[bender rodriguez]

There seem to be quite a few parts on our cars that are quick fixes that cost way too much in labor at shops. If shops charge by the hour at 120 an hour how do you end up with a valve cover gasket at 2 hours labor and 35 dollars for the gasket cost 1100??

My dmtl pump is bad.. The part is 99 dollars and its under an hour labor how do you end up with almost 300 in labor? Spark plugs 100 or less hour of labor 300 dollars????

This is not just the dealership.. I am starting to see dealership prices or Indy prices move towards each other. Yeah the dealer still charges way too much for a battery but on other things the price difference is not as great.

[bender rodriguez]

I'm on a phone messed up title can't fix

[spencers]

just DIY

[bob.g]

maybe it's your area. my indy prices are pretty low..so much so that it makes doing the work myself really not worth the trouble. A few prices ive gotten from him in the past for parts and labor: Thermostat and water pump is a bit over 800, coils/plugs for a 335xi for 500$. Cant remember what i paid for brakes but i remember it being surprisingly cheaper then what i expected.

hourly rates are around 70 an hour. i think the dealers here are at least 120. but i haven't gone in a while so maybe it has gone up.

[Taran.J]

Because economics and materialism ideals.

[Underground6t9]

You need to change valve cover with bolts not just gasket

[bender rodriguez]

Originally Posted by Underground6t9

You need to change valve cover with bolts not just gasket

So 60 dollars and 1000 dollars in labor

[bender rodriguez]

Originally Posted by bob.g

maybe it's your area. my indy prices are pretty low..so much so that it makes doing the work myself really not worth the trouble. A few prices ive gotten from him in the past for parts and labor: Thermostat and water pump is a bit over 800, coils/plugs for a 335xi for 500$. Cant remember what i paid for brakes but i remember it being surprisingly cheaper then what i expected.

hourly rates are around 70 an hour. i think the dealers here are at least 120. but i haven't gone in a while so maybe it has gone up.

Yeah prices are high here no idea why. Labor for control arms here at Indy was 350.00 but another member here only paid 180.00. Which is fair for an hour half labor.. And I can look at 180 and see a labor cost that makes sense. But when I look at 350 for labor I can't figure it out. What are they doing charging 175 an hour?

[dassub]

Bite my shiny metal ass.

But seriously, that's just the way it is. It's like the Apple Tax, but for BMW.

[vapore0n]

Sometimes you can even find a member of the forum to help or do the job for even cheaper. Got my springs/struts install and alignment for $200.

[bender rodriguez]

Originally Posted by dassub

Bite my shiny metal ass.

But seriously, that's just the way it is. It's like the Apple Tax, but for BMW.

I think other cars have the same problem. Maybe it is just me but I remember shops having the hourly rate posted. Every time you had something done it was hour rate x book time. Now it seems like they charge per job. How else can you explain the 90 dollar cabin filter?

[bender rodriguez]

Originally Posted by vapore0n

Sometimes you can even find a member of the forum to help or do the job for even cheaper. Got my springs/struts install and alignment for $200.

Oh yeah I have been doing everything myself. Even after renting lift I still save 100s.. Only job I will not be doing is oil pan.. I hear you have to drop the sub frame.

[fazman]

Originally Posted by bender rodriguez

There seem to be quite a few parts on our cars that are quick fixes that cost way too much in labor at shops. If shops charge by the hour at 120 an hour how do you end up with a valve cover gasket at 2 hours labor and 35 dollars for the gasket cost 1100??

My dmtl pump is bad.. The part is 99 dollars and its under an hour labor how do you end up with almost 300 in labor? Spark plugs 100 or less hour of labor 300 dollars????

This is not just the dealership.. I am starting to see dealership prices or Indy prices move towards each other. Yeah the dealer still charges way too much for a battery but on other things the price difference is not as great.

Its the same with home ownership and home improvements/maintenance. If you don't know what the job's true effort is and how it is done correctly... you need to pay for your ignorance is the current market. That's why I'm all about Youtube and DIY projects (Yes it takes away from my personal time, but my personal time allows me to keep more money in the bank). The more i learn the more power, I have to break myself free from the strangle of others.

[bender rodriguez]

Originally Posted by fazman

Its the same with home ownership and home improvements/maintenance. If you don't know what the job's true effort is and how it is done correctly... you need to pay for your ignorance is the current market. That's why I'm all about Youtube and DIY projects (Yes it takes away from my personal time, but my personal time allows me to keep more money in the bank). The more i learn the more power, I have to break myself free from the strangle of others.

