| Author | Thread |
|
|
08/17/2006 01:45:50 PM · #1 |
$450 for a 30,000 mile tune-up of a 2004 Subaru? Even after the long list of what "gets done" it sounds like a glorified oil change to me. Oh wait! I get spark plugs and an air filter!
This is only compounded by my Mennonite upbringing of doing everything yourself because then you know it will be done right. Am I the only person in the world who still changes his own oil? I guess changing the brake fluid would be a bit more of a pain (although I've done it on another car with my dad).
I just feel so helpless. I'm 95% sure it's an exorbitant fee. I thought my local mechanic would be cheaper, but it was almost exactly the same. This all reminds me of one of my favorite lines from Seinfeld.
George: Listen, they can say anything! Looks like you need a new Johnson Rod!
Any commiserating here?
|
|
|
|
08/17/2006 01:50:26 PM · #2 |
I look at it this way - you're contributing to the economy. A lot of people along the line will share in that $450. The guys who do the work, the folks who make the parts, the people who refine the oil. You're doing a good thing.
Does that help? |
|
|
|
08/17/2006 01:51:32 PM · #3 |
I'd much rather contribute to the Canon lens economical line of people...
|
|
|
|
08/17/2006 01:54:06 PM · #4 |
Don't know what model you have, and if it's a 4 or 6 cylinder, stick or automatic, but that sounds about right.
Bumper to bumper mechanical safety inspection
(includes brake inspection, tire rotation and chassis torque)
Brake system hydraulic flush
Drain & fill cooling system
Drain fill transmission
Replace fuel filter (if equipped)
Oil & filter change
Doubtful it needs a tune, as it probably has platinum spark plugs, good for 60,000 miles, and even then, there are no adjustments that can be or could be made anyway, hence it being a preventive maintenance spark plug change. Highly doubt the air filter needs changing too, unless you live in a very dusty/dirty environment |
|
|
|
08/17/2006 01:54:23 PM · #5 |
I do all my work myself too (15 years as a mechanic and too poor to pay others before that).
Depending on what it is, then it needs done. 30k miles and plugs? most go 100k now...
air filter - i change my own every 15k, sometimes more often.
oil changes..i ususally do my own, but when times are good i'll pay for it
Currently doing some work on my wife's van - cut the brake rotors, oil change, fix the driver's door weather stripping and the window's off the track, charged the A/C last week before vacation and also replacing ht epower steering pump - (my cost is 3 hours and $52 for that...the cheapest estimate i got from a shop was $420).
most of those 30k checkups are 'lube this and check that'. Rarely does anything get adjsuted (or can be..belts for example or engine timing..). Keeps the dealers in biz and the mechanics working! at least at the dealer those techs see the same cars 100 times aweek so if something is awry they'll catch it - the local guys that see all brands often won't. |
|
|
|
08/17/2006 01:54:33 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
$450 for a 30,000 mile tune-up of a 2004 Subaru? Even after the long list of what "gets done" it sounds like a glorified oil change to me. Oh wait! I get spark plugs and an air filter!
This is only compounded by my Mennonite upbringing of doing everything yourself because then you know it will be done right. Am I the only person in the world who still changes his own oil? I guess changing the brake fluid would be a bit more of a pain (although I've done it on another car with my dad).
I just feel so helpless. I'm 95% sure it's an exorbitant fee. I thought my local mechanic would be cheaper, but it was almost exactly the same. This all reminds me of one of my favorite lines from Seinfeld.
George: Listen, they can say anything! Looks like you need a new Johnson Rod!
Any commiserating here? |
I feel for you brother. I had a Caddy Catera (POS) and I need the plugs changed. I went to do it myself and quickly realized that I couldn't. So I took it to a mechanic and I was told it would be $1000.00 for the pugs. Not wanting to believe that I took it to the dealer and was told the same thing. I sold the car I now drive a used Ford. |
|
|
|
08/17/2006 01:54:42 PM · #7 |
Just think if you would've done it yourself, you'd be $350 closer to that 5D ya want.
|
|
|
|
08/17/2006 01:56:27 PM · #8 |
You need spark plugs after 30k?? Many (most?) vehicles these days can go 100k on a set of plugs.
Some of these vehicles can be heck to service. I know that changing the plugs on my wife's '00 Grand Caravan is a nightmare, for instance. It doesn't take much to run up a $450 bill, pretty much 3 hours labor plus parts. That doesn't sound too exhorbitant, but it does grate on a guy to have to do that at 30k.
I still do most of my own oil changes, but I won't do them on the Caravan because the ^#U*$*&#^^@ filter is right over the frame member and makes a heck of a mess, and I don't do them myself in the dead of winter either. |
|
|
|
08/17/2006 01:57:35 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Looks like you need a new Johnson Rod!
Any commiserating here? |
Looks like they are giving you a Johnson Rod alright ;-)
|
|
|
|
08/17/2006 01:58:12 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:
I feel for you brother. I had a Caddy Catera (POS) and I need the plugs changed. I went to do it myself and quickly realized that I couldn't. So I took it to a mechanic and I was told it would be $1000.00 for the pugs. Not wanting to believe that I took it to the dealer and was told the same thing. I sold the car I now drive a used Ford. |
$1000?????
