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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / June 2006question about cost to repair PS or rack & pinion
Hi everyone, Let me start by saying i am not a 'car person'. I put gas in it, drive it and change the oil in it as needed -- you know, the basics. I have no idea what things cost to repair, all i know is only expensive things break on my car. haha Anyway, yesterday it seems as though my power steering went out on my car (a 2001 pt cruiser). The steering wheel was suddenly tight but the car is still drivable. I tried filling my tires with air in hopes that would help the problem but it didn't (that had previously resolved this problem). I checked my fluids and they are fine too. In fact last week I had my oil changed and all fluids checked and topped off. I took my car to Midas today to have them take a look. They didn't have time to work on my car today but some one came out to take a quick look at things. He told me it appeared as though the belts were still on the pump. (all i really heard was a cash register ringing up what is sure to be a huge bill). He asked me if I had heard any sqeauling while driving. I told him that only once i had heard a low whine after this problem started. However, I have not heard it since. He told me it could also be the rack and pinion steering (am i spelling that right?). If it is either the PS pump or the R&P steering -- about how much do either of those things cost? I just want to prepare myself for the bill. Any info would be really helpful. its all i can think about at the moment; my money is so tight. I just need a number to prepare myself! Thanks! - Kelly > Hi everyone, Rack and pinion unit from NAPA costs ca $260 Power steering pump is about $60 Figure mechanics time at about $75 per hour, plus fluid, etc. Thank you!!! this makes me feel so much better! I don't love the $75/ an hour part (which i think is what midas charges) but i can deal with a few hundred dollars. i think i am a little gunshy because i suddenly had to replace my radiotor last year and it was almost $1000!! now whenever something happens i get a little worried about the cash i will have to put out. my emergency fund is just not that big! thanks again! - kelly > > Hi everyone, > Rack and pinion unit from NAPA costs ca $260 > Power steering pump is about $60 > > Figure mechanics time at about $75 per hour, plus fluid, etc. > Thank you!!! this makes me feel so much better! I don't love the $75/ > an hour part (which i think is what midas charges) but i can deal with [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > - kelly Kelly, remember that these are reference prices. Be sure you know what the garage, be it Midas or anyone else, is going to charge you. While you could march into NAPA and buy a rack and pinion unit for the prices I found for you, it doesn't mean that the garage of your choice will charge you the same prices. They can mark them up just about as much as they choose. I cannot imagine you had to pay a grand for a radiator replacement. Now, I don't know much about the PT Cruiser, but that is a LOT of money. If Chrysler wanted that much for a radiator, I would have looked for an aftermarket replacement, even a custom unit if I had to do so. Radiators can be had, usually, for $100-250 range. Putting them in is normally a 'cake walk'. Be sure you know what to expect before having this work completed. > > Thank you!!! this makes me feel so much better! I don't love the $75/ > > an hour part (which i think is what midas charges) but i can deal with [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > Be sure you know what to expect before having this work completed. Further to the above, http://www.speedyautoparts.com/find/CYPTCRUISERP22980102.html Radiator for the PT Cruiser costs $147 at this particular place. You might find better and worse, cheaper and more expensive but $1000!!!!!!! > Further to the above, > http://www.speedyautoparts.com/find/CYPTCRUISERP22980102.html > > Radiator for the PT Cruiser costs $147 at this particular place. You might > find > better and worse, cheaper and more expensive but $1000!!!!!!! One last item... You don't say whether you are male or female, and your name could indicate either. IF you are female, I am sure you know that there are unscrupulous mechanics and garages which will take advantage of your perceived lack of knowledge. They will do the same to a man who goes in and advertises that he knows nothing about cars, 'just fix it'. **You need to go in forewarned and prearmed with facts. Ask questions, get answers, and set limits. If you live in the USA, I might suggest you do the above**, and then look at the AAA website for their list of approved mechanics. Don't go with a pig in a poke. >> Thank you!!! this makes me feel so much better! I don't love the $75/ >> an hour part (which i think is what midas charges) but i can deal with [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] >in is normally >a 'cake walk'. Not in