Will400

Just got back from getting an oil change at the dealership. It's the pump and the serptintine drive belt. Fluid is dripping into alternator.

Dealer wants a ton of $ to fix.

mkorsu

Start fixing yourself!!! You'll save a good portion of that ton of $!!!!!

sc.Fred

yea if you get a service manual specific to your car it tells you everything and anything that you need to do or if you got a mechanic buddy that can give you a lending hand...

you'll save a TON of money.. word

koolaidman

lol u just messaged me.

joshthorsc

Just take it to a shop. I got a complete tune-up done to my car (t-belt, h20 pump, drive belt, plugs and wires, seals) all for under a grand. I bought the parts seperately and the mechanic charged me a little over $300 for labor.

If you're not mechanically incline, just buy the parts and have a mechanic install it for you. You'll save a lot more than the stealership.

~Josh

koolaidman

lol he said power steering pump and alternator. not a tune up. thats not what he needs. for now he needs a new power steering pump and he can run on his alternator for now. it might go belly up soon but not right now. altho like what i said to him before. if he wants the job done right he replaces the ps pump and the alternator and drive belt

RMR

Yes, they want a fortune to change the alternator/PS pump out. I paid over $1300 on my old SC400 before I learned that it pays to shop. Remember, those doghnuts and cookies are not really free...soemone pays for them.

On the other hand, if the car is under warranty, then the Dealer is the place to go as you have already paid for their service in the cost of the car. And you get a car as a loaner.

If the PS pump does leak, it WILL fry your alternator, that's a given. I suggested to some atermarket folks to develop a simple shield to eliminate this, but I guess there is more money to be made in replacing the alternator. Stiil, a simple metal shield over the alternator would allow "time" to replace the P/S pump if it started leaking. I does not seem like a big project and as we have all learned, this is a factory defect that occurs to almost all early 400 engines.

My dos centavos....

Lexmex

Adding my dos centavos

In Mexico, we almost never take the cars to the dealer (even during he warranty period). They will fight so hard to claim it is your fault for anything and they literally do nothing. The Toyota dealer I sometimes use is A+ in their effort, though sometimes they lack the tools and parts, but they do the best they can with what they have.

One friend took his Suburban (U.S. version) to a Chevy dealer for an oil and filter change. He got the car back in the afternoon and was charge about $120 USD. Drove the car for awhile and realized something was wrong. We checked the oil at another place. NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE except for a car wash.

I had another friend with a Chevy (a small Mexican car that looks like the grandson of the Chevette) and we marked the oil filter with a small x. No filter change, yet she was charged for the oil and filter.

Finally, I had a friend with a Saturn (does not exist here) so I bought her some oil and the oil filter. She asked them to change it. Keep in mind the filter was different from the one they put in the car. Picked up the car same old filter and we marked it.

When we confronted the manager he told me, "prove it"". What idiots.

RMR

YOW!

What a bunch of Bendeh**!
I guess I won't be taking my SC430 to TJ for service in the near future, just for lobster dinners down past Rosirito.

Lo Siento

joshthorsc

Sorry, what I meant to say was just buy the parts and take it to a independent shop which will save you money on labor. Just forgot to mentioned that after typing.

~Josh