need auto mechanical help

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i had an oil change today and they found some problems.... i've been

there before and i believe them:

Vehicle: 2001 chevy 1 ton van, 5.7 liter v8,

problems: cost:

new water pump. $423 includes pump, new hoses, coolant

power steering pump/
serpentine belt $357

front shocks $ 151

total with tax++ $963.01


does this sound reasonable, would appreciate your opinion.
 
Just had the water pump done in my 2001 Chevy Silverado 1500 --- ~ $400 so that at least sounds reasonable.
 
I never worked on the truck in question, but the rule of thumb:

you can enter those numbers into Autozone and see what the part prices are. I'm always amazed how little things can cost a lot of money. They will have that broken up by parts/labor anyways.

labor wise, it depends where things are located and how much pain it is to change them.

trust is probably the priceless part, because there are many ways you can get screwed or get other parts damaged by an idiot doing minor maintenance work.
 
Can I ask why they said all these need to be replaced? Did they say the power steering pump AND the water pump are about to go?

My water pump went in my Ram 1500 over the summer, it cost me about $75 at autozone. Did it myself.

But van's are a PITA to work on. very little room under the hood. So the price for that much labor/work sounds reasonable.
 
i went to auto zone after i left them, auto zone gave me a price of
$256 for all of the parts,

both the water pump and the power steering pump were leaking.

i've notice that i have had to add anti freeze now and then..

i

power steering pump at auto zone is $53 new not rebuilt they want $175,

thats a huge difference,

but if they have to replace the water pump the p/s pump ain't far away.
 
all seem to be resonable prices if the work actually needs to be done

this - a second opinion will probably cost you 80 bucks

if it doesn't need the work you save some cash and if they agree, you might get a better quote, at the very least you're bill may be higher, but you're sleep better knowing you didn't get taken for a ride.
 
Can I ask why they said all these need to be replaced? Did they say the power steering pump AND the water pump are about to go?

My water pump went in my Ram 1500 over the summer, it cost me about $75 at autozone. Did it myself.

But van's are a PITA to work on. very little room under the hood. So the price for that much labor/work sounds reasonable.


they said both were leaking, i have noticed that i have had to add anti freeze
now and then
 
i went to an online estimator for auto repairs, put in your vehicle

and the work that needs doing and out comes a parts and

labor estimate, their numbers are in the range.

i believe them, i've been a customer for a long time.

thought i would do a sanity check....
 
Just because the water pump is leaking does not mean the power steering pump is far behind...as far as the autozone price, autozone most likely quoted you the Jobber price, the repair facility is going to get around 20% off jobber...so do the math from there and see how much they are making on just the parts alone...Its absurd
 
If you've had to put antifreeze in from time to time I would probably replace the water pump as far as the power steering pump just watch it a lot if vehicles have small leaks from the power steering pump just check the fluid level regularly you may not even notice a decrease they are usually so small! When it comes to the struts the question is how is it riding? If the truck is rather bouncy or feels like a boat in the ocean after you hit a bump it's time to replace them. I hope this helps!
 
Maybe I'm missing something here, but who says they're selling you parts from the Zone? They are probably buying better quality parts from another auto parts store. Just like kel tec and sig sauer both make guns, many different vendors make water pumps.

Also, vans are a pain in the ass to work on so you may be paying a little more for the labor than you would be on something like a fullsize pickup.
 
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doesn't sound like they're 'robbing' you. if that bottom line $$ includes labor, i wouldn't complain.

a water pump for my ford diesel was 3 bills for part only. -hey, mechanics have to feed their families too.
 
Upper and Lower hose kit NAPA RHK RHK8990A 28 bucks

New water pump, NAPA TFW 43315 54 bucks

Serpentine belt assuming AC and 130 amp alternator NAPA NBH 25060960 32 bucks

2 gallons Dex-Cool 29 bucks

Power steering pump, reman without reservoir NSP 811411 36 bucks plus an 8 dollar core,
Power Steering Pump reman WITH reservoir NSP 818507F 107 bucks plus 56 dollar core.

Cheap front shocks RR 94257 51 bucks/pr, Gas shocks NS 76741 93 bucks/pr

344 plus markup for parts assuming the most expensive, add for PS fluid, clamps, and labor, and there should be a deduction for overlap for the PS Pump R/R since the water pump is also being done

THE ONLY THING I BUY FROM AUTO ZONE IS SPARK PLUGS and Motorcycle oil. Their hard parts are crap, their rebuilds are worse, and I know the VP of Marketing personally and tell him the same thing.
 
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All of your "new" water pumps come from China...Just as all of your "new" brake calipers do along with any other "new" part you buy with the exception of OE dealer parts which in many cases are made in Mexico.

I am not one to use autozone but their hard parts are all brand name parts reboxed in duralast boxes. Chances are very very good that the "NAPA' boxed parts are the same Moog, Fenco, A1 Cardone, SKF, TRW, Standard ignition, Bosch, etc parts as autozone is selling,

The problem with autozone is the buying power they have allows them to undercut all you smaller NAPA, Carquest and other independent parts stores, where most of the counter guys know their stuff...So your stuck with the 19 year old "expert" at Auto zone that cant tell a alternator from a water pump.

