If you want to pay mechanics to change your oil, go for it. I don't recommend this location for car repair. I paid a big price for this review by taking my truck to Punahou Auto Service. Lesson learned. I ultimately had to fix the truck myself. While most mechanics can hear, most mechanics can't listen. Communication is a major issue here. No contact with me before they replaced new, original manufacturer parts I had installed but charging me big for trial-and-error part swaps (SEE PHOTOS). I'll give the short story first before I get into details.
IN SHORT: I took the truck in with a check engine light recording a P0305 (sometimes P0300) engine misfire. The truck was at Punahou shop for 5 weeks (plus two days). Nothing was fixed at a cost of nearly $1,700. The shop was tired of dealing with it and resorted to the "engine needs a rebuild," which was a diversion from their inability to find and fix the real malfunction. With truck returned, I bought test kits and reviewed the engine symptoms. I replaced the crankshaft position sensor, which stopped the engine misfire and the check engine light. I also replaced the fuel pressure regulator to fix very low fuel pressure at the fuel rails. Now, the engine starts at first turn of the key, accelerates without stutter/hesitation and has restored engine power under load to factory standard.
THE DETAILS: I took the truck to Punahou Auto Service on March 6 with a misfire issue. I told them I had replaced everything from the distributor cap to the spark plugs and fuel injectors. They said an engine diagnostic starts at $650. I said no thanks at that price and asked them to remove the engine head unit and have it rebuilt (the truck has 160K miles). We had a verbal agreement, so I spent the next days believing this work was underway. The next Friday, they called and said the truck was fixed. By the time I arrived, they told me oops, the check engine light came back on and there was still the engine misfire. Before I left, I reminded them that they were tasked to remove the head and have it rebuilt (not do as they please). I was told nothing about cost at this point.
Two more weeks passed, so I called to check the status of the head rebuild. They told me over the phone that they were sorry, but the past two weeks a Ford Ranger pickup was occupying the mechanic who had worked on my truck. I was upset that my truck sat for two weeks after they worked on it the previous week, but I remained calm and polite. I came into the shop the next morning to take my truck out of their shop in as-is condition, but they told me I owed them $1,100 and wherever I take the truck next the same fees for diagnostics will be charged again. Nothing was fixed and they had no clue what was causing the misfire, but said they think they are close to finding the problem. They talked me into keeping the truck in their shop. I was told the expense was currently at $1,100 so I no longer wanted the engine head rebuilt (they said it doesn't need it).
Week four, they called on Good Friday before Easter to say they can't fix the truck so come get it. I arrived and paid the bill, which had increased to $1,659.55. None of the parts replaced were told to me in advance. I had recently installed those parts. After I paid the bill, the shop owner said the truck's engine is shot and the computer has the truck in 'limp mode', so I need to drive it at a top speed of 5-10 miles per hour or have the truck towed. Again, I was upset but remained calm and polite. I asked how did I pay so much money to receive my truck in this condition after I could drive the truck at 70 mph before I brought it to them? The shop owner agreed to keep the truck to get it out of 'limp mode'.
I called the following Tuesday, but still not ready. This was week five. I finally received the truck in mid-April. The owner walked with me and I started it up. It didn't want to start and when it did, it was sputtering. I was frustrated and told him the truck always started fine on the first key turn. His replied that I need a new engine. I drove the truck home with the check engine light on and the misfire.
Immediately, I bought test kits. I tested compression - all good. I replaced the crankshaft position sensor and the misfire stopped (check engine light also deactivated). I still had the hard-to-start/crank engine issue, so I tested the fuel pressure. I removed the fuel pressure regulator, which had an obvious dent in it. The valve inside seemed to be jammed open, preventing fuel pressure. I suspect the mechanic dented it because fuel pressure was fine before. Also, the wires to the Idle Control Valve were so taunt around the lower intake plenum that one was pulled out of the control valve. I had to replace both damaged parts. Now, the truck fires up on the first key turn and the engine runs without a sputter or hesitation on the accelerator. The engine power is back to factory standard with no misfire or check engine light. read more