I had this happen after an oil change once. It was because a rubber hose was disconnected from the air filter. I reconnected it, and all was well. Did you check your hoses?
The brake fluid resevoir is located under the hood. They may have had to bleed the brakes and there is a vacuum hose connected to it for power brakes. sounds fishy to me. They could have dropped brake fluid on the exhaust manifold. I would have your husband deal with since he seems to have a rapore with the mechanic.
Thank you all. We will follow through on the ideas. I hope for one it's as simple as Nottawayfer says-- just a hose. We'll check tomorrow.
Exxie--thanks so much-- you are too sweet! My hubby is pretty good about being nice--I really hope it's a genuine mistake!
Fellowshipper, dropping the brake fluid on the exhaust manifold would account for the smell, right? But not the stalling?
I do think a place that asks for only cash sounds fishy, for sure. This van is 10 yrs old, so i would expect that repairs are going to be needed, but the day of getting brake work done? hmmmm
If they didn't reconnect a vacuum hose properly, the engine losing vacuum would certainly account for the motor running badly...exactly as you described.
Even if they put the vacuum line back on the power brake drum, they may have accidentally loosened another vacuum hose. It's not hard to do.
I'm a little puzzled about the rotors. Typically, if the rotors are just scored, new pads won't make the car vibrate when you hit the brakes. You usually can't tell a difference until the pads wear out very prematurely due to the grooves eating up the pads. Vibration usually indicates warped rotors and warped rotors are usually caused by the brakes overheating which is common where I live because of the steep hills and the tendency to "ride the brakes" when you go down one. I learned to save myself a LOT of money by having a stick shift and down shifting and letting the engine slow me down instead of riding the brakes.
When the mechanic changed the pads, he SHOULD have run his fingers over the rotor faces to feel for grooves...everyone is supposed to do that when they replace brake parts...it's really easy to tell if they need to be turned or not since good rotors should feel smooth as glass. If you heard loud squealing or metal grinding, then that was the sound of exposed rivets (bare metal) on the pads SCORING the rotor. The rotors were scored. Most mechanics I know will turn the rotors anyway just to provide a new surface for the new pads, plus when the rotor is spinning on the lathe, you can tell real fast if it's warped or not (kinda like balancing a tire)...and they don't charge extra for it...it's just part of the procedure.
Warped rotors aren't so easy to diagnose but a mechanic can usually tell if the metal is discolored from overheating...and of course the tell tale vibration. Most of the time, warped rotors need to be replaced rather than turned since the integrity of the metal (tempering...hardness) is compromised by heat and those rotors take a LOT of pressure especially if you have to brake REAL hard. Turning the rotors will work and make them true again if the warping is minimal and the metal isn't discolored from heat. You should demand the mechanic tell you exactly what he did and why.
If the brakes were just squeeling, you were probably just down to the "squeelers" and not doing any damage to the rotors yet. So it should have been simple. I think if you don't get a pad in right, or maybe leave out a little item, it might vibrate.
But if they only accept cash, and they messed it up a second time, I wouldn't go back, and maybe report them to the Better Business Bureau. Maybe the second time in they messed something up so you would be a repeat customer. I'd go somewhere that at least accepts credit cards, givig you a better shot at a dispute.
Ive run into similar things too many times in repair shops.
Maybe it was an honest mistake, if so let them make it good, but too may times in too many shops I go in for something simple and it leads to a whole host of other things that go wrong either right out of the shop or a few days or weeks later. It seems to be not an uncommon game. If the pattern happens a few times I move on until I find someone that I trust and respect as a mechanic.
I have a good mechanic now, who is honest, a good mechanic, fair in price, always returns any of my vehicles in top shape and gives me a long range forecast, plus he always gets me right in and answers my questions on the phone--none of this 'see me in two weeks' BS... but it took me a few years to find him.
If you dont feel certain or comfortable about him, Id look for a new mechanic--
It's been a while since I took auto mechanics in school, but, when you say the car shook, do you mean the front end shook, or do you mean it was hard to hold the pedal down? If the pedal felt like it was moving up and down when you stepped on it, that's usually an indication the rotors are warped.
