Tip on in-cabin air filter

AustinCyclist

AustinCyclist

New member
Don't be stupid like me.

I brought in the 4r for one of it's free oil changes. They came out and showed me the in-cabin air filter (I assume it was mine, but it was dirty as hell) little surprised it would be that dirty already.. but anyway I said, ya, go ahead and change it. $41! 25 for the filter and 16 labor. Had the sticker shock when they told me at the end.. should have asked before doign it.. but just paid it and left..

When I got home, I checked the glove box, popped it out to see how hard it really was.. and felt pretty cheated on how easy it is.. 10 seconds to change it.. Don't let it happen to you.. 16 buys a nice lunch! Plus you can buy the filters alot cheaper..
 
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AustinCyclist said:
Don't be stupid like me.

I brought in the 4r for one of it's free oil changes. They came out and showed me the in-cabin air filter (I assume it was mine, but it was dirty as hell) little surprised it would be that dirty already.. but anyway I said, ya, go ahead and change it. $41! 25 for the filter and 16 labor. Had the sticker shock when they told me at the end.. should have asked before doign it.. but just paid it and left..
Click to expand...

If it makes you feel any better, I did the exact same thing in the exact same situation just an hour or two ago. The only difference...I've owned my truck long enough to know how easy it is to change and was just dumb enough to not think before I said, "OK". The "cost" for the part on the screen was $12. The price was $20...as confirmed by the parts department as soon as I realized how dumb I had just been. And undoubtedly, they can be had for much cheaper when ordered online. Oh well. Sometimes we all goof up. :ybrick:
 
Yeah we all screw up. Now you know though. Usually anything filter related, oil, tire rotations, etc. you're better off doing yourself if you can.
 
Yea, that's pretty bad, I usually change all my own air filters, especially the one under the hood for the intake. It's unbelievable the price you pay them to un-snap, than re-snap a couple of hooks to R and R an air filter, compared to the price you pay for the filter at a store.

But hey, we all make mistakes. :(
 
My .02

It's no secret that I personally run a performance and repair facility in the DC metro area.

What you are paying for is a service. It's no different than the steak you just bought at your local restaurant for $xx.xx. Do you really think that you couldn't have bought that same cut of beef from your local grocery store for less? How about that Starbucks coffee you had this morning? Really? $6 for a cup of coffee? I never hear anyone complain about prices for these items, but I do hear complaints about the service they received.

So, unless the service you received for $16 was unsatisfactory, then I can see why you feel "stupid". Maybe the waiting area was unclean. Or the bathroom ran out of TP. Maybe the TV wasn't working. Coffee machine was broken. Temperature in the waiting area was uncomfortable. And anything else that made your experience unpleasant.
But as for the $16 dollars of labor, that's really not that much. Next time, you should check your own air filter, check tire pressures, differential fluids, transfer case fluid, transmission fluid, engine air filter, brake lights, reverse lights, head lights, turn signals, test your battery, check coolant and power steering levels, etc... This is what I expect when I come in for an Oil Change and Lube.

I can appreciate the guys that change their own oil, rotate their tires, replace their air filters, etc. It's good to get to know your own vehicle.

I'm at a point in my life where I feel that it's ok to pay someone else to get dirty and dispose of the oil and filter properly. I don't want to check ALL of my fluids. That's what I expect for service.

So, next time you're at your local steakhouse. Tell the server that you can buy that piece of meat at Wegmans for much cheaper than what's listed in their menu. Ask them why they charge so much. Better yet, bring in that ribeye (that you bought on Amazon.com) and ask them to cook it for you.
 
Ducmonsta said:
My .02

It's no secret that I personally run a performance and repair facility in the DC metro area.

What you are paying for is a service. It's no different than the steak you just bought at your local restaurant for $xx.xx. Do you really think that you couldn't have bought that same cut of beef from your local grocery store for less? How about that Starbucks coffee you had this morning? Really? $6 for a cup of coffee? I never hear anyone complain about prices for these items, but I do hear complaints about the service they received.

