abaya

My car is a 1997 VW Golf, FWD, 4 door, stick shift. I don't know the engine type. I must be the 6th or 7th owner of the vehicle. It shows...

After we took a long trip to a very remote corner of Iceland with HORRIBLE dirt roads (full of chuck holes and dust), the car began running very rough. We rather stubbornly managed to get it another 800 miles on a round-the-island "business" trip last weekend, but I don't dare push it any further than that. We've been lucky enough as it is.

The car basically has a very hard time accelerating (even on flats), and it loses speed almost immediately when going up any kind of hill. It doesn't stop, though--as I keep down-shifting, it will just chug up the hill at maybe 20 mph (when it should be going 40-50), and then it's fine on the downhill. When I accelerate from a stop, it builds up speed very slowly, with a few jerks and stutters--feels kind of epileptic, for lack of a better word--but eventually it settles in alright and just keeps going.

I figure the problem is either the air filter or some problem with the sparks. I had the fuel filter replaced just a few months ago (it was rusted so badly that it was leaking fuel right onto the road--yikes, at $10 a gallon!), so it can't be that, unless the actual fuel line is clogged... but I don't know how to figure that out. Since we were driving on such horribly dusty roads, with a lot of banging and bumping around, I think something must have gotten clogged somewhere... and that's why the car won't accelerate, except in spurts and stutters.

So, #1: How do I know if the air filter needs replacing? And #2: Is it feasible for me to replace the air filter by myself, or should I have a professional do it?

And I suppose #3: If it's not the air filter, could you give me some advice on where else to look, or what to ask a mechanic to look at for me?

Many thanks! I aspire to be able to fix my own cars, but I still have a long ways to go...

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BadNick

Based on your very dirty driving experience, it's a good chance it could be a clogged intake filter. It's usually very simple to replace an intake airfilter and I'm sure you can do it yourself once you find it. I'm not sure, but based on a couple pics of the engine bay I just googled, I think the filter is on the front/left corner of the engine bay as you stand in front of the car and look under the hood. It's probably covered in various black plastic shrouding; almost certainly there are some kind of clips that hold the air intake box together and if you loosen those clips and maybe remove a panel, you'll be able to lift the filter out. Do you have the owner's manual...or look online for something to show the intake filter setup if you don't have any documentation about it.

While you are there, try to figure out where the MAF is...again, I'm not very familiar with the VeeDubs, but I think it has a MAF to measure intake airflow, it is located right after the intake filter before the air goes into the motor; I would clean that too but only use specialized MAF cleaning spray...one is made by CRC but there are others. Spray the inside of the MAF since the small wire/s inside that measure airflow could be dirty and that would screw up how the car runs.

abaya

Thanks, BadNick. The intake filter doesn't sound too complicated... I can manage that one. But I don't want to replace it unless it needs replacing... so how can I tell if that's the problem? Is there some telltale sign of a clogged intake filter? No owner's manual, but I'll look online for the setup.

As for the MAF, that also sounds like a suspect. Again, how would I know if it just needs cleaning, or if it should be replaced entirely? I will try to find some specialized cleaning spray, though this is Iceland and I am not sure how I will find it in Icelandic.

__________________
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--Khalil Gibran

BadNick

As far as the filter, that's usually inexpensive enough that given your recent driving experience, I would just replace it....but you could examine it; if it was mostly dry dust, take the filter element out...again I'm not sure but it looks to be a rectangular panel filter...and firmly tap it on the ground/pavement a few times and see if dust/dirt fall out of it. You can also spray the filter with a water hose...even a pretty aggressive spray but not so strong as to tear the filter; first spray the water opposite to the normal airflow so you are "backwashing" it; then spray it from both sides...let it completely dry and if it looks clean it's probably OK.

A new MAF is likely to cost at least a couple hundred U.S. dollars and is not normally a common replacement item, so as it ages it should just be cleaned. You can literally look inside it and see if it looks dirty.

shakran

I would be very surprised if what you are describing were caused by the air filter. You'd have to have mud caked onto a large part of the filter in order to choke off enough air to cause this, and then it probably wouldn't go in little spurts of acceleration either.

