Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01-11-2005, 02:54 PM
DENNIS
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Shop Labor

Is shop labor more for one repair than anouther?? everytime i go to a shop for things to have them do, i get pissed and go do it myself, like 140.00 labor for to front shocks--- i fully understand JUST DIY---

Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 01-11-2005, 03:15 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: So. California
Posts: 744
$140 for labor on front shocks is outrageous. Where do you live Tokyo? Luckily you can perform quite a bit of your own maintanence on these cars.
__________________
84 300DT Puke Yellow. Totalled after 438,000
84 300DT Orient Red. 169,000 (actual mileage may vary)
2002 Explorer EB (wife's)
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 01-11-2005, 03:22 PM
aklim's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Location: Greenfield WI, USA
Posts: 8,514
$140 is about 1.5 hrs work so how long would it take you to do it? If you can DIY it in 10 mins, fine. However, I suspect you would end up taking 2 hrs to do it.
__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 01-11-2005, 03:34 PM
Newbie Benz Dood
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Traverse City, Michigan
Posts: 147
beleve it or not you can still perform DIY on every car. Mechanics make good money if there shop is on flat rate...going by what the book time is on front shocks it could be 3 hours, but it might only take the mechanic 1hr to do it...thats where you make your money.

But in all reality, screw it. I'll DIY and spend the money I saved on tools to DIY more things

Having friends that are MB Techs and using some of the shop equipment is nice too
I'll be testing my 300D injectors soon on the MBZ tester @ the local dealer.
__________________
1992 300TE 4matic - Just obtained 12/22/06
1983 300D - SOLD
1997 Dodge 2500 - CTD 400+HP, 1100ft/lbs torque
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 01-11-2005, 03:44 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Bothell, WA
Posts: 237
From speaking to techs that work at local Audi, Jaguar and BMW authorized dealers the overwhelming response is that the book barely gives them enough time to get the job done.

Most manufacturers quote one book time for warranty, another for off warranty - the warranty time is always less. Effectively they are saying that they won't pay the full cost of a warranty repair so the tech ends up eating part of it. Almost all shops around here appear to be piece rate, where the tech is paid according to the book hours for each job they do. If they get done quicker, good for them, if they take longer, bad for them, but the shop does not make more or less money depending on how long the tech takes.

Kevin
__________________
'85 300SD
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 01-11-2005, 04:18 PM
Newbie Benz Dood
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Traverse City, Michigan
Posts: 147
there are several mechanics in my area that make between 50-60k a year wrenching. They are not hourly employees. You are correct that the dealer does not win or lose anything..I think it would make a tech hurry up and get the job done so they get paid.....then the dealer benefits because the same vehicle will be back later on for more repairs. For instance, I knew a guy who worked for a large dealership here in TC...2.2L 4 cylinders have a notorious problem with head gasket leaks so they would get 3-4 of them a week. He had the replacement of the head gasket down to a science. He said he could have the head off in under 30 min and back together in another 30 minutes. He said that they do not even inspect anything, dont scrape the surfaces none of that. They just lift the head up enough to slide the old one out and slide the new one in. Book time could be 4 hours and it took him 1hr. Do you think his work was "quality"? The dealer loved it because they always lasted over the 10,000 mile warrenty they warrent on the repairs...it could be back in 10,001 and they would be more than happy to stick it to you again! I'd call that bad business but hey....its how people make there living

I dont understand how it works....here a tech makes between $12-15 an hour....they provide there own tools (often tens of thousands of dollars worth) and use the dealers provided lift (4-5k for a NICE lift) How can they justify charging the customer $45 an hour? Same with mercedes, the rate is $95 an hour here!
__________________
1992 300TE 4matic - Just obtained 12/22/06
1983 300D - SOLD
1997 Dodge 2500 - CTD 400+HP, 1100ft/lbs torque
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 01-11-2005, 05:50 PM
DENNIS
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Talking

