Battery replacement

[C_Dogg]

My original battery just died, so I called the dealer. GM wants $119 plus tax and 1/2 hour of labor for the swap! This to me was an insult. I removed the old battery in about 5 minutes, went and bought a new top-of-the line Interstate battery for $89, installed it in 15 minutes and all is well. I did have to re-program the key fobs, and everyting else remained in tact. These dealers really hold you up. (At least Jesse James used a gun!) These guys do it with a straight face!:duh

 

[cntrhub]

Here is where the time and money is gobbled up. For starters, you are going to a dealer, and the overhead is enormous. Secretaries, paper, phone lines, shop uniforms, lot boys (to clean/wash your car for free), lighting the place, for tech's to see what they are doing, and to sell cars at night. Plus, insurance to keep you and your car safe, while it's in their hands for a day....just to name a few.
Now for your half hour's time. The mechanic waits for a job, (yours) at the dispatch window. Then drives your car in the bay, to varify, (diagnostic time) that it is a battery and not a charging problem. More time is spent while... he/she looks over the car for "up-sells" (for the car's safety and yours) to bring to your attention. Time is ticking away again, waiting with other techs at the counter, for parts (your battery)...first come, first served.
R & R the battery. Finalizes the charging system. Writes a little paper work about the job.... possibly future service or something noticed by an experienced eye, added to the work order. Road tests the car... (always!). Parks it in the wash bay, to have the lot attendent hand you back a clean car.
You are right, time is money taking it to a dealer. And that's where it's going.
Believe me, a dealer is taking on a big headache, and they (most dealers) are not trying to "Jesse James" you.

 

[vigman]

Cntr

Sound's like you work ( worked ) for a dealership...


Vig!

 

[Hondo]

You should be glad you don't have a '96 Vette. You have to dismantle part of the left front fender just to get near the battery. Than you have to try and get your hand in a very small space to un-screw the neg & pos posts and finally with a long extension for your rachet unscrew the hold down clamp. I guess all the C4's are the same with this type of battery placement. If you don't do it yourself, we are talking alot of money for the labor.

 

[cntrhub]

Vig

Yes, I (worked) for a Chevy dealer.... 5 years. I've been in the trenches. I have a lot of respect for any dealer principal that takes on a franchise. I've seen the horror stories. The damage to new cars on the lot by employees. Neglect by the techs to customer cars. Any where from broken windshields changing wiper blades, to complete paint jobs, hitting posts in the stalls. The whole gamut. All coming out of the dealer's pocket.
But, the cars that had the least amount of problems (in proportion) from GM?.......CORVETTES!

 

[Drewser]

Not all dealers are created equal

We have a terrible one here in this town, but where I bought my vette (99) about 30 miles away they are great.

Yes there is a ton of overhead, but there is also a ton of profit.
Yes there are idiot mechanics, but there are also well trained ones (why is it that there are always more idiots than good ones?)
Why is it that we should have to pay (even indirectly) for someone elses mistakes/neglect?
A small shop, in my experience, has mechanics that are just as talented, has the same machinery and doesn't make these kind of mistakes. Why? Because they care and they have to take responsibility for their actions. Call it pride in a job done well, but I don't see much of it in most dealerships.

These dealerships don't go into business to help the community. They do it for profit...as much as they can get. So when I read that you (cntrhub anyway) have respect for the principal that takes on a dealership, I'm amused. I mean, it isn't like they are repaving the street for us or taking in homeless orphaned children. They are in a for-profit business. There are risks and prices to pay for having employees. These are compensated for in the $70+/hr rate and the rest of the "price gougeing" that go on. The better the dealer the less the nonsense, but NONE of them are going out of business due to good customer service. Finding a good dealership that is also a good vette dealer AND has good customer service...well that is priceless.
Just my 1/50th of a dollar.
--Drew

 

[Hondo]

I have to agree with Drewser. The dealerships are the biggest at taking you to the cleaners. The prices they charge for parts is just unbelievable, and the labor charges just compound what you have to pay. I made the mistake of stopping at a dealer to get wiper blades(inserts) and I was shocked when the parts guy told me the price was $53.65. I told him where he could stick those blades.

 

[cntrhub]

I respect anyone who hires me and gives me a place to work. I am not savvy enough to go in business for myself. Therefore, I have to show a little respect.
And don't I wish I was getting half of that $70 hourly rate. It's rare to get 30% or more of it. I used to get 50/50....them days is over!

 

[John L]

I just replaced my OEM battery last week. It had begun to leak acid around the positive terminal. I had read about the new glass mat batteries that don't have any acid to leak and checked into that. End result was that I bought a new ACDelco 75P-7YR AGM (Absorbant Glass Mat) Technology battery. It is a direct replacement for my OEM battery and all Corvettes are now shipped from the factory with them (beginning with the 2001 model year). I paid $98.45 for it after calling around and doing some price shopping of Delco dealers on the phone (Chev dealer wanted $147.00 for the same battery). The new battery comes with a 7 year warranty and a 3 year FREE replacement guarantee! And, I have no more worries about acid leaking down and ruining my PCM and related wiring and vacuum connections.

 

[WhalePirot]

Memory Save?

Can the memory be saved with a 9 volt battery plugged into the cig lighter or connected to the +/- terminals??

 

[John L]

I have read thast it is possible to save the memory settings by employing a "memory saver" device of some sort such as you describe above. But it is really not that much trouble if you don't. I had to reprogram my key fobs, release the electronic lock on my stereo, and perform the engine idle re-learn procedure after changing my battery. All of that took maybe 10 - 15 minutes.

 

[raycdosu]

none of the aforementioned costs associated with running a service department are unique to dealerships. all repair shops have those same issues. however, it is a safe bet to assume you will get much better service at a much cheaper price, with more convenient hours, at an independent repair shop. the truth is, a dealer charges an arm and a leg because they are the supposed "experts" for your vehicle, and in some cases they are the only ones who have the parts you need.

i seriously think that someone could make a lot of money by starting a repair shop that mimics a dealer's service department but at reasonable prices.

dealers should realize that their tactics of ripping you off because they are the only ones who can do the work you need only ensures that we will definitely not take our vehicles to them for the other repairs that someone else can do.

 

[danl72]

One thing about the small shops, yes they do a god job fixing your car because they have too to compete. The dealer still makes money from them, where do you think they get the OEM parts from. It is not like they can just buy them from an auto parts store, too bad. So the dealer makes money on use no matter what because all of use want OEM parts and not any other garbage parts.