$7000 Repair Estimate Quick Fix Challenge

[mactube]

So for what seams to be minor issues like

- A/C not blowing cold air
- Short lasting noise ( coming from the suspension when first pulling off in the morning )
- Air Bag Service light on

The Dealership quoted me around 7k incl. tax
(See pictures)

I’m trying fix these problems myself not for under $350

- I already now I can get the A/C Problem fix or $18 by installing new blend door which I already ordered. The actually job will take me a whole work day, which I will break up in to a view 2 hours sessions.

- I hope that I can just exchange the power steering fluid, and I will get rid of the squeaking noise coming from the rack and pinion.

- The Air Bag module doesn’t communicate at all when diagnosed, so I hope I can just just buy a use one and get is programmed and paired with my car.

Stay tuned ! I will let you know how it works out…..

..also in the Picture of the estimate ...
Not trying to say the Chevy is trying to rip me off.. but I never asked for

- a cabin filter replacement ( $160 ) I usually get one from Amazon for $15 an pop them in.

- " Fuel Injection Cleaning Service “ - $500 .. if necessary I will clean them, but I guess for now I will use a a fuel additive , but I now there are carbon fuel injection cleaning tool, that hook up to the fuse injection systems..


Picture: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rc4...ew?usp=sharing

[Speeddmn]

Man we need to charge more. My dealer is 59.95 for a cabin AF installed... for the steering issue they might be charging for remive/replace the entire rack. They are 100% not fun with a motor installed! Most blend doors are charged out as removal and install of the dash. Some mechanics can do it with out removal of the dash. Dealers usually charge the lador rate of Alldata or mitchells x1.4. Example, if the blend door in alldata says 7.6 hrs they would charge 10.6 hrs. Times that by their shop rate and yes it can get costly. What alot of people forget is that repair comes with a nation wide warranty, if you do it, you might have a warryon the part, maybe. The airbag can be costly since sensors are not cheap. Injection cleaning is more of a preventive maintenance since a whole set of injectiors would be more in the $2500-3k range. My dealer would be around 145 for that service tho...

[mactube]

Yes I agree my dealer service shop, def. wanted to overcharge! ( Even though I understand that as an official shop they can’t cut corners and use alternative ways which I’m doing)

So Today I installed the Blend Door by cutting into the housing from the Side.
Since I have done the job before I was pretty simple exempt for the position that you have to be laying in the car to get to it ( upside down lol ) and the most difficult part I find to get the “ Foot Vent “ and the computer out of the way and pulled out and then later back in place . So here some photos in hopes somebody who has the same problem will find this post and will make use of it. I apologize for the messy silicone look … unfortunately it doesn’t get any prettier but irrelevant in that location….

You will see some tools that you will def. need … a rotary tool , head light , and some pressure air / vacuum to remove sawdust out of the housing. I recoment G&E Silicone to close the housing back up, since its proof till 400F degrees . To get the cut out piece back in place, some of the plastic will have to be grinder off !

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-4H...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Hv...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/11KT...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1474...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/19Ct...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mz-...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N9r...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WL2...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X_2...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jXg...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uJ2...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ujL...ew?usp=sharing

I might have solved the Airbag problem …. looks like one of the connecters to the Air bag module was not connected right and the switch was loose and not locked on position : https://drive.google.com/file/d/18vQ...ew?usp=sharing

So that might have been the reason that the Model was not responding with the diagnostic tool.
We will see if the Air Bag Service light stays off ..

[Vegas Bound]

Another dealership example. They wanted over $400 to replace the air filter, cabin filter and fuel filter on my Silverado Duramax. I went to AutoZone, got the filters for less than $100 and replaced them myself in less than an hour.

