Pricing For A Service

[Mr-Toy33]

Just got the following quote from mercury motorsports and was wondering if this sounds right to anyone?

Motul Engine Oil (4100) $50

Oil Filter $15

Oil Change and Inspection $115.5

Gearbox Oil – Motul FF Comp $135 plus $35 labour

Brake Fluid – Motul RBF600 $50 plus $60 labour

Diff Oil – Motul FF Comp $90 plus $35 labour

Fuel Filter $90 plus $50 labour

Spark Plugs - Iridium $130 plus $77 labour

Really, that all comes up to approximately $935 just for a service. Sounds a bit to much in my opinion to have this type of small service carried out.

[NXTIME]

Why not just do it yourself? It's not that difficult.

[Mr-Toy33]

Why not just do it yourself? It's not that difficult.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The engine oil and filter change i could probably do. But for the rest, a hoist would probably be needed plus I really dont need/want things to go out of timing.

First skyline i've owned and only learning a heap about them now.

[Links]

That's a pretty major service

Gearbox Oil – Motul FF Comp $135 plus $35 labour

Brake Fluid – Motul RBF600 $50 plus $60 labour

Diff Oil – Motul FF Comp $90 plus $35 labour

Spark Plugs - Iridium $130 plus $77 labour

All of those you won't need to do for about 50,000kms..

A general service would be engine oil, oil filter, radiator flushed + copper spark plugs if you were putting them in..

Most of your costs are the consumables e.g. >$500 for fluids/oils

Not too bad, how many km's has the car done out of interest?

[Mr-Toy33]

Not too bad, how many km's has the car done out of interest?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Car has done 119,000+ k's. I only brought the car Wednesday night last wk. Previous owner told me he done the service at about 111,000/112,000k's.

[TracidTrax]

all them things u have mentioned would be considered a major service and u still havnt mentioned timing belt.

damn some of them labour quotes r just bs, tell the mechanic to stick them quotes back up his ass

[Mr-Toy33]

damn some of them labour quotes r just bs, tell the mechanic to stick them quotes back up his ass

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Think i might just take my business else where with those prices on labour pricing hes charging me. im not a female where i can easily be ripped off for the mech to make a quick buck himself.

these prices however really do show me that mercury motorsports charge through the roof.

[JCMarshall_Law]

I buy my motul fluids from Mercury motorsport because 1) their prices are pretty good 2) I live down the road.

But I do the servicing all myelf (all oils (engine, box, diff etc), all filters, brakes (fluid, pads, rotors etc), spark plugs, coolant etc. It isa really easy job for someone who knows how to turn a spanner - look at the tutorials section if your lost.

Go buy the genuine Nissan engine oil filters from Westpoint Nissan in Indoorroopilly, they are less than $10 and they are far better quality than the Valvoline or ryco filters and the have the proper non return valves.

[JCMarshall_Law]

these prices however really do show me that mercury motorsports charge through the roof.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just wondering who your comparing against, their labour prices are pretty average for a performance workshop.

I don't understand why people need a performance workshop to change the fluids anyway.

Procedure for changing engine oil at a performance workshop:

1) remove drain plug

2) unscrew old filter,

3) screw in new filter

4) screw in drain plug

5) pour oil in the top

6) charge $115

Procedure for changing engine oil at a average joe's workshop:

1) remove drain plug

2) unscrew old filter,

3) screw in new filter

4) screw in drain plug

5) pour oil in the top

6) charge $30

Edited August 16, 2005 by JCMarshall_Law

[Mr-Toy33]

Just wondering who your comparing against, their labour prices are pretty average for a performance workshop.

I don't understand why people need a performance workshop to change the fluids anyway.

Procedure for changing engine oil at a performance workshop:

1) remove drain plug

2) unscrew old filter,

3) screw in new filter

4) screw in drain plug

5)  pour oil in the top

6) charge $115

Procedure for changing engine oil at a average joe's workshop:

1) remove drain plug

2) unscrew old filter,

3) screw in new filter

4) screw in drain plug

5)  pour oil in the top

6) charge $30

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Would much perfer someone who has more experience in working on a skyline to work on mine then some joe off the street. But if it comes down to the crunch of things, I much rather have Lubemobil do my service for me at half the price of labour cost that mercury is charging.

[Rolls]

Would much perfer someone who has more experience in working on a skyline to work on mine then some joe off the street.  But if it comes down to the crunch of things, I much rather have Lubemobil do my service for me at half the price of labour cost that mercury is charging.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You need experience to turn a spanner?

[Links]

^^ Not everyone has the facilities to do an oil change.. e.g. i've got a carport in an apartment block - which makes self-servicing quite difficult..

[Rolls]

^^ Not everyone has the facilities to do an oil change.. e.g. i've got a carport in an apartment block - which makes self-servicing quite difficult..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not trying to be a dick but I used 1 jack and a spare tired for a safe guard (not the safest but I was only under there for 30seconds) and a socket set which cost $200 to do mine.

The oil filter I used a screwdriver and a hammer and lots of swearing trying to reach in there. Used one of those oil trays to catch the oil.

