Brian Nystrom wrote:
> Guncho wrote:
> > For $321 Canadian I'm getting :
> >
> > 1 Timing Belt replaced
> > 2 New Air Filter
> > 3 New Spark Plugs
> > 4 Minor tuneup
> >
> > I thought the dealership was supposed to be expensive?
>
> They're not "supposed" to be anything, other than competent. I've found
> my local dealer's service prices to be very competitive with local
> independent garages. It's all a matter of dealership philosophy and what
> your local market will bear.

Brian

Don't get me wrong. I'm sure they'll do a great job. I've just heard
that generally dealerships are more expensive for repairs than say an
independent garage.

Chris

 

Brian Nystrom wrote:
> Guncho wrote:
> > For $321 Canadian I'm getting :
> >
> > 1 Timing Belt replaced
> > 2 New Air Filter
> > 3 New Spark Plugs
> > 4 Minor tuneup
> >
> > I thought the dealership was supposed to be expensive?
>
> They're not "supposed" to be anything, other than competent. I've found
> my local dealer's service prices to be very competitive with local
> independent garages. It's all a matter of dealership philosophy and what
> your local market will bear.

Brian

Don't get me wrong. I'm sure they'll do a great job. I've just heard
that generally dealerships are more expensive for repairs than say an
independent garage.

Chris

 

Guncho wrote:
> Guncho wrote:
>
>>Bain wrote:
>>
>>>what car, that sounds about right for the 4 bangers
>>>
>>>"Guncho" <cgunter@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>news:1137517637.191046.49410@f14g2000cwb.google groups.com...
>>>
>>>>For $321 Canadian I'm getting :
>>>>
>>>>1 Timing Belt replaced
>>>>2 New Air Filter
>>>>3 New Spark Plugs
>>>>4 Minor tuneup
>>>>
>>>>I thought the dealership was supposed to be expensive?
>>>>
>>>>Chris
>>>>
>>
>>1999 Hyundai Accent GSI with 65,000k
>>
>>Chris
>
>
> So I get to the Hyundai dealership expecting to pay $240 for the timing
> belt replacement and then they pull back the other curtain.
>
> "Hey while we're in there we might as well replace the p/s and alt
> belts for $40."
>
> Sure that sounds reasonable.
>
> "And since we'll have the water pump in our hands when we do the timing
> belt we should change that as well for only $190"!
>
> $190?
>
> I was aware that replacing the water pump was not an uncommon thing
> when doing the belt, but $190? I talked her down to $150 but still, an
> hour of labour to change it? Does that seem right?
>
> It's a bit of a shock to be told one price on the phone $240, then find
> out it's more like $430. Bit of bait and switch? I politely told her
> that they should really tell people on the phone all of this until
> waiting til you're standing there.
>
> Anyways, she called me and said that the water bottle looked fine so I
> declined to have it replaced as it's not my car anyway and I wasn't
> authorized to spend that much.
>
> Did I make a bad decision? Should I have gotten it replaced?
>
> Chris

Water bottle?

 

Guncho wrote:
> Guncho wrote:
>
>>Bain wrote:
>>
>>>what car, that sounds about right for the 4 bangers
>>>
>>>"Guncho" <cgunter@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>news:1137517637.191046.49410@f14g2000cwb.google groups.com...
>>>
>>>>For $321 Canadian I'm getting :
>>>>
>>>>1 Timing Belt replaced
>>>>2 New Air Filter
>>>>3 New Spark Plugs
>>>>4 Minor tuneup
>>>>
>>>>I thought the dealership was supposed to be expensive?
>>>>
>>>>Chris
>>>>
>>
>>1999 Hyundai Accent GSI with 65,000k
>>
>>Chris
>
>
> So I get to the Hyundai dealership expecting to pay $240 for the timing
> belt replacement and then they pull back the other curtain.
>
> "Hey while we're in there we might as well replace the p/s and alt
> belts for $40."
>
> Sure that sounds reasonable.
>
> "And since we'll have the water pump in our hands when we do the timing
> belt we should change that as well for only $190"!
>
> $190?
>
> I was aware that replacing the water pump was not an uncommon thing
> when doing the belt, but $190? I talked her down to $150 but still, an
> hour of labour to change it? Does that seem right?
>
> It's a bit of a shock to be told one price on the phone $240, then find
> out it's more like $430. Bit of bait and switch? I politely told her
> that they should really tell people on the phone all of this until
> waiting til you're standing there.
>
> Anyways, she called me and said that the water bottle looked fine so I
> declined to have it replaced as it's not my car anyway and I wasn't
> authorized to spend that much.
>
> Did I make a bad decision? Should I have gotten it replaced?
>
> Chris

Water bottle?

