My VX is broke, and and could use some help!

[TheUltimateMan]

I took my VehiCross into the shop this morning because my heater stopped working. I would turn it on and no air would come out at all- Heat, A/C, Defroster, no air would come out for any of it.

Turns out, my water pump is broke, I'm leaking anti-freeze into the belts, and it's a much bigger fix than I was hoping it would be.

He just faxed me over the estimate with everything that would be needed and here it is:

-Blower Motor
-Blower Resistor (said it should be changed along with the above motor)
-Water Pump
-Timing Belt (again, said it should be changed along with the above pump)
-Thermostat/Gasket
-Upper/Lower Radiator Hoses

Also, I told him my ride as been pretty bumpy lately, with some odd squeeks happening. After looking, some things were broke there too, and he told me I need:

-Left Front Lower Ball Joint
-Inner/Outer Bearings

The total on parts/labor came out to $1928.46

That's obviously a lot of money, and if I get my own parts online (something he won't do because he said this type of stuff shouldn't be after market), I can at least save a few hundred dollars (and he'll most likely give me a small break on the labor in the end too).

In fact, I looked on eBay, and I know I can save a few hundred dollars by getting my own parts.

SO, here's my question (finally): All the eBay sellers I've considered have high feedback, and are auto part sellers. But with the kind of equipment I need, can you trust eBay? I think I'm just paranoid because he made was so adamant that aftermarket parts (which is what I'll probably end up getting on my own) not be used.

Here's a rundown of his prices... and the average good price I can find on eBay (factoring in shipping):


-Blower Motor:
Him: 179.99 eBay: 60
-Blower Resistor
Him: 51.99 eBay: 20
-Water Pump
Him: 129.99 eBay: 50
-Timing Belt
Him: 60 eBay: 45
-Thermostat/Gasket
Him: 31.99 eBay: 25
-Upper/Lower Radiator Hoses
Him: 29.99 ebay: 20

-Left front Ball Joint:
Him: 89.99(left only) eBay:50(that's with left AND right lower ball joints)
-Inner/Outer Bearings:
Him: 51.99 eBay: 40

Parts Total:
Him: 607.92 eBay: ~250


The labor is $90 an hour, with the Water Pump/timing belt taking about 5-6 hours, the thermostat/gasket taking 2 hours, and everything else taking one hour, labor is: $1079.00

Now, he'll probably give me a break on the labor, but that'll still likely be the bulk of the cost.


SO, there's my dilemma.
Is the mechanic out of his mind with his costs?
Am I out of my mind for wanting to buy the parts myself online?
Is anything on this list SO important that it must be bought from Isuzu itself?
Is there somewhere else online I should look for parts?

I'm sorry for the long post, I'm just going a little nuts with all these repairs, and I'm not at all mechanically inclined. Any help you can offer with dealing with these types of repairs is GREATLY appreciated!

:bgwo: :bwgy: Thank you!! :bwgy: :bgwo:

[RamAirZ]

I've ran ebay parts before, mainly ball joints, never had a problem with them. Can't tell you about water pumps etc though, haven't purchased that stuff off ebay. I hate hearing stuff like this, I wish I lived close, I'd do it for you and save you a ton of money

[Triathlete]

I would say of all that stuff on the list I would go with the factory water pump. The isuzu part last a very long time and the water pump is one thing you want to last since it is a PITA and expensive to have replaced.

[Ebenezr]

Shop. you can get it done cheaper. There is another thread on this timing belt / water pump topic where someone said they got it done for 300.00. labor

Also I have been running ebay ball joints and tie rod ends no problem.

[atilla_the_fun]

they also knew the mechanic doing the job. My waterpump and timing belt was 880$. I don't understand why you need your thermostat replaced? Its clear on the other side of where the waterpump is, right?

[circmand]

I got a water pump kit which including serpentine belt tensioner pulley etc built by Bandra (makes OEM parts and was as goos or better than OEM) for less than $300 and nstalled for less than $300 by chatting with the mechanic ie times are tough etc. Those are pretty high shop rates as well. He seems to be charging book labor which is always longer than actual hours.

