A&Q about 350Z
Q:
no inspection I have ever heard of, no matter how many points are involved in the check list, will include pulling a motor apart. Its more cost effective, to simply do the job instead of just looking at it.
Keep in mind, there are too many things that you can look at all you want, but there's no simple way to test the life left of the item. Idler bearings and tensioners are a good example. Sometimes they just fail suddenly, even if you did look for bearing slop a short while ago. And thats assuming someone did, which I promise you, no one has. It would be in the realms of pulling the cylinder head to check the head gasket: you would probably not be interested in such an inspection when it would run you $1000+
the belt breaking is the end result, it doesn't tell you what caused the belt to break. It could have just been the belt....and it might have been a combination of age and something else. I could offer more details if I could look at all the components, but IMO, the end is, they didn't cause the belt to break. Maybe they had a new guy behind the front counter, maybe they were so swamped that she didn't have time to make up an estimate. Maybe she was positive you weren't interested in buying anything and just decided to not bother trying. No one will ever know most likely....but they still didn't break your car.
A:
I personally make recommendations based off what I believe is in the best interest of the customer. I guess some might consider that some kind of rip off, but I give my honest opinion on everything I do. If I call out a timing belt, I call out a waterpump also. This is an "upsell" when there is no visual problem with the waterpump, but its just common sense to do it while you're in there, and is more cost effective in the long run, vs the waterpump failing later.
You could argue that I'm still selling unneeded work. and you would be correct. This is where the lines get fuzzy. You have to do what you think is right.
A:
Yeah I know that, that is why we asked them to Also look at the timing belt because we knew it was not included in the inspection. The belt was extra or at least should have been.
And it is possible that they rushed because they were very swamped when we took the car in. I am just surprised that they didnt catch that we had 105k on our car..and didnt suggest us replacing the timing belt..even after we asked them to check it. Would that not be upselling (or in this case Actually getting something done that probly should have been)?
A:
lilwhy, you'll need to give a more thorough break down on the costs for us to give you any real opinion. Parts alone could be 3/4 of that bill....and if thats the case, they are being very generous.
A:
As I understand it..that replacing a waterpump after takeing it off to check or replace a timing belt is not "upselling" but honestly something you should do. Something about the valvues not sealing as well as they did before..or something of that nature. I just have heard on many accounts from differant ppl, that replacing it is the best course of action either way you look at it.
A:
that really depends on who you ask. Some recommend replacing the tensioner and all idlers also, others believe its a waste of money. Many cars, that could be a $500 price difference on the cost of the job.
Many people have different beliefs on this, it really comes down to the car in question. Someone that is very intimate with a particular model will know what the likelihood of a component failure....which doesn't prevent something odd failing, of course. For example, mazda MPV 3.0L V6's are well known for having idler/tensioner problems and chewing timing belts in half. I've seen it a few times and call out the entire works on older MPV's when doing a timing belt....but I dont normally call it out on most cars.
Many people price shop. When you give an estimate for a job that is $500 more than another shop, no matter how good your argument is, you can guess where most go.
A:
Well the problem is what me and my husband have as of right now is just a really rough idea and estimate of what needs to be fixed and what it is going to cost. We had to get something same day so that we could start applying for an AER as soon as possible before my husband left for three days for field.
Part Name - Part Number - Part Price - Labor Time - Total
L.R Window Motor - 5056031AD - 80.20 - 1.2 - 164.20
Blower Motor Resistor - 5174124AA - 34.95 - .8 - 90.95
Wiper Blades - 22" - 10.75x2 - .2 - 35.50
Trans Solenoid Pack - 5140429AA - 204.00 - 2.1 - 351.00
Tranny Sevice - 5010884AA/4864505AB - 20.55 - 1.0 - 90.55
Tranny Fluid - none - 47.19 - blank - 47.19
Cleaner - none - 10.60 - blank - 10.60
Plugs - 53RE14MCC5 - 3.20x4 - .8 - 49.95
Coolant Flush - none - 25.95 - 1.0 - 69.95
Coolant - none - 30.70 - blank - 30.70
Thermostat - 5278144AA - 12.25 - .7 - 61.25
Timing Belt - 4621844 - 88.17(105K4) - 2.3- 249.17
($161.06 Additional time required due to having to change timing belt cover and houseing to replace tensioner)
Timing Belt Tensioner - 5114070AA - 200.00(5/6) - blank - 200.00
Headgasket set - 5083153AB - 93.25(5/0) - 7.2 - 597.25
($504.00)
Valves Intake - 4884691AA - 15.10x8(5/0) - B - 120.80
Valves Exhaust - 4884690AA - 14.75x8(5/0) - B - 118.00
Exhaust Gasket - 4781255AA - 10.45(5/0) - B - 10.45
Coolant - 5066386AA - 15.35x2 - B - 30.70
Rolocs - 7480 - 2.50x4 - B - 10.00
Brakecleaner - 4897151AA - 5.30x2 - B - 10.60
L.O.F - none- none - .5 - 21.95
($21.95)
Sublet Machine Shop (depends on what it needs) 150.00 ? 150.00
Diag .5 - 35.00
total with tax $2,339.32
(note this is after we took the lr window motor and the wiper blades off the list of "to do's")
A:
one thing I noticed, there's no waterpump on that list....
I think thats a pretty reasonable priced list IMO....if you can find out what motor it has, I could check their labor time....if its a 2.4L engine, its definitely high, but if its a V6, it sounds close...but there is 2 different V6's availible
A:
I noticed the number of valves, this has to be a 2.4L, although they offered both the DOHC and SOHC for this year
depending on how I look it up, its anywhere from 6.6 hours to 8.8 hours. More than I thought it would be honestly. But either way, thats about right then.
A:
An item we had replaced the second time we went in. The one I dont have the paper for. When I saw they had checked the timing belt and not replaced the pump, i asked for it when we went in the second time to get the "hiccup" out of the transmission.
A:
how do i go about finding out what type V6 we have? because I am pretty sure thats what we got.
A:
it takes them 7.2 hours to change a set of head gaskets?
i can tear down and engine, replace the internals/rings/etc and put it back together in less time than that.
A:
Thats why your our resident Super Mechanic.
A:
seriously, 7.2 hours is just plain ridiculous.
in college, i took and engine (ford 2.0, single cam) and tore it all down, took everything out checked it etc.. then put it all back in, torqued everything to correct spec and so on, working relatively slowly (going back and forth to the stores to get tools) it was done in little over 3 hours.
working with a friend's engine (2.0 4G63) removing and replacing the internals with aftermarket parts we did it in less than two hours.
you could argue we had the advantage of having the engines out, with no hoses etc attached. but i thin 7.2 hours to change the head gaskets was them working slowly to milk the job for every penny they could get.
A:
Welcome to flat rate. Trust me, you sometimes win at it....but its rare you beat it consistantly, by a large percentage.
One of the guys here can do a 2.0L dodge head gasket in about 2 hours. (very simular to the 2.4L) He makes bank on those. He's also been a mechanic for 20+ years and has done more 2.0 head gaskets than he could count. The experience should be rewarded, and commission does just that.
I've always wanted a customer to complain that I spent twice the time on a job than they are paying me for, and INSIST that they pay me what I actually have into it....but its yet to happen.
Some day life will be "fair".....I'll wait