Take your best guess, how much to fix my AC on a 2000 SVT

[Bozack]

Hey,

My bad, that price included their highway ripoff of a diagnostic fee, I decided to just go ahead and do it and try and keep the car longer as I cannot find anything I like as much for under 30K, the TSX came close but the four banger is somewhat of a turn off...

 

[LauraSVT]

For what it's worth, replacing the brakes is not a complicated process. Its just bolts and elbow grease, mostly. There's also huge savings in the parts arena, too. If you've already decided to have the dealer do the work, so be it. We'll let sleeping dogs lie. But next time around, you could save quite a bit through Tousley Ford, Rockauto.com, or even your local parts store. And if you do the labor yourself, well, the combined savings will pay your greens fees, as well as your tabs at the 19th hole, for some time to come. Or you could spend it on hookers. Whatever's your bag.

By the way, what dealer? I'm up on the north shore in Mass, too.

 

[99SE]

Why is it everytime I hear of someone getting brakes done at a stealership that they always say that the rotors need replaced too. The brakes are easy to change and it would cost you less than $50 to do all 4 wheels. If the car isn't shaking when you brake at hard then the rotors are fine.

Take the car somewhere else to get the a/c checked and let them check for leaks. It'll be much cheaper.

 

[BrApple]

Why is it everytime I hear of someone getting brakes done at a stealership that they always say that the rotors need replaced too. The brakes are easy to change and it would cost you less than $50 to do all 4 wheels. If the car isn't shaking when you brake at hard then the rotors are fine.

Take the car somewhere else to get the a/c checked and let them check for leaks. It'll be much cheaper.

well in speaking with one of the guys at the local parts store alot of garages buy cheap rotors and high end pads when they do the brake work. if you replace the rotors everytime I am sure there are less people coming back complaining about anything after brake work, also we have found that places can't turn a rotor to save their lives anymore and often the rotors now are so thin to start with that there isn't enough left to them to turn them down even once, so you get new rotors everytime ...

 

[99SE]

I've replaced plenty of brakes on my vehicles and I never have had a problem with the rotors except on the contour. When we first got the car my wife said that she heard a noise and she ended up grinding into the rotor. I had to replace that one and then a few years later I noticed that I was getting some shake from high speed braking so I replaced that rotor. I don't see any need of replacing rotors if nothing is wrong with them. If they don't cause shaking then leave them alone.

I just replaced some front brakes on a G35 for my neighbor. He went to the stealership and they quoted him $600 just for the front.:blackeye: He went and bought some nice brake pads and I had them on in 20 minutes. I'm sure he saved $550 from that. :laugh:

If it aint broke leave it alone.

 

[Bozack]

For what it's worth, replacing the brakes is not a complicated process. Its just bolts and elbow grease, mostly. There's also huge savings in the parts arena, too. If you've already decided to have the dealer do the work, so be it. We'll let sleeping dogs lie. But next time around, you could save quite a bit through Tousley Ford, Rockauto.com, or even your local parts store. And if you do the labor yourself, well, the combined savings will pay your greens fees, as well as your tabs at the 19th hole, for some time to come. Or you could spend it on hookers. Whatever's your bag.

By the way, what dealer? I'm up on the north shore in Mass, too.

Hey thanks, honestly I know I could do all of this stuff on my own, I used to have a 1990 LX mustang that I did a ton of work to, everything from simple bolt ons like an entire exhaust (equal headers, h-pipe, and 2.5 flowmasters) to an auto to standard conversion, 3.73 gears from 3.08s and other various parts including brake jobs a plenty (hated drums but still got them done)...the only thing I didn't work on was AC related stuff...

With that said, having just had a daughter, and a job that keeps me away from home m-f until around 8pm, my weekends have become very tight, and I just don't have the time nor the energy now to monkey around with this stuff like I used to which is why I am resorting to the dealer...

The place I have been using is Bonnell motors in Winchester, honestly I think their price for brakes with rotors and pads isn't horrible, not cheap but not bad either all things considered, I have just been itching for a new car lately but the practical side says keep what I got as it is good and my car only does one two hundred mile commute once every three weeks to lebanon NH, the rest of the time it does two miles every day two and from day care and the train.

 

[Bozack]

well in speaking with one of the guys at the local parts store alot of garages buy cheap rotors and high end pads when they do the brake work. if you replace the rotors everytime I am sure there are less people coming back complaining about anything after brake work, also we have found that places can't turn a rotor to save their lives anymore and often the rotors now are so thin to start with that there isn't enough left to them to turn them down even once, so you get new rotors everytime ...

Heck even years ago when I was working on my Mustang you couldn't get a place to turn rotors for you as they never wanted to take the risk, or so I was told...now as you said new rotors are pretty standard with most brake jobs as the replacements are so thin as to be one time use....

I inspected the brakes before the thing went in and knew it needed some work done pretty badly, I was more surprised they didn't try to sell me a caliper as well, had one of those go on this car already and figured it was time for the other one.

Also with rear rotors I don't think one is going to notice shaking as much as with the fronts....though I did notice alot of grinding back there and stopping in wet weather was touchy at best.

 

[loggerbomb]

I had my rotors turned a while back and I got the "vibe" pretty fast. Though every time I get them turned they vibrate not too long after. I just live with it and only get them done when the vibration becomes more of a shudder.

Only thing I don't like about brake work is bleeding the brakes. Need to get some of them auto bleeder doo hickeys!