Auto Repair Rip-off...

PizzaMan5000 · Apr 15, 2014

You hold your tongue mister! jk, I love northstar caddy's, they are a great all around cars in general. The only big thing I can point out wrong that they did was a bad choice in head studs, and that's it! I pick up non running northstar caddy's all day for under a grand. As soon as they have a cooling system issue, people run away. It's a great way to make honest money, I even tell people I flipped it and how much I paid for the car.

I know how you feel, my truck was a diesel originally.... now it's a carbureted 305. But hey I got a 2500 with a hitch, good HD tires and a new battery for 500 bucks... Can't complain at all!

PizzaMan5000 · Apr 15, 2014

Btw on the crap engineering part, the door panels tend to get brittle (like all cars) but the doors have a nice solid THUD sound when you close them.... Which IS A SIGN OF QUALITY, a little polystyrene cement makes the plastic pliable again so it doesn't wiggle or anything.

Sorry jpt, I forgot who's thread this is

stoned-trout · Apr 15, 2014

you can pull codes on my car without scanner...you turn on and off key 3 times...yeehaw... i miss code free cars ...going oldschool again when i can, as any money saved on gas milage goes out the door on repairs and labor.... i want my old ride back damnit...just doing a tune up is a pain on new cars... i have to remove all kinds of shit just to get to coil,wires, plugs....oldschool rules

PizzaMan5000 · Apr 15, 2014

That gives codes?! How cool! I had a corvair, it just had a "the belt came off" light. I had to ADD a buzzer to it lol. So if in the future I GO OFF on Ralph Nader fans, you know why.

FlaDankster · Apr 15, 2014

I wish some of you fellas was closer to the south.I need a 420 friendly mechanic some thing serious.

Shoulda stuck hangin with my older brother as a kid messin with cars instead of spending every breath fishing.Now i can't fix my own ride...............but i can fill the freezer full of fillets though.We eat good................but that don't matter if-n-ya can't get to the damn water.

FlaDankster · Apr 15, 2014

stoned-trout said:
[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=52956&pictureid=1235348&thumb=1]View Image[/URL] [URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=52956&pictureid=1235348&thumb=1]View Image[/URL] you can pull codes on my car without scanner...you turn on and off key 3 times...yeehaw... i miss code free cars ...going oldschool again when i can, as any money saved on gas milage goes out the door on repairs and labor.... i want my old ride back damnit...just doing a tune up is a pain on new cars... i have to remove all kinds of shit just to get to coil,wires, plugs....oldschool rules

That is a nice little grill yas got there bro! :tiphat:

GrowerGoneWild · Apr 15, 2014

PizzaMan5000 said:
That's messed up, for future reference it is REALLY easy to scan obd1 codes at home with the internet for reference. And go to autoparts stores or oil changes places, they will run codes for free.

Not trying to go off topic ladies but...

OBD 1 like GM all you need is a paperclip or jumper to pull codes via the check engine light, and of course a manual to decode the flashes. I dont have OBD 1 in that truck.

Now I dont want to go into detail about make and model or year of my ride for security reasons or specific codes but OBD2 scantool was required. The dealership factory manuals I own show no info on how to trigger a DTC via the check engine light. This was not your annoying check engine light, this is the one that stops your ride dead in the middle of the highway.

You are correct about stores letting you borrow the scanner, however I was about 2 hours away from the closest parts store.

Since OBD2 is standard nowadays, I went ahead and got me a scanner/gauge. ScangaugeII I can clear codes, monitor engine condition, etc.. good little tool/gauge really.

Sorry to go off topic...

browntrout · Apr 15, 2014

If your going to be driving an automobile you should have at least some idea of how they work lol, It doesn't take much understanding to understand what things cost and time frames for each job. I understand most people do not and it is unfortunate that common sense is gone with the wind.

BT

PizzaMan5000 · Apr 15, 2014

GGG- What is the code? All of the codes are pretty much the same across the board, it's just some codes are only for loaded up vehicles. If the code came on BEFORE it died it could be all kinds of stuff, but if it came on AS SOON AS it died, it's just saying that you have no oil pressure and your alternator aren't working because it stalled.
Actually post in the hobby and interest-Automotive-strange car problems thread. Try to list EVERY clue possible- how it's running, intermitted shittiness, smells, sounds. All good things to know. Be as descriptive as possible.... I;m picking up tonight and I would like to ponder this one

FlaDankster · Apr 16, 2014

browntrout said:
If your going to be driving an automobile you should have at least some idea of how they work lol, It doesn't take much understanding to understand what things cost and time frames for each job. I understand most people do not and it is unfortunate that common sense is gone with the wind.

BT

Did this post ^^^ come about because of this post?

FlaDankster said:
I wish some of you fellas was closer to the south.I need a 420 friendly mechanic some thing serious.

Shoulda stuck hangin with my older brother as a kid messin with cars instead of spending every breath fishing.Now i can't fix my own ride...............but i can fill the freezer full of fillets though.We eat good................but that don't matter if-n-ya can't get to the damn water.

Just wonderin there brown trout.

