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Anyone ever had problems with auto mechanics? (pg. 2)
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| gehzumteufel |
| quote: | Originally posted by Moongoose
Leaving behind for a sencond the facts that your first sentence is just grossly incorrect and the second one makes me want to cry...Yahoo autos tells me that 02 Grand Ams go for betwen 5k - 6k USD. For the same money that you paid for that junk you could have THIS piece of brilliant german engineering. There is no dubt which of the two is a superior car, and also when buying german you will never be in an embarrassing situation where you have to actually reveal to somebody in shame that you drive a pontiac. |
Awesome yes. Inexpensive to repair for someone on a budget, no. These cars are not for people making 30k a year. The end. |
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| KiNeTiC ENeRgY |
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
They are when you can find a 2002 one in good condition for only $4700 tax/tag included. |
Umm no Pontiac is POS GM. |
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| gehzumteufel |
| quote: | Originally posted by KiNeTiC ENeRgY
Umm no Pontiac is POS GM. |
Again, unless we are talking about the Solstice or the Gx, and GTO models. :) You of all people should know this! |
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| Krypton |
| quote: | Originally posted by Moongoose
Leaving behind for a sencond the facts that your first sentence is just grossly incorrect and the second one makes me want to cry...Yahoo autos tells me that 02 Grand Ams go for betwen 5k - 6k USD. For the same money that you paid for that junk you could have THIS piece of brilliant german engineering. There is no dubt which of the two is a superior car, and also when buying german you will never be in an embarrassing situation where you have to actually reveal to somebody in shame that you drive a pontiac. |
| quote: | Originally posted by KiNeTiC ENeRgY
Umm no Pontiac is POS GM. |
FFS, I wasn't looking for a god damn Mercedes...:rolleyes: |
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| Moongoose |
| quote: | Originally posted by gehzumteufel
Awesome yes. Inexpensive to repair for someone on a budget, no. These cars are not for people making 30k a year. The end. |
Right, but the e38 are built like tanks...buy one in a good condition and the only expense (apart from fuel of course) you will have with it is the mandatory yearly service.
Failing tat, the older model (e32) is almost as good as the e38 but about 5 to 10 times cheaper to service ( it shares a lot of parts with the e34 5 series, and 5 series parts are abundant over here). |
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| gehzumteufel |
| quote: | Originally posted by Moongoose
Right, but the e38 are built like tanks...buy one in a good condition and the only expense (apart from fuel of course) you will have with it is the mandatory yearly service.
Failing tat, the older model (e32) is almost as good as the e38 but about 5 to 10 times cheaper to service ( it shares a lot of parts with the e34 5 series, and 5 series parts are abundant over here). |
In the US, BMW = horribly expensive even with parts stashes so large. |
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| IpLaYWiTLiGhTs |
Funny this came up, I was just about to make a thread about it also.
I have a 2005 Volkswagen GTI which just went past warranty. AC was only blowing hot air, so I assumed it was just a freon problem. Normally I would take it to the dealership but I called them up and they said it would be $250 just to look at the car. I said that...
Took it into a local shop who's acquaintances with my sister to have it fixed for $60. Seems normal right? Worked fine all day.
Next day it stopped working. I take it back and they say they're going to take a closer look at it. According to the mechanics, it turns out my "Compressor to Evaporator" line had a cut in it. I'm thinking to myself, well it must be your guys fault because you were the last ones to touch it. It was one of your mechanics who misplaced it there on accident. I didn't actually say anything though, because they were "acquaintances" of my sister, and there was no actual proof of them being the cause.
So they run an estimate on the part and it turns out to be $400 for the part alone. How the did I just go from a $60 job to $400? I tell them I'll look for the part myself and I found the part on the internet for $90 shipped (to Hawaii from continental U.S.).
Take my car back to that shop and they estimate the job taking about two hours so $90. A few hours later they call back and say the computer estimated the job time wrong and it's going to take a bit longer, which means more labor fees. ing bill comes out to close to $200.
So I went from thinking it would be a $60 job, to paying $350 total after everything. PLUS, I payed for the freon AGAIN, after only one day of using it.
I want to shoot them all. |
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| Omega_Blue |
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
It's a good car. 2002 Pontiac Grand Am
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lol
anyways kryp what did he say was originally wrong with it? $500 is a lot. oftentimes you can tell if the fuel pump is bad if the fuel pump fuse is blown; so in your defense the mechanic should've checked that immediately.
unfortunately there's not a whole lot you can do in your situation now, next time shop around for a different mechanic
also $4700 for an 02 grand am is a rip off, |
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| ToF |
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
Now, is it me, or is something fishy? I don't take my car to the mechanic and spend $500 only to have the car break down not even a week later and the mechanic wanting to charge another $500. WTF is the deal with that?
So I'm going tomorrow to get this straightened out. My car is still in the shop because I don't have $500. |
On the flip side it is quite possible that something totally unrelated to your first problem has broken down.
If you are going to go in like a macho man, then you're a tool. Try and be rational and see if the mechanic's explaination is reasonable before you go spouting that bs about I paid this yesterday and now something totally unrelated broke but I refuse to pay for it.
There are dodgy mechanics and then there are stupid irrational customers. Both are dicks.
| quote: | Originally posted by Renzo
You paid $500 for a tune up? What was wrong with the car to begin with?
The 'check engine' light might just have been an oxygen sensor. |
I hear this term "tune up" all the time... WTF IS A TUNE UP? Do the mechanics hook into your ECU and tune the maps or something?
Also "Check engine" light could mean many things, it's your mechanic's job to figure that one out but it shouldn't be too hard with today's ECU diagnostics. |
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| Teezdalien |
| quote: | Originally posted by ToF
I hear this term "tune up" all the time... WTF IS A TUNE UP? Do the mechanics hook into your ECU and tune the maps or something?
Also "Check engine" light could mean many things, it's your mechanic's job to figure that one out but it shouldn't be too hard with today's ECU diagnostics. |
Tuning an engine is getting the timing of cycles right. |
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| euphoria |
| quote: | Originally posted by lücid
Pontiacs are not good cars, lol. |
took the words right out of my mouth :p
and 2. Get a second opinion if you don't trust this mechanic. If you cannot get the car to another shop make him physically show you and explain the problem. Tell him you also want your defective parts back after the repair is done, you have a right to. If he's bsing you at this point you will most likely be able to tell. |
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| lücid |
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
I basically told him, "Fix everything there is to fix in this car so that I don't have to worry about it for a long time." |
you asked to get screwed by saying that. mechanics will always find something to fix, even if it's not broken. |
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