Many times a day we are called by worried customers who want to know “HOW MUCH WILL IT COST”, to fix their car. In the spirit of trying to be co-operative we usually try to give them some ballpark feel as to what the expenses will be. However, it is impossible to give an accurate quote over the phone. Aside from routine maintenance services that are always the same, repair work is almost always different. Most shops like us have a starting base price to investigate your cars problems and come up with an estimate that we can stick to. In our case we often times roll this initial cost over into the repair itself if the owner agrees to have us repair the car. In other words the diagnosis is free even though we quoted for it originally. This keeps us able to at least cover the costs involved in analyzing the car if the owner decides not to have the repair done.
Everyone is concerned with the cost of the job. Even something we do regularly like a water pump might vary from car to car. Does the car have a V6 or 4 cylinder, power steering and air conditioning, anti-lock brakes can interfere? Does it need the water pump belt? Other belts too? Does the car have a timing belt, new or old? Is the rest of the cooling system clean or rusty? Thermostat, radiator cap, hoses. etc? You can see the problem…
The best answer is to bring us the car, let us do a proper analysis of the situation and make recommendations to you. Either get some one to pick you up so that you can go on with your life or perhaps rent a car. We have cars available from ENTERPRISE or from HERTZ for about $30.00 a day. That is an added cost but it makes life much more manageable while you car is in the shop.
