1993 OMC FORD COBRA

[JSTEVEN]

AGAIN THANKS TO ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE HELPED IN THE PAST, HERE'S MY NEW PROBLEM.. MY 1993 5.0 V8 STARTED MISSING OUT OF THE BLUE, I TOOK IT IN AND THE LOCAL SHOP REPLACED THE COMPUTER, ONE FUEL INJECTOR, PLUGS, WIRES AND CAP. ALL SEEMS WELL, HOWEVER THE LABOR BILL IS HUGE. THEY CLAIM DIAGNOSIS TIME WAS OVER 40 HOURS. CAN THIS BE POSSIBLE AND WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS. I ASSUME I HAVE TO PAY THEM TO PICK UP THE BOAT.

 

[angus63]

Re: 1993 OMC FORD COBRA

Check with your local auto mechanic for allowable time for the work done. They have a book of allowable time for estimating work. See if it is appx. 40 hrs for what you had done. From my limited experience, it sounds more like 10-12 hrs of labor for what you listed.

 

[DJ]

Re: 1993 OMC FORD COBRA

angus3,<br /><br />40 hours is absolutely ludicrous. It didn't take that long to build the boat, including laying up the hull.<br /><br />Tell them you want to see the shop (hard) copy of the repair order and you want to see the time stamps for when the technician (and I use the term loosely here) was actually on the job. If they can't show it to you-don't pay it. <br /><br />How do you know they spent forty hours on it? Can they prove it?<br />Did they give an estimate first?<br />Did you approve 40 hours?<br /><br />Unless you gave them carte blanche, you are on the right side of this one.

 

[ICEMAN]

Re: 1993 OMC FORD COBRA

HI, WOW. I can understand that diagnosing an ignition problem could be a pain in the @##, especially with compputers and needing the diagnostic equipment to check the computer, but they should have a flat rate manual that will give a basic amount of time that is allowed to diagnose a problem and repair the problem. With the correct equipment I can not seeing it take 40 hours in diagnostic time, unless the flat rate allows for it, but then they should have notified you. I would be ready to discuss this with the owner. Is the technician experienced enough to perform the repairs? Was he learning while repairing your motor? Did he have the correct equipment to service the engine, or are you paying for the tool they had to buy to service your motor? I would discuss this bill with the owner. As mentioned by djohns19, his questions are very good. If they can not show technician times for the services, then the flat rate manual times with the possibility of some reasonable time for stuck bolts and or other minor problems being allowed, should be acceptable to both you and the owner. If not. You have a decision to make. As far as the parts go, these could be on the expensive side, especially a computer.

 

[clanton]

Re: 1993 OMC FORD COBRA

I do not have up to date info on this engine but.<br />The engine that has spitfire ignition has an ignition timimg ring, that requires the engine to be removed to replace the ring. Omc flatrate 1990 manual allows 6 hours on carb engine.

 

[JSTEVEN]

Re: 1993 OMC FORD COBRA

I ASKED THEM TO FIX THE MISS, I CALLED EVERY DAY TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON, I ALSO HAVE TWIN MOTORS AND I SWITCHED THE COMPUTER AND IT DID NOT FIX IT. I WAS NEVER GIVEN EVEN A ROUGH ESTIMATE, I HAVE ALSO ASKED FOR A BILL SEVERAL TIMES AND I HAVE GOTTEN ANYTHING. THE PARTS DID COST ABOUT $870. THEY SAID THEY WOULD CUT THE LABOR DOWN TO ABOUT 1,500. THIS STILL SEEMS REALLY HIGH

 

[JSTEVEN]

Re: 1993 OMC FORD COBRA

I ASKED THEM TO FIX THE MISS, I CALLED EVERY DAY TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON, I ALSO HAVE TWIN MOTORS AND I SWITCHED THE COMPUTER AND IT DID NOT FIX IT. I WAS NEVER GIVEN EVEN A ROUGH ESTIMATE, I HAVE ALSO ASKED FOR A BILL SEVERAL TIMES AND I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYTHING. THE PARTS DID COST ABOUT $870. THEY SAID THEY WOULD CUT THE LABOR DOWN TO ABOUT 1,500. THIS STILL SEEMS REALLY HIGH. HERE'S HOW THEY BROKE DOWN THE LABOR..18.5 DUAL HOURS @ $90 HOUR (TWO GUYS) 13.5 HOURS @$60.00 FOR ONE TECH TOTAL TIME 50.5, THEY ARE HOPEING TO GET 1/2 OF THERE LABOR COST, ABOUT 1,500. STILL NOTHING IN WRITING

 

[Saperry]

Re: 1993 OMC FORD COBRA

Jstvn<br /><br />I can see a fuel injector causing a miss, the processor(computer) maybe but unlikely. No way both. The injector was prob bad and they repleced the processor first to try and fix the prob. <br /><br />If you flat rate out a bunch of little problems and total them up with a majic pencil you can make the labor ticket say whatever you want. That don't mean it's right of fair.<br /><br />Sounds like they just kept replacing parts untill they fixed the problem. So they should get very little for "troubleshooting".<br /><br />People like that give the business a bad name. Any shade tree can keep replacing parts. Eventually you will fix the problem. When you are paying a "technician" at a "repair shop" (and I use both terms loosely) labor rate of 50-75 an hr you have a right to expect they know what they are doing. They will find the problem first and then fix it. <br /><br />Call the Better Bussiness Burea in you area. And tell anyone who will listen what a crook this guy is. And tell him your intentions. I would also tell him to keep his new computer. <br /><br />Sean