Bad service at Honda Dealership ruined my car

I have a 1997 Honda Accord SE Coupe that I had serviced at a local Honda dealership b/c the "check engine" light came on. They said it was just a faulty oxygen sensor and they replaced it. 2 days later on a trip to Florida with some friends the light came back on . I called them immediately and told them and they said it was probably just the emmisions system again and not to worry about it till I come back in town. I asked them if I should not drive the car and he said it would be ok. Well, guess what......about 15 minutes later my car overheated and I stopped the car immediately. I opened the hood and there was radiator fluid everywhere and the radiator cap was completely off and laying exactly where someone would put it....right next tot he latch you pull to open the hood. I paid $117 to tow it back to the dealership. A week later, they said they still didnt know what was wrong with the car. I told them I wanted a claims adjuster form HOnda Care since I had bought the extended warranty to come look at it. I told the dealership I wantd to be there when the adjuster came. They called me and told me I wasnt allowed to be there. The only thing the adjuster said for denying my claim on my warranty was that there was "stop leak" in the radiator and that I ran the car too hot for too long. This is not true b/c I took the same radiator to a specialist who tested it and said the radiator was not ruined, clogged, or leaking. I called the Honda warranty people and they refused to relook at the radiator. The thing is...the dealership just left the damn radiator cap off when they were servicing it and now they say they didnt do it and they wont fix it. They gave me a quote of $7,300 to fix a car thats only worth at most like $9,000. I'm having to sue them and the warranty people b/c of all of this. On top of this, the dealsership has had my car for over 2 1/2 months and made me pay them $230 for the "breakdown" and when a tow truck guy from a separate place came to get my car so I could get it fixed somewhere else, the manager yelled at the guy and told him that they shouldnt fix my car b/c I would just try to sue them too.....Does anyone have ANY advice on what I should do? I've had alot of car service people and lawyers in town tell me that they've heard alot of bad stuff about this honda service dept before.

well id follow through with your lawsuit, thats no way to treat a customer.

plus if you have the proof that the rad was not clogged or misused then you have enough backing to win this suit.

im sure Honda wouldnt let a lawsuit hang over there heads either, so they would prolly settle out of court with you.

i think you have a good case, even better if it says on the honda service repair that they were fixing the coolant system and failed to replace the cap for you.

Hey crxlvr, it says that you are a mechanic? Well, I have a question for you if you don't mind anwering. If a car is brought into a shop with the only complaint being that the "check engine" light came on the dashboard, what exactly would the mechanics do....and I mean exactly? B/c the Honda dealership is saying that they did NOT even check or look at any of my fluids or coolants when I brought it in with the "check engine" light on. They said the absolute only thing they did was hook the car up to a mchine that gave them a "code" saying that a oxygen sensor was faulty and they replaced it free under Honda's general extended emmisions warranty. They did not put on the print out sheet that they did anything other than replace a sensor. But when my car was towed in the second time and I asked them for the code, they said that they didn't see the reason to hook it up to the machine and get a code and find out what went wrong b/c "the car just overheated". When i asked them to hook it up now and give me the code, he said they couldnt b/c they had already disconnected the battery. A Honda mechanic at a another dealership said the reason why they did that was to clear the code. Remember, the only reason the dealership could think of for my car overheating was that they said it "appeared" to be "stop leak" in my radiator and "clogged" it up. When advised by another HOnda dealsership mechanic to ask them to show me the "inlet valve to the heater core" so I could see if it had a bunch of "oatmeal" or "sludge" looking stuff in it that would have clogged up the system and ruined the engine....he told me that my car didnt have "one of those". When I pointed it out to him and asked him to show me again, he said "i can't get to it". They also did not give me all my parts back when I towed the car out including the distributor. This is a college town and I'm a young woman who they think they can take advantage of. B/c most of the naive girls just have mommy and daddy pay whatever amount of whatever goes wrong with their HOndas...and this is the only HOnda dealership for almost an hours drive. They've taken such advantage of me it's disgusting. Thanks for all who read this and help me with advice.

Hmmmmm.....Sounds very funny for that to happen 2-days later on a trip. You would smell coolant the 1st time you drove it home from the dealer & every trip after that. Sounds to me like someone checked all the fluids before the road trip & forgot to put the cap back on.

Did you have any type of radiator flush, or oil change where they might have opened it? O2 sensor has nothing to do with coolant.

