Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Auto Repair – Charging Too Much For Diagnostic Time

As a veteran auto mechanic, I will be the first to defend charging for diagnostic time. Today’s cars demand an in-depth understanding of a vast array of electronics, computers, processors – having this knowledge is valuable. However, too often, diagnostic time is billed arbitrarily and/or excessively.

A common example of excessive diagnostic charges is checking for a leak. Whether it’s coolant, oil, or transmission fluid, too often 1.0 labor hour is billed for inspections (which often consist merely of a glance at the under-carriage) that should bill only .3 hours.

Another frequent scenario is the 1.0 hour of labor that’s charged to investigate a check engine light. Essentially the technician plugs in a scanner that communicates with your vehicle’s on-boards computer and reads a trouble code. Depending on the vehicle, this service bills from .2 to .5 hours. The trouble is that the bulk of repair shops charge 1.0 hour to do this.

Charging 1 hour "just" to pull a fault code is excessive. Charging 1 hour to "diagnose" a check engine light is a different story. The code that’s pulled from your computer is only a starting point. The technician must then follow the appropriate diagnostic path to uncover why the code set in the first place. This process may take the technician 30 seconds or it may require hours.

Is it fair to pay 1 hour of labor for a 30-second diagnosis? If the diagnosis is accurate and the labor time corresponds with manufacturer guides and industry standards, then yes. You are paying for experience.

Importantly, claims of experience do often get abused or applied arbitrarily, but so we understand both sides of the situation, here’s an example to put diagnostic charges in context.

A friend called whose vehicle kept stalling and then intermittently wouldn’t start. Knowing the common problems associated with his particular model, I was able to make an accurate diagnosis over the phone. What was that worth? For his particular model it was worth $150 in diagnostic time.

In the end, paying for diagnostic time is routine. It’s part of the process of repairing your car. That said, don’t be afraid to ask your repair shop to justify their diagnostic time. Make sure you get a complete and detailed description of the diagnostic process that accounts for the charges. If the diagnostics charges seem excessive and/or evasive, get a second opinion.

-Ted Olson
http://www.repairtrust.com/
Making Sense of Auto Repair

Friday, April 11, 2008

Auto Repair - Not Getting What You Paid For
I recently took my car to a local service facility for an oil change and a transmission service. I knew that the oil change was going to cost $30. I also knew the fair price for a transmission service and what it should include. My transmission fluid would be drained. The lower pan would be removed. A new filter and gasket would be installed and the pan would be cleaned and reinstalled. The transmission would then be filled with fresh fluid and road tested. At least that’s what a "traditional" transmission service includes…
I looked up at the "menu of services" and noticed that the Transmission Service was $149. This was fairly close to what it would cost if performed according to manufacturer recommendations. However, I wanted to ensure that I was getting what I paid for so I asked.
By the puzzled expression on the young mechanics face, I realized very quickly that he was not about to perform a traditional transmission service. He stated confidently that "many transmissions no longer have filters." This is true, but he failed to notice the vehicle that I was driving, which indeed does have a transmission filter. He went on to say that his hi-tech transmission flushing machine would be all that I needed.

Ignoring his ignorance, I asked how much they would charge for a traditional transmission service. He stated: "Well, it should be about another $100 – give or take…" I politely declined and took my vehicle elsewhere for its transmission maintenance.

In sum, there are two things that are extremely important for the car repair customer to know about the above "every day" scenario…

1) When a mechanic says: "it should be about" "ballpark" or "it will cost around" you’re in trouble. If your shop can’t give you a detailed estimate of what a repair will cost – especially for a straightforward service – find another service center. Ball park estimates leave too much room for error and leave you, the repair customer, without any detailed expectations. If you went to a hotel and asked about room rates and the clerk said "oh about $250 bucks" would you accept that? Of course not!

2) Find out what your car really needs. Unfortunately, you will need to be your own advocate. Many shops are either ignorant or have their own ideas about what your car needs, which is often in direct conflict with your manufacturer recommendations.
TedOlson
Making Sense of Auto Repair