Yet another car question

[Inkara1]

My 2000 Dodge Neon just turned 59,000 miles. That means it's getting close to time to get the timing belt changed. I don't have the facilities or tools to change it myself, so I'll probably have to have it done. Anyone have any idea how much it's probably going to set me back?

 

[Dave]

is that part of the normal maintaince schedule for the neon? sounds awfull early to have to change that. i've put heavy miles on a few of my cars and i've never changed a timing belt.
that is a labor intensive project on most cars so my guess would be at least a couple hundred bucks

 

[A.B.Normal]

Might try asking here http://www.dodgetalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=49 ,I tried searching ,but nothing definitive . I hang out there because I have a Dodge Dakota,man the stuff you learn If you want I could post a ??? for you if you don't want to sign-up.

 

[Leslie]

is that part of the normal maintaince schedule for the neon? sounds awfull early to have to change that. i've put heavy miles on a few of my cars and i've never changed a timing belt.
that is a labor intensive project on most cars so my guess would be at least a couple hundred bucks

yeah...we never did that till it went

 

[Professur]

Plan for about $250. A good shop can pull the old one off and put the new one on without shacking up the timing, but most will claim a retiming anyways. And they'll say the tensionner needs changed (change it anyways), and probably try to talk you into a new waterpump too. Anything you refuse, they'll rack up and when it goes in a week, they'll tell you they told you it needed changed.

 

[chcr]

Well, I asked our service manager a while ago to quote it for me, but he's too busy dicking around. I'll post his quote if I ever get it Inky.

BTW, Spot, 60,000 is pretty standard for timing belt replacement. Most engines have a valve interference problem, and the mfr. doesn't want you to get into that.

 

[paul_valaru]

here in canada I've heard $250-350

it depends on the garage

I remeber someone saying our sunfire needed a new timing belt.....


sunfires have a cahin instead of a belt, never need changing

 

[Uki Chick]

here in canada I've heard $250-350

it depends on the garage

I remeber someone saying our sunfire needed a new timing belt.....


sunfires have a cahin instead of a belt, never need changing

No one said our timing belt needed to be changed. My father didn't knowk that the sunfire I have has a chain and told me to ask the garage to check my timing belt.

 

[Inkara1]

It's possible for a chain to need a change. They can stretch. It's not that common, but it can happen.

 

[Inkara1]

I called Fresno Dodge for a quote, and they said $300 for labor and $160 for parts. So that's $460.

I'd originally thought, hey, I could get the oil changed, the timing belt done, and all the other 60,000 mile stuff for probably $350 or $400 and have it all taken care of. But the $460 blew me away. If I want the rest of the stuff done, that's the 30,000-mile-interval service which is $480 for four-cylinder cars. So it would be $940 to have it all done.

It looks like I won't be taking the car to a dealer anytime soon.

 

[Mirlyn]

I called Fresno Dodge for a quote, and they said $300 for labor and $160 for parts. So that's $460.

I'd originally thought, hey, I could get the oil changed, the timing belt done, and all the other 60,000 mile stuff for probably $350 or $400 and have it all taken care of. But the $460 blew me away. If I want the rest of the stuff done, that's the 30,000-mile-interval service which is $480 for four-cylinder cars. So it would be $940 to have it all done.

It looks like I won't be taking the car to a dealer anytime soon.

The strange thing is, every single person I've talked to complains about taking their car to the dealership and getting ripped off. I've done it too. Yet over 80% of those I've talked to are STILL going to the dealership to get things fixed. Do people enjoy spending money for nothing?

It cost me $290 to get a window switch fixed by a ford garage here. It broke apart about a month later and I found out they broke all the clips and used glue to put it back in. I ordered another switch and replaced tthe whole thing myself for under $40. Thats just one instance.

I'd be hard pressed to take any car to any dealer. I'm starting to get like prof--let me watch you do it or no business from me.

 

[drkavnger99]

If it isnt' too late check out this site http://www.neons.org it is all about the neon and thier forums are fairly helpful in finding good deals!

 

[Inkara1]

I changed the oil in it today and I took a look at the side of the engine while I was at it. The timing belt housing is only a couple inches from the shock tower, and you have to remove the top engine mount to get to it. I can see why the guy at the dealer said it's labor-intensive.

 

[Professur]

Big deal. I have to pull the top engine mount, and rotate the freaking engine just to have enough room to bodily lie across the engine to change the rear plugs.

 

[chcr]

Big deal. I have to pull the top engine mount, and rotate the freaking engine just to have enough room to bodily lie across the engine to change the rear plugs.

And that, my friend, is engineering.

In the TA, I have to change 4 from underneath.

 

[Mirlyn]

Big deal. I have to pull the top engine mount, and rotate the freaking engine just to have enough room to bodily lie across the engine to change the rear plugs.

We had to do that in the Caravan. As I remember, we used a 2x4 to pull the engine out enough to get to the plugs.

 

[chcr]

We had to do that in the Caravan. As I remember, we used a 2x4 to pull the engine out enough to get to the plugs.

Is that a v6? In mom's 4 banger the plugs and distributor are right in front. It's easy to work on.

 

[Mirlyn]

Is that a v6? In mom's 4 banger the plugs and distributor are right in front. It's easy to work on.

It was, yeah. It's been five years or so since we've had it, so I could be wrong, but I remember moving the engine to get to the plugs.

 

[chcr]

It was, yeah. It's been five years or so since we've had it, so I could be wrong, but I remember moving the engine to get to the plugs.

Front drive V6s are always a bitch.

 

[Inkara1]

...especially with pushrod motors, since the spark plugs are really rucked down at the bottom of the head.

At least the plugs are fairly easy to get to on the Neon.

One of the many nice things about the '62 Fairlane is that it's easy to get to just about anything under the hood.