i got screwed over pretty well i think...

[slideitsidewayz]

PLEASE READ! PLEASE READ! PLEASE READ! PLEASE READ! PLEASE READ!

Well i dont have my S4 yet...but this pertains to the car i own now.

Almost 3 months ago my girlfriend and i were coming home from prom weekend (yea im 19) and we were driving on the garden state parkway in my 1991 nissan 300zx and the engine blew! Good way to end the weekend...

A few weeks later after paying about $800 in towing fees i found a machanic by my house that said they would swap the engine for $900. I bought an rebuilt engine with 30k miles on it for $550 to do the swap. They told me the car would be done in 2 days tops...so they took my car in on july 9th. A few weeks later i get a call saying the car needs a new radiator, engine mounts, and belts. I said "whatever do what you need to make the car run". so they get the engine in and a few more weeks later i get a call saying the engine spark but is not getting fuel. they said they had to swap injectors from the old engine to the new one. once again i said "fine do whatever u need to make the car run". a few weeks go by and i hear nothing, they said the injector swap would take about 5 hours. Now the swaped the injectors and said there is fuel but no spark and that i need to buy a power transistor. I got really upset so i said "im done just give me the car and ill get the transistor and ill finish the car myself". (they said the ran the engine threw their computer and said all it needed was the transistor to run) I just got the transistor today and put it on(the transistor cost me $200). Now i can hear the car getting spark and the cylinders are compressing and everything but guess what!...No start. When i brought the car home i took a look at the engine and there were hoses and shit disconnected. I also recieved a box of "EXTRA" parts which consisted of alot of nuts, bolts, clamps, a few wires and conecters that they must have cut off, and a bracket that you connect some wires to. Plus i was missing the 2 bolts that hold the caps to my wheels on.

Now i spent around $1900 there for an engine swap and still the car does not run. Plus $200 for the new transistor, $800 in towing, $550 for the engine, and i had them put in a new power steering rack which they still fucked up cuz now in order to make the wheels straight the steering wheel has to be completely upside down.

I dont really know what to do now. Im basically out of money. I was able to afford all of this due to graduation, so yeah im broke now. I need to sell this car but it needs to run 1st. Ive been planning to sell it all summer once i got it fixed cuz im buying a S4 and my dad is spotting me until i sell the 300zx.

Does anyone have any advice or anything? im thinking about taking it to another machanic to have them fix all the mess ups but im afraid of it costing me another $500 at least. Im hoping i can somehow get it running...but idk.

[RAyala2.7T]

Unless your prepared to undergo the same type of maintenance except higher part costs, I would steer clear of the S4. Buy an A4 1.8T if you are looking for more reasonable prices as far as maintenance/mods go.

[team_soy]

^^^
So true...but its worth all the headache :)

[RolledMySTi]

That sucks. You are going to have to figure it out yourself or take it to a real mechanic and pay to get it done right.

[Turn10]

Personally I would just go ahead and buy a new car, that happened with my mom. She just cut her losses and bought a new car. Even if you do fix it the problems will probably still arise and become even more costly.

[slideitsidewayz]

yeah im sure ill have problems with the S4 as well...but i highly doubt it will even come close to the problems ive had with this japanese POS...so being German I have more faith in German made cars lol. But yeah im gonna check it out more myself, go back to the guys that screwed my over and go to a new machanic and tell them the story and see what they can do for me.

[FrimmelNoJerz]

yeah im sure ill have problems with the S4 as well...but i highly doubt it will even come close to the problems ive had with this japanese POS...so being German I have more faith in German made cars lol.

with all due respect...
you have no clue what you're talking about.

[CruzS4]

agreed, frimmel... i know the Z is 17 years old but japanese cars are MUCH more reliable, especially when the B5 S4 is the car in question. make sure to do your hw before you get the S4 because you may be in WAY over your head, especially as a recent HS grad, unless your parents are willing to float you on all the inevitable maintenance. my 2 cents

[team_soy]

better buy a stage 3 imo if you want some kind of reliability....strong emphasis on some

[gointoscott]

With what ever happened with your current mechanic, I would't pay them a cent until they fix the car. That is unacceptable to give the car to you un running with box of "extra parts" (I guess I coudl see having some extra parts from the old motor if this is what they mean though) but still hoses disconnected, electrical connections cut. That is just not right.

