Opinions On TIRES PLUS For Engine Repairs.

[Stan]

Hey all. Well I need advice about going to ‘Tires Plus’ in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for engine repair. Can a ‘tire place’ be a good place for this repair???
I have a 2006 Chevy Aveo, with 37,600 miles, yes thats it! It is an automatic, hatchback, looks like it was just made, I take care of my car. I know its an Aveo, but it is what it is, and after more than 30 cars/trucks in my life, I am keeping this till I die, or wreck it. Anyway, it needs the damn Timing belt/Water pump replaced, for the FIRST TIME!! So I am at 11 years, and only 37,600 miles! I didnt replace it a 5yrs/50K mils, I have not even gotten to 50K miles! BUT that belt is 11 years old. I have owned it since new, so I know it has been taken care of perfectly. BUT this damn job is SO expensive,here in Ft.laud, it runs between $660-1,300! $1,300 is the dealer!!!

Oh, i replaced the Dex-Kill coolant a year ago, it was all gunked up in the engine, it was flushed like 5 times, to get it all out. I now have Peak LifeTime coolant in it. Runs perfectly, no issues. BUT…..I have NO money, NO mechanical talent, and no tools , like a floor jack, to lift the engine to get the motor mount bolts out. No water puller tool etc, to do it myself. I cant find a mechanic to do it in his ‘off time’, for a few hundred, plus parts, BUT I CAN charge it at Tires Plus for $880! I get a 12/12 month warranty on it, using a Continental replacement kit. THEY say they use ‘higher level’ ASE mechanics for engine repairs like this. NOT the tire/oil changers. But I just dont know if a ‘tire place’ is the place to take my car, to get the timing belt /water pump changed. Is this safe,reliable, is it ok?? Anyone know? I dont have the CASH/CHARGE card, to get it done anywhere else. Like the $660 job at a local garage I use, and like a lot, but they want $660 and I just dont have it. And with them i get a 2 year warranty on it all!!! So ..I either dont get it done….keep hunting for a mechanic to do it…and thats been 3 years now, no luck, or go to Tires Plus.

No one, not even Chevy, can even tell me if I go by the years or the miles to replace it. But that belt is 11years old. That rubber HAS to break eventually….right??? YET I only have 37K miles on it. It is ALL city driving. Sorry to go on and on, but I am trying to be complete. I wish I could find a mechanic to come to my home, or go to him ,bring the kit I want, Continental, maybe Gates, and pay him,$200??? for 2 hrs work. I know it takes 2 hrs ,or less, if you have the tools and knowledge. Both I dont have. So….do I go to Tires Plus, and pay $880!!!! Or keep risking the belt will snap one day, and kill my engine,and ride the bus till I die??? As I said, it has no other issues,

i do all the maintenance, keep it looking perfect, keep it running perfect, only this HUGE ‘replacement’ is hanging over my head. Can anyone give me some advise…..or hell…know anyone in Ft.Laud, that CAN/WOULD change it out???? I can pay cash for that, but I cant charge it to go to the garage that can do it for $660 and 2 year warranty.. I know it should cost MAYBE $50-90 for the kit, and TOPS $200 for a ASE mechanic for 2 hrs. THAT is TOP pay.. I know this is a ‘easy job’ for a mechanic., for me it is like building a car from scratch! So….opinions on Tires Plus, or ANY names/numbers of mechanics in Ft.Laud you use, that you can refer me to??? That can do this in his off time???? HELP PLEASE!!! I cant ‘enjoy’ my car at all, waiting for that belt to snap and kill my engine. An Aveo is hard enough to ‘enjoy’….but I like it, it is simple, not stuffed with power everything, 30 airbags, cameras all around it, etc…it has roll up windows, no ABS, no radio controls on the steering wheel! and I LOVE it! Plus no car payments for 6 years now, but I just HAVE to get this BIG repair done. Before I need to do the next thing , like brakes or tires NEXT year. So i have to get this done. I dont want to loose my car, and I cant afford to buy another one, and we all know a USED car, is GREAT shape…will have 180K miles on it, and will look like crap, or been smoked in. My car is NEW in and out, and I know its repair record. Why trade in/sell a 11yr old car, wit h37K miles, and then buy another 2006 or newer, with 5 times the miles??

