I'd been having trouble with my car running rough, trying to stall and light bucking when I'd be accelerating. I broke down and the mechanic I've been going to for 8 yrs performed a repair charging me $215 and some change. He said the EGR valve was broken so he replaced it and I should be good. Well, it wasn't good. The problem is still there and now it's at a point where the car won't start most of the time....and if I DO get it started, I have to hold my foot on the gas all the way to the floor for about 4 minutes while it spits and sputters to life. On Friday I broke down across town. When I finally got it started, I drove straight to my mechanic's shop to have him check it out once again since I'm still having the same problem. Now they're telling me %26quot;looks like you need the ignition wire and a coil%26quot;. He said he sprayed it with something (I think a lubricant) and I should be good to go for a while. They were closing so we made an appointment for Tuesday for me to come back there so they could check it out further and see what it needed. I left there and went on to where I was supposed to be at the time. Two hours later I went to my car to head home and it wouldn't start. It wouldn't do anything. No clicks, nothing... no sound when I turned the key. By this time the shop was closed until Monday morning. I tried it several times over a period of about 30 minutes. Same thing every time.... no clicks or anything. Then all of a sudden it just started normally when I turned the key. I drove it home, noticing how bad it was running. It felt like it was really working hard to run and it was still doing the light bucking whenever I was accelerating. I got home and parked in the garage and it's been there ever since, because it hasn't started again since. Now I'm frustrated cuz I've already paid him so much money for a repair that didn't fix the car as the problem's gotten worse, and he wants to repair something else that it %26quot;looks like it may be%26quot;. Listen... I've been unemployed since October and have been doing everything I can just to keep a roof over my head....BUT I need the car in order to get a job. Everyone in my life is telling me I need to demand my money back on the first repair or at least have them discount it off the new repair. I just don't know what to think. It just seems like they're grasping at straws, but this is at my expense and I can't afford it. Like I said though... I need the car so I have to get it fixed somehow. I'm just not a good negotiator when it comes to this kind of thing.... or would that be debator? I don't know... I just know I don't do confrontations well. Any suggestions on how to handle this? AND does anyone maybe have some insite as to what the problem could be if it wasn't the EGR valve?
Thanks in advance to all that read and all that answer...I%26039;m so frustrated! My car won%26039;t run and they keep getting it wrong!?
A little more info like make model and year would help. But... A sticking egr will cause the bucking stalling. From what you describe now an ignition module can very well be the cause. The no start, the runs rough, can all be attributed to that. There are a few simple tests that can be done to verify if its working. The only problem is that often the cars seem to fix themselves while at the shop and as soon as you leave alone with the car they act up again. I dont know why that is but any mechanic will tell you as well. The reason I ask about the make, model, year is that sometimes a customer will bring in a vehicle that is either old and worn out or newer and never serviced. As a result I have to fix several problems to actually fix the %26quot;one%26quot; problem they have brought the vehicle in for. It's possible that both item were bad on your vehicle. As the consumer you have the right to either deny the mechanics recommended repairs and if you do agree to them you can ask for your old parts back. Also $215 bucks for diagnostics, parts, and labor is not a bad price. I know that often customers feel like they are getting taken advantage of but I regularly see vehicles that need a tune up before I even begin performing a repair. But you cant really expect a customer to pay that cost and then let you diagnose a repair. I am not saying that there are no crooked mechanics but you really dont last long in business like that (unless your the dealership).I%26039;m so frustrated! My car won%26039;t run and they keep getting it wrong!?
My mechanic has the car now and I'm waiting to hear ... but after reading answers here and doing a little research on my own I'm thinking we're heading in the right direction even WITH the EGR valve replacement. Thanks all for your help :)
Piggy36 :)
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I%26039;m so frustrated! My car won%26039;t run and they keep getting it wrong!?You really need to post what model car it is... $215 for an EGR replacement is quite a bit..I%26039;m so frustrated! My car won%26039;t run and they keep getting it wrong!?
Take it to a different repair shop for a second opinion.
Small claims court if you feel %26amp; have proof of improper repairs.I%26039;m so frustrated! My car won%26039;t run and they keep getting it wrong!?
well your garage guy sounds like a hack he should have ran a system scan for trouble codes it sounds like electrical to me seeing as it wouldnt even turn over maybe a couple different problems but i dont think it is one trouble code can set off a chain of events causing more problems that aren't really whats wrong what u can do for a bit of self investigation is if u can get it running go to autozone or a place like that and ask if they can run a scan on it they usually do for free and they will give you the codes that come up then u will have to research what each code means that will lead you the cause yes you will most likely get several and not all parts will be bad then you find a garage with good mechanics that care about there work and ask them dont promise ne work cuz they maybe shady just ask and talk to other garages get as much information you can the more same answers the more likely you found the problem. i cant say whats wrong with it to many possibility to guess at but that should lead you to a solution.I%26039;m so frustrated! My car won%26039;t run and they keep getting it wrong!?
The best thing to do is have it put on a scope! Either drive it or tow it to a shop that will diagnose the exact problem. Tell them your situation and tell them you know a guy that can fix it if you can figure out whats wrong! Don't let on that your dumping it off on them to %26quot;do whatever it takes%26quot; to get it running. Using a hand held scanner will list any number of trouble codes. But just one sensor, switch, solenoid, etc., etc. that is bad can affect the entire operation of other parts of your car. Thus another trouble code appears on your scanner telling you that this part is not working properly either. If you have the means to do it I would do the basic things myself. Check for spark, check for gas, check the compression and clear the trouble codes and start over. I recently dealt with a Pontiac where I thought it was a fuel problem. Then I was told the ignition module could be bad. I tested both of these things out myself. Nope neither one! Turns out I should have thought of basic mechanics, because the motor was shot! No compression on 1 cyl., low on another, and the other 2 were barely o.k.
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