Hello,

I have been having a few problems with my 96 Bonneville SE. I have been taking it to an Active Green and Ross for the last couple of years. The Mechanic that was there whom I trusted and who got the job done right have moved to Ottawa and the new shop manager has only been giving me grief. I believe he has done unessessary work and has not fixed the problems I have indicated. Long story.

Can anyone reccomend someone in my area.

Thanks

Let'* talk about the current problems with the car while we wait for an Ontario member to chime in.

We may be able to nail it down for you. We've done this in the past, and simply had the member print it and take it to the mechanic with instructions to "Do what this says".

We have alot of experience with your engine here. That'* all we work on, and many of us for MANY years.

Well . The most recent is something that I had hoped was just fixed but appears to still be an issue.
It started like this.

I got off the highway one day and my engine was very reving high in idle. It was pulling the car hard and was clearly unsafe to drive. At that time the mechanic said (over phone) that it may be the TPS (throttle positioning sensor) When i brought it in it was dicovered that the tensioner/idler pully had decayed and essentially fallen apart. Replacing that fixed the problem. They also cleaned the throttle body to see if that might have been contributing to the high idle. All seemed well.

A couple months later my engine started Idling a little high in park (around 1500, its usually around 900) on start up. In gear it would also idle high and pull the car a littl more than normal idle speed. If i shiffted to neutral it would rev to around 2000. If i stayed in park for a couple minutes the idle speed would return to normal and everything seemed to be good to go. This was all typicallly after cold starts but not always. On two occaisions my car stalled when i idled in reverse gear. The engine light came on but went off and wouldn't come on again.

I called the shop, explained the situation, they checked the computer and said "oh. it looks like we had recamended a new TPS a while back" I said no it wasn't reccomended, it was a sujested solution to a problem that turned out to be a busted tensioner/idler pulley. I said i had gotten an engine light but it had gone out and hadn't come back so i didn't think they would get a code. I brought the car in for them to have a look. They checked for a code for a long time and couldn't get one. Eventually they said they got one and replaced the TPS. They sid they would cut me a deal on the labour for the diagnostic because it took so long to get a code.

I also got a tune up and an oil change.

I pay the man $430 get my car and go. I start up the next day and sure enough it is still idling high. I go to a meeting (couple hour drive) and as i am reversing into a parking spot the car stalls (idle in reverse gear)

Other than a squeaky belt and the slightly rough idle - that has been there for awhile - had hoped the tune-up would sort it out...I cannot think what else it could be.

I think that'* all of it...think i need some new front bearings also...And I have had really sqeeky rear breaks pretty much since i got the car but every break inspection says they are fine.

Thanks All...phew...worn out my welcome yet?

no where close... it takes quite a bit to wear out your welcome around here...

1st stop - go back to the shop and tell them you want a refund on the unneccesary work they did for your car. ask them what code they got. and if the law is the same up there as it is around here, they're required to give you any faulty parts they tear off your car, unless you give them permission to do it.

i've seen that done before, and sometimes it works, sometimes, they refund the cost of labor and only charge you for the parts they put on.

but that'* an example of why i like to work on cars myself... having someone BS me and then charge me several hundred dollars for a quick fix that doesn't fix anything.

*shudders*

anyhew, one of our gearheads will probably chime in shortly to help out more...

Not for around Hamilton I don't know.. I had a shop that in Oakville ( they don't know much about supercharged cars, but they were honest that they don't.. so there'* brownie points there.. and I went there to get a new alternator and they cut me a deal.. I don't know if they're still the same guys there now as it'* been over 2 years since I went there. They are on Bronte Rd. and South Service Rd ( on Bronte'* west side ) you'll see a small lil dealership and repair center there. The only mechanic I trust other as in shops are unfortunetly in Sutton ( Rob from Village automotive ).

Just out of curiousity since you said that they changed the TPS. Have they checked for leaks? ( on my old car the gasket around the TB disintegrated and created enough leak that even though the butterfly on the TB is in idle position, there was enough vacuum to draw the air in from the smal gap around the TB gasket area.

