BG Auto - Am I getting fucked?

[Callisto]

I have absolutely no problem paying a mechanic and supporting their business, and I trust their expertise over mine any day...but when one place is charging $500+ for an inexpensive part with a relatively easy installation process and most other places only charge $80-100 I'd say something's not right there.

[Atreides]

every place ive seen has the part for 150-220, so I don't think im going to get out of paying that much for the part. I just don't want to spend 530 on something I could save a hundred bucks or so on, especially considering how much else im planning on spending on the car anyway

[Tyche]

Anytime I've had car issues, I always purchased the part, then paid a mechanic I trust to install. Finding a mechanic you trust could be the issue. Most mechanics can/will run the diagnostics for the check engine light for free and tell you what you need as well as give you a quote. Ask around for a mechanic reference...word of mouth is pretty much how the good independently owned shops stay in business.

[miokomioko]

Just remember you're out of luck and have to deal with whoever you bought the part from if it fails and you'll have to pay to have it installed again. A mechanic won't guarantee their work with a part they didn't supply.

The premium you're paying on marked-up parts is partly paying for things like guarantees.

[Mertron]

I know people hate taking their cars to the shop, but there really is nothing wrong with them charging those prices. Marking up $80 on $220 part isn't "robbery". It's called a business, they aren't in it to sell you parts at cost and install them for free. It's just like any other specialty service; you're paying for their expertise which is worth a certain amount. Things like changing your oil and flushing your coolant system are easy, but it's a hassle to get the parts / fluids, actually do the job, dispose of the shit afterwards, etc. I'd gladly just roll up, pay some mechanic while I watch Jerry Springer or read a magazine in the waiting room for 30 mins. And drink shitty free coffee.

A better idea, if you are concerned about auto shop costs, would be to take some of the money you would have spent and invest it in some tools and learn to do easy repairs like this yourself.

service charge vs parts charge

cmon, man

[booly]

its expensive to be uninformed about your vehicle isn't it? grab a haynes or chiltons manual or google it to see if its doable by yourself. many a times i have saved $ by borrowing tools and doing shit myself.

[Atreides]

well i just got back, they said the part (36531-PZA-A01) is 361.50 but looking online I don't see it for more than 175-220 so I'm going to definitely shop around and try and get that 530 down a bit lol

The only things that they said it still needs (with quoted prices):
Battery ($140, I'm going to sears lol)
Engine Coolant ($70, ditto on sears)
Transmission Service ($90, is this going to be cheaper somewhere else?)

The only other thing they said I need was an Emission Service which they want to charge 150 for, but is that something I can get cheaper elsewhere too?

The thing that sucks is that I've already paid this place 105 bucks for a diagnostic fee (which would be deducted from the 530 if I got the sensor replaced with them) and they wouldn't refund it so now I have to find some place that will replace the sensor for under 425 to make it worthwhile.

[miokomioko]

Good luck just "grabbing a chiltons" for most problems with cars newer than 1990. Any idiot could replace something on an old MG B. I can't say the same about a mid-90s Jaguar. There are a number of things regarding cars that are designed with anti-user-friendly intentions. Oh, you want to change the dead fuel pump on your 1993 Jeep Cherokee? GOOD LUCK, IT'S INSIDE THE FUEL TANK, LOL. Regardless, a vast majority of problems with newer cars are electrical in nature and aren't always as simple as replacing a piece of metal that can fit in your palm. If it is that simple, it's almost never as simple as reaching in and unscrewing said piece. My old 1994 Camero Z28 had a single spark plug out of 8 that was impossible to replace with any standard tool without removing shit like the Alternator/AC Pump.

[greenhills]

Ask around for a mechanic reference...word of mouth is pretty much how the good independently owned shops stay in business.

this needs to be repeated. if you can't find one on reference, start checking out the non-chain places. like the ones that have a gas station and a garage with the dudes hanging out talking about cars.

[Callisto]

well i just got back, they said the part (36531-PZA-A01) is 361.50 but looking online I don't see it for more than 175-220 so I'm going to definitely shop around and try and get that 530 down a bit lol

The only things that they said it still needs (with quoted prices):
Battery ($140, I'm going to sears lol)
Engine Coolant ($70, ditto on sears)
Transmission Service ($90, is this going to be cheaper somewhere else?)

The transmission service isn't too bad, that's typically pricey regardless of where you go.

[Jube]

Also have you had your check engine light reset to see if the fault was from a 1 time occurrence. I use to work on cars up till 2007 and even have worked on hybrid cars. The sensors are so sensitive just some bad gas can mess with a whole range of sensors. My mother and sister have hybrids and I'm constantly resetting their lights due to either my mom forgetting to click the gas cap on tight enough or my sister's famous oh i left the car warm up till it had no gas left, so all the crap on the bottom got through the system but was able to replace the part and reset the light and no problems since. If the light returns then you know it is a faulty part, also is their a specific reason for the battery? Or are they talking about the battery pack? The one thing i did like about the newer hybrids was the information you get from the read out on the computer and not just a simple code. Helps pinpoint things a lot easier.

