AUDI (you pay for what you get)
i bet it wouldn't be as expensive on a honda[sm=signs003.gif]

 

Well, I bet he feels much better now Maniac.......

I really think your being screwed dude. I'd spend the 40 bucks and get it towed elsewhere for a check. This whole thing doesn't sound right at all.

 

if it broke after u handed the keys to teh shop they should only charge u a normal price to change it out. If it cost more and they are at fault u can sue them. Its thir fault taht it broke once u handed them the keys. U told them to fix so they should have checked it befor ethey moved the car.

 

Hi everyone

sorry but i have not been on for a while. This is what happened. The water pump went out and so the shop said that since we were replacing it we should also replace the belt. We got the parts and droped the car off at the shop. They called my husband at work and told him that when they could not start it up and that they pushed it in to the work area. They took pictures of each step while taking to apart. When we got there they kept asking me it it made any strange noice or drove diffrent. I told them no. I also told my husband that i had no problems and that It had to have happened while they had it. I don't think he wants to confront the issue with them.

As far as repairing it they do not have the tools to take it apart. So they suggest a rebuilt engine. 5,000.00 and change.

 

how can a shop have the tools to do everyday business on German cars, and the tools to take your engine apart and take pictures, but not the tools necessary to repair your damage? Worst case scenario: you broke the belt and the pistons slapped the valves. Unless your were going really fast, or continued to drive it, generally the pistons will be ok. The head, however, is toast. Youll either need to have that rebuilt or get a new one. $3500 in labor, or a $5000 new engine; how convenient for the shop. But the not having tools part, that cracks me up.

Run, run as far as you can away from this place.

 

sounds awfully fishy to me ...

personally, i'd talk to an attorney. sometimes just the right letter from a guy with ESQ after his name is what the situation demands. i'd bet they start singing a different tune. as much as i hate attorneys (sorry, i hope i'm not insulting anyone here) it's definitely worth consulting an attorney on this one.

 

This is absolute crap. If someone told me that story, and after some laughing in their faces about their ineptness. I would call my Lawyer and explain him the situation as follows.

1, I drove the car to the Auto Shop and it was in working condition when I left it. Just needed a new water pump.
2, I left the car at the Auto Shop
3, The auto shop rang to say the car does not work after I left it there.
4, They aren't offering any help and have said they don't have the tools required.

I would do this in front of them. If they break your car, they fix it. If your car breaks in their care, they fix it.

This whole thing sounds like bullshit to me & if your husband isn't going to do anything, it'd be best you cowboy the hell up and at least get some advice as to where you stand.

 

My hubby has something to say![sm=bicker.gif]

How's it goin'? This is the hubby. There are a few things that my wife forgot to mention. Our luck with the car is still very crappy though. The car was constantly running hot and we had to always pour water in it. On the day of the last major problem as you already know, we took it to the mechanic. I don't really think he had anything to do with this problem because of a couple of reasons. I do believe that there was a very bad timing situation; and I don't mean the timing belt per say. On that day my wife followed me in the car to the shop. I was driving my dad's car. I told her that if the water light came on I wanted her to flash me so that I could put water in. I figured that we would have to on the way to the shop. She did do this, but I was unable to see it when she did. Because of this she thought that it would be cool to continue driving it behind me to the shop. I didn't know this until later on that day after we found out about the problem. As I explained to her...I don't think the timing belt broke prior to us getting to the shop because I think the car would have just stopped running. I also don't think that the mechanic had anything to do with it. The water pump did lock up, but I don't think it did that until we were either at or very near to the shop. I believe that due to the heat from the pump pully of wheel(?), the belt melted while parked at the shop. I think the damage was already done when the car ran bone dry of water and the pump locked. I think the belt snapping was the end result of a very bad day. The only real culprit in my opinion is Murphy's Law.

 

Did you get to see the belt to ascertain whether your theory is right? If a car overheats, it normally isn't the end of the world & generally wouldn't cause a timing belt to snap. Normally the car would just cut out. It is really bad for this to happen but I just don't think you would of "melted the belt", they are pretty tough things and normally a hose will blow off before this happens.
I have been around cars since I was about 4 and have never heard of a timing belt snapping or breaking because the engine was too hot. If I were you, I would get a second opinion. I would still find out legally where you stand. The whole story that autoshop is telling does not ring true at all. "We don't have the necessary tools"? WTF Changing a head on an Audi is relatively simple believe it or not (7/10 on the O-Crap-o-metre). It's just time consuming & the head is very expensive.
.............Why would an autoshop take photo's as they were pulling it apart unless they were trying to document everything because they stuffed up & trying to make it look like they didn't.
If you know these guys and are friendly with them, then thats different but if they are just your mechanic, then I'd just ask a lawyer. Just for piece of mind.

Atleast find out from the autoshop what their exact diagnosis is. 10,000 people here and a lot of us have been through an array of timing belt/waterpump issues. Just let us know what they say.

 

I agree. I told them that the car did not drive diffrently or make any strange noise while I was driving it. I think the belt broke while they had it. As far as the repairs they are saying it's not worth fixing. They would have to have special tools. They work on volvo and mercedes mostly.