On Sat, 20 May 2006 02:32:36 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:


"jymusic" wrote in message
news:avsbg.65$zg5.3@trndny04...
My mom and I both live in the same complex. We likely have the same exact
model of central A/C condensor (around 19 years old). Mine says Carrier
38EN048320.

We both had a tuneup scheduled and, in addition to the regular tune-up,
the
technician recommended the EXACT same extra work on both our units, which
makes use wonder if the extra work was really necessary and the price was
really reasonable.

Hard to say for sure. At 19 years, the part may have been on the way out.
When I lived in PA, we had to have our cars inspected twice a year (now it
is only once). The shops all had a gimmick to make a few quick buck. We
had three cars in our family and in one round, they all needed a headlight
adjustment. Six months later they all needed wiper blades. Six months
later, well you get the idea. Back they we were driving some real
crapmobiles so it was cheaper to pay $2 for an adjustment rather than them
find the worn ball joints that a reputable shop would have done.

I was licensed in PA for a while. Twice a year was really annoying.

OTOH, Maryland has once when you buy the car and that's the end of it.

Keep the car for 20 years, never need inspect it again. (although if a
cop sees you with a light not working, after you get it fixed, you
have to go to the police to prove that you fixed it. I suppose the
other lights better work then.)

Once I bought a new used car and had it inspected. A lot of things
wrong with it, costing a lot of money. I went to another place and
they found quite a few things wrong with it too, but none of the same
things. I thought the second guy's list was more important and more
likely to be accurate, so what I could do, I did, and the rest he did.