The test for whether the rotors were warped was done with a 'run out' gauge. If the run out was more than .002, the rotors would be replaced. Another possibility is, the wheel bearings weren't repacked with grease, or if done, not properly.
Yet another thing to look at, is if the wheels were properly tightened. A lot of people I know will tighten the lug nuts in a circular pattern. However, the correct way to do this is, tightening one, then going to the one on the opposite side of the wheel (doesn't matter which one, just that it's on the other side of the wheel). Think like you were drawing a five pointed star.
dmiller, I had wondered about the squealing--figured it may have "bitten" into the rotors, so when the guy said nothing about it, I thought I must have been "lucky" that the metal hadn't scraped into the rotors. I asked my hubby again tonight what the mechanic actually said concerning the rotors. He'd said nothing at all the first time, then when my hubby brought it back said we'd said nothing to him about the rotors, only the drums/pads. (We got front and rear done at the same time-- AND we had to go get the parts, then they only charged the labor to replace the pads and drums! Hmmmmmm)
About the vacuum hoses--nope-- evrything looks right. My hubby called the owner, they said bring it down, it stalled every time I braked on the way there. Mechanic checked under the hood with my hubby--nothing out of place. He revved up the engine and then it started idling higher again. We drove it around for about 10 min--with the mechanic, and he asked a few questions, and concluded we need a fuel filter and a tune up. My hubby wants to give them a second chance. . .
I have several questions;
Ron and 1000names, the whole front end shook when I braked. Like from the front wheels--as if they were doing a gazillion tiny little bounces. Not the brake pedal at all. I have no idea where the rotors got turned-- these guys took them out to another place to turn them. If they were warped, and still got turned, what should I look for in potential problems? I really want to take them to be looked at by another shop, since one other time, the pads or the drums (on a different car) had been put in "backwards". I'll do my best to get my hubby to at least check with another place. I met this mechanic, too. He IS a nice guy, (really seeming genuine) but nice doesn't necessarily mean he's a competent mechanic.
I did have it happen one time with a car that kept having new things go wrong so that I had to take it back to the mechanic. We did go back to the same place several times, until we became suspicious, and went elsewhere. Nothing seemed to turn up as "wrong" for about 6 months. (BTW, this guy was nice too, and the car WAS 12 years old) Well, the car broke down one day in front of a gas station where that particular mechanic had been reccommended to me by several different people. He called me the next morning, and told me I needed to come down there and "see this". The car had been "fixed". One vacuum hose was stuffed with rags, one was hanging and the guy said he didn't even know WHERE it belonged. Several other things, but it's been a long while and I don't remember, but the guy said I needed to give up on the car-- HE certainly wasn't gonna touch it with as many things that were wrong with it. <_<
Back to my questions. THis car is one of those where you get the tune up every 100,000 miles. At 65,000 a mechanic in Baltimore suggested I have one done anyway. He replaced spark plugs, wires, fuel filter, air cleaner-- probably other stuff. I didn't have any problems with that, but we did wonder if we'd gotten talked into doing that tuneup sooner than necessary. We get the air cleaner changed every time we do an oil change--which ends up being about 5000-6000 miles instead of 3000 miles. At about 3000 miles I need a quart of oil, and then it's a quart low at the time I get the oil change. So now the car is at 110,000 miles and this nice mechanic who said the stalling is because of the fuel filter, is totally flabbergasted that we hadn't had a tune-up in about 45,000 miles. He is absolutely certain that the fuel filter is clogged and we need spark plugs, and an air cleaner-- didn't mention spark plug wires. He assures us that will solve everything.
So am I stupid? (don't answer that! LOL!) I thought if it was a car that only needs a tuneup every 100,000 miles, it doesn't need a tune up but every 100,000 miles. And a little sooner than 100,000 miles probably wouldn't hurt, but he acted like we'd taken poor care of the car in not having a tune up in so long. Can someone explain this 100,000 mile tune up thing to me, then?
