Like the topic says, how much is the average price of the service and what extra stuff should I ask the dealer to do?
Also, what does a pan drop mean? I got the transmission fluid flushed. They hooked it up to a machine and ran like 12 qts of ATF. It cost me $120....is that a pan drop? What is the benefit of a pan drop?
How much for 60K service for Q45?
Doc,
Pan drop means taking off pan and cleaning it out, so the dirt in it doesnt circulate thru the transmission during the flush.This is the source of the urban myth of destroying older trannies thru a flush, because this crucial step often gets skipped.
Also includes new filter ( which some dealers deny exits, but Infinti of Scottsadl will sell youy teh factory part as a pan drop kit.
Fred...
Pan drop means taking off pan and cleaning it out, so the dirt in it doesnt circulate thru the transmission during the flush.This is the source of the urban myth of destroying older trannies thru a flush, because this crucial step often gets skipped.
Also includes new filter ( which some dealers deny exits, but Infinti of Scottsadl will sell youy teh factory part as a pan drop kit.
Fred...
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elwesso
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Back to your origional question, if you did EVERYTHING you need to do for the 60k service (oil/filter, transmission fluid/filter, PS fluid, Brake fluid, plugs, inspect brakes, rear diff fluid) you would be looking at quite a bit..... $120 for the flush, $50 for the pan drop and filter change, 20 for oil change, $30 for a PS fluid flush, $600 for plugs, $30 for the rear diff and however much for the brakes, youll be looking over $1000....
Note that all this stuff can be done (as I have done everything except brake fluid, but its fine since I have recently got new brakes) for less than $200..... $50 for a set of plugs, cost of fluids for the rest of the stuff, and 100 for a transmission flush, DIY the pan drop and filter change......
Note that all this stuff can be done (as I have done everything except brake fluid, but its fine since I have recently got new brakes) for less than $200..... $50 for a set of plugs, cost of fluids for the rest of the stuff, and 100 for a transmission flush, DIY the pan drop and filter change......
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Q45tech
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- Car: 1990 Q45 342,400 miles 22 years ownership with original engine
1995 G20t 5 speed 334,000 miles 16" 2002 wheels - 205/50/16 Sr20ve vvl
Again the minimal dealer/factory agreed upon proceedures [which are sometime shortcutted] [no quality control here except personal ethics] are just designed to make it thru the 70k warranty. Failures after that mean more money for dealer and technicans.Older cars need intensive proceedures that dealers don't care to do, takes time and time is money.
The whole revenue - cost structure of a dealer is set to generate almost $200 per hour [47% labor 53% parts [upon which they gross 100% on hard parts, less on liquids].Even T3 needs $150 an actual hour [with our no frills, bare basics, cheap rent approach].
Because of the massive amounts the factory pays [warrranty work] they use a differing hour per job schedule [they cannot give them a discount] so they just force the employees to do more in less hours. So they can look you in the eye and say " that's the hourly rate the factory pays".........the factory also saves money by shipping replacement parts at no charge [no markup by dealer] for major campaigns.Who is the dealer best [most volume] customer ------the factory.
Think of warranty as breakeven work and customer pay as all the profitable work. It is physically impossible for a technican to do 40 hours of warranty work in 40 hours of real time. But a skilled very experienced [on the model he is working on] technican can do 60 hours of customer paid work in 40-44 hours.
The service writer/manager balances the work load so that techs don't get too much warranty work [unless being punished].
The 30k/60k/120k services are really about the only gravey jobs, that can make up for warranty. Maybe a transmission change or certain AC work [if short cutted]............diagnostic work can be a loser depending on the IQ of the technican. A genius would usually not be a dealer technican or work for a chain store.
Remember the dealer tech is getting only $18-$25 per billed hour and nothing on the parts...........a $20 is a significant tip in the hands of the guy who is doing the 2-3 hours of work.
Dealers hate conversations like these, but owners who undestand how things work in the real world are at a significant advantage........you'll never get free parts as these are controlled and tracked..........unless the tech has something laying around.But any EASY part laying in the floor board/trunk has a chance of getting used if it doesn't take much time and there is some incentive to give up free time [break/lunch].......not go out for a smoke etc.
This may sound like some 3rd world practices but it is the pay systems fault, the way the industry is designed and functions.
