just be glad that it is fixed... I fought mine for six months and i posted about it several times here and didnt get much response. I even had the damn thing act up on me twice on first dates.

 

I just paid it and figured $50 - $100 bucks wasn't worth the aggravation.

Now I just have to juggle two cars to get her back home in the garage.

Funny, on a date about 2 months ago my passenger seatbelt was locking up on her...embarrasing.

Thanks for all you help, Brian.

 

Bsmith

Did you finialy get it fixed. If so what was the problem. I would be interested in the results of your troubleshooting.

Bill

 

If you don't have health insurance the next time you go to the doctor for an ailment tell him whats wrong and what he should do to cure the problem. Tell him you don't beleive in paying for diagnosis, please tell me what he says. I'm just curious.

The Vette has miles of wiring, many sensors and relays. Dealers in the Cleveland, Ohio area are $80/90 a flat rate hour, diagnosis is a flat charge of usually an hours cost. For those who don't want to pay to diagnose the problem we generally tell them the next time your dog needs to go to the Vet just send him on his own. You see, just like the dog the car can't talk to the mechanic either.

As far as getting "screwed" on the labor time, if a good mechanic can't beat the flat rate book time and log 10-12 hours in an 8 hour day he needs to go take up knitting for a living.

 

Based on conversations with people here I downloaded the codes and figured out what was wrong and told the dealer - what I said, was what they replaced....diagnosis necessary??????? hmmmmm

Now, giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming an inherent liability is taken on their part to fix something w/o doing their own diagnosis I have fully disclosed that I was told upfront of that charge and signed the dotted line. However I have to imagine the diagnosis resulted in opening up the car to find the problem thus I was making sure that they were not double dipping and charging me time to disassemble the area to access the fix and then to install it and close it all up on top of the $90 for diagnosis. Am I wrong to question the dealer on work that I am paying for on my car? I think not.

Going back to your example if doctor number 1 told you you had cancer would you take his word, think to possibly question him, or maybe get a 2nd opinion? All you have to do is read a couple of threads here to justify any paranoia on my part.

In regards to the "screwing" part, and maybe I'm not reading your response right but as I am hearing you, so if the dealer says it takes 2 hours to fix the problem, and it only takes 1.5, I should pay for 2? I was a consultant for 8 years and I billed my clients only what I worked. If my proposal said it would take 40 hours to perform a service and it only took 35, I billed them 35...and guess what they always came back for me to do more work.

And $80 to $90/hour is expensive...my local guy doesn't charge that. So do me a favor and find out what those same mechanics actually make and lets see what kind of multiplier the dealer is charging?

 

Did she believe you that it was the seat belt and not your hand??

 

I'm not that bad....ha ha.

 

2Toys

I don’t have problems paying the $70-$90 flat rate, but I do have issues paying for part after part after part that never fixes the problem. I am surrounded with incompetent technicians who Easter egg parts until the problem is solved and the Dealer charges the customer for parts that are not really defective!

I cringe at the thought of turning my car over to the dealer for repairs out of warranty. I have so far been successful at repairing every issue that my vehicles have had that has happened out of warranty. I feel sorry for the people who have to go the dealers and service centers because they cannot fix their own cars. I enjoy providing assistance to anyone who is willing to attempt to dig in and fix their own cars.

There are times when it is necessary to take the Vette to the dealer and I DO diagnose my own problems so that I am armed and ready for incompetent diagnosis and unwarranted repairs. I always ask for parts back unless the car is under warranty.

On a positive note, I have found a dealer here in CT that is competent, honest and cares about the customer! On the down side there are two other dealers in the area that are NOT.

Bill

 

now thats customer service.

I understand the charge for diagnosis, and I have no problem with paying the book time for a job... thats just how it works. But if you take your car into a dealer and tell them to fix it, you are just setting yourself up to be robbed. If you go in and can intelligently talk about the problem, then you are at least a step ahead of the game. I talked to the Tech when I had the problem and he wasnt convinced that the tumbler was the problem... I told them I would pay to have the switch done and if that wasnt the problem, it was my responsibility.

 

Thanks Bill for seeing my angle. I mean no disrespect to the honest mechanic, but pertinent to your point, this is dealership visit number two to fix the same problem. I once had a Jeep that I ended up lemoning because of a continuous problem that I brought to a dealer under warranty and the problem "could not be duplicated". After 10+ visits it finally completely broke down and left me stranded on the roadside.

In most cases I sort of had no choice to bring to a dealer for various reasons, but in the future I look forward to working with my kind friends here to help me do it myself.

 

There are times when a problem that you are having will NOT show up for the Technician! I have a problem with the wipermotor and wiper control module on my 02 Z06. Shortly after I purchased it, the wiper control module would make a loud buzzing noise. It got so loud and annoying that I pulled the fuse. Took it to the dealer and the problem would NOT happen again! Since then, it has happened 5-6 times but only occurs for 30 min or so. I have stopped pulling the fuse in hopes that it will DIE

I can see it now, 10 minutes after the warrenty expires, the thing will croak!

Well the other day, it failed! When I use the wipers and turn them off, they fail to park! They stay half way up on the windshield! It is not caused by clogged cowl drains! I know what some of you are thinking! I keep mine SPOTLESS!

I need to hurry to the dealer to get them to see the problem before that symptom disappears!

It is very important to get any and all of your warrenty issues to the dealer and GET THEM DOCUMENTED! If you should happen to have documented problems that were not repaired when the car was in warrenty due to the dreaded "COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM" GM is most likley going to honor your repair it it fails wiyh in a reasionable time period after the warrenty has expired.

 

Yes, Bill very important to get it documented. Especially if unfortunately end up in a lemon lawsuit. (not that your probelm is at that level) I went through such a case with a Jeep Wrangler and I had every visit that resulted in a "could not duplicate problem" thoroughly documented.

 

With all due respect Bill, you initially did not think the problem was the ignition lock cylinder.
If you advised the dealer I have diagnosed my own problem and I know it's the ignition switch and they replaced it and the problem persisted I'm sure you'd step up to the plate and say " oh geez guys guess I made a mistake, but I'll pay anyway'.
As far as the cancer diagnosis certainly you'd seek a second opinion. Not too many people tow a disabled vehicle from a dealer to get a "second opinion". If you had no faith in this dealer why take it to them in the first place. Oh gee, the car was dead and I didn't know what to do. Not the right time for a brain fart. I don't think the dealer put a gun to anyones head and said you have to bring your toy to me. and "oh by the way I'm next to a BMW dealer so I'll be expensive. many dealers are in close proximity to one another.

 

I am assuming your are replying to me...I'm not Bill. Acutally it was PM messages that we came up with the ignition cylinder as the most likely problem so I can't fault you on that. And being that this was the 2nd time it went to a dealer to fix the same problem, a dealer already made a mistake and I paid for it (don't like doing that twice). And your right it doesn't make much sense to tow to a second dealer for a second opinion, but you can call another (and I did). Took it to this dealer because I just moved back here so don't know of many options (on CF to correct that) and at 1st thought it had to do with the key chip so usually no one but a dealer can deal with that issue (at least that has been my experience with other makes). I do know another guy who does my regular work but I was at my parents place to watch the Superbowl and he was out of my covered towing range. Didn't have a brain fart, had to solve quickly to get to meeting on time for work. The BMW line was a joke. I have every right to do a little research and 2nd guess what someone tells me regarding my car when another dealer didn't fix it right the 1st time and I am paying for it ...matter of fact I think you are an idiot if you don't or are an extremely trusting person.
And $90 is quite expensive for an hourly rate. I know custom hot rod guys (not in NJ) that charge $70 and they work from scratch.