And does the clogged fuel filter make sense-- since the car ran poorly, stalling, then once it got revved up, it is now running fine again? (A little rough, but no longer stalling)
Hi Psalmy.....Many good suggestions here. I sort of liked Rhino's. I have always repaired my own vehicles when convenient and cost effective to do so myself. One litte bit of info I learned is that mechanics are alot like doctors. Cost is all that generally seperates them. And You usually get what you pay fer! I have found when hiring out the maintenance or repair of auto's it's generally cheaper in the long run to go to someone speciallizing in the needed repair. Someimes locale plays a role and one might be better seeking a dealership. I would reccomend that if your going to take it back to the same repair facility that you insist the guy take a little test ride with you. Sort of like when the old doc says open and say ahh or thumps yer knee checkin reflex's.
And the 100,000 mile tune-up is not a bad idea. Someitimes vehicles with age might require tune-ups more often and somewhat more extensive tuning. I drive a truck at work that has 360,ooo miles on it. I no longer change the oil, just the filter occassionally. I add enough oil on a regular basis that the oil stays clean enough. Some of the experts say that a vehicle that is over ten years old cost more to operate than a newer one. I have never been one to buy into that because of all the variables involved such as; who is repairing, maintaining the vehecile and the type of use or driving its being used for. Good luck and I hope you enjoy many more hassle free miles.
I have been in the automotive industry for the last 25 years, not that I want to sound like a 'know it all', but I would like to offer some helpful tips if I may...
In all my years in the biz, I have never seen a car begin stalling suddenly due to bad plugs, wires fuel filter and so forth. Quite honestly there would have been other symptoms leading up to that long before it got bad enough to begin stalling, such as missing or cutting out on acceleration...for this reason I would question the need for a tune up to cure that particular condition. Still if the car does indeed have over 100,000 miles on it as you say it certainly couldn't hurt it. I suspect based on what you are saying that it is more likely that some carbon inside the engine broke loose and either got stuck in a fuel injector or EGR valve (exhasut gas recirculation valve, an emissions component) which would more reasonably explain the drivability problem. One question: is your vehicle a foreign or domestic make? I ask because if it is a newer model it may have a 'check engine lamp' that illuminates on the dash when there is such a problem and I wonder if that lamp ever came on?
I would agree with some of the other posters that it almost sounded like a vacuum line had come off the brake booster as that is a major vacuum source and could indeed cause a stalling problem if the hose is leaking -or- the 'check valve' in the front of the booster sometimes sticks and will cause a similar symptom.
Because this garage is and 'independant', it may not hurt for you to get a second opinion. Independants for the most part can be trustworthy, but for the most part they have to operate on a 'one size fits all' mentality because they do not specialize in just one make of vehicle. With that being the case they sometimes arent familiar with the quirks that some makes of vehicles can exhibit. Dealerships tend to come with a negative reputation because they generally can be more expensive, but they also specialize in the vehicle make and have all the factory information available to them such as service bulletins and recalls that an 'after-market' shop does not. If a problem arises that takes some in depth knowlege of the vehicle, most times they (the after-market shop) wind up guessing and throwing parts at a problem in hopes they can fix it, and sometimes they dont after all. <_<
If you decide to allow this person to do your tune up, make sure you have him save all the old parts for your inspection, Even if you dont know what your'e looking at, he wont know that and if his intentions are less than honest he will think twice about replacing a 'good' part that doesnt need changed. If you choose to get a second opinion, consider taking it to the dealer, and yes its scary if you have never been there but it may end up saving you money in the long run. Remember they cant do any work that you dont authorize and although you may have to pay an initial diagnosis charge in the beginning, even if you decide not to allow them to perform the repairs at least you have a firm diagnosis of the problem.
