The "Ask a Mechanic" Thread

[grhqofb5]

 

brake jobs are the most profitable for shops. They LOVE brake jobs. Shop it around, or seriously, look into doing it yourself. the internet is an amazing place for directions and such.

So I took my 2002 Ford Explorer to the dealer yesterday.  He told me that I needed my rear brake pads, calipers, and rotors replaced (Est. $699.00) and my front right wheel bearing assembly ($525.00).  Any thoughts on whether this is reasonable from anyone out there?

 

First off, I would heed Zoony's advice. Shop around.

 

If you are a female, find a male friend to take your car to another shop. I don't mean to sound sexist, but these places WILL take advantage of females. I have a friend who took her car (2005 Lexus SUV) to Midas (might have been some other place). They told her she needed all 4 rotors, calipers & brake pads replaced to the tune of $1300. She's in her late 50's and single. She called and told her boyfriend (an ex-mechanic who knows a lot about cars) what they wanted to do. He told her to get out of there ASAP. When she told Midas, they told her she was driving an unsafe vehicle and needed to sign a waiver that she wouldn't hold them liable if something happened. Seriously. Tried to scare her into paying for the work. She left and had someone just replace the pads. Let's just say the boyfriend got it straightened out at Midas the next day.

 

When was the last time the brake pads were replaced, where did you take it & how much were you charged? Rarely do calipers & rotors need to be replaced. Ask if your rotors are scored. Ask why the calipers & rotors need to be replaced.

 

I can't speak to the wheel bearing assembly. But it sounds pretty high. I thought they just repacked the bearings on those, but I'm not a mechanic. I would check the web for similar costs/ problems with you car.

 

 

the bearing now is usually sold in a sealed hub assembly unit

 

I would definitely shop around, especially to a independent shop, but that is not a excessive price at a dealer IF all that needs replaced

 

thanks.  BTW, i'm not a chick, but I feel like one when I'm dealing with mechanics.  Not to sound sexist.  When applying the brakes, I hear a grinding/scraping noise coming from the rear of the vehicle.  Not sure when the pads were last replaced, my dad had the vehicle until about 2008 and don't know the maintenence history.

[GoSkins0721]

 

 

brake jobs are the most profitable for shops. They LOVE brake jobs. Shop it around, or seriously, look into doing it yourself. the internet is an amazing place for directions and such.

So I took my 2002 Ford Explorer to the dealer yesterday.  He told me that I needed my rear brake pads, calipers, and rotors replaced (Est. $699.00) and my front right wheel bearing assembly ($525.00).  Any thoughts on whether this is reasonable from anyone out there?

 

First off, I would heed Zoony's advice. Shop around.

 

If you are a female, find a male friend to take your car to another shop. I don't mean to sound sexist, but these places WILL take advantage of females. I have a friend who took her car (2005 Lexus SUV) to Midas (might have been some other place). They told her she needed all 4 rotors, calipers & brake pads replaced to the tune of $1300. She's in her late 50's and single. She called and told her boyfriend (an ex-mechanic who knows a lot about cars) what they wanted to do. He told her to get out of there ASAP. When she told Midas, they told her she was driving an unsafe vehicle and needed to sign a waiver that she wouldn't hold them liable if something happened. Seriously. Tried to scare her into paying for the work. She left and had someone just replace the pads. Let's just say the boyfriend got it straightened out at Midas the next day.

 

When was the last time the brake pads were replaced, where did you take it & how much were you charged? Rarely do calipers & rotors need to be replaced. Ask if your rotors are scored. Ask why the calipers & rotors need to be replaced.

 

I can't speak to the wheel bearing assembly. But it sounds pretty high. I thought they just repacked the bearings on those, but I'm not a mechanic. I would check the web for similar costs/ problems with you car.

 

 

>the bearing now is usually sold in a sealed hub assembly unit

 

I would definitely shop around, especially to a independent shop, but that is not a excessive price at a dealer IF all that needs replaced

 

thanks.  BTW, i'm not a chick, but I feel like one when I'm dealing with mechanics.  Not to sound sexist.  When applying the brakes, I hear a grinding/scraping noise coming from the rear of the vehicle.  Not sure when the pads were last replaced, my dad had the vehicle until about 2008 and don't know the maintenence history.

 

Grinding/scraping is not good. It "usually" means the brake pads have worn down to the bare metal (i.e., there is no "pad" remaining only the metal that holds the pad). And that problem "usually" means the rotors are scored (i.e., the metal from the pad has made indents on the rotor. It's no longer flat.) If that's the case then you probably do need new rotors. But, they still might be able to be "turned". That's where they take the rotors off and shave down the rotor to make it flat/even across the rotor. Much cheaper then buying new rotors. BUT, to me that doesn't mean you need new calipers. Those things rarely ever need replacing.

 

Go online to Advanced Auto to see what new rotors & pads cost for your SUV. And price out the expensive ones, not the cheap ones. Add 2 hours(?) total for both wheels at $80(?) per hour and that should give you a decent idea of what it should cost.