Has it been doing this over several fillups? What you're describing actually sounds more like a bad tank of gas, in which case the problem should go away the next time you fill up (and don't fill up at the last place you filled up )

It could also be that a spark plug wire worked lose when you were bouncing around- that's easy enough to check. Just press down on them and see if one clicks in further than it was.

Barring those two, it could be spark plugs themselves (fairly cheap to replace if you do it yourself, but be sure to gap them properly or you'll have problems)

And a more remote possibility is that an ignition wire or a wire to or from the ECU worked lose in all the bouncing.

abaya

Yeah, it's done it over at least 5 fill-ups, at all different gas stations around Iceland... so I don't think that's it. Already did this, pressed down on all 4 wires and did not hear any clicks, nor did the car drive better afterwards. (My dad thought it might be this, when I asked him on the phone, so it was my first check.) My dad also mentioned this--but how do I find out if it's the spark plugs, in the first place? I'm not familiar with replacing them/gapping them, so I might have to ask a professional to do that, if it is the issue. That could also be true, but once again, how to check? My dad suggested I take it in to have an electronics diagnostic done, but only after I check the air filter first, in case that's the simple solution. It just costs so much damn money to get any car work done here in Iceland... usually about 2 times the price of American prices, for parts as well.

BadNick, I'll try the air filter tapping-method today... but I don't have a water hose handy, so may not be able to do that. I hope it's just an air filter problem... it was SERIOUSLY dusty and dirty, for about 24 hours of driving (and yes, all dry).

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--Khalil Gibran

telekinetic

Spark plugs and air filter are regular maintainence items. As they are both so inexpensive, (spark plugs can be had for a dollar a piece, and air filters around $10-20, both in USD) the diagnosis for them is just to replace them, if it was the problem, great, you have fixed it, if not, well, your car is now better off.

abaya

Good to know, twisted. I just checked the air filter on the car a few minutes ago, and at first glance, I must say that it looks pretty clean. A few small bugs caught on top, but that's all I saw (and I took it out and tapped it a bit, too)... it was a bright yellow color on both sides. Obviously I'm not a professional, but it didn't look too dirty. I will probably just replace it, anyway, since it seems very easy to take out and put in again... and I'll ask a mechanic to replace the spark plugs, since I've had the car for a year and as you said, it's a maintenance item (how often should they be replaced, actually?).

One thing I did notice, though, is that on the top black plastic cover of the air filter, there seems to be a piece that cracked off/is missing from the side. So could that be the source of the problem? That the "seal" on top of the filter is not complete, since there is a hole along one of the sides of the cover (maybe a couple of inches long at most, half an inch high) The missing piece was inside, resting on top of the filter itself, so I removed that of course.

Doing some reading online, I also saw this about testing the MAF for a VW TDI... granted, a diesel, which mine is not... but I wondered if it was worth trying: So I did that just now, and the car definitely went up to 5100 rpm, no problem there. So the MAF might be alright, just maybe some cleaning?...

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snowy

Yes, you can totally replace the air filter yourself. I replaced mine not too long ago. If it's dirty it will have a brownish/grayish tinge to it, and LOOK dirty. The brand-new air filter looked yellowish to begin with.

As for the hole, I wouldn't worry too much about that either; the guy at Jiffy Lube broke off the tabs holding my air filter lid on and my car still runs fine despite there not being a very good seal. Stupid Jiffy Lube guy.

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abaya

Hmm, okay, good to know. It IS very bright yellow, as I said... so maybe that doesn't need to be replaced. Damn, thought I had the problem with the bad seal!

Next up will be the spark plugs, I guess. After that, it's anyone's guess. It's weird, because the car has trouble accelerating from a stop (and going up hills), but once I get it into the higher gears, it does pretty well on the flats. It gets a little bit jarring/jerky at times, but still rides okay. We seriously just drove it 800 miles in that condition last weekend, though I saw my life flash before my eyes in the Icelandic highland desert...

