Howdy,
My wife brought our CR-V into the local ZAP Lube that we use for oil changes and they told her the car need a new cabin air filter and they charged her ~$60 bucks to install it. I’ve looked on-line and this Bosch part that they used seems to go for only a little less than $20 bucks at a few places I checked. I know there is some labor involved but $60 bucks seems like a bit of a rip off correct?
TIA,
Kevin
Places are legally able to charge you a MINIMUM of 1 hour even if it only takes them 3 minutes.
Look in the owners manual it may have instructions on how to change it. They are usually very very easy to replace.
I agree with Mike, and I want to add that if this is the biggest complaint that you have about a quick lube place, then you have been very lucky–so far.
These places emphasize speed rather than skill, and the result is frequent mistakes (motor oil in the transmission, or in the brake hydraulic system; failure to add oil after draining it; washer fluid in the brake hydraulic system; failure to refill the differential after draining it; using the wrong transmission fluid, leading to transmission damage, etc.) The horror stories that have been reported in this forum about ruined engines, transmissions, differentials, and brake hydraulic systems as a result of using a quick lube place are frequent and VERY expensive for the victims.
In addition to learning how to replace the cabin air filter yourself, you should ask friends, relatives, co-workers, and neighbors for recommendations on independent mechanic shops. If you use a skilled mechanic’s shop, rather than a quick lube place, you are more likely to have service performed properly, without having your vehicle damaged. And, I will add that many new car dealerships have very good “specials” on service, making them less expensive than that quick lube place.
There is only one solution, divorce.
Do you realize how many hundreds of $60 filter changes the OP could get for the cost of a divorce???
Point taken.
Of course it’s a rip off. More correctly, it’s a convenience charge. They get you in with a good price on the oil change, then charge much higher prices for the other things they might do. I pay for the oil change then change the air filters and wiper blades myself.
ditto for changing it yourself…on the crv open the glove box and emty it out. Then you’ll see two little tabs, one on each side near the back corners. these are the stop tabs to keep the glove box from opening too far but now you take those out and the box will flip down on it’s hinge and you can see the a/c duct behind. There’s a rectangular cover with a spring tab on the left. pull the tab in abit and the cover will un-latch from the left, it has an ear holding the right side, and off it comes. The cabin filter slides out like a drawer. the filter is in a plastic tray that you re-use dont shake or tip the filter yet ( cough cough ) Out with the old, in with the new and re-assemble the parts reverse of dis-assebly. A NO TOOLS filter change.
but wait there’s a second filter in there over to the right. Slide it over and out the same opening. Get 2 filters from any parts house that you like.
“…open the glove box and emty it out.”
Not necessary. Push the tabs in and it’ll empty itself! Listen to the voice of experience! ;’)