Is $900 average cost to replace the IAC on 1997 4Runner?

[LittleCaesar]

Seri,

I am sorry to hear of your experience. Unfortunately, it is more the norm these days than not. I have seen it at both the dealership and independent garages. There are still good mechanics out there, just few and far between.

Next time, post your problem here on the forum and we may be able to at least point you in the right direction and/or offer some advice to solve your problem.

 

[Nelsonmd]

Way to stick your ground with what sounds like a-hole mechanics. Honestly, I'd just be happy with your reduced bill. Great job talking down the cleaning kit, that sound like a bunch of BS to me. You might inspect your TB and make sure it is actually clean. It's a classic scam to charge for work they didn't do, but you are unlikely to inspect for.

Lesson learned, like caesar said, post here first if you can, and I guess get documentation of competitive quotes etc. Also, be very careful about implied approval when they talk to you. They will always say subjective things very objectively to scare you into the repair, "We NEED to replace hoses", "You can't leave with the vehicle like this", etc. blah blah blah.

Give them bad reviews on yelp and elsewhere explaining in that they were dishonest about extra charges. Any reputable shop will call you and ask for approval on extra charges, that is how shops have done it for me. It literally takes them 30 seconds to confirm (assuming you pick up the phone).

 

[the great him]

you have cut your ties, now run.... and dont look back. i would file a complaint with the BBB, and give the shop bad reviews on as many online sources as possible -bing, yelp, ect. yeah you paid way too much but live and learn right...? the guys is a joke and so is his shop.

yeah the TB(throttle body) cleaning is a part of the instal process for most places, but a couple of cans of TB or carb and choke cleaner and a wire brush will do the same thing, and those can be bought off the shelf at any auto parts store for under $20, $150 for a cleaning kit...?!? yeah i want what hes smoking. and cleaing that would only take like 5-10min, not a half hour.

as far as the computer goes, no. our computers will reset them selfs, just pull the EFI fuse or disconnect the battery for 15-20 min and its done. damage to the ECU(computer) on these trucks is pretty hard to do. they are not indestructible but it takes some trying to be a real idiot to damage one. just running the motor with a bad sensor or bad part isnt gonna do it.

as far as walking into the shop bays, yeah the guy kinda has a point there, its his ass if you get hurt out there, and his insurance wont wanta pay for it, it covers him, and his employes, but not patrons especially if not authorized to be out there. most shops will let the vehicle owner into the bay but they generally will escort them out to their vehicle to show them the issue, or let them retrieve personal items out of their vehicle. if its just talking to the tech that you want, they will typically call the tech into the office. with that being said, he didnt need to be a dick about that. next time, id just ask the next shop if it was ok for you to go out and take a look or watch. chances are they will say ok especially if its just something minor or basic, but its a courtesy thing.

 

[BrianSD_42]

You can only do so much research via the Internet.

You have said that they took advantage of you because 1) you are female and 2) you don't know very much about car engines and repair.

Lots of guys don't know very much on this subject either. For years I would call my dad or my friends for help or questions.

Don't be afraid to reach out to you male or female family & friends who do know about auto repair.

You are not the first person to get ripped off and you were definitely ripped off albeit within the law.

You should have just gone to the dealer. Dealers are far less likely to pull this BS.

 

[Evilmunkey]

$900 is a bit steep, as a tech I can understand charging quite a bit for jobs due to the fact that it's our profession so we've taken the time to learn the in's and out's of vehicles and spent the money on tools (box, wrenches, and other various specialty tools). So really note the time it took to do it yourself correctly. from time to correctly diagnose to finished (include time for looking up info, running to the store for parts & tools, etc). By the end in alot of jobs you do yourself you'll understand alot of a techs/shops' pricing (even though $900 is highly questionable unless there was other work being performed).
Also Looked into this, you were over charged by $300 on the total of the IAC even w/ a throttle cleaning service.

Oh and side note (free tip) - Never use a wire brush on your intake components - use a toothbrush and Napa has an awesome Throttle cleaner that is a foam that pretty much does alot of the work for you or at least makes the cleaning easier.