__________________
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Sion

recommended spark plug replacement intervals vary widely from car to car and from one brand of plug to another. typically you should be able to get 50K miles on a set, but some will work fine up to 100k or more. if you dont know how many miles its been since they were replaced, it'd be a good idea to go ahead and change em. be sure to go with either OEM brand or a good name brand. I like Bosch double platinums, but they're a tad pricey.
-----Added 25/8/2008 at 01 : 44 : 37-----
two other things that could be causing your problems:

oxygen sensor gone or going bad...they're usually good for about 50k miles...if you are getting dirt mixed in with the intake air (due to the aforementioned hole) it could be fouling the O2 sensor (as well as the spark plugs, now that I think of it. slap a piece of duct tape over that hole). since the computer relies on the O2 sensor (among a few other things) to determine the correct air/fuel mixture, this could very well be the source of the problem. unless you are mechanically inclined, this one is best left to a professional

the catalytic converter. cats will slowly plug up over time, but once they get to the point where its starting to restrict the exhaust flow, it will cause performance to deteriorate rapidly. left unattended, it will soon cause the car to fail to start. have it checked by a reputable exhaust repair shop.

my bet is on the cat...vehicle is just old enough to expect that the OEM converter is at the very end of its service life.

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Some wrong been done, he done it first. -fz

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shakran

Good thought. She could also have bashed it on one of the bumps and squished the metal.

abaya

I very well could have bashed it on one of the bumps, given that the entire road was one big crater field.

Alright, so I'll throw some duct tape on the hole--but my next step should be to basically to take it to a professional and have them check out the catalytic converter, then? And also grab some spark plugs and have those replaced, while I'm at it. How much does this kind of thing usually cost, just so I have some idea?

Damn used cars. I originally only bought it to have it running for a year... looks like my estimate was right on target. I need it working for another few months at least, until we can get out of here. I was thinking of selling it, as it seems to be in otherwise good condition... but now I'm really wondering if I'll just have to part it out.

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Cynthetiq

yeah I hated seeing this sign coming up....

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abaya

Yeah, exactly... funny thing is, they never have a sign for "MALBIK BYRJAR," or "PAVEMENT BEGINS," which is much more a cause for celebration. Ktsp always makes sure to say it out loud when we see pavement approaching after many, many kilometers of beating up our car on the lava...

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Cynthetiq

Yes, a chant I'm sure many travellers in Iceland exclaim after many hours of gravel roads.

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souzafone

First of all let me start by saying I've got over 25 years experience at auto dealerships (GM), I now work for a large diesel engine manufacturer, I just attended a 2 day seminar on filtration, and I've been driving a VW for 5 years. The air filter seal on your car is a one use gasket, once it's opened it loses some of it's sealing properties. Dirt that gets sucked into an engine today will take thousands of miles to wear your cylinders and rings, not a big deal if you plan on selling, but not good for a long term investment. The same hold true for cleaning any media, it creates small, possibly microscopic holes, that provide a clear pathway for dirt to enter the engine. This includes banging, shaking, or forcing with air pressure or vacuum. Yeah, it'll run fine now, but in 20 or 30 thousand miles your compression will be lower, meaning less power, and less mpg's. To check the maf, simply unplug it. If the car does not run worse with it unplugged, it's bad. Unplugging the maf will cause a cel, but it will go off after x number of key cycles on it's own. Also, a maf can get contaminated due to bad filtratation. A maf should be about $80 US.

abaya

So do you mean that I should get a new one, since I just took it out to check how dirty it was? Thing is, I do plan to sell it in a few months... but the car already has horrible power and NO acceleration (in fact, negative acceleration on any kind of hill). I just want it to run decently again. My dad says it's most likely the O2 sensor that I should be checking next... I've heard that you can only unplug the MAF on a diesel... is it okay to do it on a gas VW? Also, what's a "cel?" And what would be the cause of bad filtration? Thanks!

Btw: I used some tape to block the hole on the air filter cover, but it hasn't improved the engine at all... of course that's not a permanent solution anyway, but just something I wanted to try. Next up will be O2, I guess.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Fotzlid

Could it be the clutch/flywheel causing the acceleration problems instead of airflow problems?

That sounds exactly like what happened to a Camaro I owned. The only difference was the tranny was an automatic. (Well...that and it was a GM....)

abaya

Well, the clutch was supposedly slipping a year ago (from what the inspectors said), though I've felt nothing "slipping" myself. My dad says that I'll know the clutch is slipping when it starts losing gears on a hill... going from 5th to 4th without my pressing the clutch, etc. And I haven't felt that at all... just a negative acceleration and loss of power (and lots of jiggling, though that may be a separate issues).

