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Car woes - Am I getting fucked?
Bionic Monkey
Registered User, ClubPA regular
Registered User, ClubPA regular
Stuff is going wrong with my car at an alarming rate, and to be honest, I just don't know enough about automobiles to know if my mechanic is fucking me over.
The car in question is a '92 Pontiac Grand Am, and during December during some bad snow storms, the ignition switch became stuck. Stuck as in I couldn't even turn the key. What's worse was something with the wiring kept the connection active, so even when I pulled the key completely out of the ignition, the car would still try and turn over. This was the first trip to the mechanic, and it got a new ignition.
We get it back, and less than two weeks later, it won't start again. The key will turn fine, but it just will not turn over. Absolutely nothing happens. It sits for a few days before I can take a look at it, but when I do, it starts fine for me on the first try. A few days later, same thing happens again, so I call the mechanic. Soon as I get it up and running, I take it over. He tells me it's the Neutral Voltage Switch (or something very similar if I'm screwing up the name).
He gets the this switch replaced, and now I'm told the starter is bad, and it's going to be another $200 on top of the $320 for the Switch (and $230 for the ignition). Frankly, I'm starting to feel like they're just fucking with me, but like I said, I honestly don't know enough about cars to know whether or not that's the case. God knows the car is a piece of shit to start with (it was only supposed to be a temporary stop-gap until we could save up a bit for a new car), but all this in two months seems like a bit much.
Regardless, at this point, I'm done. I'm not sinking any more money into this car. Assuming I am getting screwed by the mechanic, do I have any kind of recourse without any actual proof?
The car in question is a '92 Pontiac Grand Am, and during December during some bad snow storms, the ignition switch became stuck. Stuck as in I couldn't even turn the key. What's worse was something with the wiring kept the connection active, so even when I pulled the key completely out of the ignition, the car would still try and turn over. This was the first trip to the mechanic, and it got a new ignition.
We get it back, and less than two weeks later, it won't start again. The key will turn fine, but it just will not turn over. Absolutely nothing happens. It sits for a few days before I can take a look at it, but when I do, it starts fine for me on the first try. A few days later, same thing happens again, so I call the mechanic. Soon as I get it up and running, I take it over. He tells me it's the Neutral Voltage Switch (or something very similar if I'm screwing up the name).
He gets the this switch replaced, and now I'm told the starter is bad, and it's going to be another $200 on top of the $320 for the Switch (and $230 for the ignition). Frankly, I'm starting to feel like they're just fucking with me, but like I said, I honestly don't know enough about cars to know whether or not that's the case. God knows the car is a piece of shit to start with (it was only supposed to be a temporary stop-gap until we could save up a bit for a new car), but all this in two months seems like a bit much.
Regardless, at this point, I'm done. I'm not sinking any more money into this car. Assuming I am getting screwed by the mechanic, do I have any kind of recourse without any actual proof?
Bionic Monkey on
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A quick google search show the ignition switch being a problem on your model as reported here:
http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/1992-to-1998-pontiac-grand-am-6.htm
Trouble spots
Ignition switch: The ignition switch may not return from the start to the run position and the accessories such as the radio, wipers, cruise control, power windows, rear defroster, or heater may not work because the screws that hold the switch in place were overtightened. (1992-94)
You might get away with that if you just make sure the car is shifted in park when you try to start it, as it seems a little jiggle here and there can keep it going.
With the starter, you would here a click click if the car wouldn't start everytime you turned the ignition.
My old '99 Maxima, replaced the starter with an AC Delco part, lasted 7 starts before I started it up, and it kept running even while the engine went. When I turned the car off it was still going. I had to disconnect the battery so it would stop, and it fried itself. Go with Bosch parts.
Unfortunately, without the old switch or a second opinion on your starter, you'll never know. As for recourse, there really is none. Unless you've saved the old parts and had them tested more thoroughly to show the old ones were fine, you never can really know what was needed.
QFT. A stuck starter switch in my car led to my starter burning up (I took the starter itself apart after I swapped it...bits of charred brushes everywhere...real pretty). I would guess that they're not screwing with you.
