NYBo I’m going to expect that was done by Chrysler when they did the full inspection.I also had Chrysler do the inner and outer tie rods and sway bars when they did the subframe because I won a little jackpot gambling!
So you had the Limited…I’m glad I have the original '04 luxury model. It really is a world away from later models. I got it because it was a crossover and far from the soccer mom vans. I could never drive one of those. Now the new Pacifica looks exactly like that! Not a fan.
The original Pacifica changed very little over the course of its run.
The new Pacifica is an update of the Town & Country minivan, not a crossover at all.
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I don’t understand someone agonizing over the price of a pretty inexpensive brake job, explaining that they have a very limited budget, but then planning to change the wheels on their 13 year old Pacifica becaus the one rim has rust flecks from the rotor on it.
I am also sure that the mechanic was planning to replace only one caliper because you had told him about your limited funds and he had seen evidence of on side sticking.
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Nope @oldtimer-11. Apparently you’re another assumer. The mechanic has no
idea what my financial situation is. I don’t go around telling complete
strangers what is in my bank account. Did you have anything to add to my
questions?
I’m not agonizing. I think some things don’t add up. I don’t want to pay
for something I don’t need to and when I wasn’t on a budget, I was the
exact same way. I fail to see the problem with that.
Also, I didn’t say WHEN I would replace the rim and if you look on eBay,
they are readily available for less than $80. But I wasn’t opposed to
buying all new either for all 4 tires…then again, I didn’t explain how
much I planned to spend or when, did I?
If the mechanic has no idea of your financial situation , he should have recommended replacing both calipers.
I guess it was foolish of me to think you would share your financial situation with the mechanic that was pricing your job when you share it with complete strangers on the internet.
You seem to be very interested in not spending more money than you absolutely
have to on the most critical performance aspect of your car but are considering spending money on a minor appearance item that affects the performance not at all.
You are the one who came to this forum to ask for advice, don’t get indignant just because you don’t like it. You are free to ignore it, that won’t bother me at all.
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@old_timer Yes, I said I was on a tight budget. I didn’t say why, for how long, if it was a tight budget now, temporarily, the dollar amount I think is considered a budget…nothing along those lines. Getting an estimate and telling the mechanic anything about my personal life is not something I do, nor did I divulge any specific details to “complete strangers on the Internet”. .Are brakes THE most critical performance aspect of a car? I beg to differ, but they certainly are very important. I’ll repeat myself- I never said WHEN I plan to get a different rim but I definitely did not say I would buy one before I got my brakes done! That’s now how you are making it out to look but my posts are still there to read.
Yes, I came to this forum to seek advice about the caliper, brake pads, shoes and labor. I didn’t come to this sight hoping somebody had nothing better to do than direct a post at me with nothing but a flippant comment on what a cheap skate I am and how only an idiot would be more worried about replacing their rim before they could find the cheapest and best way to cut corners at all costs to do my brakes. That’s what I might as well have written because that is what my take away is from your comment that wasn’t advice nor did it answer any of the questions I posed.
…“just because you don’t like it”. What is “it” anyway? The way you are being rude and personally attacking me and for what reason, I’m sure I don’t know.
Might I add, in your first post you say “a few rust flecks”. A FEW Flecks? Did you see my rim? Did I describe my rim in vivid detail? Did I say that? Kindly point it out to me!
One would expect both calipers to be replaced but this is in a region where people have a difficulty with a one cent discrepancy in the labor charge.
When a customer objects to a bargain priced basic repair like this and wants to drive off with a metal to metal condition the conversation generally doesn’t end well. I have worked for managers that told the customer to call a tow truck because the vehicle is not drivable.
We charge $350 for a basic two wheel brake job, pads and shims. The brake work needed would cost much more where I live but perhaps a dollar could be saved somewhere.
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I did give you advice, I told you you mechanic should have told you to rep;ace both calipers. Yes, I think brakes are the most critical performance part of your car. I was not attacking you , I was just puzzled by your priorities. Rust on your rims has no effect on the operation of your car. I am also not responsible for your takeaway, only for what I write.
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@oldtimer-11 Well if we go back to your posts, how you replied to me as two people who do not know each other, your actions should be as if you weren’t behind a computer. Would you walk up to a stranger in person after listening in on their conversation and make a flippant remark, with facts you mixed up in your own mind, then walk away? Why would you feel my priorities are puzzling? That indicates that I made it clear, at least in your mind, that I’m getting my rim replaced before a brake job because that’s what I wrote, right? Like I said, kindly point these things out to me in my posts! I NEVER wrote that or remotely insinuated WHEN I plan to replace my rim. Is that clear yet?
