#I had to get my serpentine belt & other stuff replaced last year

[pumpkinland]

The worst thing about the issues I have with my car is that I can't even say it's a lemon or that it was poorly maintained before I bought it or that I was lied to about anything or that it has issues abnormally frequently & of notable severity it's genuinely all completely normal expected wear and tear for its age I just can't afford it. Like when I say "completely normal" I literally mean "there are dying/malfunctioning sensors that need to be replaced which are expected to last roughly 10 years but it's been 15 years"

[smoothshift]

Mechanics starting to seem shady... Need help? via /r/cars

Mechanics starting to seem shady... Need help?

I have a 1996 Audi A6 2.8 12v v6 sitting at a shop at the moment due to a snapped serpentine belt. I had the car inspected by an Audi tech, and they claim the belt snapped due to a seized A/C compressor, along with rough tensioners. They also told me the cam plug seals were leaking and a few other things, but with money being an issue as of now that can't be an option for me - I digress...

The total was a bit, but I was given a solid paper estimate and the Audi dealership would've had all of the parts needed to begin the job the next day after approval. Since I could get the service done cheaper somewhere else, we got the car towed to another shop that would do the work for 1/3 the price.

So we got the car towed to the new destination, great. Drop it off, go inside and tell them what's wrong. They tell me they're going to go over and look at everything on their own and get their own idea of what's wrong with it. But, I told them everything I personally thought was worth mentioning to get this car back on the road.

A few days pass, I get no call, so I call them. They tell me that the obvious and most prominent problem is the most obvious and most prominent problem, and that they don't see a use to replace the seals that need to be replaced along with hydraulic lines to the power steering rack. However, when talking about the lines (red flag #1) he didn't even know of the color the fluid in those lines should be. I told him it was green, he says, "really? Oh, usually in Audi's it's red!" I tell him "Nope... It's green..." Keep in mind that I've just replaced the ENTIRE cooling system and it DOES NOT need to be tinkered with in any way. The COOLANT in that car is red, not hydraulic fluid.

Alright then he goes and tells me that it's not something he sees that needs to be done, but there is "seepage".

The oil leaks he didn't seem too concerned about either-- whatever, just need the car back on the road. (At this point it's been about three days since the car has been at their shop)

The guy also tells me that it's going to take about 7 days for the A/C compressor to come in the mail. I confirmed that it's okay and he gave me a price for the "work" that will be done with the vehicle, and that as soon as the part comes the vehicle will be done on that same day.

Now, here's where stuff starts to get a bit weird.

Last week Friday he told me that it's a "same-day" job, and that the part should be there "today or tomorrow" so my car should be done then. Also keep in mind that it's been ME calling THEM. I have not received a single call FROM them.

I call again on Monday, they tell me "oh yeah the parts in town now we just gotta go get it"

"Okay... Thank you so much." I have been very polite and understanding with them because they have my baby in their hands. They tell me it'll be done by Tuesday, now.

So, I call on Tuesday, and they tell me some shit, I don't even remember. All I know is that my car still wasn't done on Wednesday. I called, they said it'd be done on Thursday. At this point I also as for a paper estimate to be faxed to me, and of course they didn't do that, why would they if they can't even update me about my car? I call Thursday, they tell me it's still not done and that it'll be done Friday morning. At this point my car has been there for 17 days, and they told me last week Friday that my car would be done on last week Saturday. The mechanic working on my car had to tend to good wife's "medical emergency" which I understand. This leaves me car to be done Saturday instead of the Friday morning they told me on Thursday.

So I go down there, and ask for an estimate and I also want to just see my damn car. They give me an estimate with no vin, one part, wrong year of my car (difference between 12v v6 vehicle parts and 30v v6 parts... yuge.) The estimate is the most incomplete thing I've ever seen. All they put on there was the price of an A/C compressor, and not a serpentine belt or the tensioners that need to be replaced in order for the car to actually end up on the road again. The estimate they gave me VERBALLY over the phone was $828 or "$800 and change" another time I ask.

Anyways, wtf is going on? Are the going to fix my car or do they have no clue what they're doing? Should I be worried? Why would they take 17 days to fix my car? I'm tempted to get it towed to somewhere they know what they're doing at this point and just paying the extra money to ensure precision, accuracy, and quality. This customer service is down the drain, as well.

