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Xist · 03-02-2015, 09:02 PM

I was pretty grumpy when I walked home. It was not the shop's fault that I got lost, but when I got the estimate from the shop two blocks away, I wanted to have them do it.

I just spent eighteen minutes talking to the salesman from We Fix it. I wanted the other shop to at least look at the estimate, but the main reason that I did not approve the repairs was that when he gave me the total, I said that I needed to take a hard look at my finances and get back to him tomorrow.

Then he started pushing. I honestly did not see why he did.

He said that a basic timing belt replacement is $874, but the super-duper, mint-flavored, jumbo deluxe timing belt replacement was $1,264, but wait! There is more!

He said a few times they warranty all of their work for five years and sixty thousand miles.

The larger total includes the valve cover gasket, all necessary seals, and he said the distributor and oil pan (oops!) were also leaking.

I replaced the oil pan (incorrectly) once, I can replace it (incorrectly) again!

I imagine that I can replace the distributor seal, too.

He also said that if the valve cover gasket or others are still good, they will not replace them.

So, I should ask specifically how much for each of the oil pan and the distributor gasket?

AutoMD shows eight different estimates for the valve cover gasket, although he said the total labor would be 4.3 hours (@$95 hourly). That must be for just the timing belt. A Victor gasket is twenty dollars and should not require additional labor. I forget how much I paid for my oil pan gasket and somehow I cannot find it at Majestic Honda or another dealership, but I do not think that it cost much. However, AutoMD says the labor would be 2.5 hours ($237.5, $254.84 with tax).

So, maybe it would be three hundred extra for the oil pan gasket and ninety for the valve cover gasket?

I think that I will call in the morning and tell them to change the timing belt, but not the oil pan gasket.

AutoMD has estimates varying from $678-$1,018 ($727.49-$1,092.31 with tax), so the price does not seem terrible, and the cheapest estimate, which is probably missing more than tax, has a three-month, three-thousand-mile warranty.

03-02-2015, 09:02 PM	#19 (permalink)
Xist Not Doug Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Show Low, AZ Posts: 12,240 Chorizo - '00 Honda Civic HX, baby! :D 90 day: 35.35 mpg (US) Mid-Life Crisis Fighter - '99 Honda Accord LX 90 day: 34.2 mpg (US) Gramps - '04 Toyota Camry LE 90 day: 35.39 mpg (US) Don't hit me bro - '05 Toyota Camry LE 90 day: 30.49 mpg (US) Thanks: 7,254 Thanked 2,233 Times in 1,723 Posts	I was pretty grumpy when I walked home. It was not the shop's fault that I got lost, but when I got the estimate from the shop two blocks away, I wanted to have them do it. I just spent eighteen minutes talking to the salesman from We Fix it. I wanted the other shop to at least look at the estimate, but the main reason that I did not approve the repairs was that when he gave me the total, I said that I needed to take a hard look at my finances and get back to him tomorrow. Then he started pushing. I honestly did not see why he did. He said that a basic timing belt replacement is $874, but the super-duper, mint-flavored, jumbo deluxe timing belt replacement was $1,264, but wait! There is more! He said a few times they warranty all of their work for five years and sixty thousand miles. The larger total includes the valve cover gasket, all necessary seals, and he said the distributor and oil pan (oops!) were also leaking. I replaced the oil pan (incorrectly) once, I can replace it (incorrectly) again! I imagine that I can replace the distributor seal, too. He also said that if the valve cover gasket or others are still good, they will not replace them. So, I should ask specifically how much for each of the oil pan and the distributor gasket? AutoMD shows eight different estimates for the valve cover gasket, although he said the total labor would be 4.3 hours (@$95 hourly). That must be for just the timing belt. A Victor gasket is twenty dollars and should not require additional labor. I forget how much I paid for my oil pan gasket and somehow I cannot find it at Majestic Honda or another dealership, but I do not think that it cost much. However, AutoMD says the labor would be 2.5 hours ($237.5, $254.84 with tax). So, maybe it would be three hundred extra for the oil pan gasket and ninety for the valve cover gasket? I think that I will call in the morning and tell them to change the timing belt, but not the oil pan gasket. AutoMD has estimates varying from $678-$1,018 ($727.49-$1,092.31 with tax), so the price does not seem terrible, and the cheapest estimate, which is probably missing more than tax, has a three-month, three-thousand-mile warranty.