Sorry for the long-winded explanation, I hope you find it helpful...please e-mail me anytime if you have any questions...
my solution was I began going to ONE shop for everything and I mean everything.
and I kept the receipts.
so we built a relationship.
you know how they promise a a wrranty on parts and stuff many times have i said wait you fixed that three months ago and I pull out the paper.
and if it goes like alot of money i tell them I had somene eles look at it and they said it would cost... but always telling them I will stay with them.
at least i know who is kiling me I guess.
because if something goes wrong like your problem I can take it back to them and say Hey why didnt you notice this was wrong????
we have competition in this village and they all know one another so I metion so and so said... and i stroke the ego and say but i will always stay with you.
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Nottawayfer
Psalmie,
I had this happen after an oil change once. It was because a rubber hose was disconnected from the air filter. I reconnected it, and all was well. Did you check your hoses?
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excathedra
i think i would bring it back in and for now be really nice and explain everything that occurred so far
???????
but tell them you're afraid to bring it back in because of how it's acting and see what they say
tell them you almost got into an accident because it started stalling after you left the shop
maybe they'll realize they could be in big trouble
i really hope it works out for you dear psalmie
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fellowshipper
The brake fluid resevoir is located under the hood. They may have had to bleed the brakes and there is a vacuum hose connected to it for power brakes. sounds fishy to me. They could have dropped brake fluid on the exhaust manifold. I would have your husband deal with since he seems to have a rapore with the mechanic.
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Psalm 71 one
Thank you all. We will follow through on the ideas. I hope for one it's as simple as Nottawayfer says-- just a hose. We'll check tomorrow.
Exxie--thanks so much-- you are too sweet! My hubby is pretty good about being nice--I really hope it's a genuine mistake!
Fellowshipper, dropping the brake fluid on the exhaust manifold would account for the smell, right? But not the stalling?
I do think a place that asks for only cash sounds fishy, for sure. This van is 10 yrs old, so i would expect that repairs are going to be needed, but the day of getting brake work done? hmmmm
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dmiller
Look at it this way --- they're helping get your very own WOW-mobile!!!!
Seriously -- fellowshipper is right about the fluid.
Whenever brakes are done, fluid needs to be added when done.
And the brakes DO NEED to be bled once the pads have been replaced,
since air will have gotten in the brakes lines.
I live right next door to a *fix-it* shop, and the guy is very reputable.
He will take your car in for "whatever job", but before he does ANY work on it,
he will call you and tell you his diagnosis of the situation.
Sometimes that means doing extra stuff, that you didn't plan on.
He will ask if you want it done, and tell you the price involved.
He makes sure you are fully informed,
before he will actually work on your car after inspecting it.
It surprises me that your guy/ mechanic down there didn't do the same.
Turning the rotors would mean more money for him,
and inspecting the rotors would seem (to me) to be a routine thing to do.
Especially so -- since you have the brakes apart anyway.
And he definiately should have inspected the entire works,
and then let you know if extra work needed to be done.
I don't know about the vacuum hose --
but that is as plausible an explanation as any.
It's been years since I worked on my own vehicle's brakes,
The *cash only* thing is suspicious to me as well.
Hope things work out for you.:)
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dmiller
Oh -- and I forgot to add this here -----
Fluid on the manifold (which gets hot from the car running),
will burn away, thus the smell (brake fluid, oil you might be adding, etc.).
BUT -- new brakes will smell as well as you use them after being installed,
since they haven't been used before. New mufflers do the same.
It takes a small bit of time for the *newness* to wear off, but it does.
And another thing -- if your brakes *squealed*, when you applied them ---
that means the pads were pretty much entirely shot,
and you had metal hitting metal for your brakes.
You usually ONLY hear that sound, when the *pad* part of the pad is gone.
And the metal of the brake pads, hitting the metal of the rotor,
does *score* grooves into the rotor making it ineffective,
unless it is "turned" to remove the grooves and restore a flat surface
for your brake pads to connect with.
Again -- if you told him that -- I'm surprised he didn't mention rotors right away
as a possibility of an extra thing you might need done.
Maybe Ron G. will weigh in here.
He seems to know a lot about vehicles.
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TheInvisibleDan
Checking the vacuum hoses is not a bad idea.
I'm also surprised that the mechanic who did the brake job didn't take care of the rotors the first time around.
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Ron G.