But then again, maybe I don't know what a bad clutch sounds like. It does sound more like a fuel/air problem when I'm driving it (it actually feels like there are "gaps" in the gas feed, if that makes any sense... no pulling power whatsoever)... but I am not an expert.

Thanks for all the feedback so far... we're getting there!

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Fotzlid

If it was an air/fuel problem, the motor would run rough all the time, be difficult to start and would stall frequently at a stop.
If the clutch/flywheel isn't fully engaged, you would get that "gap" feeling when accelerating.

Martian

CEL is an acronym for Check Engine Light. Unplugging the MAF will cause it to light up (and also a trouble code, but that's not relevant to us right now).

O2 sensor is possible but unlikely, since that would generate a trouble code in most situations as well.

My money would go on clutch, given that it was already slipping a year ago.

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Ayashe

Abaya, as a former Jetta owner I can tell you that they are very sensitive to vacuum leaks. This little crack could very easily be the culprit. After doing a major overhaul on my Jetta it was running very horribly. A look at the top of the engine revealed an rather large crack right about where you mentioned. I looked at my husband(at the time) and pointed it out. Oh that is nothing.

Stubborn me.. I took out some sort of sealant and covered the leak, dried like a half hour later, restarted it. Bingo! I was right. Bottom line, I wouldn't discount that crack so easily. The sealant whatever it was held for quite some time until we forked out the money for the actual replacement part. I think it was some sort of silicon, pretty cheap investment diagnostic-wise. The actual part ran about $60 if I remember correctly.

Tully Mars

Smart. That filter housing is usually sealed for a reason and not just to keep dirt out. The amount of fresh air delivered to the intake is highly controlled any more. If there's a leak up-line the MAF (Mass Flow Sensor) will not function properly. If the MAF isn't working correctly the engine will run rough.

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Ayashe

If I remember correctly it wouldn't stay running at all, it was a fairly decent crack though.

Tully Mars

Air flow at the MAF will do that. I once put in an after market K&N system and forgot to reconnect the MAF harness. The engine would start and then idle rough for a moment then die. Little quick trouble shooting and I plugged in the MAF and it ran fine.

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abaya

Well, the motor is never difficult to start, that's for sure. As for stalling at a stop... no, it never stalls, just doesn't get going real consistently. The motor never dies. If I'm going up any kind of incline, the whole car starts juddering pretty badly until I let up a little bit on the gas, and then it evens out a bit (but then has even less torque). But it always gets up the hill... just runs smoother when I'm not pressing the pedal down all the way. Hmm... does this provide any more info?

I thoroughly taped up the cracked part of the air filter cover, but have not noticed any change in performance.

So we're looking at 3 possibilities: O2, MAF, or clutch. You guys are saying I should unplug the MAF and see how it runs... even if that gives a CEL. And the O2, I have no idea about. Last case scenario will be a new clutch... those are a doozy, aren't they? My dad says it takes a long time for a clutch to finally wear out... any estimates on how much time I have left? (and what's the worst-case scenario when the clutch finally does fail, on the road?)

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Tully Mars

It's a 97, right? Know anyone with an OBDII or a shop that will check it real quick for a min. amount? I travel with mine, I think I paid $69 for it. You plug it in under the dash and it'll likely tell you what is your problem.




I know a fair deal about old VW's, could give you the firing order and torque spec's on an old Bug off the top of my head. A Jetta? Nada.

Here's my thought's... as always I reserve the right to be completely wrong-


More then likely unplugging your MAF will do one of two things, kill your engine or make it run really rough. You could probably take the MAF out and clean it or check it for blockage. It will be right passed the air filter on the tubing to the intake. Probably a flat donut looking thing with about a four or five wire plug leading to it. Heck that plug connection could be loose. It should be removable with little effort and simply logic. Likely a hose clamp on each side or clips of some kind.

And yes it could be the O2 sensor. An OBDII would read out a code if this is your problem. Or you could just remove it and clean it with some carb cleaner. It will be between the exhaust manifold and the Cat. converter. It will have two, possible three wires leading to it and look a little like a spark plug. Taking this out will require some muscle. Anything on the exhaust line gets hot and the bolts et el can be difficult to remove. It can usually be done with a box end wrench and a some type of leverage (also known as a cheater bar or hammer) but some cars require a special crows foot type wrench. If you can remove it clean it by spraying the heck out of it with the carb cleaner and a wire brush, don't go at it too hard with the brush, then return it.

