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Reasonable quotes for services??


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Hello fellow Ford Edge owners!

 

I've been a 2011 Ford Edge owner since 2013 and three years running, one of the best car I've ever driven. I want to keep my Edge around for a long time.

 

My Edge recently had hard padel issue which resulted in need to replace the entire brake booster system. Thankfully, my extended warranty covers this.

 

However, the Ford auto services mentioned other services needed:

 

Door "ajar" - $518

Air filter (behind glove compartment) - $125

Engine air filter/clean air flow/sensor - $190

Spark plugs - $480

Battery - $195

 

These quote include parts and labor. The pricing does not sit well with me and I'm hoping to compare notes with other fellow Edger to determine if these quotes are reasonable or I should try my luck at a different, local auto services instead.

 

Finally, can a local auto services repair the door "ajar" issue or can only be done by Ford-certified technician??

 

Any inputs would be most helpful!!

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Welcome!

 

The prices quoted are pretty run of the mill for a Ford dealership.

 

This is where DIY'ing comes in handy, because then you are only out the cost of parts (check LevittownFordSuperCenter.com), and your time. Tools can be "rented" at major auto parts stores like Advance Auto, AutoZone, etc. if you need anything special, which you really don't for these things.

 

The cabin filter is especially laughable since it is SO easy to replace and costs so little! My mechanic would charge me $15 bucks in labor (IF he charged me) to replace it.

 

A local service center can perform all these services for you at a substantially lower cost.

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Cabin air filter is a straight up rip off. You can get the filter for $12 on Amazon and do it yourself in less than 5 minutes with no tools.

 

Air Filter/MAF cleaning for $190 is also a rip off. The filter is maybe $30, plus ten cents worth of MAF cleaner spray. 15 mintues tops in labor. It's really pricey if they are doing the spark plugs too since all that comes off as part of the plug change.

 

Sparkplugs aren't too crazy over the top considering they have to remove the upper intake manifold and replace it, but it's still about $100 too much IMO. Plugs are $40 or less, a new intake gasket might be $10. All the rest is easy labor that they've done before.

 

Battery is probably $120 or so, so $75 additional to change it out is a rip off.

 

No clue on the door ajar thing, but I'm sure they are very high on that as well. Time to find a good independent mechanic or start turning wrenches yourself.

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Hmm! DIY...

 

I'll definitely look in to this. I'm pretty sure I can handle most of these tasks.

 

Air and Engine filter, without a doubt.

 

But would DIY spark plugs be of a concerns and best left to professional?

 

Door "ajar" -- the door lock just fine. Just the sensor that's messed up anyway...

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Have you ever changed spark plugs before? The only note of caution I have is a] be careful to get the new plugs started correctly, and b] don't overtorque them once they are tightened a 1/4 turn past "snug". A writeup here if you want to evaluate if this is DIY for you:

http://www.fordedgeforum.com/topic/8724-sparkplug-replacement-job-info-with-photos/

 

Also

http://www.fordedgeforum.com/topic/9008-spark-plugs/

 

Change the PCV valve at the same time, since you will have done 99% of the prep anyway!

 

Use the correct spark plug for your application, which is SP520 for the 2011 3.5 or 3.7 engines. Gap should be at 0.049–0.053 inch (1.25–1.35 mm). Check gap (with a feeler gauge if possible [Amazon]) or very gently with a dial gauge.

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  • 1 month later...

If I ever take my vehicle to a dealer, I specifically say NOT to change the cabin air filter or engine air filter. Those are pure money makers for them. The filters are pretty cheap at autoparts places and changing them occasionally is easy. The hardest part of the cabin air filter change is taking the crap out of the glove box. Look on Youtube if you aren't familiar with where it is. I usually write a date on the filters so when I check them, I can see when they were last changed. I find they are generally good for a year then they start to look dirty.

For many years, there were no such things as cabin air filters and every thing worked well. However they do keep dust and other crap out of the heater/A/C coils so is a good thing to have and change occasionally. Fram makes a Febreeze cabin air filter which is supposed to help eliminate odors.

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b] don't overtorque them once they are tightened a 1/4 turn past "snug".

 

There is a torque spec on the plugs. Given all the different angles you are working at to tighten the plugs, I'd recommend using a torque wrench and properly torquing the plugs.

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My best cabin air filter story is when I had my Edge in for free oil change from the dealer I brought it from, they came into to waiting area filter in hand showing me how dirty it was and to change it for "only" 89.99 Oh the joy I got when I told them no you can go put that back where you got it from and I will stop at O'Reilly's on the way home and pop one in. Once you do it twice its at max a 5 minute job and only costs as much as the filter.

Edited by tamugrad2013
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  • 2 months later...
  • 5 months later...

I got a quote last week of over $ 1,100 to change my brake booster. That is why I tackled it my self. Probably 4 hours total. If there is a next time It will be around 2 hours. It's not right what dealers do to customers. After being on this planet 74 years doing most of my repairs on my tractors, and cars, and motorcycles, one gets a good idea of what's happening. It's too bad some people don't have a clue when it comes to mechanical things. Oil change places are another rip off store. Just watch out. Stan

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The only reasonable repair rates I have ever seen were my own. Just had a water pump done at my mechanic. Their rates are $110/hr. in Connecticut. Ford rates in Ct. are $130/ hr.

I had them piggyback new belts on the job and anything else that needed changing at the same time.(antifreeze, timing chains, tensioners check them and change if necessary.) They did the plugs which I didn't pay for because I had just changed them 3000 miles before. They should have asked me before they did the work.

My point is if you can do it yourself, do it yourself, but sometimes you have to bite the bullet and try to piggyback inexpensive parts onto the labor that is being done anyway.

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.... and, as complex and interactive the electrical and mechanical systems are nowadays, often times its better to just bite the bullet and go with the pro.

 

I remember rebuilding my 56 Ford Vicky automatic transmission when I was in high school. (Had to, my dad refused to pay a mechanic to do it). But the modern ones are a real trip compared to those.

 

Now days you have to go to school for every little system else your just guessing. (Course at my age, auto mechanics is not worth the trouble ....).

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  • 2 months later...
  • 1 year later...

Go for it. The only issue I had was one of the plug boots stuck to a plug on one of the rear plugs when I pulled the coil. You have to get the boot off to get the plug out- so I used my one of my pick tools to go along side it, then turned it to catch under the boot and pulled it up. Other than that it was easy. Manifold R&R was cake.

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