Normal costs for maintenence?

I just got an estimate for some normal maintenance at 60K and was wondering if
anyone thought these were normal or excessive.

Transmission flush including B&G Flush Kit, Fluid and conditioner. $247
Replace Serpentine Drive Belt. $155.
Rear Brakes including Pads, machine Rotors, parking brake shoes. $425

thanks for any info or advice.

"Foon" > wrote in message
...
>I just got an estimate for some normal maintenance at 60K and was wondering
>if
> anyone thought these were normal or excessive.
>
This sounds like a troll, but being a nice guy (and having a few minutes to
spare), I will comment anyway.

> Transmission flush including B&G Flush Kit, Fluid and conditioner. $247
No clue what a B&G Flush Kit is and why in the world would you need flushing
at all. No clue about any 'conditioner' either. Are those things mentioned
in your manual? Otherwise routine transmission service is worth less than
$50 in parts + no more than 1 hour labor. And that should include dropping
the pan and replacing the filter, which they are apparently not going to do
at that price. Otherwise it's a 1/2 hour job - at most.

> Replace Serpentine Drive Belt. $155.
A new belt is worth about $25. The job takes 5 minutes (including opening
and closing the hood) for anyone who knows what they are doing . And I have
to doubt why you need it replaced at all. Is it stretched or cracked?

> Rear Brakes including Pads, machine Rotors, parking brake shoes. $425
Are you sure you need a rear brake job at 60K? My rear brakes have over 120K
and still going strong. In any case, a set of pads is worth about $30 and it
should not take more than an hour to do the job. Also, I may be raising some
controversy here, but would suggest that the practice of machining rotors is
a bunch of nonsense. If they are deeply scored or not running true, they
should be replaced. Otherwise follow the book, and just lightly sand. You
did not mention the year and model, so hard to tell how much mess is
replacing the parking brake shoes. Usually it's a bit nasty and may take an
extra hour. But why do you need them replaced at all? Are they worn? Unless
you often drive around with the parking brake engaged, worn shoes are very
unusual - at any mileage.

If it wasn't obvious yet, I have an impression that you are being quoted
(mostly) unnecessary work at greatly inflated price.

Happy Traveler wrote:
> "Foon" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I just got an estimate for some normal maintenance at 60K and was wondering
>> if
>> anyone thought these were normal or excessive.
>>
> This sounds like a troll, but being a nice guy (and having a few minutes to
> spare), I will comment anyway.
>
>> Transmission flush including B&G Flush Kit, Fluid and conditioner. $247
> No clue what a B&G Flush Kit is and why in the world would you need flushing
> at all. No clue about any 'conditioner' either. Are those things mentioned
> in your manual? Otherwise routine transmission service is worth less than
> $50 in parts + no more than 1 hour labor. And that should include dropping
> the pan and replacing the filter, which they are apparently not going to do
> at that price. Otherwise it's a 1/2 hour job - at most.
>
>> Replace Serpentine Drive Belt. $155.
> A new belt is worth about $25. The job takes 5 minutes (including opening
> and closing the hood) for anyone who knows what they are doing . And I have
> to doubt why you need it replaced at all. Is it stretched or cracked?
>
>> Rear Brakes including Pads, machine Rotors, parking brake shoes. $425
> Are you sure you need a rear brake job at 60K? My rear brakes have over 120K
> and still going strong. In any case, a set of pads is worth about $30 and it
> should not take more than an hour to do the job. Also, I may be raising some
> controversy here, but would suggest that the practice of machining rotors is
> a bunch of nonsense. If they are deeply scored or not running true, they
> should be replaced. Otherwise follow the book, and just lightly sand. You
> did not mention the year and model, so hard to tell how much mess is
> replacing the parking brake shoes. Usually it's a bit nasty and may take an
> extra hour. But why do you need them replaced at all? Are they worn? Unless
> you often drive around with the parking brake engaged, worn shoes are very
> unusual - at any mileage.
>
> If it wasn't obvious yet, I have an impression that you are being quoted
> (mostly) unnecessary work at greatly inflated price.

I replaced the parking brake shoes on my sister's '97 Explorer. I don't
know whether she drove with them engaged, but after nine years and
around 100k miles the lining material had all crumbled and flaked away
from the shoes. It can be done without pulling the axles out of the
tubes, but the axle flange makes it a struggle. Seems like just the sort
of extra job that a shop would "perform" on paper but not actually do.

We're going to start with the B&G flush..... Here is a shop that is going to
milk you for every penny they can.... At this point, they have destroyed
their integrity....

The serpentine drive belt (it is a FEAD belt in "Ford-speak") sounds nearly
right.... but this shop has destroyed their integrity wsith the wallet
flush.... sorry, I meant B&G flush....

With no integrity, we must suspect even the simplest of intentions.

