GeorgeK

Please share.

CaptainCalf

That was the shortest honeymoon in history!

Sounds like your mechanic is detail oriented, so you should have a tight car when he's done

cobalt

Short of engine or transmission rebuild what costs $12k to repair on these cars?

Might be time for a new mechanic.

Doug&Julie

EVERYthing is leaking on this car. Here's an overview of the quote in no particular order:

Inspect client's list - $223
Initial diag of power door lock malfunction, found passenger door lock malfunction, remove door panel, access, found cylinder linkage components had come loose, resecure, recheck lock operation, no further problem experienced at this time.

Initial diagnosis of SRS and seat belt warning light illuminated, access fault code memory, one code currently stored for low voltage, clear fault code memory, recommend client drive vehicle to see if code returns.

Inspect remainder of client's list, see estimate for details

60k service - $1578
Flush and renew brake fluid and AWD system - $209
Replace (2) small hoses to oil tank (leaking profusely) - $268
Replace power steering rack and pinion assembly (leaking heavily) - $3206
Replace all (4) rear C/V boots - $711
Replace air conditioning condensor fan resistor (failed, fan cycles constantly) - $263
Replace front diff pinion seal (moderate fluid leak), change front diff fluid - $551
Replace drive belts - $177
Replace door jamb switch covers - $27
Replace both missing rearmost clips for air filter housing (missing) - $37
Lubricate window tracks and engine lid cover release (all stiff) - $49

Not doing at this time:

Reseal camshaft chain housing to case and cam chain housing covers - $2408
Replace both front sway bar links (upper boots torn, no play yet) - $457
Replace front trunk support shocks - $120
Replace all (4) aftermarket wheel locks and replace with regular lugs - $60
Perform door pocket modification to both doors (cracked and breaking) - $309
Replace both distributor caps, rotors, and replace rubber drive belt (inspected, all are in good working order) - $687
Spare DME relay - $88
Access and clean ISV (not deemed necessary) - $99

Notes:

No failed fuses at this time
Vehicle battery passes test at this time
Spare tire, jack, wheel lock, and tool kit in place
Air con blows cold air, however low air flow from right center right vent, requires diagnosis
Front and rear brakes have approx 80% wear life remaining.
All engine undertrays missing
Both front strut bump stops and dust boots are torn.
Low tone horn does not function
Mirror switch cover missing.
Both power mirror switches failed, client is aware of this issue.
Both door panels have front upper forward plastic caps broken.
Driver side front seat belt upper trim cap and buckle stay missing.
Driver and passenger side rocker panels loose.
Alternator noisy when operating.
Ashtray does not lock into place.
Interior temp sensor cover missing, part of climate control head.
Heat sheild on left rear bumper lose (going to fix that, no quote yet).
Passenger side lower speaker cover is loose.
Spark plug wires are oil soaked, no cracking at this time.
Jack, lug wrench, and wheel key are present.
Airflow meter is vane stale, no recommended cleaning like newer airflow meters.

Doug&Julie

This is true. And about the only thing I have to look forward to. As clearly there will be no money for mods anytime soon.

I wonder if Julie will sell her Forester....

cobalt

Hate to say it time for a new mechanic.

The prices in blue are 3 to 4 times what they should cost. Also is it a ZF warrantied replacement or is he selling you a new part? You are better off with the ZF shouldn't cost you more than $1800 tops less if you know him well.

I recently had the 2 small oil hoses replaced along with the large steal braided hose that goes around the top of the tank requiring the entire oil tank to be removed and replaced. The hose itself was nearly $400 this was done at the same time as the reseal camshaft chain housing to case and cam chain housing covers All this work including all parts was less than $2k and it requied far more work. They also had to drop the entire exhaust to do it so all new seals were required there also.

What is he doing for the 60k mile service what is in red should be covered by that and it shouldn't even come close to that price. Spare DME's cost $40 on ebay. http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=por...1&_from=&_ipg= His price is higher than the dealerships.

For a little more money than he is charging for replacing your drop links you can upgrade the sway bars.

I can go on but if this is someone you have been using for a long time I would be outraged. On top of that he is charging you for reviewing you list even though you are giving him all this work.

Most of this work is simple stuff that you can easily do yourself.

Something to consdier.

xeps

What's included in this? A lot of other items (dizzy caps, belts, spark plugs, etc..) would be what I would expect - but they are listed seperately.
The steering racks are expensive for these cars. I would expect this could be monitored for leaking though, and you could look into (maybe?) having it rebuilt.
This seems incredibly expensive.

These are less than $30 from your favorite parts vendor. Buy one and keep it in the glovebox, might save you being stranded.


