How much for a tune up & belt?

[Professur]

I really haven't had any luck finding a garage that doesn't screw with me yet.

I think they see a woman coming and instantly add a third to the price of whatever needs doing. One of the big motoring organisations over here did a survey and found that women were more likely to be told that a small problem was serious and overcharged for correcting it.

That's why I insist on standing over any mechanic working on my cars, and I always go in wearing jeans and a t-shirt instead of my usual suit and tie. Any shop that won't let me eyeball the work, doesn't get any.

 

[Aunty Em]

I just hate blatant condescension.

It's bad enough having to deal with sucky workman, but a sucky landlord too!

 

[greenfreak]

After this, we're probably going to have to move out. He's been wanting to raise our rent for a long time but we've avoided him. Now that he has to lay out money for something, he's probably going to revisit that whole idea again.

The other guy came and gave us a quote for $475. for the boiler. Far cry from $650. He's going to replace it tomorrow and I don't have to lay out any money.

Rusty reminded me of the garage that I used to go to next door to my ambulance corps. They always did right by us but they're not full service; they only do certain jobs. I checked their website and they do tune ups and belt replacements. I'm going to see if they're open tomorrow and get a quote. They're pretty far from here but maybe I'll drop in on the corps and see what's goin on while I'm waiting.

The last time I had something done, I dropped my car off, they drove me 15 miles to work and then picked me up when I was done with work. This was on a Saturday. I don't know why I didn't think about them before; they always gave a discount for EMS people too.

 

[Aunty Em]

Sounds good!

 

[greenfreak]

Went to the place next to my ambulance corps... What a difference!! $130. for the tune up and $55. for the belt but that also includes the filters that were already replaced so it will be less, and if I pay cash, they take even more off the price.

I should never have stopped going to them. It's a bit of a drive to get there but damn do I feel better. Everyone from the corps goes to them, they even service the ambulances themselves. Never had a problem with them. It's worth the 30 minutes it takes to get there.

So tomorrow morning, I'll drop the car off and visit the people at the corps, take a walk to the Frank's nursery down the street... I feel so much better.

 

[Aunty Em]

 

[HomeLAN]

Yeah, it's gotten to the point that the wife simply doesn't take the car in anymore. She can handle the bullshit they always try to hand her, but it's not worth the time.

I simply take it in and let it be known that I'm not stupid and won't brook any crap.

 

[greenfreak]

Short version of my trip to the garage today: waited 3 1/2 hours, it's hesitating while idling and during initial acceleration from a full stop, took it back at the end of the day, they say they might have a bad wire and they don't get them in till tomorrow. So now I have to leave work at lunch, bring it back and have it worked on AGAIN.

Fucking fuckers.

 

[Inkara1]

I'm surprised they don't have working relationships with some of the local auto parts stores, where they can call and order a part and have it delivered the same day.

 

[greenfreak]

Didn't want to bore anyone (if you still bother to read this ) before this was all fixed but it's been dragging on and on.

I had to go to that first garage FOUR times. And in the end, after hours of waiting and him putting in parts to see if they would work (coil pack, ignition module) he still couldn't figure out what the problem was. I had had enough.

Brought the car to a different garage today and found out that the first mechanic didn't gap the spark plugs right. There's a sticker on the inside of my fender that even TELLS you what the right setting is. #1 and 2 were 25 and #3 and 4 were 40. They all should have been 60.

After fixing that, cleaning the ingition from carbon buildup and something else that I forgot, the cylinder isn't misfiring anymore and the car runs better than it did before this whole thing started. This new mechanic (came reccommended from my brother in law) wrote everything down for me and suggested I go to the first mechanic to see if I can get some money out of them to fix what he did and do right by me. We'll see, I don't know if that's gonna happen but when the owner comes back from vacation, I'm going to stop by.

Anyway, I know where to go from now on. You can't trust most anyone anymore.

 

[Squiggy]

 

[chcr]

Anyway, I know where to go from now on. You can't trust most anyone anymore.

Which is why I suggested learning to do it yourself. It's not cost effective to buy all the tools to do everything, but a basic tune-up is pretty easy. Of course, I've been doing it since cars had breaker points, so...

 

[Squiggy]

And I've been doing it since horses had breaker points...

 

[greenfreak]

Which is why I suggested learning to do it yourself. It's not cost effective to buy all the tools to do everything, but a basic tune-up is pretty easy. Of course, I've been doing it since cars had breaker points, so...

I'll ask again since I got no reply the first time

So if I do this, are you two available for help and/or questions?

Didn't think so. It's easy to tell me to do it myself but not so easy when you have to snake the wires up around the back of the engine block (both mechanics said that is a PITA and time consuming) or when you accidentally do something you're not supposed to or when you get all done and the car doesn't start. Not to mention the cost of buying the tools neccessary like you said. Would I have known what the correct number was for the gap? Not likely. Do I have any idea how to gap a spark plug correctly? Hell no.

When I do things like that, I don't need to just know how, I need to know why. I'm not comfortable being given static instructions, I need total comprehension of what I'm doing. Which is most of the reasons I work with computers, I had to know the "why" behind everything. I have no desire to learn the "why" behind auto mechanics beyond basics. There's just certain things I don't care to know.

I will say though, this new mechanic did a great job explaining everything he did and why. Pricey-er than the first place but I guess when you want good parts and service, you pay for the peace of mind that it's being done right the first time. The car runs like a dream now.

 

[Aunty Em]

I had to know the "why" behind everything.

That's how I got into taking things apart... annoying sometimes isn't it...

This new mechanic (came reccommended from my brother in law)

I've always found that the best way... my present mechanic came recommended by my brother (the aircraft engineer/viking).

 

[chcr]

Well, GF, I thought it went without saying that I would be happy to help. I should have said so. In any case, if you aren't comfortable or interested in learning the why of auto mechanics, then you are right to take it to someone. I will say that I find cars (and motorcycles, etc.) to be much easier to figure out than computers, but that's just my point of view. I built my first engine 32 years ago, it may be easier for me.

I just thought of something though. Related, but not really cogent. I used to have a lesbian bass player (good singer). She took her car to a lesbian mechanic who would only work on cars for openly gay people. The point is, she would go out of her way to explain what she was doing to a car and why. She had a fiercely loyal clientele, IMO not simply because they were all gay. She wouldn't work on my car, but I did pick her brain from time to time. She was very sharp.

 

[greenfreak]

So if you were bi, would she only do half the job and not finish?

Even if you had offered to help, I still wouldn't have done it. But thanks anyway.

 

[chcr]

So if you were bi, would she only do half the job and not finish?

I'm a little slow, I never thought to ask. I worked a day job at a parts warehouse with her significant other for about two months before I realized it. I'm frequently oblivious.

 

[Inkara1]

If your spark plugs were mis-gapped by that much, I'm kinda surprised the oxygen sensor didn't sense something was up, since that narrow of a gap compared to what it's supposed to be would give the spark less chance of igniting the gas, meaning that more unburned and incompletely-burned gas was going out the exhaust valve.

 

[Aunty Em]

I worked a day job at a parts warehouse with her significant other for about two months before I realized it. I'm frequently oblivious.

Strangely enough we don't come with labels attached... So from that I gather you wasted 2 months chatting her up...