Advise on my wifes car, 2004 Mazda 6, PLEASE

[avintegrator]

2 weeks ago my wife said her car was running rough and the check engine light was on so we took it to a shop in town that has worked on most of my famililes cars for several years with no complaints. They said the codes it was throwing were for the computer and that we really needed to take it to the dealer to have that addressed. OK, no problem thanks. Took it to the dealer and they said it wasn't the computer it was a leaking intake maifold gasket. I talked to both mechanics and the dealer had a better explanation (or line of BS?) so we had the intake manifold gasket replaced along with it's major tuneup since she just went over 100k.
Today the light came back on, it's 90 today BTW and we returned to the dealer thinking it was someting to do with the previous work. They just called her and this is the e-mail she sent me.

About the car,
$400
Cap for thermostat is staying up….apparently, this cap comes up if gets too hot to let air circulate thru and then closes back when not too hot
The cap used to be something they checked when they did tuneups, but it is not something they can get to easily, so they stopped doing that.

Anyhow, does not think it was caused by whatever they did last week to fix it…..


$400 for a radiator cap? Am i being raped and are they or could they be full of shit?
Charlie what would you say about this, thanks.

[GRRRR8]

$400!!!!! Foe a radiator cap or even a thermostat is CRAZY!!!

[netmand]

just an observation...
the email you quoted says thermostat, not radiator. Typically those are two different areas of the engine bay.

money out of your wallet... zoom zoom!

[GRRRR8]

I think I would get a better description of whats wrong with the car and let me know.

[avintegrator]

just an observation...
the email you quoted says thermostat, not radiator. Typically those are two different areas of the engine bay.

money out of your wallet... zoom zoom!

My bad, i meant thermostat. I was a little pissed off about the whole thing. I'll see what else i can find out, i'm without cell coverage so i have to rely on my wife checking her email

[GRRRR8]

4 cylinder or V-6

[avintegrator]

ok talked to the stealership. it breaks down like this
$17 for the coolent
$89 for the thermostat
2 or 3 hours of labor to replace
Grand total "around $386"

I was kinda a smartass and asked him if they had to pull the motor to replace the thing, but if it really takes that long on these cars to get to it, pull it apart and put it back together, then maybe i just deal with it?

He said the thermosat is behind the engine in a really hard place to get to and they have to take a housing off also to even get to it and then go thru the process of putting it all back together...

Shoulda made her get a G8!

[Panzer Leader]

I always thought that engineers do a really piss poor job of locating parts on an engine that are ususlly replaceable items.

[GRRRR8]

A V-6 pays 1.1 hours and a 4 cylinder pays 1.4

[avintegrator]

Thanks Charlie, I'll see what happens when i get home tonight and have a chance to talk to them in person. I had to stand in one spot at the end of the deck to get my phone working before.
BTW the hours you quoted is that what Mazda would pay under a warranty situation or is that what Midas figures they will take.
Thanks again

[GRRRR8]

Thats AllData labor times. Almost all the others are within a few tenths +/-

[avintegrator]

Thanks, i appreciate it.