc. I got a quote for rear shocks for 350.00 darn...that's why I bought a new car...never had to change shocks beofre in my life..guess I was lucky before

 

Why do you think you needs shocks or why are they saying you need new shocks?

 

I took my car in and was told I need new tires. I'm unemployed so I got the mula together to get two new tires for the moment and will get the others as soon as I get some more money. When changing the tires they told me the rear right shock was leaking???? It is a family owned tire place in my town. But I know nothing about shocks.

 

That ... is the right question.
OP, is it too late to post a picture of your tires and the rear shock?

 

Suspect at 27000 miles but possible I suppose... i'd ask them to show me while it's on the lift.

If you go ahead and do it ask them to give you the old part and inspect it. Compress and extend it, see if it leaks, show us pictures. If you find out there's no problem with it go raise hell

I'm assuming you're not a do it yourselfer by your posting, but do you know anyone that is at least a little car savvy? It's a really simple job to replace the rear shocks (2 bolts on each) and you can get the shocks for a little over $100 total... you might want to call in a favor if you can.

 

I could try and get a photo?? Does the car have to be up to get a photo of the shocks? if it does I would have to wait until I get the tires and then take a photo. Or can I get on the ground and find??? Hey...I'm a woman and a chef...hehehe

 

The shock is visible if you're lying on the ground and looking behind the wheels. Probably not worth taking a picture of it though...

Replacing the shock isn't critical, but it will get worse and cause handling and tire wear issues. The leak is a sign it's starting to fail.

Honda factory rear shock-absorbers are about $130 each. Aftermarket shock-absorbers are about $80 each (KYB brand). If you change to aftermarket you would have to change both sides so you're looking at $160. The labor per shock would be around $50.

So one Honda shock is about $180 installed. Two aftermarket KYB shocks would be about $260 installed.

It's not something that's going to fail and leave you stranded. Ask the tire people to tell you how bad it is and can you live with it for a while.

If you know someone handy with a wrench I'd do a pair of KYB shocks for about $160.00. It doesn't require any special tools (the front shocks are a different issue...). Here's a link to the shop manual showing the procedure in case you want an idea of what's involved (the shock is called a "damper" in quaint Japanese/British car terminology).

 

If the wheel is removed, the entire shock absorber is in clear view from top to bottom. For that, it needs to be either on a jack, or jack stand. You can see most of the shock with the car on the ground by leaning your head under the back bumper and looking toward the inside of the rear wheel. Obviously on the side of the car where the chock is suspected to be faulty.

 

You all are fabu!!!!!!!!!!!
thank you so much for your input.
Know any nice guys (mechanics) looking for a great woman who is a chef out here in Marin?
LOLOLOL

 

There's always Craigslist!

You could talk to the service manager at your Honda dealer. Ask them if they can "good will" all or part of the replacement. Explain your situation. 27,000 miles is not time for new shocks. It's under miles for the warranty and just beyond time. They can make exceptions or make you a better deal.

 

llachef,

Sorry, I don't know anyone in your area with the right skills, and Marin is a little too far for me to offer my own skills. If you were anywhere south of SF, I would consider it, but it takes a major miracle to get me to even consider driving over the GG bridge. Changing Fit shocks doesn't really take a mechanic per se, just someone familiar with basic maintenance. A female Chef has the hand/eye coordination and hand strength, all that you need now is the proper tools and most of us here could talk you through the simple job. I wish that I had more to offer than that, but I don't. Good luck!

 

Did they recommend an alignment after the new tires went on? That will wear down your rubber faster than anything.

 

Why you no good at Google?

2009-2011 Honda Fit Shock Absorber - Suspension - KYB 09-11 Fit Shock Absorber - 30137-05207544 - PartsGeek

$53 a piece and free ground shipping.

Good luck OP

 

the google-force is strong with this one...