cost at dealer!

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: rsylvstr
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Robertslowpoke
I am pretty picky about tires, my friend spun out in a car and was in a body cast for 6 months. I DO like Michelin tires, for better or worse.

You can stick with Michelin tires, but you can probably still save yourself a few hundred dollars by not buying them from a car dealer.


Depends. I buy 90% of my tires at my local Nissan dealer. Even for my truck. Local mechanic can't beat their price and he matches Tire Rack.

Right. The OP hasn't really told us how much the tires would be at the dealer. He needs to find out and do the math himself.

And personally, I would stay away from OEM tires - they are typically designed to be quiet and deliver good MPG, but that's at the expense of everything else like traction and wear.

 

[finmile]

Some years ago the Nissan dealer wanted 500 eur to replace the outer tie rod ends with new ones. Back in those days I didn’t know anything about car mechanics but I felt that this was a bit high price for the job. When the service advisor saw my surprised face he quickly added: “You’re lucky. If it were the lower ball joints it would cost you 1,000 euros”.

This was the point in my life where I got interested in car mechanics and started to learn how I can do all the maintenance myself. I started with zero knowledge. It took me about two years to watch youtube videos and practice with my own car, but now I can do all the periodic maintenance and basic repairs myself and I don’t have to pay for the dealership or an indy shop if I’m not in a hurry or face some bigger repair that I’m not willing to do myself.

In the long run I will save a lot of money. I also enjoy doing the maintenance to my car. I recommend this path to you also, if you are willing to learn and aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty. It's not rocket science. Just a man made machine with nuts and bolts. You can start with the easiest things first and proceed from there.

...or you can just pay the dealer what they want and get on with your life...

 

[oilpsi2high]

You just got ripped off pretty badly.

 

[Robertslowpoke]

thanks guys!

duck rider: itemized:
if i am reading this right:
brake fluid $12 parts and $118 labor
engine air filter, which i will NOT do. part $46, labor $35. too much for the labor
drain and refill radiator. parts $38 labor $118. i would not do that myself.
clean and remove and lube brakes. parts $4
labor $99

synthetic Mobil 1 oil, which i requested. parts $46 labor $22, reasonable
mount and balance 4 new tires. $118 labor, reasonable to me
4 michelin pilot tires, $856, about like tire rack. fine with me. i am a nut about tires and brakes.
4 wheel alignment $99. did i need that?
cabin air filter $23. labor $35. i can do that myself. sorry! i have done it before
checked trans fluid, low and dark. recommended replacement.
fluid and washer $37
labor $60. those are just fine with me
my take on this:
1. i agree that 5 yr. old tires are old and can be replaced. the car rides WAY better right now. feels like new shocks/struts. i am willing to pay for michelin. did i need 4 wheel align???
2. i wanted to change coolant, am fine with that.
3. i can do oil changes, but it is cold outside! from reading i DO want Mobil 1 synthetic. i send used oil samples to be tested and it is good after 5,000 miles. this oil had about 5,000 miles on it, all stop and go local traffic. car never warms up, she drives a few miles to work.
4.happy to replace BRAKE and radiator fluid after 5 years. will NOT do that myself
5. fine with transmission fluid after 5 years. want to keep this car for MANY years.
6. i will do cabin air filter myself from here on. have done it before. and do cabin and engine filter on my caddy

this car is paid off, want to keep many years!

always happy to hear more ideas!

happy new year!!
best,
bob

 

[Nick1994]

If your old tires weren't wearing weird, you didn't need an alignment.

 

[itguy08]

I must be the only one that, after seeing the itemization thinks it's reasonable. You probably don't need the alignment (although many align when they put new tires on so it's a common practice) but the rest of the prices seem in line. Yes you can do most of that yourself but many don't want to spend 1/4 a day bleeding brakes and hoping you don't suck air in and have to clear that from an ABS pump.

The other thing people forget about Tire Rack is, yes those tires are $800, then you have the shipping ($20 or so a tire), installation/bakancing ($30-40 per tire), etc. Last time I priced out tires from TR it was about the same to just have a local place order and install the tires. And I don't have to deal with shipping or an unknown shop.

Even the synthetic oil change seems about reasonable. Walking into Wal-Mart, 6 qts (what mine take) of Pennzoil Platinum and a Fram Ultra is about $45. And I still have to supply the labor (which I don't mind but some may).

The fact that they didn't do the hard upsell, to me seems that they are a decent dealer.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: Robertslowpoke
checked trans fluid, low and dark. recommended replacement.
fluid and washer $37
labor $60. those are just fine with me


Very important to change the atf often on the V6 automatic. Looks like they did a drain and fill which is what Honda recommends. Since the car sees a lot of city driving I'd have the atf dropped every 15k miles. After a month or at the next oil change I'd have another drain and fill done. Since only a small percentage of old fluid was replaced. I used to be on the Accord forums often and this was the consensus over there by some of the top techs.

 

[JTK]

I know in my area, the cost between dealer service and independent shop service has narrowed to the point it's almost doesn't matter anymore.

 

[Leo99]

Why won't you change the air filter? What's so difficult about this on your Honda?

I can see not wanting to flush brake lines or drain antifreeze if you don't have the work area to collect the waste.

My Rav4 and Corolla have never had a wheel alignment. Took the Corolla in for an alignment check once and they told me it was in spec.


Finmile is 100% correct. Either learn to do yourself or pay someone to do for you.

I've had great luck with Sears Guardsman tires. I hate spending more than $100 a tire.