Thats just my opinion.

The dealership was that last ones to look under my hood. NO one else has access to my car keys and I keep my car locked at all times. I didn't see the reason to check my fluids or under the hood before my trip b/c they had just serviced it 2 days prior. I hardly drove the car at all after I picked it up until the morning of my trip. It was only mid-60's , had been raining, and i drove mostly through town with a couple of 20-25 minute stops at gas stations. When i noticed the "check engine" light come on and I called them, the car was not over heating. But about 15 minutes later I noticed it was and stopped immediately. It had been over 1500 miles since my last oil change. so like I'm saying they were the last ones to have looked under my hodd before this happened. I even have the testimony of a police officer and car mechanic that stopped to help me and my friends stranded on the side of the road in the middle of nowerhe Georgia and when they opened my hood they both mentioned that the cap was off the radiator. I thought the pressure blew it off until they informed me that there is absolute no way a radiator cap can come off on its own. And the cap was laying right where you pull the latch to open the hood in the little groove area...exactly where someone would lay it if they were checking the fluid/coolant. Isn't one of the first things a mechanic would do if a "check engine" light comes on is to check all of the vital fluids/coolants to make sure they arent empty,low or old? B/c that can cause such a huge problem? I was told by a different honda mechnic that the emmissions system is directly related to the collant sysytem and that if the coollant sysytem isnt up to par that in Georgia you wont pass their strict emmisions test.

OK!

The 1st thing a Honda tech will do when the check engine light is on, is to hook it up & get the codes


I was told by a different honda mechnic that the emmissions system is directly related to the collant sysytem and that if the coollant sysytem isnt up to par that in Georgia you wont pass their strict emmisions test. :iceslolan I never heard that one before.

Three letters: BBB (Better Buisness Berau)

so jackassi, are you saying that they would never have checked my fluids or coolants when i brought my car in with a "check engine" light on?

I wish the BBB would whoop this company's ass!

I wouldnt go as far as never would open it, some techs will & most wont unless they get paid for it. Techs where I worked wanted .2hrs just for walking to the parts counter .. . . .

man your in a bad situation

Did you ever think they did it on purpose to get the bussiness from you, and think you would not know that they did it. They prob thought you knew nothing about cars and tried to sabotage your car so that they could get more bussiness. I know it sounds shady but it could happen. Also I would just like to say that reading this post really makes me mad and I think if I were you I would call someone at Honda's corpate office and tell them what is going on there. Also the place that looked at your radiator, are they willing to give you written doc that there was nothing wrong with the radiator? If so you need this along with written testimony from any and all who have had bad service at the dealership and written testimony of anybody who is qualified and has looked at your car and your situation. Hope you get your money and give the dealership the finger after you get the money! And tell the corporate office that unless something happens to resolve this issue that you will tell every person you come in contact with not to due bussiness with them. Also throw in the " That is not how good bussiness ethics are practiced!" I have gotten alot of success using this line, I came up with it when a local restaurant here stole my girl friends digital camera. I called the regional office and told them about it and right after this line and some other stuff the guy said I 'll call you back in 10 mins. He told me thatif they could not come upi with the camera then they would give the $500 to replace it with. I got the camera back in 45 mins. You just always have to get a hold of the next person up the line, and keep going up the line until you get what you want! Good Luck:bigthumb:

American Honda Motor Co has nothing to do with Honda Care ext. warranty.

I highly doubt they left it off on purpose to bring in more business, maybe an independent shop would do this, not Honda. You never know.

Find out if it was an apprentice working on your car then maybe they forgot to put it back on for some stupid reason.

Some dealerships will do a courtesy check on all your fluids when they service your car. They probably did so and forgot the cap. They are at fault for not putting it on, but you are at fault for not asking questions and checking it out before driving off the lot. You are going to be hard pressed to prove they left it off, but maybe.

ok sorry about my late post, but yea they may have checked your fluids for you just to be nice and all, but if they didnt put that on the service report than there is no way to prove they did it.

secondly, yes we mechanics are shady and alot of us(not me) will try to rip people off especially women with these exact situtaions. im sorry to say it, but it does happen.

when a car is brought in to check a code, it is usually just tested to find the code its throwin, wether it be by equipment or counting flashes or whatever, if it was your O2 sensor, there is no reason to open the rad cap.

i hope this helps.

