30k service with spark plugs for the busy person :)

I could, but don't have time for servicing my taco; so at 30k I brought her in thinking... here we go (I get lifetime free oil changes)... time for them to soak it to me... nope. 129.00 for the plug change and free oil change as usual. Did hit me for the tire rotation @ 15 bucks but c'mon sans the cabin air filter spiel I am not unhappy with them doing this versus me on my maybe one day off a week.
I think if your local dealership has a good rep this is a win for anyone.

 

$129 isn't too bad at all.

 

$129 for plugs is pretty damn good

 

yep, I was spooked because seems like dealer service is either way over priced or worse crappy and way overpriced. I've been satisfied with my local place. I did of course mark my oil filter as usual to be sure it gets changed because I'm suspicious, but hey.... bought there brand new and never really had a service complaint

 

I bet they didn't change them

 

Plugs are less than $10 on Rock Auto. Whether $130 is a good deal or not depends on how much free time you have. A dealer mechanic can do the job in half an hour with power tools (some even run the plugs down with an impact set to low torque).

 

And that's why I avoid dealerships. Using a torque gun while replacing spark plugs is DUMB. Once you cross thread it, it's done. A $10 job turns into much more. And the way dealer techs are these days, I'd rather not chance it. Hell, my local dealership can't even install my bumpstops correctly.

 

not to start a pissing match but cmon we all take risks every day with what we choose to do and not do.... that nice meal you just ate at the local restaurant.. eh, I work in the industry... it should be awesome, fresh and nice but chances are sooner or later you will get crap and won't know it. Same goes for auto repair/ service. Shit when I jumped out of a plane I took a risk of parachute failure..... saving money I get, not taking a chance on some things in life if it makes sense? or necessary..... I guess we should make our own electricity and dig our own wells for water too, just in case the "incompetent" idiots are doing that as well.

 

Out of curiosity, how long did you sit at the dealership waiting for this work to be done?

 

Agreed. You got guys on here that treat their 30K Taco's like 250K super cars. GOD FORBID the dealer uses a torque gun on a spark plug change, oh the horror.Hear a few horror stories about dealers messing up oil changes or this and that and suddenly EVERY single tech in every single dealership is a complete idiot.

 

no time sitting. I take their shuttle to work( or snag a ride from a co-worker) and since they are open 12 hours a day for service it's no big deal when I pick up.

 

Taking five extra minutes to ensure I don't cross thread the plugs is well worth it. I don't know about you, but I avoid taking any chances with motor work. After all, it gets expensive real quick. I'm not saying this goes for everything in life, but when it comes to motor work you can bet your ass I'm going to take all the necessary precautions to ensure my truck gets back together properly.

 

They're not super cars. I use my truck as a daily driver and I cut corners on certain parts. Now, using a torque gun just isn't one thing I like bringing around an engine bay. Unless, it's like trim pieces or something insignificant. Call me crazy, but I find it smart. My local dealership is shit, everytime I've gone there. I find myself going back to correct their mistakes. That's why I prefer to drive an extra forty miles to a dealership I've never had an issue with

 

Spark plug change takes 45 minutes. I doubt anyone is that busy. You probably sat in the waiting room longer.

Nothing wrong with paying someone to do it but lets not make excuses

 

Out of the millions of oil changes etc the dealership is bound to screw something up once in a while. I have done all my own work for many years. The dealer mechanics are mostly trained technicians that do a great job. The dealer overhead is very high. Heat, ins, elec , payroll taxes, medical, vacation, workers comp, etc . The guys out there who have their own business can verify overhead costs. My point is that if you don't trust the dealer or think he charges too much, don't go there. Do your own work as I do my opinion.

 

damn, that is a good deal. Dealership near me charges $160 just for the labor (I bring my own plugs)

 

Plugs can be changed in 30 minutes if you've done it a couple times. Without using a impact torque gun.

If it's your first time and don't have all the tools laid out it could take 2 hours.

I used to do all the work on my truck mostly because my father had a plethora of tools at my disposal. Since moving far away from him I've had to accumulate these tools.

In my older age I've decided sometimes it's less of a head ache having a professional do it rather than myself. It mostly comes down to time. Would I rather sepnd time getting parts and doing the repair or pay someone while I can go say play a round of golf or do something that I would enjoy. Of course it's normally cheaper to do yourself and the chance of screwup is less but doing what you want with your time if your wallet can allow is rewarding.

For the dealerships messing up, of course there will be mess ups and the only thing you will hear are the mess ups but for having say 30 cars ish a day worked on over the course of a year one is bound to screw up at some point. We are all not perfect. It's finding the dealer that excels in customer service and will fix stuff right if such happens.

 

I bought the plugs during the summer with the intent on doing it myself and then I messed up my back. I couldn't stand or bend over for more than a few minutes. Realizing that it was gonna be months to get my back squared away I decided to roll the dice and have the dealer service department do it. I think they charged me $119.00 to change the 6 plugs which I thought was a good deal. I have had my truck serviced there, things like oil changes and the leaf pack recall and they have always done what I considered to be a good job and have never felt like I was being ripped off.

 

If I saw a mechanic using impact tools to install plugs, I'd fire him.

 

First video that comes up when you search for "1GR-FE spark plugs" on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRe0AAiZGDk
He DID get fired from the dealer, supposedly for "political" reasons. Now he fixes cars out of his own garage and has a Youtube channel with repair videos.