EXsmellsbetter

iTrader: (1)

So the other day I was driving on the freeway minding my own business when my check engine light comes on and so I do the 4-lane lane change off onto the nearest exit. The car dies at the intersection but I just mosh the gas and then it kicks back in again and I am barely able to get it to a parking space. The insurance company tows it to pep boys where it sat for three days until they called me today and told me that someone had installed one of my spark plugs wrong. They also told me I was gonna need a new head, water pump, thermostat, timing belt, new spark plug assembly, tune up, and a couple other misc things for the beautiful total of $2700.00. Up to the point where my car's light came on the car had a rough idle at start-up, but it was the thing where I thought I was just going to need a valve adjustment. I only have about 60k miles on this thing too and I had my plugs replaced with some iridium plugs back at around 30k miles. A company called Inline4 in Orange County did it so if that's the case I wonder if I could try to hold them accountable for it . . . but I bet they would weasel out of it like champs. But my main question is has anyone ever had this happen to them? Any insights about what to do because I definitely don't have $2700.00. Can you even put in a spark plug wrong?

skipbarber

iTrader: (34)

do you know what the codes were? you can install wrong plugs, but it's hard to install them wrong. and if youve had them for 30k, i doubt they're to blame. and why exactly do you need a new head? it's really hard to ruin a head without cracking it, at which point you have other things to worry about. any insight as to what caused the CEL to come on? code numbers or descriptions? id take it somewhere for a second opinion, pep boys...no so much. just my 2 cents.

tuningmycivic

iTrader: (11)

anything with threads can be cross-threaded, but i think you have noticed something much worse than a rough idle after 30k on a set of plugs....i think you need to call your lawyer and have it towed to the nearest dealership ASAP. your powertrain warranty should still cover it. i think mine lasted til 75k or something like that. good luck with everything though

EXsmellsbetter

iTrader: (1)

Thanks guys, I had a feeling it wasn't that because my car's never overheated, that temperature gauge might as well be carved into my dash because it's been a little champ. I didn't get any codes off it but I almost want to just try and fix it myself because I've had pretty good luck with doing maintenance on my car and I remember a news article back in the day about pep boys trying to scam people.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

plugs do come loose over time, fyi, even if they were torqued to spec. but i dont see how a bad spark plug can wipe out your entire cooling system

EXsmellsbetter

iTrader: (1)

Okay cool. I was suspicious when they started telling me about the water pump and thermostat and stuff. How scandalous is that crap?

speedfoos

iTrader: (17)

Get a written quote for that job and then get it towed to the dealer. Have the dealer do a quote on what's wrong. Don't tell the dealer what Pep Boys said. Once you get the quote from the dealer (my guess is they will be substantially different), file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and also send a copy of everything to Pep Boy's corporate address. My guess is those folks don't really know how shady their local store managers are.

That's ****ed up. New spark plug assembly? WTF is that?

The only possibility that there is a ring of truth to any of this is if the other company cross-threaded in some longer plugs, torqued them down to about 150 ft./lbs and cracked the head. But I seriously doubt this is the case.

****ing crooks.

EXsmellsbetter

iTrader: (1)

Ooh, I really like that idea. I am pretty sure that's what I'm going to do now. Depending on what the dealer says I might still try to fix it myself.

sql_civic

iTrader: (10)

Pep Boyz! My God. Seriously I tried to buy 2 struts from them about 4 years ago and it took about 3 stores and 4 visits to get it straightened out. I wouldn't ever get car wax from those Bozos. Personnally I don't think they were trying to rip you off, I just think they're just so stupid that they honestly believe their diagnosis. (They could not even transfer parts from one store to another for me - mutiple times even after the manager got involved.)

But speaking of plugs - a wierd thing happened to me where 2 of my plugs cracked in a stock Civic. First 1 went then the other. I was losing compression through the plugs! They were NGK plugs installed by the dealer as part of some free emissions warranty work and had only 3k or so on them. So maybe you just need new plugs - check it out.

Good luck.

CivicHatch9one

iTrader: (2)

i agree with everyone. once a car came into our shop and the spark plug thread had been stripped and the spark plug shot out. and they reccomended a new head for that.