Thanks to all of you who care enough to read my long threads and to have posted your thoughts and advice on the matter. I understand how people say that they probably didnt check the fluids but I just cant get it out of my head that there is 100% NO way a radiator cap can come off on its own.....SOMEBODY left it off whether by accident or on purpose. I have had ALOT of lawyers and mechanics and even a wealthy influential man in town tell me that they wouldnt buy a car from this particular dealership and that they had had customers come in to them with problems from this dealership. They have a very bad reputation is what I'm trying to say when you start asking around town. Like I said before, they are the only Honda dealership for about 55 miles...so they rip people off (and especially since it's a bunch of college kids with mommy and daddy's credit card). Quite a few mechanics and lawyers have mentioned to me that they wouldnt be surprised if this was done to my car on purpose also. I had to pay $2500+ to get my car a replaced engine and it should be ready for me to pick up and drive this week...hopefully :) I'm still in touch with my lawyer and I'll be sure to do what I can to rectify this situation. You know what though....I'm VERY dissapointed in the way HOnda Care treated this situation and denied coverage under my extended warranty for a "clogged radiator" even though theres nothing wrong with it and it's on my car right now and working fine. I'll try to keep you guys posted and if you have any more advice that would be great. I just think of it this way since alot of you reading this are mechanics or quite knowledgble about cars......how would you feel if this was done to your Grandmother? Mother? Sister? Daughter? Wife? ......it's just not right to do that to a female b/c they think were stupid idiots that don't know anything about cars. Well, they *ucked with the wrong woman b/c I'm not an idiot and I'm not one to let people take advantage of me and get away with it. Also, one note...to whoever said it was my fault for not checking under the hood when they serviced my car???? Are you kidding me? Who does that? I shouldnt have to go behind them when thats there damn job to fix my car. But anyways......thanks again.

I just cant get it out of my head that there is 100% NO way a radiator cap can come off on its own.....SOMEBODY left it off whether by accident or on purpose.
thats true it would not come off on its own unless the radiator was cracked.

how would you feel if this was done to your Grandmother? Mother? Sister? Daughter? Wife? ......it's just not right to do that to a female b/c they think were stupid idiots that don't know anything about cars. Well, they *ucked with the wrong woman b/c I'm not an idiot and I'm not one to let people take advantage of me and get away with it.
I dont think they left it off on purpose, you are just that 1 in 1000 customers that something like that will happen to

After every repair you should have the srvc. manager or an advisor show you what was done & request to save all old parts before ANY work begins. Mechanics/techs are human, just like doctors they all make mistakes.

Sounds like they dont have the brightest techs either:icon16:

defrinatly sux bout ur sitiuation, im sorry it happened, keep us posted as to how it turns out with the lawyers and stuff.

Hey guys, here's a littlle update. I ended up getting an engine put in my car and it was idleing really bad and so they said it was probably just an idle motor...they replaced it and the car was driving so much better. I had alot more power and It didnt feel like it was going to stall out on me at every red light or stop sign....until. I drove down the street and was merging onto the interstate when the damn car stalled out on the interstate and it would NOT start up. It was trying but when I reved the gas the RPM would go up but as soon as I let go of the gas the RPM would go to 0 and stall out again. The place has my car again and they are having trouble figuring out what it wrong now. They are waiting for a computer chip to come in to see if that might be wrong. They even told me that they wouldnt be surprised if the Honda dealership hadnt switched the computer chip to screw with my car.....I'm still waiting to have a car to drive and it's been 3 months now since the HOnda delaership screwed my car over.

Whats going on with the honda dealership? Have they tried to settle with you? I would sue them real good fopr what they have done! Good Luck hope you get your money back!

They even told me that they wouldnt be surprised if the Honda dealership hadnt switched the computer chip to screw with my car.....

:iceslolan. uh-huh

ok, here's an update everyone. The last mechanic's place that I was talking about that I paid over $2,500 to to get me another engine and have it replaced still cant fix it. The car was idleing funny and stalling out on me at stoplights and stop signs so they said it was probably just the "idle motor" whatever that is. They replaced it and I had a lot more power and it wasn't idleing anywhere near as bad but it was still quite noticeable and annoying. So as I was leaving the mechanic shop and merging onto the interstate the damn car completely stalled out and wouldnt restart. We got the car back to the shop and they had it for another 2 weeks when they called me and said that they were exhausted and couldn't do anything else to the car b/c they still couldnt figure out why the car was idleing like it was. The car especially idles bad after the car motor warms up . They suggested I take it to a Honda dealership b/c it was out of their hands and they give up on the car.

