Back from the shop, looking for advice on repairs

[cashreve]

I just took my 1997 Civic HX in for an oil change and checkup and this was the list of recommended service they gave to me.

Brake lights not working: $100
CEL on: $100
Timing belt: $700
Accessory Drive Belt: $200
VTEC solenoid leaking oil: $180
Exhaust system replacement: $580
Oil pan gasket leaking: $250
Trailing arm bushings: $500

Now, of course, I attribute the check engine light to one of these many other problems, but I would like to spend as much time as I can learning to work on my own car. I have a good working knowledge of repairing and fixing things, but beyond the simplest car repairs I have little experience. I am searching for advice (and tips if you have them!) on which of these repairs would be good, useful, and ideally cheaper to do myself rather than have a mechanic fix, and which repairs are dangerous or risky to do myself.

Thanks! First time on these forums but hopefully not the last!

 

[AlaskaB16]

Brake lights, easy to fix.
CEL.. This seems weird to price at a flat $100? Is that just clearing a code or actually solving the problem? I'd second guess that.
Timing belt, can be tricky your first time but it's not as bad you may think. Do LOTS of research and bring a buddy if you can. $700 isn't the highest i've seen for a belt, but it's a little on the high side for someone who knows Hondas and can do them quickly.
Acc belts, cake walk compared to the timing belt. If you have tools, you can do this no problem.
Solenoid leaks aren't too bad. Get all your gaskets ready and probably do a valve cover gasket too while you're at it.
Exhaust.. This quote makes me wonder.. What is actually being replaced for $580? If they're replacing from the manifold back, that'd be a pretty good price I would think? I know some shops charge $200+ just to install a cat back YOU bring to them. If you have a lift or a way to get under your car, putting up an exhaust isn't hard at all if you have a friend to help you hold the pipes while you work the hangers.
Oil pan gasket... It's easy. Messy, but easy. Don't forget the cost of oil. I wondering if they included that in the quote?
Bushings.. Those are a pain IMO. Not a $500 pain, but they do suck to do if you don't have access to a press.

 

[JohnS.]

Please post in the appropriate section next time. Moved to 6th gen tech.

 

[Trekk]

God dam, those are some new car repair prices... You don't charge that much on old cars... Unless its maybe a rusted out mess.

Besides the trailing arms and timing belt, most of that is simple work, assuming you have a few metric tools, and everything isn't rusty.

As for the Cell just go to a local auto parts store and have them pull the code for you, for free, then come tell us what it is.

 

[Bombo_Strombo]

The trailing arm bushings was going to cost you $500!? Just pick up some energy bushings. I don't know what kind they were going to use, but it must have been something amazing to be charging that much.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[AlaskaB16]

Shop rates. The shop next door to me charges $125 an hour for everything besides oil changes and stuff. They wanted $800 to put on some coilovers a while back. I ended up doing it myself in about 3 hours (first time doing it).

 

[Bombo_Strombo]

I wouldn't have anything done by them then. I would just pick up some trailing arm bushings forms energy and replace them that way, instead of having the shop do it for you. That's a complete rip off.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Blayze2010]

Theres plenty of info on all that stuff all over the internet, all you need is google.

 

[jameswanser]

Brake lights, easy to fix.
CEL.. This seems weird to price at a flat $100? Is that just clearing a code or actually solving the problem? I'd second guess that.
Timing belt, can be tricky your first time but it's not as bad you may think. Do LOTS of research and bring a buddy if you can. $700 isn't the highest i've seen for a belt, but it's a little on the high side for someone who knows Hondas and can do them quickly.
Acc belts, cake walk compared to the timing belt. If you have tools, you can do this no problem.
Solenoid leaks aren't too bad. Get all your gaskets ready and probably do a valve cover gasket too while you're at it.
Exhaust.. This quote makes me wonder.. What is actually being replaced for $580? If they're replacing from the manifold back, that'd be a pretty good price I would think? I know some shops charge $200+ just to install a cat back YOU bring to them. If you have a lift or a way to get under your car, putting up an exhaust isn't hard at all if you have a friend to help you hold the pipes while you work the hangers.
Oil pan gasket... It's easy. Messy, but easy. Don't forget the cost of oil. I wondering if they included that in the quote?
Bushings.. Those are a pain IMO. Not a $500 pain, but they do suck to do if you don't have access to a press.

good response!

 

[HeX]

I agree with "jameswanser"s response along with everyone elses comments. Those prices are ridiculous and definitely not on par with respectable shops. One clue is the ambiguity of that list. Ive never heard of a reputable shop not listing the details of each needed repair. Here's my breakdown.

Brake lights not working: $100 - if they dont light up at all, it may just be a fuse. If they dont turn off, its the brake switch, which is a simple 10 minutes repair.
CEL on: $100 - thats maybe double the traditional cost to diagnose & clear a code.
Timing belt: $700 - being a beginner, I suggest you have this done at a REAL shop as a complete belt job if necessary. If the belts are fine, a timing adjustment isnt more than $100 roughly.
Accessory Drive Belt: $200 - see above
VTEC solenoid leaking oil: $180 - both seals cost less than $40 & you can change them easily in under 20 minutes.
Exhaust system replacement: $580 - jack up your car & look at the exhaust path, look for loose bolts or rust spots, which indicate leaks. If you hear intermittent rattling upon acceleration, its your catalytic converter. If anything else seems out of place, post it hear.
Oil pan gasket leaking: $250 - as stated earlier, a dirty but simple repair done in 30 minutes; gasket is less than $30
Trailing arm bushings: $500 - have a reputable shop handle it if you chose to have the belts changed or tiing done. It shouldnt be more than roughly $300 for this job.

In conclusion, spend a few hours searching each repair on this forum & you'll find most of your answers. Find a reputable shop for the more difficult jobs & use the smaller jobs to begin teaching yourself. Good luck!

 

[95coupeWI]

I changed my timing belt in 2 hrs and it costed me 30 bucks lol shops are a joke