EXsmellsbetter

iTrader: (1)

Thank you, you guys are making me feel way better about this whole situation. I definitely didn't think it had anything to do with the head so when they told me all that I was like . . . whaaa?? When I popped my hood the only thing I saw amiss besides the super-rough idle was that it looked like the top popped off on ignition coil number . . . let's say three. I was consulting the Chilton's today and it also looked like it could be my idle air control valve. So maybe just new plugs, coil and iac . . . I hope!

CivicHatch9one

iTrader: (2)

they coulda just said all that other stuff because it was time to, or a precaution. like when my motor went and i took it to nissan they told me
i needed a new motor a new clutch and front and rear brakes. lol

EXsmellsbetter

iTrader: (1)

I hear ya, so if the dealership tells me the same story as pep boys I'll probably just dump in another motor. You can get our engine for like $700 on ebay. Sweet.

CivicHatch9one

iTrader: (2)

i got my em2s motor replaced 1200 installed. and that was 4 years ago

sniperscout

iTrader: (8)

if you're looking for a motor, 700 is rather high for our motors. 500-600 is an average price for a 30k mile d17a2
I just bought one a few months ago and did a lot of searchin. The motor and installation was 950 total

EXsmellsbetter

iTrader: (1)

Did you get yours from ebay or a local place or somewhere else? I've been looking online but haven't found too much other than ebay.

sniperscout

iTrader: (8)

I didn't have the internet at the time so I just started calling local salvage yards from the phone book
I also did not get any kind of warranty...I was in kentucky and i live in arizona so I knew I wouldnt be in the area if it broke later on
most places have a start up guarantee

skipbarber

iTrader: (34)

i paid $350 for a d17a1 with 16k on it at a junk yard in PA..

EXsmellsbetter

iTrader: (1)

Guess I might have to call up a few junkyards!

EXsmellsbetter

iTrader: (1)

Just a little update: took the car over to Honda and they tried to tell me it would cost $5400 for a new head because apparently it's what I really do need. They also told me that I could pay $3500 and they would swap in a used engine. So I'm gonna have to tell them to go burn. Then tow it back to my place. Then be about $600 in the hole with no progress made. Holy **** I am so ****ing pissed right now . . . but at least I get to try an engine swap!

Lord ET

sucks *****

EXsmellsbetter

iTrader: (1)

Haha I blame it on the economy. Everyone wants to rape you to get theirs before it implodes. On the brighter side I found that pick-a-part has a d17a2 with 25k miles for $650. How sexy is that crap?

02BLKCIVIC

iTrader: (8)

crazy

Valdeezy

Did they say what was wrong with the head? Or did they just say U need a new engine!! Sounds kinda crazy to me that you need a new engine because of some plugs. Also did the stealership tell you what codes you were throwing. you need to get those cuz that will tell you alot about whats wrong. Have a good mechanic look at it instead of the dealer cuz they will still try to rip ur *** off!!!

EXsmellsbetter

iTrader: (1)

They said that when the spark plug came loose, it rattled around in the cylinder a little bit and all the crap that came off damaged some of the exhaust valves and I basically needed a new head. I've never worked too in-depth with my engine so I don't really know if all that's even possible or what. Geeze.

EXsmellsbetter

iTrader: (1)

On another note a guy I know said he'd sell me a new head, but without the cover for like $75 plus shipping. Would this be a good fix without having to rip the whole engine out?

CivicHatch9one

iTrader: (2)

i guess its kinda possible if the spark plug broke and fell in... but then again i dont see how that is possible becaus the bottom is metal that gets screwed in. idk i had the same thing to my motor but the catylitic converter was the culprit in mine. got sucked in and had its way with the inside of my motor.
yes. easy fixin. good luck but whose to say the piston isnt messed up

sniperscout

iTrader: (8)

^I concur with the piston thing.
If there was crap falling into the cylinder your walls maybe all scratched up now or other problems.

EXsmellsbetter

iTrader: (1)

Ahh crap. Maybe I will just go with the whole engine transplant.

sniperscout

iTrader: (8)

also think of it this way... if there isn't anything wrong with the block you could re sell it and make some money back...and you cut your mileage in half