Service costs

[woofy]

Just had my car serviced, and probably will go elsewhere next time, I got the wheel alignment and balancing done which was an extra $100 and I did want to get that done somewhere, but paid around $600 to have the same service as last time, but with the pollen filter and an extra $150 for getting the brake fluid changed.

He said the next one is a minor, and then the major at 4 yrs which has the timing belt changed is around 2k, and would have the $150 of brake fluid in there again. Makes my 6 look a lot cheaper in the long run, it only needs the belt done at 100k or a few years longer than just 4yrs/60k. Even RenaultSport clios are at 80k. Works out at around $800/yr, my 6 is closer to $550, with 2 services done a year/20k.

[brad]

$150 for brake fluid? Jeebuz, even my rip-off merchant only charged me $35 parts/materials. Did they use RB600 or something?

Mine goes to an independant on monday for the 60,000km. will report after.

[bobski]

I've never had problems using reputable independents (other than one replacing the windscreen wipers without asking). But OTOH, I expected the Skoda to be more expensive because its "european" (as was my Fiesta, but it was pretty cheap to service).

I'll decide when I get closer, but if its just a minor service I'd likely take it back to the place I took my other cars to.

[woofy]

$150 was total extra for the brake fluid change, the fluid was under $20 itself. Even still they have jacked the prices up, the oil itself has gone up more after my last complaint about how much.

[brad]

$150 was total extra for the brake fluid change, the fluid was under $20 itself. Even still they have jacked the prices up, the oil itself has gone up more after my last complaint about how much.

you probably know this already but ~$130 for a brake fluid flush is OTT. With a pressure bleeder, in the workshop, I would take/charge 20 minutes at most. Even at home, getting the wife to pump the pedal & using a simple 1 way valve, it's a 20 minute job at worst.

Obviously they think the customers are fools.

[Transporter]

you probably know this already but ~$130 for a brake fluid flush is OTT. With a pressure bleeder, in the workshop, I would take/charge 20 minutes at most. Even at home, getting the wife to pump the pedal & using a simple 1 way valve, it's a 20 minute job at worst.

Obviously they think the customers are fools.

I agree it is a lot of money for changing the brake fluid and I don't want sound like the devil advocate but, that brake pressure bleeder costs $3000 with a couple of adapters (and it doesn't last forever). I know it because I bought one. I know it is a business investment, but I too cannot charge just a 1/2 hour labour for changing the brake fluid plus the fluid. I use ATE SL6 ESP brake fluid and it is not cheap. I'm guessing that VW dealers would use the same fluid.
But, shop around and you should find the place when they will change the fluid for less.

[brad]

I agree it is a lot of money for changing the brake fluid and I don't want sound like the devil advocate but, that brake pressure bleeder costs $3000 with a couple of adapters (and it doesn't last forever). I know it because I bought one. I know it is a business investment, but I too cannot charge just a 1/2 hour labour for changing the brake fluid plus the fluid. I use ATE SL6 ESP brake fluid and it is not cheap. I'm guessing that VW dealers would use the same fluid.
But, shop around and you should find the place when they will change the fluid for less.

That looks like the Rolls Royce of pressure bleeders. Props to you for buying great equipment.

I wasn't questioning the price of the brake fluid - my dealer charged me about $18 last time & I thought that reasonable. Labour was $35 which I also thought reasonable. $150 - even with the best equipment?

How long would that machine go between services & until it was a throw-away? I'm guessing a service every 2 years & 10 years life?

I have no idea what your work "mix" is like but back in the dark ages when I was on the tools, I would bleed brakes probably twice a day (we focussed on brakes & suspension). A machine like that would pay for itself fairly quickly because we wouldn't take a 2nd guy off a job to pump the pedal (& possibly bugger the master cylinder if it was getting a bit old).

All our tools & equipment were incorporated into our hourly rate & we had a standard charge for brake bleeding (as most places do). Sometimes it took 10 minutes, others it took 30 minutes - sometimes we lost a few dollars but that happens sometimes.

I would question your pricing structure if a job takes 20 minutes but you charge an hour to pay for your machine (ie: equipment is an overhead & should be incorporated in the hourly rate).