a PT Loser! Considerable disassembly is required. Tthe radiator, fans and condensor are all bolted together and intended to be replaced as a "module." You can work around this but takes a good deal longer than slapping a radiator in a Camry or a Honda. Even aftermarket, the radiator is a little pricier than most. Don www.donsautomotive.com >Be sure you know what to expect before having this work completed. > Not in a PT Loser! Considerable disassembly is required. Tthe > radiator, fans and condensor are all bolted together and intended to [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Don > www.donsautomotive.com That is a good point. There are always applications that take longer to repair, are more troublesome, etc. A grand seem a lot, but that would just about equal a 10 hour flatrate plus a radiator.. >> Not in a PT Loser! Considerable disassembly is required. Tthe >> radiator, fans and condensor are all bolted together and intended to [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >That is a good point. There are always applications that take longer to >repair, are more troublesome, etc. Try replacing the radiator in a '98 Taurus in your driveway. Chances are you will end up having it towed to a body shop unless you shoot yourself first! Bumper, grill, whole damn front end comes off to do it! Don www.donsautomotive.com > A grand seem a lot, but that would >just about equal a 10 hour flatrate plus a radiator.. >>> Not in a PT Loser! Considerable disassembly is required. Tthe >>> radiator, fans and condensor are all bolted together and intended to [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >>That is a good point. There are always applications that take longer to >>repair, are more troublesome, etc. ============================================================= >Try replacing the radiator in a '98 Taurus in your driveway. Chances >are you will end up having it towed to a body shop unless you shoot [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >Don >www.donsautomotive.com Bingo. That's my situation with a Taurus engine in a Mercury Sable body ( 2003 ). Otoh, No Damn Way I'm paying somebody else to do it, who is going to charge me $700 for labor. Lg >> A grand seem a lot, but that would >>just about equal a 10 hour flatrate plus a radiator.. "Lawrence Glickman" <Lawrence_Glickman@comcast.net> wrote in message > ============================================================= > >Try replacing the radiator in a '98 Taurus in your driveway. Chances [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Lg Even in a driveway, or in a carport, most of these things are possible. Some just aren't easy. And some jobs aren't easy for the mechanic with a fully equipped shop. I am retired, at present, and on a more or less fixed income. I do most of my own work because I like to do it, and because it saves me a potfull of money. I have become very VERY conscious of which cars have shitteaux reliability records, which ones are hard to repair, etc. Gone are the days when I want a car with everything from a dropdown TV to a flushing toilet. I do not want the hassle anymore. I want a strong ride, minimum problems, and no smartass sass from a lavender shirted prick service writer at an unappreciative dealership. I am starting out on two air conditioning projects this week and will work with a local independent shop to get the job done the way I want it done. We will discuss it, agree on a plan, and get on it. When I get to the point that can no longer find a way to get things done the way I want them, I will ride my bike .....or freaking lie down and die. But the day when I will buy a car that costs $1000 bucks to replace a radiator, and the day that I wouldn't try to do it myself, hasn't come yet. >"Lawrence Glickman" <Lawrence_Glickman@comcast.net> wrote in message >> ============================================================= [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >> >> Lg =================================================================== >Even in a driveway, or in a carport, most of these things are possible. Yes, I find driveway is best place, except in wintertime when I am forced to retreat to garage with a space heater. >Some >just aren't easy. And some jobs aren't easy for the mechanic with a fully >equipped shop. I've done radiators before, and none of them were easy. Especially when you don't have another vehicle to take you to a repair shop for a core replacement. The lesson learned is: buy the hardware BEFORE you begin the job, but in my case I was doing a water pump replacement and accidentally brushed against the radiator fins. That was enough to cause it to start leaking from erosion ( sandblasting and corrosion ). Now instead of one problem which I had prepared for, I had two problems, the radiator being the worst of it. It was a Mutha to repair/replace that. But I had no choice, so brought it in a borrowed vehicle to Roy's Radiator where they saved the end tanks but replaced the vanes. Still, cost me an