 

[Californiabob]

I buy all my tires at Costco. anything they don't have in stock can be ordered.

most major maintenance is usually at the 60 or 100K mark.

 

[CrAlt]

Originally Posted By: Robertslowpoke

THANKS GUYS!!
I am pretty picky about tires, my friend spun out in a car and was in a body cast for 6 months. I DO like Michelin tires, for better or worse.



OEM tires are normally "just OK" since they are spec'ed to hit a price point and work "just OK" no matter what market the car is sold in.

I would check out the higher end Michelins instead of just settling for what ever honda picked. If your in an area that never see's snow but lots of rain then maybe look at a tire that is weaker on winter but much better in wet. etc.

Also with tires from the dealer they normally don't move as many tires (because of their pricing) so the ones on the their rack have a higher chance of being old already.

With TIRE RACK see if they have a warehouse near you. They have one near me where I can just pickup the tires. Internet pricing with NO shipping is great.

 

[crazyoildude]

Find a trusted shop in your area and you can cut that cost in half.. You may also be able to find another Honda Stealer that is more reasonable.

 

[krismoriah72]

What did they charge you for the timing belt job? or are you past due?

From those rates im guessing $2000

 

[69GTX]

drain and refill radiator. parts $38 labor $118. i would not do that myself.

Sounds like all they did was open the pet cock drain, emptied the radiator, then refilled. You could certainly do that...with the hardest part finding the drain valve and opening it into a 2-3 gallon tub. A flush of the entire coolant system would be more involved and does typically run around $90-$130. If just a radiator drain, then 1/2 or more of the old coolant is still in there. A transmission pan drain is usually about 1/3 of the total fluid. Usually you would need to do 2-3 of those...or one every year.

 

[crazyoildude]

just do a drain and flush with water forget all the abrasive stuff after you flush it with distilled water refill it with the correct anti freeze.

 

[Y_K]

I don't know about your specific market, but I cannot find better tire prices locally than at either my Ford dealer or Costco. Forget Tire Rack in my case. Although, I am a bit atypical: I always use winter tires in this very mild climate. Once you try them once, you'll regret you haven't done that before.
Radiator is easily drained and refilled, I do it twice a year. My last Landcruiser was shipped away with its original radiator after 480k miles. Btw, master brake cylinders on those puppies cost a fortune. My cabby friends look at me like I am just jumped down from a UFO, when I tell them about brake fluid change - they never ever chang it in their Crown Vics (this may be different on other vehicles they drive nowadays).
A trusted mechanic or a dealer is worth the pay: they save you a lot of trouble and money in the long run. A lot of simple, little things can be done yourself, but if you prefer a mecahnic, get a good one. A good one usually knows his limitations and refers you out on a rear occasion. Second opinion ih this world of auto maintenance and repair is sometimes worth a big difference. Why don't you hit user Trav above with a personal message? You are from the same state, and he may be even close or knows a good spec or generalist in your area. Car Talk site still has links compiled by real customers to reputable mechanics and garages all over US. April and October are the best months for regular maintenance in my climate area and they are the best months for tire shopping as well.

 

[finmile]

Originally Posted By: itguy08
I must be the only one that, after seeing the itemization thinks it's reasonable.


Seems like a normal dealership pricing for me, too. $100 per task, tires = $1000.

8 tasks x $100 + tires = $1800. Thank you, come again!

 

[Claud]

Originally Posted By: Robertslowpoke

I have changed the brakes twice on my 2008 Caddy DTS, BUT, my friend the expert mechanic did it and I removed lug nuts and handed him tools. I would NEVER do brakes.

have a great new years!
best

bob


Changing worn brake pads is one of the simplest diy jobs you could do to most cars. However if you make good money then you may prefer to keep your hands clean. If you like your dealer, and it seems you are being offered good service, albeit at a price, then help keep a few local people in work with your custom.

Claud.

 

[DuckRyder]

Originally Posted By: itguy08
I must be the only one that, after seeing the itemization thinks it's reasonable. You probably don't need the alignment (although many align when they put new tires on so it's a common practice) but the rest of the prices seem in line. Yes you can do most of that yourself but many don't want to spend 1/4 a day bleeding brakes and hoping you don't suck air in and have to clear that from an ABS pump.

The other thing people forget about Tire Rack is, yes those tires are $800, then you have the shipping ($20 or so a tire), installation/bakancing ($30-40 per tire), etc. Last time I priced out tires from TR it was about the same to just have a local place order and install the tires. And I don't have to deal with shipping or an unknown shop.

Even the synthetic oil change seems about reasonable. Walking into Wal-Mart, 6 qts (what mine take) of Pennzoil Platinum and a Fram Ultra is about $45. And I still have to supply the labor (which I don't mind but some may).

The fact that they didn't do the hard upsell, to me seems that they are a decent dealer.


You aren't the only one. I agree, it seems like fair pricing to me.

Hard to say if the 4 wheel alignment was needed without seeing the old tires but it is very common to do when replacing tires.

There is a Honda procedure for exchanging (almost) all the fluid by doing consecutive drain and fills and running the car on the rack through a specific pattern. It isn't clear if they did this or a simple drain and fill, it doesn't seem like they charged enough for the fluid to do the complete exchange. Probably be worth asking about.

 

[Robertslowpoke]

thanks everyone!
OK, i have the bill. radiator, he used 2 fluids at $19 each. does that mean 2 quarts? how much is in the radiator, total?

ok, transmission, used 4 fluids, at $8 each. is that quarts? how much is in the whole transmission?

i myself would have no problem with doing those every year or two. i want this car for 10 more years!!!!

best regards, and happy new year!
bob