will shops install parts you bring to them

[Texican]

Go get it and the part and run it up to Bonham.......
We do not install parts customers bring in for the reasons mentioned above, plus we stay booked usually 3 days out doing complete jobs, furnishing parts.
We have a sign up stating the policy over the counter.
You guys that don't do this for a living have no idea the flakes that want all kinds of stupid stuff done, and shoddy parts installed, or how hard it is to make a profit if you try to pay your employees fair and carry appropriate insurance etc.
Butch

 

[Dynosoar]

I wasn't trying to be a dick. However, I can see where the guy (mechanic) is comming from. I know a lot of these guys are total crooks. Thats why auto mechanics are the #1 most mistrusted people followed closly by #2 the lawyers. Hey, If I ran the shop I would happily do the work(as long as the parts are OEM). Chris777, I would have done the same thing you did. You were decisive and made a move insted of waiting 1-2 weeks for a reboxed non OEM piece of crap part. If you have the skill even if you don't have the time you are better off doing it yourself. At least you know it will be done right the first time with good parts.

Dynosoar

 

[sj]

I've had to do this twice and both times they used the parts.

The first was when I bough my 60 in Cali and and fuel pump went out. I broke down right in front of a Pep boys, I took it to them and they said it was the fuel pump and they could get one in 2-3 days. I called my brother who bought one in Phx and fed-ex it to me the next day.

The second time I was trying to replace my clutch and couldn't get the trans/t-case out. I had already purchased a new toyota clutch. I called a local shop and had my 60 towed to them. They just charged me for labor.

Maybe it is just a hit and miss or both times has be exceptions for me.

Sean

 

[Mark W]

Go get it and the part and run it up to Bonham.......
We do not install parts customers bring in for the reasons mentioned above, plus we stay booked usually 3 days out doing complete jobs, furnishing parts.
We have a sign up stating the policy over the counter.
You guys that don't do this for a living have no idea the flakes that want all kinds of stupid stuff done, and shoddy parts installed, or how hard it is to make a profit if you try to pay your employees fair and carry appropriate insurance etc.
Butch

Butch is RIGHT about some of the flakes that walk in/call/become regular customers even and the stuff they want done.

I usually to get kids who read too many magazne or spend too much time reading internet forums rather than gaining experience in the real world, or older anal retentive non-wheelers who have decided that Cruisers are "cool"and they want one. I've had a couple of middle aged women who want FJ40s becasue they're "cute" but seem to think it will be something like owning a Subaru wagon with a funny shape to it. !!!

Fortunately the percentage of folks like those I mention above is pretty low compared to the number of customers that I think of as friends and who I am glad to do the work for.

Back on the subject of this thread a little bit, it still comes down to; If you are not happy with your mechanic, find another. No one gains in a relationship where you and your Cruiser mechanic do not like and trust each other.


Mark...

 

[grant5127]

In the #1 post it states that the shop has been in business for 60yrs.... they are set in their ways by now for sure..... sometimes when one is asked to do a task it's all in the manner that it is asked,, to get results you want...

 

[gabousquet]

In my experience, find the part first and bring it to your mechanic=no problems.
Curious as to whether your mechanic would have installed the master brake cylinder if you had brought the part in yourself. Labor is labor and the part was OEM. What differnece does it make if they order it or you do.

 

[UpsideDown]

This is an interesting thread... I have run a small shop for about 5 years, and before that I did lots of work out of my home garage.

I don't mark up my parts all that much, usually I ask what the counter price is and use that as an indicator of what to charge my customers.

As for customer supplied parts, I will happily install them but I do not guarantee the work if the parts fail.

I have not read anything in my garage policy that has to do with liability and parts supply. I think that may be a BS story on the part of your mechanic unless there are different issues south of the 49th.

As for finding another mechanic at the drop of the hat... pretty tough on the small shops when that happens to them, it's better to work things out if the guy has been reliable in the past. I can only think of a few shops that are known for ripping people off (replacing parts unecessarily, poor quality work etc...) and still there are customers lining up to get in.

Hope your brakes are working....

 

[Fuzzy Logic]

This tread is CHAT, besides, it would get more exposure if was moved

 

[FJ40Jim]

I would just like to say to those who said they don't want customers coming in with cheap parts from Autozone..... I was the one that told him NOT to buy a cheap aftermarket part like he normally would (that IS the quikest way, no?), and, that I only wanted Toyota and was willing to spend the extra time and money.

the second point I would like to make is, I understand that he should make his money from both parts and labor, but he FAILED to get the part, whereas I came through with the part. He didn't bother to call around, even after I warned him that the nearest dealership was lousy at finding Toyota Land cruiser parts (for some unknown reason). therefore, I felt like he should have been willing to suck up and lose the parts markup since he failed to produce. If I had waited to hear back from him, I would not have ordered the part in time to get it delivered the next day. AM I being unreasonable?