On the upside, a used/rebuilt starter isn't too expensive, and if you have a friend who's mechanically inclined (can do just a bit more than change oil and brakes), you might manage the swap as a home job.
Still, only had the car two months. Not exactly thrilled with putting $700 into it.
PROTIP: Get a quote from the mechanic first, then hit up www.repairpal.com
Will help you to know if you are getting screwed.
I'll second repairpal.com
Because alot of people don't understand enough about their cars to have even a guess as to whats wrong. And because once you get a car it becomes necessary to getting around. So it becomes a huge bill they never expected, view as necessary, and still don't understand what the problem is or how it's getting fixed.
And shady places like Just Brakes & Jiffy Lube train thier employees to upsell you on crap you dont need.
Do you want a wiper change, new gaskets and a pony with that order?
"No"
Ok, we will get right on that pony
"But I said n...."
Two ponies?!
Pretty much. Picture how badly you could blow smoke at the general computer buyer who goes to a best Buy, or even lower down the chain, at someone who bought a computer at WalMart. That's about the level of familiarity most people have with cars - beyond "gas goes here, key goes here, these are the Go and Stop pedals" it's pretty much a deer-in-headlights response from most people nowadays.
Human nature means that people will take advantage of that.
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
Oh man, computer repair places are even worse...
I know, I work in that industry (Corporate though)
This depends upon the particular location, I just got pad replacement and rotors turned at a Just Brakes for pretty good price. They don't use as nice a pad as the dealer, but it's an "OEM equivalent" I've used before on my other car that they marked up about $20.
When all's said and done I was probably charged about $80 for the labor and markup, which was reasonable as I didn't relish the idea of getting under the car with jackstands and spending 3-4 hours doing it myself.
Service shops do have an eye out for problems and preventative maintenance and this is not an inherently scammy thing as most car owners do not perform adequate enough preventative maintenance. Also you can't make money on $10-20 oil changes.
From the starter issues in the OP, though it sucks you have to put that money into the car so soon after purchase I wouldn't assume a rip-off's occurring. When looking into getting work done on the car I always try to field several quotes from different shops, being sure to ask lots of questions of each disgnostician. Can't really do that now for the starter job now (though if you know what's to be done, you could call around and get quotes from other shops to source that part or do that work). Or you could pick up a Haynes manual and next time try to diagnose it yourself. I've gotten better rates when I tell them what's wrong and what I want done rather than have them diagnose (though if you're wrong here there's no real negotiation room as there likely is if they fucked it up).
I have a '99 Chevrolet trailblazer. Just recently there was a particularly cold morning leading to a very hard start (took 3 tries, about 5-7 seconds of chugging before it finally tuned over the 3rd time). Ever since then I have had great trouble getting the key out of the ignition. The engine will turn over without issue, but the key will not turn to the fully "off" position and be able to be removed. The engine turns off with no problem, and changes gears without issue (automatic transmission). But no matter what I try the key will not turn all the way off, it sticks in the position that keeps the alternator on.
This is proving to be a great issue as I have to sit in parking lots and constantly turn the engine over and off nearly a dozen times before I manage to do something that lets the key disengage and be removed. So far I have no idea and nothing I have tried has provided a consistent way to remove the key. I have also tried 2 different keys (one freshly made off the old key when I got the car) and that didn't make any difference.
Any advice? Also: Mechanic or Dealership fix? I don't know when will be the last time I can stick the key in safetly, and so I know I need to get this fixed now.
It's either that or the ignition switch/cylinder. The Battery would be the easiest to check.
I appreciate it Texi, is there any way I could test this at home? or should I just take it to the mechanic and get the tune up/fuse(or more then one at this point) replaced and hope that fixes it?
The mechanic I go to is highly reliable and honest, hell, because I go to him for everything I generally get discounts on labor and parts.
Whichever one is closest, really. If you do get a new battery, just make sure it's tested before installed; sometimes they sit for so long they go bad or do not have enough juice proportionate to the $$$ they cost.