$330 Fluid Change

[champsboss]

After four months, my local dealer service center was able to collect and keep all of the parts needed to perform the 2nd part of the TSB related to the 2262 code. (Drill, tap, spray and cap the turbo. )



I'm in the middle of a move, so I figure why not pay them to change the oil and take care of the differential fluid change.



First they quoted me $420. Ridiculous! After questioning I discover he was giiving me a price that included synthetic differential fluid.



The new price, $350. So I ask for a price break for the inconvienance of driving 1/3 of a year with a CEL. He offers a $20 discount.



I'll be changing my fluids in my Dad's driveway.



He quoted a woman with a car $19. 95 or an oil change while I was still staning in his office.



Does this happen everywhere? Or do I just have a crappy dealer.

 

[Bob4x4]

Using list price for the diesel oil in gallons from Dodge I would guess the oil change with lube would be more than $100 the diff does use a synthetic which should put that svc some where around $200 IIRC



Bob

 

[JCasper]

You can buy all Amsoil fluids for less and do it yourself in a couple of hours.



It is pretty simple to do the diffs, transmission and trans case

 

[gsbrockman]

First they quoted me $420. Ridiculous! After questioning I discover he was giiving me a price that included synthetic differential fluid.

All of the 3rd GEN RAM's with AAM axles have synthetic axle fluid as factory fill... ... . can't believe your service writer could ethically think he was "saving" you some money by replacing the fluid with the inferior non-synthetic variety.



Just additional verification that the service writer was more interested in making a buck rather than taking better care of your truck. #@$%!



Greg

 

[RRees]

I'd ask them if they would put some "teflon" on the bolts, so you wouldn't feel like your getting "screwed" as hard.

 

[rjrkihap]

My partner took his wife's 2006 Tahoe to the dealer for a broken rear lift gate handle. $400 to replace the electronic handle which was out of warranty. The Tahoe needed an oil change anyway so my partner told them OK. Final bill... $1100. Granted $400 was the handle, however they stated that at 45k all fluids needed to be changed. Front diff, rear diff, T-Case, transmission and Oil. I still remember the salesman telling us that the only maintenance needed for 100,000 miles (besides regular oil changes) was the 1000 rear diff break-in fluid change.

Got to love the dealerships.

Ron

 

[JCasper]

My partner took his wife's 2006 Tahoe to the dealer for a broken rear lift gate handle. $400 to replace the electronic handle which was out of warranty. The Tahoe needed an oil change anyway so my partner told them OK. Final bill... $1100. Granted $400 was the handle, however they stated that at 45k all fluids needed to be changed. Front diff, rear diff, T-Case, transmission and Oil. I still remember the salesman telling us that the only maintenance needed for 100,000 miles (besides regular oil changes) was the 1000 rear diff break-in fluid change.



Got to love the dealerships.



Ron

$700 to change the oil in the motor, diffs, transmission and t case. Wow is about all I can say

 

[LBARTLETT]

local dealership here is now $110. 00 per hour, that's how they're keeping the doors open with no sales!

 

[RHestand]

IMO, it's a big part of my maint. program, to not just change my oil, etc. , but to take the time and opportunity to roll around, and take a look under there. Maybe spot problems before they get worse and maybe leave you stranded somewhere.

It only takes me an addition 5-10 minutes (if I don't find anything wrong), and it satifies a lot of my curiousity.

Ray

 

[bruiserbob]

Screwed Too

Almost the same thing happened to me, with the bill originally presented totaling $345. 00. I did my imitation of a "postal clerk" and they lowered a grand total of $60 bucks..... the maintenance schedule does call for a change at 15,000 miles. Stupidly, I didn't get a price from the dealer... . luckily, I only got the rear diff serviced and opted out on the front (4X4)..... needless to say I learned a valuable lesson and will do my own next time.

 

[Jim W]

My oil changes usually cost $85. 00 at the dealership. When trying to dispose of the engine oil, most (in my area) service stations will not take the oil. I can not place the used engine oil in the garbage as this will contaminate the landfill, so I go to the dealership. I will change and do my own diff and trans fluids, as my son can dispose of this type of fluid.

I just changed my rear diff fluid at 15,000 miles my cost was $124 for eight quarts of Amsoil 75W-90. If I was to use Royal Purple this would have cost $137. 00 for eight quarts.

As you can see the fluids for these trucks are not cheap and the maintenance cost are high, but if you want some type of pull vehicle that you can depend on it will cost to own and operate them.

 

[Grizzly]

Some dealers are dishonest. I took my then 95 Dodge to the dealer for a $39. 95 wheel alignment, which was an advertised special. When it was said and none it cost me over $100. They tried to sell me a new set of front brake pads and rotors and a new serpentine belt. They told me that my truck wouldn't make it out of the dealership with those old brakes and serpentine belt. I told them, show me, I want to see these bad brakes and belt. The brake pads looked perfectly fine to me with many thousands of miles left and the serpentine looked brand new. The truck had about 45K miles on it at the time. I told them to take the truck off the rack right now and not to touch anything else. I reported it their general manager, who promised to do something about it. I'm sure he did nothing, but I never went back to that dealer, which is Zangara Dodge dealer in Albuquerque. ZANGARA DODGE ARE CROOKS.

 

[Bob4x4]

All dealers are a bunch of crooks. Toyota, Dodge, GM and Furd are all a like.



:-laf That is like saying everyone from New Mexico are loud mouths



Bob

 

[FFeiller]

i've had bad and good dealerships. i have a good dealership that I take my vehicles too. yes, the labor rate runs from over a hundred bucks an hour. businesses cost a lot to operate today.



don't forget to figure in your hourly wage for labor and equipment when you are doing it yourself.



oh, yes by the way there is a chrysler dealership a block away i don't trust any farther then i can throw them

 

[wcjp]

champsboss



Your truck has reusable gaskets. Diff change is extremely easy. After changing the Dodge diffs, I converted my Jeep to reusable gaskets. I'm now RTV Free!!! :-laf

 

[DPKetchum]

Wow. I'd like to see some of YOU ALL in business. Wonder how long you'd last. It cost money to run ANY SHOP and the overhead is differannt from each one just like running each home. Lots of folks PAY to get service work done everday. If you don't like the prices do it yourself or don't do it at all. Chrysler store I worked at we took in 100 plus vehicles a day on average days. Should have seen it when busy. Less then 10% of that work was warranty. Knew lots of customers really well and saw them for years and many thousands of miles. Of course we always had our butt heads to deal with. Sometimes they got 'special pricing"and then maybe they'd never come back!

 

[jimnance]

$420. 00 seems a little steep. That said it is important to run the synthetic in the diff's. I take mine to a local oil change place. They have CJ oil, and the full synthetic specified by DC. It's about $300. 00 for that, and about $129. 00 more if the transmission is serviced.



The fluids aren't cheap, so a large part of the service cost is the fluids.



I'd only take your truck to a local place if you can verify the fluids being used and are able to watch what they are doing.



On my older CTD's I use CI-4+ oil that I have stashed. They still do the lube, I simply supply the oil and they give me a break on the price of the service. Yes, I could do the service myself, by I don't like getting on my back and getting the inevitable drips all over me. They've got the right equipment and a pit making the job much easier for them.



I keep all the receipts in my owners manual in case I ever have an issue with DC over warantee issues.