[miokomioko]

For "check engine" lights, before you take it anywhere, always try the following (this will reset the computer):

Disconnect the negative lead from the car's battery(ies)
Insert key into ignition
Turn to the on position
Leave the key in this position for 10 seconds or so
Turn it back off and remove key
Reconnect battery(ies)

If you start your car back up and the "check engine" light doesn't stay on anymore, you'll know it was most likely a timed warning which is there to persuade people to bring their shit to the dealership for unnecessary work. I've done this so many times (mostly on Jaguars). It's quite the sneaky thing they do... but I suspect it's more of something found on fancier cars which are more likely driven by people who don't know a damn thing about cars other than how to pay for them.

[Zigma]

You ARE getting fucked.

02 sensors are cheap as fuck and should take no more than 20min to install... and that's for someone who is a beginner... chances are, your check engine light is on because this part went bad, which is common for ALL cars.

Battery.... it's a hybrid... what do they need to do to the battery?

coolant... dunno, maybe they want to flush it out?

emissions service, you don't need this... Did you pass yearly emissions? then you're good.

go to your local autozone/whatever and ask them to pull the code. It is free, then post here.

[Soa]

well i just got back, they said the part (36531-PZA-A01) is 361.50 but looking online I don't see it for more than 175-220 so I'm going to definitely shop around and try and get that 530 down a bit lol

The only things that they said it still needs (with quoted prices):
Battery ($140, I'm going to sears lol)
Engine Coolant ($70, ditto on sears)
Transmission Service ($90, is this going to be cheaper somewhere else?)

The only other thing they said I need was an Emission Service which they want to charge 150 for, but is that something I can get cheaper elsewhere too?

The thing that sucks is that I've already paid this place 105 bucks for a diagnostic fee (which would be deducted from the 530 if I got the sensor replaced with them) and they wouldn't refund it so now I have to find some place that will replace the sensor for under 425 to make it worthwhile.

Long story short they are trying to fuck you. The fact that they are trying to massively over charge for a part is the first red flag. Everything else you listed (except possibly the emission, that varies by state) should be cheaper elsewhere too.

My advice to you, and anyone looking not to get fucked by a mechanic, is to find one in the ghetto. They won't over charge you and usually do work just as well as any other mechanic. The one I go to also owns a junk yard so they sell and install used parts cheap as hell. I just got a driver side mirror replaced for $50, and the part alone would have cost $120 new.

[Melchiah]

He's only fucking you if he's charging you for work not done, or work not authorized.

I'll begin with the Oxygen sensor:

To do it yourself, you will need the following(assuming you have no tools):

Oxygen Sensor Socket $24.99
154 pc. General Mechanic's Tool Set $99.99
Dialectric Lube $1.69
NGK Front O2 Sensor $65.99
NGK Rear O2 Sensor(if required) $65.99
2 hours of your time
KNOWLEDGE

Grand Total DIY: $258.65, you can buy everything shown at a Sears/Kmart and Napa Auto Parts. It's the same shit the shop buys, they all get their parts from Napa, O'Reilly's, AZ, Advanced, and local parts house chains.

So, $530 repair estimate less the $105 diagnostic fee comes to $425. $425 less $259 comes to a $166 dollar "I have the tools, equipment and knowledge on hand at your convenience and a parts/labor warranty" markup. You're getting what you're paying for.

Coolant change is another DIY. Buy a coolant tester at Wal-Mart and two gallons of premixed coolant, follow the instructions on the coolant tester package. This is about $25, versus shop price.

**IMPORTANT** Do not authorize a power flush service on an automatic transmission that has high mileage and has never been flushed before. If you have a trans with 75K and up that's never been power flushed, either leave it alone or just do drain-and-fill services on it.

Emissions is your call. If you passed whatever emissions requirement your state has, I don't know why you'd bother.

Battery can be had from Napa and installed with the tools you bought. Estimate $65-$85 for the battery.

No, you aren't getting fucked. Yes, you'll come out cheaper doing it yourself, and you will never have to pay for O2 sensor replacement again, since you will have the tools and knowledge to do it yourself. It's up to you to decide which option is best for you.

(i thought getting bent over and fucked in the ass was your thing though)

what the hell, I'll even do this bit for you:

[Atreides]

Sears actually told me it'd only cost 325 to have it fixed, btw

[Pharaun]

He's only fucking you if he's charging you for work not done, or work not authorized.

*Snip*

Yes he's getting fucked by that mechanic, and all you're doing is making yourself look like more of a tool than the stuff you linked to.

[Melchiah]

Alright, whatever bro.

[Atreides]

I called a local mechanic, someone my mom used before and seemed pretty trustworthy, and he's telling me that the sensor would only cost me 300 to replace with him. Is it worth having him replace my battery and do a transmission service/engine coolant flush, or is that something you should go to an oil change place for?

Just in case anyone was wondering the prices I've gotten so far:
Engine Coolant Flush - Dealer $70, Quaker State $90, STS $80
Transmission Service - Dealer $90, Quaker State $120, STS $120
Emission Service - Dealer $150, Quaker State $80, STS $90
Battery - Dealer $140, Quaker State $90

I'm going to ask the mechanic how much the above stuff would cost but it looks like I'm going to end up driving around town having different repairs done at different places lol.

[rezn0r]

yes