Mechanic Pricing Help

[1999C4CO]

Greetings Gang:

This week after taking my car (99 C4 Aero) out on a spirited drive I was dismayed to find that after pulling into my garage had a puddle of coolant lying below an hour or so later. After consulting the board here it seems as if this reservoir leakage is not so much a matter of if but when so I will just take my lumps and get it taken care of. My reason for the post is I want to make sure what my mechanic is telling me is along the lines of reality. Any and all input is appreciated

Coolant Reservoir Tank - Since its a 1999 it is an OE part only and costs $225. Stated that after MY 2000 the price dips into the $170 range but 99 is more expensive due to the lack of aftermarket parts keeping the price down. 2.2 hours of labor to exchange due to the hoses causing removal/install issues

Coolant cap $15 Recommended the change as better to be safe than sorry

Brake pads- car has 30K miles so I want to swap them out before they hit the sensors Front pads $125 plus 1 hour labor Rear $90 plus 1 hour labor

Spark Plugs- I did the rest of the 30K service on my own using the DIY section but did not have the tools or time to mess with the plugs. Cost is $12 per plug plus 2 hours labor

Reset Airbag Light- light was triggered when my stereo installer used the key with the seat out he says NC but I figure he is just factoring in how much he is making on me on the other stuff.

Grand total for parts labor and tax is $1160. I understand that this car is not inexpensive to purchase or maintain I just want to make sure that I am not getting bent over on these price quotes and repair charges.

[Izzy]

You should try buying the parts yourself from Sunset Auto, link is on the top. The parts do sound overpriced, but then again I only buy from Sunset and they are typically 60% what the local dealer charges.

[adsach]

Brake Pads are easy on this car. If you did 'the rest of the 30K service', I would wait until you actually see the wear sensors go off and then install new front pads. It is HIGHLY UNLIKELY you need rear brake pads at 30K - I have 50K on my Boxster S rear brakes so far, and these are similar brakes.

Speaking of brakes, you probably want to exchange your brake fluid if the fluid is over 2 years old.

If you have the original 99 CAP, it may want replacing. This is extrapolating from the Boxster world where the pre 2000 cap was replaced at dealer service time.

The prices quoted seem about right to me.

[PTEC]

I would say those times are very fair.

Anywhere from 2.2 to 3 hours is pretty normal for a coolant tank. Definitely buy the cap.

Brakes for an hour labor? Is that just pads or pads and rotors? Pads and rotors can go anywhere from two to three hours. A brake flush is also a good idea.

Two hours for a plugs is a bit on the high side.

Edited October 13, 2005 by PTEC