Without looking at the rear brakes with my own eyes, I must refer back to
the B&G flush .... It is actually BG (not B&G) and this is only one of
several companies that offer services that are, in effect, useless cash
grabs. Many shops take these programs on to generate cash flow.... I am not
happy because this is just one more thing that makes my trade look bad....

FWIW, you are overdue for a trans service.... this would be "drop the pan,
replace the filter and refill the trans... ". No "flush"... especially one
involving chemicals... is recommended.


"Foon" > wrote in message
...
>I just got an estimate for some normal maintenance at 60K and was wondering
>if
> anyone thought these were normal or excessive.
>
> Transmission flush including B&G Flush Kit, Fluid and conditioner. $247
> Replace Serpentine Drive Belt. $155.
> Rear Brakes including Pads, machine Rotors, parking brake shoes. $425
>
> thanks for any info or advice.
>

Foon > wrote in :

> I just got an estimate for some normal maintenance at 60K and was
> wondering if anyone thought these were normal or excessive.
>
> Transmission flush including B&G Flush Kit, Fluid and conditioner.
> $247 Replace Serpentine Drive Belt. $155.
> Rear Brakes including Pads, machine Rotors, parking brake shoes. $425
>
> thanks for any info or advice.
>
>

About 50 to 75% too much. I just had both front and rear brakes done on
my 2002 AWD, with two new front rotors and parking brake shoes for about
$550. The parts cost, at retail, on a serpentine belt is about $35. Add a
half hour labor, even at $90/hour, and the job should be less than $100.
Frankly, if you have the least bit of skill, you can replace the
serpentine belt yourself in about 10 minutes. Transmission flush, $150
max.

Thanks to everyone for their heads up advice.
I've also checked a few other shops including a Ford dealer and the estimates
from them are a bit lower than the ones I got from the independent shop. (Though
in June the Ford dealer recommended lower ball joint replacement I did not need
which also makes them suspect.)
FWIW the shop is a AAA certified shop, what that proves I don't know, but I've
decided to delay the trans flush and brake jobs until I can do more research.
Unfortunately I am not skilled enough nor do I have a facility to do the repairs
myself.
Thanks again.



In article <4FECk.1812$T65.1484@edtnps82>, > says...
>
>We're going to start with the B&G flush..... Here is a shop that is going to
>milk you for every penny they can.... At this point, they have destroyed
>their integrity....
>
>The serpentine drive belt (it is a FEAD belt in "Ford-speak") sounds nearly
>right.... but this shop has destroyed their integrity wsith the wallet
>flush.... sorry, I meant B&G flush....
>
>With no integrity, we must suspect even the simplest of intentions.
>
>Without looking at the rear brakes with my own eyes, I must refer back to
>the B&G flush .... It is actually BG (not B&G) and this is only one of
>several companies that offer services that are, in effect, useless cash
>grabs. Many shops take these programs on to generate cash flow.... I am not
>happy because this is just one more thing that makes my trade look bad....
>
>FWIW, you are overdue for a trans service.... this would be "drop the pan,
>replace the filter and refill the trans... ". No "flush"... especially one
>involving chemicals... is recommended.
>
>
>"Foon" > wrote in message
...
>>I just got an estimate for some normal maintenance at 60K and was wondering
>>if
>> anyone thought these were normal or excessive.
>>
>> Transmission flush including B&G Flush Kit, Fluid and conditioner. $247
>> Replace Serpentine Drive Belt. $155.
>> Rear Brakes including Pads, machine Rotors, parking brake shoes. $425
>>
>> thanks for any info or advice.
>>
>
>

Good example of why people dont trust mechanics,cherry-pick the easy
jobs,charge ridiculous home-run prices.Thats why most of us learn to do the
work ourselves.
"Foon" > wrote in message
...
>I just got an estimate for some normal maintenance at 60K and was wondering
>if
> anyone thought these were normal or excessive.
>
> Transmission flush including B&G Flush Kit, Fluid and conditioner. $247
> Replace Serpentine Drive Belt. $155.
> Rear Brakes including Pads, machine Rotors, parking brake shoes. $425
>
> thanks for any info or advice.
>

Just read an article in a computer magazine that recommended a website that
will give you a reasonable range of repair prices for your area. I don't
really know if it is that good, but at least one national magazine (Smart
Computing) thought it was good. The website is www.repairpal.com
Tom

"Foon" > wrote in message
...
>I just got an estimate for some normal maintenance at 60K and was wondering
>if
> anyone thought these were normal or excessive.
>
> Transmission flush including B&G Flush Kit, Fluid and conditioner. $247
> Replace Serpentine Drive Belt. $155.
> Rear Brakes including Pads, machine Rotors, parking brake shoes. $425
>
> thanks for any info or advice.
>