Interestingly enough I was able to find several other apparent references to this incident on other sites.
The OP was told while seeking online sources for parts that it was a bad idea and the as well as that the vehicle in question has a history of killing water pumps. I wonder if previous mechanics just got a little wild with the permatex/gasket sealant and called it good ending up with a repair that did not last and that this is the first honest guy she has come across.
Oh no, I gave the 1st new water pump to the mechanic before I opened the box. He called and told me he installed it but it was leaking. The returns dept from the Auto Parts Warehouse told me while I chatted online, that the mechanic had reported to them that the water pump was defective. I looked at the water pump before I put it back in the outer box. I wasn’t allowed to have the inner box but the mechanic said I could take it and return it. I saw that there was sticky stuff, I guess the sealant on the inside part of it near the edges. There was also places where the dark sticky stuff was missing. When I picked the water pump up to package it I gave the mechanic an address of where he could get a water pump from a place that has dodge parts and he said he had already ordered a part but hadn’t put it in. When I take my vehicle to have it repaired. I expect it to be repaired or I shouldn’t have to pay for it and worry that I’ll never be able to leagally drive my vehicle away from the auto shop because the mechanic wants to be paid when my vehicle isn’t repaired. He told me on the phone that the vehicle would run without a water pump. I wouldn’t do that. If he thought that it was my van’s fault then he should know why, if he is a qualified mechanic or let me take it to someone who knows what they are doing and knows how to remedy this issue. I am not allowed to move my vehicle to a place where I can have it repaired, unless I pay this mechanic first and the only reason I have to pay him is so I can have my van back. Thank you very much for mentioning BAR. they told me I’d have to wait a few days before they contacted me. I was told by a man when I called BAR that they would go through this with a fine tooth comb. Meanwhile I have to put my life on hold and it’s creating a problem with my family relationships because I don’t know how long I will be staying in Victorville now that I can’t drive my van and I really wasn’t planning on staying here this long, while I try to figure out what I can do. I don’t want to go into detail about this but what happened with my van could cause me to become homeless. I might have to buy another vehicle or just survive witout a home or a vehicle, so it’s a very serious issue that I can’t depend on my van. I own the dodge ram van. It doesn’t belong to the auto shop or the mechanic. I think he’s trying to pull something or something worse will happen later. I am going to take a document that I made up myself to the auto shop with or without a police officer and try and have someone sign it and maybe that’s what I should have done in the first place. The mechanic says he tried to install a working water pump. I don’t know what the mechanic did and I think the mechanic knows I’m not going to win this one, unless I do something like jump in my vehicle and drive off with it before he moves it somewhere else. There are some new parts in my vehicle that are worth more than what it usually costs to install a new water pump. If I ever have the next vehicle I buy serviced I will have an agreement documented and signed or I won’t have it fixed because I don’t know what the mechanic will pull. I don’t think taking this to small claims is the answer. Isn’t BAR a government program? Sometimes government programs take too long to help. I’m not going to do anything about my van after 10/1/2010, 'cause the problem has been there since 9/21/2010 and I need a vacation or a new vehicle and a qualified mechanic and possibly a place to stay. I really like your post.
The mechanic isn’t trying to “pull” anything, you are. He tried to install a working part on your van and you refused. You still owe him for the labor on the defective part that you took to him. I don’t understand why you don’t get this. Let the man install the water pump he ordered, pay the man and go on with your life. Although now after this stink you’ve raised I doubt he would agree to do the work for you now.
Oh, my. People like the OP give me such an awful headache. Based on what I’ve seen in the results of my Google search, I doubt she’ll be back to read this, but here goes anyway.
Look, everyone who is a professional at something quite reasonably expects to get paid for doing that thing, unless it has been previously arranged that this is done as a favor, gift, charity, or whatever. Even if the job they do for you turns out badly due to circumstances beyond their control, they have a right to be paid for that job. You don’t work for free, not even when things you have no control over go wrong. The cashier at the minimart doesn’t work for free, not even if that honey bun I got tasted waxy and gross. My dentist doesn’t work for free, not even if I get gum disease from not flossing as often as recommended. As I frequently have to tell people bitching about how much my boss charges for tech time on ER cases, I sure as shit don’t work for free, not even if the animal dies. So why on earth would you expect your mechanic to work for free, just because you bought a defective part?