So, unless the service you received for $16 was unsatisfactory, then I can see why you feel "stupid". Maybe the waiting area was unclean. Or the bathroom ran out of TP. Maybe the TV wasn't working. Coffee machine was broken. Temperature in the waiting area was uncomfortable. And anything else that made your experience unpleasant.
But as for the $16 dollars of labor, that's really not that much. Next time, you should check your own air filter, check tire pressures, differential fluids, transfer case fluid, transmission fluid, engine air filter, brake lights, reverse lights, head lights, turn signals, test your battery, check coolant and power steering levels, etc... This is what I expect when I come in for an Oil Change and Lube.

I can appreciate the guys that change their own oil, rotate their tires, replace their air filters, etc. It's good to get to know your own vehicle.

I'm at a point in my life where I feel that it's ok to pay someone else to get dirty and dispose of the oil and filter properly. I don't want to check ALL of my fluids. That's what I expect for service.

So, next time you're at your local steakhouse. Tell the server that you can buy that piece of meat at Wegmans for much cheaper than what's listed in their menu. Ask them why they charge so much. Better yet, bring in that ribeye (that you bought on Amazon.com) and ask them to cook it for you.
Click to expand...

A semi-valid point, but I think your analogy is a bit off. When you go to a garage you pay for specialized labor at a set rate; not how well someone performs a service or the fact that they offer coffee. This is the same as when I contract engineering hours; project management hours; and any other specialized labor anywhere else. I've seen shop labor prices be between $45 - $80 per hour depending on location and type of shop (private vs dealer), so let's call the mean labor rate for a qualified mechanic $62.50/hour. At a charge of $16, that means it *should* take the mechanic about 15 minutes to change the filter. The fact that it really takes 27 seconds is why he feels stupid.

If we were to apply the same logic to your analogy then I should be paying a restaurant based on how long it takes to make a meal; not the quality of the meal or presentation. The fact that a shop offers a TV and fresh coffee doesn't qualify them to charge $16 to change an air filter. If they're offering amenities to their customers it should be built into the mechanic's hourly wage as G&A. If I contracted labor and someone tried to charge me a different rate for labor based on what they're being asked to do, and not the labor category they're offering, I simply would not accept their proposal -- I don't think anyone would. The same should apply to repair shops and dealerships as well.

Which reminds me: I'll be calling you sometime tomorrow to schedule some time for you guys to install my lift!
 
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limamike said:
I simply would not accept their proposal -- I don't think anyone would.
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I know, I kind of ranted as I kept typing. It is a very generic analogy. I wasn't trying to justify the "time" it took. Just the fact that there is a service being performed.

Your above quote is the most important part, though. The OP should have asked how much it would be before allowing the service to happen.
 
Stevinson Toyota in Littleton CO. Ask for Derek Jackson in parts. I got 10 for $120. He has helped me so much, he has forwarded cut sheets and tear down instructions on a number of items. You will be best served by asking if he is real busy and if so tell him you will call back later. If not, he will chat it up with you no problem. He is GREAT!!!
 
Also, what's worth noting is that he was shown the dirty air filter. So there's a question of whether that was actually his air filter or not. If it was not his filter but simply a "demonstration" of how dirty his filter could be, then our friend could understandably feel misled. If it really was his filter, then they had already performed half the labor already by removing it.
 
I thought I was sittin pretty when my 2 air filters were replaced during my 15k service for freeeee.

...here's the other half of that story.
I went back for my 2nd and last free oil change on Saturday. The dealer said "nope, all your free oil changes were used up" and showed me the billings...
Not only did they charge me for my 5K o/c (they were supposed to have given me a credit after I complained to corporate) but they re-submitted that service six months ago under my 20K "coupon" to Toyota for reimbursement.
This is Reno Toyota. I paid on Saturday to get the job done with the assurance that the service manager would get back to me on Monday "for sure" and get to the bottom of the misunderstanding. All I got was a standard survey call on my voice mail.
I've had such bad service from these guys that I'm thinking of taking this one to small claims.
 
