just for shits and giggles - lets take a poll on service charges

[la_scanner]

Will start with my recent replacement of spark plugs and labor.
whats everyone think

[AlexNet0]

Will start with my recent replacement of spark plugs and labor.
whats everyone think

OMG you got spanked. I did it myself for price of plugs and no labor charges, lol, its very painless.

kinda like my recent quote for a service charge to paint my new bumper $400!!

[Solid T D]

Yep, "spanked" hard! My mech is good to me and I to him. He would have thrown that last "service" in.... You should tell your mechanic to pull his head out.

[eTiMaGo]

I just went for a pretty thorough checkup and tuneup: wheel balancing and rotation, brake pad thickness checking, check all fluid levels, all new lug nuts (old cheap ones had become stripped), done in less than 2 hours, all for just about $50 :biggrin:

[jambo101]

If you cant change your own plugs then you are going to be giving your dealer basically a license to print money at your expense. Mechanical basics like filters,plugs and plug wires,fluid changes and some rudimentary diagnostic ability should be a given when it comes to car ownership,ultimately the money you save will probably buy you a car in the future.
$130 to change 4 plugs:bonk:

[la_scanner]

If you cant change your own plugs then you are going to be giving your dealer basically a license to print money at your expense. Mechanical basics like filters,plugs and plug wires,fluid changes and some rudimentary diagnostic ability should be a given when it comes to car ownership,ultimately the money you save will probably buy you a car in the future.
$130 to change 4 plugs:bonk:

It's a damn good thing i know how to perform this oh so simple task! :w00t:

[aca72]

Why the spark plug change? Did your Yaris hit 100K+ miles already?

[YarisSedan]

You got charged pretty fair in my opinion. Spark plugs were sold to you below list price with little markup. And 65 dollars is maybe slightly high but the spark plugs list i think at 24.95 a piece or 26 something like that for iridiums. So you saved around 30 bucks right there. So if you think about it he changed your plugs for 35 dollars. Give the technician a break he is only making maybe a 75 dollar profit for the work being performed. You are not paying by how easy the job is but the time. Which is covering the expense of the rent, expensive of the mechanics salary, expense of the parts, taxes fees etc. When it all comes down to it the same mechanic could be doing something else that was more profitable to him but stopped to perform a basic tune up. I mean if you really wanted to you could do what many people do is go out spend the money to purchase the tools. Spend time reading online how to perform a tune up. And then possibly stripping the head cause you didnt let engine cool down first. Breaking a spark plug because you overtightend it because you dont have the feel of how tight to make it since you ahve never had experience doing it before. Or leaving the spark plug too loose so now the compression of the engine shoots the plug out and strips the head.

Just to save yourself some money. If the mechanic damages any components he has to warrenty the job. If any of the parts are defective he has to warrenty the job.

All those factors should be considered. I have had MANY cars to into my shop from people trying to fix thier own cars. And the cost to repair thier attempt to repair thier vehicle exceeded what the original estimate would have been if they had just brought it to us in the first place.

I am sure any skilled tradesman any other fields would agree with me. Just like how some people try to do thier own pluming and break something in the process.

Sure you could probally get a lower price but you werent majorly overcharged. I would reccomend in the future to find a personal mechanic usually a 1 or 2 bay shop someone that will take care of you and can givey ou better pricing since they have little overhead but still be able to offer you warrenty on the work performed.

[Yaris Hilton]

When I was riding a bicycle all over the place (many pounds ago), I noticed that there are a lot of spark plugs lying in the streets. I've often wondered if those were plugs dropped in the engine well at plug change that hung up and later fell out, or plugs that had blown out as mentioned above. If you look down at the pavement along the streets, though, you'll see them pretty often.

[ChinoCharles]

$65 labor for 10 minutes of work? YarisSedan, I understand that you work in the industry and you're fighting for your people, but that right there is nothing short of highway robbery.

[AlexNet0]

I am sure any skilled tradesman any other fields would agree with me. Just like how some people try to do thier own pluming and break something in the process.

^ that IS true, I know that when people bring computers in that they have tried to "fix" have been more expensive in labor to UNdo whatever they did or tried to do than it would have been otherwise.

[Yaris Hilton]

And YarisSedan is absolutely right about the pitfalls of DIY. I used to be very heavily into this stuff, and I took on some mighty ambitious repair jobs myself. Unfortunately, I often tore something up doing it the first time. I'd make more trips to the parts store for new parts and tools to fix my mistakes. Usually didn't end up dumping it on a professional, but made extra work and expense for myself. By the time I was finished, I knew how to do it right the first time, the NEXT time. Now, I take it to a pro the first time. Life's too short.

