Thread: Shop Rate

Tweet

"Mitchell Manual" time is 3.6 hours for plugs and wires. Our labor rate is $98 per flat rate hour.

I would have charged 4.1.... reason is the vehicle is no longer new. These estimated times were published when the cars were still new. They don't account for rust, wear, oil leaks, cleaning parts, or frozen bolts.

I'm sick of dealership techs getting blasted because someone "didn't have the time..." to do it themselves and feel like they got "ripped off". How much is your time worth??? If time is that expensive, get off your ass and fix your own car. MY time is expensive, too. So are $40K worth of tools. We all hear the same crap everyday... "I used to turn wrenches, but I don't have time any more..."

It's not that they don't have the time, its the complexity of modern vehicles. The Mercedes vehicles that I service and repair have more electronics in the driver seat than most ten-year-old cars had in the whole car.

Try going to work, working all day on a "problem car", and getting 1.8 hours of warranty pay. See how THAT flies in any other job. "Okay... you worked ten hours....but we're only gonna pay you four..." You would QUIT... wouldn't you!!! Flat rate pay sucks, work conditions suck, warranty sucks, and lastly... CUSTOMERS SUCK.

If you're ranting at me, all I asked is "what was the shop rate? I didn't say anything about being ripped off.

I'm sick of dealership techs getting blasted because someone "didn't have the time..." to do it themselves and feel like they got "ripped off". How much is your time worth??? If time is that expensive, get off your ass and fix your own car. MY time is expensive, too. So are $40K worth of tools. We all hear the same crap everyday... "I used to turn wrenches, but I don't have time any more..."

Originally Posted by billlsbird

.....Hi Henry, well I don't know how similar your '93 Vette is to my '94 Firebird BUT my car has been up on jack stands for two days while I've been changing the plugs/wires. Now I'm most certainly NOT the fastest, most experiened car guy around, & I've had to make newmerous trips back down to the auto parts store for more/different tools BUT I can tell you this; It is a pain in the a** to change 'em! I went to camaroz28.com & got a bunch of tips so this helped but still! You have to take the alternator out for sure. Some guys pull the starter, unbolt & slide the power steering pump forward,etc, etc, etc... There is SO much stuff in the way, it's unbelievable!Anyway, I read where the labor only to change mine was around $300..... As of now I have all the plugs done & 4 of 8 wires in..... I'll finish tomorrow..... I'm not going to admit to the things I cut off & just threw away! But it sounds like they were 'double dipping' you by charging full price for Opti change & full price wire change... Bill

you can get to all of the plugs without having to remove anything...you just need the right swivel/extension combo. I think for the #2 plug by the alternator I laid across the engine to get it

Originally Posted by madgrinder

Try going to work, working all day on a "problem car", and getting 1.8 hours of warranty pay. See how THAT flies in any other job. "Okay... you worked ten hours....but we're only gonna pay you four..." You would QUIT... wouldn't you!!! Flat rate pay sucks, work conditions suck, warranty sucks, and lastly... CUSTOMERS SUCK.

I and probably a lot of us older mechanics probably agree working for the general public is a B@$+@&D. Thats why we either go into fleet service work,or work for big public utilities or move on to other mechanical fields. .
Workinjg for the independant or Franchise atomotive garages is getting to be pretty cutthroat and all, and I mean all means are used to make money, because profit margins are so squeezed now. Personally speaking there is no way I would go back to being a mechanic on the floor. That is because of the stress levels involved I would not enjoy the job like I used to. This case with the charge out fees bears this out, in the end everybody looses.

Southerner,That's exactly what I did. Took the civil service test,quit the dealership,took a job with the DOT fixing trucks,put in my time,and now am happily retired at 55 and still drawing a nice check each month. I'd be 80 before I could save enough to get the same each month had I stayed with a dealership. Hank

when i worked at the caddy, olds dealer, they didn't go by, but one book, factory time and they didn't care how old the car was. i beat the book all day long. they didn't know it, but i'd worked on those cars for nothing. but with a good attitude it made me money. mechanics bitching about book time has been around sense there was cars. some can make a good living at it and some can't. i did. i took the good with the bad and it worked out fine. i'm talking when shop rate was 12.00 hr., i got 1/2. they paid me 45.00 to rebuild a 400 trans. if it came back you did it over for nothing.

