John Robinson
Gone but not forgotten
Today I cleaned the car real good. I removed the tires and cleaned the suspension and the engine. Before I cleaned the engine I stuffed two trash bags around the Opti. I sprayed the engine and the fender wells etc with a cleaner and then used my neighbors pressure sprayer to rinse down the hood underneath and the top of the engine I did not spray around the front of the engine. I have heard all the stories about water and the Opti. The car started fine and I drove it about 5 miles in 80 degree heat. Stopped for an errand and when I restarted the car It idled very high. I started home and got about 6 blocks from where I had last started the car and it quit. Turned over but would not fire. Pushed it to the side of the road called for a wrecker and while waiting I tried to re fire it. It started but was still idling high. I jumped in called and canceled the wrecker and made it to the garage that sometimes does my work. The car would not start period. All this time I did not get any codes. The mechanic said without looking at anything that the Opti was fried. The car has 81K on it. I priced an Opti at advance auto for 224.44, AC Delco plugs 5.98ea., Delco OEM plug wires 64.94 a set. I called the parts supplier my mechanic uses and they want at wholesale prices 484.78 for the opti and 6.07 for the plugs and 67.42 for the wires. I have not gotten an estimate for labor to do this work yet. Obviously the plugs and wires are might as well. I also have an oil leak somewhere in the front of the engine that falls under the might as well category. My question is what experience does anyone have using parts like these from Advance Auto Parts. Next it would only cost me 65.00 to have the car flat bedded to my house. Is this something the shade tree mechanic should tackle.
