Very dissatisfied customer. I brought my car in because it was running extremely rough. Received a call later in the day that it needed six new spark plug wires at a cost of $538. Although the cost seemed high, I authorized the work. Later in the day, I received another call saying the work did not solve the problem. When I picked the car, it ran exactly as when I brought it in. I brought it to the shop to diagnose and fix the problem not throw parts at the problem. Why weren’t the cylinders checked first? As a 70 year old woman with no automotive knowledge, I need to trust the people who work on cars for their expertise.
Lee, I'm truly sorry that you feel this way. Please note, the total of $538.00 was more than just spark plugs and spark plug wires. The ignition wires were damaged; they appear to have been chewed (potentially mice). The following was completed - 1. Our first step was to fix the ignition issue prior to moving forward in the diagnostic process. 2. Next, we fixed the spark issue going to the cylinders. We also did a compression test - both running and cranking. The compression test was ultimately good. 3. Thirdly, we completed a fuel injector test and fuel pressure test both came back within specs. 4. Next, we checked exhaust back pressure to ensure the catalytic converter wasn't plugged. 5. We then checked powers and grounds going to the engine. 6. Then, we did a vacuum test on the engine. This test came back abnormal. 7. The next step was removing the valve covers to check for a possible broken exhaust spring. We have a process for diagnostics. We have to fix the known problems and move to the "next steps"; by doing this it takes the guessing out of the equation. This is also a 20 year old vehicle; thus the need to be thorough. We work really hard to make sure we diagnose and fix them properly the first time. Once again I'm truly sorry you feel that the price was higher than expected and the problem wasn't fixed. When we talked to her on the phone she didn't want us to go any further to diagnose the drivability issues. Please feel free to call me with any further questions or to discuss further. Sincerely, Michael McDonald St. Croix Automotive
- St Croix Automotive