So I took the Vette in last Friday due to it sputtering big time when hitting the accelorator. The shop was reccomended by a Vette owner in the neighborhood. So I went down there, dropped off the car and they called back and said I needed a new fuel pump. They said it would take 8 hours to do!!! I just about laughed, but wanted to save any potential future problems. I called my mechanic buddy in Carmel, CA which is a hoydy toydy area and he also started to laugh and told me the "Mitchel Labor Guide" says its 1.5 hours to replace for all '84-'97 Vettes. I told the shop that and they guided me over to the computer screen and right infront of me a technician came running over to the desk with a diagram of the 1.5 hours I was talking about. The service writer said he was extremly sorry and assumed we needed to take out the entire tank to replace the fuel pump hence the 8 hours of labor before parts. He "missed" that part and needed to come up with a new estimate-he was beet red and starting to sweat a little. Now he called today and said the following:

New Filter/Pump: $240
Labor 3 hours: $400 @ $133/hr
Tax: $50
Total: $690

Does this sound right? 3 hours total to inspect, take apart fuel lid, install and do a recap of the job(pump/filter). Does it take 3 hours to do all that and have the labor at $133 per F'ing hour? Man, this just seems a little much for such a job. Any thoughts?

 

If I wanted to hurry I could probably change the pump in 15 mins. It is very simple and easy to do. The filter is just as easy on my '88, it is down under the car, by the front of the passenger side door. That would probably be 15 mins to. I would change both for you for some beer, if you were closer.

 

Some of the most expensive mech/techs around my area and New Orleans charge 45-55/hr. 133 sounds like somebodys got a hard on for you and looking for somewere to stick it!

 

According to www.CorvetteCentral.com (where I get a lot of my parts), a fuel filter costs $24.95, and the pump is 69.95 or 144.95 if you get the Hypertech unit.

I have changed the fuel filter in 2 different 86' C4s. It is not hard, but I have not figured out how to do it without a lot of gas dribbeling out while the pipe is open. It is not a big deal, but you will want plenty of rags and even a catch can. Make sure you have the car elevated as much as safely possible so you can move as quickly as possible. A fuel filter change takes me less than an hour including the time to get the car in the air and back down. If I had a lift, I would say it is well under a 30 minute job.

$133/hour for labor sounds about right for California costs of living, but it would simply be that much more of a motivator for me to do it myself.

 

For the lines, you can just stick a pencil in there. The best is to make a fuel line cap.

 

Seems alittle high for basically an hour job, 45min fuel pump, 15min filter. (if it's the first time.) Fuel pump $49 Autozone, filter $9. Try changing the filter first, it's actually the hardest to do.

 

Wow I thought that the shop labor rates here in Seattle (microsoft country) were expensive at $80 - $85 but $133?? that is just outragous.

Also if the Tech showed the service writer that it was 1.5 hrs why is he insisting on 3 hrs?

I would go back one more time and try to reason with the service manager. If they won't budge then just explain to them politely that you feel like you are being ripped off and that you are going to pass your experience on to the the entire Corvette Forum World so that they don't get ripped off either.

 

****ing CROOK, does that make it perfectly clear what I think. The filter is harder to change for a newbie than the pump which ain't hard either. You could change both in the parking lot in less than 45 minutes doing it safely. Using jackstands and disconnecting the battery, pulling the fuse for the fuel pump etc. You should print this thread out and take it to them. I wish you were around here it would be fun to go change it in the parking lot while the service manager watched. There is no pulling the gastank to change the pump on these cars. They are either crooks or complete idiots.

 

Not to hijack, but what do you use? I've got to get mine done soon. TIA...

 

Do you get kissed with all that screwing?

 

You can get caps. Or you can use some old hose and close the end by folding it over and putting a clamp on it then just stick it on the line. Also a bolt in the end of a hose and clamp works for a seal as well. I have a bunch of different sizes and types of hose left over from projects, I just use that as needed. A pencil really does work in a pinch.

 

Well that's what happens in the repair business,you get screwed ."service managers" are trained in the art of ****ability,that is they can work out in ten seconds flat how much you know and how much they can bend you over.Anyway,83 year old grannies shouldn't
be driving vettes!!!!
Sorry,don't take offence but I'm sure the bill would have been bigger if you had been one.

 

ahhhh the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia

 

Sounds to me with the prices the shop is giving you that they just don't want to be bothered with the job, and If you agree to their prices than the better for them. Why fight with them? Just take your business somewhere else. The only real power you have as a consumer is not to spend your money at their business.

 

Get a Haynes manual and a six pack of root beer and do it yourself. Fuel filter was easy...fuel pump...never done it but people on here say it's easy. Then again most people on here will probably brag about doing an engine and tranny swap in 15minutes. I say give it a shot and try doing it yourself. If you fail then take it to the shop. It won't hurt to try though. Good luck bro!

 

PM sent to you.

John

 

I changed my fuel pump in the parking lot of a Chevy dealership 100 miles from home at night in the dark in 25 minutes using a pocketknife and a $10 socket set.



Your mechanic will pay $75 for parts and spend about 45 minutes doing the work, tops. So he's making about $600 profit in less than one hour on you. If only he could do that all year long, he'd be grossing over $1M per year and would have a pretty nice shop!

My boss doesn't even charge $133/hr for our Professional Licensed Engineers. Standard rate in CA for dealerships is about $85/hr, with maybe a minimum .5 hr charge.

 

Didn't Hank Williams Jr. have that line in a song????

 

The shops around me (in NORCAL) charge between 125.00-135.00 an hour

 

Yeah, these guys are ********. They see a Vette and they start to salivate. The guy who did my exhaust was a stand up guy who did a great job and asked market value. These guys over "market-up" on their parts, their asessment of the repairs were off by leaps and bounds and the worst was their labor cost and time of repair. I mean come on dude. Are you f'ing serious. These guys suck and should really feel some sort of shame for over charging people "that much more service with a " Too bad for them to screw it all up for the others...Time to look for another shop to help a brotha out.