Engine Shut off and Start Issues 98' Civic

[deanazoon]

I will need to be more serious about getting a diagnosis for sure

 

[Joe Mason]

It is what it is, if you read a repair manual you will see one part can have multiple symptoms and one symptom can have multiple parts causing the issue, it's just the nature of the vehicles. Maybe take a ride with the mechanic so you know it's actually getting test driven

Absolutely. Ask the tech if he'll ride with you and try to duplicate the symptoms.

 

[deanazoon]

I asked him to drive it today, he finally duplicated the issue with the rpms jumping. He wants to change the: Distributor housing, igniter, coil, cap and rotor, and main relay. He is asking for 1200$ (thats alot for me right now considering I have a 500$ budget to repair this car). Can you guys give me the pricing of these parts?

 

[lethal6]

1hondaparts.com. <----- put your car in there and have at it. That or google and look for aftermarket prices, although it is highly NOT recommended to cheap out with aftermarket stuff on the parts you are needing to replace. ESPECIALLY the main relay and the distributor.

 

[deanazoon]

Yeah I was guessing its a rip. He said : Coil: 140, ignitor: 290, dist. housing: 360. cap and rotor: 75. ignition wires: 90. main relay: 80. labor 177 plus 59 diagnosis.

I do have another mechanic, #2 from the original post who will be free in two weeks. Im def getting my car back tomorrow.

 

[lethal6]

That quote doesn't look unreasonable. You want to know what our shop rates are here? $145 and HOUR. Doesn't look so bad now does it?

It's like complaining about fast food being expensive and slow. You can certainly cook the food yourself. Do the work yourself and save the money or pay a professional to do it. Remember, you get what you pay for; you pay for a cheap mechanic that cuts corners and costs on parts, you get cheap labor and parts that don't last. Do it once and do it right.

 

[deanazoon]

I am simply asking are the numbers he listed realistic on all these parts. I am not asking to get schooled on fast food. I would really appreciate you stop talking down to me and keep to the car professionally. Thank you

 

[lethal6]

I already said they do...

 

[mc360]

Watch some youtube videos on how to solder then watch some videos on how to remove your main relay, pull the relay out and solder it and save 50-80$. I soldered mine with a cheap $5 Walmart soldering iron and it works fine now

 

[deanazoon]

Thanks for all your help guys. I feel very confident that I can fix this car soon without spending a bagillion bucks. Mech #3 only charged me 60$ bucks today and told me none of the parts tested as defective and that the tach being sporatic is something electrical in his opinion. He kept saying you can't test relay and coil and other parts. He was definitely being lazy. He did say some parts were aftermarket on distributor and that the wires were OEM.
Mech #2 put me on the waiting list and I'm certain it will get solved.
The car ran perfectly today haha. I just wish it would fail so It can be easier to diagnose!
I watched a ton of youtube so I was surprised that he was saying that relay cant be tested and doesnt need to be unplugged to be looked at... #smh

 

[mc360]

Do the main relay yourself, I have only soldered a few things in my life and I managed to do relay without a problem. That will at least eliminate one thing as an issue and who knows maybe it is your only issue, I know that a bad main relay can cause a no start when the relay is hot or cold and I have read it can cause the car to just die while driving

 

[deanazoon]

Im gona take a look at it tomorrow and try to take good pictures.

 

[daperez13]

Hello deanazoon,

I was just curious if you got your car issue resolved? I read your thread and just wanted to check in. It's very frustrating (as a car owner) to get the runaround from a shop and pay hundreds of dollars for just a "maybe". On the other hand, intermittent issues are amongst the hardest to diagnose. I hope all is well with your car now and you're back on the road with no more headaches.

FYI, you can buy a Haynes manual for your car at any local auto parts store and learn how to maintain your vehicle. It's not hard to perform regular maintenance and it will save you tons of money on services or problems arising from neglect. I know this is not the reason behind your issue, or maybe it was (from the previous owner) but regardless, it's valuable knowledge to have.

 

[deanazoon]

Hello deanazoon,

I was just curious if you got your car issue resolved? I read your thread and just wanted to check in. It's very frustrating (as a car owner) to get the runaround from a shop and pay hundreds of dollars for just a "maybe". On the other hand, intermittent issues are amongst the hardest to diagnose. I hope all is well with your car now and you're back on the road with no more headaches.

FYI, you can buy a Haynes manual for your car at any local auto parts store and learn how to maintain your vehicle. It's not hard to perform regular maintenance and it will save you tons of money on services or problems arising from neglect. I know this is not the reason behind your issue, or maybe it was (from the previous owner) but regardless, it's valuable knowledge to have.

I got no where in the diagnosis and repairs. I sold the car as is for 1400$, paid 3200$ the year before. Not too big of a loss. There was no way to get the work done being a college girl.

 

[daperez13]

Sorry to hear that, I do believe you're better off that way, especially with your current state in life. Hopefully one day, after you graduate and attain a great job, you'll look back and laugh at this one for a while.