Replacing power steering lines

I took my 2006 Tacoma to a shop to replace both the power steering pressure and return lines along with draining and refilling the reservoir. I think I was way overcharged in both labor and parts and want to find out how long it takes and the cost for parts for those of you that do your own work. Two other times, the labor time and parts prices were about double what I think they should be.
Thanks Johnny

 

What was the total for labor?

 

Post your work order so we can see

 

Look up the cost of the parts online. The receipt will show the OEM part #s. Did you not get a second opinion from an independent shop?

 

I wonder what the labor cost would’ve been if you did it yourself

and the parts cost given that every shop marks up parts and you don’t mark things up to yourself just like how if you buy a bottle of water for $1 you don’t charge yourself $3 and put $2 into the toilet

they advertised the price they advertised and you agreed to pay it

how long it takes you doesn’t matter. Book time is book time. If the book says it’s an hour it charges an hour. Doesn’t matter if you have the hands of God and do it in 10 minutes.

 

My estimated hours is
1.5 for the pressure
1.2 for the return

Add .3 hours for severe conditions.

This doesn’t include fluid, shop fees, or diagnostic.


BTW, none of this really means much because there’s more than 1 labor guide.
And sometimes, you don’t use the labor guide at all. You use personal experience and judgment.

The labor guide is just that, a GUIDE. It’s not definitive.

 

Yet you still went back for thirds.

 

Every labor guide I've ever seen was based on new parts on and off done by the fastest guy they got. So no dirt and crap in the way, no broken off or rounded off fasteners, no waiting to get the part, no getting the wrong part, no spiders hiding in there waiting for you to stick your hand in so they can bite you, etc.

When I did mine on the old el camino, pump/reservoir, all hoses, I brought the high pressure hose assembly to a hydraulic hose place, they welded on standard hydraulic fittings and made a screw on hose so it would be very easy to replace in the future. The low pressure side was just a matter of measuring the diameter and length, then slap it on with hose clamps.

 

3.5 hrs.

 

Known him for six years and we work on my classic cars on Saturdays at his shop as he works every Saturday on odd jobs and I pay him cash while I help him. Wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt but three times the charm for putting up with overcharging.

 

It doesnt matter the labor charge if I did it myself as I wouldn't bill myself. He's a professional mechanic and can do repairs 5x faster or more as he does it week in and week out. So if an uber driver picks you up and his GPS says 50 minutes to your destination but he does it in 37 minutes due to his shortcuts and faster driving -you would pay him for 50 minutes just because the GPS says so?

 

Both scenarios are comparable.
You have options in both cases.

In your case, you could have done the work yourself or used a different shop.

In the Uber case, you could walk or call Lyft.

Point being, Ask the job hours and labor rate before hand next time.

I too hate spending money. But there are times, I will or have to. In those cases, I do my best to go with the option that’s more budget friendly.

 

mechanics live and die by the book. It is not a profitable line of work.
The book says what the book says. If it says an hour you get paid an hour. Whether it takes you 10 minutes or two.

his experience cost money and time. His tools cost money. If you disagree with that, you are a thief. You can argue that all day. Doesn’t change the truth. You can start arguing the sun doesn’t shine in the day too if it makes you feel good

there’s no reason to elaborate further. You can start paying people to spoon feed you yogurt in the morning and do your laundry too while you’re at it.

this is a free market economy. You chose to pay it. When you choose to buy a soda at the gas station for $1 you don’t negotiate with the clerk. You either buy it or you don’t.

I’ve had times where a shop tells me a quote. I pay it. That’s it. End of story. Could they have done it in half the time? Sure. Do I care? No. Because I’m not an idiot. But I don’t expect everyone to have common sense. A lot of people don’t.

be happy it’s fixed. This is real life. There is no Ctrl Z button.

wait until you find out how payment works with medical care, legal system, and income tax

labor guides from manufacturers are often designed to rob technicians.
In addition to being written by a person in a suit holding a stopwatch, watching someone do the job on a clean new car starting with all special tools laid out, on a repair they’ve already done 5 times

 

I just did mine 6 months ago. Both lines together were less than $100 Canadian at Rock Auto.

I couldn't tell you how long it took to swap them out because I was changing the steering rack at the same time. I can tell you on my rust belt 06 I couldn't remove the lines from the rack until it was out because the fittings were so corroded.

As far as charging for labor goes, I'm not a mechanic but if I'm working for someone I either give them a price up front for the job or I give them an hourly rate and I charge for what I worked. If I give them a price and it takes me longer then I eat it.

 

Here's the thing InShooter. He's actually been a friend of mine for about six years. I used to work on my modern cars years ago but now I go to his garage on a Saturday where we both pitch in. I never in the past nor now ask for a quote as I consider him a friend and until the last few months when I think his business has slacked off, he's been accurate on the labor and parts. I know what parts cost. The point is why would I use a different shop when he's been fair until recently? He got offended when I asked about the high labor and parts as anyone does when caught in a a scam and there is no truth to what they are saying. I will move on to another shop which there are plenty and go back to estimate but in the case of an uber, if they say eta 50 minutes and get there in 35/40 -that's what they should charge. He knows he overcharged and that's why he got testy and squirmed under questioning. Moving on in this case is the option.

 

Thats exactly what I expected from him and what's more he was more than a shop, he was a friend (or so I thought). He charged me $187 for the pressure line and $90 for the return...absurd! I checked with six manufacturers and the highest was $135 for both. He never gave me a price in the past as like I said we were friends and I trusted him. I think the lack of customers was affecting him but he was foolish to try to buffalo someone who has worked on cars and knows parts. Basically he took advantage of our friendship but that's life. Some people have a moral compass that is in need of correction and Karma's a bitch.

 

I will agree. It’s probably best you move on.

Maybe your friend is in a financial situation that calls for an increase price temporarily. Yes, his financial situation isn’t your problem. But I try give people the benefit of the doubt. I just don’t like thinking people, and especially friends, would take advantage of me for no reason.

Again, I’d do just as you at this point.
Part ways and move on.

 

you're right about no need to elaborate further. I've already moved on. I choose not to pay someone that overcharges double for labor and parts as I am no idiot either. I have common sense and morality and if others don't, it's fine...I don't have to live in their world. And I know how medical, etc works and income tax...owned a very successful business for 37 years and did a lot of pro bono work for clients which I could have gone by the book but sometimes money is not the object -I care more about having moral turpitude.

 

Oh I gave him three chances on three different recent occasions and he bilked me all three times. I even bought him dinner for him and his family for a week when his wife had a heart attack as he doesn't cook. One time he changed the serpentine belt in my Tacoma and I told him he changed it a year and a half ago. He told me it was defective...after 8K miles. Yeah it hurts to lose a friend but I cannot live with myself if I allowed him to keep on taking advantage.

 

Did you call around to some other shops and compare prices?