Did you check if your battery is bad if your car is dying slowly lights are slowly dimming than its alternator sucking the power out of battery if you got a good battery that is. avoid dealership dont take it there would charge you an arm and a leg fing a good mechanic or some one that knows a lot about cars alternator rebuild is gonna be like 160 around there.
810 views
Usually answered in minutes!
ikesum: your question is rather vague. Are you wanting to know what the cost is to change one?
If this is what you are after, the charges vary from shop to shop based on labor rate and whether they bump the flat rate times.
Flat rate times are the times which are established by the manufacturer as to how long it takes an average tech to replace a component on a "NEW" car with new parts which has not been subject to corrosion, people who rounded off bolts and nuts from using the wrong size tools, broken bolts, stripped threads and a host of other unexpected conditions which can occur in this field. The times are calculated using hand tools not pneumatic or electric. The manufacturer also has a warranty time guide. Sometimes the times are realistic. Some can easily be beaten and others are way off base and need to be increased because they were not figured correctly.
As for your car, the flat rate time is 1.6 hours at what ever the shop rate is. Keep in mind, the term is FLAT RATE "GUIDE"! It is the shop's choice to charge what ever they wish. Also, the flat rate doesn't mean that if the tech does a 1 hour job in 15 minutes, you pay for 15 minutes, you still pay the 1 hour charge. You can't tax the technician for his proficiency. When I worked for Nissan, the dealer I worked for charged 5.5 hours to change a clutch on a 1977 280Z. I could do it in 45 minutes flat if there were no unexpected problems and the parts were on my bench! I didn't use a transmission jack (I could bench 300 pounds back in the day, I'm close to 60 now.) I used a pneumatic tool called a "BUTTERFLY" which had 45 ft pounds of torque and could fit in very tight places.
I am a Nissan Master Tech and at one dealership, worked heavy line, which meant I did mainly engines, transmissions and differentials. No tuneups, carburetors, charging systems ect.
At all the other dealerships, I cleaned the tickets. Meaning, what ever what is assigned on the ticket, I did the job!
I hope I have shed a little light on how the industry works and my suggestion would be to call a random sampling of shops and get an idea of the costs based on the area you are in. Also you need to know what you are getting as a part installed on your car? Lifetime warranties mean nothing if they don't cover labor. Also, forget about the labor rate, you are interested in what it cost to do the JOB? IT IS THE PACKAGE PRICE> If the part is $1.00 and the labor is $100.. or the part os $100. and the labor is $1.00 is inconsequential. The bottom line is stil what you are going to pay at that shop if you want it repaired there. If you put garbage on the car, you may have to pay labor to replace it every year! Depending on it's location, it can get very costly.
×