 

You should be able to see if there are indents in your rotors. Or by running your finger across it (if you can reach/see them). Just be sure not to touch them for about 1hour after the car stops running. They get really freaking HOT and you'll burn your finger. Not that I've ever done any such thing. Just saying...

[Koolblue13]

Rear pads? Nuts to that. Just put pads on yourself and forget about it. The rear only does about 15% of the breaking anyway. I just did hubs and rotors on my Exploder about 6 months back. I pulled them from another truck in a junkyard though. Should take about an hour.

[grhqofb5]

Thanks for the advice everyone.  I went to a separate shop yesterday and had the rear pads and rotors replaced for $330.  Well worth the saved aggravation. 

[GoSkins0721]

Thanks for the advice everyone.  I went to a separate shop yesterday and had the rear pads and rotors replaced for $330.  Well worth the saved aggravation. 

 

That's a reasonable price for that type of work. As I mentioned above, your rotors were probably scored and needed to be replaced or turned based on the grinding sound you heard. Replacing calipers is just grand theft auto.

 

As KB mentioned above, replacing only the brake pads probably would have worked for you, too.

 

Some cars have built in sensors to indicate when the pads are getting low. It's a wire inserted inside the pad. When exposed, the contact with the metal rotor turns on a dashboard light.

 

Replacing brake pads is a pretty easy job for the DIY'er. Most of the time is spent jacking the car up/down and taking off the tires. Do this on a regular basis and you should never have to worry about replacing rotors.

 

One last dealer brake story and then I'll shut up:

 

My wife had a Volvo C70 convertible. A horrible, horrible car. I'll never buy a POS Volvo again! But I digress. So she takes the car to Moore's Volvo here in Richmond for a 30k mile checkup. The car was about 4 years old but only had 30k miles. The Service Manager tells her she needs new rotors all the way around. She calls me (I'm out of town). I told her to tell them not to do anything, get the keys and bring the car home. I traveled home that evening and called the Service Manager the next day to ask him what was wrong with the rotors. He told me the mechanic measured the thickness of the rotor and it was worn down below the minimum thickness. I told him there was no ****ing way a car with 30k miles could have worn down the rotors. No way. He stands by his claim, I tell him goodbye and that's the end of it. Or so I thought. Later that day, he calls back to tell me the mechanic misread the standard width for that model year car and that it was in fact good to go. Moral of the story: The mechanics at Moore's Volvo in Richmond are thieves.

[China]

There must be a lube job joke in there somewhere:

 

Salem Ford Technician Caught Masturbating in Customer's Car

 

Police arrested a Salem Ford technician Thursday who was masturbating in a customer's vehicle while on break.

 

Mark A. Rice, 44, of Hooksett, N.H. was arrested and charged with two misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure.

 

Salem Police were dispatched to the Marshall's parking lot at 12:06 p.m. for a report of a male subject exposing himself in the vehicle.

Rice was in a black Hyundai Sonata bearing a Massachusetts registration, parked approximately six cars away from the front of the business.

Salem Officer Robert Holland responded to the parking lot, where he subsequently found the vehicle.

Holland exited his cruiser, walking one car length away from the car.

 

At that time, he could see Rice in the vehicle with his genitals exposed.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Springfield]

Ha! The ask a mechanic thread has it's first China article! We're making it big!

[Koolblue13]

I just got an 86 CJ7 and want to punch it in the face. I can get it to stay running for a bit, if I stand on the gas, but it's rough. The vacuum lines are mostly removed to get better fuel economy and I don't need emmisions here. The wiring must be okay, because it does start and run sort of. I had to kind of rig the electric choke wire for it. It has had a Nutter Bypass done to it already. It's bare bones and staying that way. It had old fuel, that I handled. New filter and it's pumping just fine. I'm going crazy.

[Springfield]

Good luck on that KB.

[JamesMadisonSkins]

My check engine light has been on for quite some time now. I've had it serviced for tires and oil in that time and no one has asked about it. I do notice that it sounds like my car (toyota highlander 2003) is making a loud-ish muffler sound when accelerating ... could be related. Almost like there's  a leak in the muffler system? But the car runs fine and the noise only appears when I'm accelerating heavily. I'm dreading asking about that check engine light because I'm afraid that it will inevitably lead to a pricey bill

Edited June 14, 2013 by JamesMadisonSkins

[twa]

My check engine light has been on for quite some time now. I've had it serviced for tires and oil in that time and no one has asked about it. I do notice that it sounds like my car (toyota highlander 2003) is making a loud-ish muffler sound when accelerating ... could be related. Almost like there's  a leak in the muffler system? But the car runs fine and the noise only appears when I'm accelerating heavily. I'm dreading asking about that check engine light because I'm afraid that it will inevitably lead to a pricey bill

the light is usually bad o2 sensors,the noise is probably carbon build up in the catylitic converter/muffler or rust

 

must be nice to live where emmisions are not checked

[Koolblue13]

Good luck on that KB.