Help? Suggestions? Anything? Need input.

Edit: art on mobile + half asleep I'll post estimate pics tomorrow if need be

[diglettdaprophet]

Save our future

I started my journey of fighting for disability here in Florida back in Jan. of 2016. I applied on my own and got denied. I waited for a few months while getting as much documentation together, x-rays, MRI's, CT scans, while also making sure I kept up with every therapy appointment and didn't miss a single dose of my medication. I was diagnosed with mental illnesses in 2015. Around that same time I started getting severe pain down my right leg along with severe back pain which turned out to be nerve damage from bulging discs compacting my sciatic nerve. I was struggling to continue my overnight job as an aide at a retirement home because I couldn't keep lifting residents in the middle of the night to change them. I had to quit in Sept of 2016 and that's when I reapplied with an attorney in Nov of 2016. We got the second denial, we appealed, and received a court date for Sept of 2017. At that point my husband was struggling to keep paying for rent, bills, my therapy appointments, medication, a car, and just life on his own when Irma hit and even though we were all safe and fine, government offices closed to prepare for the storm and with just my luck, one of the days they closed was supposed to be my hearing. So it got pushed to Jan of 2018. We scraped together every dime we could and got an RV since it was cheaper than an apartment. We moved to a campground in Inglis, Fl Dec of 2017 because my husband got a better job offer and things were going well and I made it to my hearing for disability in Jan 2018. My husband then got laid off in June of 2018, but I had talked to the RV park manager and told him that fingers crossed, we should have been hearing back from my attorney any day on whether I had been approved, and she was optimistic that I would be because the hearing went well. 

Late June, I had started not to feel well, and surprise! We're expecting! Now, let me just say that it was definitely a surprise because I have always been some form of birth control! I had been getting the Depo shots for the last two years when we received the news. I even made sure it wasn't a mistake of mine and that I hadn't missed an appointment. Nope. Moving into August of 2018 is when I got the denial from the judge on my disability and the news from my lawyer that for some reason, we couldn't appeal or even reapply until after the baby is born because the judges have to remain unbiased. I even called other attorney's and they confirmed as well so maybe it's a Florida thing. 

My husband eventually found a job in Ocala (Inglis is really in the middle of nowhere) in Oct of 2018 as a busser. He also got approved to start driving for Lyft but was having to go out to Tampa to get any ride requests. It was putting so much strain on our only vehicle and after three flat tires, one of which still has the donut on it because we can't afford to replace it, a new battery, a serpentine belt that shredded and resulted in a tow plus repairs, he stopped driving. He's still employed with them, but until we live closer to civilization, we can't run the risk of the van breaking down again. We've been putting every dime we can spare towards our balance. 

We should've had it almost completely paid off but I didn't receive my stamps this month and we've had to use cash for food (preggo women eat a lot, especially when my doctor ordered me to eat every 2 hours) and I was supposed to get cash assistance since it's the last month of my pregnancy and I didn't get either. I fell through the cracks because I had to reapply by the 15th, which I did, but DCF didn't process my application in time due to the shutdown. The park manager and owner have been so kind to work with us but I know they're getting fed up and I don't know if I can handle the stress of being asked to leave.

I was admitted to Seven Rivers Regional in Crystal River on Saturday, the 12th with a blood pressure of 170/100. I thought they were going to do an emergency C-section but they got my BP under control and put me on strict bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy but my husband missed work that day and the next to monitor me and, even though he only makes $5.44 an hour, we can't afford any time missed if we want to catch up before she's due in a little less than three weeks. Surprisingly enough though, I don't really need anything at all for our baby girl. People have been so kind. Between friends, family, acquaintances, even complete strangers, I have enough stuff to last a while. I'm also worried about what's going to happen with WIC due to the shut down because, yes, I'm planning on breastfeeding, but I know that's not always 100% guaranteed, so I added more to the goal in case I need formula once she's here. I also updated the amount for a wheelchair and a portable ramp since I'm not sure how much mobility I'll have after having her with my spinal deformity. I know once we catch up, we'll have no problem staying caught up, it's just a matter of getting there.

Thank you for your time, anything helps at this point. I just don't want to become homeless right as I become a mom.