Topic

[David]

Generally, you go by time or miles, whichever comes first – so for 5 yrs/60k miles, you’d do it at 5 years, or at 60k miles. The engine in the Aveo is an interference engine, meaning if the timing belt breaks, the pistons can come in contact with the valves, potentially resulting in some very expensive damage, so you want to keep on top of it. Also – there have been some reports of the belt not making it to 60k miles (see http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/under-the-hood-short-on-time-compact-engine-timing-belt-service/) and GM actually issued a TSB on the replacement (TSB 06-06-01-021) so I’d be leery of pushing it too much further.

Lots of tire places are full service shops – if they have the technicians and equipment, they can do whatever. All places are generally only as good as their worst mechanic, though, so do your homework – read reviews on yelp, etc. to see if there are others whom have had similar work done and think highly of (or not) that location. Doing the timing belt on the Aveo doesn’t look to be too different than many cars, so if they have decent mechanics. they should be able to knock it out in short order.

[Stan]

Yes i know all about the engine self destruction if the belt breaks, thus the reason i worry 24/7 about getting it replaced. But i just dont know about having Tires Plus doing it. And as I asked, I am hoping that maybe someone in my area will see this post, and maybe knows a mechanic that would do it in his off time, or a DIY guy, that has done this work before and wants to make a few hundred dollars ,for 2 hrs work. I’d help…whatever I can do…if i had the tools, even if i rented ALL of them, i know i would miss something, and then on the first start up,BOOM! Dead engine,dead car:(

it isnt much of a car, but it is mine, it looks great, it runs fine, and everytime I start it, i wonder if this time it will blow up on me! And I no longer have a car. I am hoping i will get other replies, and then I can go from there. No info. on Yelp about them,that I can find.

[Richard Kirshy]

I understand your situation …
You have 2 choices here.
Bite the bullet and fork over the cash.

Or invest a bit of time …. research what it takes to do the job.
I did a quick search on YouTube, the actual job is fairly simple and straight forward.

You claim you have no money, but are willing to spend $880.00 for a repair.
Something not right there…

Personally …
Before I pay that kind of money to anyone for this kind of job.
I’d be investing that cash into tools so that I could do it myself.

[Stan]

I tried to be as clear as possible in my post. I have a CHARGE CARD for Tires Plus, ONLY. So i can CHARGE the repair there. BUT I dont know if Tires Plus is capable of doing the repair. I asked if anyone else has had it done there. I dont have ANY of the tools to do the repair. Not the least of which is the floor jack to lift the engine. Even if I RENTED all the tools, I dont have the talent to do the repair.,

I have seen the YouTube videos, and other step by step details to do the repair…I just cant do it. IF I want a ruined engine, i might as well let it blow up, when the belt snaps.times, this repair is WAY beyond my talent. I CAN PAY someone like $200 to do it, That is a TOP pay even for an ASE mechanic for 2 hrs, work. It is listed in the Chevy repair manual at 2hrs TOPS, to repair. Not even in a garage does a mechanic make $100 an hour. Thats all i have CASH wise.
So i have limited options. charge it at Tires Plus, pay a mechanic, IF I could find one, and so far I cant, after 2 years of looking!!! Save for a year and pray it doesnt break in the next YEAR, then get it done at my local mechanic, that wants $660, CASH. Now do you understand??? Or I can just let it snap and have no car at all, and ride the bus. Not an option I care to do at the end of my life!!

