Car Repairs

I drive a fifteen year old european car - an old SAAB 900. I like it and I'm vain enough to prefer it to a ten year old japanese or korean car, which I could have probably got for the same price when I bought it a few years ago.

For the last week or so something had been wrong with the engine - not really sure what but it seem to be something with the fuel not getting to the engine at times - to the point where it would stop once or twice on the way to work. I know very little about cars (despite my fathers best efforts) so a trip to the mechanic is always interesting.

It was due a service so I booked it in and got a call a few hours after i had dropped it off.

"We'll need to do the brake seals - about $150."

"Ok" I say, thinking brake seals, know roughly what they are. Sounds important. "Yep go ahead."

"Timing case seal doesn't look good either".

"Um OK I say." Timing case, I'm sure I've heard of that, I'm sure that must be kinda important.

"But if we take of the timing case and find the Harmonic Balancer is worn we'll need to replace that to. It'll be about $200 for the timing case and about $230 for the balancer including the labour."

"Um OK sure - so do you think it needs done?" This is what I say but I'm actually thinking "What the f*** is a harmonic balancer?"

"Yep - may as well do it now that the car is in. It'll need doing soon enough."

"OK go ahead."

So $947.10 later my car is back and working very nicely. When I picked it up the service manager even showed me the old harmonic balancer. It was a steel disc the size of a small plate but much thicker. It had a steel insert with rubber joining the insert to the outside of the disc. The rubber had indeed deteriorated and I was told that it would be bad if it broke away. Fair enough.

I still don't really know what function it serves but you've just got to trust that your mechanic isn't playing a cruel practical joke on you, don't you?