Not to mention that I've built a few hotrodded engines. Upgraded cams, manifolds, carburetors, headers, ignition systems and such. I've ended up with some good running engines, but it takes a long time to get everything dialed in to work right together when you get away from the stock configuration. Even with a chassis dyno available, which is nearly a necessity to do it right. The car makers have unbelievably great resources and spend LOTS of money and energy on getting it all worked out. They do an amazing job! I remember when a 1.5 liter engine putting out 106 net horsepower was a race ready job that was noisy, rough and intractable, and would foul spark plugs when driven slowly around town. And you could smell the fumes from the breather and exhaust. Needed premium gas, too. I'm VERY impressed that these little engines run like they do!

[Arkhangel]

$65 labor for 10 minutes of work? YarisSedan, I understand that you work in the industry and you're fighting for your people, but that right there is nothing short of highway robbery.

i would have to agree with YarisSedan, I get paid that for just doing Routine virus, malware scans and installing already downloaded Microsoft updates. You charge for your preparation. If Everything was overly easy there would be no mechanic nor tech support :rolleyes:

[jambo101]

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PartListView?storeId=10151&langId=-1&catalogId=10051&category=R|GRPTUNEAMS&partType=960#storeId=10151&langId=-1&catalogId=10051&searchTerm=&beginIndex=0&category=R%7CGRPTUNEAMS&partType=960&facetFields=%2CpriceBucket&filterValue=mfrName_exact%3ANGK%7CNGK&sortBy=0&pageSize=20

Nuff said

[YarisSedan]

You go to the doctor and he spends like what 5 seconds looking at you. And if you didnt have insurance im sure it would be well over 100 dollars. And even if you do have insurance its still atleast 10-25 dollars.

If you came to my shop i would probally charge anywhere from 30-45 for the same service. But you would get the oem spark plugs. Then gapped to spec. Then installed with antisieze to ensure ease of removal next time. A professional job done cost money. What would you thing is a fair price to pay then? If you walked into any shop right now and asked to change thier spark plugs for you for less than 20 bucks they would just laugh at you. To them theres more liability to do the job than its worth it.

[la_scanner]

You got charged pretty fair in my opinion. Spark plugs were sold to you below list price with little markup. And 65 dollars is maybe slightly high but the spark plugs list i think at 24.95 a piece or 26 something like that for iridiums. So you saved around 30 bucks right there. So if you think about it he changed your plugs for 35 dollars. Give the technician a break he is only making maybe a 75 dollar profit for the work being performed. You are not paying by how easy the job is but the time. Which is covering the expense of the rent, expensive of the mechanics salary, expense of the parts, taxes fees etc. When it all comes down to it the same mechanic could be doing something else that was more profitable to him but stopped to perform a basic tune up. I mean if you really wanted to you could do what many people do is go out spend the money to purchase the tools. Spend time reading online how to perform a tune up. And then possibly stripping the head cause you didnt let engine cool down first. Breaking a spark plug because you overtightend it because you dont have the feel of how tight to make it since you ahve never had experience doing it before. Or leaving the spark plug too loose so now the compression of the engine shoots the plug out and strips the head.

Just to save yourself some money. If the mechanic damages any components he has to warrenty the job. If any of the parts are defective he has to warrenty the job.

All those factors should be considered. I have had MANY cars to into my shop from people trying to fix thier own cars. And the cost to repair thier attempt to repair thier vehicle exceeded what the original estimate would have been if they had just brought it to us in the first place.

I am sure any skilled tradesman any other fields would agree with me. Just like how some people try to do thier own pluming and break something in the process.

Sure you could probally get a lower price but you werent majorly overcharged. I would reccomend in the future to find a personal mechanic usually a 1 or 2 bay shop someone that will take care of you and can givey ou better pricing since they have little overhead but still be able to offer you warrenty on the work performed.

im simply asking for opinions here.

[la_scanner]

Why the spark plug change? Did your Yaris hit 100K+ miles already?

diesel put into car. replaced plugs with cheapy autolite. even though car ran fine my grandma didn't want her warrant to be void. understandable.

[molinee]

It's a total rip.... no matter how you try to justify it.

[jambo101]

diesel put into car. replaced plugs with cheapy autolite. even though car ran fine my grandma didn't want her warrant to be void. understandable.

Now that the dealer knows that diesel was put in the car:confused: and the owner will pay $130 for new plugs expect more money making ideas from the dealer.should be something like a full replacement of all blinker fluid next.
Still dont know how some one puts diesel into their car as the gas nozzle for diesel gas wont fit a gasoline powered car.
PS. Did a bit of research and it seems some stations that dont service big trucks do indeed use the same size pump nozzle for diesel and regular gas.

