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UPDATE -- Is This a Little High Priced?
RancheroPaul
Member Posts: 1,459 ✭✭✭✭✭
I have a Fishing/Hunting vehicle that doesn't get much use. It is a 1990 Full Size Bronco with a 5.0L engine. I need to use it for about a week beginning next week. I went over it and it doesn't "warm-up" past the "C" for cold on the temperature gauge. I called the Local Ford Dealer and asked how much time it would take and what the cost would be to replace the thermostat in the engine.........I nearly fell off my chair when they came back and said "the book says just a little over an hour......and with the parts and labor, it would be $133.30 plus sales tax!"
I called AutoZone and they said the "premium" thermostat was $11.95 and the gasket was 85 cents.................. or the "cheaper" one was only $7.95. If Ford gets twice that for the parts for the job, they must be charging $100.00 an hour for labor......... What am I missing here? I questioned if there was some mistake, but was assured that was the cost!
Anybody pay this much for Mechanic work?????
I Miss The World I Grew Up In!
I called AutoZone and they said the "premium" thermostat was $11.95 and the gasket was 85 cents.................. or the "cheaper" one was only $7.95. If Ford gets twice that for the parts for the job, they must be charging $100.00 an hour for labor......... What am I missing here? I questioned if there was some mistake, but was assured that was the cost!
Anybody pay this much for Mechanic work?????
I Miss The World I Grew Up In!
Comments
Larry
col elect1mike Illinois
volinters RRG
I am a man but I can change if I have to,I guess.
I've got to be missing something here! Don't suppose they just don't want the job, do you?
I Miss The World I Grew Up In!
thermostat $12 tops
Three bolts, gasket, thermostat, 15 min tops.
"If you aim at nothing,
you will be sure to hit it"
[img][/img]
Years ago a neighbor had a thermo replaced at a dealer..next day the car overheated again.I got home and pulled it out for him.......SAME OLD RUSTY THERMO IT ALWAYS HAD!!Sure,coulda been an "oversight"......
Throckmortons' the alias,cas is the game.
SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
Do it yourself and buy ammo with the difference.
Dang David, I like how you think![:D]
How you doin'!
Michael
Paranoid keeps you alive, worry just gives you stomach problems.
sound
Make SURE to dispose of it, and then hose the entire area down well, just in case you did spill any!
Antifreeze poisoning is a terrible death.......
Merc
Insignia?
Nos nullus habitum rancidum insignia!
"Tolerating things you may not necessarily like is part of being free" - Larry Flynt
Big Daddy my heros have always been cowboys,they still are it seems
Yup, sounds about right for a 15 minute $15 job.
The gene pool needs chlorine.
Make shure you have plenty of pure grain alcahol on hand, its the only cure for antifreeze poisoning.
Honest it realy is. I used to be on an ambulance and we hade to make a lights and siren run to the liquer store for a bottle for the hospital one time.
Ill never understand why a women would dedicate her entire life to making one man miserable when she could make so many men happy
Hello, why would you even call about changing the thermostat on 302cid anyway? Did you ever think that maybe your coolant temp. sensor is just bad? Maybe the thermostat is just fine.
Michael
Paranoid keeps you alive, worry just gives you stomach problems.
- .- -.- . / -- -.-- / .- -.. ...- .. ... . --..-- / .. .----. -- / -. --- - / ..- ... .. -. --. / .. - / .- -. -.-- .-- .- -.-- .-.-.-
Politics- From the words poly, meaning many, and tics, which are just little blood suckers.
.-.. .. ..-. . / .. ... / .- / ... . -..- ..- .- .-.. .-.. -.-- / - .-. .- -. ... -- .. - - . -.. / -.. .. ... . .- ... . .-.-.-
If "con" is the opposite of "pro," then what is the opposite of progress?
Or you might have a bad guage or bad wiring the unless you have a failsafe thermostat (the one that fails in the open position) the thermostat is not likely to be the problem.
I shall visit Auto Zone this morning..... If it takes me three times the time estimate...... it shouldn't be a big deal from the looks of this. Besides, as Nunn said, "I can use the other money for Ammo!" Looks like the savings is going to be enough to get at least 1,000 rounds for the AK....... or so!