If they didn't reconnect a vacuum hose properly, the engine losing vacuum would certainly account for the motor running badly...exactly as you described.
Even if they put the vacuum line back on the power brake drum, they may have accidentally loosened another vacuum hose. It's not hard to do.
I'm a little puzzled about the rotors. Typically, if the rotors are just scored, new pads won't make the car vibrate when you hit the brakes. You usually can't tell a difference until the pads wear out very prematurely due to the grooves eating up the pads. Vibration usually indicates warped rotors and warped rotors are usually caused by the brakes overheating which is common where I live because of the steep hills and the tendency to "ride the brakes" when you go down one. I learned to save myself a LOT of money by having a stick shift and down shifting and letting the engine slow me down instead of riding the brakes.
When the mechanic changed the pads, he SHOULD have run his fingers over the rotor faces to feel for grooves...everyone is supposed to do that when they replace brake parts...it's really easy to tell if they need to be turned or not since good rotors should feel smooth as glass. If you heard loud squealing or metal grinding, then that was the sound of exposed rivets (bare metal) on the pads SCORING the rotor. The rotors were scored. Most mechanics I know will turn the rotors anyway just to provide a new surface for the new pads, plus when the rotor is spinning on the lathe, you can tell real fast if it's warped or not (kinda like balancing a tire)...and they don't charge extra for it...it's just part of the procedure.
Warped rotors aren't so easy to diagnose but a mechanic can usually tell if the metal is discolored from overheating...and of course the tell tale vibration. Most of the time, warped rotors need to be replaced rather than turned since the integrity of the metal (tempering...hardness) is compromised by heat and those rotors take a LOT of pressure especially if you have to brake REAL hard. Turning the rotors will work and make them true again if the warping is minimal and the metal isn't discolored from heat. You should demand the mechanic tell you exactly what he did and why.
Just some thoughts.
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rhino
If the brakes were just squeeling, you were probably just down to the "squeelers" and not doing any damage to the rotors yet. So it should have been simple. I think if you don't get a pad in right, or maybe leave out a little item, it might vibrate.
But if they only accept cash, and they messed it up a second time, I wouldn't go back, and maybe report them to the Better Business Bureau. Maybe the second time in they messed something up so you would be a repeat customer. I'd go somewhere that at least accepts credit cards, givig you a better shot at a dispute.
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mstar1
Ive run into similar things too many times in repair shops.
Maybe it was an honest mistake, if so let them make it good, but too may times in too many shops I go in for something simple and it leads to a whole host of other things that go wrong either right out of the shop or a few days or weeks later. It seems to be not an uncommon game. If the pattern happens a few times I move on until I find someone that I trust and respect as a mechanic.
I have a good mechanic now, who is honest, a good mechanic, fair in price, always returns any of my vehicles in top shape and gives me a long range forecast, plus he always gets me right in and answers my questions on the phone--none of this 'see me in two weeks' BS... but it took me a few years to find him.
If you dont feel certain or comfortable about him, Id look for a new mechanic--
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Sushi
It's been a while since I took auto mechanics in school, but, when you say the car shook, do you mean the front end shook, or do you mean it was hard to hold the pedal down? If the pedal felt like it was moving up and down when you stepped on it, that's usually an indication the rotors are warped.
The test for whether the rotors were warped was done with a 'run out' gauge. If the run out was more than .002, the rotors would be replaced. Another possibility is, the wheel bearings weren't repacked with grease, or if done, not properly.
Yet another thing to look at, is if the wheels were properly tightened. A lot of people I know will tighten the lug nuts in a circular pattern. However, the correct way to do this is, tightening one, then going to the one on the opposite side of the wheel (doesn't matter which one, just that it's on the other side of the wheel). Think like you were drawing a five pointed star.
Just my after only one cup of coffee thoughts.