[Bigdumogre]

Labor is expensive and dealership princes are always the highest. And some companies love to through on charges and up sell things all the time because the mechanic works by piece work. I used to be a dealership mechanic and used to sell flushes all the time. By the end of the week I worked 35 hours and had a 90-100 hour paycheck

The Lincoln dealership I worked for used to do 90% town car livery guys and there blend doors went bad all the time. I used to do them in 2 1/2 hrs with dash removal and get paid 10 hours to do it. Sometimes I would get 2 a day but when it was covered under warranty I only got paid 6 hours for the same job.

[mactube]

Originally Posted by Bigdumogre

Labor is expensive and dealership princes are always the highest. And some companies love to through on charges and up sell things all the time because the mechanic works by piece work. I used to be a dealership mechanic and used to sell flushes all the time. By the end of the week I worked 35 hours and had a 90-100 hour paycheck

The Lincoln dealership I worked for used to do 90% town car livery guys and there blend doors went bad all the time. I used to do them in 2 1/2 hrs with dash removal and get paid 10 hours to do it. Sometimes I would get 2 a day but when it was covered under warranty I only got paid 6 hours for the same job.

Wow.. that sounds like big business. Did the Blend door go out on your Camaro yet ?

[Bigdumogre]

Originally Posted by mactube

Wow.. that sounds like big business. Did the Blend door go out on your Camaro yet ?

Thankfully no and I hope it doesn’t lol. I gave almost 80k miles on her too.

[supersnake05]

Originally Posted by mactube

Wow.. that sounds like big business. Did the Blend door go out on your Camaro yet ?

Yes, but also you can be there 80-100 hours every 2 weeks and make 40-50 hour paycheck. I'm a tech we make a fraction of what the labor rate is. We do alignments for 1.0 dealer charges 149.00 and we make 10,15- 20 bucks an hour. Only benefits for going to a dealership is we work on the same cars everyday and for the most part can diagnose fairly quickly and right the first time.

[mactube]

I’m back.. sorry should have posted here after I finished the repairs .. but better late then never right …

- Blend Door
As expected the job took me a view hours so I just spread it over 2 days and the A/C works fine now ( even without an extra anti freeze top off/replacement/service which was listed at $300 in the estimate) I will still check the pressures etc. when the temperatures get hotter as I was told it doesn’t make sense to service the A/C system with ambient temps. under 60F her pics of the blend door replacement and functioning inside the housing through the crack ! Tip for every Camaro owner who wants to avoid this : “ Don’t turn the Temperature Knob all the way to Cool or all the way to Hot … the actuator turns the the blend door to far and is very strong, so after a couple of years in side the hot / cold housing it WILL break !


- Air Bag Service Light

What was listed as for $1200 Air Bag module replacement, turns out to be just a lose connection … Even though the Connector is double secured by a latch / switch, it was still lose inside the middle console so a quick click soled the $1200 problem …
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18vQ...ew?usp=sharing


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-4H...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Hv...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/11KT...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1474...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/19Ct...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mz-...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N9r...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WL2...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X_2...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jXg...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uJ2...ew?usp=sharing, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ujL...ew?usp=sharing

… was are so far $18 into the $7000 repairs with the main problems fixed already.

I have not swapped the power steering fluid which might solve the scratchy noise that comes from “ possibly “ the rack and pinion. That will ad another $20 to the bill.

I’m not sure if I should replace the spark plugs which are as listed with $500 on the Estimate.
I’m also not sure if I should clean the injection system which I also didn’t ask for and doesn’t have anything to do with the problems that I mentioned when I turned the car in .

Will still replace the cabin filter which was listed with $150 on the estimate, which I actually got for $8 on Amazon.

So far I’m far under the $350 Mark which was my budget, even with the $220 Diagnostic fee that Chevy charged me.

I have one more repair which I will have to look take car off … Mybe somebody has a DIY solution :

I can not delete the Blue Tooth List on my radio and therefore not add another phone since it only holds 5 entries. I had the problem before and by disconnection the battery, I was able to do some kind of reset. But that doesn’t work anymore. Doe's anyone have an another idea ?