Thanks. haha. The Nutter hasn't been finished, so I'm going to finish that up, can't check the timing if it's not running. I'm at a bit of a loss, but I'll keep you posted. It's gonna be nasty when it's running.

[Springfield]

My check engine light has been on for quite some time now. I've had it serviced for tires and oil in that time and no one has asked about it. I do notice that it sounds like my car (toyota highlander 2003) is making a loud-ish muffler sound when accelerating ... could be related. Almost like there's a leak in the muffler system? But the car runs fine and the noise only appears when I'm accelerating heavily. I'm dreading asking about that check engine light because I'm afraid that it will inevitably lead to a pricey bill

It shouldn't be too expensive to have the check engine light checked out at least. It's good to know why it's on in the first place.

If you tell me what code is stored for the check engine light there is a very good chance I can tell you what is wrong with it based on that alone.

Good luck on that KB.

Thanks. haha. The Nutter hasn't been finished, so I'm going to finish that up, can't check the timing if it's not running. I'm at a bit of a loss, but I'll keep you posted. It's gonna be nasty when it's running.

I like wranglers. I don't like carbs or anything that isn't 21st century for the most part. That part is a pain in the ass.

[Bliz]

The guy in the office next to me is driving a 98 Maxima.  Noticed the antifreeze was low, so he refilled it.  But in doing so he went well above the "maximum" line, which I guess was somewhere in the middle of the tube, rather than toward the top.  Any potential problem in doing that, or is the "maximum" more a guideline than a rule?  If it is a problem, how do you drain some of it out?

 

Thanks!

[Koolblue13]

The guy in the office next to me is driving a 98 Maxima.  Noticed the antifreeze was low, so he refilled it.  But in doing so he went well above the "maximum" line, which I guess was somewhere in the middle of the tube, rather than toward the top.  Any potential problem in doing that, or is the "maximum" more a guideline than a rule?  If it is a problem, how do you drain some of it out?

 

Thanks!

Don't worry about it. There is a drain on the bottom of the Rad, but I wouldn't do a thing.

[CrypticVillain]

unless it is whistling Dixie, probably not :silly:

I am glad somebody bumped this thread. I gave up on the Tahoe and brought a Crown Victoria. Gave the truck to a friend. He told me that it was a loose rod in the engine.

[Koolblue13]

I am glad somebody bumped this thread. I gave up on the Tahoe and brought a Crown Victoria. Gave the truck to a friend. He told me that it was a loose rod in the engine.

and I'm reminded of how much of a pain in the ass this old CJ that I haven't tried to work on since is and tomorrow I'm getting back into her. Damn it. haha

[twa]

Don't worry about it. There is a drain on the bottom of the Rad, but I wouldn't do a thing.

 

yeah the worst that will happen is some will overflow,and probably not that since he seems to have a leak

[Bliz]

yeah the worst that will happen is some will overflow,and probably not that since he seems to have a leak

 

Thanks guys.

[Koolblue13]

yeah the worst that will happen is some will overflow,and probably not that since he seems to have a leak

exactly. if it's already coming out, maybe having too much will help him find the hole.

 

side note, not auto, but whatever. For a month and a half I've been dealing with trying to find a large leak in a few hundred yards of water line, that goes from a 1,600 gallon cistern to 6 cabanas and it's been kicking my ass and causing so much tension that I quit the farm I've been working on. I finally started just trenching out from anywhere I could find hose, because nobody knows where the **** it goes. Yesterday, crawling around on my belly listening, I found it. 2 feet down and under a large patch of bamboo. It was a quarter inch slice, from a rock I guess, that was on the bottom and the water would just follow the line down underground, so it never looked wet. What a ****ing glorious day it is. I'm climbing into the rum early and eating bacon. Tonight I dance.

[BALLz]

I have a fog question. dont know if it's car issue or a legal issue tho.

 

Why do fog lights turn off when you switch from low beams to high beams. I've looked this up before and the only answer i've seen basically suggested that your focus would be on area lit by the fog lights instead further ahead where the high beams are shining. Which is pretty much the stupidest thing i ever heard because if that were the case theyd have to ban driving during the day when everything is lit

 

 

The reason i ask is i've rewired the fog lights on my car to come on with the parking lights and not the headlights. So they no longer turn off when i turn on my highbeams.

Edited December 20, 2013 by BALLz

[Springfield]

In Virginia that should not pass a safety inspection.

[twa]

Because high beams generally worsen visibility in fog, and as Springfields says it should not pass inspection.

 

they are designed to illuminate the ground/road

[BALLz]

Well my high beams aren't always on with the fogs. I can drive with just fogs, fogs and low beams or fogs and high beams. Basically the fogs are on anytime the lights are on.

[Springfield]

Well my high beams aren't always on with the fogs. I can drive with just fogs, fogs and low beams or fogs and high beams. Basically the fogs are on anytime the lights are on.

I'm not sure where you are because I'm on my phone but that won't fly in VA if go to an inspector who knows what they are doing.

The fogs have to automatically go off when the high beams are on.