 

Robert Cohen wrote:

> I wonder if it would pay me to come up there from Georgia to buy a new
> truck or car instead of playing/suckering into bait 'n switch
> games/tactics at local dealerships?

Good luck importing it. You can't simply drive it across the border and
register it in the US.

 

Robert Cohen wrote:

> I wonder if it would pay me to come up there from Georgia to buy a new
> truck or car instead of playing/suckering into bait 'n switch
> games/tactics at local dealerships?

Good luck importing it. You can't simply drive it across the border and
register it in the US.

 

Guncho wrote:
> Brian Nystrom wrote:
>
>>Guncho wrote:
>>
>>>For $321 Canadian I'm getting :
>>>
>>>1 Timing Belt replaced
>>>2 New Air Filter
>>>3 New Spark Plugs
>>>4 Minor tuneup
>>>
>>>I thought the dealership was supposed to be expensive?
>>
>>They're not "supposed" to be anything, other than competent. I've found
>>my local dealer's service prices to be very competitive with local
>>independent garages. It's all a matter of dealership philosophy and what
>>your local market will bear.
>
>
> Brian
>
> Don't get me wrong. I'm sure they'll do a great job. I've just heard
> that generally dealerships are more expensive for repairs than say an
> independent garage.
>
> Chris

Yes, that's often the case, but it's not a given.

 

Guncho wrote:
> Brian Nystrom wrote:
>
>>Guncho wrote:
>>
>>>For $321 Canadian I'm getting :
>>>
>>>1 Timing Belt replaced
>>>2 New Air Filter
>>>3 New Spark Plugs
>>>4 Minor tuneup
>>>
>>>I thought the dealership was supposed to be expensive?
>>
>>They're not "supposed" to be anything, other than competent. I've found
>>my local dealer's service prices to be very competitive with local
>>independent garages. It's all a matter of dealership philosophy and what
>>your local market will bear.
>
>
> Brian
>
> Don't get me wrong. I'm sure they'll do a great job. I've just heard
> that generally dealerships are more expensive for repairs than say an
> independent garage.
>
> Chris

Yes, that's often the case, but it's not a given.

 

Having worked at a new car dealership, the Service Dept. is an
excellent profit center. It's not unusual to have the Service Writer,
Service Advisor, or Service Manager pitch you a number of things that
need to be done, whether or not this is the case. In some situations,
it's not totally unlike sitting in front of the F & I Manager when
you're closing the deal on your new car purchase, and he or she is
pitching you dealer packs or an extended warranty.

Yes, there are honest dealers with honest Service Departments, along
with honest independents, but it's certainly "Caveat Emptor" most of
the time. I really feel sorry for those who either haven't worked on
their cars before or don't have any mechanical aptitude, as quite
often, they are taken advantage of. A perfect example is with my Dodge
Grand Caravan. The starter died: the quote for replacement including
installation was over $325 at the local Dodge dealer. I bought the
same Nippondenso gear-reduction OEM starter at an Advance Auto Parts
store, and with a 1/2 hour of labor for installation, the job was done.
Total cost: $74. I don't mind anyone earning an honest wage, but
sometimes auto repair charges are totally out of bounds.

In my experience, the best dealer from a service perspective, both cost
and quality of work, did not use the Flat Rate Manual. Rather, they
simply charged for the actual time for a specific job - not preset
rates. Because of this, one mechanic could only bill out 8 hours of
work per day, rather than what typically occurs in the industry. And,
surprisingly, this was with a European car dealship with very
reasonable hourly rates.

