Painful price quotes

[Doyt W. Echelberger]

At 06:53 AM 5/11/2001 -0700, you wrote:
>  Got some price quotes from a local shop. I like the shop a lot and they are
>very knowledgable but these quotes seem astronomical. As I have done 
>nearly all
>my own vehicle repairs for the last 20 years this was tough to swallow. These
>quotes are for my '91 200q 20vt:
>Front wheel bearings - $110 for the bearings, total with labor $625

..........this charge does not seem unusual to me and probably is fair. I 
paid $500 for two front wheel bearings with labor, on my 87 5ktq in 1998. I 
watched it done and the hubs had to come off and go to the press for 
bearing-out, bearing in. Then it all had to go back together.


>Replace rear shocks with Bilstiens - $189 ea. for the struts, total with
>labor$700 labor

....Seems considerably higher than what I paid. Last year my expert Audi 
mechanic replaced both my rear shocks for $148.50 total. If I read your 
post correctly, the $700 charge includes labor on top of the $378 parts 
charge. So you are being quoted $322 for labor.  seems at least 2 times 
what I would expect. My car is a 1987 5ktq. Perhaps the 91 200q 20vt 
requires $500 additional labor, which translates into about 7 hours labor 
at my mechanics rate of $50/hour. Don't see why R&R rear shocks should take 
7 hours. Perhaps I don't know about the exhaust system on your car. Maybe 
it must be removed and replaced to change the rear shocks?

>  I'm still waiting on the estimate to replace the parking brake 
> components and
>the corroded left rear upper suspension piece.

....................Total cost with tax to replace left emergency brake 
cable was $126 last year:Parts $40, labor $75. Also following month 
required a new left rear caliper at $125, plus $25 labor, including 
bleeding the brakes. The caliper cams connecting with the emergency cable 
were badly corroded, as was the caliper piston. We thought the cable would 
do it, but it continued to hang up and not fully release. The charge 
included new brake pads in the new caliper.             Doyt Echelberger

>Anton