Oh no, I gave the 1st new water pump to the mechanic before I opened the box. He called and told me he installed it but it was leaking. The returns dept from the Auto Parts Warehouse told me while I chatted online, that the mechanic had reported to them that the water pump was defective. I looked at the water pump before I put it back in the outer box. I wasn’t allowed to have the inner box but the mechanic said I could take it and return it. I saw that there was sticky stuff, I guess the sealant on the inside part of it near the edges. There was also places where the dark sticky stuff was missing. When I picked the water pump up to package it I gave the mechanic an address of where he could get a water pump from a place that has dodge parts and he said he had already ordered a part but hadn’t put it in. When I take my vehicle to have it repaired. I expect it to be repaired or I shouldn’t have to pay for it and worry that I’ll never be able to leagally drive my vehicle away from the auto shop because the mechanic wants to be paid when my vehicle isn’t repaired. He told me on the phone that the vehicle would run without a water pump. I wouldn’t do that. If he thought that it was my van’s fault then he should know why, if he is a qualified mechanic or let me take it to someone who knows what they are doing and knows how to remedy this issue. I am not allowed to move my vehicle to a place where I can have it repaired, unless I pay this mechanic first and the only reason I have to pay him is so I can have my van back. Thank you very much for mentioning BAR. they told me I’d have to wait a few days before they contacted me. I was told by a man when I called BAR that they would go through this with a fine tooth comb. Meanwhile I have to put my life on hold and it’s creating a problem with my family relationships because I don’t know how long I will be staying in Victorville now that I can’t drive my van and I really wasn’t planning on staying here this long, while I try to figure out what I can do. I don’t want to go into detail about this but what happened with my van could cause me to become homeless. I might have to buy another vehicle or just survive witout a home or a vehicle, so it’s a very serious issue that I can’t depend on my van. I own the dodge ram van. It doesn’t belong to the auto shop or the mechanic. I think he’s trying to pull something or something worse will happen later. I am going to take a document that I made up myself to the auto shop with or without a police officer and try and have someone sign it and maybe that’s what I should have done in the first place. The mechanic says he tried to install a working water pump. I don’t know what the mechanic did and I think the mechanic knows I’m not going to win this one, unless I do something like jump in my vehicle and drive off with it before he moves it somewhere else. There are some new parts in my vehicle that are worth more than what it usually costs to install a new water pump. If I ever have the next vehicle I buy serviced I will have an agreement documented and signed or I won’t have it fixed because I don’t know what the mechanic will pull. I don’t think taking this to small claims is the answer. Isn’t BAR a government program? Sometimes government programs take too long to help. I’m not going to do anything about my van after 10/1/2010, 'cause the problem has been there since 9/21/2010 and I need a vacation or a new vehicle and a qualified mechanic and possibly a place to stay. I really like your post.
But you do not understand. The defective water pump she gave the mechanic did not fix the problem. How can you expect her to pay for that? He wanted to charge her for a working water pump in addition to what he would charge for installing it. You cannot tell me he is not trying to pull a scam. I mean parts AND labor? Come on! 
The mechanic is entitled to be compensated for the labor involved in installing the defective pump. That is a cost expended regardless if the customer-supplied pump worked or not.
The mechanic then supplies a new part and installs it and is entitled to payment.
I’m going to try to get him to sign a document and work out an agreement but I don’t think he’ll be able to install a working water pump and I will not pay him 'cause all I know is what he says happened and he admitted that the repairs are not made. Good luck to him I’m getting on with my life and I’ll be more careful about the new vehicle I buy and only take it to someone qualified.
The mechanic told me that my van might be causing damage to the water pumps. Uh?
No, he put his pump in and said it didn't work. I can't go on like thisWhoever lives in my area please suggest to me a decent mechanic who can install a working water pump in case there is some freak chance I get my vehicle back or need one for the new vehicle.
The mechanic said his name is Tom at victor plaza automotive services
Your van has needed multiple water pump replacements? :dubious:
Yeah, you would say that, living in your ivory tower as you do. Just because he spent hours working on the van he is “entitled” to be paid for that work, and just because he bought a new pump, he is “entitled” to be reimbursed.
