I Don't Understand What My Mechanic is Saying

zotilraxx

Does anybody know how to replace a serpentine Belt of a Dodge Grand Caravan, 3.3L V6 engine? The book says that there is a screw (or nuts)that you could get to, but when i looked into the engine compartment, a whole lot of things are jammed together that i don't know how i could get to that screw. any ideas?

0patience

If you put a wrench or breaker bar ans socket on the nut shown and pull the pulley toward you(BE CAREFUL),it should release the tension on the belt.You didn't give a year,but this should be the same.

zotilraxx

0patience,
that is helpful. actually, the manual show the same thing. i just wonder how i could get to it? 1996 DGC has the pulleys/wheels on the left side which means that the tensioner is located on the far side of the engine. could i get to it from the top or from below the car?

and since i also got you here, is it cheaper to buy spare parts (serpentine belts, plugs...) from the dealer or from the internet (i.e. carparts.com?)

0patience

You should be able to get to it from the top.It may ba a tight squeeze.Also,the make a tool that reaches down in there,it is about $25.Ask at your local parts store and they should have it.As for the parts.I don't buy belts,plugs and everyday wear items from the dealer,there is rarely a need to buy those parts from the dealer.Carparts.com, Northern Auto Parts and Automotive.com are all good parts sources.Or your local NAPA dealer.The online parts places have pretty good deals and alot of sites have discount ads.For a $30 off discount on purchases of $100 or more,Click on the link and there are 2 Carparts.com discount ads.Site with auto info&ads One ad is at the very top and the other is at the bottom.Hope this helps you out.If you can't find the tool,I will locate one and post it.

zotilraxx

0patience,

Thanks for the guidance. Do you know of any place i could rent tools, such as this tool you mentioned, since I am going to use it only to change the belt, isn't it better to rent it instead of buying it?

I also looked on all three of the sites you gave me, carparts.com is the cheapest. thanks a bunch...

--zoltilraxx--

mark193

On some models of the caravan there isn't much room to get your arm in to rout the belt.There is a tool you can get to rout the belt it is about 20" long and is shaped like the picture below.If you haven't done the belt yet get one.It will make the job go easier.



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aluminum

To isellhondas:
In answer to your post which admittedly was a while ago. Assuming you still maintain the same views allow me to respond.

quote: "Oh, I don't know...You either trust the shop or you dont! The last thing I want is a bag of greasy worn out parts to "examine" and dispose of".

-Bullseye! But isellhondas just how would you develop that trust if you have no methods of evaluation. (Has anyone been to a repair shop that lists all their customers for referrals)? Asking for your old parts (wait? did I pay for them or did the shop workers take a collection up?) as already suggested in this thread can't hurt. I agree with the statement that the shop workers "don't know that you dont know the parts". I'd at least want the option of going thru "a bag of greasy worn out parts to "examine". Besides some of my favorite foods come in bags like this.


quote: "For those who are REALLY paranoid how would you know those really came from YOUR car?"

-REALLY paranoid?! Me? Nawwww!! Paranoia about being ripped by an auto repair shop isn't without foundation to most people who do not have connections to repair shops. Believe it or not some of us shadetrees do know what some parts look like.


quote: "If you think the shop is out to cheat you, you seriously need to find another shop or else do your own work!"

-True enough but go figure, both my lift and my $200,000 worth of diagnostic tool seem to "always" be on loan to my neighbors/friends. (anybody know how to keep my lift always in my bedroom)?

May I ask you where you have your Accord serviced? Is it also the same dealership in Seattle in which you work? If so a favor please? Could you tell us if/why you trust your dealerships shop more than another shop? Does being a fellow employee help increase trust?

Take care … AlUminum
ps I do agree with your choice of product as my current ride is an "01" Acura CL-TypeS.

lokki

I was having a problem with my Acura. You'd turn the key and the car would start instantly... and then die. You could do it 4 or 5 times in a row sometimes and sometimes, the car would start and run perfectly. Took it to the dealer. Told him that he had a week to figure it out as I'd be on a business trip. On the 6th day, I call to see if it's ready- if not, I'll just take a cab home. You bet it's ready! $350 dollars worth of fuel injector work but we solved the problem. Ok.. I get in at 5:58 p.m., get the keys and go out to start the car. Guess what? Starts perfectly and ....dies.
#$%! I stay cool enough but I'm not happy. A week later they finally find that it's the ignition switch. OK great. $150. No problem except one: What about the $350 worth of fuel injector work that I didn't need. That did nothing for me? Dealer says, we did the work. I say so what? If you painted the car, it would have fixed the problem just as well as what you did. I pay you to fix a problem not replace good parts. I say.. put the old parts back in. He says we threw them away. Now, if I'd have been a nice guy and said (like I do now) I want the old parts, the dealer wouldn't have been out quite so much money.