BTW, how do you go with a 20 litre drum & moisture ingestion? I used to hate using 20 litre drums, even though we were turning them over every couple of weeks.

[Transporter]

BTW, how do you go with a 20 litre drum & moisture ingestion? I used to hate using 20 litre drums, even though we were turning them over every couple of weeks.

I use it within 6-8 weeks and it is very well sealed, so the b/f is not open to air. AS per hourly rate, yes I agree and I have different hourly rates when working on the brake system when troubleshooting the engine problems, it depends what equipments are used.

Hey that's all good but; we bought a house in 1995 and paid $90,000 for it. Today, the same house costs $500,000 so where do you think other professionals will get money from, when the real estate and other things in life cost several times more?
I'm not complaining but, just look around you. Everything costs more today, than 10 years ago.

[woofy]

I don't think a house comparison is on par with anything else, laptops 10 yrs ago were 2k+ and are now below 1k, cars weren't much different to today in price and come with a lot of gear, and the price I pay for a Mazda 6 service is almost the same.

There is an easy answer about how they afford houses, they don't. My wife and I are on a high middle income, married nearly 10 yrs and only just bought early last year and rented before that.....rent was $1400/mth in a popular suburb, with a decent size house, with a big deposit and a smaller house further out we are paying $3k.....no brainer really, I don't see people buying much in their 20s anymore, most houses going are to overseas buyers or to families that bought like you did, and found they were sitting on a big pile of cash (bricks and mortar) and it wasn't a big drama to change houses.

I somehow doubt Richmond Skoda/Audi needed to charge that much...

[Transporter]

I don't think a house comparison is on par with anything else, laptops 10 yrs ago were 2k+ and are now below 1k, cars weren't much different to today in price and come with a lot of gear, and the price I pay for a Mazda 6 service is almost the same.
I somehow doubt Richmond Skoda/Audi needed to charge that much...

I will skip my comment on this.

[Mountainman]

Everything costs more today, than 10 years ago.

Well for real estate and most services but what about white goods, digital cameras, computers etc, and strangely quite a few cars, from Subaru WRX's to base model Corollas, which also have the added value of being much higher specced than they were 15 years ago?

[Transporter]

Well for real estate and most services but what about white goods, digital cameras, computers etc, and strangely quite a few cars, from Subaru WRX's to base model Corollas, which also have the added value of being much higher specced than they were 15 years ago?

Food, water, electricity, gas, fuel, council rates, schools, health insurance and everything what is important or the things we buy all the time.

But we're off topic, since discussions like these should be in general section.

[brad]

Hey that's all good but; we bought a house in 1995 and paid $90,000 for it. Today, the same house costs $500,000 so where do you think other professionals will get money from, when the real estate and other things in life cost several times more?
I'm not complaining but, just look around you. Everything costs more today, than 10 years ago.

I'm not sure of your point.

As you aren't what is generally considered to be a "professional" (eg: a lawyer, doctor, dentist, chemist, vet, accountant) I'm not sure what you mean. You're a tradie - possibly in one of the lesser paid trades (apart from hairdressing) because there are no barriers to any Tom, **** or Harry doing the work (unlike sparkies & plumbers).

As always, i don't think any of us begrudge what the tradie gets; it's the big gap between their hourly rate & the workshop charge that irks most of us........ but if you're charging somebody $100 to do a brake bleed, then no wonder you can afford to spend so much time on forums

[Blitzen]

After my last experiance with a dealer, I can afford to be a little bit more lieniant...(I still have think they are rip off murchants in what they charge). I was quoted $400 for a 75k service on the Polo, but only ended up paying $230 with a courtesy car.

[brad]

Had my 60,000km done yesterday at Camden GTI in Campbelltown.
Basically a Service (oil/filter/fluids & various checks) plus a fuel filter. I also had them supply a new pollen filter because my dog ate the old one

I'm not sure which 504/507 oil they use but the usual EA888 start-up rattle was absent - it will be interesting to see how long that lasts for.

All up $353 which is a lot better than the $630-$950 quotes I was receiving from the dealers.
Admittedly, dealer quotes were higher because they wanted to do work that didn't need doing yet, eg: spark plugs - not until 90k; brake fluid which was done 09/09 & will get done at the 75k service in 05/11; tyre rotation (just had new tyres).