Shop Bill

[Olpa77]

My m925 had a bad misfire and blew back smoke every where so I decided to put in new injectors. I am an over the road truck driver and I'm not home so much any more. I kept telling myself I would find the time to replace the injectors myself. Well, I could never find the time so I took the lazy way out and just ran it by a Cummins dealer. I told them to replace the injectors. Just got in today and went to pick it up. To my surprise I had a $2900 shop bill. Boy oh boy I was ticked! The injectors were only $119 a piece but they charged me 17 hours labor. Does this seem a little much time wise to check fuel pressure and change injectors? They told me most of the time spent was removing the dog house and shifter to get to #6. I'm not sure but I really think I could have done it myself in less than 17 hours. It has the NHC250 in it, does 17 hours seem steep or is it just me?
Well lesson learned do it your self and stay clear of the dealers!

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Always get a quote.

You can get rebuilt injecters for $30-60 so with the upcharge thats normal.

You do have to lift the cab to get to 5&6. There is no way around it. Took me 10hr in a field to change a set in a m936.

 

[zout]

Dealers have this FAT book called FLAT RATE TIME. If a tech can do it under flat rate time he gets the remainder banked for him PLUS he then starts his next sucker earlier under FLAT RATE time and hoses them as well.
Either the tech knows side tricks to make it easier and faster or takes the whole time - sometimes they go over flat rate time and loose their carcass on it - that does not happen very many times before a dealership sends him down the road packing. The only item not covered under flat rate is a wiring issue - its time plus material for that baby.

But then again - that tech has to have all of his own tools to do that job and they are not cheap - all the way from old stuff to new and continually keeping current.

 

[CARNAC]

That's why they're called the Puget Sound Dudes...you know, the ones that say "Don't worry baby, I got it covered" after they've bit the tip off the rubber.

 

[armytruck63]

^?

 

[F18hornetM]

They have a flat rate manual for a Cummins NHC250, but bet they don't have one for a M925. So I bet that's where the extra $$ comes in. The NHC250 calls for x amount of labor but just like any other equipment they can add time for special issues. They can charge what they want for that since there is no set hours. Although I don't know what kind of testing or diagnostics they performed it seems excessive to me, but who knows. Everything is getting higher to me it seems so I cant even tell anymore.

 

[Olpa77]

Thanks for the input. I don't know why they went through the dog house instead of lifting the cab. Looks really easy to lift the cab. I take it that's what the bolts are for forward of the cab mounts.