You did not give advice until I replied to your first post and asked if you had answers to my questions to which you did put in your two cents, followed by another rude remark to the effects of “deal with it”. Yet I asked you other questions you refuse to now answer. What is the point of this site exactly? For anyone to come here for advice, comments and concerns regarding cars?
You were defensive as if I’m the one who started my first conversation with you the wrong way. That’s on you. I know what I wrote, the facts are all there to see and I’m not going to agree with you on anything at this point. You have offended me and I don’t deserve to be abused. Please stop responding to me.You keep doing that to other women who come here for advice… I don’t care what you do as long as it isn’t in response to me, unless you have an apology.
@Nevada_545 This region that has a one cent discrepancy in the labor charge, AKA me, was to make a point. Ugh…here I go again…
If labor is a flat rate, in this case, $60/an hour ON SALE that weekend only, I questioned why it would be entered into a computer that way. There’s no logic to putting in the charge as $29.99. If I wanted to get really technical and ask for a breakdown of that figure, would he tell me that he will install the caliper and it will take 29 minutes and 59 seconds? Of course not. To me, it’s just not logical to put in that figure- just put $30 bucks! See…I’m actually asking for it to be added, not subtracted. I questioned the caliper amount because it is in the wrong section. What’s it doing grouped in with the labor charges and without a part number? Makes no sense, especially if he claims he has to order the parts. I’ve determined that’s just not true. He wanted me to be in the very next day, then when I refused to be put in the days he kept saying, to make sure he closed the deal for Wednesday, he wanted me to call Monday to order those parts that suddenly take 2 days.
THIS customer didn’t object to a bargain priced basic repair and our conversation went well, despite him doing all the talking…sometimes that’s just how people are ( Didn’t I already write that?) Why, did it not go well in your mind?
Out of curiosity, how many people were fine with your manager trying to force them to have their cars towed home when they went there just for an estimate? How many returned after that? Personally since you’re talking about me anyway, I would never return to a shop who tried to force me to tow my car home… That’s just bonkers.
The labor cost IS a bargain, but not tremendously for where I live. They need business to stay in business. Again, it’s the sale price of their usual labor rate. There are half a dozen more repair shops they know I can go to.
Funniest thing about this whole repair cost is I was planning to pay my guy $75 to do the job before I got the estimate. When I told him Farm & Fleet’s sale price for labor, he said he’ll do it for $60, no problem. He doesn’t plan on it taking an hour and a half. He knows when he needs something in the future, I’ll be there for him. That’s how things work where I live, it isn’t always about the money, it’s about trust.
I guess this needs repeating as well…I will not pay for something I don’t feel is accurate or may not be necessary right now, no matter how much it costs or what my financial situation is. I will continue to shop the way I have since I started to pay for things myself as a teen. Lord knows my ex father-in -law drilled it into my head how I need to continuously put everything I can toward my retirement fund for so long, I listened.
If there’s nothing left that requires me to repeat, what I’ve already written, I’m logging off for some sleep now.
Goodnight all!
From a safety standpoint, yes they are, along with tires.
It’s a liability issue for the shop. Having a customer not come back beats getting sued for negligence.
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…and it also beats the lifelong feelings of guilt that would result from the death of anyone as a result of metal-on-metal brakes that need to be replaced before the vehicle is driven again.
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Annettemary2112, My first post wasn’t specifically addressed to you. It was just wondering about your post. I am was not eavesdropping on your conversation, I am on this site regularly, and you posted a question for answers or comments. Your belligerent attitude also puzzles me. Why do you care so much about my,or others opinion.
This will be my last response to yo you. Getting into a battle of words with a woman is like taking a derringer to a machine gun fight.
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Is this not the point where it is time to stop feeding the Troll ?
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What? That makes no sense. Just wipe the rust off. You’re missing a detail here…
Brake pads are ablative. They produce dust. You can’t get away from that. Wax your wheels and keep them clean. Is that what happened above? Not rust, but pitting because you let brake dust sit on the wheel for months?
And no warranty from the installer because he doesn’t know where your parts came from and, frankly, isn’t making any profit on them and therefore has no incentive to replace your parts for free if they turn out to be bad.
You’re quibbling over one cent? Seriously?
