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Chump change???

A

ArrowheadK5

1/2 ton status
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Aug 3, 2001
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Location
Northern MN
My 87 K20 (/forums/images/graemlins/truck.gif)stranded me on a very busy freeway off-ramp, and I had it towed (AAA) to the place where my family usually gets our cars done... and they replaced the ignition module and ignition coil for approx. $360.

Question: did I just pay a ton of money for something I could have done myself in an afternoon/day? I am really wondering about this one. I didn't really have an option, but it would be nice to know. Any info would be helpful for future (God forbid) problems.

Thanks, Tom
 
turns out about half was parts, half labor. Oh well. Only other thing I have to buy is school books. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
Call up the auto parts store. Write down the most expensive brands they have (cheap ones will be $25 for the ICM and $18 for the coil). If you haven't kicked yourself in the teeth yet then once you know that at worst it is a two hour job then you will definitely kick yourself in the teeth.

The hardest part is getting the connectors off the ICM without breaking the tabs. Other than that, if you know how to take a distributor cap off you can do it yourself. Especially since both parts come with directions in the box.
 
my truck has never started if it was cold and rainy, and so I have replaced the dist cap and rotor 3 times and the plugs/wires once. I am hoping that this was the actual problem, but I wish I could have diagnosed it myself and done the work. Problem is I don't have an garage.
Oh well, live and learn.
[kicking self in teeth] /forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif
 
What are the symptoms? If it won't crank over it is a battery cable.

If it'll crank over but not start in those conditions it is usually an ignition coil. A quality cap, rotor, ICM, coil, and wires will run you about $100.
 
No, it would crank and not fire for a long long time. As soon as it got sunny out, and it had about 20 minutes to dry out, it would fire right the hell up.

Hopefully, it should be all fixed now ($$). Thanks for all the suggestions.

Now, anybody got a spare 81-87 fleetside box laying around? Preferrably light blue? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Tom
 
Don't worry about the money to fix your truck. Stuff like that is hard to diagnose, especially on the side of the freeway. Just Remmeber the sysmptoms and pass your experience on to other CK5'ers if they post a question for a similar problem.
 
I agree, that's a tough one to diangose as you're busy trying not to get run over by traffic and stuff. You still would have had to get towed...and I doubt the tow truck would stop at the local autozone for you or lend you some tools/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Rene
 
I'm begining to think I'm the only one who keeps one of these in the glove box. Eveytime time someone make one of those "what spares should I carry?" That's the the one thing I'll add.
AAA paid the tow, right? Check your bill and make sure you didn't. As far as the bill, did they only replace the module? Yes its a quick job if you know what is wrong. But, 1 hr for trouble shooting, 1 hr for the fix, one module + shop supplies. I'm guessing $200 bill. Add wires, cap & rotor, or maybe a senseor and it would shoot up over $300.
 
yeah, it was 1 hr diagnose, 1 hr replacemnt, and a coil and module, plus shop supplies. It came to about $354. Thanks for all of the info, guys.
 
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