Okay i just have to vent a bit here. Im from chicago and when my cars check engine light was on and i was due for my emissions test, i had to act soon. So i found this place Amerimex in oak lawn to do the smoke test on my emission system for only $30, when every one else wanted $100+ for it. DONT GO THERE!! They told me that both my evap canister and vent valve needed to be replace since both had leakage, totaling around $350 with labor and parts. Well i didnt get the work done there. Instead my buddy and i decided to do the work ourselves. While looking over everything, we noticed the vent selenoid (inside driverside rear fender) was in bad shape. So we took it off and brought it to the dealership. The tech there said that it was in fact bad. Bought a new one for only $28. Installed it, deleted the code, then waited the three days it takes for the computer to fully reset. Three days pass and no light. So out to the emissions test i went (nervous).. PASS!! So in short, these fools were trying to get 350 bucks when all it really needed was a stupid 28 dollar piece. And to get to both of the parts they said supposedly needed to be replaced, you need to drop the fuel tank. So if i would have got the work done there, i dont believe they would have even done it. So i repeat, if you are around the chicago land area DO NOT go to AMERIMEX in oak lawn!! They only specialize in scams!!!

 

ha no fkn kidding i had a buddy go there for his srt4 all he needed was a wheel baring (very cheap i guess for that car) but they charged him for both barings and a new steering rack. i agree they are nothing but crooks!!!

 

Wow what a small world!! Its so hard to find a decent mechanic now-a-days that wont d**k you over the at first chance they get. Sorry to hear about your buddy getting taken from them. That sucks.

 

well dont be sorry hes a big goober these days, but its not that unlikley cause he always used to stay in oak lawn for band prctice or something.

 

It very well could need a charcoal canister. It may just not have thrown a MIL light again. Do you keep filling the gas tank after it clicks? Also remember that they dont work for free. There is some mark up on the parts as well as labor.


I am not condoning them in anyway, just showing the other side of the story.

 

no i usually dont fill it all the way up. it just bothers the hell out of me that i seemed to remedy the problem with a 28 dollar fix while they wanted to do a 350 dollar repair

 

i don't mean to badmouth or say you didn't fix your problem but sometimes a evap code is one of the hardest things to figure out. and if they found granulated charcoal bits in one of the vacuum lines thats why they would say the canister needs replacing because it is coming apart inside and can easily clog your other evap parts or the intake plenum ports which will set the engine light as well but now its way more expensive.

i agree however that by the sounds of this garage they are a little shady.

i am a certified technician here in canada and i live and practice the philosophy
that "a car will break down all on its own, i don't need to make things up"

 

The bad thing about mechanics is they aren't all honor roll students. I took the auto mechanics vocational program in high school (just as an elective to learn how to work on cars)- and over half the class was failing or borderline dropping out of high school- and many were doing poorly in mechanics also. The worst part is- some of them were already working at shops part time.

Granted, there were a few kids a little smarter that went on to school for it- but the couple that did very well in the school ended up in pretty high end jobs with BMW. To compound this problem, cars are getting more and more complex as the years go on. Back when it was just carb's and distributors- repairs and maintenance was pretty straightforward.

I'm not trying to say all mechanics are high school dropouts, as I said before, I knew some guys that were pretty sharp that went on to be mechanics- just that there are idiots out there (just like almost any field), and there really is no way to interview your technician ahead of time, and some times they guess at the solution of the problem just like anybody else. Plus- with you mentioning shady mechanics- a lot of places are like that- many places will try and sell you into all kinds of extra stuff just to get the extra money.

That's why I always think its nice to try and find a mechanic or service manager that is a family friend, or is well known for being honest and intelligent locally- and take it to them on any maintenance that you can't diagnose yourself.

Just out of curiosity- why don't you fill your tank up?

 

i agree there are a lot of high school flunkers that become mechanics....in the usa. in canada to properly get a licence you need to graduate from high school to even be eligible to partake in the college course required to write the federal test for a "mechanics licence" we have very strict laws about this. the trade number is 310s for everyday cars and trucks. and its not easy i know a lot about a lot on cars and i scored 86% on the federal test. (70% gets you a licence which isn't high enough to me).

and its the bad guys like mentioned before that give honest guys like me a bad rap. a good rule of thumb would be to find a non-flat rate garage the work quality will often be better and not rushed. rushing is the worst mistake in auto repair by far.

 

the things that i have replaced on my car after going to a shop and they said it was a 800 fix for the emissions. i ended up replacing the egr the evap canister and the idel air controll valve. but not in that order but when i replaced one it passed that year then the other after it failed then replaced the egr it passed then the evap do to the age