I took my 95 neon to the mechanic because it has an annoying whirring, squeaking noise when I drive it (usually around 30 mph -- I don't really notice it on the highway so much).

Based on the kind of noise it is and past experience, I thought it was a belt of some kind but the mechanic said it's the fuel pump (a $700 repair), that there's no way to just fix the squeak without replacing the entire fuel pump, and that there's no way to tell how long it's going to last before it will go out -- it can either last years in the state it's in right now or it can go out this afternoon (with my infant daughter in the back seat in freezing cold weather -- not too inviting!)

My question is: does this sound right to you? I am not a car person so I'm stuck trusting the word of the mechanic. I certainly don't want to shell out that $ if there's another option! Thanks so much!

Shannon

Go to another mechanic. Seven hundred bucks is way too much for a fuel pump replacement.

But that's not to say that it ISN'T your fuel pump getting ready to die on you. It's been known to happen more often than it should. I suspect it's due in large part to people running their tanks low, coupled with not changing the fuel filter every 100K or so.

Anyway, get it checked somewhere else. A fuel pump can die at any time, and will usually die completely when it does. You don't want a tow fee on top of the pump replacement.

I /think/ the dealer charges around $250 for the fuel pump. I don't know what labor is, but I'm guessing it's not $450.

I would definitely go to another mechanic, $700 is way too much. Also, be careful because depending on the mileage of the car if the fuel pump goes out it just may take the timing belt with it. I have a 95 and have been having a stalling prob, one time it stalled and the timing belt stretched and I ended up 180 out.