Prices?

I drive a 94 SL1 and I recently found out that I need to get the coolant fan fixed, the brake master cylinder replaced, and possibly a new CPU...can anyone give me an idea of what a mechanic might charge me for each of these fixes? I feel like they are just bumping up the prices when I go in there because I'm a girl.

these will be labor prices only!!!!! but i cant say for sure how much it will be because it depends on the location your in, and how much the shop charges per hour. the shop i use to work at was $45 per hour while all other places were $60.

radiator fan shouldnt take more then 30 mins to replace, well not really even 15mins, so around oh $20. brake master cylinder will take a bit longer because its simple to actually replace the master cylinder but you have to go through and bleed all the brakes afterwards. id say about an hour to do that, so it depends on the shop prices. now the cpu, its fairly simple to replace. you pull the dash panel off (unclips) and i cant remember if its easier to unbolt it from the top or under the dash, but that should be about an hour job too.

now the thing is the parts is what will break you. radiator fan depends on where you get it just a motor will range from like $25-$80(also depends if you have air conditioning) and the entire fan assembly will be like at the least $145. the master cylinder same with it, a remanufactured one will cost around $55-$70 (if you have abs it will be the cheaper half), a new one will cost $120-$160. now the computer is what will kill you, it will probably be mroe then $600.

now may i ask what is wrong with the car to why it needs these parts? did someone diagnose that it needs these parts or what? if the shop diagnosed those problems then id almost bet they are trying to take you for more. im just curious to know the problems.

what i would like to know is why do these items need replaced?

When I am at a stop, the temp guage goes up to hot, the only way to keep my car from overheating while at a stop is to run the a/c or to have the heat on full blast. I had that checked and they said the fan only comes on sometimes, and that it should probably be replaced.

When I step on my brakes, the pedal goes all the way to the floor and I was told that the master cylinder need to be replaced.

And finally, my check engine light is always on. I had the codes read at my mom's mechanic and they told me the CPU needs to be replaced.

actually it sounds like your coolant temperature sensor could be bad, causing the fan to not kick on.

now the braking issue, it sounds more like the wheel cylinder(s) are busted. ive not heard of anyone needed to replace the master cylinder, the wheel cylinders are the problem. wheel cylinders are the hydraulic part that operates the rear brake drums. if you can get under your car and look on the inside of the wheel where the drum is at, see if it looks like fluid is coming out. if so they are bad.

now the check engine light could easily be from the coolant sensor being bad. the coolant sensor is a very common problem on a saturn which causes several issues that seem to be bigger problems.

now not saying that they are 100% wrong, but as it seems from being around hundreds of saturns and helping alot of saturn owners and being in a saturn club, id say that shop is trying to make you buy whats not needed.

actually the brakes can be a few things, it may just be the fluid.

i would need to know the code to confirm the PCM needs replaced

the shop may not be trying to rip you off, they may just not know better.

Take it to another shop and get a second opinion. I'm very suspicious anytime someone wants to go replacing computers.

The cooling fan itself is most certainly NOT the problem. Does the temp gauge ACTUALLY reach the RED part of the gauge? If not, you are fine. I had the exact same car as you a few years ago and it would literally tickle the red zone before the fan would kick on and cool back down again.

I'm very inclined to believe that this shop is ripping you off. They probably know exactly whats wrong, probably the coolant temp sensor is bad, but they are going to charge you for a fan and computer and only replace the ten dollar sensor and you will think that the car got fixed. If you lived close to me, I'd have you bring it over to my house so you can find out whats REALLY wrong with the car. I hate scammers :angryfire

The guage does reach the red, and the fan still doesn't come on.

Should I take it to just another shop or to a Saturn dealership?

Ok, your going to pull the trouble codes yourself and post them here so we can know for sure whats going on. Go to this website and follow the instructions. The "Data Link Connector" is under the dash on the left side of the steering column. You should get code 12 three times, that just says that the computer can communicate, then you will get the stored codes, then it will end with code 12 three times again. Post the stored codes you find here. You can do this, we want to help. It's a personal mission in my life to help keep people from getting ripped off by cooked car repair shops.

Which website? And how do I get the codes? Is there just a little screen somewhere that they show up on?

http://www.sixthsphere.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?t=6508

im not sure if that will show up for you since your not registered.
here is another link
How to Display Diagnostic Trouble Codes (http://www.differentracing.com/tech_articles/diag_info.html)

Ooops, the link didn't show up after I copied and pasted.:banghead:

Ok, I'll do all that tomorrow, its late and I need some sleep.

Ok, I got:

26 - QDM fault

27 - Soft Flag-Quick QDM fault

What do they mean? :-(