As to buying an S4. Some say dont buy one because of high maintenance. Well my thoughts are: if you track the car beating the living snot out of it then yes you will spend thousands upon thousands. But if you take care of it, and dont race everyone you can on the street, it will have less chances of high maintenance bills.

[Dimcorner]

The build quality on the german cars are higher, but the reliability of japanese cars would probably be above the german cars. And when it breaks, the repair costs are much higher for german cars.

[slideitsidewayz]

Alright, well i know what im talking about and obviously some people dont know scarcasim. but idc. i know the 300 is old...it only had 106k on it when the engine blew.

i know alot about the b5 s4's and i know they are alot of maintance and everything. but yeah those guys screwed me over pretty well and really i shouldnt have trusted them but there wasnt anything i can do about it considering they were the closest machanics to me that i could take my car to.

Im just upset with the 300 just because of personal experiences. ever since i got the car it was one thing after another, i bought the car with 104k on it and worked on it alot and then it died at 106k. yeah i put on about 2k miles in 3 years of owning the car cause it was always being worked on.

so im sorry if i pissed anyone off by saying "being german i have more faith in german cars". i know german cars are expensive as hell and need to be maintained like crazy. and everyone i know that has a jap car always talks about how there car is gonna last forever and it does. ive just became very frustrated with jap cars even though ive heard how well they run and everything theyre reputation still fails to prove true to me tho.

but hopefully everything will work out in the end

[Jibberific]

5 hours of labor to swap injectors? sorry to say it bro but they are raping you and laughing about it

[slideitsidewayz]

5 hours of labor to swap injectors? sorry to say it bro but they are raping you and laughing about it

yeah i know thats why i said fuck it and just took the car home. luckily they didnt charge me for swapping the injectors. so that saved me around $400. but besides that...yeah the pretty much bent me over and did what they wanted.

just thought id share my pain with you all tho

[MacDaddy]

why do i see people on a car forum for a european cars talking about how much better Japanese cars are?

from what I've seen in recent times, buying a Japanese car guarantees nothing, last year Toyota had a record number of recalls on all their cars, not to mention the issues i've seen first hand.
the only problems i've had with my S4 are coolant and boost leaks, to be expected with any turbocharged car, all my other issues were age related and to be expected when buying a car that isn't new.
one thing the Japanese cars can never come close to is the comfort of the European cars

[JDM EJ1 95]

yeah im sure ill have problems with the S4 as well...but i highly doubt it will even come close to the problems ive had with this japanese POS...so being German I have more faith in German made cars lol. do for me.

funniest thing ive heard.. ever.

[big_greasy_taco]

I believe the phrase "whatever, do what you need to make the car run" is the one that kinda bent you over table...

[slideitsidewayz]

why do i see people on a car forum for a european cars talking about how much better Japanese cars are?

from what I've seen in recent times, buying a Japanese car guarantees nothing, last year Toyota had a record number of recalls on all their cars, not to mention the issues i've seen first hand.
the only problems i've had with my S4 are coolant and boost leaks, to be expected with any turbocharged car, all my other issues were age related and to be expected when buying a car that isn't new.
one thing the Japanese cars can never come close to is the comfort of the European cars

trust me im not saying jap cars are better. after my experience i grew to hate them...well not all of them...just mine lol. but it is old and things do break...i just wasnt expecting the entire car lol. But yea, for some people if the car is taken well care of and not run hard or anything then u should have minimal problems like you said. so im just expecting anything when i get my s4, im just making sure the previous owner didnt beat on it too hard and babied it very well. wish me luck.

[slideitsidewayz]

Youre probably right Big Greasy Taco...but im a kid and kids learn from their mistakes...after the pay out their ass for them.