The whole revenue - cost structure of a dealer is set to generate almost $200 per hour [47% labor 53% parts [upon which they gross 100% on hard parts, less on liquids].Even T3 needs $150 an actual hour [with our no frills, bare basics, cheap rent approach].
Because of the massive amounts the factory pays [warrranty work] they use a differing hour per job schedule [they cannot give them a discount] so they just force the employees to do more in less hours. So they can look you in the eye and say " that's the hourly rate the factory pays".........the factory also saves money by shipping replacement parts at no charge [no markup by dealer] for major campaigns.Who is the dealer best [most volume] customer ------the factory.
Think of warranty as breakeven work and customer pay as all the profitable work. It is physically impossible for a technican to do 40 hours of warranty work in 40 hours of real time. But a skilled very experienced [on the model he is working on] technican can do 60 hours of customer paid work in 40-44 hours.
The service writer/manager balances the work load so that techs don't get too much warranty work [unless being punished].
The 30k/60k/120k services are really about the only gravey jobs, that can make up for warranty. Maybe a transmission change or certain AC work [if short cutted]............diagnostic work can be a loser depending on the IQ of the technican. A genius would usually not be a dealer technican or work for a chain store.
Remember the dealer tech is getting only $18-$25 per billed hour and nothing on the parts...........a $20 is a significant tip in the hands of the guy who is doing the 2-3 hours of work.
Dealers hate conversations like these, but owners who undestand how things work in the real world are at a significant advantage........you'll never get free parts as these are controlled and tracked..........unless the tech has something laying around.But any EASY part laying in the floor board/trunk has a chance of getting used if it doesn't take much time and there is some incentive to give up free time [break/lunch].......not go out for a smoke etc.
This may sound like some 3rd world practices but it is the pay systems fault, the way the industry is designed and functions.
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BadQ45t
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I had my 97 done for about $880 at a non-Infiniti dealership, but the mechanics and service writers are all former Infiniti. The owner of the dealership is a good friend of my dad's and we've know the service writer a long time. i told him I'm keeping my car forever so give it the full treatment.
I got plugs, transmission flushed and new filter, fuel filter, air filter, brake and power steering fluid flush, ailignment, and a bunch of other normal tune-up stuff. Well worth it, he charges $65 an hour, which is way less than the 105 an hour for my Infiniti dealerhip in the Bay Area (this was in Ventura, CA) and the guy doing the service was understanding my goal (I could have easily gotten by for 400 bucks easily).
Find someone to do it and get the laundry list of things to do from Q45tech.
I got plugs, transmission flushed and new filter, fuel filter, air filter, brake and power steering fluid flush, ailignment, and a bunch of other normal tune-up stuff. Well worth it, he charges $65 an hour, which is way less than the 105 an hour for my Infiniti dealerhip in the Bay Area (this was in Ventura, CA) and the guy doing the service was understanding my goal (I could have easily gotten by for 400 bucks easily).
Find someone to do it and get the laundry list of things to do from Q45tech.
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docsmile71
- Posts: 205
- Joined: Sun May 11, 2003 4:16 am
But if I'm understanding Q45tech correctly, the only way that dealers really make money is by doing these 30K, 45K, 60K services....so if I don't do it at the dealer, the techs don't have job security.
I guess I'm a firm believer that you have to spend money to make the economy work.
So if I don't want to do the fluid changes myself (messy and you have to dispose of the fluids which can be a PITA), all I have to do is change the plugs myself and I'll save a few hundred????
I guess I'm a firm believer that you have to spend money to make the economy work.
So if I don't want to do the fluid changes myself (messy and you have to dispose of the fluids which can be a PITA), all I have to do is change the plugs myself and I'll save a few hundred????
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BadQ45t
- Posts: 3255
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- Car: '21 Nissan Leaf SL Plus (wife's car)
'05 Nissan X-Terra S 4x4
'97 Infiniti Q45t SOLD! Miss the old girl
'84 Nissan 300ZX (Original Owner)
'16 Mercedes Benz S550e V8 Power & 35 MPG - Location: Half Moon Bay, CA
My dealer has one up here. Daedalus, you should drive out to Ventura to Cars 101 and ask for Marty. He'll do it in an hour or two and let you fill it with Mobile one if you like. He used to be the service writer for Infiniti of Ventura but the guy that owned that dealership sold it and now owns cars 101, GMC and a bunch of other ones out there. They took all of the mechanics with them so the only thing they do not have is the computer.