[etlsport]

on anything going inside the engine i would tend to stick with oem or at least well known parts. you dont want to save 50 bucks on parts and wind up spending another 300 in labor to replace them again.

it sounds like this mechanic has made you a very large list, have you verified that all of this needs to be done?

if your water pump really is leaking, its a good idea to replace the timing belt at the same time. how many miles on your vx? when the top of my lower radiator hose went bad, it leaked in the same area as the water pump would have, and dripped onto the serpentine belt. (not to be confused with the timing belt which is inside the engine)

Often when the blower motor resistor goes bad, it will cause the blower motor to stop working properly, often it will work only on "high", are you sure the motor needs to be replaced too?

why does he think the thermostat needs to be replaced? no real way to tell without opening the engine up.. granted if you are in there for the water pump its not a bad idea, just want to know why.

the upper and lower radiator hoses are easily accessible, i think book time to replace them both is like 0.7 hours, if the water pump is being done at the same time, it saves time draining coolant, but thats the only advantage to doing it at the same time.

the lower ball joint would not really cause a bumpy ride, it would cause a noisy ride and maybe a shimmy at high speeds. if the boot is torn or there is play in the joint it should be replaced.

as far as your bearings are concerned, you would know they need to be replaced by the wheel feeling loosely connected to the vehicle even if the lugnuts are tight. or putting your hand on the upper control arm and spinning the tire you will feel a grinding/vibration. if your front brakes are in any sort of bad shape, you may as well replace them as the pads and rotors come off to replace the front wheel bearings anyway

tomorrow morning when i go into work i will give you exact book times on all of the work you are having done so you can compare it to the numbers he is giving you

[SilverBullet75]

they also knew the mechanic doing the job. My waterpump and timing belt was 880$. I don't understand why you need your thermostat replaced? Its clear on the other side of where the waterpump is, right?

IIRC, you have to remove the intake manifold assembly to get to it.

[deermagnet]

I don't think he's outta line with the cost. That's a lotta money, but that what this stuff costs. $70-90 hr is the going rate. I'm sure you could find a place that'll do it cheaper, but the most important thing is that it's all done right.

I had this stuff done in '06 at 118,000 miles-
-Replace timing belt, tensioner, and water pump- labor=$324.00 parts=$295.34
-Replace radiator and heater hoses, and flush 'n fill coolant- labor=$101.35 parts=$144.85
-Replace serpentine drive belt(3rd time)- labor=$0 parts=$20.83
-Oil change and lube(34th time)- labor=$10.95 parts=$19.30
-Flush 'n bleed brake fluid- labor=$86.40 parts=$8.72
-Change front and rear diffy fluids(3rd time)- labor=$86.40 parts=$54.21
-Change transfer case fluid(3rd time)- labor=$36.00 parts=$5.00
-Flush 'n fill tranny fluid(3rd time)- labor=$64.95 parts=$67.97
-Replace/repack front wheel bearings(3rd time)- labor=$179.95 parts=$98.52
-Front end alignment(5th time)- labor=$49.95 parts=$0

Totals-
Labor=$989.95
Parts=$714.74
Misc.=$4.35
Tax=$136.73
Total=$1845.77

As you can see more than half was labor. It was done at my most very trusted dealer shop by an A#1 Isuzu trained mechanic. I was very happy with everything he did and has done for years with my VX.

I've put a helluva lotta money into preventive maintenance and I'm at 235,000 miles with no complaints. You've gotta spend money and not neglect anything to keep a VX in top shape for 10-20 years.

Try doing the easy stuff yourself and leave the tuff stuff only to him and save a bunch. I wonder if he knows the manifold has to come off to change the thermostat? For that reason I've never had my thermostat changed. I'm still on my original at 235K. When it fails, it'll get changed.