Im Glad it made you laugh JDM...i aim to entertain lol

[GramCracker]

The S4 is not your car. I'm sorry.

Oh yea, I'm 19 and bought this car myself and I pay for every thing that goes wrong with it.

[slideitsidewayz]

The S4 is not your car. I'm sorry.

Oh yea, I'm 19 and bought this car myself and I pay for every thing that goes wrong with it.

You are probably right.

But i have also paid for my 300 and everything that has gone into it and for everything that has gone wrong with it...ok, you have a job...good for you? am i suppose to be jealous that both you and i pay for what we do to our own cars? cuz im really missing your point here...sorry bro.

[GramCracker]

You are probably right.

But i have also paid for my 300 and everything that has gone into it and for everything that has gone wrong with it...ok, you have a job...good for you? am i suppose to be jealous that both you and i pay for what we do to our own cars? cuz im really missing your point here...sorry bro.

Sure I guess I'm trying to show off that I have a job?

My point is your used to paying for expenses on a 17 year old Nissan. Point here is that the parts aren't anywhere near as expensive as those of an Audi. So its going to be a big slap in the face for you when the repair bill is $3,000 rather than $300.

[CruzS4]

why do i see people on a car forum for a european cars talking about how much better Japanese cars are?

simply because i drove an integra gs-r prior to the S4 and it ran like a dream, only hassle was oil changes, and was just trying to give the kid advice. blown k03s, boost issues, cel, 02 sensors etc, just something to warn about. i'm by no means advising against purchasing a B5 S4 i fucking love my car, i'm just saying it's like dating a high maintenance girlfriend... unless you want to remain in limp mode, gotta shell out

[slideitsidewayz]

Sure I guess I'm trying to show off that I have a job?

My point is your used to paying for expenses on a 17 year old Nissan. Point here is that the parts aren't anywhere near as expensive as those of an Audi. So its going to be a big slap in the face for you when the repair bill is $3,000 rather than $300.

Sorry bro, im not trying to sound like a dick or get off on the wrong foot with you. i just honestly missed your point. but yeah like ive said i pretty much know what im expecting with the s4. i know jap cars are cheap and inexpensive and i know german cars are expensive and need to be taken care of very well. but im really not afraid of repair bills. but i do know what to expect and thats why im being so careful when looking for a s4.

look everyone, im not looking for sympathy or anything. im not looking to annoy anyone or make anyone think that i do not know what im getting myself into. trust me, i know what to expect. i just wanted to share my little kick in the balls story with you all. thats it.

[tbone5446]

ok so if my math is correct you just got fucked out of 3450 from some bullshit shop, your car doesn't run STILL.
And this is all after they told you that it was a 2 day job at most, and it took HOW LONG?
and you DON'T want it to cost another 500 to fix, this is what I understand right?
But you are buying a b5s4.

I'm laughing my ass off right now that you would want to inflict that kind of pain upon yourself.
The draining of the wallet, the heartache of boostloss.
The absolute end all be all James Bond smokescreen desperating feeling of....was that really my turbo that just blew? WTF do I do now feeling that will make you want to cry when you see THAT bill.
Do your research sideways.. I don't think this is the car for you.

But then again you are in Jersey, hell doesn't everyone in Jersey have an s4?

If you do get one, have God have mercy on your soul and your wallet.

My car is being towed to Wicked on Friday and I gotta say it's more than two California mortgage payments to be there.

