don_davi

I recently took my '98 ltd 4x4 4Runner in for rear brake seal issues and was told that I was due for maintenance as well. I've got 193k miles right now and the last major service including transmission flush and timing belt was done at 103k miles. Here's the total list.

Parts Requested/job : Labor Hrs : Total
- Timing Belt : 3.5 : $400
- Valve Adjust : 4.3 : $540 (I've got a leak)
- Tune-up : .5 : Free
- Power Steering Flush : .5 : $110
- Brake Flush : 1.0 : $120
- Trans Flush : .8 : $130
- Coolant Flush : .8 : $110
- Diffs & T-Case : .7 : $151
- Fuel Flush : 1.0 : $130
- Air Fliter : $25.87
Total: $1691


(Drivers side Leaking Brake seal, during super cold days my drivers side wheel locks up during a complete stop....i have to reverse to get the shoe off)
- Seal $8.00
- Bearing $75.72
- Retainers $ 21.83 x 2
- ABS Ring $53.37
- Brake Shoes $80.00
Total 2.5 hrs + Parts = $450

Grand total = $1691 + $450 = $2141

The first time I went to the dealership the service manager told me 10% off. 2 Weeks later (today), I get 20% off. I have a feeling that I could squeeze another 5% or 10% off tomorrow. I lost my job a while back and need to make sure my truck is reliable.

Are the hours fair? Should I try for 30% off or more? It's $95/hr labor here.

Thanks in advance for all advice and assistance.

Cheers.

ps I'm in Montana with chilly weather.

Godzilla

What are your capabilites? You can do the steering/brake/coolant/trans/diffs and tcases all yourself.
And really the odds are all of those can wait with maybe the exception of the tranny fluid. I have no clue what a fuel flush is, but just go and buy some good injector/fuel system cleaner (bg44k, redline).
Timing belt/water pump is a good idea, but once again some people run those extra long since if it breaks your engine will not be damaged.
If you are short on cash just space out the maintenance since none of them are really needed to be done right away.(of course with exception of your brakes)

corax

not sure about the labor times, but alot of that you can probably do yourself

*Trans flush - easier to have the dealer do it, price seems about right
*cooling flush - do yourself, drain and refill
*timing belt - if you have to ask, you might want the dealer to do it
*diffs and t-case - yes, do it yourself, easy as an oil change drain and fill (might have an issue getting the fluid back in though
*fuel flush - ? - search "Sea Foam"
*air filter - yes, if it's dirty
*brake flush - maybe, they have to bleed the rears anyway if they are opening the hydraulic lines - search "gravity bleed" and do it yourself (not tough at all)
*power steering flush - not necessary, but the fluid does have mileage on it - take a turkey baster and pull all the fluid out of the reservoir, add new fluid, start engine and turn steering wheel a few times to circulate fluid, suck fluid out, add new, repeat as necessary
*valve adjust - are they noisey? if not, there's no need to adjust (leaky valve covers you say?)
*tune-up - another one you could probably tackle yourself, depending on how much stuff is in the way and how comfortable you are with a ratchet

BigWavePaul

iTrader: (1)

This is the reason they're usually referred to as the 'Stealership'. Those 'yo heads will do anything they can think of to rob you blind.

If it were me, I'd avoid that joint at all costs unless there were parts that I could only buy from them and no one else.

Find a brake shop and ask them to fix your leaky cylinder or whatever the problem is. Better yet, pull out your Yellow pages and ask around on the price. Then go through the list made above and keep up with your fluid changes as the Manual advises. Diffs, oil, fluid, coolant (all at the recommended intervals)...and down the line.

That timing belt change doesn't sound as horrific as prices given in other places. But, it wasn't the reason that you went to the shop.

This shop wants to pillage your pockets, don't let them. It runs, it just doesn't enjoy stopping right now and they aren't the only people in your area that can repair that problem.