I remanufacture Brake, steering, drivetrain, and rotating electrical components and supply parts store up and down the east coast, I have seen all the parts come back, and they all come from a handful of suppliers, no matter what box they come in your choices are limited and the quality is not much different from one to the other, "new" parts honestly scare me for the simple fact that I have taken countless hundreds of them apart to find bushing and seals missing, shims in place where the cast was incorrect, and generally crap materials like porous castings and really really bad tolerances , the only difference between a new water pump is the shell, all the moving parts and seals are the same as a reman, If the reman was inspected thoroughly before it was assembled it is by far better than a new aftermarket, its a Original equipment part with new seals and bearings. Either way installers are making at least 20 points on the parts sale then tacking labor on top, that is why they frown on you supplying you own parts, they loose too much money if they can't pick up the phone and have your part delivered right to the bay...
 
Can I ask why they said all these need to be replaced? Did they say the power steering pump AND the water pump are about to go?

My water pump went in my Ram 1500 over the summer, it cost me about $75 at autozone. Did it myself.

But van's are a PITA to work on. very little room under the hood. So the price for that much labor/work sounds reasonable.

This, also both of those at the same time does seem suspicious to me. I've also driven my pickup truck without power steering for 6 months before because I'm [STRIKE]broke[/STRIKE] badass like that.
 
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Mechanics are massive ripoff artists

1.water pump, they may have spotted a bad hose, figured they'd call it a $400 more expensive part, you agree to it, they change the hose out, and run your pump through the parts washer and put it back on.

2. power steering pump, if its not leaking or whining its fine, even if it dies you can still steer and you'll know with 100% certainty you arent being ripped.

3. The shocks are bad when you dont like the ride, not when a mechanic wants $$$

4. everything listed is rather simple anyway. do it yourself.
 
"Mechanics are massive ripoff artists"

And people named Nitro are douche bags.

Couldnt agree more! Still though, I'm going to go ahead and do what I can to stop people getting ripped off by mechanics whenever I can. If that offends you, so be it.

While I'm here, I'll do some more douchebagging, you mind?

power steering pump at auto zone is $53 new not rebuilt they want $175
And guess where "they" get their parts? autozone, caps or one like it, also "they" get a discount on top of that, at caps repair shops get 20% off so in reality that $175 pump cost them $43. Maybe theres a $132 charge to go pick it up? Oops, caps delivers it free, not sure about autozone.
 
Couldnt agree more! Still though, I'm going to go ahead and do what I can to stop people getting ripped off by mechanics whenever I can. If that offends you, so be it.

While I'm here, I'll do some more douchebagging, you mind?

And guess where "they" get their parts? autozone, caps or one like it, also "they" get a discount on top of that, at caps repair shops get 20% off so in reality that $175 pump cost them $43. Maybe theres a $132 charge to go pick it up? Oops, caps delivers it free, not sure about autozone.

Autozone has a wholesale program now too...so they also deliver it free!!!
 
all seem to be resonable prices if the work actually needs to be done

A couple of years ago, during the oil change at the dealer, I was told that my differential was leaking and needed to be replaced right there and then. They showed me the "leak" and it was nothing more than a little sweating around the gasket area. The cost of this repair would have been $900. I told them no thanks. Two years later and I have yet to see anything leaking...knock on wood.
 
A couple of years ago, during the oil change at the dealer, I was told that my differential was leaking and needed to be replaced right there and then. They showed me the "leak" and it was nothing more than a little sweating around the gasket area. The cost of this repair would have been $900. I told them no thanks. Two years later and I have yet to see anything leaking...knock on wood.

I wouldn't trust 90% of dealerships out there to tell you what you actually need done to your vehicle. They make a huge percent of their income on service. When said dealership is not selling many cars in a certain period, they tell the service department to sell sell sell.

Replacing a diff assembly because of a little leak at the gasket? Gimme a F'n break. Good on you for not falling for it.

ETA: I took the diff cover off my '83 5.0 recently, cleaned out the gears, grinded some corrosion off the mating surfaces, applied a new gasket bead, put new gear oil in with some "posi-additive" and the loud squeeking noise I'd get from the rear end while backing up and turning completely disappeared. (clutch plates were getting sticky, common) Sometimes the loudest noises coming from your car are the simplest fixes, and vise versa. Not everyone is mechanically inclined but there certainly are tons of DIY fixes the average Joe can do to his vehicle with the right tools, procedure info and a little patience. If I run into something I don't think I can handle, usually I won't try. There's always someone out there that knows a lot more about this stuff than you (or I. You know what I mean).
 
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Mechanics are massive ripoff artists

1.water pump, they may have spotted a bad hose, figured they'd call it a $400 more expensive part, you agree to it, they change the hose out, and run your pump through the parts washer and put it back on.

2. power steering pump, if its not leaking or whining its fine, even if it dies you can still steer and you'll know with 100% certainty you arent being ripped.