FWIW ....... I've found these Valvoline oil change places in my area to be honest and respectful. When my filters have been clean, they have shown them to me (since you sit in the car during the work) and tell you that it looks great and you don't need replacement. They'll also tell you when you do need something either because it is due or due to observation. They know all the scheduled maintenance items and intervals as I've compared against the manual and they are correct.

I understand most people don't like to use these drive-by oil places but I've found this one by me in Springfield, NJ to be pretty good.

Funny thing..... to replace the cabin air filter in my wifes 07 Pilot, they actually had to break the hard plastic outer frame of the filter to get it in. Its the craziest configuration imaginable and there's no way to avoid it. Pulling out the old one is a mess too. T4R is much, much easier.

Valvoline Instant Oil Change | Oil Change Locations | Oil Change Coupons
 
limamike said:
A semi-valid point, but I think your analogy is a bit off. When you go to a garage you pay for specialized labor at a set rate; not how well someone performs a service or the fact that they offer coffee. This is the same as when I contract engineering hours; project management hours; and any other specialized labor anywhere else. I've seen shop labor prices be between $45 - $80 per hour depending on location and type of shop (private vs dealer), so let's call the mean labor rate for a qualified mechanic $62.50/hour. At a charge of $16, that means it *should* take the mechanic about 15 minutes to change the filter. The fact that it really takes 27 seconds is why he feels stupid.

If we were to apply the same logic to your analogy then I should be paying a restaurant based on how long it takes to make a meal; not the quality of the meal or presentation. The fact that a shop offers a TV and fresh coffee doesn't qualify them to charge $16 to change an air filter. If they're offering amenities to their customers it should be built into the mechanic's hourly wage as G&A. If I contracted labor and someone tried to charge me a different rate for labor based on what they're being asked to do, and not the labor category they're offering, I simply would not accept their proposal -- I don't think anyone would. The same should apply to repair shops and dealerships as well.

Which reminds me: I'll be calling you sometime tomorrow to schedule some time for you guys to install my lift!
Click to expand...

Sorry. I agree with Ducmonsta and disagree with you and here's why:
Sure, when I go to a shop, or call in a HVAC guy I do pay a specialized rate for a trained mechanic and I am fine with that. The problem is and I think the OP explained it is changing a filter is something ANYONE can do. Ducmonsta charges a rate to do specialized work using specific and special tooling. You charge your engineering rate and get it because it is a service not many can do themselves.

I cannot make a cup of Starbucks coffee. I do not have the tools or resources hence $6 a cup. I, and everyone else can however change the air and cabin filter. It requires no special tools, knowledge or training. It's like Ducmonsta charging to put the valve caps on a tire.

It's not the time required its the knowledge or tooling required. None of which are needed to change a cabin filter.
 
As in any service related item there will always be someone that will pay and someone that will DIY. To each their own, but when the dealer replaced my ECM on my old Corolla he stated that a mouse had built a nest in my incabin filer and for 50.00 they would replace and clean that debris out as well. That my friend was a deal and since my dealer has a window I watched the process. He pulled the equivalent of a basketball sized nest out made of mostly insulation and grasses. That was worth the little extra and of coarse now I traded that and a
Silverado on my 4R...
 
Helpful tip for the future: Next time you do something really dumb blame it on 'a friend', Example: A friend of mine took his truck in for a free oil change and..........

If you are like me, you have tons of very stupid 'friends'. :hatsoff:
 
phillyd2 said:
Helpful tip for the future: Next time you do something really dumb blame it on 'a friend', Example: A friend of mine took his truck in for a free oil change and..........

If you are like me, you have tons of very stupid 'friends'. :hatsoff:
Click to expand...

so I know this guy and he hooked up with this girl and he says it burns when he pees.
 
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