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Re: My 2004 Grand Prix Problems/Maintenance List

Fivefingerdeathpunch said:
Look up labor times for each job, thats where the price comes from.

Figure dealership shop rates are 105-130 an hour. Its not really rape when thats what it costs to have them do it.

Its just getting bent over compared to a smaller mom and pop shop that doesnt charge as much, and clearly we all know speed doesnt do his own work, so why care what he has to pay.
Click to expand...

No, you're getting raped....since you aren't even figuring parts in that.

Figure a dealer says a LIM job is what...4-6 hours?

Even at $90~, and the average joe shop guy makes what...less than $20 an hour...which is what the popular going rate is around here per hour...that's still AT LEAST $360 I could have spent on booze and whatever else.

No thanks. I'd rather have the satisfaction of it getting done right the first time.
 


Re: My 2004 Grand Prix Problems/Maintenance List

dealerships pay the mechanic full book rate per job, so if the job says 6 hours, they get paid for 6 hours, even if it took them 1 hour to do the job.

i got friends who works at dealers, they will double up on a job and make lots of OT this way. one friend used to do a/c installs in less then 2 hours, its a 15 hours job, one guy does the inside work the other did the under hood work, they both get paid for 7.5 hours each for 2 hours work.

and the customer gets ass raped for the whole 15 hours or labor, plus the parts.
 
Re: My 2004 Grand Prix Problems/Maintenance List

mine also makes a clicking/clacking sound. it's only at low rpms, 1,000-3,000 and when im accelerating moderately hard. At first i thought it was the CV's going bad but it does it if i hold the brakes in drive and get on it a little, so it only does it when the engine is under a moderate load....
 
Re: My 2004 Grand Prix Problems/Maintenance List (Now with More Fluids)

Did they overfill the powersteering pump?
 
Re: My 2004 Grand Prix Problems/Maintenance List (Now with More Fluids)

Yea that's was my next suggestion because it has the red 'ish color to it.
 
Re: My 2004 Grand Prix Problems/Maintenance List (Now with More Fluids)

Don't get offended but...

You really need to nut up and start doing some repairs yourself. I understand that you have a mechanic your families has been using but majority of your repairs can easily be done by you. Not expecting you to go out and rebuild trannies but paying a mechanic to do a simple power steering pump, intake install etc is ridiculous. How do you expect to learn if you never dive in and get hands on? Or are you going to always be the guy that is forced to pay ridiculous labor cost? Your talking about a 15+ year old platform..trust me there's a wealth of how to and information about just about everything on this site. It's not a Lamborghini, it's a Grand Prix for god sake/ All this repairs that you have had done makes your car really seem like a lemon.
 


Re: My 2004 Grand Prix Problems/Maintenance List (Now with More Fluids)

SpeedGrid said:
I double checked the fluid when the car was hot and cold. Both the levels seem fine.

But I don't know why it would be this dark. The system was completely flushed.The ACDelco fluid I provided them is clear.
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Check the color of the power steering fluid. Some people use transmission fluid, some use regular power steering fluid. Both are fine, but making sure will indicate what it's from. If they flushed the trans with clear trans fluid, and it's still a dark red, something is wrong there. Either they didn't use your fluid, or they ripped you off completely.

A friend of mine took his car to get the trans flushed (after I told him NO to a flush, he did it anyway) and afterwards it looked and smelled the same. New trans fluid has that certain smell to it, his just didn't have it. I did a pan drop weeks before, and even now you can still smell it and tell it's new fluid. But they must have done something because his trans ended up having problems 2 weeks after the flush, and led to a $2,200 rebuild.

I have to respectfully agree with REDCOMPG, doing your own work, even if it's your first time (which is most cases with all the work I did on my car (Trans pan drop, filter/fluid/shift kit, etc)), you will still likely do a better job and have the satisfaction it was done right. Just do a little searching and even ask a few questions here if you need to. It took a lot of searching around before I was confident to drop my tran's accumulator, but I found there's really nothing to it. And any tools that you need that you don't have, will usually be covered by the cost labor would have been.
 
Re: My 2004 Grand Prix Problems/Maintenance List (Now with More Fluids)

^ this seriously, if i were to go to a shop the amount of money i would have spent on my car would probly be over 20 grand
 
Re: My 2004 Grand Prix Problems/Maintenance List (Now with More Fluids)

Same here. Instead I spend pennies on the dollar and just buy parts which tend to be very cheap (price wise) compared to other cars and crack open the brew and basic socket set most of the time and have at it. I think the only thing I shelled money out for was for the ac to get fixed and that was simply based off me not having the time, it being 90 degrees here and has been raining everyday for the last month and I my garage only being a single isn't big enough.
 
