Timing Belt Inspection

[avguy]

Finally had my timing belt replaced. Dealer originally quoted $420 before tax including parts and labour. They get the belt on and find that when pressure tested there was a leak from the water pump O ring so they went ahead and replaced that too.

At your mileage IMO a new WP should be automatic. How about the idler pulley - did they do a new one of those as well? Just curious what they nicked you for the WP. When I did mine, it was a bit of a PITA to remove the old and install the new one, so I'm guessing 75-100 extra (not knocking that because I think it's required maintenance in any case).
But I'm really curious about the work you had done earlier. Did you have any symptoms of suspension problems which caused you to take it in for a look? Did they describe the specific problems and damage, and any likely cause (big potholes, etc.). I'd appreciate hearing anything you can relate about these repairs because I have a bit of noise and rattle at 116K, and haven't been able to find any definite cause yet. None of the common DIY tests have turned up anything. I certainly hope you're done handing out $$$ for a while

[chrisu91]

They did not replace the water pump. I even offered to pay the $175 they wanted for the part but they said it wasn't necessary. They said the pump's O ring was the only thing needing replacing. I've kept up with my scheduled maintenance intervals regarding coolant flushes so I hope I've got a lot of life left in the pump. I don't think the dealer would risk losing my business by giving me wrong advice.
And in regards to the suspension inquiry, here is what they typed on the work order when I got it fixed in May: "During test drive noticed clunk in front end. Found both front stabilizer bushings separated sitting on frame; unable to remove bolts seized. And control arm bolts broken, replace subframe and both front control arms". If you're hearing a rattle I'd probably guess its a dead wheel bearing. So far this year I've spent $2700 on repair & maintenance (still cheaper than the $4500 or so it'd take to lease a new car haha). Nearly everything that can go wrong with my car has. I've replaced both sides ABS speed sensors, oil pressure sensor, alternator, both front wheel bearings, and left side axle shaft. Now my car is almost 6 years old and it's got a ton of new parts in it. Here's hoping it doesn't give me any more issues for a while!

[avguy]

Thanks for the info on your repair history. Definitely not the wheel bearings on mine. Not a big deal yet - I'll eventually get it figured out and taken care of. That's a LOT of repairs on you vehicle for the age and mileage . I expect they must use a ton of salt up where you live - do you have major rust on the underside? That would tend to explain the long repair list.
Back to the WP. For around $50 (2 years ago), I put in a new pump without even thinking twice about it. But I'll retract a bit by saying it's not all that automatic of a decision @ $175. I'm surprised they recommended that you defer, after you told them you were willing to do it - sounds like they have some ethics, and would be a good outfit to stick with. That being said, I'm not understanding the $175. Did you mean it would have been an additional $175 beyond what they actually did charge you for the O ring replacement? Replacing the O ring is just as much work as installing a new pump, because the PITA part of the job is getting the pump out and back in. So, unless they swapped the O ring onto the pump blind (which I doubt that a capable shop would do), they had to remove the pump, clean out the old gasket, install the new O and finally reinstall the pump. But, the pump (now) costs around $65, and with the labor the same either way, I'm not understanding the (approximate) extra $110 charge. Just curious - what's done is done, and I hope the pump gets you all the way to the next belt change!

[chrisu91]

No large amounts of rust underneath the vehicle. When the vehicle was purchase I opted for the lifetime undercoating. I get it checked every spring and fall for free and they do touch ups as they see fit. And regarding the water pump; they said it was $175 for the pump itself (excluding the additional labour to remove and replace it).

[avguy]

Well I did find an "Auto7" water pump for $152 retail on Advanced, so I guess your shop prefers to use the best parts available (most expensive=best ?? -- who knows for sure?). But they still sound like a good shop. And, with no big rust and all of those repairs, it seems like you must have just wound up with the one they built on Monday morning - hope you're set now for a long while!