Some are a real biotch to change - the old caddy allente' comes to mind - took 3 of us about 4 hours to do it (had to unbolt the engine). My last didge van (96 caravan 3.0 mitsubishi V6) I got 5 of them..the tech took 45 minutes on teh last one on a lift. My current van (96 caravan 3.3 V6) got them changed when i had the heads off for (what I was told) was a bad head gasket. Not sure how you'd change them with the heads in place! |
|
|
|
08/17/2006 01:59:09 PM · #11 |
Are they going to check & top-off the blinker fluid too?
 |
|
|
|
08/17/2006 02:00:49 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by kirbic:
I still do most of my own oil changes, but I won't do them on the Caravan because the ^#U*$*&#^^@ filter is right over the frame member and makes a heck of a mess, and I don't do them myself in the dead of winter either. |
Ahh, c;mon! Fresh air! And most people pay to lay in the snow (like when sledding or skiing) and you've got a chance to do it for free! LOL
The mess is fine - oil comes from the ground so spilling some is actually good for the environment! (I was just in the anthracite region of PA and coal is laying everywhere and no one seems to call that an environmental hazard or spill!) |
|
|
|
08/17/2006 02:01:08 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by BradP:
Are they going to check & top-off the blinker fluid too?
|
nah, but they'll rotat the lugnuts for free. |
|
|
|
08/17/2006 02:06:22 PM · #14 |
Look at it this way -
How much is your time worth - how much do YOU charge for what YOU do?
By the time you (as a business) pay a mechanic, pay for the tools, pay rent, pay taxes (you have NO idea unless you've been there just how many taxes a business has to pay), workers comp, on and on and on -
and being in a capitalist society, the owner might like a couple of bucks too.
Say my time is worth $100/hr - so I would have to do that big list, in my garage, in under 3.5 hours to make it economical.
Sounds like a bargain to me.
Message edited by author 2006-08-17 14:06:55.
|
|
|
|
08/17/2006 02:07:15 PM · #15 |
As someone that does this line of work daily (no - not rotating lugnuts..) & owns a shop, I can assure you that some of the modern vehicles are VERY difficult to service, require equipment & tools that run into 4 figures, and having software to keep up on the repair and service info.
Got a F150/250/Expedition/Explorer with a V-8? How about around $350 JUST to change the spark plugs - I'm serious! |
|
|
|
08/17/2006 02:10:29 PM · #16 |
Well, I haven't taken it in yet. The spark plug changes happens if it's needed, so likely it's another thing added to the list to make it look long and impressive. "Visual inspection" to me means the guy looks at the engine with the hood up while eating an apple. The list from the Subaru dealer even said the inspection was the "top" of the engine. For crap's sake!
|
|
|
|
08/17/2006 02:13:29 PM · #17 |
oops...
Message edited by author 2006-08-17 14:14:48.
|
|
|
|
08/17/2006 02:14:30 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by kudzu:
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
Originally posted by BradP:
Are they going to check & top-off the blinker fluid too?
|
nah, but they'll rotat the lugnuts for free. |
they did charge to put summer air in the tires... still had winter air in there and that'll increase wear... could cause a blowout... |
ETA: our vw passat was supposed to have a 80k service... i read the list of what they did and said "nah... just change the oil, thanks..." saved about $400...
|
|
|
|
08/17/2006 02:16:50 PM · #19 |
| Not to trash the thread, but have you ever been raped? I understand your feelings, but that's a pretty radical word! |
|
|
|
08/17/2006 02:18:39 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by strangeghost:
Not to trash the thread, but have you ever been raped? I understand your feelings, but that's a pretty radical word! |
agreed, my first thought too. |
|
|
|
08/17/2006 02:19:11 PM · #21 |
| Mechanics probably have a forum thread somewhere saying "I paid $2000 for a guy to take pictures at my daughters wedding!!! WTF?!?" ;-) |
|
|
|
08/17/2006 02:19:30 PM · #22 |
Hey Brad, how much is a tune-up and oil change on a Cummins diesel? It only has 2000 mi on it and doesn't need it, I'm just curious.
|
|
|
|
08/17/2006 02:20:17 PM · #23 |
A hard word that has many meaning.
From Websters (The context I think the Doc meant)
Main Entry: 2rape
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): raped; rap·ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin rapere
1 a archaic : to seize and take away by force b : DESPOIL
So lighten up!
Message edited by author 2006-08-17 14:20:49. |
|
|
|
08/17/2006 02:21:06 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by Telehubbie:
Mechanics probably have a forum thread somewhere saying "I paid $2000 for a guy to take pictures at my daughters wedding!!! WTF?!?" ;-) |
Sooo true!
"Should I just take the pictures myself?"
|
|
|
|
08/17/2006 02:22:25 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
$450 for a 30,000 mile tune-up of a 2004 Subaru? Even after the long list of what "gets done" it sounds like a glorified oil change to me. Oh wait! I get spark plugs and an air filter!
This is only compounded by my Mennonite upbringing of doing everything yourself because then you know it will be done right. Am I the only person in the world who still changes his own oil? I guess changing the brake fluid would be a bit more of a pain (although I've done it on another car with my dad).
I just feel so helpless. I'm 95% sure it's an exorbitant fee. I thought my local mechanic would be cheaper, but it was almost exactly the same. This all reminds me of one of my favorite lines from Seinfeld.
George: Listen, they can say anything! Looks like you need a new Johnson Rod!
Any commiserating here? |
Once had some non-waranty maintenance done on my wife's volvo. Each procedure had a "shop time" multiplied by a "shop rate." The only problem was that the sum of the shop times added up to longer than they had the car. I complained and they reduced the bill to something I thought was fair. Don't know if Subaru does this but if so, try doing the math and see if you have a basis for a complaint. |
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 03/12/2025 08:05:59 PM EDT.