$800 for rent to be caught up

$500 for bills to be caught up

$200 for a wide wheelchair (I'm bigger and need a specialty chair)

$150 for a wide portable wheelchair ramp

$50 roughly for a heavy duty 250lb plus cane

Whatever is left over for formula just in case WIC is cut next month (February) when she's due and food since I'm not sure when we'll next receive our food stamps

[pawlikautomotive]

2007 Ford F150, 5.4L Engine Replacement

Bernie Pawlik, Pawlik Automotive Vancouver, BC http://pawlikautomotive.com  (604) 327-7112

Mark: Hi it’s Mark from Top Local, we’re here with Bernie Pawlik, Pawlik Automotive in Vancouver, Vancouver’s best auto service experience, 17 time winners of Best Auto Repair in Vancouver as voted by their customers. How’re you doing Bernie?

Bernie: Doing very well.

Mark: So we’re going to talk about a Ford F150, 2007, what was going on with this truck?

Bernie: This vehicle got towed into our shop because it wasn’t running properly. Suddenly when the owner was driving it the engine started misfiring and when we did a diagnostic on it we found that there was a number of trouble codes on the right cylinder bank for misfires, also codes for camshaft timing. So usually when that sort of sequence of codes happens, especially if the misfires are all in one bank, it usually indicates a problem with a timing chain issue. So we did a diagnostic on it, we found that the timing, we pulled the valve cover off, we found that the timing chain had actually, the guides that hold the timing chain tight had broken so the timing chain skipped a tooth and caused a few engine problems, pretty severe in this case.

Mark: So how common are timing chain problems with these Ford engines?

Bernie: Fairly common. We do see a number of them, over the past year we’ve seen several. It’s a complex system. It uses two timing chains, plus it has variable valve timing mechanism, so there’s solenoids, there’s sensors, plus the guides and tensioners. So there’s quite a few pieces that are in play when the engine is running. It’s one of those engines that’s critical to change the oil regularly because you definitely don’t want to gum things up but even that being said they can still fail.

Mark: So what options do you have as an owner do you have when timing chains might fail so catastrophically?

Bernie: Well it depends on what stage of the failure. There’s a solenoid that will sometimes fail that can be replaced and that will fix the issue but once it’s catastrophically failed like this, usually the best option is to have a re-manufactured engine. It’s definitely costly, but it’s the best way to just fix everything and just start fresh. Other options are to take the engine apart, you can take the timing cover apart, maybe replace the chain but if there’s any damage to the pistons and valves, that’s going to cause, obviously that’s not going to fix it. The other problem that happens on these engines too is that the oil passageways can sometimes be blocked and they can be hidden, I mean it’s a very complex system throughout the whole engine and if you can’t find the blockage or you don’t know that there’s a blockage and you put all the chains back together, and the engine will still run crappie, you’ll have really wasted a lot of money because doing timing chains on this engine is an extremely expensive job. So really the best option is a re-manufactured engine. I mean, another option is a good used engine, but with used you never know if you’re, you might have something that’ll last for 10 more years or 6 months down the road and have the same or some other problem.

Mark: So that’s a pretty huge expense, an expensive kind of job, is it worth it?

Bernie: Well I think for the most part it is, so for this particular truck and I think I kind of lied when I said it was an F150, this truck is actually a Lincoln Mark LT, which is basically an F150 but it’s a Lincolnized model. So this truck has more value than an average F150 but for the most part, a truck with a reasonable mileage it’s worth fixing because trucks do tend to hold their value fairly well and they’re a little more useful than cars I think so they tend to last longer than cars and are often worth spending the money on but it’s up to the individual owner, you’ve got to kind of crunch the numbers and go am I better so spend $10,000 bucks fixing this thing or should I just trash it and get something else. So that’s up to the individual owner but of course if the engine’s not working the truck’s really worth zero. I’ll just share a few photos here of the job. We went with a Ford re-manufactured engine. I really like these engines because they come complete. You get all the valve covers are on, the timing covers are on, it comes with new, the cam sensors are located here, you get new cam sensors, it comes with all the gaskets, it actually even comes filled with oil and new spark plugs. So it’s still a lot of work but it’s really a nice drop in job and done very complete and they work really well. So it costs a little bit more than some other re-manufactured engines but not a lot and I think for the owner you’re getting a better product. There’s a side by side, here’s the new engine ready to install, there’s the old engine with the valve cover off, you can see where my mouse pointer is, that’s the timing chain there and the guide that failed is located down in this area here. There’s the cam shaft, cam lobes, yeah so that’s the old engine, there’s the new engine and then what do we got here, here’s the engine bay with the engine removed. So a couple interesting things to look at here, this is the transmission bell housing where the transmission bolts to the engine and this is the torque converter that’s like basically a fluid clutch which is used in all automatic transmissions, so this is what engine couples to the torque converter that drives the transmission, and just here, the exhaust pipes where the exhaust pipes hook up, you’ve got your steering column here and all these wires are basically just hanging loose for the time being but they’ll all get connected up as we put the vehicle together. The air conditioning compressor sort of sits in place. So basically that’s the view of the engine compartment without the engine in and then when we have the engine  back in, that’s kind of the view which still looks kind of cluttery, because this thing is not by any means ready to run or go yet but you can see the alternator is installed and all that wiring that was hanging down below most of it has been re installed in various spots.

