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:huh: Just recently I noticed a fluid puddle under my ’03 Concorde Lxi. I didn’t think too much of it,
so I added coolant and drove it for another week. Yesterday I took it into the repair shop so that they
can find the leak ( thinking lower radiator hose). I get the call back and they say that it’s the WATER PUMP. I immediately went into defense mode. I had the water pump and belt replaced by them 3 years ago, and now they are telling me it’s the same problem, and they want to charge me for the repair again.
My question is, how long does a water pump suppose to last. I am waiting for their call back today
to tell me what my options are.
Thanks
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Usually water pumps last more than 3 years. It could depend on the part used (cheap) and the cooling systems
condition. if the cooling system is not maintained or ran low the seal will burn. I would ask to see the leak.I have seen a couple cheap Chinese pumps start blowing coolant out the weep hole after 2-3 years. I’ve seen others go a long time. Do you remember what the parts warranty was on the pump they put in?
I agree with CM, have them show you the leak.
:unsure: It may be too late for them to show me the leak. the warranty for that Water Pump was 3 years.
Unfortunately it has been 3 years and a few months.[quote=”Bunzjx” post=178824]:unsure: It may be too late for them to show me the leak. the warranty for that Water Pump was 3 years.
Unfortunately it has been 3 years and a few months.[/quote]I take it you will have the wp replaced at the same shop?
Water pumps are definitely one of the parts you need to get from a quality name brand. A wholesale Chinese water pump might cost the shop as little as $17 (Autozone Valuecraft Chevy Small Block) but the quality will be very poor. Think of how little it cost to make, box, ship from China, transport to warehouses, and then the store has to make a profit?! REALLY?
There is every possibility that the part was of poor quality. Which if the shop supplied it and you were a “cost conscious” customer you will have to discuss with them what your options are. If cost was not a factor and they cheaped out without first discussing options you had for part quality levels, etc then you might have more leverage.
Sounds to me like you need to find a shop that doesn’t use low quality parts, does higher quality work, etc. Be aware you will probably pay more for a water pump job that will last longer. Either that or they shafted you.
Rick
5-7 years OE easy. If you do the replacement through them, buy the part then have them install it. Shops will guarantee their 90 day labor but not the part. Shop well.
[quote=”GeneralDisorder” post=178827]Water pumps are definitely one of the parts you need to get from a quality name brand. A wholesale Chinese water pump might cost the shop as little as $17 (Autozone Valuecraft Chevy Small Block) but the quality will be very poor. Think of how little it cost to make, box, ship from China, transport to warehouses, and then the store has to make a profit?! REALLY?
There is every possibility that the part was of poor quality. Which if the shop supplied it and you were a “cost conscious” customer you will have to discuss with them what your options are. If cost was not a factor and they cheaped out without first discussing options you had for part quality levels, etc then you might have more leverage.
Sounds to me like you need to find a shop that doesn’t use low quality parts, does higher quality work, etc. Be aware you will probably pay more for a water pump job that will last longer. Either that or they shafted you.
Rick[/quote]
Good answer.
Most shops will default to a certain ‘line’ of aftermarket parts for any given application. It just makes it easier for them and the customer.
[quote=”DaFirnz” post=178854][quote=”GeneralDisorder” post=178827]
Most shops will default to a certain ‘line’ of aftermarket parts for any given application. It just makes it easier for them and the customer.[/quote]That’s the sad truth. And to make things worse, they sell said part at a 60% mark-up. I always thought shops made their bank through labor costs, but it fact it’s the part price mark-up that keeps them alive.
60%? LOL.
We are lucky to make 20% on dealer parts. Aftermarket depends. Performance parts can be as high as 35-40% or as low as 0%. 15% is not unusual if you intend to compete with online retailers. Depends on the part whether I compete with online pricing (from my own wholesaler :angry: ) or not.
Aftermarket repair parts on the other hand…. now that sometimes lucrative. It’s almost never less than 100% and often it’s 200-300%.
Just the way it is fellas. We gotta eat and the day we don’t pay our bills we all go home for good and there’s no one to help you when your car breaks.
Rick
[quote=”GeneralDisorder” post=178864]60%? LOL.
We are lucky to make 20% on dealer parts. Aftermarket depends. Performance parts can be as high as 35-40% or as low as 0%. 15% is not unusual if you intend to compete with online retailers. Depends on the part whether I compete with online pricing (from my own wholesaler :angry: ) or not.
Aftermarket repair parts on the other hand…. now that sometimes lucrative. It’s almost never less than 100% and often it’s 200-300%.
Just the way it is fellas. We gotta eat and the day we don’t pay our bills we all go home for good and there’s no one to help you when your car breaks.
Rick[/quote]
haha, did I throw that markup too low? Lots of variables on parts when it comes to genuine vs aftermarket. I can’t imagine running a shop, buying a part from my wholesaler only to up price it 100%+ fold to the consumer. But like you said. Ya gotta eat.
HAHA. Love it. I can feel the time and work it goes into building something in which you’ve built. Sort of a mini empire…
Boy do I wish you’d still be working out of your garage tho. My car would be in your hands, with restrictions, every week at $30/hr labor rate. This $99+ is ridiculous tho. Here in the Phoenix area, certain shops are around the $99 mark while the dealerships are steadyfast on $97. It’s those rare, privately owned places that do work under the average, and do it well by the way, that draw the attention of the most observed ‘shopper’. There’s a lot of respect, in my opinion, when a shop can carry an affordable labor cost and do the job correctly, than a shop that charges exorbitant labor dollars and half-ass work while selling stuff that doesn’t need to be sold. I’d be more than happy to pay the premium price for a part at a shop that does quality work with labor costs around $65-$70 than a shop that charges $99+ for labor.Unfortunately, the technicians/mechanics get maybe half that, but the lower the labor rate, with a good reputation, the more the clientele. My hometown shop still flat rates at $68/hr and I don’t know how they do it. But they’re the best in town. Here in Phoenix, it’s hard-pressed to find anyone reputable below $95. Tough market. And why I’ll spend 5 hours changing a control arm for $75 in my garage vs $300 at a shop.
For reference I’m in Portland, OR and dealers here are between $130 and $160 an hour. I do know the average of shops in town is $97. I feel strongly that we are way above average in the work we do. We do high performance import modification and repair. Mostly Subaru but also others. We do a lot of general repairs as well – a lot of those garage customers stayed with me even though the rates have gone up. They don’t trust anyone else I’m told. They understand the situation and the overhead. Hey they get to sit in a lobby with a big screen TV, popcorn machine, free WiFi, etc while we do our magic.
I must say we have leaned heavily toward performance work in the last few years. People are happy to make their car faster. People are not happy to make their car get them to work again. Well some are. But most are “nonplussed” to give it a name….. some are quite a bit nonplussed. But we explain everything we do – often at length. This solves most problems before they start. The one time someone got bent up and towed the car away it came back on a tow truck after visiting two other shops and sitting there unresolved for months. Funny how that works.
Rick
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