[Turtle]

..... Just get an S4 and enjoy

[HOFFY11]

agreed, frimmel... i know the Z is 17 years old but japanese cars are MUCH more reliable, especially when the B5 S4 is the car in question. make sure to do your hw before you get the S4 because you may be in WAY over your head, especially as a recent HS grad, unless your parents are willing to float you on all the inevitable maintenance. my 2 cents

depends if your talking about modded a4's..everyone puts them down as a terrible reliability car..thats because you mod them..keep the car the way it comes factory and take care of it..no problems..you cant have a reliable modded car..wont happen

[CruzS4]

S4 as opposed the the A4 is a whole different monster man

esp. HOFFY11 with your V8 A6... never will you have turbo issues, that's what we're trying to let this dude know about. not to wreck your input or anything

[CruzS4]

i mean if i was in the business of complaining i would have sold the car by now all i'm saying is you need to keep up with it and things do break, quite frequently. i think sliding sideways (sp. sorry) should get one it's just a bitch when you get it inspected and get a new 02 sensor then 2 weeks later it throws the same code, or any other multitude of problems but it's part of owning the car

god, did i make that little use of commas in college? christ no more drinking. good night

[Reich]

My brother had a 92 accord and blew engine twice and broke tranny once. After he bought a wrx, now it's worst. He blew engine twice, blew tranny one, blew center diff once and rear diff once. Believe- it or not. THe best reliable cars ne had was a 88 sunbird gt turbo which blew two head gaskets and 95 bmw 318 which blew ecm twice and one power window module. All i have to say is get what you want and live with consequences. Good luck with your 300z btw.

[slideitsidewayz]

ok so if my math is correct you just got fucked out of 3450 from some bullshit shop, your car doesn't run STILL.
And this is all after they told you that it was a 2 day job at most, and it took HOW LONG?
and you DON'T want it to cost another 500 to fix, this is what I understand right?
But you are buying a b5s4.

Alright...yeah im bitching because it cost me a shit load of money and now i have the car and it still doesnt work. ive paid out my ass to get this fixed and yet its still fuckin broke. so yeah, i dont want to spend another $500 but who does when they already put so much into a job that was suppose to cost roughly $1200 the most. Im not saying im not going to get it fixed.

I guess most of you guys missed the major point of this post and instead decided to say "oh the s4 is not the car for you" and shit like that...well first off...fuck all of you that say that because none of you know me or what i can do with a car. like ive said before i know what to expect and how to maintain a car very well. trust me, ive done all my reseach on this car and i know what to expect. so stop repeating post saying "you dont know what to expect", "the s4 is not the car for you", "your gonna have to open up your wallet". SHIT!

i know what im expecting and i know its gonna cause me some trouble. for everyone that has said "get a s4 and live with the consequences" i thank you.

the point of this post wasnt to say that i dont have the money to pay to get the car fixed, or to even say im buying a s4 and will never be able to maintain it. The point was to share a story with you all because im a member here and just thought it would entertain you all...which it has seem to do considering this has like 30 respones so far. to anyone that says "you dont know what your talking about", fuck off cause obviously you dont know what your talking about if you missed the point of this post and just wanna jump in and repeat what most people have already said.

so yeah...even tho this got a little tense...i still love you guys

[JackalS4]

Maybe finish fixing the 300zx if it doesn't get out of hand, save some more coin, and then get the S4 a little later?

Or sell the 300zx as good as you can get it working, and pick up a Corolla/Civic etc to get you by for the time being until the S4?

Sucks about the shop experience, might as well use the experience as a chance for a positive change.

Oh, and most people here aren't being sarcastic, they're just giving you an honest heads up about the S4's potentially high maintenance nature.

Good luck.

[GramCracker]

Dude, just get the car. You honest-to-god won't be happier. I'm absolutely in love with mine. Just be aware that maintenance will be a bitch and a half, but sometimes you gotta pay to play. If you treat the car right (don't beat on it, ect) you'll have significantly less problems.

I just bit the bullet knowing what could possilbly go wrong on an S4, and I'm so happy I got one. Make sure you know the past history of the car (ie, get it from someone who knows what they were doing and didn't beat it). That will pay off in its own way as well.

[1poynt8tee]

Coming from someone that owns a 1.8t, it is a far cry from the S4. It may be much more money to maintain, but it is also much more car for your money. Thousands of dollars later when my car has a BT or BAT, chances are I will still be left looking at the sexy rear bumper (with painted valiance) of an S with minimal mods. Crap.