If your having clutch problems or fly wheel problems it's completely possible it will run another 5k or go out tomorrow. I don't think it sounds like this is your problem, but again, as always, I could be wrong.

Wish I could be of more help.

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Fotzlid

...

Tully Mars

Gez, read through that pretty late last night, missed the comments you quoted completely. I guess I'm also missing the previous fixes that have been done that would resolve an O2 sensor issue.

But yes clutches don't repair themselves or get better. I'm have no idea how many miles a year this car being driven, but if it was slipping a year ago almost surprised it's still going.

The clutch itself is not that costly. These guys sell it (in the US, no idea about Iceland) for about $140.

Volkswagen Clutch - Volkswagen Jetta Clutch - Volkswagen Beetle Clutch

But I'd guess this isn't something abaya's going to want to tackle herself. I'm sure with a manual and the tools she could do it. But it sounds like this is front wheel drive. Not fun. The on-line store above states-

As I posted last night I know jack about Jetta's, I assure you I got that part right. But I did change the FWD clutch on one of my daughter's first cars, a Nissan. The term "buried in the engine bay" is enough for me. Yeah, "pick up one of our Volkswagen repair manuals to help you with the job." Don't forget to pick up a large hammer to hit yourself in the head with when tearing this buried clutch out of the engine bay drives you out of your freaking mind. I had a 24x40 shop with two roll aways, 3-4 floor jacks, a wire feed welder and plasma cutter at my last home. I'd take it in and let someone else do it.

I have no idea in Iceland but in the states I'd guess the labor would be at least 3-5 times the cost of the parts. If, like my daughter's Nissan, the manual starts out the clutch replacement instructions with "remove the engine" 5 times the part could be low.

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abaya

It's not a Jetta, it's a Golf. But I have to take it for a short road trip today... we'll see if it survives getting back. I would not replace the clutch myself... no way. Thanks for the advice guys, will get back to you!

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
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Tully Mars

I either have to stop reading through technical posts so late or simply stop responding to them.

Kat said Jetta so I got that stuck in my head. Sorry.

Really everything Fotzlid said makes sense to me.

I don't know any more about a Golf then a Jetta, but if it's FWD it's a pain, IMO. Heck even with the old VW Bug's the manual starts out with "remove the engine" when detailing the clutch replacement. But that's all in-line and is basically four bell housing bolts, a fuel line and a few wires and the engine can be lowered out of the rear of the vehicle. A friend of mine and I had it down to under 10 mins. from car to bench. Most, maybe all?, of these FWD vehicles have an engine sitting sideways above or just in front of the tranny and clutch assy. And there's seemingly no room to get a wrench in anywhere.

I hate working on this type of engine. My daughter's second car was a Mitsubishi Eclipse. After owning it for a couple months the timing belt broke. 42K on the car but the kid who owned it before her modified the exhaust and the turbo. I'm not sure exactly how that adds stress to a timing belt, but 42k's not very many miles on a belt. I replaced that and it will be the last FWD vehicle I ever work on. Even changing the oil filter was a nightmare on that car. Given the choice between working on a FWD car and having a hammer pound my testicles flat... I'd take the hammer.

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lotsofmagnets

*shudder*
-----Added 3/9/2008 at 01 : 29 : 15-----
but to be a bit more constructive. sounds like neither a clutch problem (phew ) nor an air problem. that leaves spark and fuel. fuel starvation from blockagein the line or bad/poorly gapped plugs or lines. could also be maf or o2 but start with the basics 1st

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Tully Mars

Fuel filter?, injectors, plug wires?

It's so hard to trouble shoot over the phone or on-line. I used to get people calling me with "it sounds like__________" (insert man made clanking, screeching etc... sound here.) If I wanted to deal with it I'd always tell them to either bring it to me or let me come see it.

In doing some reading on these VW engine (I assume gas not diesel?) vacuum leaks are a major issue, something Katyana(?) mentioned as well. But it could be a lot of things- a loose wire on a fuel pump, a short on the lead to the O2 sensor, bad set of plug wires. Man, the possibilities are endless.

