dealership service question?

[slingblade]

i went to my local dealership to get a price on changing timing belt on the LC. also replacing water pump. and belt. I asked about checking the starter contacts and replacing them while they are in there and to my surprise, they want an additional 5 hours labor to check starter contacts. i have no issues at this time with the starter. my lc has 213xxx miles and the starter has never been repaired. i am at 110xxx miles on this timing belt, so i gotta get it done. i thought the starter would be exposed on a timing belt job, am i mistaken? are they trying to hose me?

 

[PhrogsPhorever]

For the starter you have to pull the intake manifold off, which is where the extra 5 hours come from. Looking at the removal steps in the FSM I don't think that doing it at the same time will "save" any labor, but I'm sure that someone who has done it will chime in.

 

[KlausVanWinkle]

I've done the starter. It took me about four hours in the street to do. But the previous poster is correct. There is no overlap with the timing belt job once you take the engine cover plastic off.

 

[AATLAS1X]

What's crazy, is who has mastered this and how fast they can knock it out. My tech did it for me for $100. Little did I know how fast he could do it, did it in his lunch break.

 

[KlausVanWinkle]

What's crazy, is who has mastered this and how fast they can knock it out. My tech did it for me for $100. Little did I know how fast he could do it, did it in his lunch break.

I could do it in less than 2 hours the next time. Kept the working original starter just in case.

So 5 hrs labor seems a little ridiculous at the dealer. The Santa Konica dealer wanted like $500 labor and $400 for the starter. I got an OEM starter from Beno for less than half that.

 

[Anthony.L]

I'm sure the 5 hours is the "book rate", but we all know a good mechanic can cut the book rate in half easily. Don't like it, don't shop at the stealership. Go to a third party.

 

[AATLAS1X]

There are some good techs out there I've worked with. Most are tall and lean and get go to and around things most of us can't.

My point was I had no idea he could knock it out so fast, so I was pist at first about the 100 bill, but he earned it.

I had a 27 year old GM master tech that could flag 140 hours every two weeks all year long. I bought that kid lunch every day as he was my money maker. He was also never on time and was the first to leave most days.

 

[OGBeno]

My mechanic was able to R & R the 2UZ starter in less than 40 minutes.



He is 5'5", 130 pounds, skinny and Vietnamese. He's a hell of a good tech.

 

[OGBeno]

Oh yeah...here he is on a 100 series....

I think it was 40 mins start to finish.

 

[hks3sgte]

what a PITA

 

[AimCOtaco]

what a PITA

You got that right. Not the most difficult starter job I've done, just the most uncomfortable!

 

[AATLAS1X]

Oh yeah...here he is on a 100 series....

I think it was 40 mins start to finish.

Mine tech was in there the same way. But mine tore that AC line mount. I'm sure he stepped on it crawling in. Lol.

 

[slingblade]

thank you guys for the replies, i am going to check out a few reputable repair shops......