[Richard Kirshy]

[quote=”Wolf359″ post=181279]I tried to be as clear as possible in my post. I have a CHARGE CARD for Tires Plus, ONLY. So i can CHARGE the repair there. BUT I dont know if Tires Plus is capable of doing the repair. I asked if anyone else has had it done there. I dont have ANY of the tools to do the repair. Not the least of which is the floor jack to lift the engine. Even if I RENTED all the tools, I dont have the talent to do the repair.,

I have seen the YouTube videos, and other step by step details to do the repair…I just cant do it. IF I want a ruined engine, i might as well let it blow up, when the belt snaps.times, this repair is WAY beyond my talent. I CAN PAY someone like $200 to do it, That is a TOP pay even for an ASE mechanic for 2 hrs, work. It is listed in the Chevy repair manual at 2hrs TOPS, to repair. Not even in a garage does a mechanic make $100 an hour. Thats all i have CASH wise.
So i have limited options. charge it at Tires Plus, pay a mechanic, IF I could find one, and so far I cant, after 2 years of looking!!! Save for a year and pray it doesnt break in the next YEAR, then get it done at my local mechanic, that wants $660, CASH. Now do you understand??? Or I can just let it snap and have no car at all, and ride the bus. Not an option I care to do at the end of my life!![/quote]
Oh I understood perfectly..
Lets see if you can follow suit.
You plan on over paying via a credit card to get a fairly easy job done.
Mmmmmmm … in my book your still paying.

As to not having a floor jack.
Lets try something a bit more simple like raising the car with your spare tire jack, stacking a few pieces of wood under the oil pan then lowering the car in order to remove the motor mount.
” I just cant do it. ”
Where I come from there is a saying..” Can’t never got anything done ”

When I first purchased my home, It needed full plumbing refit, complete electrical from meter pan, wiring to outlets & switches, a complete heating system.
Not to mention frame work, insulation, drywall, spackle, paint , cabinets, flooring.
All of which I had no idea how to do at the time..
But, much like you, I could have over paid others to do the work or learn what I needed to get the job done.

You have no friends that have a basic set of tools you can borrow?
Knowledge and skills are learned.
So if you say you can’t, I take that as you saying I can’t be bothered to learn.
Think about it.
This old saying fits quite well:
“Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day,.
Teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime.”

[Stan]

I prefer to not hold up a ‘minor part’ of my car, the engine, with wood. One slip while I attempt to fix it…if it slips off the ‘stable wood’, on the THICK metal oil pan,…how much damage is produced?
Lift the engine with a STRONG scissor jack, and put wood under the oil pan. That is the epitome of jury rigging. I have 0 friends all dead, no family, all dead, thus the reason i am stupid enough to ask strangers for opinions/help, and what they think of this establishment. I do all the maintenance on my car, oil,spark plugs,coolant change, hose replacement, tire rotation,etc…BUT this is WAY over my head. One thing not done right, and the first time I start it up, it is either perfect, or it damages all the pistons, and it is junk.
So.if you dont know about Tires Plus major repair ability, then please stop. Unless you have a bud in Ft.laud. that knows how to do this, and wants the $200 I have in cash, to pay him, please dont keep trying to make me feel stupid.

I have 1 car, 1 engine, and it has to run perfectly. I know I cant do it, so I need it done right. I only need it to last for 1 timing belt change, it/I wont make it to the next change time. I am asking one question…can Tires Plus, a tire/oil changing place, can do this, and do it right? Thats all. I can paint, spackle, build a flat roof, put up drywall, and do minor wiring in my home. Hell thats easy. This is mechanical and I cant do it. It has to be perfect, no room for ‘slight’ errors. Got it? So…do you know if Tires Plus can change this belt/water pump, and not fuck it up? Or not? Thats the question.
IF I had a Visa with 8% interest ,and a $900 limit, I would not even be in here. I would have had it done months ago, by my mechanic/garage,for $660 and a 2 year warranty. But I dont. I only have a Tires Plus card, at 25% interest, and a $880 estimate. So….its them, or find an off duty mechanic that will do it for TOP pay, (and I have placed ads in CL to find one)….I might as well ask to buy a NEW Corvette for $10. there is no one that will do it that is ASE, or has any certification, past a ‘shade tree mech’.. THAT isnt good enough, unless I knew him as a bud, and knew he could do it. I dont. So…here I am.

[college man]

Responding to your reported message. You would like to know is tires plus qualified for the
engine repairs you want done? If they say they can do the work then you would have to trust
them and get it done.

[David]

You really need to ask around locally to see whom folks recommend – maybe talk to friends/family in the area and see who they suggest? If you go on Craigslist, there are a number of “mobile mechanics” who at least say they can do the job
http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/aos/5936350006.html
http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/aos/5933276768.html
http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/aos/5899599595.html
etc.