Re: My 2004 Grand Prix Problems/Maintenance List

here's what I have run into with my 2k1 gt when I got it. The stuff just kept piling up as I kept going.


1.ignition switch replaced ( car wouldn't start anymore) , cylinder was sticking so I did that too.
2. tranny line leak on both lines!
3. tie rod ends shot replaced them
4. during tie rod end replacement noticed lower control arm had a hole in it ( replaced)
5. when turning the wheel power steering fluid was shooting out the boots ( rack replaced)
6. strut mounts bad up front ( replaced entire strut assembly)
7. valve cover leak ( fixed)
8. After replacing valve cover I realized I still had a leak somewhere. turned out to be LIM leaking oil onto top of tranny ( fixed)
9. Finally was able to drive the car on the streets and realized it had the no overdrive 4th hub is stripped symptom!! I almost canned the project at this point if it wasn't for detailed instructions I found here and other places online I wouldn't have fixed it.
10. traction off/ abs lights on ( broken wire on left control arm fixed)
11. Pass front brake line blew. The one that rides along bottom of firewall. Replaced all lines up front including hoses.
12. rear brakes shot ( replaced rotors and pads)<-- I consider this maintenance item
13. a/c compressor leaked bought a used one from junk yard resealed entire unit then threw it in. ( gotta love when your a/c is blowing 38 degrees on a humid 85 degree day)
14. forgot I replaced coolant elbows when I did LIM with aluminum.
15. dropped tranny pan replaced filter (that's when I found the 4th hub shavings on the magnet.)
16. replace windshield washer pump.
17. replace rotted resonator with a piece of straight pipe.

So now for under $1000 in parts I have a good running GT with 137k.

Things to do.
1. fix dent by gas cap
2. buff paint out in areas it can be saved
3. repaint back bumper
4. fix rocker rust.
5. get new headlights and tail lights.
 
Re: (More Problems Need Help) My 2004 Grand Prix Maintenance List

Could the clunking be a cv shaft? (I didn't read the whole thread to see what all you had replaced) And the p0420 code is more than likely your cat taking a dump.
 


Re: My 2004 Grand Prix Maintenance List

Please tell where you purchased the aluminum water outlets ,I've had to replace the plastic ones twice already,third time ill go alum.
As for the power steering noise ,Im not sure) but can the belt tensioner being weak have anything to do with it?
 
Re: My 2004 Grand Prix Maintenance List

JEFF WATSON said:
Please tell where you purchased the aluminum water outlets ,I've had to replace the plastic ones twice already,third time ill go alum.
As for the power steering noise ,Im not sure) but can the belt tensioner being weak have anything to do with it?
Click to expand...
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/dorman-help-heater-hose-elbow-aluminum-47065hp/10267342-P
Buy online use, code P20? For 20% off, pickup in store.

Or go on rockauto and lookup dorman 47065hp

Sent from the Milky Way
 
Re: (More Problems Need Help) My 2004 Grand Prix Maintenance List

SpeedGrid said:
The code has not come back since I deleted it two days ago. The exhaust does not smell weird and the car has not hesitated lost performance. Could it have been nothing?. Could it be an O2 sensor going bad or would that be another code entirely? The car is not to good in the city around 10-15 MPG but on the highway I get around 30 MPG.
Click to expand...
My car threw the p0420 code. I noticed no issues at all just that code. Cat didn't rattle, drove fine no weird smells no hesitation. I deleted the code, put a spark plug non fouler on the rear o2 sensor and drove it almost 1200 miles, it didn't run the cat monitor the entire time. I ended up deleting the down stream o2 codes with my hptuners. When I pulled the cat it was starting to break up inside. I'm betting it's your cat it's possible it's the downstream o2 but in my experience not likely. Try the spark plug non fouler trick maybe it will work for you.
 
Re: My 2004 Grand Prix Maintenance List

My first , well my second, my first was a 95 back in 2000 and i didn't have that long, my second GP was a 2000 GT that I had to replace the head on( jerk I bought it from took the light bulb out of the ck engine light) and all related gaskets, the elbows the day after i got it all back together, I learned my 2002 GTP will have the aluminum ones by the end of this summer) new plugs and wires new filters etc, and the thing the coil packs sit on (i forget what its called) and a new radiator and still had an overheating problem. Then it got totaled by an old man turning into me. Insurance co cut me a check in a week for almost double what i payed for the car and i found this very sweet 2002 GTP almost the same color. Bought it off a buick/gmc lot that used to sell pontiacs there also one owner and they bought it there, had just traded it in on a regal its my first car note in almost 20 years but I. LOVE this car more than any except for my 92 IROC Daytona or my first car a 75 mercury marquis with a 460 cid police interceptor.
 


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