Mark: You still have the radiator and basically the serpentine belt etc to put in?

Bernie: Yeah that all needs to be put in. The belt, the radiator, fan, more wiring and the engine computer and then it’s ready to run.

Mark: So it’s a tough call, even with oil changes regularly you still might run into this problem with these motors?

Bernie: Yeah, they still do. I mean owner for this vehicle, he’s taken pretty good care of it and changed the oil, so it does happen from time to time. Your best defence is absolutely change your oil regularly, every 5 to 6 thousand kilometres is a good safe interval without changing it too often, you know just do that regularly and the engine will last as long as you can get out of it.

Mark: And how do you find these Ford trucks overall for reliability?

Bernie: Well I just say fair, I mean we’ve talked a lot about these in the past, the timing chains are one thing, but the engine that happens. I often like to compare what are the other brands, like equivalents and I always think of Chevy and Dodge but I guess there’s always the Japanese make a lot of large trucks too and the Japanese trucks, we very rarely ever see any problems with them but the GM’s, really the engines are fair more reliable than the Ford’s. They don’t have spark plugs that blow out or strip in the heads,they don’t have the timing chain problems like these, really just as reliable as can be. The Dodge is the same, they’re pretty reliable as well so I’d say Fords are definitely the lowest on the totem pole of reliability but for some reason they keep selling more and more. I mean, when they run and usually they do, they run really well. So it’s a nice truck it’s just stuff goes wrong.

Mark: So how are they, to be fair to Ford, how are they, this is a 10 year old vehicle, how are they as they got newer, say in the 3 to 5 year old range, are they having this kind of issues?

Bernie: Well you know, we don’t see a lot of them in the 3 to 5 year old range for some reason, but definitely things like the spark plug problems that Ford had with their V8’s are definitely gone and on some of the newer trucks too they have the eco boost engine and we haven’t see a lot of problems with that, it’s a V6 engine with twin turbos which is a fantastic idea because you’re getting a lot of power and economy in a small engine in a larger truck but there’s a lot of complexity to that that’s bound to be causing problems and I know they are out there but for some reason we just don’t see a lot of them yet. It’s kind of interesting in the after market business we get things in waves, you know all of a sudden we’ll be working on nothing but ’07 to 2011 vehicles and the next year we’ll start seeing all the 2013’s, they just kind of come trickling in. So 3 to 5 year models, I don’t really see a lot of problems with them yet which is good, they’re still pretty new.

Mark: So there you go, if you’re looking for service for an older or newer Ford vehicle in Vancouver, the guys to see who have a lot of experience are Pawlik Automotive. You can reach them at 604-327-7112 to book your appointment or check out their website pawlikautomotive.com or our channel on Youtube, we have hundreds of videos on there all about cars over the last few years. Thanks Bernie

Bernie: Thanks Mark

https://www.youtube.com/user/pawlikautorepair https://plus.google.com/u/0/104437348234668995906/about https://twitter.com/PawlikAuto https://ca.linkedin.com/in/bernie-pawlik-97198811 https://www.facebook.com/Pawlik-Automotive-48773522512/

2007 Ford F150, 5.4L Engine replacement 2007 Ford F150, 5.4L Engine replacement

[diglettdaprophet]

