90 CRX HF.. is $160-180 a fair price for a tune up

[dylanu]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a86...IMG_0304-1.jpg

thats a pic of my gas hand and i cleared the trip odometer when i filled up and as you can see it looks like im only gonna be getting 300 or so so only 30mpg.
I dont know when it was last tuned up... could be never. i did hypermiling techniques too so should i go for the tune up? The guy said he would change the spark plugs, timing belt, air filter, fuel filter, change the oil, run tufoil and some other stuff for between 160-180 dollars altogether.

[Daox]

Doesn't sound too bad to me.

[SVOboy]

Not bad at all if he's doing a new timing belt / water pump

[Ford Man]

Originally Posted by dylanu

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a86...IMG_0304-1.jpg

thats a pic of my gas hand and i cleared the trip odometer when i filled up and as you can see it looks like im only gonna be getting 300 or so so only 30mpg.
I dont know when it was last tuned up... could be never. i did hypermiling techniques too so should i go for the tune up? The guy said he would change the spark plugs, timing belt, air filter, fuel filter, change the oil, run tufoil and some other stuff for between 160-180 dollars altogether.

Is he going to replace the plug wires? Bad plug wires can be just as bad as bad plugs. Some people like to go ahead and change the water pump while the timing belt is off. Is that included in his price? If he does the tune up he should also check the timing. You could save yourself a little by going and buying your own plugs, plug wires, air filter, fuel filter, oil and oil filter and do the simple things yourself. You should be able to do all these things in about 1-2 hour of your time. If you are a mechanical type you should be able to change the timing belt and water pump yourself with the help of a service
manual that can be bought at an auto parts for under $20. If you don't want to change it yourself you could ask what he would charge to change it for you. That is if you want the water pump changed now.

[some_other_dave]

Sounds good for just the timing belt and water pump, even. I have paid $300 or more for the same kind of thing, but shop rates are pretty $$$ in my area.

-soD

[ankit]

I come from a family that is mechanically inapt. My dad wouldn't change his own windshield wipers. We barely have any tools. Yet was still able to learn how to change my oil, and air filter. I am positive that with the proper tools (autozone or advanced auto parts has loner tools) I could do the spark plugs and wires. The internet is great to where someone is always nice enough to do a step by step for your next maintenance project. You might even be able to find the Hayne's or Bentley manual (as above mentioned) for free on the internet.

I don't fully trust mechanics, no matter how well I know them. This is only because I've seen some videos on the internet (specifically jiffy lube ones) that work paid for wasn't done. By doing the work yourself, you know that it was done and you also save money in the process.

ChiltonLibrary.com - Authorization Error <---Free CRX oil change how to with pictures

ChiltonLibrary.com - Authorization Error <---For every other ecomodder on this site that wants to be cheap and look at their online version of the chilton manual. (like me).

But other than that, the price of the tune up seems to be good.

[TestDrive]

Originally Posted by dylanu

[url]only 30mpg.
I dont know when it was last tuned up... could be never. i did hypermiling techniques too so should i go for the tune up? The guy said he would change the spark plugs, timing belt, air filter, fuel filter, change the oil, run tufoil and some other stuff for between 160-180 dollars altogether.

The price sounds low to me - suspiciously low - as in too good to be true. I'd expect just the timing belt alone to be $100-$160 parts and labor. Are you certain he said timing belt, not multi-rib or serpentine belt? Did you get a written estimate? (HINT HINT HINT)

With 119K on the odometer of a 18 year old car and "don't know when it was last" done, a new timing belt is definitely in order. If that possibly 18 year old piece of rubber fails suddenly (entire possible, fairly probable if it's really that old) the engine can become non-repairable in about 0.5 seconds.
I think this is a bigger priority than the tune-up. (Spark plugs, Air Filter, Fuel Filter)

Since the water pump has to be removed in order to replace the timing belt, as others have suggested, a new water pump at the same time is an excellent idea - as opposed to 1,000 - 50,000 miles down the road with additional labor costs, possible break down, tow charge, engine damage due to overheating ... But, if you're strapped for cash, and there is no slop in the bearings of the old pump, I'd use the old one, and put the cash toward plugs and filters.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

[Ryland]

last time I changed plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air filter, pcv valve, and a few other tune up related parts i spent nearly $50 in parts, so not having t get your hands dirty makes it seems like a good deal, add to that another $90 for timing belt kit and a water pump.... sounds like someone needs to get this all in writing, then pay someone else $20 to check his work.

[ankit]

Wow I guess I didn't actually add it up, but the parts would end up costing a great sum of that tune up money. $30 plugs+ $30 wires+$20 belt+$20 cap+$10 air filter+$15 oil change materials+$15 for fuel filter=$135. This doesn't leave much for labor. I think something is shady.

[thefirebuilds]

The guy said he would change the:

spark plugs: $8 for parts, 45mins labor
timing belt: $15 parts, 2-3 hours labor
air filter: $10 parts, 10mins labor
fuel filter: $15 parts, 30-45mins labor
change the oil: $30 parts, 15mins labor

run tufoil?? (whats this mean?) and some other stuff for between 160-180dollars altogether.

Parts: $80
time: 4+ hours @ $60/hr - $240

Sounds like a steal. $60/hr is a damn cheap shop rate, and even at that he's way cheaper. I would recommend the following as well:

new plug wires - $70, 15 mins labor
new distro cap - $15, 10 mins labor
new rotor - $10, 15 mins labor