Business ProfileforMidwest Truck Repair

Horrible experience. I brought my ** to Midwest truck repair on a Wednesday. It had overheated and wouldn't ************** truck repair assured me they could fix it. That Friday I was quoted $1500 to fix it. They never called or asked if I would authorize any further repairs. The next Tuesday when I showed up to pick up my ** and I was presented with a $3600 bill. After I got the money together and paid for the repairs, the ** broke down less that 40 miles from the shop. When I asked another mechanic he said whoever drained the oil forgot to put oil back in the engine. Midwest auto sent a tech out that confirmed that the vehicle shouldn't be driven. So now I have a broken ** and probably won't even be able to get my money back.

Customer pulled ** to ** from another shop whod told him it had a blown head gasket but they couldnt fix it. ** wouldnt start, inconsistent w/ a blown head gasket. Our tech began diagnosis. Coolant was dirty, oil severely low/dirty, but not mixed. We spoke possible cost but nothing certain. Customer opted we proceed. He admitted had previous radiator ************* already added two stop leaks. We found injectors spraying, plugs not sparking. Replaced ************ Found 2 plug wires burnt in half, arcing against manifold. Customer confirmed plug wires replaced 2 months prior & poor running ever since. We also found ignition coil cracked, causing premature arcing to intake. With new cap, rotor, coil, & plug wires, **s engine ran very well at idle. Changed ************* finding only 2 qts oil in engine when should have contained 5.5-6qts. With engine running well, we moved on to diagnose overheating. Engine fan not working properly, pusher fan not running, water pump weeping which indicates internal failure. Had to remove radiator for access to replace water pump, very time consuming: had to remove entire front nose assembly, plus hardware seized & surrounding wiring a mess. Installed new engine thermostat, new coolant temperature sensor w/ water pump & pull-style fan (an upgrade), rewired electric fan circuits w/ new wiring; adjusted loose belts. Radiator showed evidence of previous leaks, but Customer said didnt have money for new radiator. Reinstalled *********************** oil cooler. Radiator flow seemed to be slowed by internal gunk, so our tech flushed cooling system but still partially clogged. Customer was made aware small old leak reappeared, but again, he asked that bare minimum be done to get ** running. We filled radiator w/ fresh antifreeze & topped off all fluids. Test drive: ** engine still had a backfire under acceleration. Exhaust seemed restricted; found catalytic converter was about 80% plugged up. Due to ** being **** & Customers very limited budget, our tech reconfigured exhaust system to remove the restriction, w/o any added parts. Also found O2 sensor on exhaust Y-pipe broken, affecting ********** mixture. Replacing O2 sensor greatly improved how engine ran; also lead to discovering EGR valve sticking open, causing vacuum leak. We bypassed EGR valve to resolve vacuum leak, installed new engine air filter, & reassembled top of *************** cover. Test drive: engine performed well & stayed within normal operating temp while vehicle moving. Customer was informed engine temp was on warm side when idling, but fine when driving. He stated a radiator would have to wait, as the minimum parts & labor we already provided were over his budget. At this point, our bill for **************** came to just over twice our initial statement of possible cost. Customer was made aware we could not guarantee he would not have further issues, because it was known more parts were needed. He spent three days getting $ together to pay our bill & then drove the ** away. The following day, he called saying he got only 40 miles before it overheated again, but was able to make it to his campground destination. We sent our tech on a SATURDAY to the campground, at NO CHARGE, to examine **: found engine oil level again extremely low, just as when ** arrived at our shop. Drained/refilled oil again, FREE. Engine started & ran flawlessly; idle temperature still slowly crept up above normal range. Informed Customer the approx. two months hed been driving it w/o any spark in two cylinders most likely caused those cylinders to be washed out & scored--could explain disappearance of oil. Again, our tech explained radiator a problem. ******** said that he was buying a house in the area & only needed ** to go short distance before he would park it at his new house until he could afford new radiator. Our tech advised: as long as he closely monitored ************************* level, & drove gently, everything should be okay until he could afford further repairs.