Bring it to the dealer

[reachme]

I get flak with what I spend on the cars, I live in a house with 4 females and it's nice to get out in the garage and have a project and I do spend a lot.

Anyway the engine light goes on in her 2010 Honda SoccerMom but it was driving fine. I told her to drive the Cayenne, I would check the code and fix it but she wanted to bring to the dealer. Fine I said, "Bring it to the dealer".

She agrees to the $65 diagnostics fee (paying for a quote). Then they sit her down with $2000 in optional stuff in their system that has accumulated in the 4 years she owned the car before finally getting to the clutch pressure switch is throwing the code.
She agrees to the additional $260 repair just for that and the 2 hour wait at the dealer.

While she's waiting I get the text about what the issue was.
I text her back that it is only a clutch pressure switch sensor-car is fine. Its a simple unscrew and replace of a $10 part-like a lightbulb. Overall the extra $315 she is spending could be a designer handbag and the 2 hour wait is for her benefit-so she feels better dropping that much cash. I send her the pic of the diagram of the part (#12) so she can fume for 2 hours for what she can see is a simple task, then overpay them. I add that she is probably paying a bit more because she is a woman. Women like ruminating on that for 2 hours. I don't envy the checkout guy and I don't expect any resistance for another 6 months.

We need a common enemy to unite us.
Condoleezza Rice

[Bugsinrugs]

Well done my friend.....well done.

[Nickshu]

It's only overpaying if you can do it yourself! Most people can't/won't.

[vash]

I wouldn't even tell her. What purpose does it serve?


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

[gacook]

Originally Posted by vash

I wouldn't even tell her. What purpose does it serve?


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

Oh, it serves a purpose. Every time I do something to the car, I make sure to tell my wife what it WOULD have cost if I'd had a mechanic--or worse, the dealer--do the work. She never gripes about what I spend on the car.

Also, it's a teaching tool for her boys: learn to do this stuff yourself and save big bucks down the road. One of them is getting the message; the other is going to make his mechanic very rich once he's out of the house and on his own.

[wayner]

At an early age, I taught my son all about fixing cars. It backfired.

He went and got and engineering degree, and a new car in the time that I spent cursing at rusted metal

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by vash

I wouldn't even tell her. What purpose does it serve?


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

Teachable moment; and the designer hand bag is the carrot.

Sensor switch? Nolo comprendo.

Hermes bag? "Oh, baby - what have I done."

:-)

[vash]

I wouldn't want to bum my wife out. Not for a few hundred.

But honestly she always ask the shop, " is this something my husband can do?"


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

[scottmandue]

My wife insists on taking her car to a chain for her oil change... "but I have a coupon!!!!"
She gets pissed when I assert "DON'T BUY ANY OTHER SRVICES that is how these guys make their money!"

Just changed that cabin filter yesterday... I shutter to think what they would have charged for the minute it took to pop the glove box door off and switch filters.

[aigel]

You seem so happy about "teaching a lesson" but it sounds like you aren't seeing eye to eye at a much deeper level than a sensor switch ...

[fastfredracing]

Wish I could get her to take it to the dealer ...

[Bugsinrugs]

My wife and kids depend on me for their car issues.i like to tell them what it would have cost them if they relied on the dealer. I get some pretty nice tools for the money I save my family.

[scottmandue]

On the other hand on modern cars I'm pretty much a filter, fluids, light bulb guy... any big job gets sent off the a mechanic (I prefer a indy if I can talk her into it).

Fortunately my dad taught me how to do plumbing, electrical, carpentry so I save my money by doing those jobs around the house.

[GH85Carrera]

I am happy my wife drives a nice Japanese appliance car. It is 2008 and so far all she has had done is replace a few batteries. I guess driving just 4,200 miles per year is hard on batteries.

[Gogar]

Congratulations!!! YOU WON.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Being that I typically have cars with service records from past owners, when my wife gives me crap about my part or tool expenditures I strategically locate a service receipt to give her some real world perspective. My cars only visit a shop for tires, and never a dealership except for free warranty work.

[pitargue]

$315 for a designer hand bag? Last time I priced a Hermes, it was $7k.

Guess the knock offs are getting a bit more expensive.

I do my own work. I took my Merc into a dealer once, and the Jiffy Lube monkey would of done a more professional job. Never again. I don't trust anyone to do what I can do.

[Ayles]

Just had this happen over the weekend, 250 miles from home my car shudders and all the warning lights come on. Was able to restart the car with all but the check engine light on. Got home and read the codes. It was a bad camshaft position sensor. Googled all sorts of horror stories and people saying its a dealer should replace item. I got the sensor on Amazon for $40 and had it swapped out in 20min.

Now how do I spend the $300 I saved

[Gogar]

Apparently you need to buy your wife a handbag.

[Scuba Steve]

The guy that bought my 924S took it in to the dealer for service a couple weeks later, then called me to ***** about it because either their bill or estimate was more than I sold the car for. I told him he was an idiot for bringing a 19 year old, 190,000 mile Porsche to the dealer for anything but to order small parts and to find an indie mechanic. It wasn't even big problems from what I remember, just minor seepage around the lower balance shaft seal. I'm not used to adults being that mind-blowingly dumb.