Boy oh boy...

I went to Firestones to check what was happening since I had their 20 dollars coupon... they startetd inspecting it and came out with a horroble looking problem... (they showed it to me of course... )... so the problem is that one of the caps on the Spark Plug was out of the head cover!. with oil all over the place... the mechanic said it came out because there mst have been a leak in the gasket... he said that there is oil around the spark plug somewhere and I could not figure out exactly where.. . but I could see oil on the head cover and places... that's why, he said, my car was idling weird...

So they gave me a quote... about $700... and I might buy a new car instead...

They included following things in the quote and mentioned that doing all those things is in my " Best Interests " (I hate that term cause people hide behind that term and avoid mentioning what's absolutely necessary and what's an add on sometimes.. )

1. Ignition wires ( $140 )
2. Ignition Parts (Platinum plug, remove and replace all plugs) ( $ 70 )
3. Fuel System Tune up ( $ 90 )
4. Ignition Parts (Distributor Cap) ( $ 80 )
5. Engline Gasket (Valve Cover Gasket Set) ( $ 102 )
6. Belts ( $ 150 )

... I asked them a question... tell me what's absolutely necessary to resolve the problem at hand... I don't care about what's in my Best Interests as I might sell this car soon... so I don't want to think about long term things... (I made that up since I wanted to know ASbsoltely Necessary things first ! )...

Can someone here advice me about the same ? My car currently is runnning fine as ever when I pushed that rubber cap inside again... no idling weirdness or nothing...

Thanks a million ( of Arizona Casino type! )

Vin

Did they want to charge you for taking the air out of your tires and putting in new air also? That's a joke but I swear I heard a mechanic in Prescott Valley tell an unsuspecting woman motorist that she needed the air changed in her tires and it would cost her $10 to do.

If your car is running OK now since you plugged in the rubber cap - guess what - you fixed your car. If you do need anything my guess would be new belts if they are worn or cracked in any way as the Arizona heat will kill belts in a car. The rest of the stuff is a tad high. You can buy a set of ignition wires yourself and change the wires one at a time for about $40 for the set. Ditto for the spark plugs. If you do one plug at a time yourself it will cost you about $10 for new plugs. I do my own wires and own plugs and save tons of money. You can change your own distributor cap yourself for less than $10. Only do the distributor cap if all the ignition wires are attached to it and one by one you carefully do one wire at a time into the new cap or you will have huge problems trying to get your car started. New cap less than $10.

I would also see if you have any oil leaking under your car after you shut it off. If there is an oil leak - have that looked at to determine where the oil is coming from. My advice to you would be to find a different mechanic to do your auto repair work as these guys are certainly seeing you coming and would like to help themselves to your wallet. I'm a girl and I have to be extra smart when it comes to auto repairs and unnecessary auto repairs and the prices of things. They try to look to see me coming, too.

You didn't say what kind and year your car was but I'm just going with generic prices of stuff.

Yes you need to replace the wires and the spark plug seals as long as they are leaking the wires will swell and push back out

Thanks for yoor inputs guys (and girls :) )... I think I can repair/replace plugs and wires... (Thanks to txgreasemonkey :cool: )... what I want to know is if I need to do all those things they mentioned to get rid of the oil thinggy leaking through plug seals ?

And also if oil in or around the plug (outside the block ofcourse) ruins anything ?

Txgreasemonkey... how are you by the way ? :)

Vin

5. Engline Gasket (Valve Cover Gasket Set) ( $ 102 )
Even this you can do yourself. Keep the engine oil level checked, and filled properly, do not overfill.

Wow, that's a lot of dough! What kind of car are you driving? Belts should definitely not be $150 if they're not including the timing belt. The fuel system tune up wouldn't hurt but, at this point, doesn't sound like a necessity.

I would recommend the plugs, wires, cap AND rotor. They all run hand-in-hand; to do one without the other is like changing your oil but not the filter. You're going to have to replace the valve cover gasket because it's leaking, which is why you're getting oil around the plugs. I still can't see a gasket set costing $120. I would definitely get a second estimate.

My car has not still shown any symptoms of dying on me... :D

Can somebody tell me what symptoms to look for to decide whether this Valve Cover Gasket leak is actually a leak or a seep.. Would my oil level go down significantly ?

Thanks...
Vin

Generally, small leaks get bigger with time, and whether a seep, or leak, it's the same, and you should always check your oil regularly. Never overfill, but by checking you know how fast your losing it as oil is the lifeblood of an engine. Wipe the cover off and you will better identify the leak. The very best advice is, as I said, a knowledgeable mechanic you can trust, who will answer your questions. Why screw up trying to do what you think is a small thing, and make a major job of it.

The rubber seals around the spark plug wells get brittle over time and they leak oil into the spark plug wells. That eventually starts shorting out the spark plugs. Before you invest any money in plugs and wires, replace the valve cover gasket and seals. They all come in a kit and it is fairly easy to install yourself. Once the oil leak is stopped, you can invest in new wires and plugs. The belts are easy to check. If they're cracked, they need to be replaced.

Chalk this up to a lesson on why $20 off coupons at chain auto repairs shops always cost you more in the long run. Find a reputable shop that doesn't offer coupons--because the really good shops don't have to.

Haha... so true... I have been getting those coupons since quite a long and I use those for oil change... :D... that works perfectomundo for me... this was the first time I used those coupons for soemthing else...

We just had the same problem. We went to do a tune-up on the car (plugs, wires, cap and rotor) and when we went to pull out the old wires, the plug wells had quite a bit of oil in them. There was also oil in the cap.

Our problem was a valve cover gasket. I think we paid about 179 bucks to get the gasket replaced. 700 seems a bit steep.