gearheads...a little help pls?

[VBM]

Hero drives Acura 96 TL2.5, 138k miles.

Dealership alerts Hero to cracked distributor, quotes $800, as distributor is situated in unfavorable place in the car.

Hero consults his regular mechanic who, over the phone, confirms dealer's approximate pricing for parts+labor.

Hero gets estimate from Aamco who also says distiributor requires replacing, but quotes $560...

Hero...?

[slickpoppa]

definitely go to the cheaper place. installing a distributor is not that hard and is not something that needs to be done by the dealer.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

So... you're in the dealership with your distributor not attached to your car... I say suck it up and pay the $800.

[ThaSaltCracka]

Aamco is legit, I got my clutch replaced there. They always try to beat everyones price. You live in WA right? If so, did you take it to the one in Bellevue?

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
So... you're in the dealership with your distributor not attached to your car... I say suck it up and pay the $800.

[/ QUOTE ]AAA tows for free, I believe.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So... you're in the dealership with your distributor not attached to your car... I say suck it up and pay the $800.

[/ QUOTE ]AAA tows for free, I believe.

[/ QUOTE ]
If you can get a free tow, then I'd say go to Aamco or get the dealer to do it for $560-$600.

[jakethebake]

Make sure it's not your johnson rod. If it is, take it to Puddy. He'll never cheat ya. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[VBM]

sorry, they were looking it over for somethign else when they saw the crack in the distributor. It wasn't actually removed, and they asked if I wanted to get the work done...

[VBM]

yup, i sure do and i sure did /images/graemlins/smile.gif

...experiences there? good? bad?

[stabn]

[ QUOTE ]

Hero gets estimate from Aamco who also says distiributor requires replacing, but quotes $560...


[/ QUOTE ]
Aamco. They can't screw it up, there's nothing technical about it, save the money and go there.

[VBM]

[ QUOTE ]
Make sure it's not your johnson rod. If it is, take it to Puddy. He'll never cheat ya. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

completely over my head, but i read everything u post to look at ur avatar. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[slickpoppa]

the cost of a distributor is $300 web page (http://www.carparts.com/cgi-bin/sewse?/u/www/webepc.com/cmm/scripts/epc20.cmm+jcw-carparts)
So they're charging you $500 for labor because the distributor is in a weird spot? I call BS. take it to aamco

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
yup, i sure do and i sure did /images/graemlins/smile.gif

...experiences there? good? bad?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, well I can't really complain. My clutch had to be replaced and my former regular mechanic said he would do it for close 900. I said damn, talked to a few people, one of my co-workers said his mechanic could do it for 675 w/new parts. The only problem, his mechanic lived down in the Burien area, which was a bit far. So I go to AAMCO talk to the mamager guy, tell him what I need done, he gives me a rough quote of around 800 with new parts, and the parts were K&M new (I have a 4Runner). I tell him about this other mechanic and he says he will call me tomorrow with a solid price. So he calls me and tells me they'll do it for $675 with the same parts. So I take it there to be worked on, and they say they'll have it done in one day, well for whatever reason, the parts showed up late that day, so it took them an extra day. Same price and everything. I haven't had any problems at all with the install.

Thats my story, I would go there again too.

[cardcounter0]

Hero goes to yellow pages and find reliable independant mechanic to do job for something inbetween dealer price and aamoco price.

Dealer mechanics are always the highest, and a lot of times aren't the best.

Aamoco is a chain, and has monkeys working for them.

Independant Mechanic has enough smarts to be able to make it on his own without having to work for dealer, or stoop to working for Aamoco. He wants your business and will do the best job possible to get your future business.

[ThaSaltCracka]

just another story about my 4runner. My water pump and my timing belt blew out a few months ago really close to my house. So I get it towed to mechanic, and he quotes me 970. I had to bite that bullet, still pissed to, last time I took my car there. I think "neighborhood" mechanics [censored] you over more than any of those big chain places.

[stabn]

[ QUOTE ]

Aamoco is a chain, and has monkeys working for them.


[/ QUOTE ]

Monkey's can do this job. Take it to an independant for the first time in a case where you really need to save money and have the job done by someone reliable. This is a job hero could do with a book and the part himself if he really wanted to.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Aamoco is a chain, and has monkeys working for them.


[/ QUOTE ]

Monkey's can do this job. Take it to an independant for the first time in a case where you really need to save money and have the job done by someone reliable. This is a job hero could do with a book and the part himself if he really wanted to.

[/ QUOTE ] Monkeys do most automotice work. None of it is really hard to do, learning how to do it is hard though. AAMCO has just as many Certs. as an independent mechanic.

[slickpoppa]

i don't think you got ripped off. a broken timing belt totally f*cks up your engine

[ThaSaltCracka]

maybe I did, maybe I didn't but I don't trust them anymore.

[stabn]

[ QUOTE ]

Monkeys do most automotice work.


[/ QUOTE ]
Some is harder than others though. This is barely above the level of changing your oil.