Garage Prices reasonable ?

MingeBlue

MingeBlue

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Hi my A3 1.8t 2002 53k serviced today at an indie, jobs they recon needed doing totalled £1900 :ohmy::ohmy::ohmy:, two minds whether to keep it now.

I was expecting it to need a fair amount of work new breaks discs and pads alround and new rear suspension springs as one had broke, but wasnt really prepared for the list they came back with. Some of the items after googling seem pretty common 1.8T issues engine wise but alot of the cost are bushes and roll bars and mounts bit. Considering I don't use the car much and funds are limited I'm trying to priotise what I get done, some of the prices quoted are below are they reasonable I'm based north London ?.

Replace rocker cover and timing chain adjuster gaskets as leaking (though Ive not seen oil) £211, they mentioned this at another service before at a different garage but they sia just to keep eye n t and it seems fine

Throttle value cleaned and reset £78

Top breather hose leaking £78

New rear springs £210

disks and pads all round £420

Front anti roll bar bushs £214

ihsbone bushs warn £169

REar axles bushes £210

Front top suspnsion mounts £182

Thanks
 
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Throttle value cleaned and reset £78 - 30 minutes work, no parts needed.

Top breather hose leaking £78 15 mins labour. not sure on parts.

New rear springs £210. 1 hour labour, and then cost of the springs.

disks and pads all round £420. 1.5 hours labour. Depends on quality for cost of parts.

Front anti roll bar bushs £214 - 1 hours work max and £13 in parts. ( That's a ridiculous price to replace. )

ihsbone bushs warn £169 - £40 parts. 1hour per side.

REar axles bushes £210 - £30 in parts, shouldn't be more than 2 hours work

Front top suspnsion mounts £182 - £20 in parts and if they're changing the wishbone they can do it at the same time. On there own it would take no more than 1.5 hours for both sides. However with the wishbone already removed it's a 2 minute job literally!!!!


I can only say, that some of the prices they've charged you are very very expensive. The only PITA is the rear bushes. Other than that it's all straight forward stuff. And bearing in mind changing say the front disks/pads, front bushes, front ARB and top mount can all be done at the same time, makes is all easy, as to change the top mount when the wishbone is out is a doddle. 1 Nut!
 
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Sounds like a rip off to me, if your no good with the spanners i'd get some more quotes...
 
Just seen this as well

Replace rocker cover and timing chain adjuster gaskets as leaking (though Ive not seen oil) £211, they mentioned this at another service before at a different garage but they sia just to keep eye n t and it seems fine

Well the gaskets for this are less than £30. And would only take 1 hour max to fit...
 
Thanks for the insite guys, I did think some of the job prices were a tad on the expensive. I can only really affOrd about £500 at the mo so will get rear springs done for Mot and sort the brakes, will also have to find a new garage who are more friendly on how they charge labour someone who charges on actual time taken
 
They all seem massively inflated to me. £211 for rocker cover gasket is madness, not to mention the rest. I know garages have overheads to cover and need to make a living but those seem more in line with main dealer pricing.
Just as a guide a local garage replaced my rear springs, a wishbone bush, an inner cv boot(I supplied this) and put it through it's MOT for £235.
 
Why not price all the parts up and possibly buy them all yourself? Try tps/gsf/ecp?? Then its just a case of finding a good mechanic who wont rip you off. As mentioned above its all pretty standard stuff bar the rear beam bushes which can be awkward and if its all done together whilst in bits surely the labour wouldnt top a full day.
 
I had a rear spring replaced on my 1998 a3 1.8t for it's mot in Jan for under £100. On my S3 Jabbasport replaced all my front bushes with superpro bushes, a new front arb, top mount, breather pipe, new subframe for less than £1100 and the new subframe alone cost £450 from the stealer. You're definitely being ripped off, travel to somewhere like jabbasport or awesome gti and get the job done by a specialist who won't take this ****! I wouldn't get any work done at that garage.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies and suggestions, I'm based in Harrow / pinner area if anyone can recommend a decent mechanic but I'm also willing to travel?

Thought it seemed pricey and it seemed a shame to let the car go because of it.
 
I started ringing around a few other garages mechanics today for prices and most seem to be about 20% cheaper then I was orginally quoted which at least is something.

I was looking through my haynes manual though last night and I was thinking that may be some of the work I could do myself, like replacing the top breather hose and cleaning / resetting the throttle value, do you think these are jobs someone with not to much hands-on car experience maintence could do ? If so got a few questions,

1. The top breather hose is it that this pipe in the pic in this post ?
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/a3-s3-forum-8l-chassis/38551-help-broken-hose-totaly-clueless.html

2. Cleaning the throatle value and resetting, how easy is it to get this out, and what do they mean by resetting would that mean hooking it up to vagcom ?

Cheers
 
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the throttle is 4 screws. its at the front left of the engine mate with a big black pipe going into it.

just get some carb cleaner and a cloth and wipe clean. mine reset itself on idle after a few mines. There is a lil procedure (key in and out kinda thing) u can do.

my rear axle bushes were changed for £110 fitted.

i had my front and rear anti roll bars fitted with bushes for £80 (labour i bought the bars myself).

standard discs and pads should cost around £250 for parts all round. so probs around £340 all in.
 
