$1700 for a Timing belt!! - Updated

[RockyF75]

Mate has an (88?) Turbo rocky, and just had his timing belt replaced, now they want to charge him $1700 Dont ask me what the quoted price was cause I dont know but i'm pretty darn sure it wasn't anywhere NEAR that figure. What have others paid, or what would you expect to pay to have it done? ATM he's thinking they didn't do it right so it took them alot longer than expected and they are trying to charge him for their stuff ups.

Is he being shafted?

[Mudsierra]

i think its a f*&#en ripoff just for timing belt done. reckon it should cost around 500 bucks mark for the rubber timing belt but are u sure its rubber not one of those chain belts?

[dai-hard]

The belt cost about $70 and you should change the idler and tensioner pulleys and bearings about $150/170 and 4-5hrs labour.
$1700 IS A BIT RUDE how long did they have the car they might have got the timing wrong and bent some vavles. try to see if they have the head off.

[HotFourOk]

My belt is $95 trade price, and Im getting it fitted tomorrow morning. I'll let you know how it goes.

[mrRocky]

just done my belt at 300,000 the belt is cheap the labour is not .
If you cannot do it yourself you are looking at around $1000
$1700 seems absurd ask them what there hourly rate is and if they are dealership mechanics they would probably only be used to changing brakes and oil. maybe they wernt up to the task and needed two days to figure it out$$$$$$$$$

[RockyF75]

just done my belt at 300,000 the belt is cheap the labour is not .
If you cannot do it yourself you are looking at around $1000
$1700 seems absurd ask them what there hourly rate is and if they are dealership mechanics they would probably only be used to changing brakes and oil. maybe they wernt up to the task and needed two days to figure it out$$$$$$$$$

Nup they were a diesel specialist mechanic. So they either stuffed up bad or are taking him for a ride, or both??

[tabrocky]

I have just been through a timing belt replacement on my rocky F75 92' with DL-52 engine. All parts were from Daihatsu/Toyota.
All prices are rough as i'm going from memory.
- Timing Belt $115
- Plastic Cover over timing belt $280
- Crank Pully $100
- Pully Flange $6
- Idler $100
- Tensioner $150

All up cost $850 for parts. Mind you, the reason I had to replace all this is because the last time the belt was changed (before I bought the vehicle), one of the flanges ($6 worth) was left off accidently. This allowed the belt to move forward and cut a hole in the cover.

For a normal belt change, you would only need the belt. I would probably suggest replacing the Idler and Tensioner every 200k. (ie every second belt)
It took me half a day to change mine and I'd never done one before AND i had to bolt the injector pump back in cos I had it out getting serviced.

So the $1700 your being asked to spend is more than unresonable. I would have expected an all up cost of less than $500.

If they stuffed it up then valves and pistons may have had an unfortunate meeting... Consumer Affairs here we come....

This is the exact reason why I do as much servicing myself as I can. Handy if you breakdown anywhere too because you know how everything works.

Hope you get it sorted out.

Cheers

[HotFourOk]

Today, my timing belt was replaced in about 1.5 hours by my mechanic.

Havn't got the bill yet, but it wont be all that dear

We checked idler and all other bits and all seemed to be very good, so we just did the belt by itself.

[lay80n]

Was it deffinatley the model using the timing belt, or was it a timing chain.

Layto....

[HotFourOk]

I got my invoice today at work for the timing belt change....

$172.00 SO HAPPY!

I can go and buy cruise control now


Layto... Did they have a model with a chain.. I thought they were gear driven (early ones) or belt driven (later ones)?

[lay80n]

I dunno, thats why i asked. $1700 is BS.

Post up what is written on the invoice Nathan if you can. Remember a specialist might be charging up to $110 an hour.

Layto....

[Rangie Thing]

They must have stuffed up and put the dot on the invoice in the wrong spot

[HotFourOk]

They must have stuffed up and put the dot on the invoice in the wrong spot

Exactly what I thought hey

Nathan has gone away for a week, so we won't hear anymore about his mates ute til then

[RockyF75]

now he tells me he's still waiting on the actual invoice . But somewhere along the line he heard the figure of 1700 thrown around. I heard him speaking to them on the phone, and he didn't even ask for a price... he's just waiting on the invoice . I'll let you's know what happens/ed as soon as i do, but I know 1st thing i'd be asking for is a total, and then a big WHAT THE $?$?$? depending in the total

[RockyF75]

UPDATE

He's got the final price, $1300 Their excuse is 13hrs in labour and they had to use some 5tonne machine to get the cover off




Basically, he's been extremely ed by them, in my opinion, and everyone else who's heard about it, including my mechanic. So, if your in Sydney and thinking of going to "** xxxxx", GET A FIXED PRICE first. - (what was edited out)

Pending more information I might stick something about this up in general, but i don't want to drag their name fully through the mud unless I know all the facts.