Just find an empty road or somewhere where you can get 1m of room infront of the car and you should be able to do it.

[dangerous_daveo]

I gota admit the oil change one isnt hard. I dont even jack up my car now. Just let it drain while Im having breaky on a Sat morning every 5000-7000kms.

If one of your mates knows how to do an oil change, get them to show you a few times. The rest if your not experienced and dont have the tools I wouldnt be too worried about, as mentioned they arent going to be done all the time. I would just check out those prices on the motul products, I sware I didnt pay anywhere near that at all for either the oil or the brake fluid. In fact last time, Autobarn, $55.00 for the Motul 8100 engine oil...

[MerlinTheHapyPig]

Just got the following quote from mercury motorsports and was wondering if this sounds right to anyone?

Motul Engine Oil (4100) $50

Oil Filter $15

Oil Change and Inspection $115.5

Gearbox Oil – Motul FF Comp $135 plus $35 labour

Brake Fluid – Motul RBF600 $50 plus $60 labour

Diff Oil – Motul FF Comp $90 plus $35 labour

Fuel Filter $90 plus $50 labour

Spark Plugs - Iridium $130 plus $77 labour

Really, that all comes up to approximately $935 just for a service.  Sounds a bit to much in my opinion to have this type of small service carried out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is a lot of labour ($372.50)

when realistically, this will take less than a day to do for an apprentice mechanic. Maybe you should buy all the fluids yourself and take it to average joe's mechanic and ask them to do it.

I'm not sure what retail prices for all the motul fluids are, but a fuel filter should not cost $90, they're more like $15. Unless R33's have some gold plated fuel filter or something, the one for my r32 cost about $15

I do all my servicing for the skyline myself, but the mechanic who did work on my old car charged me $55 for a service. this is for oil & oil filter change and inspection (granted, they used shit 20w40 mineral oil which i wouldn't use in a skyline)

Performance workshops rip you off for basic mechanical work, the only thing i'd go to a performance workshop is any custom work or tuning. everything else is basic mechanical work, and it doesn't matter who does it. DO make sure however that they use good oils etc. and you'll be sweet!

The service I did in my car when it first arrived, was something like

oil $40

filter $10

gearbox oil $110 (redline mt90)

diff oil $20

fuel filter $15

total $195 vs ~$900

haven't done brake fluid (been putting it off), and my spark plugs were fine. Check your plugs, you mightn't need to change them, as the car probably has iridiums anyway, and they last for like 100,000kms

[Links]

hmmm.. i'm still weighing up whether I should do it by myself..

i'm guessing if I do it right I shouldn't end up with oil all over the ground..

What's the best place on the north shore that I could get a) motul oil and B) oil filter..

might have to invade a mates place to do it.. lol

Which motul is the best to use out of interest..

Edited August 16, 2005 by Links

[predator]

welcome to average workshop prices..

welcome to learning how to do these things yourself..

[Mr-Toy33]

welcome to learning how to do these things yourself..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My opinion, its all well and good to learn how to do all this yourself. But all seriousness, its better to also have someone who knows what they are doing there with you so incase something does go wrong, they can help fix it.

After all. It's better to have someone help fix the car then wait several days, weeks or even months till someone can help fix the problem and get the car back on the road for you.

[predator]

I taught myself through here and a few other forums, and pointers from a few other people..

My car(s) have always ran smoothly, and never had troubles . And I've taken them to the drag strip, track and things like that.

Don't be nervous about things. You have the potential to do anything a workshop can do, all for free. Think of the thousands you save over a few years - that can pay for any engine rebuild, or many power upgrades, etc.

You will need to buy a few tools, but overtime you build up a good selection, which will allow you to do most jobs.

There has never really been anything that has put my car off the road for more than a weekend. Just takes planning. But sometimes I get stuck, I post on here, and generally it has lead to me finding a solution pretty quickly.

But yes, its down to the individual. I do love problem solving, no matter what it is, but that is just me.

[Kaz200]

"Think i might just take my business else where with those prices on labour pricing hes charging me. im not a female where i can easily be ripped off for the mech to make a quick buck himself."

Excuse moi!? I'm a chick and I can change basically all ignition incl alternator, plugs, leads, rotor, cap etc myself (self taught!) and do all my own servicing (if only my car was higher/boobs fit under) and whatever else. Theres certainly alot I've yet to learn but I can do quite enough. What can *you* do!? And you know, u can do all you mentioned without a hoist. Alot of workshops will charge you an extra 10-20% on parts and even I know paying more than $25 for a fuel filter is just ridiculous.

Soooo I think you owe us SAU women an apology

Anyway beware of putting all your trust in a workshop you've never used before. There are plenty of them out there that will charge you for plugs/coolant etc that they never even changed. Its happened to all of us at some point or another. I also know several people that have taken their cars to a workshop and ended up having it there for 3months+ because they are so incompetent and/or make further damage. Also some are known to steal parts off cars or out of boots. Be real wary.. try to wait around & watch them do the service or get a buddy to help you at home.

Cheers

Kaz

Edited August 18, 2005 by Kaz180