Aftermarket experience :(

[robc]

Here's a long personal story to relate again why dealerships sometimes give the aftermarket more credit than they deserve.

I've been tinkering with my daughter's 94 Geo Tracker for a month now trying to get it to pass NJ emission inspection. I bought it on the cheap because it had a burnt exhaust valve. After putting that off, I finally did it and went in for inspection - it failed for high HCs. New O2 sensor I put on was bad, so I put old back in and everything is good but high NOx. (Really slightly high, like standard is 1205 and her car is 1215 - something liek that) Now I am no master tech, but even I know that is high cylinder temp/EGR issue 99% of the time. So I start looking over everything and must have vacuum checked the EGR and modulator a half dozen times. Finally I got sick of dealing with it and took it to the local aftermarket garage because for some reason no dealers seem to have emission testing certification.

Less than an hour later they call and say it needs an EGR. Really I wonder - how do you know. Essentially he says the computer shows it isn't working. Really, this EGR doesn't have a position sensor, and I can stall the car at an idle by applying vacuum to it. I can touch the diaphragm and feel it smoothly operate with a vacuum pump and it holds vacuum. (I am assuming tech read slightly high NOx and just figured it is an EGR) But ok, if this is what it will take for you to put a sticker on the window - whatever - so how much?

Here's the punch line - $375. Umm ok, break that down for me. Well it is a dealer only part and it cost $182. Really, dealer only because I see ACDelco of course has a listing, and so does AIRTEX. And that part - it is 96064756 right? Because it dealer lists at $130 and ACDelco for about $75. And the gasket is $13. You mean the one FelPro lists for a $1 and ACDelco for $2? But anyway - ok a high part mark-up - I've seen worse in NJ. So that leaves like $180 for labor and taxes, etc.

$80 for diagnosis (flat fee, I am ok with it, had they actually performed some kind of diagnosis) and $80 for the R&R labor. Umm, this is a two bolt, all rubber hose attached EGR that couldn't be easier to get at. Hold on let me look it up in Mitchell - yep it shows a generous 0.5, are you $160 an hour?

I just couldn't do it. I mean normally even if I was slight suspicious and the bill was much higher than I thought I would just do it because it is easier than fighting the NJ DMV for the inspection. But I know the EGR is fine.

Anyway it just reminded me that sometimes I think we are too afraid of our pricing and that everything in the aftermarket is some wonderful bargain for the customer.

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** Rob, Editor Dealersedge/WD&S **
Help is only a message post away!
robc@dealersedge.com
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