Mark Griffin (a VX lifer) :_steering

[Triathlete]

Just a side note...both times my blower resistor went bad my fan completely stopped working. I highly dought you need the blower motor. I definately would not pay the mech to do it. Order the part from Merlin, remove the glove box (4 screws), 2 or 3 screws hold the resistor and a plug. Shouldn't take more than 20-30 minutes and a couple basic tools. Just saved you $200+ :yesy::bwgy:

[VXorado]

Just a side note...both times my blower resistor went bad my fan completely stopped working. I highly dought you need the blower motor. I definately would not pay the mech to do it. Order the part from Merlin, remove the glove box (4 screws), 2 or 3 screws hold the resistor and a plug. Shouldn't take more than 20-30 minutes and a couple basic tools. Just saved you $200+ :yesy::bwgy:

OR it's just the blower motor and not the resistor. My blower motor went out last year with not resistor problems. Like others said, highly unlikely its both the resistor and blower motor.

You can actually buy an aftermarket blower at autozone... its cheap, works & like Billy said is a peice of cake to install.

[Triathlete]

You can look at the resistor and tell if it is bad most of the time. Both times mine was bad the copper piece was seperated.

[Zargon]

Might I ask where are you getting vx worked on. Is it at a dealer? I have 130K on mine and thinking about getting the timing belt and water pump replaced.
I have seen kits including water pump, timing belt and gaskets on ebay for $150 but not sure about the quality. Replacing the timing belt if not done
correctly could cause a lot of problems for your engine. So, if you have a good mechanic and OEM parts it might work out better long term.

[yellowgizmo99]

pop the blower motor out and hook direct to 12 volt and see if it runs , at least you can tell that much.

[djvx]

Ultimate Man, Please contact member "Nocturnal VX" Him And Cece have a trustworthy mechanic in Chicago. He might be of help.

[IndianaVX]

I wish you could make it south of Indianapolis, and we could knock out 80% of that list out!
Are you saying you are TOTALLY non-mechanical? If you have a garage, some time, and organization, you can do alot, and learn alot.
Otherwise, contact those Chicago members for a name of mechanic.

[etlsport]

here is what my shop charges as far as hours for these items...

Timing Belt 2.7 Hours
Water Pump 3.4 Hours
Thermostat 1.8 Hours
(these three should be combined somehow, not 100% sure how)

Upper and Lower Radiator hose 0.6 Hours (or 0.5 for Lower, 0.3 for Upper)

Lower Ball Joint 0.9 Hours
Front Wheel Bearing 2.6 Hours for both (1.4 each for one side)

Blower Motor 0.4 Hours (Does not include AC recharge if needed)

[Triathlete]

Blower Motor 0.4 Hours (Does not include AC recharge if needed)

No AC recharge needed for R&Ring of the blower motor.

[TheUltimateMan]

Wow, what a response- this is exactly why I heart this site!

Thank you everyone for the advice!

So, I picked my car back up without any repairs done yet (neither him or I could possibly get parts until next week). The mechanic said that with the work I need done, that it's only a matter of time before the whole engine could go out on me.

I noticed when I shut the car off, and walked around the hood that it faintly smelled like something was burning, any ideas as to what that's from...?

The consensus I'm getting is that for most of the parts needed, a reliable aftermarket part will work fine. But for the Water Pump, to get the actual Isuzu kit.

So it wouldn't be smart to buy this...?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260694598392&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en#ht_3733wt_778

If yes, then does anyone know where I can buy the official Isuzu Water Pump kit? I'm guessing I can still get it cheaper than a mechanic can (or will).

Also, in the interest of saving just a little money right now (it is Christmas next week) I'm going to put off the suspension stuff for a month, and just focus on all the engine repairs.

That said (and I already PMed NocturnalVX), does anyone know a good mechanic in the Chicagoland area? Right now I'll at least settle for a mechanic who has seen a VehiCross before.