[la_scanner]

Now that the dealer knows that diesel was put in the car:confused: and the owner will pay $130 for new plugs expect more money making ideas from the dealer.should be something like a full replacement of all blinker fluid next.
Still dont know how some one puts diesel into their car as the gas nozzle for diesel gas wont fit a gasoline powered car.
PS. Did a bit of research and it seems some stations that dont service big trucks do indeed use the same size pump nozzle for diesel and regular gas.

dealer has no idea that diesel was put in there. and yes, nozzle fits. only difference is that it has a green handle. at least this is how its set up at the one of the chevron gas stations in the city of la verne,ca.

[Yaris Hilton]

I once got "gassed" with diesel at a station near Atlanta that had three grades of gasoline and Diesel in the same pump with the same nozzle! Perhaps I operated it incorrectly, but I sure thought I'd selected regular (the button for which was green, as was the Diesel.) I was mad enough about it to call the Bureau of Weights and Measures, which tested the octane of the fuel and found it as labeled. What they didn't test was whether diesel came out of that pump when regular was selected.

[dallas]

The part I like is "re-set computer" must be to justify the spark plug labour, I dont recall needing to re-set the computer to change plugs. The invoice should have said " change plugs re-set cash register".:eek:

[Shroomster]

it's called flat rate. the shop charges a flat rate per hour; no if's and's or but's. could the shop have eaten the charge yes. would that have made a better impression on the customer and all of you? yes. would the customer return? yes. it's just what makes the world go around, economics, competition.


Besides, La_scanner I'd really think it'd best if you could move on from recycling the same thread over and over again, please :)?

[ChinoCharles]

You go to the doctor and he spends like what 5 seconds looking at you. And if you didnt have insurance im sure it would be well over 100 dollars. And even if you do have insurance its still atleast 10-25 dollars.

I'm only playing devil's advocate, but med school is a little different from basic automotive mechanics.

There is no excuse for a $65 spark plug change. If the dealership wasn't a ripoff, people like me would go. I don't want to change my own oil, but at the same time I'm not going to pay 300% of what it costs me at home. I'd gladly pay a premium, but where do you draw the line?

[jambo101]

There is no excuse for a $65 spark plug change. If the dealership wasn't a ripoff, people like me would go. I don't want to change my own oil, but at the same time I'm not going to pay 300% of what it costs me at home. I'd gladly pay a premium, but where do you draw the line?

Agreed,if the dealer was more reasonable pricewise i'd be there for all my maintenance as well.but $130 for a sparkplug change when it can be done for under $10 by yourself is the main reason most people avoid dealers for mechanical repairs.Too bad because in these days where dealers are going out of business in droves it could be a different story if when cars arent selling they could rely on their garage and mechanics to keep the ship afloat.

[auxmike]

What kinda plugs would you put in your car for under $10?? Autolites?
When I'm due, I'm going OEM.:thumbup:

[jambo101]

What kinda plugs would you put in your car for under $10?? Autolites?
When I'm due, I'm going OEM.:thumbup:
OEM's eh? go to the first post in this thread and see what you will pay for OEM's,Do yourself a favor and go to Advance Auto and pick up some NGK's for $1.99 Should last around 50k miles
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PartListView?storeId=10151&langId=-1&catalogId=10051&category=R|GRPTUNEAMS&partType=960#storeId=10151&langId=-1&catalogId=10051&searchTerm=&beginIndex=0&category=R%7CGRPTUNEAMS&partType=960&facetFields=%2CpriceBucket&filterValue=mfrName_exact%3ANGK%7CNGK&sortBy=0&pageSize=20

[auxmike]

But does'nt this engine require irridium plugs? :iono:

[Spades]

well, the main differance between normal, platinum, and iridium plugs, is how long they will last. most spark plugs will work in any car well as long as the gap and firing temperature are somewhat the same as the stock ones. a standard cheap-o spark plug will not last near as long as a quality platinum plug...some junky plugs will only make it to 10k or 20k miles before they start causing missfires, where as a platinum plug of decent quality normally makes it 100k+ miles.


and in regards to if shops charge to much to fix your car...if its such a rip off do it yourself. I have worked in shops for years...you are paying for experience and a warranty. if its easy work, do it yourself and take the risk of breaking things then bringing it to the shop to fix what you screwed up.

i have sliced my fingers open many times before, and if i can i will stitch, glue, or tape the wound closed and hope for the best. if its really bad i will have to go to the hospital to have then stitch it closed. they ussually charge $500 just to have it looked at and a quick stitch up job...taking them less than an hour for the whole process.