 

Having worked at a new car dealership, the Service Dept. is an
excellent profit center. It's not unusual to have the Service Writer,
Service Advisor, or Service Manager pitch you a number of things that
need to be done, whether or not this is the case. In some situations,
it's not totally unlike sitting in front of the F & I Manager when
you're closing the deal on your new car purchase, and he or she is
pitching you dealer packs or an extended warranty.

Yes, there are honest dealers with honest Service Departments, along
with honest independents, but it's certainly "Caveat Emptor" most of
the time. I really feel sorry for those who either haven't worked on
their cars before or don't have any mechanical aptitude, as quite
often, they are taken advantage of. A perfect example is with my Dodge
Grand Caravan. The starter died: the quote for replacement including
installation was over $325 at the local Dodge dealer. I bought the
same Nippondenso gear-reduction OEM starter at an Advance Auto Parts
store, and with a 1/2 hour of labor for installation, the job was done.
Total cost: $74. I don't mind anyone earning an honest wage, but
sometimes auto repair charges are totally out of bounds.

In my experience, the best dealer from a service perspective, both cost
and quality of work, did not use the Flat Rate Manual. Rather, they
simply charged for the actual time for a specific job - not preset
rates. Because of this, one mechanic could only bill out 8 hours of
work per day, rather than what typically occurs in the industry. And,
surprisingly, this was with a European car dealship with very
reasonable hourly rates.

 

On 18 Jan 2006 10:31:56 -0800, "Guncho" <cgunter@hotmail.com> wrote:

>
>Guncho wrote:
>> Bain wrote:
>> > what car, that sounds about right for the 4 bangers
>> >
>> > "Guncho" <cgunter@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> > news:1137517637.191046.49410@f14g2000cwb.googlegro ups.com...
>> > > For $321 Canadian I'm getting :
>> > >
>> > > 1 Timing Belt replaced
>> > > 2 New Air Filter
>> > > 3 New Spark Plugs
>> > > 4 Minor tuneup
>> > >
>> > > I thought the dealership was supposed to be expensive?
>> > >
>> > > Chris
>> > >
>>
>> 1999 Hyundai Accent GSI with 65,000k
>>
>> Chris
>
>So I get to the Hyundai dealership expecting to pay $240 for the timing
>belt replacement and then they pull back the other curtain.
>
>"Hey while we're in there we might as well replace the p/s and alt
>belts for $40."
>
>Sure that sounds reasonable.
>
>"And since we'll have the water pump in our hands when we do the timing
>belt we should change that as well for only $190"!
>
>$190?
>
>I was aware that replacing the water pump was not an uncommon thing
>when doing the belt, but $190? I talked her down to $150 but still, an
>hour of labour to change it? Does that seem right?
>
>It's a bit of a shock to be told one price on the phone $240, then find
>out it's more like $430. Bit of bait and switch? I politely told her
>that they should really tell people on the phone all of this until
>waiting til you're standing there.
>
>Anyways, she called me and said that the water bottle looked fine so I
>declined to have it replaced as it's not my car anyway and I wasn't
>authorized to spend that much.
>
>Did I make a bad decision? Should I have gotten it replaced?
>
>Chris
Not unless it was leaking

 

On 18 Jan 2006 10:31:56 -0800, "Guncho" <cgunter@hotmail.com> wrote:

>
>Guncho wrote:
>> Bain wrote:
>> > what car, that sounds about right for the 4 bangers
>> >
>> > "Guncho" <cgunter@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> > news:1137517637.191046.49410@f14g2000cwb.googlegro ups.com...
>> > > For $321 Canadian I'm getting :
>> > >
>> > > 1 Timing Belt replaced
>> > > 2 New Air Filter
>> > > 3 New Spark Plugs
>> > > 4 Minor tuneup
>> > >
>> > > I thought the dealership was supposed to be expensive?
>> > >
>> > > Chris
>> > >
>>
>> 1999 Hyundai Accent GSI with 65,000k
>>
>> Chris
>
>So I get to the Hyundai dealership expecting to pay $240 for the timing
>belt replacement and then they pull back the other curtain.
>
>"Hey while we're in there we might as well replace the p/s and alt
>belts for $40."
>
>Sure that sounds reasonable.
>
>"And since we'll have the water pump in our hands when we do the timing
>belt we should change that as well for only $190"!
>
>$190?
>
>I was aware that replacing the water pump was not an uncommon thing
>when doing the belt, but $190? I talked her down to $150 but still, an
>hour of labour to change it? Does that seem right?
>
>It's a bit of a shock to be told one price on the phone $240, then find
>out it's more like $430. Bit of bait and switch? I politely told her
>that they should really tell people on the phone all of this until
>waiting til you're standing there.
>
>Anyways, she called me and said that the water bottle looked fine so I
>declined to have it replaced as it's not my car anyway and I wasn't
>authorized to spend that much.
>
>Did I make a bad decision? Should I have gotten it replaced?
>
>Chris
Not unless it was leaking

