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Car waterpump question - Oldsmobile/Cadillac
deathnote666
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Got a 98 Olds Aurora with a 4.0L Northstar engine.
Got a bad water pump and belt came off.
Separate water pump belt from serpentine belt.
Got a mechanic saying that the tensioner and puly got destroyed when belt came off.
Any mechanics that can confirm if this happens?
Got a bad water pump and belt came off.
Separate water pump belt from serpentine belt.
Got a mechanic saying that the tensioner and puly got destroyed when belt came off.
Any mechanics that can confirm if this happens?
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They may be bad communicators and using scary language to recommend something that may be a good idea while a person is in there doing repairs (scaring you into doing the right thing). To be clear, It's a shitty way of talking to a customer and they should be honest with their recommendations, but I know that those Northstars are shoe-horned into those engine bays, so changing the tensioner while the belt is off and accessible will likely save you money in the long run by overlapping labor.
The fact that they aren't speaking plainly with you however is a bit of a red flag... Sorry, can't be much more clear.
They were also saying the power steering fluid was spraying everywhere and need to replace the pump and belt. Basically brand new belt. Fluid level has been fine. Might have a very slow leak but isn't "spraying everywhere". At least not that I remember...
Having it towed somewhere else that is hundreds cheaper.
Had a previous bad experience with another dealer garage. Cadillac dealer. Different car. Charging system wasn't working. I suspected alternator. Got a rebuilt one from a chain part seller and the dealer said they'd install it. I had taken a picture of the engine before they took it. Get it back, charging system still not working... and the SAME alternator was still in there! Charged me $75 labor to change it. Took it back. They said they changed it. They actually said they took the clean one out and put the dirty one in, saying the part seller sold me a core. Number on the rebuilt matched the box. Showed them my time stamped picture. They still fought me. Went to the part seller and confirmed what was in the box is what they sold me. They were mad since they did favors for the dealer. Went back to the dealer, had more words with them. They then begrudgingly installed the correct part, saying they'll never install a customer part ever again.
Later learned it was the grounds, not the alternator but that was another garage.
That said, the tensioner is a $20 part if you get a typical aftermarket one, or $50 for the ACDelco original. What are they trying to charge you for it?
You can't give someone a pirate ship in one game, and then take it back in the next game. It's rude.
Doesn't seem outlandish, knowing how tough those Northstars are to work on, but who knows. I'd generally favour a garage with a stronger warranty just because of the risk of having to pay labor to do it again in a year if one shop put in substandard parts, but YMMV.