This BBS is awesome. If the denizens of this BBS can't find it, it must not exist.

Thank you for that PDF of the troubleshooting guide. That is interesting information. In particular, their instructions to reset the computer by removing the clock/backup fuse as opposed to the ECM fuse is interesting. I thought removing the ECM fuse was the correct procedure, now I see otherwise. Nice.

Third time's the charm. When they put the correct part in, the light went off and (so far) stayed off.

Here's the correct part, for posterity:

I hope they didn't charge you for anything after they decided to put the wrong part in.

Good thing it was a "first time fit" part. What's that even supposed to mean?

Correct. I certainly wouldn't have brought it back if they intended to charge for the failing part. They were very good and accommodating about it, even squeezing me in on a busy day where they otherwise didn't have any slots, just to try another O2 sensor part (the second attempt which also failed).

To be fair, their computer told them all along that the first part was the right part, and they did all the extra leg work to try the other parts after it failed. They were really good about it the whole time, I have no complaints about this shop.

In fact, I'm in a sort of dilemma. My car is long-overdue to get its timing belt replaced, and I've got a bee in my bonnet to get it done soon. I have two choices: Actual Honda dealership, and this Firestone shop.

The Honda dealership quoted me a lower price for the job (though money is very low on my list of priorities in this case), they are near my workplace, and they offer shuttle service, so it would be more convenient to take it to them for this particular full-day job. And of course, a job as important as the timing belt is something that many might, by default, say "take it to the dealership". But they're an unknown, I've never dealt with them before. And in the past, I've seen my share of dealerships who couldn't get things right, too; just because they're a dealership doesn't mean they're actually good.

The Firestone gave me a much more detailed quote which listed every single thing that they would replace in the process (not just the usual "water pump" but also a host of other items and services). And this shop has historically shown good service and helpfulness, I like the people, they are open longer hours, and I believe that I trust their abilities. They are slightly less convenient to take the car to, though, because I would need to coordinate a ride with a friend.

Any recommendations? I'm currently leaning towards the dealership. Anyone have any anecdotes or such about dealerships versus other shops?

I'd think dealership is the way to go. They will know your car well and be aware of issues (maybe not documented) that it may have.

I'm not a mechanic (well, I am a licensed A&P...) but I do work on all my own cars and I know not to waste time with aftermarket stuff. Especially when you're paying for the labor, the few bucks you'll save on the part are meaningless. The Firestone guys should have known this as well...

I stick with Volvo because I know all the ins and outs of them (besides safe, reliable, etc...). But, I'm sick of front wheel drive, my next car may be a BMW, but that gives me trepidation...