I flooded my RX8 when it didn't start and I had it towed to an autoelectrician workshop. I want to know what a diagnosis should cost and what would have to be done for the diagnosis. I think they did a lot more than necessary and therefore overcharged me.

 

Kinda depends on the problem, some are tricky to identify. But if all it was was flooding, anyone familiar with rotaries should be able to figure that out quickly. And if this mechanic isn't familiar with rotaries you're in for a ride.

What did they do/charge?

 

The usual culprits are weak battery/starter, bad coils or plugs, or bad compression.
The first 2 can be fixed relatively inexpensively, the bad compression is the worst outcome, but sometimes can be temporarily relieved with updated starters.

 

The problem for me was what they said they had to do for the diagnosis. It seems to me that they started the job when I had asked them to wait while I checked it out. When they realised the mistake they had made I think they tried to get some of their money back at my expense.Their first quote was NZ$1600 because amongst other items they thought it needed to have the starter motor replaced, though I've had no trouble at all with that, or anything else. I've had the car about 6 years and it's always been reliable. That's why I asked them to wait until I'd checked things out. The next quote was NZ$881 [they'd removed the charge for parts] and then the final quote was NZ$380.88. That still seemed far too much for a diagnosis, which is why I'm asking about that here. I paid it simply because I wanted to get the car removed from them. But I'll follow it up if it was unfair. It's now with an RX8 specialist.

 

Okay. Thank you. Read my reply to Loki and I'll very much appreciate any comments from you.

 

If my math is right, that's $235 USD.
If all they were supposed to do was try to diagnose a problem, then it does seem excessive to me.
If they did work you didn't authorize them to do, and they're charging you labor for that time, they shouldn't have the right to charge you for it, imo.

 

Thank you. That's what I thought. Much appreciated.

 

@Brettus is a knowledgeable member in NZ, maybe he can offer some input on the situation.
Good luck.