Funny story: the one Isuzu dealership that I used to go to isn't around anymore, and any dealer maintenance is forwarded to a Subaru Dealership down the street. Where all the guys gawk at my Ironman because, of course, none of them have ever seen one before.

Again, thank you everyone, this is a wonderful community- and I really do appreciate all your help and advice!

:bgwb: :bgwo: :bgwb:

[MSHardeman]

Do you still have the original muffler in your VX? That burning smell may be the muffler. I get a burning smell too, and it will vary with how the wind is blowing. At first I thought it was something in the rear end burning up (bad bearing, or tire rubbing on something), but one day after driving in the rain I parked the VX and noticed some steam coming out from under the car. When I bent down to investigate what it was I noticed that it had the same burnt odor that I would smell from time to time and that the steam was coming off of the muffler.

[etlsport]

Burning smell could also be antifreeze burning if its leaking significantly.. Is it a rubber smell or a sweet smell?

[TheUltimateMan]

UPDATE:

So I asked around to see if any of my buddies knew a good mechanic so I could get a second opinion on the repairs I need done. Luckily, I was referred to someone, and took it in this morning.

All I told him was that the heater wasn't working, and when I took it to another mechanic, he found all kinds of other problems- and I needed a reliable second opinion before I make repairs.

He just called back, and guess what? The only problem he found was that my Blower Resistor needs to be replaced. That's it.

My Blower Motor is fine, and as far as the Water Pump and leaking antifreeze, he said that my hoses were a little loose- and when antifreeze leaked onto the fan it splattered everywhere. He said the hoses themselves were fine, he's gonna tighten them up, clean up the engine (where antifreeze was splattered), and everything should be okay.

Oh, and until I get the new resistor put in, he jack-ed (or jimmy-ed? I don't know) the Blower Motor so that I'll get one speed out of it at least- and I'll have heat!

So, my almost $1900 repair job went down to $0. All it's going to cost me is a new Blower Resistor next week.

...can you believe that??

I've actually avoided Christmas Shopping so far so I could save for this repair! It's a Christmas Miracle!

(or at least me wising up and getting a second opinion)

I just wanted to thank everyone here who has read and/or responded to this post- I really, really do appreciate all the advice... and the space to vent.

ONE LAST QUESTION: Does anyone know the part number for the Blower Resistor? And/Or know where I can find one? One person suggested calling Merlin Isuzu- could someone please post his contact? Or is this part I need generic and could be bought from anywhere...?

Again, thank you everyone for the help (and for reading all of this!) ~!!

:laugho: :laugho: :_steering :laugho: :laugho:

[Mile High VX]

Merlin @ St. Charles Isuzu
1-800-727-8066 - mention the forum for a discount on parts.

[vxaddict]

Wow, what a response- this is exactly why I heart this site!


That said (and I already PMed NocturnalVX), does anyone know a good mechanic in the Chicagoland area? Right now I'll at least settle for a mechanic who has seen a VehiCross before.

Funny story: the one Isuzu dealership that I used to go to isn't around anymore, and any dealer maintenance is forwarded to a Subaru Dealership down the street. Where all the guys gawk at my Ironman because, of course, none of them have ever seen one before.

Again, thank you everyone, this is a wonderful community- and I really do appreciate all your help and advice!

:bgwb: :bgwo: :bgwb:

Here's the thread where that talks about the Chicago VX Resource:

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=18982&highlight=chicago+service

I'm also in Chicago and haven't checked this guy out yet. I took her to my local mechanic who I've been using for 10 years. He's doing the basic stuff, but anything VX specific (windows fix, engine problems, etc) I'll probably have that other guy check out first.

Would love to get a Chicago meet sometime, maybe after the winter so that my frozen power door locks would work!

[RamAirZ]

That's awesome to hear man! That's why I hate taking my vehicles in anywhere. Sometimes mechanics just jump to a conclusion and then start throwing all sorts of other stuff at you so they can scare you into spending $$$$. Hard to find a good mechanic but sounds like you might have just found one!