Are you serious? If you do NOT have manufacturer's warranty remaining, then I would avoid the dealership except for oilchange promos, etc. As a shop owner to the customer's that feel like they shouldn't pay a mechanic to tell them what's wrong with their car. I am going to other dealerships next week! Scanners*Scanners*Scanners* Well they are out there alright and can be about as good as a troll or a gypsy's crystal ball at times**If you can Learn to use*****Diagnostic Equipment*****Refrain form local Part Stores from plugging into your vehicle with their scanners**Why you might ask**Well,in this time,day and age,technology has gone through the roof you might say but its not gonna end anytime soon**There is newer and of course always better diagnostics made by a lot of competitors that are going to be available everywhere**All claiming to be new and improved and the best over the other guy**Local part stores are just that,Part Stores**If and when you decide to hook up you vehicle to a OBD or some type of scanner from a Local**Just Remember and Keep in Mind that the diagnostic tool has had Hundreds of Data Stored from Other Vehicles**So what the big deal you might say,that's what they are for ? Seems silly, doesn't it? They want to charge me diagnostic! I'll mention that I work in the IT field. So he charges the customer another hour to replace the coil pack and 60 dollars for the part. I have been trained on diagnosing car problems I have alot of people come to me to fix things the dealer cannot. Frequently Asked Question | AutoNation Example.if you are getting P0420.you will focus on the Catalytic converter and O2 sensor. He posted his "discuss" on Yelp & refused to pay the $129. and if you have a dodge you can utlize the self diagnostic procedure by turning the ignition on and off 3 times in a row, then turn it on again. Warranty work doesn't always include diagnostic fees. So is them telling you the problem just so you can go do it yourself. That's conniving and just as ignorant. 4.6/5. These diagnostic services are designed to provide specific codes that can be used to estimate vehicle repair costs, time, and repairs. A $5 to you is a $30 to them. their view "it might be distributor or cam valve" however they did not able to duplicate problem i.e, did not find single time engine stall during 2 days when car was in shop. :"I told you this could happen but you agreed to do the test" if I did not pay, they did not want to give me my car keys. And Too bad for the mechanic if he doesnt like it and chose the wrong professionshould have stayed in school and became a DOCTOR instead..hahahhaahaha, I don't think the fee is the problem. An estimate is something that you the customer already knows is wrong with the car and can simply be looked up in a book and figure out a cost. Why should the customer pay for the quote? Should You Have to Pay for Diagnostic Fees. an I would be charged for a set of 8 light not 3. just got charged $196 for an ecc diagnostics today at Galpin Ford. The Diagnostic fee at a dealership might be a bit higher, but worth it in the long run, since dealership equipment is designed to pick up vehicle failures specifically. Tell us what youre looking for and well search the inventories of every dealership in your area to make you a personalized list of the best car listings in your area. Mechanics has been lying to people for years. Most of our customers are actually glad to have someone explain their problem and fix it right the first time. But we have a lot of costs to keep our doors open. For example I was told today that a technician spent 3 hours and was not able to find the problem with a check engine light or whining noise from the ABC pump. Certain parts stores will read your codes for free, but many of those doing the scanning do well to know how to plug the scanner in much less make an semi-accurate diagnosis as to what exactly is causing the code and what it will take to correct it properly. You wouldn't leave your baby for a doctor to check out alone would you? From thier they try to sell you all the parts that could be wrong. That is NOT my problem. Now my question is what should I do, should I just pay initial diagnosis charge $100 and still not knowing/fixing problem or just go ahead with wild guess and change distributor or cam valve as they suggest. Lets see, there are 35 computers some having 200 wires. Trusted repair shop spent an hour or so with the van, diagnosed it as needing a replacement transmission, charged nothing for the diagnosis, and gave an estimate of $2,700. We try to cover our basis. They brought her out and showed her a mouse had made its way into the blower box and brought all sorts of debris into the blower wheel. While the scanner is a helpful tool, it is just that a tool and should not be considered "always right." This is a phrase used in the auto industry to describe the testing necessary to establish the unknown or underlying cause of a car problem. Dropped the car off next day. Thread starter dan4160; Start date Nov 3, 2017; Watchers 3; dan4160 Member. The diagnostic fee allows us the time to thoroughly test and accurately determine the real cause of the warning light using the professional test equipment we have invested in. The average cost for a Mercedes-Benz ML350 General Diagnosis is between $110 and $139. That sounded to me like very strange she said all that, it felt like they did that before, the computer found nothing but you still have to pay. 10 trouble codes in the PCM ranging from map sensor, O2 sensor, lean, fuel injector codes, etc etc. @jonelsr - This isn't much different than a doctor providing a cat scan or a dentist taking x-rays. If you were to have a code p0300 for a generic misfire then at home you will replace all tune up components, maybe an ignition coil, then a fuel injector or two until you and your beer buddy are stumped and broke. Check suspension, steering & driveline for wear or damage. I actually like 99% of them and consider them friends. No customer would see that as a $100 value, and I can FULLY understand that. Diagnostic is defined as "able to distinguish" so the mechanic should be able to distinguish the exact problem and relay that problem to be exactly, not by generalization. I still recall why I stopped doing that. To me it seems that they don't want to take the trouble to investigate what is blocking the information flow from the other sensors getting to the onboard computer. A check engine light may necessitate using complex computer equipment, component examination, testing, or