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Sion

my money is still on the catalytic converter

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Some wrong been done, he done it first. -fz

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Tully Mars

Yeah, that's good too. If the exhaust can't leave it screws up everything. The cat degrades and starts to slowly restrict the exhaust flow as it does the engine begins to lose power and run rough. Sooner or later it closes completely and the engine will not start. Kinda like the old banana in the tail pipe, though we always used potatoes when I was a kid

My ex's 4Runner had this happen at about 150K. It was surprisingly inexpensive and easy to fix. About $150 on line for a new (after market) cat, jack up the front end, four easy to reach bolts, remove and replace the cat. I think the whole job took an hour. If you take on this job make sure you check the new donuts (washers, they should come with the new cat) and do not install them backwards. According to her manual they'll work but leak within a couple K miles.

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abaya

Well, luckily, lotsofmagnets lives literally a few blocks away from me, in Iceland. He has kindly offered to stop by soon and check it out personally--so perhaps the mystery will be solved, soon. I drove the car several hundred kilometers over the weekend (and up some very steep hills), and while it's still running very rough--it's not getting any worse, and still not dying on me anywhere. We'll see what magnets has to say. Thanks again for all your feedback! I have learned quite a bit about the systems discussed, as a result.

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abaya

Many thanks to lotsofmagnets, as he walked over the other night and took the car for a little spin... we concluded that it must be either a blockage in the fuel line or the exhaust. He recommended a mechanic to me (recommended by another friend), and I made an appointment this morning--magnets, you didn't tell me that the shop was in GRAFARVOGUR!!! Anyway, I took the bus back and left the car there.

The guy just called and said that he found the problem: it's a bad MAF. So he's going to get a used one ($110 here), and then install it... problem is he has to go pick it up at a junkyard, etc... and that's all part of the labor. So total, the whole cost of replacing this damn thing is going to be $320-$380 (including the part). Seeing as everything here costs 2-3 times as much as the US, I guess it makes sense.

We only bought the car for a couple thousand anyway, and we plan to sell it for the same price... so our costs boil down to repairs and maintenance, which will be about a thousand bucks in the end. All fine and good, for a vehicle that is getting 37 mpg, right? (At $10 a gallon, I'll take it.) If it keeps running until we leave--a few more months--it will be worth it, I hope.

So thanks for all the advice, guys!! In the end, it turned out to be the good ol' MAF.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Tully Mars

So the MAF is $110 and he charging over double that for labor? Either he did a ton of troubleshooting to find the problem or the MAF is buried somewhere in the engine compartment. Or of course he's charging you $200 bucks an hour for labor.

Either way it's good to know the problem can and will be solved shortly. I know when I looked around on-line the air flow and vac leaks were highly reported trouble spots on Golfs. Jetta's too since I couldn't keep it straight which car you guys owned.

Sounds like you'll be back to smooth driving shortly and you probably learned a little about engine repair along the way.

On a side note- over the weekend my neighbor came over and said she wanted to drive her car to Cancun this weekend but was going to take the bus because her car wasn't always starting. I went over and looked. The pos. side of her battery was corroded so bad I can't believe it ever started. Little water and baking soda then wire brushed the heck out of it and it started and ran fine. Sometimes it's just some little easily identifiable thing. She thought the engine was probably about done.

__________________
I used to drink to drown my sorrows, but the damned things have learned how to swim- Frida Kahlo

Vice President Starkizzer Fan Club

abaya

Well, again... it's Iceland, and everything is at least twice as expensive as in the US. I'm going to ask him if he'll give me a break if I pay in cash, as they do sometimes here, but I've gotten away with that for the last few repairs with a friend-of-a-friend... this time, I needed a trusted shop to take care of it, so I probably can't pay under the table.

The junkyard trip itself will take him almost an hour, so there's that as part of the "labor," I suppose. I would have gotten the part myself, but then I'd have to go back to the shop--a 40 min busride + walk, in addition to making another appointment for the car repair another day, and then having to do the bus thing all over again--and I'm just tired of it, want it to be done NOW! Did I mention that gas is $10 a gallon? Anyway, the costs do add up.

Funny thing is, if I'd had this fixed a few months ago when the currency was 30% stronger, the cost would have been more like $500 instead of $350. (The dollar was THAT bad.) So I should be grateful that I'm spending 30% less, right?

EDIT: Remember that the MAF is used... if he got it new, it would be $300+ for the part. So there's that as well.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran