Funny how car maintenance works
 

So my jeep hit 50,000km and regular maintenance needs to be done. So my 1st quote over the phone was $500-$600 then when I took it in I got quoted $800. Well they just called me and said it would be $1200.00 :eek: :evil: How I went from double the price I was first quoted for the same work I'll never know :sad: I know the work had to be done but still.....:question: Thankfully I have visa. I should mention that it's not a joe blow maintenance shop taking me for a ride, it's the Londonderry doge/jeep dealership.

Gotta watch out for Dealerships too. I do all my maintenance myself. Only take to Dealer for warranty work. Last time I took it to Dodge for warranty. Transmission cooler line was leaking. They changed my engine oil WITHOUT asking me, then tried to bill me. Putting regular oil in, not fully synthetic Royal Purple that I run in all my vehicles. Boy was I mad. Made them change it again, with the oil I use, and I never paid for either change. Allways have to make sure they ask you beforehand on work to be done. and NEVER leave a vehicle with saying, "Whatever needs to be done, just go ahead and do it" It's a open invitation to your wallet.

+1 to dan's post about dealerships. That's why I love my brother...well not the ONLY reason why, but it sure helps. He's a mechanic so all I do is pay for the parts and buy him a case of beer. Makes a 500 dollar job into a 150 dollar job LOL

Chrysler needs some extra dough right now, don't they??

In all seriousness they must have done more then the regular maintenance if the price went up??

dealerships suck i took my car to ford for a tune up (no time to diy) told them to change the oil now my car is 250 000 plus kilometers old so what do they do? put in 5w30 instead of 10w30 well when i got my car back it was burning oil like crazy all they told me was that was the ford approved viscosity for that V8 geez the car never burned oil before that so later that day i spent the money bought new oil (10w30) and did another oil change myself end result 100 dollars to ford for nothing and another 40 bucks to fix their mistake:bad-word:

They did phone to tell me how much it was actually going to cost to do what needed to be done before they did it.

These are the 4 things that need to be done: Transmission flush, spark plugs, pcv valve, and transfer case.

For this work I was 1st quoted that it'll cost about $600 (on the phone she did say something about the transfer case and something about if the pcv valve needs replacing it'll be more) then when I dropped it off for the work to be done they told me that to get those 4 things done it will be more like $800. Then they called me around 1pm and told me that yes the pcv valve needs replacing and so does the transfer case and since it's a 4x4 and because I use synthetic oil etc. it will cost $1200, and was it ok for them to go ahead and finish the work. All I know is that I needed to get those 4 things done and that those four things cost me a lot more then what I was expecting them too. I told them to go ahead because the work has to be done. Hopefully that quote was with taxes and that's the difference between the $800 to the $1200 but I don't know. Heck I don't even know what a pcv valve or a transfer case is! All I know is that they are being replaced.

I don't mind paying to get the work I need done, I just wish I knew if that is a fair price for that work or not. Any mechanic's out there that know?

BTW I'll let everyone know what the grand total is today after I pay for the work and pick my jeep up.

I would call them and tell them to leave the car alone and go get it, that is a blatent rip off if they didn't find more work. a 4X4 means you have transfer case and front dif as well as the back, that should be about 60 to 100 bucks in synthetic oil, and the difference in the oil change is about 60 bucks. transmition flush and fill could be about 250.00 and spark plugs should be 150ish to 200.00. I would tell them if they can't stay to the original quote of 600.00 to forget it and take it to Canadian tire for the spark plug change (or do it your self) and then go to a quick lub for the rest.

Steve

I thought everything was based on a governed amount of hours for each fix. The price should not have jumped like that. It should be easy to quote. Look at the sheet... follow the line to transfer case... 8.5 hours (I have no idea, this is an example)... 65 dollars an hour (Once again... no idea.)... there - quote. Sounds like when they quoted you over the phone they didn't have enough info to quote you correctly.

At only 50,000 kms I can't even imagine what maintenance would cost $1200?!! I hope they gave you a list of what they did...what did they do?

Too late now :redface: The work should be almost finished by now. I thought it would be better to get it done at the dealership because then the work would be done right, but now I'm thinking I should of phoned around for some quotes. :sad:

Transmission flush, spark plugs, pcv valve, and transfer case. As far as I'm aware that's it. When I pick it up if there is anything else I'll fill you in.

No, no call. They did a service, thinking it was in for a service allong with the leaky radiator fitting. I do all my own services. They didnt like that LOL. Just means they dont get to charge me. I Keep all my reciepts for the fluids I purchase. And ALL my fluieds greatly exceed Dodge's reccomendations, so they cant say I use inferior products.

So the grad total with tax is $1280.97 :crazyeye: Other then labor the stupid transfer case was the cause of most of the cost :evil: So here's the breakdown:

For labor & parts;
Minor tune up and spark plugs- $249.99
Transfer case SVC- $519.99
Transmission service- $183.51
PCV valve- $96.00
MISC (environ fee & shop fees)- $34.00
Tax- $61.00

On the last page it's broken down as:

:evil: Labor $732.96!!!!!! :eek: (boy am I in the wrong field)
Parts $453.01
MISC $34.00
Tax $61.00
Total $1280.97 *YUCK!*

The transmission flush is one of the biggest scams but more common at drive-thru lubes. Hope for you they dropped the pan and changed the filter and filled with new oil.

What was the problem with the transfer case?

do you have any details on that tcase service? I am licensed Toyota tech and we sure dont have any 500 dollar tcase "services". At that mileage i would only expect a drain and fill which shouldnt cost more than 100

just curious but what happened to warranty? 50,000 should be covered for anything other than regular servicing. pcv shouldnt be regular servicing and unless they were changing gears and bearing on your transfer case, which also should be warranty you just got f@#$ed by the shop. im a licensed mechanic and a really big transfer case only holds four litres of oil and takes at most 1 hour to service.
what kind of vehicle was it?

yup, only TRUE way to replace all the tranny oil and do a service is drop pan, replace filter. THEN do a flush. just droping the pan only drains a portion of the oil. does not drain the torque converter, or whats in the passages etc.


If they charged you that much to change oil in transfer case, thats a RIPOFF. Transfercases take approx 2.3L of ATF. and are as easy and quick as engine oil to change

sorry dan but its not always ATF anymore lol, and if toyota doesnt have a 500 dollar t case service no one does lol j/k

I hate dealerships. When I get a new vehicle I also buy a workshop manual. After warranty, I read the book and figure it out myself.

LOL, What, are they back to gear oil again??? LOL Anyways, she's got a Jeep, and should be like my dakota, ATF. I just get soo steemed when shops try to screw people. Especially Women, cause they think they can get away with it.....


BTW, side note, think Im going to WL tomorrow, get some stuff from Ian, and Sydney's tank. Anything you want, PM me.

Hillgom, nowhere does it ever state that during warranty period, services and maintenance needs to be performed at a dealer, or a shop for that matter. I do all my own Fix it's and such, if I broke a part through 'abnormal use" LOL. I 4 wheel sometimes. BUT,, If it's a warranty issue, for sure I let them know. Sometimes I get them to order me the parts, and I do the work myself. Like my washer squirters stoped working. I got the parts, told them it was warranty and I am not making an appt, and wasting a day for a 20 min fix I can do in my driveway

This is what the bill says

Transfer case svc. tech(s):3811 $371.54

Complaint: Check transfer case fluid; advise if service is required
Use sythetic oil if required; advise if full 4x4 service required
Do not perform before advising please (which they did)

Cause: Dirty driveline fluids

Correction: Performed 4x4 service, used synthetic fluids

Description
Sealer 01-081-003 $6.94
75W140 01-081-020 $110.37
Lube 01-081-090 $31.14
Multipurp 01-081-02 Internal

