I worked at a skuzzy auto repair store chain, AMA

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1. Buy an Alldata disk/manual for your car...or online subscription to the service.

Alldata is what most shops (along with Mitchell) to break out job hours and parts cost.

2. Either get the tools and do it yourself, or at least understand what the actual hour count is for the job.

3. Talk to the mechanic and spend time at the shop. Watch how they deal with customers and gage the difference between them and you, and how they are treated...also the type of clientele.

Higher end high volume shops tend to have straightforward pricing. I watch out for dingy shops that have dusty meth-ed out looking mechanics.

This, and if it’s a slow day you can haggle prices because they need the work in their doors. Typically shop mechanics aren’t friendly to customers and want you to talk to the front desk because they don’t want to get into labor breakdowns and prices which ALL customers ask. Just because you are being charged 2 hours of labor doesn’t mean the mechanic doesn’t know how to short cut the job so he makes more money since they are paid hourly by the job. Your chain Midas and pep boys etc are safe bets but all of them use the same technicians that rotate out between all competitors.

NEVER EVER take your car to get any work done at Walmart or the fast lube places, they could give a fk about the proper process of doing work on your car.

 

[DatNkkaCutty]

Racket pinion steering...15' dodge charger hemi....

Cat told me $2800....


Told me it was a small piece inside broke...but whole thing needed to be replaced. Suggestions?

 

[Spence]

Racket pinion steering...15' dodge charger hemi....

Cat told me $2800....


Told me it was a small piece inside broke...but whole thing needed to be replaced. Suggestions?

Yeah your guy is taking you for a loop. Rockauto has a remanufactured rack and pinion for $352 before shipping. I GUARANTEE your mechanic is going to get a reman unit as it’s not cost effective to sell them new (just like alternators). Even a brand new Mopar unit only cost $800. Labor on Alldata for steering gear is 1.8 hours. Most mechanics charge in the range of $80-120hr. Most dealerships charge $130-150, even at $150 an hour you shouldn’t be paying more than $700 out the door. I priced this for a 5.7 awd 15 charger btw.

 

[DatNkkaCutty]

Yeah your guy is taking you for a loop. Rockauto has a remanufactured rack and pinion for $352 before shipping. I GUARANTEE your mechanic is going to get a reman unit as it’s not cost effective to sell them new (just like alternators). Even a brand new Mopar unit only cost $800. Labor on Alldata for steering gear is 1.8 hours. Most mechanics charge in the range of $80-120hr. Most dealerships charge $130-150, even at $150 an hour you shouldn’t be paying more than $700 out the door. I priced this for a 5.7 awd 15 charger btw.

Much appreciated sir...

 

[Rusty$hackleford]

Overheating is tough to diagnose sometimes.
1. YouTube is your friend.
2. Check your water pump by squeezing the upper radiator hose closed then releasing with engine warm. You should feel pressure return to the hose after you release your squeeze. Also, if your pump is weeping fluid or you hear a marble like rumbling during idle...possible impeller or seal.
3. Have your system filled and bled properly. (YouTube) too much to type.
4. If you have no heat in the car and it is overheating...it is a possible clogged heater core, radiator, or blowin head gasket...or low coolant.
5. If the coolant overflow bottle immediately starts bubbling after the car gets warm. Headgasket.
6. Viscosity of oil has nothing to do with sealing leaks. Change the gasket. It's easy.
7. Make sure that you are using the right coolant. Buy the 50/50 mix if you aren't sure.
8. Just pay the 100 bucks for a diagnostic. And fix it yourself instead of throwing parts at it.

Yes many of these suggestions i tried after putting in the aftermarket thermostat. Cheap piece of flimsy crap, sturdy Toyota part worked just fine and tested it in a boiling pot of water. Did squeeze the intake line into radiator, seemed like it was flowing thru just fine, Stark difference on when it was off of course but not sure on if the volume of flow was right.

I was hoping to slow the leak when car was sitting using Lucas stop leak and running 20w50, was embarrassed at my noticeably growing oil spot in my parking space at work

I have just been cheap and been dragging my feet I'll admit. On top of that I gotta have it towed to a shop cause no way I'll make it there without overheating. Was lucky to get it home that day but it was steaming/smoking on that off ramp and stunk. Ran the heater and thermo stayed in red the 2 miles home. Coolant overflow was boiling lol. Was not gone even attempt anything until Fall, ain't gone be stuck on the 60 or I10 in AZ summer hell no

Preciate the response, any estimate on gasket repair, understand that may probably vary quite a bit.
I don't got the tools for this repair. From what I watched on a gasket install and read on forums, the engine positioned sideways complicates it.