I took it to a Honda dealership (not the one that I had so much trouble with) and they told me about 10 minutes after I got there that one of the problems was that the plugs and wires were cheap and melted or something...basically they were bad. They said it was running on only 3 cylinders when I brought it in. It would cost $191 to replace the plugs and wires and for the intial inspection cost. I said it was fine. Well, i called them on friday and they said the car was running alot better but that they would still have to see how it runs when the motor gets warm. So today on Monday I get a call from the Service Manager and he said that they "refuse to fix" my car b/c since someone else had been messing with it and put that engine in that they didnt want to "go behind anyone's mistakes". They never even looked at my car b/c they didnt even tell me what was wrong with the car or why it's idleing so bad. Come to find out.....they know about the legal stuff with the other shitty Honda dealership and I'll bet you money that that's the real reason why they didn't want to "fix my car". They told me to just come and get the car and they will put my bad plugs and wires back in and not charge me anything. They just want to get rid of me. The thing that sucks so bad is that this is the original Honda dealership that I bought this car from and they won't help me and fix it. Now why wouldnt they take my money and fix it ???? It's gotta be b/c of what they know about the other dealership. NOONE will help me and I dont have much of choice as to what to do now. WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY CAR???? WHY IS IT IDLEING SO WEIRD, ESPECIALLY WHEN WARMED UP?????

My lawyer was going to call the service manager today to figure out why they wont atleast tell me whats wrong with the car even if they wont fix it. The service manager was short with me and didnt want to talk to me earlier when he told me about what was going on.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INPUT ON WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE CAR OR WHAT I SHOULD DO? THANKS

I don't know what part of alabama you live in but if you can make it a little notrh of atlanta to gainesville there is a honda shop here that is the best i have ever found in the state they worked at honda for 20+years and now have their own shop. I am confident that they can fix your car. i know it is a long way to travel but i have no other advice but you are in a world of a mess! I wish you all the luck in the world i really hate to hear about someone getting ripped off by a company:mad: . I wish there was more i could do i will ask around , maybe if i get a chance in the next day or so i will swing by there and ask the owner he knows all about hondas i believe hehe. Good luck:bigthumb:

also did the second shop replace the motor or rebuild it? That is important to know.

WHTTEG, thank you for seeming so genuinely nice and helpful. If you can help me any way I would be extremely grateful. To answer your question, the second shop got a 50,000 mile engine from a salvage yard for $2,500 including installation.

OK, let me tell you how much I want to pull my hair out......I just went to the Honda dealership that has had my car for the past few days and who has "refused to fix" my car. My lawyer called the service manager today to figure out what's going on. He told my lawyer the same thing about how's it's just policy for them not to go behind someone else's work. Well, they didnt charge me anything but told me I would have to wait 1 hr and 15 min for them to find a mechanic who would be available to take out the brand new plugs and wires that they had just put in...even though that takes all of like 5 minutes. My friend told them that he would just do it himself and put in some other ones that we picked up on the way from Auto Zone for like $71. The mechanic who had first looked at my car last week and explained what the problem was with the plugs and wires told us that he didn't know what was going on and that he was basically confused with the whole situation. He said that he had no problem with fixing the car but that he was told not to do anything to it. He asked us why or what the manager had said and I told him that the manager told us that it's their policy not to go behind other people's work. The mechanic said that out of all the cars he had ever worked on at this dealership this was the first and only time he had ever been instructed NOT to touch or fix a car. He said that they go behind other people's work all the time b/c people almost always have work done at another shop sometime. He apoligized and that was that.

