The honda dealership is saying they want 900 bucks for changing the evaporator. Has anyone had this fixed? How much should it cost. 900 seems high when I am not changing the compressor.
everything at the dealership seems high, b/c it is. btw, i have no idea how much it costs but i'm sure they screwing you on the price.
There's a guy who does AWESOME work near RICE and Gulfton in the Southwest area of Houston. Where are you located? This guy's name, I believe, is Mark something something. I know he fixed two old Corollas my family had. I just don't know if he's still there. I know for a fact that it's his shop and he explains the entire thing to you and even lets you see under the hood before he starts working on it. I'm hoping someone here knows him.
Not always thought. It was cheaper to replace my windshield at the dealership than Safelite and several other shops that gave me a quote. Maybe that was an isolated incident.
It depends on several things, namely where your evaporator is located. Mine, along with the heater core, is located behind the dash, and you have to completely remove the dash in order to replace either of those parts. Its expensive enough in labor alone on old Mustangs like mine that you'd pretty much want to change both of them if one goes out. Mine was somewhere in the neighborhood of $700-$800.
I was going to say the same thing. It's very likely it's buried somewhere behind the dash and/or very difficult to get to. The evaporator is where the cold air comes from so you don't want the air to have to travel far or have to go through any warm parts of the car.
Dude, get it done. I can't imagine living in Houston without A/C in the summertime. The added bonus of having work done at the dealer is that you won't have a hassle if the evaporator breaks down a 2nd time.
Exactly. Condensers or compressors are pretty simple, but evaporators are a pain to get to and very labor intensive. $900 sounds about right.
try searching for burden honda care. they only hire honda certified mechanics, do good work and have reasonable prices (cheaper than dealership).
How much does a technician get paid. Some mechanics could make doctor salaries if they got to see any of it.
Good question. Back when I worked @ dealers, the technician pay was 40% of the labor rate for the job x the # of hours for the job. I am sure it is different now. A tech @ BMW/Mercedes/Acura etc probably makes a pretty good living.
My AC has never worked very well....it may as well be out. Don't knock manual labor: Depending on the dealership, techs can make a VERY good living. A childhood friend started at a Mercedes dealership making $35K when he was 19. He was making over $50K by the time he was 22 or so. He's 32 now, and has since taken over a shop that specializes in Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche, making well over six figures. Granted he now owns the shop, but he still turns wrenches for a living. Had he stayed on at the original Mercedes dealership and become, say, a crew chief, he'd have been making ~$125-$150K. Don't even get me started on what Ferrari pays its techs.