[GramCracker]

Coming from someone that owns a 1.8t, it is a far cry from the S4. It may be much more money to maintain, but it is also much more car for your money. Thousands of dollars later when my car has a BT or BAT, chances are I will still be left looking at the sexy rear bumper (with painted valiance) of an S with minimal mods. Crap.

This is true. A stage 2/2+ S4 can take a BT A4.

[nateS4]

why do i see people on a car forum for a european cars talking about how much better Japanese cars are?

from what I've seen in recent times, buying a Japanese car guarantees nothing, last year Toyota had a record number of recalls on all their cars, not to mention the issues i've seen first hand.
the only problems i've had with my S4 are coolant and boost leaks, to be expected with any turbocharged car, all my other issues were age related and to be expected when buying a car that isn't new.
one thing the Japanese cars can never come close to is the comfort of the European cars

My 2 cents....I have worked in parts @ a Honda dealer for 2 years, I own 2 Audis, no HONDAs. We have been having record months in parts sales for cars that are so called "cheap, maintenance free", the whole idea of just putting oil in a Honda just doesn't pan out. I watch as people dump thousands of dolars in to there 98 Accord or newer. Not to even mention the automatic transmission problems. OMG Honda doesn't even make their own auto trans. My 92 auto 4spd auto has been family owned since 96 and has never been taken to a dealer for any preventative maintenance. Just timing belts have been done on it. Still running with 207k on it. As for my S4 I just bought a radiator from the dealer for 220 at my cost, I sell small ass ones for civics for around 400. You tell me what costs more in parts? Plus what do you expect to pay in parts when you buy 40k car?

Sorry to get somewhat off topic, but good luck with Nissan. I would at least get the car running and sell it ASAP. You will love an S4, just keep some $$ on the side.

[audimeister]

If a $1,900 Nissan repair is devastating, you can't afford an S4. A tweaked A4 would be a much better choice.

[nizmosx]

talk to greg dupri at specialty z.

[MacDaddy]

My 2 cents....I have worked in parts @ a Honda dealer for 2 years, I own 2 Audis, no HONDAs. We have been having record months in parts sales for cars that are so called "cheap, maintenance free", the whole idea of just putting oil in a Honda just doesn't pan out. I watch as people dump thousands of dolars in to there 98 Accord or newer. Not to even mention the automatic transmission problems. OMG Honda doesn't even make their own auto trans. My 92 auto 4spd auto has been family owned since 96 and has never been taken to a dealer for any preventative maintenance. Just timing belts have been done on it. Still running with 207k on it. As for my S4 I just bought a radiator from the dealer for 220 at my cost, I sell small ass ones for civics for around 400. You tell me what costs more in parts? Plus what do you expect to pay in parts when you buy 40k car?

Sorry to get somewhat off topic, but good luck with Nissan. I would at least get the car running and sell it ASAP. You will love an S4, just keep some $$ on the side.

totally know what your talking about, i worked at Napa auto parts for awhile, and i was amazed the money people would spend on their crappy ass old hondas, toyotas, etc.
as far as parts, i never saw a huge differance in cost between my Audi now and my previous toyotas. Theres times when you may be spending a bit more (like front brakes) but thats when you have to be resourceful, like my friend was with his X5, he managed to do a 4 wheel brake job on his X5 for a tad over $100 by sourcing pads on a website and machining his rotors; thats a far cry from the $3000 the dealer wants for a 4 wheel brake job.

anyway,
I really don't see any reason for the S4 to cost this guy more than his nissan, especially considering nissan parts are some of the most expensive out there.

[OldYella]

My brother had a 92 accord and blew engine twice and broke tranny once. After he bought a wrx, now it's worst. He blew engine twice, blew tranny one, blew center diff once and rear diff once. Believe- it or not. THe best reliable cars ne had was a 88 sunbird gt turbo which blew two head gaskets and 95 bmw 318 which blew ecm twice and one power window module. All i have to say is get what you want and live with consequences. Good luck with your 300z btw.

Sounds like too much bad "luck" to be luck at all. Sounds more like user error.