$900 parts and labor for a radiator?

[Glockster69]

I think mistake #1 was getting a dodge.

LoL

Minivan is #2. Lol

Bwahaha (sorry mate )

 

[swcc22]

My shop has a 3000 a month electric bill it also is a 72 bay shop with. 6double pumper air compressors 12 parts washers a huge drivers lounge 2 transmission cookers and 3 welders and is open 24 hours 7 days a week. Like I said got to keep the lights on. But from what I hear from my friends that are auto techs they take there price on parts and times it times 1.5 and thats the price the customers pay

The only easy day was yesterday.

 

[Greg_TX]

But from what I hear from my friends that are auto techs they take there price on parts and times it times 1.5 and thats the price the customers pay

Do they give a quote to the customer that includes the price of parts possibly needed before they start the work?

 

[swcc22]

I dont know. My shop gives a estimate before starting any work after approval id we find anyrhing else we can or in most cases go in to the deivers lounge since most of the time the driver lives in another town or state and are some times there for a few days

The only easy day was yesterday.

 

[stdreb27]

One shop I used to take my stuff to sure had expensive lights. Thieving sumbitch wanted to charge me $250 each for front rotors on our Honda Odyssey. I called one of the local dealers and was told $149 ea. plus tax. I don't expect to get a great deal on parts from a mechanic, but a 67% markup over dealer retail?!

If that's a hub and rotor that isn't really out of line with industry practices.

 

[swcc22]

No honda uses floating rotors

The only easy day was yesterday.

 

[M. Sage]

Dodge Grand Caravan, Cracked radiator.

Called up the local parts shop $190 for the radiator, $25 ish for the hoses and $15 for the thermostat. Where do they get the $670.00 for labor that should only take an hour?

Looks like I'm doing this one myself. If they charged $75 or so for the hour labor without me paying MSRP on the parts I'd have gone with them.

What year Caravan? Some of those Caravans, getting the radiator out and in is a real bitch, and not a one hour job.

 

[M. Sage]

My shop has a 3000 a month electric bill it also is a 72 bay shop with. 6double pumper air compressors 12 parts washers a huge drivers lounge 2 transmission cookers and 3 welders and is open 24 hours 7 days a week. Like I said got to keep the lights on. But from what I hear from my friends that are auto techs they take there price on parts and times it times 1.5 and thats the price the customers pay

The only easy day was yesterday.

Yeah, it's usually about 1.5x cost on parts.

Keeping the lights on is expensive. It's going to get bad in the summer when there are more fans running, the office AC will be cranked and output in the shop slows because we're all being burned alive.

Don't forget warranty, too. If I put a radiator in someone's car and make a mistake and the customer's engine gets cooked, my boss is buying a new engine. If you DIY and make a mistake and cook your engine... well...

 

[Dcav]

What year Caravan? Some of those Caravans, getting the radiator out and in is a real bitch, and not a one hour job.

Alot of them are not fun at all. Had a charger with a fan blade busting through the radiator today, all said an done was damn near 1300 bucks.

 

[Brains]

Alot of them are not fun at all. Had a charger with a fan blade busting through the radiator today, all said an done was damn near 1300 bucks.

Didn't get the recall done yet I guess

 

[swcc22]

Lol I had a freightliner towed in a few months ago driver said it needes a starter the service writer said we need to diag ot he saod it needs an fing stater I just putt all new batterys in it. So I walk out and look then walked to the drivers lounge and had him fallow me to the truck. Said watch this took a 5/8 wrench out of my pocket took all the negative terminals off. Then took all the black plastic covers off the studs and put the terminals back on. Then started the truck then said that 500 dollar tow bill will help you to never forget this lesson then walked back inside

The only easy day was yesterday.

 

[M. Sage]

Alot of them are not fun at all. Had a charger with a fan blade busting through the radiator today, all said an done was damn near 1300 bucks.

LOL, those Chargers are pieces of crap. We had one of the cop cars eat a cam at about 70K. Those cars are absolute trash.

 

[Dcav]

LOL, those Chargers are pieces of crap. We had one of the cop cars eat a cam at about 70K. Those cars are absolute trash.

It amazes me that the police intercepters are 3.5 v6.........not Mopars best motor by far.

 

[matefrio]

What year Caravan? Some of those Caravans, getting the radiator out and in is a real bitch, and not a one hour job.

2006 3.3, got it most of the way done tonight, old one is out, new one in just needs hooked up and back together but ran out of light, started at 6, took a 20 min break and stopped at 8ish till tomorrow..

Most of that time was spent teaching a 13 year old with ADHD to turn the wrench or I'd have it done I think.

Found I didn't need to take out the fans all the way just pushed them back.

Experience is no light = lost parts and screws so I'm packing it up till Tuesday afternoon.

I know what to do and how to do it, just thought I had more money than time till that quote hit me.

 

[swcc22]

Well good on u remember to make sure u get the air pockets out or you will over heat

The only easy day was yesterday.

 

[matefrio]

PS, for some reason I think that the hourly wage should be $65.00 an hour has stuck in my head, I could just be old.

As for keeping the lights on in a shop, I understand, but when I know what to do it's hard to see that money go and I guess I just needed the reality check, after the leak was found, that I needed to do it.

Leak wasn't presenting it'self very well and I couldn't find it. Payed $30 for them to tell me it was the radiator.

 

[matefrio]

Well good on u remember to make sure u get the air pockets out or you will over heat

The only easy day was yesterday.

Yep, Car's already up on front ramps so the radiator is the highest point.

 

[M. Sage]

PS, for some reason I think that the hourly wage should be $65.00 an hour has stuck in my head, I could just be old.

As for keeping the lights on in a shop, I understand, but when I know what to do it's hard to see that money go and I guess I just needed the reality check, after the leak was found, that I needed to do it.

Leak wasn't presenting it'self very well and I couldn't find it. Payed $30 for them to tell me it was the radiator.

That's pretty old. My boss is charging $90/hr, and I'm trying to convince him that he's low if he wants to actually turn a profit.

High point is good, but you have to warm it up and get the thermostat to open so you can drive the air out before you cap the system.

 

[Dcav]

Our shop rate is 104.95 an hour. 32 bay shop.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Labor is the single largest cost on about anything nowadays. And as all this Obamacare kicks in, it's only gonna get worse.