3. The shocks are bad when you dont like the ride, not when a mechanic wants $$$

4. everything listed is rather simple anyway. do it yourself.

Not for nothing but maybe you would like to rethink this position.

I and other forum members have on several occasions offered to help people on this forum at discounted labor and parts savings. I see many answering posts on this forum just like the OP's post.

I make my living restoring old cars and some light mechanical work as well.

Are there mechanics who rip people off... Sure, Just like there are bad lawyers, contractors and bad people in every field. If you do not trust your mechanic find another.

Repair shops are paying for Insurance, Workman’s comp, equipment, most are paying rent and many other things a guy in his driveway do not have.

Just the other day I had a guy (I know to say hi to but that is it) got a dent in his car. Not a hard fix maybe a day to day and a half. He got an estimate from his ins co. This guy is currently unemployed so I figured I would help him out, fix the car, save his deductible etc. charge him my time straight time and materials (but never told him). Well he called his ins co. and they told him that if he went to their repair facility (steering which is illegal) they would eat 1/2 his deductible. He told me he was taking the car to their repair facility. I just told him I was glad he was able to work it out. So what did he gain? He saved 1/2 his deductible (250$) instead of all his deductible + and now has guys who could give a crap about him, working on his car to get it done as fast as possible, spending as little as possible, because the insurance company wants to save as much as possible. I am sure a factory equivalent repair will be performed and in a few years paint won't be pealing and cracking due to the substandard materials that were used.
 
If your near north central ma shoot me a PM. I can give you an estimate. I'm a retired mechanic and I still do work in my home shop. From what you say in previous posts it sounds like I could do the work for 600. Should take one day but I would need it for two just in case any parts are on back order. I can give your references if you need them. (NES members)
 
Not for nothing but maybe you would like to rethink this position.

I and other forum members have on several occasions offered to help people on this forum at discounted labor and parts savings. I see many answering posts on this forum just like the OP's post.

I make my living restoring old cars and some light mechanical work as well.

Are there mechanics who rip people off... Sure, Just like there are bad lawyers, contractors and bad people in every field. If you do not trust your mechanic find another.

Repair shops are paying for Insurance, Workman’s comp, equipment, most are paying rent and many other things a guy in his driveway do not have.

Just the other day I had a guy (I know to say hi to but that is it) got a dent in his car. Not a hard fix maybe a day to day and a half. He got an estimate from his ins co. This guy is currently unemployed so I figured I would help him out, fix the car, save his deductible etc. charge him my time straight time and materials (but never told him). Well he called his ins co. and they told him that if he went to their repair facility (steering which is illegal) they would eat 1/2 his deductible. He told me he was taking the car to their repair facility. I just told him I was glad he was able to work it out. So what did he gain? He saved 1/2 his deductible (250$) instead of all his deductible + and now has guys who could give a crap about him, working on his car to get it done as fast as possible, spending as little as possible, because the insurance company wants to save as much as possible. I am sure a factory equivalent repair will be performed and in a few years paint won't be pealing and cracking due to the substandard materials that were used.

You really can't blame people for hating mechanics/garages/dealerships. It's not any different than the attitudes people have against the police because of bad LEOs. I got out of the field (after going to tech school) after only a year of working in garages and one of the reasons was that I didn't like how service managers tried to force me to rip off customers. People should be skeptical/cautious, and if they find a good honest mechanic to keep using them.
 
You really can't blame people for hating mechanics/garages/dealerships. It's not any different than the attitudes people have against the police because of bad LEOs. I got out of the field (after going to tech school) after only a year of working in garages and one of the reasons was that I didn't like how service managers tried to force me to rip off customers. People should be skeptical/cautious, and if they find a good honest mechanic to keep using them.


So you hate/ are skeptical of are cautious of all?:

Cops?
Mechanics?
Who else? Any one who works in any field with a negative reputation? DRs? Lawyers? Dentist? Salesmen?

I have sat on both sides of that seat. I generally prefer restoration, as fixing brakes on a Geo Tracker does nothing for job satisfaction. I liked writing service and let my customer know what the car needed and let the customer decide what they want to fix. Dealer ships suck no matter how you cut it with a single entity fighting internally, and compartmentalized parts, service, sales, office and each trying to fight for what will maximize profits.

You do not see me saying all "customers suck!", even though not 1 hour ago a guy I have known for years pulled in his car with a bumper repair needing a new bumper. He told me as long as I saved him his deductible he would give me the job. Really? So if I save your $500 deductible on an insurance job that will break down something like this?

250$ bumper cover, 1.5hr R&I time(35-46$hr) 2.5HR (35-46$hr) paint, maybe 100$ in materials which if I use quality paint and material will cost me that. Job total somewhere in the 5-600$ range. With a profit margin in the 200$ range if I do the job myself and do not pay myself for labor.

You will bring the job to me?

[rofl] Thanks I'll pass! and stand by my original statement.
There are good and bad in every field. If you are not happy and do not trust the mechanic you are going to find another.

[smile]Not too serious about this issue just a little slow at the shop today and mostly poking fun.[laugh]
 
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