Just under the wire

Well on my way back to work from lunch, a co worker noticed something dripping from the bottom of my engine compartment. So I take a look and it smells horribly of hot anti-freeze. So I take my truck over to the aircraft wash rack and spray down the underside and top side of the engine compartment and blow it dry with the air hose. Start the truck and start looking for leaks. Upper radiator hose was good lower radiator hose was good. No leaks from the head gasket. Looks like it might be coming from the front side of the engine. Could it be the water pump??? Maybe but its coverd up and not easy to see. So we busted out the jet engine boriscope. Still couldnt see that much but thats the general area the coolant was coming from. So I call the dealer give them my year make model vin# and mileage. Well my vehical warrenty expired about 17,000 or so miles ago. However the engine manufacture warrenty just happens to still be good. Untill the 16th of this month.
 
You lucked out on that one. Reminds me of the 2002 porsche boxter my dad has at his shop right now blew the motor at 20,000 miles not covered under warranty anymore. Things sure are made with quality nowadays huh?
 
Drove it to the dealership this morning got there at 830. Told the service guy what was up and that it was still under warrenty. He tells me well we will see whats up when we take it apart. Get a call an hour or so later, yep its the water pump and its covered under your warrenty. Oh by the way your radiator cap needs replaced and so does your surpentine belt. Thats not covered under Warrenty that will be $170. I figured they already got it apart replace the belt and throw the cap on it. Plus they said something about my power steering fluid needing replaced, and brake fluid needing replaced. I didnt even bother asking how much. I just told him I'll take care of that stuff myself. No sense in paying them to do a job and get raped on labor when I can do that stuff for parts.

So I didnt get off scott free as they ended up getting some money out of me. But beats the heck out of $250 in labor, and $350 in parts plus the $170 for the serpentine belt and radiator cap.
 
They always hit you with the highest possible list price for parts and they may count labor times twice. They never charge actual labor, they just go by the book. You see the belt is really part of the water pump job as you have to remove the belt to get at the pump. I bet they charged you $100 for a $45 belt and then part of an hour of labor. The labor should not have been charged on top of the water pump job. Just so you know that water pump likely cost the dealership under $150.

They don't get paid well for warranty work. It's a money losing proposition for them. With the belt change they at least broke even.
 
Drove it to the dealership this morning got there at 830. Told the service guy what was up and that it was still under warrenty. He tells me well we will see whats up when we take it apart. Get a call an hour or so later, yep its the water pump and its covered under your warrenty. Oh by the way your radiator cap needs replaced and so does your surpentine belt. Thats not covered under Warrenty that will be $170. I figured they already got it apart replace the belt and throw the cap on it. Plus they said something about my power steering fluid needing replaced, and brake fluid needing replaced. I didnt even bother asking how much. I just told him I'll take care of that stuff myself. No sense in paying them to do a job and get raped on labor when I can do that stuff for parts.

So I didnt get off scott free as they ended up getting some money out of me. But beats the heck out of $250 in labor, and $350 in parts plus the $170 for the serpentine belt and radiator cap.


Funny you say that my dad was on his way up to west virginia and his water pump went out on his 06 2500 cummins
 
They always hit you with the highest possible list price for parts and they may count labor times twice. They never charge actual labor, they just go by the book. You see the belt is really part of the water pump job as you have to remove the belt to get at the pump. I bet they charged you $100 for a $45 belt and then part of an hour of labor. The labor should not have been charged on top of the water pump job. Just so you know that water pump likely cost the dealership under $150.

They don't get paid well for warranty work. It's a money losing proposition for them. With the belt change they at least broke even.

Your pretty close on your estimate for the Belt, and radiator cap + labor. The belt was like 80, rad cap was like 30, + 50 in labor. It is what it is. At least Im not leaking anti freeze on my drive way, and my truck doesnt stink anymore.
 
Your pretty close on your estimate for the Belt, and radiator cap + labor. The belt was like 80, rad cap was like 30, + 50 in labor. It is what it is. At least Im not leaking anti freeze on my drive way, and my truck doesnt stink anymore.
glad you got it fixed :D...
 
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