I'll let you guys know how it turns out later this evening........
I Miss The World I Grew Up In!
Guncontrol-The ability to hit what your aiming at.
Current typical labor rates:
San Franciso ( All union shops there) $110-$120 hr
Los Angeles (No union shops there) $80-$95 hr
NYC $85-$100 hr
Boston $80-$95 hr
Dallas $75-$85 hr
Miami $80-$98 hr
Missippi $40-$55 hr
Alabama $40-$55 hr
The problem: dealerships cant find or retain good mechanics, most mechanics with under 5yrs experiance move on for better $, huge turn over.
A journeyman mechanic is worth his weight in gold to the dealership, and he is usually paid 40% of the labor rate.
A mechanic with under 5yrs experiance is usually paid 20-25% of the labor rate due to "come backs" or improper repairs, having to be repaired again.
Another sad point is a mechanic has to invest at least $10,000 in tools of the trade, this does not include the high dollar computer diagnostic machines which for a professional model cost around $10,000-$15,000, then add another $3,000-$5,000 per year for software updates.
As for as the dealer qouting from the flat rate labor manual, the time given to perform a repair function is based upon a jounrneyman mechanic to perform the repair, not a apprentice mechanic!
My 2003 Chiltons book shows .8 hrs to R&R the thermostat, this does not include a cooling system checkout which is another .5 hr.
There is nothing worse than to replace a thermostat and releasing the car to the customer. Only to find out the raditor is clogged, a water pump with the impellers being ate off (no signs of leaks from pump weep hole) or worse a partialy blown head gasket.
Yep it happens, because the customer did not want to pay the extra 1/2 hr lbr to do a coolant system check.
Then guess who cathes the crap, yep the poor old service writer, who had tried to sell the extra 1/2 hrs lbr. Which the customer refused.
Been on both sides, and they both suck....
Walte
In 1981 my mother was charged $143 by the Chevy dealer to replace a headlight. Not a rotating or hide-away or anything fancy, just a regular, old take it out with four screws headlight bulb. This was $143 in 1981 dollars. They charged $45 for the light and $98 labor. The light was $7.95 at Napa and I could do it in 30 minutes and I know a pro mechanic would be faster.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of any third party or the policy of any state agency.
I never imagined that "bad luck" could be passed down as a gene.[:D]
JC
Ted Kennedy's breath has killed more people than my car.
On most engines, the thermostat is easy to get at. Do it yourself and buy ammo with the difference.
Ya, no need to empty the antifreeze usually. 2 bolts + gasket and walla (sp??)[:p] 5-10 minutes
BTW, not familiar with your Bronco but can't possibly be more complicated than that.
Frog
GO NAVY, BEAT ARMY
Antifreeze poisoning is a terrible death.......
Make shure you have plenty of pure grain alcahol on hand, its the only cure for antifreeze poisoning.
Honest it realy is. I used to be on an ambulance and we hade to make a lights and siren run to the liquer store for a bottle for the hospital one time.
True, ethylene glycol ingestion is cured with supportive care and alcohol. Never used it myself but am curious what type of alcohol we stock at the hospital.[;)][:D]
Frog
GO NAVY, BEAT ARMY
Got a "Failsafe" Thermostat and Gasket from AutoZone.......$13.65.
Drained the Coolant in a 5 Gallon Plastic Bucket purchased from Home Depot for $2.00. Had to loosed the hose clamp on the By-Pass hose because it was in the way of one of the two mounting bolts on the Thermostat housing. Removed the two bolts, cleaned the gasket surfaces and put on the new gasket and thermostat and put it back together. Used a large plastic funnel found in the "junk box" in the corner of the Garage to pour the Coolant back into the engine. Started the Bronco up and let it run........Temperature gauge climbed into the "Normal" range and the heater blew nice and warm.........all is well! Total Cost of $15.78 with all the Sales Tax.....and less than an hour of my time........Yep, AMMO Money was left over!!!!! I can see right now it doesn't pay to go to the "Dealer" for much of anything....... Sure beats $133.30 plus tax.........!!!!!
Thanks to all that encouraged me to do it myself......IT WAS FUN!!!!
And the "SAVINGS" was GREAT!!!!
I Miss The World I Grew Up In!