The economy is bad now, but this kind of lewting has been around since the first horse drawn carriage...they're crooks /end rant

darksoldier313

according to mitchell here are the flat rate hours
timing belt w/ac-3.2
valve clearance adjust-5.0 w/6cyl engine
coolant flush .7

doesnt list like power steering flush trans flush etc.. and i second the whole what the flip is a fuel flush fuel cleaning maybe but other then that there pretty well even infact i think they might have gave u a lil depending on if its a 4 banger or 6cyl but u know there are other alternatives to the stealership if u cant afford it

SoCalPaul

Sounds like the mechanics need to keep up their boat payments.

Take it to an independent shop for a second opinion.

Paul

425Runner

I used to be buddys with a guy who is a service writer for a dealership in the area, he works on commission, as do most i would suspect. Have another buddy who was a tech at a tranny shop, he told me that when he would do jobs there that the owner would pay him the difference between what the job was quoted, and how long it took him to do it.
ie: shop charges $100/ hour for a 4 hour job= $400 charged to you
- tech does it in 2 hours= $200 for tech, $200 for shop

Now i am in no way super knowledgeable when it come to the industry just passing along what i have been told from people who have/do work in it.

Now with this knowledge if it was me i would pay the dealer the $100 bucks they are more than likely charging for the "assessment" decide what was truley needed at this time to solve said problem/what i felt i could not do and shop it around to other shops to get the best deal. Alot of shops are competitive and need your buisness don't be afraid to play other shops quotes against them, sort of like price matching in the retail world, to get better deals. Another thing is your gut reaction from when you talk to them. If you seem like you cant trust them dont go to them.

Sorry about the long rant, just very passionate about this stuff as i come from a "customer service" background.

BigBallsMcFalls

jeeze, skip the cooling flush.
when they do the timing belt they have to remove hoses and drain the coolant anyway. just pay for new coolant.

skip power steering flush. don't need one. power steering fluid is one thing you
can kind of ignore forever unless you actually have steering problems.

fuel flush ? do you have fuel issues ? don't need it. fuel filter yes, flush...only
if you have actual problems.

everything else, ya... do it.



oh yeah don't do any 'sea foam' despite what people rave about....all it does is make grade school science project clouds
in your exhaust...but not much else.

darksoldier313

apparently u have never actually seen the difference it makes ive seen the difference just using sea foam makes.. we did a lil experinment of r own had a 22r that was dieseling tore the head off it and was full of carbon put a new gasket on it ran sea foam through it once after 3000 miles did it again we tore it back off and i kid u not look damn near new

97ltd4x4

Like most here,a lot of that stuff can be done in the garage quite easily.

Sounds like they are throwing the kitchen sink at you and seeing what you will bite on.

Fuel flush???WTH is that??
Valve adj??..umm..not gonna happen on 5VZ's..valve covers yea,they leak oil..easily replacable in the garage..
PWR steering flush,not really needed,a spray bottle and few dollars worth of fluid and that can be done..
Brake flush...again,spray bottle,line wrench and few dollars worth of fluid and can be easily done in garage..Even then I would not do that,unless its time for new pads...
Coolant flush??again needs to be drained w/t-belt.
trans flush??that is up to you,but can again be done easily in the garage.
air filter,can change in 2 seconds in garage yourself.
..........
Did they not reccomend a waterpump w/t-belt?? if no waterpump..no need to do T-belt...

Did they not reccomend a throttle body clean???
Again,cleaning throttlebody,MAF and IAC can easily be done in the garage,for about $10
Plugs? at that milage ...what about wires?If they are original..time to change them w/new plugs....

Those are important more than all those flushes...

Ok,If it were mine and I wasn't handy w/tools.....do the most important stuff first:

plugs..consider wires as well..

T-belt,w-pump,thermostat,idler and tensioner pullies,seals,belts..plugs if you don't feel confortable doing them...drain and fill coolant,will be included in w-pump change

diff's and transfer drain and fills.

axle bearing,seal,ect

trans flush if you are again,not confortable w/tools.

maybe valve covers as well..depends on how bad they are leaking and how handy you are with tools...

I would atleast do,airfilter,MAF clean,throttle body clean,IAC clean(spray through ports) myself...only going to need a couple of screwdrivers...and a spran can of carb clean and brakeclean/MAF clean and a couple of rags.