I read the "service invoice" they wrote and it says: "Customer requests to check idle. When coming to a stop the car seems to shake and want to cut off--has cut off a couple of times. Customer also states that at 80 mph the RPM's are around 3500----is this normal? When checking engine, the plug wires "pulled apart" when disconnecting them from the spark plugs. Spark plugs were also fouled. Replaced spark plugs and wires with Honda parts. After car warmed up to normal operating temps, it began to run poorly again. See note below.......... Note: It was discovered that this car had been in another shop for an overheating problem and then another shop to have the engine replaced. Because of these items, we feel customer should take back to one of the shops that have worked on the car before. Car appears to have more problems. WE DO NOT WANT TO DO ANY REPAIRS ON THIS VEHICLE. We also removed all Honda parts that we installed and installed parts that the customer furnished. They did not have the old parts that we had taken out. We did not charge customer for any work we did on vehicle. We also spoke with her attorney about the matter. "----the service manager

I pulled out of the service area and my car stalled out in their exit area of the dealership. My friend was able to get the car started back up but it only works if you keep one foot on the brake and the other foot on the gas to keep the RPM up at the same time so the car won't stall out everytime I come to a stop. Well, my car ended up stalling out about 10 times b/w leaving the dealership and getting to the exit on to the interstate. What if I had been in an accident leaving that dealership b/c my car stalled out in the middle of the road and it's b/c they refused to fix my car???? People couldn't have gotten hurt!

I cried almost the whole way home. What am I supposed to do when no one wil help me or fix the damn thing? My lawyer even asked the service manager if he had any suggestions on where else to take the car in town to fix it and the service manager told him "No".

When the manager mentioned about the car having been taken to a shop b/c of "overheating problems" they are refering to the original dealership that caused this whole problem so the manager knows all about my legal problems. I remembered today that the service manager at the one who refused to fix my car had told me like 4 months ago that the service manager at the original dealership was one of his closest friends and that he had known him for years. So does it not sound like I got blackballed or what???????

What if I called honda customer relations and made a complaint , would that do anything?

WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW????? ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS AT ALL????? I'M ABSOLUTELY AT A LOSS FOR WORDS AS TO WHAT TO DO NEXT. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I start a new job in 2 weeks and am moving to this new town and I have NO car to get me there or around town. NO ONE CARES!!!!!! My life has been unbelieveably altered since this all happened almost 3 1/2 months ago and I just keep getting crapped on by everyone I come into contact with. I have already put SOOOO much money into fixing this car it's ridiculous. HOw much money do I keep throwing into this car before I just give up? I don't know what else to do but go try and get another car but then I'll have to pay 2 bank notes.:crying:

I'm really sorry to hear about your car. I'm not a particular fan of honda's, but it really sucks to have a car with lots of problems, and no where to turn. Have you tried replacing the cap, rotor, along with decent plugs and wires? I had a 91 sunbird, that ate a plug, we ended up having to retap the head, for it to work. maybe you could look at the price of tearing it all down, and doing a rebuild. yeah, it will be money, but it would save you from having to get another car. OR... get it running decent, for a short bit at least, and trade it in, and hope it doesnt act up when they test it, which they might not, if its really new.


but, even though I hate honda's like most people here hate fords, don't let this one car, and the dealers in your area sour you from the car company.


:twak:

one thing I just thought of, now I am not the smartest person when it comes to cars, but have you checked the timing as well? if the plugs went bad, could that have thrown the timing off?


:twak:

Hey Sniper, thanks for your input.

Yes, the car just had a new rotor and cap put in and today new plugs and wires put in. Although the honda mechanic said the ones we gave him to put in (from Auto Zone-$52) weren't really all that good b/c he said they were too long and some part of them wasn't touching what it was supposed to be. I will ask someone about the timing....I don't know really anything about cars so I will ask someone who does.

The thing about trading it in is that as soon as you start the car up you will notice it idleing bad and the RPM go to 0 and then stall out. They would laugh in my face for trying to trade it in or they would probably give me hardly any money for the car.

sounds like a sensor could be bad, like maybe the knock sensor, or the tps sensor. Have they all been checked?? Do you know anyone that can scan your car for you? See if anyone you know has a mechanic that they have been going to for upteen years, and take your car to them, and see if they can look at it. In Topeka here, we have a import shop, that deals strictly in modifying imports, see if you have something like that in your town, make an appointment, and pick their brains. I bet those guys will know more about the engines than the actual Honda guys do.


