Mechanic charging for diagnostics?

This has been a great discussion!

A few thoughts after reading all the replies:

  • While I have never previously paid for diagnostics, I just assumed those costs were rolled into overall costs of everyone's repair.
  • Paying directly for the diagnostics on my vehicle makes a whole lot of sense after reading many of the replies, but how can that be a flat fee. If I am charged a $159 flat fee and the diagnostics are so simple it takes a few minutes, that doesn't seem good and vice versa as some replies pointed out, sometimes it can take hours. Why not charge me for the actual diagnostic time with a cap before you call me. I think you can't have it both ways, pay me for my time but I'm going average the cost into a flat fee regardless how much or how little time I spend diagnosing your vehicle, because that's just spreading among customers a different way. Do I pay the $159 diagnostic when it is a leaking drain plug gasket and do I only pay a $159 if they need to pull the valve covers to look at something?
  • Having lived the first half of my life in the City of Chicago where mechanics are required by law to provide itemized costs in writing, prior to commencing any repairs, may have given me a different perspective versus where I live now.
 
I look at it this way. A doctor will charge you that much for 5-10 minutes of time to tell you if you are sick or not.
 
I'm used to up to 1hr of the posted hourly rate as a "Diagnostic fee"
Which is credited towards the job, if you give them the job
Charging a diagnostic fee separately, even when you give the man the job, seems a bit like double dipping to me

Of course if we're talking Eric O/Ivan level back probing and oscilloscoping, for hours on end, then I see an hourly diag charge as perfectly reasonable

Charging an extra hour labor to drive the car around the block to confirm a front end clunk and it needs front sway bar links is too far IMO

Here in NY, the "diagnostics fee" and or "estimate fee" is not to exceed 1 hour of the shops posted hourly rate, unless authorized

Consider looking it over yourself, but I would highly recommend only an OEM part, or perhaps NTK/WVE

 
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BTW, an engine with a bad knock sensor can lean out the air fuel mix drastically and cause so much damage in the cylinders that the engine is destroyed. That happened to my nieces Kia Sonata with a six-cylinder although Kia is a different animals than Hondas and their engines are known to self-destruct. Still, it could happen with a Honda too. By the way when they do that Diagnostics one of the things they might find is that the engine is not repairable. If that's the case then you and they will be taking a serious look about whether it's under any kind of warranty.
 
You could spend about $3,000 for a diagnostic tool and then a couple hundred a month for the Honda subscription to use it and do the diagnostic yourself.
 
I would consider a code for a bad knock sensor serious enough to not run the engine at all and don't even consider letting your son use the vehicle until after it's fixed. If the engine has not already been destroyed, continuing to run it with a bad knock sensor is risking destroying that engine.
 
My 0.02 - when mechanics are booked for weeks in advance they are not likely to do any work for free.
Just replace the sensor if it's never been done on your 2006 (17 y.o.) car.
Actually I think it may be the opposite. The two mechanics I deal with are always booked for weeks with long term customers. Very customer relationship based. No mass advertising or coupons, just strong word of mouth and generational business. I think they just spread those diagnostic costs across the repairs and have a very small percentage of customers that actually don't move forward with repairs.
 
IMHO, if you have a long term relations with the mechanic/s they should be able to give you a deal on diags since you are gonna get work done with them. Otherwise, someone coming in and leaving after time is spent with them and part of the work is done for free is just not worth it for a business. They could have earned $$ in that time or taken a much needed break.
I may be a different breed thou, I always treat my mechanic buddy on Christmas (and randomly), whether I need to and he lets me (or not) use his lift, tire machines or tools thru the year.
 
The way I see it, if I have to take my cars to a mechanic for a diagnostic, then the repair is beyond my expertise, and I’ll have no issue paying it. Mechanics work very hard, and a good one is worth their weight in gold!👍
 
The OEM knock sensors on the Honda K24 motor were known to go bad with intermittent P0325 code recurrence spaced over weeks or months after a reset of the OBD. Just follow this video and do it yourself from underneath the CRV without having to remove the intake manifold:

K24 Knock Sensor Replacement

After raising the front end on jack stands, I did it in 20 minutes with a long screwdriver and a (1.25"???) deep socket on a 12" ratchet extension. It will only cost you $17 if you have the tools and order this part. It is still working perfect for me 6 years later.

K24 Knock Sensor
 
My local guy charges a diag fee if I don’t have him do the actual repair. If he does the repair as well, he considers that part of what he was going to have to do anyways and does not “add” that to the total. Just a plain diag fee is 1 hour labor, or $65 in my case. If I’ve made the diagnosis and simply want him to change parts, I get charged book time for the R&R and any parts I supply are my responsibility if there’s any warranty issues. I’m good with all that.
:)
 
If I may take it a step further, I believe it is a good plan to get in with 1 mechanic, carpenter, plumber, electrician, etc to help when needed. Let him/her get to know your vehicles so they can offer you the best care. I do this with the goal of getting the best overall service at a fair (to vendor and customer) price.
 
Wanted to get some opinions here to see if I'm crazy or not.

I have a 2006 Honda CRV and deal with an independent mechanic and have a backup for when the primary is booked up. Both of them are backed up for weeks.

It is a throwing a P0325 knock sensor code and I need it fixed before my kid takes it back to college with him. So I start calling around and every place I talk to wants $150-$200 in diagnostic fees to even look at it without any of that cost going towards the repair. While I appreciate that they spend time for diagnostics and many times the customer will choose not to get the repair done, an hour or more of labor seems excessive. I've been getting cars repaired for more than 30 years and have never paid for someone to just look at a car.

Is this the new normal or have I just been lucky for 30 years?
Do YOU work for free??
 
Wanted to get some opinions here to see if I'm crazy or not.

I have a 2006 Honda CRV and deal with an independent mechanic and have a backup for when the primary is booked up. Both of them are backed up for weeks.

It is a throwing a P0325 knock sensor code and I need it fixed before my kid takes it back to college with him. So I start calling around and every place I talk to wants $150-$200 in diagnostic fees to even look at it without any of that cost going towards the repair. While I appreciate that they spend time for diagnostics and many times the customer will choose not to get the repair done, an hour or more of labor seems excessive. I've been getting cars repaired for more than 30 years and have never paid for someone to just look at a car.

Is this the new normal or have I just been lucky for 30 years?
An hour of labor charge for diagnostics is normal.
 
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