... OR if they pay him commission. That's the way a mechanic makes money doing this stuff. By completing jobs faster than the quoted time, you basically earn more per hour. It takes experience to beat the quoted time.

Sometimes it's a bust and you get a nightmare of a car where it's towed in, 11 poop-flingers have worked on it, and the "other" parts (many of them, but not all) are in the passenger side floorboard because none of the 11 knew what they were doing. You'll make about $4 an hour on a job like that, and ruin clothes in a muddy junkyard getting parts like valve cover fasteners and a timing cover because the dealer will take 3 weeks to get them to you for only $111.

Those are the ones they like to give to me. Thanks guys. Keep 'em coming. :eh:

But yeah... see if you can find a better labor rate at a non-stealership. If you find a shop that's $50 and hour, VS. the dealer's $75, then you'll save $100 on a 4-hour job. There are lots of valid reasons for that job being a 4-hour quote. Only an experienced mechanic will be able to do it faster, and probably not by much. Don't forget the radiator flush, and warming it up, and burping it so that their heater works. All that stuff takes time, too.

You need a...
water pump
tensioner pulley
timing belt
AC belt
Alternator belt
Power Steering belt (if equipped)
1 gallon of antifreeze

They don't need to drain your oil for this job... but if it needs it...

Sorry 'bout the rant. There are some good shops out there. Look around. The dealer doesn't always know best.

 

The dealership quoted me right around $400 for the job. I'm planning on searching around and seeing if I can get it done cheaper...I'll let you know what I find out.

 

Oh yeah. One more thing...

Privately owned garages will be more competitive around this time of the year. People neglect their cars during the Holiday season, nobody has any money. Auto repair is a very slow business this time of the year. It usually doesn't really pick up until tax season, but X-mas and New Years is usually pretty dead. You'll probably get your car back the same day if they can get the parts, and if you get it to them when they open. This is actually a good time to get work done if you can spare your car.

 

I had a fluid change and timing belt change for around $238.00 at a non Honda dealership.