:twak:

Like sniper said i would try to scan the ecu and see what codes are sent out. Also I would do a visual inspection of all and I mean all of the wireing harnesses under the hood and at the ecu and make sure they are connected completely. Also check all of the senors and make sure there is not visual damage, sometimes when a motor is pulled at the salvage yard they are in a hury and things can get damaged. I the sparkplug wires were as bad as you and the honda mechanic said they were then the shop that swaped the motor must be really shitty and it is no surprise to me that they could not fix it if they did not even try to replace a set of wires that were visably damaged :rolleyes: . Anyway try the things said above, also try to post something on www.superhonda.com the guys there are very helpful as well and just maybe you will find the answer and all will be back to normal. Just hang in there and don't loose hope it will get fixed :bigthumb:

Also now that i think about ti more it sounds like a emissions or ecu problem if the car runs poorly after it warms up b/c that is when the ecu goes into closed loop. I fyou know anybody with the same car as you see if they don't mind letting you swap ecus for a few mins and see if that is the problem. It is fairly easy to change the ecu and it should not take long either but it can get pricey if you need a new one, but hey you will know the problem if that is what it turns out to be.

If the check engine light is NOT on, the there are NO codes to retrieve.

Customer also states that at 80 mph the RPM's are around 3500 -
yes that is normal

I say give up the headache & get yourself another car

gee jackass, thanks for always being so positive and making it all so simple for me.............anyways...there's alot more involved than just "getting another car".

I guess I'm gonna take it to another Honda dealership further away. NO, the check engine light is not on , so there wouldnt be a code to retrieve i guess. They fixed the "idle screw" and now the car runs a hundred times worse, but if they didnt then we were going to have to keep replacing the plugs b/c they said it was running "rich". All of this makes me want to become a mechanic so i can fix my own car from now on out...:)

if your running rich, your air/fuel ratio is messed, which sounds like a ecu or MAF sensor.... I think its the MAF that controls air to fuel. not sure.

but, it deffinetly sounds like a sensor or ecu problem.


:twak:

See what i was saying about the sensors and wiring harnesses is that if the ecu does not get the right signal from some sensors after it goes into closed loop ( the engine is warmed up) than the ecu will go into safe mode and losd the car up with fuel and run it really rich, it is ttring to keep the possibility of a lean condition from happening. Anyway it really sounds like a sensor or ecu or wiring problem. Itis very possilble that ythe shop that swaped the motor did not connect something properly and this could be a loose connection or they could have connected something wrong and messed up the ecu. Those are the things i would focuss on first and check those out. Also just b/c the MIL is not on does not mean there is not a code stored in the ecu. Try to scan it anyway hondas are easy to scan you need no special tools at all. Hope this helps

man it's really sad that people screw with you just cuz you're a girl. why do people always target those who can't defend themselves? the humanity! the horror! the injustice! sounds like you need a shrink, not a mechanic. he can give you medicine for all that paranoia. oops, i mean SHE can give it to you, because women can be psychiatrists too. it sounds like your lawyer and all those other mechanics are targeting you too, playing on your need for revenge (and making a buck in the process!). good job mentioning the fact that you're female--gotta make sure you capitalize on the sympathy factor. ok, ok, look. i'm not trying to make enemies, but something i've learned from troubleshooting in the telecommunications business: look at your equipment first. make sure all your ducks are in line before you go pointing fingers to the other end. blaming other people will only make you look like a crybaby. think the squeeky wheel gets the grease? nope the squeaky wheel gets replaced, as you have noticed from the difficulty trying to find a mechanic. why would they wanna work for you if they're afraid you're gonna sue 'em? so my advice: buy a manual and WORK ON YOUR OWN CAR. i didn't even know how to change a TIRE on my brand new cavalier (which i bought with MY money, not my parent's credit card!) when i was 19. but 5 years later when my clutch went out in my civic, instead of paying $400-$500 having some rip-off artist do a half-assed job on it (what does he care about me anyway?!), i did it myself for $200 and learned a whole HELL of a lot in the process! if you get anything out of this flame please let it be the last couple of sentences. or will you sit and mope because i "yelled" at you? he was so insensitive! make it so your car can limp and work up cash for a new/used one. and would i like it if my wife/sister/daughter/grammy was treated this way? let's see...if my wife/sister/daughter/grammy worked as a mechanic and was treated the way you treated those mechanics, HELL YEAH I'D BE PISSED! so uh...what was your question again...?

oh and if you wanna throw out the injustice thing, why is it a post written by a girl has more replies than a non-girl? what we need here is for some democrats to impose some affirmative action for us abandoned males. where's jesse jackson and al sharpton when you need them???