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Psalm 71 one
Thanks again for all the advice/info.
dmiller, I had wondered about the squealing--figured it may have "bitten" into the rotors, so when the guy said nothing about it, I thought I must have been "lucky" that the metal hadn't scraped into the rotors. I asked my hubby again tonight what the mechanic actually said concerning the rotors. He'd said nothing at all the first time, then when my hubby brought it back said we'd said nothing to him about the rotors, only the drums/pads. (We got front and rear done at the same time-- AND we had to go get the parts, then they only charged the labor to replace the pads and drums! Hmmmmmm)
About the vacuum hoses--nope-- evrything looks right. My hubby called the owner, they said bring it down, it stalled every time I braked on the way there. Mechanic checked under the hood with my hubby--nothing out of place. He revved up the engine and then it started idling higher again. We drove it around for about 10 min--with the mechanic, and he asked a few questions, and concluded we need a fuel filter and a tune up. My hubby wants to give them a second chance. . .
I have several questions;
Ron and 1000names, the whole front end shook when I braked. Like from the front wheels--as if they were doing a gazillion tiny little bounces. Not the brake pedal at all. I have no idea where the rotors got turned-- these guys took them out to another place to turn them. If they were warped, and still got turned, what should I look for in potential problems? I really want to take them to be looked at by another shop, since one other time, the pads or the drums (on a different car) had been put in "backwards". I'll do my best to get my hubby to at least check with another place. I met this mechanic, too. He IS a nice guy, (really seeming genuine) but nice doesn't necessarily mean he's a competent mechanic.
I did have it happen one time with a car that kept having new things go wrong so that I had to take it back to the mechanic. We did go back to the same place several times, until we became suspicious, and went elsewhere. Nothing seemed to turn up as "wrong" for about 6 months. (BTW, this guy was nice too, and the car WAS 12 years old) Well, the car broke down one day in front of a gas station where that particular mechanic had been reccommended to me by several different people. He called me the next morning, and told me I needed to come down there and "see this". The car had been "fixed". One vacuum hose was stuffed with rags, one was hanging and the guy said he didn't even know WHERE it belonged. Several other things, but it's been a long while and I don't remember, but the guy said I needed to give up on the car-- HE certainly wasn't gonna touch it with as many things that were wrong with it. <_<
Back to my questions. THis car is one of those where you get the tune up every 100,000 miles. At 65,000 a mechanic in Baltimore suggested I have one done anyway. He replaced spark plugs, wires, fuel filter, air cleaner-- probably other stuff. I didn't have any problems with that, but we did wonder if we'd gotten talked into doing that tuneup sooner than necessary. We get the air cleaner changed every time we do an oil change--which ends up being about 5000-6000 miles instead of 3000 miles. At about 3000 miles I need a quart of oil, and then it's a quart low at the time I get the oil change. So now the car is at 110,000 miles and this nice mechanic who said the stalling is because of the fuel filter, is totally flabbergasted that we hadn't had a tune-up in about 45,000 miles. He is absolutely certain that the fuel filter is clogged and we need spark plugs, and an air cleaner-- didn't mention spark plug wires. He assures us that will solve everything.
So am I stupid? (don't answer that! LOL!) I thought if it was a car that only needs a tuneup every 100,000 miles, it doesn't need a tune up but every 100,000 miles. And a little sooner than 100,000 miles probably wouldn't hurt, but he acted like we'd taken poor care of the car in not having a tune up in so long. Can someone explain this 100,000 mile tune up thing to me, then?
And does the clogged fuel filter make sense-- since the car ran poorly, stalling, then once it got revved up, it is now running fine again? (A little rough, but no longer stalling)
Thanks
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rhino
get it fully insured
park in a bad neighborhood
burn it
collect the insurance
they do it all the time
just kidding ... ;)
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excathedra
i can't read that whole post psalmie, attention span thingie
plus i don't know anything about the subject matter
but i hope everything works out for you mwah
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Littlehawk
Hi Psalmy.....Many good suggestions here. I sort of liked Rhino's. I have always repaired my own vehicles when convenient and cost effective to do so myself. One litte bit of info I learned is that mechanics are alot like doctors. Cost is all that generally seperates them. And You usually get what you pay fer! I have found when hiring out the maintenance or repair of auto's it's generally cheaper in the long run to go to someone speciallizing in the needed repair. Someimes locale plays a role and one might be better seeking a dealership. I would reccomend that if your going to take it back to the same repair facility that you insist the guy take a little test ride with you. Sort of like when the old doc says open and say ahh or thumps yer knee checkin reflex's.
