So I went today to check out the brand new state of the art stealership in town and get a trans flush. I'd like to hear some comparisons to what you guys have paid for the same service. Here's the tab:

Labor- $114.59 (90.00/hr)

Parts- $35.36 (16 qts Mercon 5)

"shop materials fee"- $7.56

Total: $157.51 b4 tax

On the way out I ask the service advisor what they charge to do the spark plugs. Here's how that went....


Me- "So how much to change the plugs by the TSB?"

SA- "Which TSB, there are a lot of them"

Me thinking to myself- "How many TSBs does he think there are on the 04-07 plug change"

SA (after hesitating)- "Well we usually just soak 'em real good with some penetrant and they come out fine". "That service is $350 including plugs".



Guess I'll be shopping around for the plug change or just bite the bullet and do it myself. This guy didn't exactly impress with his knowledge of the plug issue.

 

Thanks for that.

Looks like a reasonable fee for the trans work. If it's a flush and a pan drop/filter change.

Plugs - I'm guessing the word's getting around and some of them are a bit leary.

BUT - You forgot to ask him what they'd do if one or more broke off

Cheers
bubba

 

Since there are, in fact, 6 different TSBs relating to spark plugs on the 5.4, I'm not sure that you were being completely fair. You didn't specify exactly which TSB you could have been referring to, and not all engines (mine, for example) need the procedures outlined in the specific TSB you were thinking of (but not saying out loud).

Maybe he's as smart as you apparently think you are???

 

Well, given the OP's engine config & year, and the fact that the SA said this:

I'm pretty sure he knew EXACTLY which Specific TSB was in question.

How many of those 6 TSB's require a presoak, on a 5.4L 3V?

When I talked to my dealer, he knew which one, right from the get-go, without any prompting.

 

 

There's a shop around where I live that will change out plugs on a v8 for $99.

I wonder if that $99 will include the extra 10 hours for the mechanic to try to get those plugs out.

 

Is this a issues on all 5.4's from '04 to current or just certain years??? You all have me worried about whether I should have this done or not? My truck is only 16 months old and has 8,500 miles on it. Any further information sure would be appreciated!

 

The advisor probably knew what you were talking about, but he did like he should have done and kept his mouth shut.

Plausible deniability is the thing most dealers do with most TSBs.

Folks, ya gotta understand, TSBs are mostly educated guesses, and they don't always apply to every vehicle and every condition; sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. It's often times better that the customer doesn't know about TSBs, because they tend to instill a certain type of automotive hypochrondia in people - if there's a bulletin, by Gawd that means that it's gotta be done, and it's gotta work, right? Not necessarily.

TSBs are educated swags, intended to streamline whatever the procedure is, saving Ford money. Period.

In this particular case, yes, there are specific procedures to remove plugs in 5.4 3Vs, so what I'm trying to explain probably won't apply here. What I'm trying to say is that most service advisors (and techs, for that matter) are told, for lack of a better explanation, that "if in doubt, keep your f@!^ing mouth shut and play stupid." It protects the dealer, so they don't create a big hysteria over TSB blah-blah-blah, which may or may not apply to your/my/his/her truck.

(Example: Someone on F150online says that his dealer did TSB **-**-**, and it totally changed his truck for the better. F150online members across the country go to their dealers, wanting TSB **-**-** done, even though it applies to two wheel drive Supercrews with 5.4 3Vs built between 12-10-04 and 4-14-05 only. Dealers try to explain this, but owners ain't having it, since they know there's a bulletin out there, and it fixed someone elses' truck, it's gotta work on theirs, right? It creates less of a headache for dealers when the customer is kept in the dark.)

I know, it's a crummy thing to do, but it's what they (we) do.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.

 

thanks for the insight Quintin.

 

Quintin,

You're still my hero, but when I came across the use of "plausible deniability" in your post, I had to stop. You're not still going after that law degree now are you? Keep up the good work. You hit the nail (as usual) right on the head!

 

Sounded good, didn't it?

 

Fekkin' eh, it did!

Not bad fer a redneck

 

The caption on that pic was funny enough to make me nearly shoot coffee out my nose!

For 2 reasons...

#1. I always wondered why they did a 3 valve per cylinder layout. Seems a little retarded to me...
#2. Uh. A V-8 with 24 valves IS a 3 valve per cylinder engine. (8 x 3 = 24 unless you are publicly educated).

I THINK the person that made that pic SHOULD have said,

When 32 valves are past your counting abilities!

 

I wouldn't go into details either with a customer. There's no reason to go into detail. The service advisor doesn't need to know the details, they only need to know who does and send the job to them. The service advisor is a salesman just like an advisor is in an electronics or other store. Most have never turned a bolt on a car.

 

There's a video link in my sig on how to change the plugs on a 5.4 likter 3 valve engine.