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It is now.
Yes, the simple mechanics are the same, but engine technology is so advanced now that you need sophisticated diagnostic equipment to tell you the problem.
Sure, you can still change a balljoint, or tie rod end, but if you have a misfire, or a no start, there are many senders it could be, and, unless you have the equipment, you have to change tham all, till you find the problem.
The days of the home mechanic are slowly dying.
Even the days of the backstreet garage are going. Many small garages simply can't afford to spend a half million on a bank of computers to diagnose all makes of cars.
As all the older, less advanced cars die off, and are killed under "cash for clunkers", then these little garages find their customer base dwindling.
Even my 92 volvo requires the timing adjusted, but, because it's set by the computer, it requires to be reprogrammed.
That's an hour's labour just to plug it in, and do that, minimum one hour charge for many garages, to cover the cost of their expensive equipment.
So, I'm looking at $100.
That's probably more than it's worth !
I can live with it being a little underpowered !!
Gimme points and carbs any day !!
Quote:
Originally Posted by miu
If you intend to keep your car for a long time, just buy a factory service manual for your car a few tools and learn to work on your car yourself. It's really not that difficult.
It's probably the normal price these days. Out here, labor is $80.00/hour!
I remember that I changed the coil, plugs and wires myself in my '66 Dodge Dart back in the mid-'80s. About $10 for a coil, maybe $15 for the plug set and about $20-25 for the wires! Well under $100. That's one reason why I like '60s and '70s cars! The parts are not only less expensive, but in many cases it can be done by yourself (in other words, you can actually see the engine).
It was not the parts that saved you the $$, it was the labor. The 4 plugs for the Hyundai are $15 and the coil may be $40-60.
You don't say what part of the world you live in. That can make a big difference in labor rates. I'm in the Chicago area and was surprised when I stopped in a local lawn mower shop, to pick up a part, and found the labor rate was $75.00 HR. I do all my own routine maint and get a new car before anything major fails so I don't know what dealership rates are. It would not surprise me, if a small, non-union, mower shop is $75, if dealers are near $100.00 hr. I paid $3.16 for a gal of milk at a super store yesterday. Nothing surprises me with price anymore.
You don't say what part of the world you live in. That can make a big difference in labor rates. I'm in the Chicago area and was surprised when I stopped in a local lawn mower shop, to pick up a part, and found the labor rate was $75.00 HR. I do all my own routine maint and get a new car before anything major fails so I don't know what dealership rates are. It would not surprise me, if a small, non-union, mower shop is $75, if dealers are near $100.00 hr. I paid $3.16 for a gal of milk at a super store yesterday. Nothing surprises me with price anymore.
A lot of the shops are charging over $100 an hour for labor here in Vegas.
My main question would be, did this actually need done? Was the car running poorly? Why did this need to be done? If those parts actually needed replaced taht price is probably not far off. But I can't imagine why on that car you would need that work done.
1. was it time to replace the spark plugs based upon your service guide?
2. did the engine not run properly or was there any sign of physical damage to the wires? Did the mechanic show you the damage (if any) or did they attempt to justify it based upon the mileage of the car alone?
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