 

[Spence]

Much appreciated sir...

No prob. Again go back to your guy, ask him where he’s getting his parts from (which vendor) then call them directly and get a retail price which is usually 20% more expensive than what the shop is paying but 150% less than what he quoted you. Then ask him where he’s getting his labor estimations from, all data is used by dealerships warranty companies and even insurance adjusters for repair claims so it’s pretty fkn accurate. Watch the price evaporate because the last thing your mechanic wants is bad word of mouth or reviews on the internet about him ripping customers off.

 

[Spence]

Yes many of these suggestions if tried after putting in the aftermarket thermostat. Cheap piece of flimsy crap, sturdy Toyota part worked just fine and tested it in a boiling pot of water. Did squeeze the intake line into radiator, seemed like it was flowing thru just fine, Stark difference on when it was off of course but not sure on if the volume of flow was right.

I was hoping to slow the leak when car was sitting using Lucas stop leak and running 20w50, was embarrassed at my noticeably growing oil spot in my parking space at work

I have just been cheap and been dragging my feet I'll admit. On top of that I gotta have it towed to a shop cause no way I'll make it there without overheating. Was lucky to get it home that day but it was steaming/smoking on that off ramp and stunk. Ran the heater and thermo stayed in red the 2 miles home. Coolant overflow was boiling lol. Was not gone even attempt anything until Fall, ain't gone be stuck on the 60 or I10 in AZ summer hell no

Preciate the response, any estimate on gasket repair, understand that may probably vary quite a bit

You still haven’t told me the car itself but I’ll already tell you to sell it. You drove 2 miles while in the red on your thermostats and had it smoking, you’ve cooked that head so you’re past the gasket and into needing an entire top end for that motor. Throw the whole car away and yes I’m serious.

 

[KyokushinKarateMan]

How much for a valve cover gasket replacement on a 99 Avalon? Head gasket?

I replaced one of those on like an ‘07 Corolla. Just from watching YouTube.

Took about an hour and the valve cover was very inexpensive.

I say that to say, don’t get raped. Either do it yourself or price the part so you’ll have an idea what you should be paying. Average amount for labor per hour is about $60.

As I said it took uncertified ass Me, about an hour to do it. ASE(certified) mechanics should be able to do it in well under an hour.

 

[Cee2]

How hard is it to change a faulty oxygen sensor? It could be the one before or after the catalyst. Car drives OK but sometimes I have a problem during ignition since the fuel air ratio isn’t being set right.

How bad would the damage be the longer I leave this?

 

[Spence]

How hard is it to change a faulty oxygen sensor? It could be the one before or after the catalyst. Car drives OK but sometimes I have a problem during ignition since the fuel air ratio isn’t being set right.

How bad would the damage be the longer I leave this?

You don’t want to drive on a bad o2 because if you roast the cat you’re out $1k or more depending on the car. European cars put the o2’s in very fun places that make it difficult or impossible to get to without special tools (especially bmw, a cat I’ve seen run up to $1800 and labor was very high because the exhaust manifold had to come out). Post cat is typically easier than pre cat which is usually right next to the firewall of your car where the back of the engine meets the front of your dashboard.

 

[sosaa]

Common people don’t know you can resurface Most rotors for a lot cheaper than replacing the whole rotor. We would show customers small grooves and heat spots (which are normal) and tell them the rotor was bad and had to go. Even old ladies that were on fixed incomes and couldn’t afford it we were trained to push them towards financing with a company that gave a 200% interest rate if not paid in 6 months.

dam thats some scummy ass shyt breh. but i know how it is in those fields.

 

[Gwoppo]

Several times, in Texas we have mechanics liens so if you can’t pay your bill it’s fine, you just won’t get your car back.

How does this process work.? Like what if the customer still owes money on the car? Will the people that they owe have to pay the bill, and if the people that they owe dont pay the bill...what happens then?

 

[Taadow]

Good thread

 

[fkthisgaysite]

Yeah that's why I keep a warranty and for stuff that doesn't cover let a hombre do the rest. My guy buys parts that have lifetime warranties so that you only have to pay for parts once. He's dope and comes to my house.

That is funny as hell...I go to a migo for my auto repairs as well because he is very honest. He will even let me pay in payments/fix something that NEEDS to be fixed and you can pay him later.

I fukk wit dawg for that.

 

[MF budz]

Yup glad I have my dad and friends who know this shyt. I’m about to do drum brakes for the first time. How much harder are they to do? Everyone says there a bytch