AUTO REPAIR 101: THE AUTO REPAIR GAME--getting your car fixed at the dealer

[Stewart G Griffin]

AUTO REPAIR 101: THE AUTO REPAIR GAME---getting your car fixed at the dealer (or independant shop)part one.

i'd like everyone's best educated opinion on this one.  (Also, feel free to add or expand upon the general subject with areas that i did not touch upon or question)

One of my current dilemas is that i drive, along with the beloved 83 C-10, a 90 cavalier.  Yes, the beloved (or hated) J-bodies that were actually designed in the 70's.

What is troubling me is that not only is this car too complex for me to fix myself at this time, the last 4 times at the dealer were unsatisfactory.  The last time was for a running hot problem which i--someone who doesn't know what's going on was able to correct, while to people who supposedly know what they are doing failed to fix it;  They thought it was the head gasket, problem still there----i replaced the radiator myself--problem solved.  That was 2004 and i have not been back to that or any other dealer.  Thus, i have dealer distrust;  Maybe the dealer(s) can't fix them either because it's not "current technology?"   

My questions/concerns are:

1)Are most car dealers generally geared to fix cars that are within 5 models years?   2004 and newer?  Maybe fixing an older model takes too much time research and they feel they can't make  much money doing them and/or maybe they just can't fix them?

2) Maybe i just had bad luck with one dealer;  Before, my family and i had excellent service from this dealer, but the service manager died in 97 or something and then things started to go downhill;  They started to have a revolving door of service managers and i didn't particularly like any of them.

a) i am begining to believe(hoping?) that yes, a dealer is very capable of fixing a 90 cavalier or for that matter a 90 silverado etc.  i believe that the setup on a 90's gm car, while not exactly the same as say, a 2006 cobalt, is similar---they both have in-tank pumps, fuel pump relays, sensors etc.   This is analagous to a 55 chevy compaired to a 75 chevelle or 85 caprice.  If you were a mechanic in 85 at a chevy dealer and a 55 rolled in, the 2GC carb is maybe not what you were used to seeing, but since you were familiar with quadrajets, you're generally familar with that type of fuel system and could probably fix it without too much hassle providing you have the appropriate service manuals.

i think (hope) that the same would apply to a 90 model because the technology is similar;  They can fix it provided they have the service manual and also maybe some of the techs working there have been around for a while and have seen it before.

Maybe i just had bad luck with one dealership and maybe i just need to try another dealership?

Feel free to add/expand on this topic.
   

[Lt.Del]

Maybe i just had bad luck with one dealership and maybe i just need to try another dealership?

Perhaps you should scrap the "dealerships" altogether.  Find yourself an honest mechanic, someone you can learn to trust and stick with him.  There has to be other shops in your area.  Investigate each through the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and check about the number of complaints, etc.  Forget the dealerships, especially something that is more than 6 or 7 yrs old.   

[80stepsideguy]

I just took my 01 dodge ram into the dealership cause of a buy 1 get 3 oil changes free.And had them do a diagnostic check on a CEL (check engine light) and do a tune up.Came out to 187.00 and they were gonna charge be another 140.00 for the pieces that are need cause of the CEL a pressure solenoid and a gas cap.The parts were total 50.00 so i bought them and gonna do the repair myself and reclear the code with my scan tool. Other than that i take my cars to a good repair shop if i cant do the job myself other wise i do all my repairs at home and you save yourself a ton of money with a hayes or a chiltons repair manual by your side and some cold and tasties in the frig.

thanks
pat

[VileZambonie]

It's not a good garage, dealer etc that you want to find it's a good automotive technician. Find a good individual you can turst and who is knowlegable in all aspects of automotive. Ask around get to know them. Find someone who is at the very least an ASE certified L1 Mastertech with a few years under his belt.

[dumbucket1]

I take it's a 2.8/3.1? those motors are either really troublesome or they are great. If it's a 2.0/2.2 have had many of those blow head gaskets too.

[Stewart G Griffin]

1) it's a 2.2.  And when i had my run hot problem---was running much hotter than normal but not overheating, but was getting marginal, they claimed it was the head gasket.  So, they changed it, but the problem still existed.
a) the 60degree v-6 is one of my fav engines.

2) i am beginning my search for a decent tech.  Sadly, they are a disapearing breed.

[Irish_Alley]

the dealerships now days if it don't have an obdII port on it they just guess at what the problem could be even seen it done with the obdII. you need to find a friend or a friend of a friend thats a mechanic autozone brags about having ase cert mechanic but some of them are too cocky to know what there talking about, don't even think about trying to talk to them "just like a woman"

[VileZambonie]

http://www.iatn.net/shopfinder/

[Stewart G Griffin]

1) Can you explain a little more deeply about ASE certification?  Does it really help?  Is it a generalized test of knowledge?

[VileZambonie]

ASE is a VOLUNTARY certified national test of an individuals ability to competently diagnose service and repair all aspects of automotive. It is broken down into 8 categories in which the technician can become certified. The certifications expire every 5 years and need to be retaken for re-certification as technology changes. Once someone has worked a minimum of 2 years in the trade they can become certified. If the technician passes all 8 they become master certified. Once the technician passes engine performance they can also take the L1 advanced level specialist. You can find out more about ASE by visiting their website.

http://www.ase.com/

[Stewart G Griffin]

Ok , thanks.

2) i am actively searching for a decent technician, but also, i guess, another strategy for me---since i'm a little short on time right now---lots of junk going on etc. is to get a car with OBD-2 ,  96 or newer and then if it breaks bring it to the dealer(a different one)and they should have no trouble fixing it?

[dumbucket1]

I have had many of them cars with the 2.2 and all of them had slight overheating issues which was caused by a cracked exhaust valve.But I'm no ase mechanic just your backyard mechanic. Jeremy

[VileZambonie]

Keep in mind a good shop will have a good information database like alldata, Mitchell's, shop key etc. If they have this, tools, and good tech's working there you can bring your car anywhere no matter what year it is.

[jefferias]

haha this is funny.  k when i was younger (17) got my first car and knew nothing about them. i bought a stick shift and never even knew what a clutch was!!  took car into mech. shops and had some bad experiences not to mention how hard it hit the wallet. buddy started helpin me fix and he taught me the basics. well bout 9 years later and maybe 13 vehicles i do all my own work. have never taken to shops for nothing- well besides glass lol. so i too have had my share of displeasure with mech. services, but i dont regret it at all, cause i cant believe what i have learned and that its neverending.  my honest opinion is that you'll prolly have better luck with "small shops" as opposed to "big name" shops.  sorry for the big rant!!

[zieg85]

My dad once had a 92 Cavalier with a 4 popper in it.  It was a company car but he saw the bills that he signed.  It started running poorly, bogging down just like it was running out of gas.  His company lease plan had the local Goodyear folks do the work.  Several hundred dollars later after the fuel injection was basically replaced, that didn't fix it.  They replaced the catalytic converter on back thinking the cat was plugged.  Almost $500 for that.  By now it wouldn't barely get out of its own way.  They found out it was a faulty "new" air filter.  They cut it a part to find the fine filter element layer was on the outside and clogged right away but the filter had less than 500 miles on it.  The local Chevy dealer even missed that one.