Yeah I had to learn or I could not keep this car. I honestly don't have the money in the least bit to pay someone 100s of dollars for every 1 hour job on this car.

Between the cabin filter, air filter, pads and rotors, spark plugs, dmtl pump and control arms. I have saved 1000s... Its hard to belive that brake service alone on the car is over 1000. I think BMw charges 1200-1400 for all 4.

[fazman]

Originally Posted by bender rodriguez

Yeah I had to learn or I could not keep this car. I honestly don't have the money in the least bit to pay someone 100s of dollars for every 1 hour job on this car.

Between the cabin filter, air filter, pads and rotors, spark plugs, dmtl pump and control arms. I have saved 1000s... Its hard to belive that brake service alone on the car is over 1000. I think BMw charges 1200-1400 for all 4.

My nissan frontier hasn't given me any issues and 30k mile services are dirt cheap. Most things don't need the pickup truck off the ground since i can easily crawl under it without jacks. But it is no where near as fun as a performance ride. 0-60 times on a performance ride would low single digits... 0-60 on my frontier = yes it can get to 60 but make sure you limit the races against 18 wheelers only

[bender rodriguez]

Originally Posted by fazman

My nissan frontier hasn't given me any issues and 30k mile services are dirt cheap. Most things don't need the pickup truck off the ground since i can easily crawl under it without jacks. But it is no where near as fun as a performance ride. 0-60 times on a performance ride would low single digits... 0-60 on my frontier = yes it can get to 60 but make sure you limit the races against 18 wheelers only

What is 30k service at dealer and what do they do

[Healey3000]

Originally Posted by bender rodriguez

So 60 dollars and 1000 dollars in labor

I recently went through this with my local dealership. Labor on the VCG is around six hours. If you look at the DIY for this, you will see that a lot of things have to be pulled off to get to the gasket itself.

The real shame here is not that it is so difficult to get to the VCG but that it fails as often as it does. If you design a part to be buried under a ton of stuff, you have to make sure it is commensurately robust and reliable.

BMW clearly did not.

[bender rodriguez]

Originally Posted by Healey3000

I recently went through this with my local dealership. Labor on the VCG is around six hours. If you look at the DIY for this, you will see that a lot of things have to be pulled off to get to the gasket itself.

The real shame here is not that it is so difficult to get to the VCG but that it fails as often as it does. If you design a part to be buried under a ton of stuff, you have to make sure it is commensurately robust and reliable.

BMW clearly did not.

Pelican parts diy rates the job at 2 hours and 200 in labor. I have used them before and they seem pretty spot on with time.

[fazman]

Originally Posted by bender rodriguez

What is 30k service at dealer and what do they do

Bimmer dealer doesn't do mileage services... they do OBC services. My pickup truck is very basic and just does stuff by the numbers which would be the same in the bimmer world if you followed the Mike Miller guide.

on my truck all i need to do every 30k miles (with no lift and basic tools) is:
* DIY 1 minute - replace engine air filter
* DIY 20 mins - motor oil + filter change
* DIY 10 mins - in cabin HVAC filter change (have to remove glove box, 4 screws)
* DIY 30 mins - fuel filter replacement (this one is a bit messy)
* DIY 1 hour - manual transmission fluid flush and refill (2 bolts [filler bolt and drain bolt] and a handpump to refill transmission)
* DIY 1 hour - rear diff fluid flush and refill (2 bolts [filler bolt and drain bolt] and a handpump to refill diff)

60k miles
* all the items in the 30k mile service
* Coolant flush (Paid firestone to do this).

105k miles (Pay a shop to do it, its a PITA)
* 60k mile service
* New cap and rotor
* new spark plugs and new spark plug wires
* New hoses (radiator and heater hoses)
* New water pump
* New serpentine/timing belt

[John 070]

what like microcabin costing $160? I would say even though it takes less than 5 min. (less than 60 sec. with a tech who is really good), they still have to pull your car in, provide you with a loaner, and tie up a tech. That tech could have pulled in a 7 Series that needs a $10,000 coolant leak fixed. Then you're probably going to pull out one of those 1.5% cash back cards on the $160 which also costs them an interchange rate.

[bender rodriguez]

Originally Posted by John 070

what like microcabin costing $160? I would say even though it takes less than 5 min. (less than 60 sec. with a tech who is really good), they still have to pull your car in, provide you with a loaner, and tie up a tech. That tech could have pulled in a 7 Series that needs a $10,000 coolant leak fixed. Then you're probably going to pull out one of those 1.5% cash back cards on the $160 which also costs them an interchange rate.

They don't do loaners here for stuff like that. Or for oil changes..

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Because people will pay for it.