Like (most) everyone else posting, I wish you luck. This is obviously a very bad situation. I'm not going to make a judgement either way, on you or the mechanics involved. Before you go digging around poking at wiring harnesses and sensors and whatnot, find (like several others have suggested) a reputable shop nearby (particularly one with thorough experience in import cars.) Make an appointment with them. Tell them as LITTLE as possible about the situation, just 1.why your engine was replaced and 2. the current problems. Ask them to go through the whole engine bay, inspecting ANYTHING that is involved in the engine replacement process. It will probably be a couple hours of labor. If (hopefully) they find a fault (or faults), take note of them and bring it back to the place that installed your engine (they SHOULD fix the problems for free, if they're related to their engine work.) Even though you were told by that garage (the installers) that THEY couldn't find anything wrong, sometimes it just takes someone else with a fresh outlook on the problem to take a look. As far as the ECU side of things, I'd definately recommend doing what was previously proposed, and find someone with a similar model to let you swap the chip out for a test. The ECU is the brain- if there is a problem with it, then computer diagnostic scans could definately be affected.

I sympathize with you, as I echo the general feelings of people toward mechanics. It is VERY hard to find a good mechanic, for anything!! (My father is currently having trouble with both the mechanics for his Harley, and the mechanic for his powerboat) I've never understood why there are so many bad apples in the mechanic biz. If you enjoy your job, and like fixing cars, why try to screw someone over? It can't be the money- at $50-$70 an hour average (PLUS what they make on the part), they should be bending over backwards for their customers.

Originally posted by 93DC2
man it's really sad that people screw with you just cuz you're a girl. why do people always target those who can't defend themselves? the humanity! the horror! the injustice! sounds like you need a shrink, not a mechanic. he can give you medicine for all that paranoia. oops, i mean SHE can give it to you, because women can be psychiatrists too. it sounds like your lawyer and all those other mechanics are targeting you too, playing on your need for revenge (and making a buck in the process!). good job mentioning the fact that you're female--gotta make sure you capitalize on the sympathy factor. ok, ok, look. i'm not trying to make enemies, but something i've learned from troubleshooting in the telecommunications business: look at your equipment first. make sure all your ducks are in line before you go pointing fingers to the other end. blaming other people will only make you look like a crybaby. think the squeeky wheel gets the grease? nope the squeaky wheel gets replaced, as you have noticed from the difficulty trying to find a mechanic. why would they wanna work for you if they're afraid you're gonna sue 'em? so my advice: buy a manual and WORK ON YOUR OWN CAR. i didn't even know how to change a TIRE on my brand new cavalier (which i bought with MY money, not my parent's credit card!) when i was 19. but 5 years later when my clutch went out in my civic, instead of paying $400-$500 having some rip-off artist do a half-assed job on it (what does he care about me anyway?!), i did it myself for $200 and learned a whole HELL of a lot in the process! if you get anything out of this flame please let it be the last couple of sentences. or will you sit and mope because i "yelled" at you? he was so insensitive! make it so your car can limp and work up cash for a new/used one. and would i like it if my wife/sister/daughter/grammy was treated this way? let's see...if my wife/sister/daughter/grammy worked as a mechanic and was treated the way you treated those mechanics, HELL YEAH I'D BE PISSED! so uh...what was your question again...?

That was absolutely not helpful at all please if you are not going to help constructivly then stay away!

Originally posted by tenguzero [B]Like (most) everyone else posting, I wish you luck. This is obviously a very bad situation. I'm not going to make a judgement either way, on you or the mechanics involved. Before you go digging around poking at wiring harnesses and sensors and whatnot, find (like several others have suggested) a reputable shop nearby (particularly one with thorough experience in import cars.) Make an appointment with them. Tell them as LITTLE as possible about the situation, just 1.why your engine was replaced and 2. the current problems. Ask them to go through the whole engine bay, inspecting ANYTHING that is involved in the engine replacement process. It will probably be a couple hours of labor. If (hopefully) they find a fault (or faults), take note of them and bring it back to the place that installed your engine (they SHOULD fix the problems for free, if they're related to their engine work.) Even though you were told by that garage (the installers) that THEY couldn't find anything wrong, sometimes it just takes someone else with a fresh outlook on the problem to take a look. As far as the ECU side of things, I'd definately recommend doing what was previously proposed, and find someone with a similar model to let you swap the chip out for a test. The ECU is the brain- if there is a problem with it, then computer diagnostic scans could definately be affected.