 

re: doing one's own car work

been there, done that: my 1976 red ford grenada oil plug wasn't
tightened enough by yours truly.....wait....the same @#$%^&*() has also
happened to my 1973 yellow ford pinto wagon and to my 1999
goldish-greenish Hyundai Sonata AND it was the so-called
"professionals" negligences/stupidities in both of those incidents

so vat does i do?

on new cars, i always get the extended service contracts, and i do not
do my own routine servicing (oil change etal) if i can avoid it

because i figuratively don't know a brake shoe from a buster brown
shoe, and thus i let the also fallible professionals do their things

i now recall the satisfaction i got from changing the voltage
thing/alternator on the grenada (or was it that lemony pinto?), so i
well realize it can be fun too

 

re: doing one's own car work

been there, done that: my 1976 red ford grenada oil plug wasn't
tightened enough by yours truly.....wait....the same @#$%^&*() has also
happened to my 1973 yellow ford pinto wagon and to my 1999
goldish-greenish Hyundai Sonata AND it was the so-called
"professionals" negligences/stupidities in both of those incidents

so vat does i do?

on new cars, i always get the extended service contracts, and i do not
do my own routine servicing (oil change etal) if i can avoid it

because i figuratively don't know a brake shoe from a buster brown
shoe, and thus i let the also fallible professionals do their things

i now recall the satisfaction i got from changing the voltage
thing/alternator on the grenada (or was it that lemony pinto?), so i
well realize it can be fun too

 

Brian Nystrom wrote:
> Guncho wrote:
> > Guncho wrote:
> >
> >>Bain wrote:
> >>
> >>>what car, that sounds about right for the 4 bangers
> >>>
> >>>"Guncho" <cgunter@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> >>>news:1137517637.191046.49410@f14g2000cwb.google groups.com...
> >>>
> >>>>For $321 Canadian I'm getting :
> >>>>
> >>>>1 Timing Belt replaced
> >>>>2 New Air Filter
> >>>>3 New Spark Plugs
> >>>>4 Minor tuneup
> >>>>
> >>>>I thought the dealership was supposed to be expensive?
> >>>>
> >>>>Chris
> >>>>
> >>
> >>1999 Hyundai Accent GSI with 65,000k
> >>
> >>Chris
> >
> >
> > So I get to the Hyundai dealership expecting to pay $240 for the timing
> > belt replacement and then they pull back the other curtain.
> >
> > "Hey while we're in there we might as well replace the p/s and alt
> > belts for $40."
> >
> > Sure that sounds reasonable.
> >
> > "And since we'll have the water pump in our hands when we do the timing
> > belt we should change that as well for only $190"!
> >
> > $190?
> >
> > I was aware that replacing the water pump was not an uncommon thing
> > when doing the belt, but $190? I talked her down to $150 but still, an
> > hour of labour to change it? Does that seem right?
> >
> > It's a bit of a shock to be told one price on the phone $240, then find
> > out it's more like $430. Bit of bait and switch? I politely told her
> > that they should really tell people on the phone all of this until
> > waiting til you're standing there.
> >
> > Anyways, she called me and said that the water bottle looked fine so I
> > declined to have it replaced as it's not my car anyway and I wasn't
> > authorized to spend that much.
> >
> > Did I make a bad decision? Should I have gotten it replaced?
> >
> > Chris
>
> Water bottle?

Sorry, water pump.

Chris