Total labor and parts $519.99

Any ideas as to what it all means? Thanks for the advice I appreciate it. I thought maybe they replaced the transfer case, and I was under the impression that whatever they did it needed to be done at 50,000km.

kinda curious how much they charge a litre for the 75w140. at the 2 to 3 litres your case hold thats kinda ouchie

No one I know does mechanic work or knows much about it unfortunately. I did ask if any of it was covered under my warranty (my 5 years is up July 2009) but they told me no. My jeep is a 2004 liberty.

Under the 75W140 line it first says (under unit price) $36.79 and right beside that they list $110.37

The major problem with new vehicles these days is the dealerships scam you. They tell you you need this service or warranty is void. My Nissan was to have a complete service at 48000 kms and the cost was $800 plus tax. Included was a transmission flush in cab air filter,coolant flush and a general mechanical inspection. At 50k a coolant flush is a waste of money. I did the transmission service (oil was dirty) and blew the clean filter out.

In general all work at a dealership is a rip off. From parts mark up to the 100-120 dollars an hour labour. I am a Commercial transport mechanic and I see all the mark up on parts. It is a joke.

Changing the oil in the transfer case is a good idea since you probably use 4 wheel drive on a regular basis in Edmonton. Next time ask for all the original parts including a sample of the oil if you think you are being ripped off.

if warranty isnt covering anything you might want to think about changing shops. what is the hourly rate there out of curiousity?

HOLLY CRAP !!!!!! A good Synthetic 75w140 should be $12-16 If I remeber correctly. Thats outrageous. And they charged $371 for labour. Holly crap. How slow was that Mechanic???
Did I say Holly Crap???

i dont like to argue but the coolant flush is important even at low kms. especially on chevys, the pink coolant causes electrolysis really quickly and can cost alot of money in repairs if not flushed fairly often.

Trevor, by her list, All that was done was routine fluid changes. No warrranty work. SHe DEFFINATELY needs to find a different shop. Thats over Double what it should cost.

And I hate the Dexcool andtfreeze. I think It's Junk. Go Green. Just change it all at once and all is OK

Basically as soon as the snow hits the ground and until the snow is gone I keep it in 4x4.

I think they did the work they said they did, I just didn't think that the work was going to cost so much. $732.96 in labor alone *ouch* They told me that they would start working on it first thing in the morning (shop opens at 7am, jeep was there from yesterday drop off) and they called me at 4:50pm and said it was done. I'm not sure how much an hour they charge but I think most places around here are around $65/hr.

dan , i agree completly on the green( theres a new yellow thats supposed to mix with everything, im hoping it proves to be good). im just having difficulty figuring out what they did to the tcase to cost so much, i may have to add a little to my bills when i do servicing, lol

Groan, and I thought that by going to the dealership to get the work done I was doing the right thing. *sigh*

I'm thinking I should of asked around on here 1st before I had anything done :redface: At least I know for next time. Thank-you everyone for your help it's good advice to know.

It is always a good idea to ask for the replaced parts, etc. before the work is done. This way they know they may be caught-in-the-act of replacing perfectly good parts. I, for one, have never trusted dealerships. The mark-up on new cars is not as good as it used to be, so they gouge you in other ways, such as for warranty service. I come from a smallish town that only has two dealerships. Any warranty work has to be taken to another city by ferry. (PITA!). My wife has an '06 Mitsubishi Eclipse, and they are the only dealership I have ever dealt with that allows us to have warranty service done by any licensed mechanic of our choice. The only stipulations are that approved oil, filters, etc. are used. This works out to large savings as our mechanic of choice charges about 25% less than most; no ferries; and I know I'm not getting ripped-off as our mechanic is a most trustworthy fellow.