What about poor 1993 Dodge Ram? Is she not entitled to have her yearly water pump replacement done without hassle? Is she not entitled to chose cheap but crappy and defective parts for her van and have the mechanic install them without question? This is America, darn it. AMERICA! Who is looking out for little old 1993 Dodge Ram? Why don’t you care what she is entitled to, huh?
:smack:
So busted.
This is quite the mystery. I would expect that if it’s the wrong pump, or a defective pump, that his supplier would replace it with a suitable part and BINGO! problem solved. Are we just waiting for him to get another pump, or is he maintaining that the vehicle isn’t fixable? Things just aren’t adding up yet.
1993 Dodge Ram, with all due respect you do not understand the law. He is entitled to keep your vehicle until you pay for repairs. Period. Your “I don’t think I should pay for a non-working vehicle” statement may make you feel good, but is a legally useless assertion.
You can apply for relief from the legal system after the fact, but refusing to pay at this point puts you (legally) in the wrong.
It appears he has spent substantial time working on your vehicle with parts you have provided. You are entirely responsible for the defective part you provided and his time. The “if it doesn’t work then I don’t pay” does not apply to the labor portion of his efforts despite your continued efforts to make this be a reality.
You are trying every stunt you can think of to avoid paying, but all this is likely to do is aggravate him and delay your exit from the area. If you are really that close to being homeless if you do not have access to your vehicle, I would borrow the money from the friends or relatives you are visiting, pay him, get it repaired elsewhere, and get on the way.
Wasting massive amounts of time tussling over water pump repair when being on the street is the alternative is a poor designation of priorities at this point.
Could you at least use paragraphs, 1993 Dodge Ram? I’m getting a headache trying to read your posts.
Same here. I’m trying to figure out what legal issues are involved, but having a very hard time owing to the lack of paragraphs. I think I’m understanding, but it’s almost easier to just give up. However, I’m still interested in what’s happening. Please use paragraphs.
1993 Dodge Ram your position is similar to someone who takes their own eggs to a restaurant to have them prepare breakfast. If you then got salmonella from the eggs being infected, would that be the restaurants fault? No is the clear answer, you supplied the defective eggs.
Or how about this: I hire you to dig a hole in my backyard to locate a water pipe. I point out the location and say “Dig a hole 6 feet long, 3 feet wide and 4 feet deep.” If you dig a hole in that location 6X3X4 and do not find a water pipe, do I get to not pay you for all that dirt you dug up? Or do I have to man up and pay you for that and the second ( or third) hole you have to dig.
Now compare that to I say I will pay $X for you to dig a hole and find that water pipe, and leave all the details to you.
In the first scenario I told you where to dig (and got a lower price) In the second, I rely on your expertise in choosing where to dig to find the pipe. Probably costs more upfront, but in the long run might be a bunch cheaper.
Same deal here. You supplied either a defective or unsuitable water pump (many cars have more than one pump that fits a particular year/engine combo and the differences are not always obvious)
You have just demonstrated the down side to providing your own parts. If they don’t work, the shop owner expects to be paid for the time he wasted finding out the part you supplied was defective. I would guess that if the tables were turned, you would expect the same.
Now if the shop had been providing the parts and the first pump was defective, then it is too bad, so sad for the shop. they can go back to their supplier for a labor credit, or chalk it up to “I will never buy that brand/ from that supplier again” In no case would the extra labor come back to you the car owner.
If the shop were supplying the part your position that you should not pay, probably, and I repeat probably would hold water. It would depend on the details.
But you are trying to have it both ways. You want the discount price of supplying the parts, but you do not want the responsibility of paying for the work then the cheap part does not do the job.
Look here is the deal. You contracted to pay $X for a shop to remove and install a water pump that you supplied. The shop did that, and if I understand your posts correctly, they then removed your defective water pump and installed another and removed it also. (did I get that right?)
To my way of thinking you owe the shop at least 2 times $X if not 2.5 times $X. (count the number of times the pump has been on and off the car)
Oh and by the way, no you cannot drive the car without a water pump. Don’t even think about it.
The only legal way you are going to get out of paying the bill is to hope the BAR finds a screw up in the paperwork. Ethically you would still owe the money, but legally you could be off the hook.