almost severed right index finger and about $120, not to mention the grief factor. >I am retired, at present, and on a more or less fixed income. I do most of >my >own work because I like to do it, and because it saves me a potfull of >money. Saves me money I don't -have-. If you don't have it, you can't spend it. >I have become very VERY conscious of which cars have shitteaux reliability >records, which ones are hard to repair, etc. Gone are the days when I want >a car with everything from a dropdown TV to a flushing toilet. I do not >want >the hassle anymore. I think the Vulcan V6 I have is a *proven* engine. The AX4N tranny though...let's not go there. Don't mention it. >I want a strong ride, minimum problems, and no smartass sass from a lavender >shirted prick service writer at an unappreciative dealership. BTDT >I am starting out on two air conditioning projects this week and will work >with [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >When I get to the point that can no longer find a way to get things done the >way I want them, I will ride my bike .....or freaking lie down and die. Well, I would have lied down and died a long time ago, but I have to take care of the Ranch here, so can't even afford the luxury of checking out of the building. >But the day when I will buy a car that costs $1000 bucks to replace a >radiator, >and the day that I wouldn't try to do it myself, hasn't come yet. Yah for sure. When the day comes, I buy a radiator, hoses and fittings, and do it myself, making sure the house is stocked for a WEEK with food and meds etc, cause it's gonna be a bitch. Lg > >"Lawrence Glickman" <Lawrence_Glickman@comcast.net> wrote in message > >> ============================================================= > >> >Try replacing the radiator in a '98 Taurus in your driveway. Chances > >> >are you will end up having it towed to a body shop unless you shoot > >> >yourself first! Bumper, grill, whole damn front end comes off to do it Hi!! I am GirlyGirl, The lucky owner of a 98 Taurus with 100,000+ and a clogged radiator. I have to say, reading the boards online about this problem makes me feel a little better, not to be alone and to get a heads up on the cost of the repair and what is involved. My mechanic quoted me under 300 for labor and he also said the radiator people might be able to clean mine out well enough to reuse it. Ever heard of this? The car gets hot, the coolant cooks into something that looks like baby poop, if left unchecked it corrodes the fins in your pump and plugs up the radiator? I took it in right away, after the coolant reservoir popped and the car wouldn't start. Got a new reservoir, ran a pressure test, no visable leaks, ran a diagnostic, cylinders fine and pump still pumping after backflushing, radiator fans working well. My question is, what caused the overheat in the first place? GG > My mechanic quoted me under 300 for labor and he also said the radiator > people [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > plugs up the > radiator? If the radiator is not rotten with corrosion, it can often be cleaned out and reused. Even if some damage has been done, a good radiator shop can often repair the damage and get you going. They can also install a totally new, or even a custom, radiator. Baby poop in the cooling system can be emulsion from a oil leak (blown gasket, cracked block, or cracked head), or it can be rust from the engine block. The coolant doesn't normally degrade as badly as you describe. I think this is a problem that needs a calm and comprehensive examination, cleanout, and repair, not just a bandaid. >> Not in a PT Loser! Considerable disassembly is required. Tthe >> radiator, fans and condensor are all bolted together and intended to [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >repair, are more troublesome, etc. A grand seem a lot, but that would >just about equal a 10 hour flatrate plus a radiator.. Not everyone has a place to do the work, the knowledge, the interest, the skill set, or the time and tools required to repair these things. Some people have more money than time, and gladly pay the bill. Must be nice. I'm going to have a hell of a time with my own radiator when it needs service. So knowing that ahead of time, I'm reading up on it in advance. I'm sure it's going to be a PITA, but what must be done must be done. Lg Time to find another garage, you are being ripped off by the sounds of it! 'You' should go and check the fluid yourself. The power steering pump has a cap with a dipstick on it for checking the power steering fluid. You might just have a leaky fitting allowing the fluid to escape. Mike 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page) > Thank you!!! this makes me feel so much better! I don't love the $75/ > an hour part (which i think is what midas charges) but i can deal with [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > > > Figure mechanics time at about $75 per hour, plus fluid, etc. |
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