wramos

I have a Nissan Altima SE 97. I took the car into be serviced b/c the engine light was on. They came back with the following:

Vent control valve: $187
Front brake overhaul: $224
Clutch Package: $735

Vent control valve. No problem.

Brakes, they seemed fine, but they tell me the pads are thin.
Clutch, I could definitely tell it was sticking and that when I changed gears the RPM needle would go up quickly and then back down. Almost as if the car needs to catchup.

My dilemma, is not knowing much about cars or the prices they quoted me. So I just want to get an idea from someone if these prices are reasonable. I am getting the work done in West Haven, CT.

Also, does anyone know of any workshops or the like that I can attend to learn more about cars? I at least want to know enough so I don't have to call my dad 3,000 miles away to check with him.

I was able to get a 10% discount so that was nice, but I always feel so skeptical about car places. Also, I just had work done at Midas in February that amounted to $500.

I beginning to think its not worth owning a car unless you can do the work yourself. I saw some prices online for the clutch package that was $500 cheaper than what the shop quoted me. Granted it doesn't include labor, but $200 is much better than $735.