# Should I pay for a part that does not repair the car? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** chevrolet, cavalier\ **Created:** [August 17, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-pay-for-a-part-that-does-not-repair-the-car/35201 "2009-08-17T22:40:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jvishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/958977/32.png) [@jvishy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jvishy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-pay-for-a-part-that-does-not-repair-the-car/35201/1 "2009-08-17T22:40:46Z")
My standard transmission Chev Cavalier kept coming out of gear. My longtime mechanic put in a new shifter (ordered part for $127.00) only to learn the transmission is defective. I junked the car and my mechanic wanted the $127.00. I paid him. Was he right to ask for the cash for the part that did not repair the car? ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-pay-for-a-part-that-does-not-repair-the-car/35201/2 "2009-08-17T23:07:07Z")
Possibly. Did He/She Tell You That The Shifter Would Definitely Fix It? The shifter probably wore out some time ago. That possibly caused the transmission to not fully engage the gear. That caused internal damage to the transmission. You could have needed both a shifter and transmission repair, but for $127 to replace a worn part that could have fixed it, it was worth a try. Could the mechanic have disconnected the linkage and manually put the car in gear at the transmission to see if it stayed in gear? Probably, but is this an argument you want to get into and risk losing your longtime mechanic? Are you going to fix/replace the transmission? How many miles on this vehicle? Your mechanic might cut you some slack on a used transmission transplant. CSA ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-pay-for-a-part-that-does-not-repair-the-car/35201/3 "2009-08-18T00:01:57Z")
I would have been so very reluctant to tell you a shifter replacement would cure a popping out of gear problem that I would not be facing you. Your mechanic seems to have no problem not only facing you but asking to be paid. What in the world made him think a shifter replacement would cure a popping out of gear problem? ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-pay-for-a-part-that-does-not-repair-the-car/35201/4 "2009-08-18T00:25:31Z")
You entered an agreement to let the mechanic use $127.00 of his own money to purchase a part for your car. You owe him that money. It sounds like he’s not even charging you for his labor costs. Consider yourself lucky and just pay him for his out-of-pocket costs, while you’re still ahead. ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-pay-for-a-part-that-does-not-repair-the-car/35201/5 "2009-08-18T00:34:28Z")
“Pops Out Of Gear” Causes Include, But Are Not Limited To . . . [list]Shift linkage interference or binding[/list] [list]Worn or loose pilot bearing [/list] [list]Bearing retainer broken or loose [/list] [list]Misaligned or debris between the bell housing & engine [/list] [list]Worn bearings & synchronizers [/list] CSA P. S. I would even add [list]“bad motor mounts”[/list] to this list. Since we don’t know what the mechanic found when checking the shifter, I don’t think we should crucify him/her. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-pay-for-a-part-that-does-not-repair-the-car/35201/6 "2009-08-18T14:09:07Z")
$127.00 tuition in the school of life. Today’s lesson: Reasons to find a better mechanic. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-pay-for-a-part-that-does-not-repair-the-car/35201/7 "2009-08-18T14:14:36Z")
This is my nominee for Best Response of the Day. ---
**Author:** ![lenjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f475e1/32.png) [@lenjack](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lenjack)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-pay-for-a-part-that-does-not-repair-the-car/35201/8 "2009-08-18T17:32:34Z")
Tell him you’ll pay for the shifter, but you want the part.