Big service bill, need opinions

S

srx600

New member
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Messages
381
Age
37
Location
Madawaska, Maine
I recently brought my srx for a preseason checkup and figure I might as well have them put on all the parts I bought for it this year, instead of doing it myself sice it was there and i figured these things shouldnt take a certified mechanic long to do. My dealer is a five star dealer (meaning there mechanics are certified by yamaha itself and are really good) The rate is $38 per hour. I hate the powervalves clean and adjusted, 144 studs put in( holes were already drill) and I took out the old studs previously, a small bracket replaced in the suspension, hyfax and/or slides replaced, new tool kit bracket put in the rear storage compartment, and foot and rail grips put in. I was ultimately charged $380 for labor, 10 hrs or labor. Should these things really cost this much?
 
Count you blessings, here in the NY/NJ area labor is $60-75 an hour.

Luckily I enjoy doing everything myself and I like to wrench - or I'd be broke by now with all of my hobbies.

MJB
 
bill

no, they did not have to take out the old studs, i took them out before I brought it. I am just unsure why just for that it would take 10 hrs
 
I dont think you got that bad a deal

3-4 hrs powervalves
2-3 hrs stud
1 hrs hyfax
1 hrs suspension bracket
1 hrs tool kit bracket
1 hrs foot and grip rails

Granted many of us could probably do it faster.........but the mechanic needs to make a living too.

Steve
 
dealer didnt lube you up first, huh?

from the minute the sled came in the door, he quit working on it 4 times for coffee, 1 for dinner, 27 times to answer the phone, find tools, and start tearing apart the other units that are sitting there, and dont forget the 3 hour chat he had with buddies that dropped in. Even though your sled was only 'hands-on' for 4 hours, it was in the shop 7, and he has to pay the kid that did the work training. Thats a busy day for anyone, remember, he has bills to pay and the overhead is high. Oh ya, he probably also used Snap-on air tools, and they are far slower than doing by hand, I was charged 4 hours to change a starter in a 1979 chev 1/2 ton one time, I did it in 35 minutes laying on the grass, no air tools. Go figure.
 
bill

yeah i see what u mean by them not working on it the total time, because i have done powervavles in 1-2 hours, and studs in 3, by hand without air tools and I know they have air tools. But I guess thats the way it goes, I'll know better next time.
 
The guys are right stating the dealership makes money on labor. I will gladly wrench for an evening on a sled learning while I go and saving the cash for more beer. There are very few items on a sled that take a certification to work on and when you do learn you can save the cash the next time. Remember the dealer only looked at the parts you wanted him to look at. Most mechanics will overlook problems in other areas because it is not on the invoice. Now I am not talking about all mechanics here. I do know some that will inform customers about problems and ask if they want them repaired but are far and few between. Your best bet is to work as a group looking at the sled as a whole and tinkering from there. We have great luck this way and have very few mecanical breakdowns because of it. Preventive maintainence is the key to happy sledding. 8) You have a very knowledgable group here if you use them correctly. :wink:
 
Labor costs

I would say the overall hours were rounded up, but my local dealer is 70 dollars an hour....
In the future think about how long each portion would take you, and multiply by the SUPER LOW rate of 38, and decide if it is worth it. I think the value of a dealer you are clearly satisfied with (as far as work completed), and the 38 hour rate are two things that are very hard to find...
 
bill

I think i should be satified know u guys pay 55 to 70 an hour, and i think it was worth it because that little bracket I told you about was found by the mechanic, and i had not noticed it before.
 
a certified tech should have been able to do all that work in 7 to 8 hours max. but if he was interupted for other things and the dealer charges by
the time the sled is in the shop,I guess it is not to bad,because you know the work was done by someone who is certified and the hourly rate
is very good,and he did find that bracket.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


Back
Top