And the 100,000 mile tune-up is not a bad idea. Someitimes vehicles with age might require tune-ups more often and somewhat more extensive tuning. I drive a truck at work that has 360,ooo miles on it. I no longer change the oil, just the filter occassionally. I add enough oil on a regular basis that the oil stays clean enough. Some of the experts say that a vehicle that is over ten years old cost more to operate than a newer one. I have never been one to buy into that because of all the variables involved such as; who is repairing, maintaining the vehecile and the type of use or driving its being used for. Good luck and I hope you enjoy many more hassle free miles.
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Mr Incredible
Hi there --
I have been in the automotive industry for the last 25 years, not that I want to sound like a 'know it all', but I would like to offer some helpful tips if I may...
In all my years in the biz, I have never seen a car begin stalling suddenly due to bad plugs, wires fuel filter and so forth. Quite honestly there would have been other symptoms leading up to that long before it got bad enough to begin stalling, such as missing or cutting out on acceleration...for this reason I would question the need for a tune up to cure that particular condition. Still if the car does indeed have over 100,000 miles on it as you say it certainly couldn't hurt it. I suspect based on what you are saying that it is more likely that some carbon inside the engine broke loose and either got stuck in a fuel injector or EGR valve (exhasut gas recirculation valve, an emissions component) which would more reasonably explain the drivability problem. One question: is your vehicle a foreign or domestic make? I ask because if it is a newer model it may have a 'check engine lamp' that illuminates on the dash when there is such a problem and I wonder if that lamp ever came on?
I would agree with some of the other posters that it almost sounded like a vacuum line had come off the brake booster as that is a major vacuum source and could indeed cause a stalling problem if the hose is leaking -or- the 'check valve' in the front of the booster sometimes sticks and will cause a similar symptom.
Because this garage is and 'independant', it may not hurt for you to get a second opinion. Independants for the most part can be trustworthy, but for the most part they have to operate on a 'one size fits all' mentality because they do not specialize in just one make of vehicle. With that being the case they sometimes arent familiar with the quirks that some makes of vehicles can exhibit. Dealerships tend to come with a negative reputation because they generally can be more expensive, but they also specialize in the vehicle make and have all the factory information available to them such as service bulletins and recalls that an 'after-market' shop does not. If a problem arises that takes some in depth knowlege of the vehicle, most times they (the after-market shop) wind up guessing and throwing parts at a problem in hopes they can fix it, and sometimes they dont after all. <_<
If you decide to allow this person to do your tune up, make sure you have him save all the old parts for your inspection, Even if you dont know what your'e looking at, he wont know that and if his intentions are less than honest he will think twice about replacing a 'good' part that doesnt need changed. If you choose to get a second opinion, consider taking it to the dealer, and yes its scary if you have never been there but it may end up saving you money in the long run. Remember they cant do any work that you dont authorize and although you may have to pay an initial diagnosis charge in the beginning, even if you decide not to allow them to perform the repairs at least you have a firm diagnosis of the problem.
Sorry for the long-winded explanation, I hope you find it helpful...please e-mail me anytime if you have any questions...
Michael B.
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pond
I used to have problems like this.
my solution was I began going to ONE shop for everything and I mean everything.
and I kept the receipts.
so we built a relationship.
you know how they promise a a wrranty on parts and stuff many times have i said wait you fixed that three months ago and I pull out the paper.
and if it goes like alot of money i tell them I had somene eles look at it and they said it would cost... but always telling them I will stay with them.
at least i know who is kiling me I guess.
because if something goes wrong like your problem I can take it back to them and say Hey why didnt you notice this was wrong????
we have competition in this village and they all know one another so I metion so and so said... and i stroke the ego and say but i will always stay with you.
well just an idea.
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