I thank you all for the input,i think thay all should get a fair wage, i was an aircraft mech. in the military, and worked for very little--when thay see a MB thay see$$$$ Dennis :
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 01-11-2005, 07:36 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NE Arkansas
Posts: 66
Quote:
Originally Posted by DENNIS
I thank you all for the input,i think thay all should get a fair wage, i was an aircraft mech. in the military, and worked for very little--when thay see a MB thay see$$$$ Dennis :
Then you should be able to put shocks on.
__________________
'85 300 Turbo Diesel- 308K
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 01-11-2005, 07:58 PM
aklim's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Location: Greenfield WI, USA
Posts: 8,514
Quote:
Originally Posted by SYRacing
beleve it or not you can still perform DIY on every car. Mechanics make good money if there shop is on flat rate...going by what the book time is on front shocks it could be 3 hours, but it might only take the mechanic 1hr to do it...thats where you make your money.

But in all reality, screw it. I'll DIY and spend the money I saved on tools to DIY more things

Having friends that are MB Techs and using some of the shop equipment is nice too
I'll be testing my 300D injectors soon on the MBZ tester @ the local dealer.
But if your car has other issues like stuck bolts, etc, etc, it might take them 5 hours to do it and they only get paid for 3. Works both ways tho.

Me, I can't see buying a tool to do a DIY if I don't have use for it. Why would I buy a spring compressor if I have only needed one 2 times in the last 10 years. Now, if it is a common tool that has many applications, sure, I'll get it. Once in a lifetime use, no. I'll need to build a shed to store all the unused tools.

Yes it is.
__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 01-11-2005, 08:04 PM
aklim's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Location: Greenfield WI, USA
Posts: 8,514
Quote:
Originally Posted by SYRacing
I dont understand how it works....here a tech makes between $12-15 an hour....they provide there own tools (often tens of thousands of dollars worth) and use the dealers provided lift (4-5k for a NICE lift) How can they justify charging the customer $45 an hour? Same with mercedes, the rate is $95 an hour here!
Well, you provide the insurance, heating, sewage, building, specialized tools that the shop has that a tech doesn't have, benifits for the tech, sending the tech to school while he is being paid for no work done, etc, etc. Also the franchise is an investment. Interest paid for the building, maintaing a parts department and an inventory. The list goes on.

I often asked how my father charged his clients that much when the cost of the product is that low. At least I did till I worked for him. Then I saw all the incidentals that went into a business. Before we even made a dollar, we had expenses that we had to pay out of the loan we took. Then we had to payoff the loan with interest.
__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 01-11-2005, 08:14 PM
DENNIS
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I instaled the bilstines in about 1.5--Dennis
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 01-11-2005, 08:24 PM
aklim's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Location: Greenfield WI, USA
Posts: 8,514
Quote:
Originally Posted by DENNIS
I instaled the bilstines in about 1.5--Dennis
So how is $140 for labor out of line?
__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 01-11-2005, 08:42 PM
DENNIS
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I guess 140.00 is really not to far out of line with what a shop charges,I do most of my work anyway. could be that i am 64 years young and out touch with what cost to run a shop, however, i have seen tech's working on autos that i would not want them touching my cars---1979 450SL,1982 300td, 2001 pathfinder, 1996 honda accord- ex --- Thanks for input, Dennis
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 01-11-2005, 10:01 PM
Tirebiter's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Southern California & Hawaii
Posts: 690
Our shop labor rate is $100/hour for most jobs. I get half. Time for front shocks is one hour. One and half hours for rear shocks. This includes any rusted or broken parts. Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you. It all works out. We use warranty times for a standard where most shops charge double warranty time for customer pay.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 01-11-2005, 10:25 PM
Fishslayer's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Plainfield, Il.
Posts: 59
What kills me is the price of the shocks not the labor!! they are nothing special. I also came out of the Army in '81 as a spec 4 (67N) aircraft mechanic also. And went to work at the very dealer Alkim bought his car from and believe me it was more than $15 an hour back then. I bit my tongue for 5 years before I couldn't take the constant "sell more than what they came in for" pitch. It came to an end as I threw a tri-star shop stool through the service writers window, with a customer in the office, I was immediately shown the door. I have since worked for a few indy's and currently run a successful remodeling biz, I do on occasion get the urge to go back to wrenching, I just picture that service writers face and get over it

__________________
***************
This Space For Rent
***************
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:45 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2018 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page