For record plugs shouldnt be changed at 50,000 they are good for 120,000 km that is from jeep its self they install the new ones for 120,000 on all vehicles. they took your wallet for a ride.

a flush on your rad at 50,000 is crazy you dont need it, just drain it and refill.

PCV valve are not a must and they arent really important, tell them that you have some one later on to replace it.. they charge you like 80 bucks to change it and they cost about 6-10 bucks each just like the oxygen sensor too what a waste of money.

It looks to me like they changed out ALL driveline fluids (Front diff, tcase and rear diff). And judging by the sealer charge it most likely means the rear diff had to be split to be serviced which is where the labor charge would have come from.
Although it was a pricey service I doubt they were ripping you off. All of those items are set menu pricing generally and full synthetic fluids are quite expensive.
I think it would be a good idea to call tomorrow and get a full explanation of the services performed and just verify they fall into your maintenance schedule, good luck!

ok the plug thing is all that is said there its taken out the plugs and putting in new ones , they dont install the new wires either that is extra I will bet my tank and a years pay on that one.. a transmission service Im sorry you have 50k on your vehicle you dont need them to flush out your tranny

Minor tune up at MOST would be air/fuel filters and a set of plugs. Everything else is computerized and unadjustable. 1 hour at most if they did it all. I think you got hosed on that 1 too at $250.

Thanks for explaining. I don't think they ripped me off for the work they did (might of been cheaper else where but I didn't know who to trust) and I knew that the synthetic was more money, but I just didn't think that the work being done was going to be so pricey.

Ok I will put my 2 bucks in.
I own an automotive repair shop and yes some of the prices you got seem high, some are not. The transfer case service does seem quite high and without a detailed report on what they do when they service the transfer case and differential fluids next time I would check around. As for the fluid types, full synthetics are quite expensive compared to regular oils, As for some of the advise about what to get done, your manual is a pretty good guide in most cases, however you can go to any warranty approved shop and get the services done there, The average dealership here is about $120.00 per hour and the average shop is about $90.00 per hour, so you save some there. As for the coolant flush I agree to go green, the north american manufacturers seem to have a problem developing gaskets that stand up to the degredation of the long-life coolant. Green is better and there are animal friendly versions out now as well. Tune-ups are a word of the past, there is only scheduled maintenance now. Spark plugs from a lot of manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers are rated at well over 120,000km, but on higher milage cars I wouldnt put a long-life plug in. A regular v-groove actually works better. A bad oxygen senseor will screw up a motor real quick{sorry asmodeus} I have seen that firsthand, but the pcv price seems high too. Depends on what motor you have as far as labour goes, some spark plugs a real pain to get at and pull. Jeeps included. Try doing plugs in a newer Ford with a Triton motor in under 2 hours. Bottom line is if you feel you got hosed find another shop, ask around. There are a lot of good honest shops out there as well.
Ok just to stir the pot even more, A coolant flush would definately be recommended at 50k It deteriorates too quickly,not to flush the coolant can screw up a heater core. Pcv valves are important! 75/140 is about $20 perlitre. Mark up on parts is not where shops make their money, to the heavy duty mechanic. Try paying out insurance for your buildings, payroll tax's, Insurance for the techs, benefits, etc etc etc, and I hate to say this but you are all lucky the dealerships and private shops arent charging $200.00 plus per hour...By the way..its coming, The "Mechanic" has taken a bad rap for a lot of years, not all deserved, now that vehicles are changing to computerized modular systems you need to study a lot just to work on them, let alone the equipment to work on them. Nobody seems to have a problem giving a lawyer $200-500 dollars an hour, but look out if the shop charges you $200-500 to do your brakes. As for my qualifications I am inter-provincially licenced, a master tech and I get a lot of vehicles towed to my shop that a lot of back yard wannabe techs try to fix themselves. I go to courses every year just to keep up to date on the advances[good+bad] that are coming out. So do I think I am worth less per hour than any lawyer...or anybody else..Nope.