Am I gettin Screwed??

[Dabozman]

Went to Les Schwabs for what I thought was going to be a simple alignment and came out with an estimate of 914.43

I was told the power steering was leaking and needed replaced

attached is a pic of the estimate

 

[markgholland]

What year is your car?

You could just loop the power steering lines and eliminate it. It's overrated
~Mark

 

[Dabozman]

What year is your car?

Its a 95 eagle talon tsi awd

 

[Defiant]

Of course it's leaking. It's a damned decade old. So what. Feed it. Hell, try a can of PS StopLeak if it's that bad. Do you ever see it leave a puddle? Are you having to top-off your PS resevoir?

Half a mechanic's job is to find things that need fixing. Don't worry about it. Your shocks are leaking, too, and you need a new pinion seal. Or you can keep driving it for the three more years you'll have it, and fix it by getting a new car.

Just make sure you're not dripping from the pump onto the alternator- it's the only place that'll really hurt anything.

Life is like a penis. When it's soft, you can't beat it, and when you're getting screwed, it's hard.

 

[Dabozman]

the only thing really buggin me is my car needs an alignment and they said they wouldn't do it without fixing this stuff first

 

[pneumo]

So take it somewhere else. If that doesn't work just tell them that all you want is an alignment, and you know you should have all that other suff fixed because the car is a rolling, leaking deathtrap that might burst into toxic flames at any moment, killing yourself while billowing huge clouds of toxic fumes into town, asphyxiating everyone, including cute little kittens!
"Just an alignment, please"

 

[Defiant]

Don't go to chain shops. Goodyear, Firestone, Midas, etc., etc. Unless it's someone you know, or someone you're hooked up with, stay with the small independants who appreciate having you come in the door. A power steering leak will have NOTHING to do with aligning the front end.

I'd never go near that place again.

 

[boostedinaz]

Agreed, they are trying to get money out of you. Take it some were else. As long as it doesnt leak all over your alt then keep on trucking.

 

[giester2]

Actually the shop followed the correct procedure for doing an alignment by performing a pre-alignment inspection. Now as far as it has to be replaced before the alignment done because it leaking is an iffy question. They may be afraid of fluid getting on the different bushings on the front end and ruining which then could affect the alignment since you would have movement in your front end components. If this shop gives a lifetime alignment (which some shops in Houston are offering) then I don't blame them for saying that it needs to be replaced.

Also if your inner tie rods are worn on the rack they may deny doing the alignment also. Many shops will pull the rack to install inner tie rods and if they pull it why not go ahead and replace the whole thing, the car is almost ten years old. So inspect your rack for a leak (fluid in the boots is the most likely scenario), if you haven't notice spots on the driveway or your fluid level has not dropped, chances are it may not be leaking, your inner tie rods may be worn. Shops will change a whole rack just to replace inner tie rods because it is possible to damage the rack shaft, pinion shaft, and the seals if the installation of the inner tie rods is not done correctly, and from what I have seen from mechanics (so called "technicians" but in reality "part changers") they either do not know how to change them correctly or don't want the responsibility of possibly damaging the rack. And by the way most reman racks come with used inner tie rods so if that is the problem you may be doing this again in the next year or so.

Anyway, back to the part about being screwed....the labor doesn't look that bad. $267 is a reasonable amount (a little high in Houston, but prices vary from city to city and state to state). Now the rack price I do have a problem with. The part number for the rack is an ATSCO (now known as ARI) part number. In Houston this same exact rack can be bought at AutoZone for $269.99 with a lifetime warranty. Now all shops will mark up the price of a part (to cover incidental expenses and in case the part doesn't work) but I believe they have become a little extravagent on their mark up. There should be no need to mark it up that much. If I sold this rack at $269.99 I would tell my customer (the shop) that they can be fair by selling it at $350-400, not $600 some odd dollars. Now I did have one customer here that bought a gear box from me and marked it up $1000.00, they eventually got sued and are now in bankruptcy.

 

[WalkedTalon]

the only thing really buggin me is my car needs an alignment and they said they wouldn't do it without fixing this stuff first

GOTO sears