Chris,
My autozone comment reflected the reason that 9 out of 10 customers carry in their own parts at a general repair shop. YOU are a very special customer, because you value quality above low price. The average shop is stuck dealing with the average customer, who does not share our value of high quality. That's why the average shop will not install customer parts.

Butch's shop has a no parts policy because they deal w/ the general public.
Cruiser specialty shops, we'll install genuine toyota in a heartbeat.

I don't think you are being unreasonable. I'm just trying to explain the parts situation in a general fashion.

 

[chris777]

I would like to point out that I felt like there were extenuating circumstances at play in this deal.

1. I told Ken I don't want an aftermarket part (the part HE would have gotten) because I plan on driving this truck another 20 years if I live that long.
2. I warned the owner (Ken), that Irving Toyota has problems finding parts, and that I go to Dallas Toyota.
3. Ken called Irving toyota, they said they didn't have it, and he didn't call dallas Toyota.
4. I couldn't get in touch with him when I found out that Dallas Toy had it...., if I didn't place the special part order, I wouldn't have it till monday.
5. I am out $26 in round trip cab fare.
6. Ken has installed a part I brought in about 3 years ago... a U-bolt bottom protector. I felt like they made an exception and did not start bringing in my parts from then on. I just knew that this custom parts took over a week to get and they would not be able to get it.


Grant1527... I thought that we were all freinds here. if you really want to get his side, pm me and I will give you his telephone number.

Texican (Butch)... I want you to know that I would bring my truck to you ALL the time for all my work, if It didn't take almost 4 hours drive time round trip, and cost me almost $40 in fuel.

I will put the part on myself. sorry that I ruffled so many feathers on this thread. I was just curious to know what everyone felt about this. I thought that this is what this forum is for.

 

[REKCUT]

A lot of shops dont want to use customers purchased parts because of the potential problems that might happen. One of the biggest is that if the shop buy's a part and installs it, they will eat all cost associated with removal and replacement if there is a problem with the part. If you supply the part and the part breaks then he is going to charge you again for the labor. That can be a sticky situation if your caught up in it. I have generally found that if you do a lot of business with a shop they will work with you on all sorts of issues and if they dont then take you business somewhere else.

 

[Texican]

Texican (Butch)... I want you to know that I would bring my truck to you ALL the time for all my work, if It didn't take almost 4 hours drive time round trip, and cost me almost $40 in fuel.

I will put the part on myself. sorry that I ruffled so many feathers on this thread. I was just curious to know what everyone felt about this. I thought that this is what this forum is for.[/QUOTE

I knew you would bring it to me if'n possible......although a day in the country never hurt anyone........

I doubt anyone is ruffled, ignore any comments you don't care for......or click the ignore this person button.
Butch

 

[cruiser_guy]

I've stopped bringing my truck to mechanics because I've gotten my truck back 1/2 finished or with shoddy parts too often.

My motto is "It's my life and not the mechanic's so I have a vested interest in getting the job done RIGHT!"

I too was once too busy to take care of the brakes on a vehicle I had in the past. I brought it to a shop, OK'd their estimate and THEY purchased and installed the parts. 6 months later the brakes were worn out. This time I had the time to look at it and I did and found that the MECHANIC SUPPLIED caliper held the brake pads out of parallel to the disc and thereby wore out the pads in record time. The mechanic proceeded to tell me that parts were guaranteed for only 6 months and they would NOT replace the caliper under warrantee!! It took a letter to the head office of the chain to get the caliper THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY FAULTY from day one replaced.

From then on I decided that I'll do the repairs, thank you very much!! That way I can reject faulty parts BEFORE they get on my truck and potentially endanger my life!

 

[sandcruiser]

I'd say that if the mechanic is busy enough to refuse labor on the basis that he isn't getting the part markup, then he deserves the right to refuse to the work.