The dealer wasn't trying to cheat me... but I learned that I want those old parts.... no matter who I'm dealing with

0patience

There is a core charge on reman. injectors and even if they installed brand new injectors in,the still would have kept them in a core bin until they could be sent in for cores.

joelb

I have two questions:

1) Is there a difference between a transmission and a transaxle or are they one in the same?

2) When mechanics ask whether a manual transmission is a CABLE or HYDRAULIC system are they referring to the clutch?

0patience

Basically,front wheel drives have transaxles,they are transmissions and differentials combined.
rear wheel drives have transmissions and seperate differentials(rearends).

When the ask if it is cable(Actually a real mechanic asks if it is mechanical or hydraulic),he is referring to the linkage that pushes on the clutch fork to disengage the clutch.A mechanical (correct them if they say cable) can be solid linkage or cable actuated.
A hydraulic clutch system uses a master cylinder,lines and a slave cylinder.Just like the brakes,when you step on the clutch pedal it pushes fluid into the slave cylinder and pushes the piston in it out to relase the clutch.
This is kind of a condensed description,but I hope it makes sense.

hall12

95' ford f150 2wd lb. truck shakes around 50mph,put new tires on,balanced all four, front end aligned, checked u-joints there fine. doesn't seem to be in front end, steering wheel doesn't shake nor does my brake pedal, again all was happening before new tires, and still is just not as bad.

isellhondas

Sorry, It's been a long time since I checked here.

Yes, I do have our shop work on my Hondas. They do a great job and are completely trustworthy.

I guess I'm a trusting person. I once ran a large shop and we were totally honest as I would expect everyone to be.

I still think that if I distrusted a shop enough to request my old parts returned that I would go elsewhere!

If you need a reccomemdation, ask your friends where they take their cars to.

mimi620

Hi
I have 7500 miles on my 2000 Acura 3.2 TL and I went in for a second service which included oil change and tire rotation.
Before I went in to the service, the car is extremely quite while driving. Soon after the service, I hear my tires rotating sound when I drive my car ( something like dub, dub, dub... )
I went back to the acura dealer and he says that the tires have to worn out evenly and the sound would go away once this has happened. The sound is not a major problem.
Has this happened to anyone else too ? Appreciate your response

guitarzan

I recommend you post in the TL topics if you haven't done so already.

My guess is this only happens at "higher" speeds, whatever that means, right? If it happened right when you start driving, I would worry about brake components rubbing. But, they normally "squeal" also, rather than the sound you describe.

In your case, I might take advantage of a free inspection at a reputable tire place, one that either carries your tires, or one that is an exclusive dealer for your tire. That low a mileage, under most normal conditions, should not produce such an extreme uneven wear. I've gone 30,000 miles before rotations. Although I could plainly see the tires unevenly worn, I didn't notice any major noise coming from them. Yes, I would have those particular tires inspected to make sure they're all ok.

lokki

A situation where I had new tires put on without aligning the car first (yes, I was young and stupid.... I'm no longer young). When I rotated the tires 5,000 miles later, I encountered a problem similar to yours. The belts in the tires had "taken a set" and no longer tracked straight ahead, but at the angle set by running them out of alignment from the time they were new. For what it's worth, is your steering wheel level and does the car track perfectly straight ahead?
If not you might have an alignment problem as I did

bettyd1

Can anyone tell me how I would tell if the dealership actually replaced my engine, rather than repaired it? Two weeks ago the dealer told me my 2000 Winstar needed it's engine replace, saying it wasn't repairable. I had been without my van for the two weeks and they told me it would easily be another two weeks before they had an engine for me. Needless to say I wasn't happy and let them know that. OK, I was very, very angry! They had treated me like crap and I had had enough. Today they called to say my van was ready to be picked up. Is there some way to tell that it was really replaced?

guitarzan

Hehehe, they'd love you for this.

Ask to see the old engine. My guess is that there would be some identification on it, possibly the car's serial number.

md_tech

Usually when your engine is replaced it has a mark around the oil pan or either the front of the block.. Did the dealer explain why your engine needed to be replaced??? If it's been more then a week you may not be able to see your old engine. They can't have engines sitting around in the shop.. I think they ship them back to the manufacturer.. Why don't you ask your dealer to show you proof that the old engine was removed...

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