No one’s forcing anything on you. He’s not holding a gun to your head. If you don’t want his shop to do the work, go elsewhere. I tend to recommend going elsewhere anyway because big box store “mechanics” are a total crapshoot as to whether or not they know what they’re doing.
But fair warning, I almost never see a brake job come in under $500, so expect to pay a lot more if you take it to a real shop.
And speaking of money, you say you’re on a budget, and are looking for the cheapest brake replacement possible, but you want to buy new wheels because of cosmetic issues? That doesn’t make any sense. Scrap buying new wheels and you can pay for the brake job with money to spare.
Over the past couple of years I’ve seen more and more posters around here who do what you’re doing. They ask for advice, get it, don’t like it, come back with a bunch of nonsensical reasons why they can’t follow the advice, and then start insulting long-time forum members who are volunteering their time to give you advice for free.
Grow up. This isn’t Reddit. It’s not 4chan. This is a forum of and for adults. Rudeness is not acceptable here. You’ve been told what the best course of action is. You don’t like it. That’s fine. If you have questions, ask them. If you just want to tell people they’re rude and do bad lawyer imitations by cross examining them incompetently, go to one of the teenager sites, because it’s not welcome here.
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Didn’t you announce you were quitting back in January, then contact the admin to close the topic once I found your post?
Do you know the meaning of Troll?
Ok… I get it… Gang up on this chick and get her out of here!!
I’m not going to consistently repeat myself. I in no way said I am not happy with any of the real advice I was given… some only AFTER I had to stand up against someone rude and politely ask if they were going to answer some of my questions! There have been some really helpful people and I heard enough to make good decisions… and then came the jabs.
Is this the part where I’m expected to run away crying?
I think I"'ll have the admin take a look now, like Mr. Volvo did.
Your edit job is like a bad movie!
I’m only giving back what I’m getting. I have been nothing but thankful and polite until the comments began that were designed to be rude.
I can’t wait to show the ‘professional’ mechanic these posts. You’ve all turned on him faster than you turned on me!
And for the love of God, my rim was perfectly shiny and fine until this horrible noise began. I drove my car because so had no choice and had to go places. I tried alernative ways to get where I was going. There are no busses and no taxis. Dr. appointments are important to me. I dont know how much rust was thrown from the rusted rotor on there, but I now have a rim that is so badly rusted it is garbage, yet the other 3 are fine. I was going off the advice I was given, thinking that must be why its now garbage! I’m NOT BUYING RIMS NOR DID I EVER PLAN TO BEFORE THE BRAKE JOB FROM WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE MOST PROFESSIONAL AUTO SERVICE IN MY TOWN. NO ONE HERE WOULD PAY $500! NOT EVEN DIRECTLY TO THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP MECHANICS! I NEVER said I would do that OR buy new wheels.
I have a class to take today- i won’t be defending myself all through the day on here- I’m also not going to run away crying.
Btw, I’m far older than the average college student. and FAR from a teenager, though I’ll take that compliment, the best I’ve had since I turned 40 quite awhile ago. To be a teenager again…
What is 4chan? And Reddit? Please.
Keeping this on topic… Don’t cheap out on brakes. My standard car advice is always to spend the most on your brakes and tires. They are all that are between you, the road, and stopping. I don’t know anyone who complained that they stopped too quickly in an emergency situation.
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I was using that as an analogy, not to be taken word for word and I’m pretty sure you’re fully aware of that.
YOUR initial attitude toward me was puzzling and I was far from belligerent. I’m not going to treat others who treat me any different no matter their time as a member and I sincerely hope you do not use that as an excuse for your behavior.
A few words on labor charges . . .
Yes, the shop needs to display their hourly rate, in your case apparently $60/hr
Now let’s clarify exactly what that means
It means the shop charges $60 per billed hour. If they charge you 3 hours labor, you’re paying $60 x 3, that works out to 180.
It has pretty much nothing to do with the actual amount of time spent on the repair. If the shop took 5 hours to do the job, they’re still only billing you $60 x 3, not $60 x 5. And there may be instances where it took them less than 3 hours to complete the job, because the mechanic is smart, quick and efficient, but you’ll still be billed for the full 3 hours.
There’s no particular reason to charge only full hour increments. Why charge 1 hour labor, if it’s a very easy repair that will only take 1/2 hour?
As a matter of fact, there are quite a few professional mechanics active on this website, and some of them have responded to you. You don’t know who we are. For all you know, one of us could BE that shop owner that you’re dealing with . . .
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