Dist. Rotor falls off?

[imported_dtom4]

Lent my brother my 90 Civic LX. While driving the other days it just died at a light. Got it to a gas station and they said the dist rotor was not put on properly and loosen up. They tightened it back up and said they had to replace the plugs and charged him $200.00. Said it took them 2 hrs. to diagnose and repair.

Now, I was the one who replaced the rotor. That was 20K miles ago when the coil went and I replaced the cap and rotor with it. Has anyone ever had this happen to them? Car was runnig fine for 20K miles and I would think if it was not installed properly it wouldn't have lasted so long. I know they took him for a ride charging him $200. fo the work. Anyway just wonder. TIA

Dave T.

[imported_MKNTRAXX]

200 bucks for 2 hours.... and 4 new plugs.. that still seems a bit high..

My uncle is a mechanic and charges ~30-60 bucks an hour depending on the job.. I say your brother did pay a bit to much..

[imported_dtom4]

"200 bucks for 2 hours.... and 4 new plugs.. that still seems a bit high.."

I agree. He is not mechanically inclined and just pushed it into the gas station that was there. They charged $75.00 an hour and said it took them 2 hrs.

2 hrs to figure out the rotor was off and change the plugs. I would have fixed it myself but he is 50 miles away. I'm more upset that they charged 2 hrs for something so simple than at the hourly rate.

Dave T.

[imported_Kyle_G]

technically.. doesnt matter how long it took them... if theyre handy little repair book says its gonna take two hours.. theyre allowed to charge for that... even if it took them 20 minutes. Theres no way to determine how long it took them. But what i dont understand... is $200 for 2 hours at $75/hr... thats $150... so $50 for some plugs. yeash. And i have yet to come across any gas station garage that charges $75/hr.. most around here are no more then $45/hr.

[imported_dtom4]

"technically.. doesnt matter how long it took them... if theyre handy little repair book says its gonna take two hours.. theyre allowed to charge for that... even if it took them 20 minutes."

Actually the flat rate book is just a guide to determine about how long it should take to perform a set repair. What a shop charges in a retail transaction is totally up to them regardless of what the book says. If the book says 2 hrs and it took them 20 mins they could legally charge you 4 hrs if they thought they could get away with it. Your only recourse would be to go somewhere else but when the car is dead they know they've got you which is why the price always goes up in these situations.

"But what i dont understand... is $200 for 2 hours at $75/hr... thats $150... so $50 for some plugs. yeash. And i have yet to come across any gas station garage that charges $75/hr.. most around here are no more then $45/hr.

Yep on the plugs. This is the NY area and thats pretty much the going rate. Makes you want to move.