For the tires plus chain, looks like there are two local shops, both have decent reviews on Yelp, but the reviews are tire-centric. (the complaints are mostly based on timeliness, etc. rather than work quality)
https://www.yelp.com/biz/tires-plus-fort-lauderdale-3
https://www.yelp.com/biz/tires-plus-margate-2?page_src=best_of_yelp

on craigslist, there are also discussion groups where you could post a request. I wouldn’t be expecting a dirt cheap rate – even if they go with $100 an hour, don’t forget they have tools, supplies, travel time (if they are a mobile mechanic), etc. to cover. I’d be more apt to go with a shop you know will do the job right (and offer a warranty) over an on-the-side person whom you don’t know a whole lot about, though.

[Jason White]

Doing it yourself is always a gamble, even if you know what you are doing, or even a professional. That’s because if something goes wrong, you have to eat it. If you pay someone else to do it, if something goes wrong, they eat it. What you have to figure out is your betting odds, then put in your time and efforts and overall investments. Plus, once you go in, if you mess up, good luck finding someone to get you out of that mess. You are looking at a more complex job, which if you do something wrong, could cost you a whole lot. The odds aren’t in your favor. As far as Tires Plus, I can’t vouch for them but as being apart of a large chain if they goof they will cover it.

You said yourself you don’t have the skills to do this, and that’s not bad. I’m not an electrician or plumber either, so I would hire a professional to do those things just based on what I know from my profession. I don’t understand why being a “mechanic” is apart of the whole man-card rule. That’s outdated. Working on a car doesn’t make you manly.

[Stan]

Thank you for your opinion, someone that has an open view, finally. But as i have said repeatedly, besides the fact that I dont have the tools or the knowledge, I know i can RENT the tools, ALL of them, but to do so is pointless. As I have said repeatedly, I am physicality unable to do the job. Besides not having the skill or tools. I have a heart condition, the worst of my issues, and 2 very bad knees, to the point that I am almost in a wheel chair, this makes this job out of my reach. This will be my last car. IF it dies on me, I might as well die with it. IF I loose it, i will be home-bound.
The bus is only so reliable. Or get me out of the house, to just get out and not be stuck in these 4 walls. So, is it now clear, to all? I have been trying to not blast my condition all over the internet, but there it is, now you all know. I CANT DO THE REPAIR. Is it now clear?

I have no family, no friends, to ask to do it, I have 2 options, spend just under $900 at Tires Plus, on their charge card, and 25% interest, and i’ll be dead probably before it is paid off, or find someone to do it for me, and pay them a few hundred dollars for their time, and NOT go MORE debt, so deep, that there will be nothing left over, after I am gone, to bury me in something other than a Potters Grave. It isn’t cheap to be alone, and unable to do for yourself. So I guess Tires Plus gets my money, and a lot more in interest, and let the lawyers fight over who gets paid off in the end..

[David]

Sounds like you have decided on your path forward, which is good – I think it will work out just fine. One thing I would definitely try to do is get the price down a bit – $900 seems a bit high for a job that books at 2 hours (particularly if they are going to ding you for 25% interest!) Timing belt kits can be had for under $150 for from RockAuto (the Gates kit is $88.79 and the top end Continental kit is $135.79 – both include the belt, tensioner, idler, and water pump. the continental also includes cam/crank seals). I get it that shops like to make money on parts, so they aren’t going to go that low, but it gives you an idea as to how much profit they are making on the parts alone. If it’s a two hour job, I think a much more fair price would be in the $500 range, but that’s just me, and I don’t know the shops in your area.

Something to think about when doing this job – you might consider replacing the accessory drive belt and tensioner. Shouldn’t cost you anything in labor (since those parts are already coming off) and they are inexpensive – a continental belt on rock auto is $13 for your car and the tensioner is $25. Definitely replace the plugs as well (they may or may not remove them when doing the belt – I like to as it makes rotating the engine easier) – these are $1.25-$4 each and you need 4 of them.

[Author]

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