$1600!! If only I had the time!

[Basil]

Ordinarily, I would have change the water pump and timing belt (its past due) in my son's Saturn myself. But this time, when his Water Pump gave up, I just did not have the time and he needs his car for work, so I took it to my local Mechanic, but he told be there is a special tool required to remover the Pump from my sons car and only the Dealer has it (great). So I reluctantly took it to the dealr for a water pump replacements and a new timing belt (and I wanted the pullys and tensioner replaced on principle). Yesterday they called with the quote: $1600 PLUS Tax! Yikes!! Oh well, at lease the car is paid for.


Basil

 

[aeronca65t]

Yeah...I hate those types of things.

This Summer, Lin's 02 Protege' needed brakes and oil change.

$500 at the dealer!
I didn't have time for it so I just sighed and signed the check.

Part of the reason I was so busy was because I was swapping a trans, engine, and brakes into the racing Escort (a car that is based on a Protege')

 

[drooartz]

Sorry to hear of your pain, Basil.

They've got you, and they know it. I don't do work on our new cars -- no time for it and I really don't enjoy working on them. So off to the dealers they go as scheduled. Just one of those life expenses that you have to suck up.

Not fun, though. All that fancy packaging and computer-driven efficency makes modern engines difficult and expensive to work on. No real incentive for them to make servicing easy, as it's their dealers who get to proffit. Nice racket. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[jsneddon]

did the pump and timing belt on my '00 Neon beater-commuter-hoopty last fall.

AutoZone has the "special tool" for rent cheap.

But I'd almost have to say that it would have been worth paying 1200 bucks to have someone else deal with it.

Man Oh Man.... must have been 12 solid hours of labor by the time I had it all buttoned up.

The cover is held on with 4 inch long bolts that are 1 inch from the wheel well.... Had to jack up the engine about 9 inches to get them to clear and come out. I'm sure Saturn didn't do any better designing their version of how to stuff a perfectly good engine the wrong way into an impossible space.

I'd much rather pull the tranny on the TR-3 again...

 

[AngliaGT]

Again - the engineers that design this stuff should
have to work on their own designs (as well as the accountants).

- Doug

 

[2wrench]

Newer cars are not home mechanic friendly. This is
becoming a thing of the past. Maybe that's why
restoring the old cars is appealing.

At some point, likely it will not be so appealing any
more, sorry to say.

 

[Basil]

Newer cars are not home mechanic friendly. This is
becoming a thing of the past. Maybe that's why
restoring the old cars is appealing.

At some point, likely it will not be so appealing any
more, sorry to say.

Isn't that the truth! New cars have so many sensors that can go wrong its hard to keep track of them all!

 

[terriphill]

I believe its all part of the conspiracy....like everything else in our throw away world...why worry abolut quality and design....just throw it away and get another. Its easier than trying to fix it!

 

[martx-5]

Does he have a Saturn with a V6?? As far as I know, all the four cylinder's have a chain. With proper oil changes, the chain will litterly last forever. When they start to go, they give ample audible warning. I have 148k on my original chain.

 

[Basil]

Does he have a Saturn with a V6?? As far as I know, all the four cylinder's have a chain. With proper oil changes, the chain will litterly last forever. When they start to go, they give ample audible warning. I have 148k on my original chain.

Yes, its a LS2 with teh V6 and it does have a belt. Other than this the car has been remarkably reliable considering it has over 200,000 miles.