I sympathize with you, as I echo the general feelings of people toward mechanics. It is VERY hard to find a good mechanic, for anything!! (My father is currently having trouble with both the mechanics for his Harley, and the mechanic for his powerboat) I've never understood why there are so many bad apples in the mechanic biz. If you enjoy your job, and like fixing cars, why try to screw someone over? It can't be the money- at $50-$70 an hour average (PLUS what they make on the part), they should be bending over backwards for their customers.[/B ]

$50-70 is not what the mechanics see, it is much less that that, and she should check for the things I said and not take it back to the shop that swaped the motor b/c they sound really shitty also b/c they did not even try to changre the broken wires when tring to fix the idle problem.

I had a thought probalbly wrong but worth a shot. Did your car come with a v6? If so does it have a v6 in it now? I was just thinking that just maybe they swapped the wrong motor in. I know this is highly unlikely but I have seen worse.

*sigh* sorry. just don't like the damsel in distress approach. i know plenty of women who do their own work--that are even still in touch with their feminine side. if you knew there were problems with your car, what made you decide to go on a 200 mile road trip anyway?! hind sight is 20/20 i guess. well, if you're afraid to get dirty and are absolutely against trying to learn something new, go find a...muh...muh...mecha...mechanic. yuck, that word tastes like crap. but instead of having them fix it, get an estimate, take your estimate to somewhere else and have this other mechanic fix the problem. DO NOT go there like you're ready to sue at the drop of a hat! something i've learned when i was younger also: the dealerships overcharge. you mentioned $191 for plugs and wires. they were probably stock or stock spec. i spent $50 for iridium plugs and $90 for 8mm plug wires and installed them myself. 5-10 minutes of work, 2 minutes to wash up. here's another approach: everyone has someone in the family that will do the work for you. maybe even for free! get your estimate and have your sister/daughter/mother/grammy do it for you. i just wanna put something out now. a honda dealership would have SO much to lose by doing something like what you're accusing them of. that's why i'm so skeptical. carefully remove that chip from your shoulder please.

Originally posted by 93DC2
..... i just wanna put something out now. a honda dealership would have SO much to lose by doing something like what you're accusing them of. that's why i'm so skeptical. carefully remove that chip from your shoulder please.

Thats funny b/c a friend of mine took her new eliment to the dealership and they forgot to tighten the oil plug and guess what? It locked the motor up! She had just got done hooking it up too, 20" rims etc etc. Anyway they stood behind the bad service though and gave her what she paid for it new. She had bought it from them as well, only had it for 6months :( Now she is sporting a S2000 so I guess it worked out for the best :iceslolan

Hey man my dad sells Pre-Paid Legal, it's like legal insurance. It's incredibly cheap and I have used it several times and have solved legal problems every time I used it. Plus you have a lawyer on demand 24/7, even on holidays. So you dont just use it for this but if you ever get pulled over and the cop wants to ticket you then he'll have to talk to your lawyer first. If you decide to take it to court then court expenses are only like half plus the lawyer will press the matter and release court expenses that way you still make more money off the matter and you have to pay only for a lawyer and jack shit else. I'd say it's worth it. if your interested then email me at born2sk8_2000@yahoo.com. Good Luck Anyways.

The cap, rotor, plugs & wires and an oil & filter change are FREE for a one-time visit to a Honda dealership as long as your '97 Honda has 75K-150K miles on it. Ask the dealership for Honda Service Bulletin 98-081 (dated Mar 18, 2003). To find out if this particular service was ever performed on your car, ask for a "VIN Status Inquiry". It would show whether your car has ever received this free warranty service from Honda.

Thought you might want to know this since you've been paying for cap, rotos, plugs, wires, etc. along the way.

Also, under the same service bulletin, there are an ENORMOUS amount of emissions-related parts covered under "the Emissions Warranty Extension". Your car's emissions system is covered for 14 YEARS or 150,000 miles - whichever comes first. This applies TO ALL '97 HONDAS EXCEPT THE PASSPORT MODEL.

You mentioned the "idle motor" was supposed to be defective (also covered by emissions warranty).

Since the engine has been swapped out...I'm not certain how the warranty would be affected (should be covered as long as a '95-97 engine was put in place of it). Take the car to a reputable dealer and don't tell them about the engine swap. Have them start throwing parts at it that are included in the bulletin.

The thread is over a year old you poop-head, nobody is going to answer or read your post. All these people have probably forgotten this thread.
You dumb nub-cake