Cheers DavidA3 what garage / mechniac did you use ? Ringing round my area labour rates are between £55 - £65 an hour plus VAT thats just normal garage not speacilests.
 
how much for labour!! my garage charge £35 an hour for labour. I say a days work there, so £245 labour for the day. £300 inc tax. Then parts get yourself as you will get them cheaper.

To give you an idea my local garage charged my mate £80 to fit all 4 coilovers...

New wishbones are £40 a pair on ebay and took me an hour to fit on my drive....

New garage time if i were you....
 
audi upgrades
get yourself on eurocar parts and price the parts up mate...then at least you will have another figure to compare the parts to...that sounds awefully expensive to me

i had my top mounts done last year...got genuine parts and mine cost me £120incl labour
so thats £62 they are more already!!!

in regards springs too...they arent cheap from audi, i broke a front one so took the opportunity to lower the car...this would be ideal for you too camskill do a set of apex spirngs for £78ish(from memory) as you will need to do the top mounts and one rear spring the labour would be nothing!

i hope this helps?
 
May be its just London garage rates that are high, I've called around and £55 plus VAT was lowest I could find. Also most of the garages seem to have quoted based as if each item at a time was being worked on seperately ignoring the fact they may already have bits off that save time. The actual Indie I went to orginally actually ended up charging me more for a oil service than Audi themselves do, I only went to them because I thought the other work I needed doing would be cheaper but seems not.

I'm pretty hands on fixing stuff willing to have a go at the top breather and cleaning the throttle valve, the other stuff probably not safe for me to have go on my own.
 
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Get the spanners out! The suspension stuff maybe not because I think you'll need spring compressors but certainly the breather pipe, ARB bushes, brakes, cam cover gaskets and throttle body aren't difficult at all and will only need basic tools.
If you are stuck just grab a copy of Elsawin of Ebay for a fiver and you have step by step instructions.
 
I have one and it works for me. Not sure on the legalities but I guess eBay would be getting involved if there was any copyright issues.
 
good old haynes! this is why people learn to work on cars...save a fortune!
 
way over priced mate! just for an example:
brakes (discs,pads all around £420 ???
they gotta be kidding!
for about £300 £320 ish u can get (not a standat relplacement) but an upgrade (ebc green stuff pads,and turbogrooved discs ) thats about 320 for an aftermarke upgrade setup of 4 discs,4 pads
and these lads charge u 420 for oem replacemet?? even if that price is with the cost of fitting that way too overpriced! not to mention some other stuff from that list of yours.
take your car to a another '' more reasonable'' garage
 
MingeBlue said:
Cheers DavidA3 what garage / mechniac did you use ? Ringing round my area labour rates are between £55 - £65 an hour plus VAT thats just normal garage not speacilests.
Click to expand...

i use ZM car repairs (vag specialist too) in milton keynes. They are £30 an hour labour
 
DaveA3 said:
i use ZM car repairs (vag specialist too) in milton keynes. They are £30 an hour labour
Click to expand...

Thanks DaveA3 I will probably give them a try as it will be worth it as it will save me alot of £££.

On a side note the garage also mentioned my clutch could be on its way out, was just happening to read Autocar last night and they were looking at second hand TT's and they stated to fit a new clutch to that was an engine out job £1200 :faint: , is that the same case with an A3 1.8T considering its the same engine ?
 
MingeBlue said:
Thanks DaveA3 I will probably give them a try as it will be worth it as it will save me alot of £££.QUOTE]

And some real dodgy garages charge half he labour rate and then double the amount of time required for the job :)
I think if your in London and want to get in repaired then you'll be paying the going rate. I do wish people would update their profiles so we know what part of the world they live.
Click to expand...
 
i've used them for the past 6 years definitely no issues with prices or extensive labour times. they work very efficiently.

clutch isnt an engine out job on the a3. On the quattros and s3 etc its a bit more intensive due to all the haldex gear etc being in the way
 
Id happily recommend TTS (www.ttshop.co.uk) in Kempston (J13 M1) £69 an hour but there a specialist, phone up for a quote on the work you want doing im sure they'd give you a decent quote, they stock OEM and uprated parts too so they could give you some alternatives (as others have said like lowering, uprated bushes)
 
them dudes are pricey but do know what they are doing aswell. tbh e gets better rates in london than the ttshop
 
DaveA3 said:
i've used them for the past 6 years definitely no issues with prices or extensive labour times. they work very efficiently.

clutch isnt an engine out job on the a3. On the quattros and s3 etc its a bit more intensive due to all the haldex gear etc being in the way
Click to expand...

I've sent them an email DaveA3 thanks :sm4: with a list of the jobs asking for a quote so fingers crossed. I'm happy to drive an hour and hang round Milton K for a day then drive back if it saves me £400+ :yes:
 
Big thanks to DaveA3 :) I owe you a couple of beers, zm repairs came through with a very good price well chuffed, looks like I will paying a visit to Milton K in the next few weeks :)
 
MingeBlue said:
Big thanks to DaveA3 :) I owe you a couple of beers, zm repairs came through with a very good price well chuffed, looks like I will paying a visit to Milton K in the next few weeks :)
Click to expand...

no probs mate Top blokes. Tell em i sent u. Just say David with the A3. Glad you got a good price in the end! Plenty to do in Milton Keynes for the day aswell.
 
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