What's a fair price for additional work on a nearby part?
 

What's a fair price to pay for the "while you're in there, could you replace..." scenario?

Example: When replacing a timing belt, you ask the shop to also preemptively replace the idler and tensioner bearings. It could literally take minutes.

Ideally, I'd like to be charged the actual additional time it takes rather than the book rate for the part in question.

What's the industry practice?

Experience has suggested that I get a quote first and not just leave it up to the shop. :-(

Actually this is interesting... Anybody know? Kind of like if you're replacing the transmission, i doubt they would charge you the full labor cost of putting a new clutch in... Though some shops may try.

Usually I just ask my mechanic.. and he tells me how much extra it'll take.

If you can't trust your mechanic to tell you how much time he's actually gonna spend, why would you trust him for the other quotes he gives you?

On the dealer level, the book time is charged. Ie. for a water pump and timing belt the labor is charged on separate lines. Sometimes a deal can be worked out however.
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Where I work, if you were to add in a water pump or something of this nature then we would go to the tech, ask what kind of additional time you would be looking at to do that and take it from there.

Flat rate shops will just charge you book time for things. Not good for the customer but great for the tech.

Dealership = book time
Independent = would usually cut a deal and not charge full time for each part but some may try.

The dealership advisors are bound by corporate so they usually can't do anything in terms of "deals" in less you take it up the corporate ladder. An independent shop can vary and since they are independent they can do whatever they like.

Personally, I would get a full retail quote from a dealership and then, with that info, phone some independent shops and see what they say.

Dealer's can cut you a deal, just had Dodge take off $100 because the final bill was way more than what he had told me to expect while over the phone.

your asking overlapping time

eg, replacing head gasket + replacing the drive belt = no extra charge

eg replacing head gasket + doing the brakes. the only overlapping charge here is possibly putting the car on the hoist.

When I had my tbelt changed I had everything around there changed as well. Added an extra hr of labour or so.. So it just depends who you take your car too I guess
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