The auto repair business is a ripoff

[Frank Rizzo]

One of my ex-girlfriends called me a couple of weeks ago because the tensioner had seized on her 02 Grand Prix. Even though the belt drives everything, she said she was able to drive the car short distances.

She had driven the car to Firestone and they wanted $450 to replace the tensioner. I told her that was a rip-off and to call around to 4 or 5 other places, tell them what the problem was and go from there. Since mechanics' shops mark up parts outrageously, I also told her to get the part herself at an auto parts store and bring it to wherever she decided to get the car fixed, .

She called around and then called me back. All 4 places she contacted wanted in and around $450. Plus, they wouldn't allow her to bring in her own part because "they can't guarantee the work that way". Me being the nice guy that I am, I offered to replace it myself. She said she'd think about it and call me back.

The next evening, she called me up in a panic. Since the belt drives the water pump, and since the belt broke due to the seized tensioner, the car overheated. She ended up pulling into a parking space near a city park. I went to meet her. I took a look at the tensioner and big surprise, it was right on top of the engine in an extremely accessible spot. I told her to go to O’Reilly and pick up a new tensioner and belt while I stayed there and removed the old one. To remove it, I had to remove a whopping 2 little screws that held the coolant reservoir on, and then another whopping 1 reverse bolt that held the tensioner on.

She returned with the part and a new serpentine belt. I asked her how much it was. A whopping 17 bucks for the tensioner and about 20 bucks for the belt. In under an hour, I had the new part and belt on and she was on her merry way. The only reason it took me so long was because I was working in the dark without a good flashlight.

To summarize the story, 5 mechanics shops wanted approximately $450 to replace 35 bucks worth of parts, that should take an experienced mechanic under a half hour to replace. And people ask me why I bother to work on my own cars.

[Landshark]

before we were married, my wife was quoted $250 to replace the PCV valve in her car.

it was a $15 part, and the most easily accessible (top , front of the engine) part ever.

i changed it in less than 5 minutes.




a guy at work just got quoted $2000 to replace the hot water heater in his house.

[Ron Mummert]

On the other hand, I paid my southern Virginny "good ol' boy" local mechanic a whoppin' $65 to replace my radiator. I supplied all parts. No questions asked.

Ron - lovin' dixie.

[1986nate]

The quote was for an OEM part I'm sure. OEM parts are not cheap at all. Just look at the t-belt stuff for the SVX. The ebay kit is about $175. The idlers alone from Subaru are around $100 each or more if I remember right. (it's been awhile since I looked) That's why there is an aftermarket. Companies take the parts, make the tooling to make the same/similar part and sell them for cheaper...

Nice job on the quick fix though I just like playing devil's advocate

[Blacky]

A woman with automotive knowledge is a mechanics worst nightmare. Woman do get totally prayed upon.
Actually you don't have to be female, just unknowledgable to be ripped off.

[TomsSVX]

It is less about being ripped off and more about making your bottom line... Who, if anyone who has posted in this thread, works in the auto repair business?

I have for the past 8 years and I used to think the same way until my meals depended upon it... Changes your point of view and removes your head from your bum

Tom

[Crazy_pilot]

Ditto on that. I've been working in garages for 5 or 6 years on and off, and it's not like everyone there is getting rich off of you. When something like an engine scan tool costs $3000, and an auto-torquing gun costs $4000 you start doing some math and realizing just how much it costs to run a shop. That money has to be made up somewhere.

[Freeman]

I'm thinking more like the dealership. Those guys are getting paid either way but they still wanted $270 from my girlfriend for new breaks and to machine the rotors that didn't needed it but Tom got the job done for less than $70.

[TomsSVX]

Dealers cost more because they cost more to run.

The service dept. is what makes dealers money... not sales, not parts... service is it. Not to mention they are required to keep up on all factory training to keep their franchise. So the dealer has to pay for the training courses and pay the guys to go to them. That doesn't include the insane amount of specialty tools the dealer has to buy, etc...

Dealers are also required to have some sort of policy. Which means they are responsible to warranty the work they perform. So to "cover your ass" a lot of techs will outline more work than may be needed to make sure they covered all the bases of that job so their is no issue with the vehicle coming back and them working for free to fix it a second time

It all comes back to the bottom line.

Tom

[subeman90]

Tom is right.... Let me add: My dad was a service manager of a farm eq. dealership. Sounds easy right? Heck no it isn't. All the overhead and the expensive tools like tom and crazy-pilot said would make your head spin. Every time I see the snap-on tool truck I shudder to think of what those mechanics are spending just to be able to work on some POS that some guy is just trying to get by untill next inspection or in the farming industry next season.

You know all professions come at a price. Try giving yourself a colonoscopy or do your own taxes or heaven help you, you had to work on your own Jaguar like Ben.

[benebob]

Keep in mind your "5 minute" job includes, pulling the car, diagnostic, having that car likely in the bay while the parts are located and gone out for or ordered, paying rent, libility insurance (I wouldn't take a single car to a place that didn't provide this basic coverage) and paying for the name franchise name of at least the first place you listed. I'm cheap, I don't take much to a mechanic but I also know my limits, even with access to a pretty well stocked shop (with insanely pricey snap on tools) Yes they are expensive but they do last in a professional setting. If you had a newer craftsman ratchet at a shop you would need probably 5 in each size to make it through the week and then return them for rebuilt ones every week.

I even have issues with my mom and pop shop taking TVR specific parts to them for the things I won't/can't do because they don't want an upset customer if that part fails and I'm out the labor. Most small shops do raise the price of parts by 10-20% as this is to cover their costs for locating and maintaining relationships with their suppliers.

Now speaking of Jags Matt, tonight the cat convertor comes out of the X . You coming to help? First time I neded to do anyhing to either since the alt. went last Sept in the XJR. Never made it that far with 2 Subies I wasn't making payments on.

[subeman90]

Originally Posted by benebob

Now speaking of Jags Matt, tonight the cat convertor comes out of the X . You coming to help?

maybe. let me see how today plays out.

[Subix]

I paid $45 to have the idler pulley for the ac installed, check my o2 sensor wires and find the exhaust leak... all in under 40 minutes. It's why I keep going back. Hard to find honest mechanics. I'm sure Car-X or the likes would have tried to charge me $125+ for it all.

[Hocrest]

Originally Posted by subeman90

maybe. let me see how today plays out.

Last I heard, he was going to get more beer after realizing that in order to get to the cat, he needs to remove the rad fan. In order to remove the rad fan, he needs to remove the rad. In order to remove the rad, he needs to remove the bumper. And he was calling me (two hours away, never even lifted the hood on that car, can't ID a Jaguar from a Puma) to find out how to remove the bumper.

[benebob]

Its out. Bumper is still on, radiator is still in, just 3 inches lower. Seems someone thought the cat was a good jacking point before I got it.