sleepstalker

Sup everyone, just got back from my mechanic. Hard to have all my spark plugs changed. Cost me $420.00 bucks. Did I get screwed? Got to get the break pads replaced soon. Not sure how much that will cost me.

Corso

Plugs only? Considering they're just shy of $20 a pop.... $340 for labor seems a tad bit steep. You sure they didn't do coils or wires too?

bbacho2002

I just ordered plugs, coils and spark plugs for $230 .. will only take me 30 mins worth of labor to replace

fish1

I replaced the plugs once at the dealership and it was some crazy price like what you paid.
get your plugs, coils and wires online at someplace like MazMart.com.

pistonhater

If the mechanic only changed the spark plugs and nothing else, then yes, you got screwed big time

sleepstalker

Well I got a tune up. Whats done is done. Now as for the breakpads with that be expensive? Thanks

Yeah I should have ordered the parts online but they already ordered them for me cause the mechanic is a friend of the family.

Juansito

iTrader: (5)

Dude you can do all that stuff yourself....there are so many tuts you could even have a club member help you and buy them some beer and save yourself a ton of money.

Bladecutter

Yeah, you got screwed with your spark plug replacement.
There is no such thing as a "tune up" on these cars.
All you do is replace the parts that wear out during normal use, and that's it.
There's no adjusting anything anymore, that used to be called a "tune up".

Next up, they are called brakepads.
You don't want things to break on your car, but you do want your car to brake to a quick controlled stop. Remember that from now on.

Brake pads on this car are not expensive, and are very easy to install.
So, from your current experience with your extremely friendly mechanic, you are probably going to pay about $600 just for a brake pad replacement on your car.

For me, it would only cost about $180 for brake pads.
I know, because I just bought a set.
Add on another $60 to have all 4 rotors cut, and you're talking about a $240 brake job on my car.

So, since your mechanic is such a good friend, he will most likely charge you triple over what I would pay to do it myself, probably not use nearly as good a set of brake pads on your car as I bought, and possibly not even cut the rotors for that cost.

BC.

GTDave

Depends on where you live. I saw spark plugs here in Canada for $65 for trailing and $72 for leading plugs. That is $272 just for plugs. Dealers are somewhere in the $90 to $110 dollars per hour so I don't think it is quite like taking it in the butt but sounds a bit high. Did he clean the injectors also or something like that.

monchie

Get your money back! lol

sleepstalker

Not going to start anything with the mechanic. Thanks for your advice. Will try someone else for the breakpads. Someone at work mentioned Meineke. Cheaper?

Also you mentioned no tune ups. But what about tire alignment?

REV-N-HIGH

iTrader: (1)

Crazy I just saw this thread, I just got back from my mechanic and I paid $400.00+ for sparks plugs and wires! I need to start hanging out with more club members!!!!!!!!

New Yorker

Just fyi, not everyone has access to a garage and not everyone has tools. And some of us who do have tools don't have all the tools they need, and don't know how to use them. So I think it's a stretch to assume everyone can do this stuff by themselves. Some of us can't.

Wingznut

iTrader: (1)

But... You could learn. And you could buy the tools and still come out ahead. Not to mention the satisfaction of taking care of your car yourself, and the future savings.

REV-N-HIGH

iTrader: (1)

Oh so true....

maureenw002

it depends you

GTDave

Or cross threading a plug costing hundreds to get fixed. If a person knows they are not able to do something why try to convince them they can. The shops are full of jobs that were flubbed by people who think they know what they are doing. Just ask me I have been a mechanic for 44 years.

Advice is a great thing but to say everyone can do something is just not true. Give these people a break, I think they may know more about themselves than others do.

Wingznut

iTrader: (1)

I was a mechanic for 10+ years (before I switched to a semiconductor engineering technician), so yeah I see your point. Even still... Call me an optimist, but I believe that the vast majority of people could change plugs on an RX-8 if they chose to learn. And nowhere did anyone indicate that they were absolutely sure that they were unable to do such a thing, so who am I to doubt them?

pistonhater

Your initial concern was about the price you paid just to pay your spark plugs. Then you added your mechanic "friend" also did a tune up. So what else was included in that tune up?

I stand by what I said earlier. If all he did was change the spark plugs - and maybe an oil change - then it was totally overpriced. If he added alignment, tire rotation/balancing, replacing a couple of other fluids, replacing air/cabin filters (normally done during a "tune up"), then that's different.

BTW, your spelling is still off. The correct word is "brake" not "break."

Agree.

Yet labor prices are different in different places - the dealer being the highest of all. My local Mazda charges $115.00 per hour for labor. The shop where I usually service my truck - a smaller operation - charges $80. That's a $35 difference per hour.

For things that might require warranty service, then I take the car to Mazda since I still have warranty left. But for something like brakes, I would definitely take the car to the other place since they also allow me to bring my own parts.

I'm not suggesting the OP does mechanical work on his RX-8, but it seems like this "friend" screwed him on the price.

Exactly.

I'm mechanically inclined, but I am not a pro like many people here who have done complete engine swaps, engine rebuilds, etc. I know my limits - most of the time

Having said that, I agree with you, changing spark plugs in most vehicles is much simpler than what people realize. In fact, I have found that changing spark plugs in some cars is easier than getting the damn oil filter out!!!!

pistonhater

I certainly disagree with most of what you said. I've been screwed by "experienced" mechanics too that thought they knew what they were doing and ended up damaging something.

But I've been on the other side of this argument as well. At times I thought I knew how to do something, then ended up towing the car to a shop so they could finish/repair what I had screwed up.

So it goes both ways.

onewhippedpuppy

For simple, well documented work like spark plugs I'd be willing to bet that most of the population could do the work if they take their time. I just ordered plugs, wires, and coils for my new to me RX8, grand total is about $230. The money you save on one DIY project will buy you every tool you need (and then some). I had a mechanically inexperienced young engineer that worked for me start to DIY his car, after trying a few projects he was amazed how easy and rewarding it was.

By the way, brake pads are easy too.

Novoken

iTrader: (7)

Its so easy to change the plugs and wires in the rx8, just like changing the oil. If you cant do the work. Price out some shops. Check the DYI threads, youtube and good old google