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Took me three hours total, but it could have been much quicker. A buddy offered to come over and help. I'd say half of the 'work time' was us bullshitting. I had to run up to the AutoZone to get a different sized socket extension half way through the job. The 10" one I had was too long to get to the farthest back plug. Anyways that took about a half hour which I added into the time.

Total cost was around $120. 70 something for the plugs the rest for tools and an outrageously overpriced can of compressed air.

I'm definitely going to bust the service writer's balls about this next time I take the car in. No way a shop should be billing over an hour for this.

Took me three hours total, but it could have been much quicker. A buddy offered to come over and help. I'd say half of the 'work time' was us bullshitting. I had to run up to the AutoZone to get a different sized socket extension half way through the job. The 10" one I had was too long to get to the farthest back plug. Anyways that took about a half hour which I added into the time. Total cost was around $120. 70 something for the plugs the rest for tools and an outrageously overpriced can of compressed air. I'm definitely going to bust the service writer's balls about this next time I take the car in. No way a shop should be billing over an hour for this.

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[–] • 2 pts

How many hours does the book give for the task?

That is the question.

90% of shops have a parts markup, usually in the neighborhood of 20-25%.

If it gives only 1 or 1.5, maybe 2, they were overcharging you.

If it gives 2.5 or 3, they were charging you as they would have charged everyone with that model car.

I dont like to pay that going price, which is why i do all my own maintenance. My time is worth shop rate to me, to do something I usually end up enjoying.

[–] • 2 pts

I do mean to ask him how many hours they book for it. He did say it would be less depending on how long it took.

I dont like to pay that going price, which is why i do all my own maintenance.

It depends for me. I'm not going to pay for most easy fixes. I do like having them change the oil as it isn't much more expensive and they can get it up on the lift and check all the suspension parts. Most of the time I let them do all that work when needed. I don't really enjoy doing anything you have to get under the car for.

I'll be letting them do a coolant flush next oil change for instance. It isn't hard to do, but it's still kind of a pain and their price isn't much more than materials for this job (similar to the oil change).

[–] • 2 pts

I just prefer to do it myself. When i was a young man I wanted to be a mechanic... then after being a mechanic for 15 years I didn't want to work on other peoples garbage anymore.

Now I only work on my own truck. Sometimes the wife's car, mostly that goes tot he shop though. I dislike cramped 4cly engine bays.

[–] • 3 pts

They sure have made it difficult to reach a lot of stuff now a days.