Please help a disabled-soon to be a first time mommy-out

I started my journey of fighting for disability here in Florida back in Jan. of 2016. I applied on my own and got denied. I waited for a few months while getting as much documentation together, x-rays, MRI's, CT scans, while also making sure I kept up with every therapy appointment and didn't miss a single dose of my medication. I was diagnosed with mental illnesses in 2015. Around that same time I started getting severe pain down my right leg along with severe back pain which turned out to be nerve damage from bulging discs compacting my sciatic nerve. I was struggling to continue my overnight job as an aide at a retirement home because I couldn't keep lifting residents in the middle of the night to change them. I had to quit in Sept of 2016 and that's when I reapplied with an attorney in Nov of 2016. We got the second denial, we appealed, and received a court date for Sept of 2017. At that point my husband was struggling to keep paying for rent, bills, my therapy appointments, medication, a car, and just life on his own when Irma hit and even though we were all safe and fine, government offices closed to prepare for the storm and with just my luck, one of the days they closed was supposed to be my hearing. So it got pushed to Jan of 2018. We scraped together every dime we could and got an RV since it was cheaper than an apartment. We moved to a campground in Inglis, Fl Dec of 2017 because my husband got a better job offer and things were going well and I made it to my hearing for disability in Jan 2018. My husband then got laid off in June of 2018, but I had talked to the RV park manager and told him that fingers crossed, we should have been hearing back from my attorney any day on whether I had been approved, and she was optimistic that I would be because the hearing went well.

Late June, I had started not to feel well, and surprise! We're expecting! Now, let me just say that it was definitely a surprise because I have always been some form of birth control! I had been getting the Depo shots for the last two years when we received the news. I even made sure it wasn't a mistake of mine and that I hadn't missed an appointment. Nope. Moving into August of 2018 is when I got the denial from the judge on my disability and the news from my lawyer that for some reason, we couldn't appeal or even reapply until after the baby is born because the judges have to remain unbiased. I even called other attorney's and they confirmed as well so maybe it's a Florida thing.

My husband eventually found a job in Ocala (Inglis is really in the middle of nowhere) in Oct of 2018 as a busser. He also got approved to start driving for Lyft but was having to go out to Tampa to get any ride requests. It was putting so much strain on our only vehicle and after three flat tires, one of which still has the donut on it because we can't afford to replace it, a new battery, a serpentine belt that shredded and resulted in a tow plus repairs, he stopped driving. He's still employed with them, but until we live closer to civilization, we can't run the risk of the van breaking down again. We've been putting every dime we can spare towards our balance.

We should've had it almost completely paid off but I didn't receive my stamps this month and we've had to use cash for food (preggo women eat a lot, especially when my doctor ordered me to eat every 2 hours) and I was supposed to get cash assistance since it's the last month of my pregnancy and I didn't get either. I fell through the cracks because I had to reapply by the 15th, which I did, but DCF didn't process my application in time due to the shutdown. The park manager and owner have been so kind to work with us but I know they're getting fed up and I don't know if I can handle the stress of being asked to leave.

I was admitted to Seven Rivers Regional in Crystal River on Saturday, the 12th with a blood pressure of 170/100. I thought they were going to do an emergency C-section but they got my BP under control and put me on strict bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy but my husband missed work that day and the next to monitor me and, even though he only makes $5.44 an hour, we can't afford any time missed if we want to catch up before she's due in a little less than three weeks. Surprisingly enough though, I don't really need anything at all for our baby girl. People have been so kind. Between friends, family, acquaintances, even complete strangers, I have enough stuff to last a while. I'm also worried about what's going to happen with WIC due to the shut down because, yes, I'm planning on breastfeeding, but I know that's not always 100% guaranteed, so I added more to the goal in case I need formula once she's here. I also updated the amount for a wheelchair and a portable ramp since I'm not sure how much mobility I'll have after having her with my spinal deformity. I know once we catch up, we'll have no problem staying caught up, it's just a matter of getting there.

Thank you for your time, anything helps at this point. I just don't want to become homeless right as I become a mom.

$800 for rent to be caught up

$500 for bills to be caught up

$200 for a wide wheelchair (I'm bigger and need a specialty chair)

$150 for a wide portable wheelchair ramp

$50 roughly for a heavy duty 250lb plus cane

Whatever is left over for formula just in case WIC is cut next month (February) when she's due and food since I'm not sure when we'll next receive our food stamps