Hey Everyone! My nephew is currently in college near North Easton, Massachusetts. He lives in Springfield, Vermont, about three hours away. He's been told that his car (2010 Volkswagon Jetta) needs brake pads, rotors, calipers, ect. How true that is, I have no idea. His knowledge of cars is very little so he's only going on what the shop has told him.
At 18, he cannot rent anything to tow the car home where he at least has friends that might be able to help him fix it. He can reimburse gas... but he's a poor college student so you get the idea. Is there anyone in the area that might be willing to help him get the car towed or take pity on a poor college student and show him how to fix it. He has the money for the parts.
I know either request is a lot.... but I figured it was worth asking.
Thanks for reading!
ToymansWife
I am an hour away. I think Chris may be close to him (not 100 percent sure on that) Will the car drive at all? Sounds like he went to a local shop that is just going to do everything if it needs it or not. My friend owned a shop and he did this as he did not want people coming back in 5 k miles with a frozen caliper or warped rotor insisting that he should replace it for free "since he was just in there".
In reply to dean1484 :
Completely unsafe. He says if you press the brakes, the car will not stop.
Toymanswife said:
In reply to dean1484 :
Completely unsafe. He says if you press the brakes, the car will not stop.
That sounds more like a blown line, hose, or maybe master cylinder than pads rotors calipers...
Can he look at the brake fluid reservoir? Is there fluid in it?
Should be a white plastic tank with a black cap on it with a wire plugged in to the cap. It will be up against the firewall in the engin compartment on the drivers side.
And the story goes a bit deeper... rotor is cracked. So its not just hose lines, ect. he just made a bad purchase. The price for front and back, lines, rotors, tires and an alignment is $3500. Gosh I am so proud of Toyman for being so car savvy.
I'm not familiar with Jettas or what their parts cost, but $3500 sounds outrageous.
Toymanswife said:
In reply to dean1484 :
Completely unsafe. He says if you press the brakes, the car will not stop.
Oh, like we all have tried to get a car home by driving down desolate roads, downshifting, using the emergency brake and coasting through stop signs.......just kidding, I wouldn't suggest this.
stuart in mn said:
I'm not familiar with Jettas or what their parts cost, but $3500 sounds outrageous.
This.
That's like.....more than the car
Is $3500 for installing the stuff?!!
When I buy parts it's whatever the catalog says, if Napa buy it for me (like the engine they're machining) they tack on 35%. That's loan shark territory.
Napa rotors are about $60 each. (depending on quality)
Brake pads are $30 - $60 per axle, depending on quality.
For $40 you buy a Chilton or Haynes' manual and for <$800 you're on the road.
Best of luck.
imgon
HalfDork
4/6/24 9:26 a.m.
Has the issue been resolved? I live fairly close by and one of my kids is an auto tech. We may be able to assist.
imgon
HalfDork
4/6/24 9:54 a.m.
I can't seem to access my messages. Try me at cntolley at the Gmail place
Looks like Imgon has things in hand. Thank you, everyone!
Going through the garage library, I have a Diesel Rabbit up to 1997 shop manual. It won't help with engine stuff, but brakes may be very similar. It's your if you want it.
Dan
Yup, yet another amazing example of the power of the GRM family!
imgon
HalfDork
4/6/24 12:41 p.m.
Little hiccup, the shop closed before David could retrieve the keys so we will try again Monday to get the car. With the brief description he gave me it seems like it may be a blown brake line. It sounds like it is a janky car he bought from a friend. He knew it needed an alignment and other deferred maintenance items. With any luck we can patch him up and send him on his way.
Nice paying it forward, Imgon!
Just to clarify as I am finally getting the full story and explain a bit. We live in South Carolina. My nephew has lived in New Orleans and Vermont so we've never been able to teach him mechanic stuff like we have our own kids and his parents have no car knowledge either. He bought the car a few months ago without his parents input. The young lady he bought it from apparently had not had much done to the car. David rear ended someone in Boston when the brakes just gave out.
The mechanic said front and rear pads and rotors, front and rear calipers, brake hoses, brake labor, 4 new tires mounted, balanced and installed and an alignment for $3500. David KNOWS one of the rotors is definitely cracked and said the tires were near the end of their life. We all know that there are shops that are good and shops that will eat you alive. I'm not how accurate the quote is but I knew it was out of his reach.
Offers to help have continued to come in from all of you and many of my SCCA family. It's proven, once again, that Grassrooots Motorsports and SCCA have some terrific people and I appreciate all of the suggestions and offers to help. Hopefully Imgon and his son can help David get it back on the road. My next goal is to get him and his sister into a Street Survival Class asap. It won't help with fixing the car end of things but it will give them better driving skills.
Once again, thank you.
