Wednesday, July 30, 2014 - 11:44 am, by: Matt Smith(Matt_smith)
Recently moved to a new suburb and had to find a new mechanic...So I found a local mechanic that seemed decent from reviews and word of mouth
Anyway i just got my radiator replaced (full radiator). Full flush. New coolant. Thermostat and what not as well as a few new hoses as they were completely hardened.
Paid $850 all up for parts and labor...does this price sound about right to anyone who has had similar work done recently...? Or does it sound pretty steep?
Was considering taking the misuses car down for similar works as they were extremely helpful throughout the whole process, up front about all costs once they found a second leak (which i noticed the day before that added slightly to the cost) and called me with any issues etc... but having spoken to other mechanics while quoting it seems the final price was a bit steep.
I didn't mind the cost too much as i paid for the convenience as i needed the car fixed for that afternoon however if i have been ripped off it would be good to know not to send the misuses down to get ripped off too..
Other places were quoting approx 380 for the top tank only plus a flush. So once i add the extra 100 for full radiator. approx 120 for hoses, thermostat, gaskets and the extra labor it looks like the price is about in the ball park of what i paid...
Wednesday, July 30, 2014 - 12:15 pm, by: Scott Vim(1uz1jz)
I did the radiator myself a few months ago paid $80 or so for the radiator (2nd hand but in good condition). Spent a few hours doing it. A mechanic could do it in 2 or 3 hours. Maybe $80 per hour. Let's round up and say $250 labor. Coolant is about $50. Think you can get copper radiators for about $300. Hoses are pretty cheap. Depends on his hourly rate but I think its a tad expensive. I did the same job for about $120 or less. Did he give you the option of after market rad or good second hand? Don't know if the v8 is easier then the 2jz but I would argue someone of skill should be able to do the job in 2 hours. I was slow stopping for beer etc and did it over the weekend still took me 4 hrs tops.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014 - 12:28 pm, by: Matt Smith(Matt_smith)
I got given the option for a second hand one (think he just had one there to be honest) however i went with new as i use the car daily at the moment and can't afford to have it off the road (hence having to take it to these guys).... Sounds like i got gouged a bit though when you add that all up....I'll pull out the actual cost split up and have a look tonight against your cost breakdown experience and compare where the difference lies...i don't mind paying a bit extra as i needed it done ASAP however for the missues she can hold out to find a better place i think if its sounding like they over cooked me 200ish
Wednesday, July 30, 2014 - 12:47 pm, by: Scott Vim(1uz1jz)
Yeah I'd say $650 is reasonable. But people have been done over much worse for that same job. Some mechanics have a high hourly rate. Depends how much Toyota charged for the radiator. Call around and see what rads are worth genuine Toyota (if that's what you have).
Wednesday, July 30, 2014 - 06:25 pm, by: Robert Faggian(Tanooki_suit)
He should have given you a breakdown of the costs but I would guess a significant portion would be the radiator. I had a new all-steel radiator (ie. not a plastic top tank) shipped from the US for $250 about two years ago. Bought locally you could spend a lot more. It's only another $70-odd for coolant, thermostat and gasket and two hours work (at least in a V8).
Friday, August 01, 2014 - 10:08 pm, by: Scott Vim(1uz1jz)
Its sometimes a good idea to source your own parts and just pay for the labour. They try charge you for the time it takes to call around then if they have to courier it you pay again. Had you got the rad for $300 you could have got it put in for $200 or less. You pay the premium for having all the convenience and none of the hassle. I always ask what labour will cost before I get it done. For the missus car you can ask what a service costs and what it includes.
Friday, August 01, 2014 - 11:04 pm, by: Robert Day(Lexsmaz)
Doesn't go down to well with most Mechanics with the Customer suppling the parts, as there is money to be made in the Mechanic getting the parts too, so in effect you are doing them out of a bit of money & doesn't make for a warm friendly start & you will charged for every single bit of time taken on your car, plus some ?? & if there is a issue with the parts good luck then ...
My thoughts to myself years ago when occasionally people would do this to me was if you know so much why don't you do the work your self ..
Try supplying your electrician or plumber with all their bits needed & see their response ..
Certainly a good idea to get the Mechanic to give you a quote before the work is started, sometimes as far as the mechanic goes its not very practical though as you don't know what you will exactly need until you pull the item down & then you have a dead car if they don't want to go ahead
Saturday, August 02, 2014 - 01:30 am, by: Scott Vim(1uz1jz)
I've never had an issue with supply in fact most like it cause takes the hassle away for them. I even supply my own oil. It works out more expensive this way but it gives me greater control and choice of what I put in my car.
If a mechanic chucks it for supplying parts this is a good indication of who to avoid.
Of course if you get a second hand whatever and it dies within a week you are up for 2 labour charges. Its a risk with second hand. Knowing what is worth the risk and what is just too labour intensive to risk saving $80 new vs old is vital.
Saturday, August 02, 2014 - 03:50 pm, by: Robert Faggian(Tanooki_suit)
I've never had a problem either supplying parts, at least with soarers - most mechanics get stumped if Toyota doesn't stock a part so supplying them yourself makes the mechanics job easier. And I've done it plenty of times with plumbers, electricians and the like - if you tell them (or mechanics) up front they always have the option of knocking the job back.
In any case, replacing a radiator is surprisingly easy on the V8 and shouldn't take more than two hours DIY.