Service needed on 94 v6

[porkyluck]

need radiator replaced, along with thermostat, and valve gasket replaced.....not a diy'er so i will take to dealer who gives me the best quote. one quoted $800, one $700, and one $750. the thing is...the one that quoted me $800 has a price match and they never require proof believe it or not. so, what would be a fair and reasonable low number to give them to match? i don't mind them making a profit.....i understand they have overhead expenses, but otoh, i don't want to be raped.

any help appreciated....thx

[hill8570]

So, these are dealership prices and not an independent mechanic? Might want to have an indy quote you on the radiator and thermostat -- that shouldn't be more than an hour of book labor (roughly $75, depending on where your are in the country), and they won't feel the need to use a Toyota radiator (which costs like gold -- nearly $500 list). A decent aftermarket radiator (such as Koyo) will run ~$100 for the part. Thermostat and gasket, around $30 for the Toyota part (and well worth it -- aftermarket 'stats tend to be crap).

What do you mean by valve seals? If you mean the gasket for the valve cover(s), that's going to depend on the motor -- labor on the 4-banger would be max 1 hour (roughly $75), plus parts (around $25, more or less, and no real advantage to the genuine Toyota part). 6-banger, maybe twice that much or a bit more -- that rear bank is a pain to get to. Again, this is something any half-competent indy shop could do, so no point in paying stealership prices.

Now, if you just gotta go to the dealer, then $700 is probably pretty much in line -- labor is going to be a bit more than indy, and that Toyota radiator is gonna cost a mint.

[porkyluck]

yeah....dealers. i don't have any reliable indy shops around here so i usually take to one of 3 dealers within 45 miles.

i told them $600 and they took it. watched in the service lounge as they worked on her for a good 5 hrs.....they even replaced a defective hose for free so i am satisfied.