THIRD: Avoid this skeezy auto shop, as they are looking to extort the largest sum of money as possible from those who are not mechanically informed.
Good people family owned honest work done on your vehicle!!
Skipping ahead, I drove the car from FL to UT, knowing very well that this persistent squealing could NOT be condensation considering Utah is at %1 humidity. Eventually, my boyfriend (an engineering technician), informed me that not only was it NOT condensation, but the result of a heavily worn down accessory belt, which if not replaced would snap, ensuing a myriad of much more serious issues.
So, instead of quoting an approximate $250 to replace the accessory belts that were the cause, they were looking to gain $2,800 on the likelihood that the very weak belt would snap, and that their loyal customer would come back to Frank's to have it repaired.
FIRST: Search the internet - AutoZone provides a "Part Finder" search for every year, make, and model of car to find you the part that you need for over half the price that this place will try to scam you on.
There are good mechanics still out there, seek them out, and bring your business there.
No better place for auto repairs
Moving forward, I had been driving my nana out on errands (grocery store, doctor's visits), one day I pressed too hard on the turn signal lever, and it snapped in half, dangling by the electrical threads - still functioning, but unable to pass safety inspection.
I understand you may ask "why didn't your grandparents get a second opinion," or "isn't it obvious that if condensation were the cause, everyone's car would be squealing considering Florida is at a 90% humidity rate?"
By the way, Frank's, there is an AutoZone about 12 mins down the road from your establishment!
Great place to get your car fixed. Extremely reasonable on pricing.
This is because my vehicle has an INTERFERENCE motor (which essentially means if the belt snaps, it sets off a chain reaction causing the pistons to hit the intake/exhaust valves and breaking the engine), which any real mechanic would know can be a hefty repair.
As Frank's was the trusted mechanic, I was told to take it there to figure out the repair cost... They quoted me $300 for parts + labor.
Let me tell you, after having broken the window-wiping lever (lever on the opposite side of the turn signal lever), the repair takes 45 mins, requires a screwdriver, and parts are available at ANY AutoZone store for $40.
It was in GOOD condition, but there was an intolerable squealing coming from underneath the hood. My grandparents took it to Frank's, and the mechanics there told them "that’s just condensation," CONDENSATION.
SECOND: Get a second, and third opinion. Just as if you were seeking medical advice, a trip to the mechanic can cost just as much as an ER visit, so be wise and find the most reasonable cost + labor you can find.
Claiming that the part needed to be "special ordered" from Mitsubishi, and labor was “extensive due to removal of the steering column."
The only reasonable conclusion I can make as to why Frank's did not inform my grandparents that the squeal was the accessory belt needing replacement instead of CONDENSATION is because they where waiting for the inevitable. When the accessory belt snaps, both accessory belts (one for the A/C + power steering, and other for the alternator), the timing belt, balancing shaft belt, water pump, and the engine column seal would all need replacing.
My recommendation to ANYONE needing anything short of an engine rebuild is the following:
Excellent friendly service. Would recommend both the service and the mechanics to anyone.
And lets be honest, Naples is a RESORT town, with TONS of money, most of that money belonging to age 60+ if you don't think that this place is trying to rob you blind just because they can, then you are being played a fool.
I will begin this review by sharing that my nana has had her car serviced here since 2002, 14 years of loyalty.
These are great questions, but to a pair of 60 year olds that lived in a time when mechanics were HONEST, and REASONABLY priced (because parts were still being manufactured in the U.S.), they believed what they were told, and the problem would magically solve itself.
Frank S Pure Automotive is a US Gas Station based in Naples, Florida. Frank S Pure Automotive is located at 1190 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, FL 34102, USA.
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