PizzaMan5000 · Apr 16, 2014

I thought the browntrout post was a little harsh myself, but hey we all get into bad moods some times... We should give him the benefit of doubt. However....... Don't call me sexist for this- But we ARE in the WOMEN's forum, in a topic about being ripped off by mechanics who are TAKING ADVANTAGE of women. So it's kind of stating the obvious that the person who started this thread doesn't know about cars.

That's like going to a battered women's shelter and saying "you all should know how to fight".

browntrout · Apr 16, 2014

FlaDankster said:
Did this post ^^^ come about because of this post?

Just wonderin there brown trout.

No lol, didn't even read that one. Nothing wrong with doing a little fishing. I grew up in a machine shop but started learning about cars on my own, project car is coming along.

BT

justpassnthru · Apr 16, 2014

Thanks for posting, fellows. I do appreciate reading of all car issues and enjoy learning, even if I am bit old. Of course, the grey hairs are probably part of the reason they wanted to get me to pay more on repairs than the car is worth.

Everything is very interesting. As long as, we discuss cars and repairs..all is good here and it doesn't matter what gender you are, for this thread. just didn't want any other gals, falling for car repair rip-offs.

I was pretty lucky in finding the ultimate repairman in our little country town. Ultimately, I put in a low mileage transmission, radiator and had the rear main seal(didn't need it but, I requested it, since it was so close to the trans) changed out with the transmission. All for the same price the previous mechanic wanted for just the trans issue! I feel like I finally hit the jackpot with the last mechanic. jpt

stoned-trout · Apr 17, 2014

some shops take advantage of everyone ... its just generally women know less about cars..hell you could make up shit that dont exist and say its gone bad and they wouldnt know in alot of cases.. find a good trustworthy mechanic and keep with them... if you go price shopping bad things can happen... if i got the tools and machinery i can do everything but transmissions ,rear ends... those i just r and r...remove and replace.....

D. B. Doober · Apr 17, 2014

Everyone knows not to get repairs done at the dealership. Always bs price and work you don't need.

justpassnthru · Apr 17, 2014

D. B. Doober said:
Everyone knows not to get repairs done at the dealership. Always bs price and work you don't need.

That should be true and I never went back to dealers in the past. Until, I bought my new Toyota in '86; I was in an angiogram and mentioned I went back to Longo Toyota in El Monte for service's. The M.D. performing the angiogram and the assistent said, go to Valley High Toyota, right here in Victorville.

The doc said he was driving a 25 yr old Honda. Said he had an issue with the brakes, it handled bad and a few other things. He said he was prepared to entirely rebuild the front end, transmissions and brakes. They phoned him and told him, he only needed new brake pads and tires. He was thrilled. The assistant had a similar story. So, I tried that dealer and kept going there forever.

Valley High Toyota in Victorville, CA is one honest dealership..for repairs. They didn't even want to change the hoses and belts when I wanted to. I requested it anyway, as I was taking a trip across country.

Win some and lose some. I didn't price shop, the last shop could have charged me any price and I was ready to pay, was pleasantly surprised. :yay: Found a winner for my future repairs. jpt

tokersmoke · Apr 17, 2014

Not all dealers are scam artist overcharging bastards.With technology the way it is small shops will soon not be able to handle model specific diagnostics.That is mostly true today really.

stoned-trout · Apr 17, 2014

you got to invest cash.. i used to have snap on scantool...which could help diagnose about any car....looking into a hookup for my laptop now....i went back to school specifically to keep updated with all the newer bs.... its all actually easier now , before everyone had diff shit...i used to have huge piles of manuels of diff companies systems. the more i learned the more i want pre smog/obd cars/trucks again.....hoping for old chevy truck 350 as their about the cheapest with most after market stuff....

PizzaMan5000 · Apr 17, 2014

Yeah, older folks (no offense, I'm just young) seem to always be annoyed by electronic things on cars. In my opinion they make keeping a car in STOCK running condition quite easy. Smog is what throws me for a loop personally. Now, the electronics make MODIFYING a car difficult... But once you learn how to INTERACT with a stock computer, things become much easier and you can tune an engine much better than you could in the past by ear.

Think of it this way, how many modern cars do you see that won't start when it's very hot or cold outside? NONE. Hybrids are a joke however, same with the "Cash for clunkers" eco theme. Hybrid's use huge batteries that are manufactured in a INCREDIBLY dirty way, producing acid rain and bad shit like that.... And they are shipped from continent to continent for labor, tax, and ecological impact restrictions. Then they go bad after only 5-10 years. Keeping an old car running well (even if it isn't very efficient) is better for the environment than buying newer more efficient cars due to the manufacturing.

Besides!!!! Name one new car made within the last TEN YEARS that came equipped with VELOUR AND ASHTRAYS....You can't.... Or how about automatic seatbelts? Those made me feel like my car actually loved me and wanted to keep me safe

I settled for a caddy, has leather and 3 very nice- well lit ashtrays; all of which have their own lighter. Very cool.

dddaver · Apr 17, 2014

Speaking of hybrids, I read an article once that said that considering all the materials that go into making one and then how materials have to be shipped to be assembled, even driving a Prius for twenty years still wouldn't even come close to generating less than the the huge amount pollution generated in the when making that car. Therefore driving a Prius is actually WORSE for the environment than driving some big old gas guzzler. I have no idea if that article was true, but it does make sense.

Auto Repair Rip-off...

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