Or, if the mechanic is too self-important to cut the customer some slack,

Or, if your relationship isn't strong enough with the mechanic for you to get the service you want

Either of the above: you should look around to see if there is someone with whom you are a better fit

 

[ellington12]

i have to chime in since i am a mechanic. i work in an affluent part of town and if you bring your own part, generally speaking, we won't install it. the rationale; bring your own part = cheapskate and we have enough customers where we don't have to deal with cheapskates. there's also the risk of installing a customer supplied part, (OE or aftermarket, it doesn't matter,) and that part failing which leads to all kinds of headaches. just because a part is genuine Toyota doesn't mean it's going to be failsafe. an example, anything with rubber components has a shelf life...who knows how long that part's been sitting on the shelf?

i must say however, that there are exceptions with long standing customers with oddball hard to find parts, (i.e. 1950's Mercedes Benz.) in my opinion, if a shop is willing to install customer supplied parts...perhaps you shouldn't be going there.

a thought. just as nicer restaurants charge a corkage fee if you bring your own wine, perhaps shops should charge a similar fee for customer supplied parts.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Just what kind of parts failure rate do you guys have? The way some of you are talking about parts failing and the liabilty,anyone would think its a 50/50 chance.
I guess I have installed hundreds ,if not a thousand parts over the years mainly aftermarket and reconditioned and I cant ever remember one failing.
There was the cheap Taiwanese engine mount that had the holes drilled on an angle making it dificult to get the bolt through but thats about it.

Your mechanic is losing money on the parts mark up ,nothing else.

 

[FJ40Jim]

In the US there is a pricing race to the bottom between several large chains: Autozone, PepBoys, Checker, Advance, etc. The failure rate for their mexican reman brake MC's and chinese wheel cylinders and rebuilt Denso electricals is pretty bad. Double digit percentages, IME.

And again, the normal customer who brings in parts is doing so because they didn't want to pay the price for good quality aftermarket (CarQuest/NAPA) or dealer OEM parts. They bring in the cheapest part they can find.

 

[haryv]

zack, he may repair in his driveway but.

There are cirtain liabilities that he could be facing if something went wrong. I have heard of a case of a do it at home mechanic worked on someones car and charged them. One of his customers got in a wreck and was seriosly injured. The backyard mechanic did not have liability insurance and he was sued. He lost his house and most of everything that he had of value. Just make sure that if he repairs your car in the future that he has some kind of liability insurance and have him post it.

As far as the shop install the parts, like previos post to this one the shop usually does a parts price markup. Its how thay pay their bill's and stay in bussiness. As for previos post its best that the shop orders the part from there supplier because thay know the quality, reputation of the part and supplier. I have done parts installs for customers only because my new boss insisted I except the part from the customer. I told him that this part, a new carborator rebuild came from a chain store, had a poor rebuild reliability record. Three carborator replacments latter the car was able to run properly but we also charged the customer three R & R replacments. The customer ended up paying more for the three replacments then had we did the total job with one replacment. There is also a possbiliity of liability if the part like a suspention part were to break then the shop gets the shaft.

 

[Mark W]

In the US there is a pricing race to the bottom between several large chains: Autozone, PepBoys, Checker, Advance, etc. The failure rate for their mexican reman brake MC's and chinese wheel cylinders and rebuilt Denso electricals is pretty bad. Double digit percentages, IME.

And again, the normal customer who brings in parts is doing so because they didn't want to pay the price for good quality aftermarket (CarQuest/NAPA) or dealer OEM parts. They bring in the cheapest part they can find.

I've experienced about a 1 in three failure rate for Autolight rebuilds of all Bosch and Nippondenso stuff. Alternators and starters. I work mainly on Toys of course, but occasionally on Saabs. I have had two different cases where it took three "brand new" rebuilds, right off the shelf to get one in the rig which actually worked. Not kept working, worked at all, right out of the box.

Obvoiusly I quit buying Autolight rebuilds.

A LOT of the rebuilt stuff these days is built overseas or across the border. A LOT of it is junk. The nicest way of looking at what comes out of these factories is... Q.uality contro is low.

I used to almost never buy OEM parts. Over the years that has changed. I still buy mainly aftermarket, but I have to be pickier about it and I am more likely to go OEM.


Mark...

 

[Elbert]

the short answer is that it depends on the shop. Some places will do the install but not stand behind the part (which of course is understandable). Some shops just flat refuse to install any parts that they don't acquire themselves, and that relates back to the profit business.

Also depends on your relationship with the shop and or the people who work there. I can get stuff put on at a local GM shop but they know me and I know "them" and I don't expect them to stand behind a part I buy. I also have only done this a couple of times.

I certainly understand the view of some shops that refuse to do this...its their business and their call.

Some people try to take advantage of this with used / junk parts and then come back and complain when their newly installed part fails or does not address the problem.

Its important for people to understand the mark-ups involved in parts and to understand how the labor is calcualted on mechanical repairs. Everyone does not necessarily follow "book" time, nor does everyone mark up parts using the same %.