Another thing I'm also wondering about is since you have a plastic intake plenum.. the leak maybe also from it being heated and contorted that it creates small leaks.

I don't know if they checked for leaks. As far as I know they just hooked it up to the diagnostic machine and ran it for an hour until they said they got the code indicating they needed a new TPS. That'* all it says on the work order other than the tune-up and oil change.

I have also lost confidence in this new mechanic because a week after the tune-up my car battery died completely. I went to start it one morning and all i get is a HIC sound and no power anywhere. I look under the hood to give it a boost and when i go to connect to the positive terminal on my battery the terminal falls right off. beside the battery and beneath it I can see and smell acid and the corrosion that goes with it.

It looked like the sort of thin you would notice. But I don't know if it was all of a sudden or if it was like that during the tune up, oil change and TPS replacement or if the battery connection is something they would even check.

I don't know if they checked for leaks. As far as I know they just hooked it up to the diagnostic machine and ran it for an hour until they said they got the code indicating they needed a new TPS. That'* all it says on the work order other than the tune-up and oil change.

I have also lost confidence in this new mechanic because a week after the tune-up my car battery died completely. I went to start it one morning and all i get is a HIC sound and no power anywhere. I look under the hood to give it a boost and when i go to connect to the positive terminal on my battery the terminal falls right off. beside the battery and beneath it I can see and smell acid and the corrosion that goes with it.

It looked like the sort of thin you would notice. But I don't know if it was all of a sudden or if it was like that during the tune up, oil change and TPS replacement or if the battery connection is something they would even check.

During a tune up I don't know if they would or not, but you'd thought they'd check the elctrical also ( which would then lead to Battery and alternator).. but never went to a shop for a tune up.

I"ve never seen a battery do that unless it was shorted for a period of time.. most battery that dies.. well.. dies.. they no longer hold charge.. thats it thats all.. and if it was gettin that bad, you'd think you'd see your terminal start turning green from the acid before it actually falls off like that.. but again.. I don't have my knowledge about tune ups and battery issue ( other then stripped terminal and bad connection )

If you have lost confidence, my advise is not to go.. YOU yourself is the only person that will lie to yourself LAST ( unless you're a ricer and being watchin too much fast and furious but that'* another case ).

I'm going to Email the Ontario Chapter Bonneville Club bout this post and hopefully someone can recommend a good shop thats not too far for you ( my shop would be good 2 hours away of a drive for you )

P.*. If you'd like to be added to the Ontario BonnevilleClub mailin list.. please PM me your email addy and I will add it in.

Well if you lived up north here I could give you a place with no hesitation. There are 2 mechanics there that I let work on my car. One of them is my friend whom I have known for over 10 years before he was a mechanic. He is definitely good I can tell you that. I have actually brought my car to where ever he worked just so he would work on my car. They are the ones that fixed my Bonneville and got it on the road.

With all the work I got done to get it on the road the owner only charged me for time spent on the car NOT by the job which is what every garage does.

NOW as for the battery just dieing, well I can relate. My 2003 Malibu was fine on Saturday when I went to work and then after work I stopped of to see some friends. Parked the car at home then the next morning at about 6:30 am I was gonna move it cause we ( Renee and I) were gonna go to camp. Turn the key and got a half turn then nothing. Jumped in the Bonneville ( once Renee showed up with it, hehe) and off to camp. Tested the battery when I got home and it was 12.6 volts, try and start it and dropped down to 9-10 volts. Of course it was not covered under warranty since it runs out after 3 years or 60,000kms. I have 85,000 kms on it. Yet I did not have any corrosion at all on it.


Sorry I couldn't be much help to you but figured I would at least let you know about that battery thing.

It is hard to find a good mechanic now adays. Anyways when the hubby and i can't fix it ourselves we take it to the Wallaces Pontiac Dealership in Milton. We had a good mechanic in town but like yourself he moved away.
Deb