Originally Posted by madgrinder

"Mitchell Manual" time is 3.6 hours for plugs and wires. Our labor rate is $98 per flat rate hour.

I would have charged 4.1.... reason is the vehicle is no longer new. These estimated times were published when the cars were still new. They don't account for rust, wear, oil leaks, cleaning parts, or frozen bolts.

I'm sick of dealership techs getting blasted because someone "didn't have the time..." to do it themselves and feel like they got "ripped off". How much is your time worth??? If time is that expensive, get off your ass and fix your own car. MY time is expensive, too. So are $40K worth of tools. We all hear the same crap everyday... "I used to turn wrenches, but I don't have time any more..."

It's not that they don't have the time, its the complexity of modern vehicles. The Mercedes vehicles that I service and repair have more electronics in the driver seat than most ten-year-old cars had in the whole car.

Try going to work, working all day on a "problem car", and getting 1.8 hours of warranty pay. See how THAT flies in any other job. "Okay... you worked ten hours....but we're only gonna pay you four..." You would QUIT... wouldn't you!!! Flat rate pay sucks, work conditions suck, warranty sucks, and lastly... CUSTOMERS SUCK.

Gee, if it's that bad, why are you doing it???? Nothing worse then day after day going to a job you dislike..... I seriously doubt if all the customers suck any more then all flat rate mechanics are rip offs.... Just cuz you got a burr under your saddle, no reason to be implying that we all our lazy just because we bring our car in for service that the manufacturer has listed as a warranty item. Would seem your issues should be with the manufacturer, not with the folks who bring their cars to the dealership you work in and in effect pay your salary!!!!

every shop i've had anything to do with, if it was 10 mechanics in the shop, 50 hr. week, working com., 3 would turn 65 hrs. a week, 4 would turn 45 hrs. and the other 3 would turn 35 hrs. all were qualified and there was plenty of work. the bottom three blamed it on everything you could imagine.

I'm showing 3.3 hrs on the wires and 1.8 on the plugs....

1G1YY23P4P5xxxxxx

Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

1G1YY23P4P5xxxxxx

93 is a "P" motor.

Originally Posted by HWORRELL

I'm showing 3.3 hrs on the wires and 1.8 on the plugs....

more time on the wires than the plugs?

he replaced the dist. also, so that should have made the wires easier.

Originally Posted by madgrinder

"Mitchell Manual" time is 3.6 hours for plugs and wires. Our labor rate is $98 per flat rate hour.

I would have charged 4.1.... reason is the vehicle is no longer new. These estimated times were published when the cars were still new. They don't account for rust, wear, oil leaks, cleaning parts, or frozen bolts.

I'm sick of dealership techs getting blasted because someone "didn't have the time..." to do it themselves and feel like they got "ripped off". How much is your time worth??? If time is that expensive, get off your ass and fix your own car. MY time is expensive, too. So are $40K worth of tools. We all hear the same crap everyday... "I used to turn wrenches, but I don't have time any more..."

It's not that they don't have the time, its the complexity of modern vehicles. The Mercedes vehicles that I service and repair have more electronics in the driver seat than most ten-year-old cars had in the whole car.

Try going to work, working all day on a "problem car", and getting 1.8 hours of warranty pay. See how THAT flies in any other job. "Okay... you worked ten hours....but we're only gonna pay you four..." You would QUIT... wouldn't you!!! Flat rate pay sucks, work conditions suck, warranty sucks, and lastly... CUSTOMERS SUCK.

Me thinks thou b!tches too much...

Some people actually don't have the time. No crime there, it's just a partial reason that service industries exist. The other reason is that people don't have the knowledge. Neither is an excuse - just a fact. Anyone in a business that requires customers and believes that CUSTOMERS SUCK is in the wrong business. There are a few jobs for folks with that attitude: hangman, hermit, suicide bomber . . . gee, that's all I can think of at the moment