EDIT HeathGQ - Its a Outerslimits policy not to bag businesses - regardless of whether they deserve it - just dont please guys.

EDITED again cause the mods make it sound like I slagged off the businesses name something chronic ... and PM if you want the name Political correctness gone to the extreme

[HotFourOk]

Why did he pay it? I would take them to court before I payed that kind of money...

[RockyF75]

Why did he pay it? I would take them to court before I payed that kind of money...

Dunno whether he's paid yet or not, but I sure as hell wouldn't. Will post up again if/when I find out more.

[murcod]

RockyF70 please note the changes to your post above and do not mention the business name again or else the whole thread will be deleted.

Thanks,

David.

[murcod]

Thanks Heath for editing my Edit???

[RockyF75]

When did this come into effect?

There's been heaps of threads about people getting ripped before, naming the business. And if a business has made a stuff up, why hide it?

Anyway, PM's always available so if anyone wants to know

[HotFourOk]

I think $1300 for a timing belt should be cause for slurring the business name... that's absolute robbery.

[murcod]

Guys, live by the forum rules or else the thread will be deleted- final warning.

Legal action has been taken by businesses over "little" things like this before on forums- hence the rule. BTW, it's all too easy to name a business and post bad things when you're hiding safely behind a made up username.....

[RockyF75]

#1- This is a private forum and membership is at the absolute discretion of the Forum Owner / Administrator.

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#5- If a member continues to post these types of posts, their membership may be cancelled.

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Nothing there about mentioning a business that failed to perform.
And I've only seen 1 red rocky in sydney, its mine, don't think this username is very disguising

Guess the lesson to be learnt, get a definite or at least maximum price from ANY workshop before you get them to do work, and don't expect the people who make the rules to abide by them

[HotFourOk]

I think it falls under

#4- Posts that are rude, offensive, insulting, racist or slanderous are forbidden and may be deleted.

and maybe

#3- Freedom of speech is a fallacy.

And Nath

#6- If you are moderated and you wish to discuss it, PM the moderators or the administrator

[RockyF75]

I think it falls under

#4- Posts that are rude, offensive, insulting, racist or slanderous are forbidden and may be deleted.

from the dictionary "Slander; a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report". Nothing i've said is false, I've held back a lot of what I'm not SURE about.

and maybe

#3- Freedom of speech is a fallacy.

Yeah, well got me there. But they can't say follow xxxx rule when it aint there and that same conduct has been tolerated numerous other times

And Nath

#6- If you are moderated and you wish to discuss it, PM the moderators or the administrator

Already done

[tabrocky]

That's bollocks about the 5 tonne business.
It's a plastic cover.... 5 tonnes on plastic... "I dont think so tim".

However if you ment the crank pully/harmonic balancer... then yes I can understand that. If they had to get a puller in there to get it off, that could have required the radiator to come out.
You have to get the pulley off to get the cover off.

When I replaced the belt on the new bus, it literally fell off... a bit scarey really.

Even still... $100 an hour? Doctors don't even charge that much...

Cheers.

[V8Patrol]

Dunno what ya complaining about





Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo timing belt .......... $85.00





+ fitting @ what ever they charge an hour




and the job takes 14 hours


Pass me the vasoline please...... this is gunna hurt



& I own 2 Zedex'z

Kingy

[Goatse.AJ]

If you think you have a legitimate case against them, then contact consumer affairs. Even mentioning that to a business where they've been a tad over zealous in their charging can often yield a nice "discount".

[lay80n]

Dunno what ya complaining about





Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo timing belt .......... $85.00





+ fitting @ what ever they charge an hour




and the job takes 14 hours


Pass me the vasoline please...... this is gunna hurt



& I own 2 Zedex'z

Kingy

Know what your saying there, from the mechanics point of view, those engine bays are the most cramped pain in the arse things too. Deffinatley not my favorite job. Though the new ALFA Romeo v6's are great - gotta remove the motor and box to do a timing belt.

Layto....

[RockyF75]

Dunno what ya complaining about





Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo timing belt .......... $85.00





+ fitting @ what ever they charge an hour




and the job takes 14 hours


Pass me the vasoline please...... this is gunna hurt



& I own 2 Zedex'z

Kingy

Know what your saying there, from the mechanics point of view, those engine bays are the most cramped pain in the arse things too. Deffinatley not my favorite job. Though the new ALFA Romeo v6's are great - gotta remove the motor and box to do a timing belt.

Layto....

Thats one thing I like about rocky's, you can pop the bonnet and see straight through to the ground

So to do a zed, with an insanely packed engine bay is 14 hrs, yet to do a rocky, it takes 13 I dont think so