other procedures to find a vehicle's fault. And there is NO "consumer friendly" repairman out there that you can trust. For the $114.95 auto diagnostic fee, the shop probably won't even charge you to replace that broken vacuum line. Point is, when we find something very obvious we aren't here to beat people over the head. They didn't give you anything tangible except information. Remember, I'm talking skilled technician diagnosis--not visual inspection of brakes/undercar/underhood by a general service technician. Many offer free inspections as a complimentary service. Dealership Diagnostic Fee | Indian Motorcycle Forum When you do this the odometer displayes the error code. 8 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN BUYING A USED CAR. I was amazed at how many people didn't understand the concept that an expert's time is worth money. Given the fact that in that case all 3 of your brake lights will not work, that would be my first guess, I'd pull the switch out and test for continuity. BUT they have not found ANY issues with my car. When I called the dealership back to inquire about the diagnostic fee being waived since I have uncovered the very obvious issue, I was told it's up the technician and that most agree they deserve they additional $74.99 to trouble shoot issues they're being paid hourly to fix. Dealership service bays are some of the worst about bogus charges and unnecessary part replacements, but the bottom line is that most service locations will put the guy on a job that is minimally qualified and "hope" he does a passable job on your car. They come up with all sorts of suggestions about other parts to change when you only came in for part B to change. The software updates cost $7500 per year. If you know next to nothing about cars, you probably haven't even heard of a brake light switch but I can promise you they exist. There's a shop close to me that only charges $30 an hour, and it has some of the best mechanics I've ever met. Some shops will always lean towards max profit over best balance. You need to pay out of your own pocket. Where does the employer make the money to pay for this, raise the price on those wanting to have their vehicle tested and fixed, I hope not. It's been 9-10 degrees out past few days. For every person that doesn't see our time as valuable, they open a spot for the next vehicle owner who does. How's that for service. View Brochure. Dealership diagnostic fee? I told him to drop it by and let me take a look. lol Please visit my blog at: If a shop owner wants to charge a door fee to step inside and consider becoming a customer, more power to him. They go to the super-smart internet and figure out what it needs. It took exactly 10 minutes. sometimes its difficult for a customer to understand the value of a technicians time. 14 years of education for a doctor? He came up with a story told the customer something cause they paid and was a pretty regular customer. But here's the deal--no one's twisting your arm! What do you think it costs for insurance and liability at an auto shop? I've been in the auto repair business for over 1/4 century and have seen many repair jobs all the way through the person first calling to the final word. In most first doctor visit, a patient does not know is wrong with them and the doctor is paid to diagnose and treat the patient. A basic video giving some insight to the age old consumer question of why shops charge diag fees in certain situations.Just my views and opinions on them!N. (Of course, again, I have many regular customers that I will absolutely bend over backwards for--we have earned each others trust and I know they aren't here to waste my time or theirs). I've seen cars come in to be checked out for latterly 10 minutes and get charged a whole hour of diagnostics. Should I work on your Vehicle for FREE? My advice is find a place with a quick $50 scanner, go home do some research and then find a shop and first thing you should ask the owner is if customer are allowed to be present in the garage during the repair. I do computer work, and if a customer comes to me and tell me "their computer is slow" or something more precise like "my hard drive isn't being recognized", I can't tell them that they have a lot of bloatware/malware on their computer or the hard drive is broken and charge $200. You just insisted we replace without diagnosing, so now that parts failed again because something else is what's causing it to fail. When your vehicle runs into a maintenance problem, your first instinct is to get it checked. i already knew that. in his mind, we hadnt told him anything he didnt already know, so he didnt understand why he should be charged for anything when no repair was actually performed. What about if you bring your car in for about 6 things to check, should you pay a diagnostic fees for each check? in this thread in this sub-forum in the entire site. If its the wrong part then thats on you and you still have to pay me for the workand dont forget that part you didnt need. Here is my problem with it given the circumstance. So I payed and left. Dealership Diagnostic Fee. Is that normal? or, "I'll bring it in next week some time for the repair" then you can follow them straight to the auto parts store. As someone who just took his kia soul to two different dealership service departments for the same issue over the course of 3 days, (and the problem persists after spending over $500) I think diagnostic fees are pure BS. "So explain to me why autozone will run the scan as a free courtesy?" However, there's no denying that there is significant widespread abuse of the fee for service ideal. But a$$holes will flock to rotten meat wherever it lays. The other day had a customer bring their car to me, had it to 3 GM dealers for a Camshaft crankshaft coorelation fault code. I also had a repair done that wasn't covered by the manufacturer or my self-pay extended warranty. I said he was out of his mind and if by the time I get to the dealership the problem isn't determined, he won't even get the original 160 bucks. Audi charges $150+ I believe. They told me what the problem was and what it would cost to fix - which I agreed to. There is so much more to it than a computer telling is, 'do this because this part is failing.' Me: !@#!@#%!#%!@#!$%!@#$! In other words, modern diagnostic equipment and the training required to properly use/interpret them cost money. Instead of the $1260 that he paid. If this is the case, how do I as a patron know it was even ran?
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