Is this the bumper or the heat shield on the cat?

ilko

Wow, I'm so sorry to hear about it! How much did you pay for the car?

WTF, they are $15 on Ebay!

A big +1 on that one! If you are even slightly mechanically inclined you can do a lot of those repairs yourself.

Here's a few examples:

Flush and renew brake fluid and AWD system - $209 - A couple of cans of ATE Blue and a Motive bleeder is less than $80.

Replace (2) small hoses to oil tank (leaking profusely) - $268 - Those hoses are ~$15 each, you can get it done when you change the oil.

Replace power steering rack and pinion assembly (leaking heavily) - $3206 - seems a bit pricey a new PS rack is $800 IIRC.

Replace all (4) rear C/V boots - $711 - you can get 2 used axles for $250-300 and do the work yourself.

Replace drive belts - $177 - belts are $75, easy DIY job.

Replace door jamb switch covers - $27 - check how much they cost and do it on your own, it's not hard at all.

Replace both missing rearmost clips for air filter housing (missing) - $37 - same as above.

Lubricate window tracks and engine lid cover release (all stiff) - $49 - a 10 minute job at home.

cobalt

I think your thinking the factory RSA manual rack which is $800 the power steering rack from the factory is $2400 or so from Sunset. In either case a rebuild from ZF comes with a 3 year replacement warranty and covers all costs if it fails I don't recall if there is a mileage limitation and it should cost between $1200 and $1800 installed. there are some places that offer rebuilds for as little as $400 but you are taking chances.

Doug&Julie

Thanks guys, I've got a call in to them to hold on a few things. (I'm waiting for their tech to get back from lunch.)

Good call on the ZF unit. They only use "factory" parts whenever possible, and I believe they're using a "factory remanufactured" steering rack. Either way, it's twice what the ZF unit is from Pelican. As long as my car will make the trip from Indy to Cinci as is, it will wait.

I'll have the oil lines replaced by my local mechanic if I can't do them myself.

FYI the $223 for "going over my list" also included the diagnosis and fix of the faulty door lock mechanism and plugging into the hammer to diagnose the airbag and seatbelt lights.

Yes I knew I could get a DME cheaper than their cost, thus it's on the "Not doing at this time" list.

60k service includes "inspection, oil change, fuel filter, air filter, valve adjustment (with new gaskets), spark plugs, manual trans fluid, lubrication". Yeah, probably more than I'd pay at my local mechanic, but not by as much as you'd think. I'll take that lump this time.

FWIW this is a shop I trust with their expertise, but am aware they are just below dealer when it comes to pricing. My instructions to them were to "make the car safe and reliable" with the list we created as an outline for what we want to cover. Now armed with their info, I'll see what I can do to reduce costs and work this out over time. (I originally wanted to just hand it someone and say "fix it" and be done with it, but I didn't realize it would be so involving!)

Thanks again.

cobalt

Ok sounds better as you explain it. Some shops you have to watch out for and sometimes people want only factory parts used. I actually insist on it on my turbo but my C2 is whatever keeps it running economically.

If we can be of any help to shave the dollars let us know. There are many things on that list that you can save a lot of money on. The general services sounds fair if they are doing all that work and I now see you got soemthing more than a once over for the $223.

Best luck with it once the pain goes away I am sure you will enjoy the car. Cosmetically it looks nice and I like the color although I am having hard time telling but is this 81L - Velvet Red Metallic. Pretty rare color.

Doug&Julie

OK just got off the phone with Christoph (tech) and we're going to hold on the steering rack for now and the C/V boots. Other items I've done a little comparison shopping and the savings are minimal, so I'm going to have them do it and it will be done. So it's down to about what I was expecting, of course now I know I still have some big $$ fixes coming up. But at least I'll be saving a grand or two!

Feeling a little better, but still a bit overwhelmed with the mountain I've created for myself. For sure I'll be checking around here for tips and techniques on fixes. I'm not terribly mechanically inclined, but getting better with each car I own. We'll chip away at it...

Yes, the car is Red Velvet Metallic with a dark grey interior that looks black in most photos. I hear it's a rare color, but ironically I've "met" about a half dozen 964 owners with RVM already!

Here's the car at Euromotorworks...still dirty from PO.

cobalt

The red version of my cobalt

Doug&Julie

I'd rather have your cobalt. I like this red for its unique (and pretty) color, but in general I'm not a fan of red (or red-ish) Porsches. Still...not going to complain.

Ken D

I'm not familiar with Euromotorworks, but I see on their webpage they are a euro-generalist shop. Would you consider taking it to a specialist for another look-though? Bob Farmer is a Porsche specialist in Indy and is widely praised.

BTW, I love the color!