$500+ for 1 hour of labor and a few cents work of dis infectant, thread, and a glorified bandaid. one could argue that i am getting raped...i argue that while it sucks, i am paying someone with YEARS of experience to ensure that i dont end up with a scar, or a infection, loss of movement, or dead from blood loss.

look, everything is a rip off...someone has to get paid. automotive industry is the same. i have worked retail jobs too...they will charge you $100 for a product they bought for $12. get used to it.

and no, that is not the most expensive spark plug replacement i have seen.

[eTiMaGo]

well, the main differance between normal, platinum, and iridium plugs, is how long they will last. most spark plugs will work in any car well as long as the gap and firing temperature are somewhat the same as the stock ones. a standard cheap-o spark plug will not last near as long as a quality platinum plug...some junky plugs will only make it to 10k or 20k miles before they start causing missfires, where as a platinum plug of decent quality normally makes it 100k+ miles.


and in regards to if shops charge to much to fix your car...if its such a rip off do it yourself. I have worked in shops for years...you are paying for experience and a warranty. if its easy work, do it yourself and take the risk of breaking things then bringing it to the shop to fix what you screwed up.

i have sliced my fingers open many times before, and if i can i will stitch, glue, or tape the wound closed and hope for the best. if its really bad i will have to go to the hospital to have then stitch it closed. they ussually charge $500 just to have it looked at and a quick stitch up job...taking them less than an hour for the whole process.

$500+ for 1 hour of labor and a few cents work of dis infectant, thread, and a glorified bandaid. one could argue that i am getting raped...i argue that while it sucks, i am paying someone with YEARS of experience to ensure that i dont end up with a scar, or a infection, loss of movement, or dead from blood loss.

look, everything is a rip off...someone has to get paid. automotive industry is the same. i have worked retail jobs too...they will charge you $100 for a product they bought for $12. get used to it.

and no, that is not the most expensive spark plug replacement i have seen.

Well said. In the end you gotta have either skill/knowledge or money for someone else's skill/knowledge, to get something done

[Yaris Hilton]

Changing plugs in these is easy. When my daughter's Echo started setting misfiring codes, I fixed it by putting in a set of ordinary Autolite plugs. (I choked when I saw the prices for platinum and iridium plugs!) The fancy plugs don't affect how the engine runs, they just last a long time. At the time I didn't have any idea I was going to trade the car off soon, but normal plugs will last 30,000 miles or so. They're easy to change, like I said, so very long life plugs aren't a big advantage to me. It's a much bigger PITA to change plugs in the Nissan VG30E in my Villager van, but I put standard Autolites in it, too. Not that big a deal.

[la_scanner]

just want to let everyone know that toyota is waiting on the catalytic converter to arrive. then they will replace. under warranty. everyone's happy again. yay!

-Jameson

[severous01]

hey, i can get NGK's from autozone or o'rileys...and they're only 3 bux each...i have a 10mm socket and a spark plug socket, and an extension and a 3/8" ratchet...anti-seize for 99c when i pick up the plugs...

the car has coil per cylinder so i dont need wires...and there's no coil...or pickup, or distributor, or timing to do...i'm banking for 15 bux.

now, on to the dealership issue. i worked at a shop, it was toyota/gmc. now the shop was busy for the most part, always had cars in there, and the shop rate was 89/hr. with that being sed with 4 mechanics we still lost 75k per week. just the mechanic's shop, not including parts, not including sales, not including paychecks or electric or rent or insurance or porters or anything else..........just maintenance shop.

so i'm on both sides of the table and i'm doing just fine with both of them. i'm toyota certified and i think i can handle a spark plug change. specially when u can do a SBC in a vette in 20 min, or a 5.4l triton piece of crap in about 30....any way i banked on plug/wire changes for the dealership. when they charge 1.5hrs for an plug change and i'm gettin paid 1.5hrs for a 30 min job...i'm happy.

[YarisSedan]

just want to let everyone know that toyota is waiting on the catalytic converter to arrive. then they will replace. under warranty. everyone's happy again. yay!

-Jameson

Thast the one good thing about california. Since they are super strict on emissions emissions components are always warrentied. I had a honda civic that came into my shop that was a 99 i think that had 94k miles. His car was running a little rough. Turns out there is a extended emissions warrenty on his vehicle. That covers his o2 sensor since the check engine light was on. Also they had to perform a full tune up. new cap rotor wires and plugs. At no charge to customer all under a extended warrenty. The guy was estatic cause he just bought the vehicle a week ago.