When I first read this post, it reminded me of shops that charge a premium for a synthetic oil change. I’ve seen places charge nearly $100 for it. Admittedly the synthetic oil is more expense than dino… but not “that” much more expensive. But they’ll keep charging it as long as people are paying it… That’s America.
$90 PCV valves… $300 headlamps…makes you wonder whatever happened to the KISS principle?
^
I have to say that expensive headlight bulb changes on a German car are not too surprising to me.
However, the recent revelation that a late-model Chevy (Cruze…I think?) has a $90 PCV valve was absolutely appalling, IMHO.
KISS has been replaced by BIC: build it cheap.
@circuitsmith Yes, The official word is “Design for Assembly” which means minimizing assembly time. The 1986 Ford Taurus was the first car built this way and it resulted in more difficult repairs which of course the owner has to face.
In industrial and military equipment “design for maintainability” is now common. This ensures the equipment can be maintained most efficiently and least costly.
In the future the manual for replacing a headlight bulb will go something like this.
Open the hood. Remove the 6 screws that hold the front under hood weather shield. Place a 14 inch stool next to the right front tire. While standing with your right foot on the stool (facing the rear of the car) place your left knee on the battery. With your left hand pull the large cable loom to the left to access the space between the front of the battery and the radiator support. With your right hand, reach between your legs…through the space provided. Reach down until your elbow is against the battery and turn the bulb retainer clockwise. Remove bulb while ignoring the dripping blood. Next, tip the stool back up for the third time. Replace the Bulb after testing, because you put the old bulb down next to the new one. Once the bulb has been replaced, the retainer tightened again and you have extricated your arm…you can remove any flesh left behind with a long pick-up tool.
Note; that the new bulbs came with a small spray bottle that can be filled with distilled water to rinse any blood from under the car. 6- three inch steri strips to close wounds, a needle and 18 inches of stitching thread.
Don’t forget that scar on your chin from when the stool tipped the second time and you went face first into the negative battery post.
This is when the customer says…“or was it the passenger side that was out”???
Yosemite
I dunno, I’ve changed dozens of sealed beam lamps over the years they were prevalent buy only a handful of halogen bulbs since they became the norm. They simply last longer and need to be replaced far less often so a little more aggravation in changing them is acceptable to me…
Not a tech but worked in the industry.
Likely procedure called to remove headlight to do a safe replacement and not damage a $200 bulb. Once you have the headlight out you should re-aim thr lights which typically is .4 or .5 hours. Add in time for tech to get work order, get car in bay, get part, finish paper work and teturn all to service advisor you have another .4 or .5 hours. You stated it was a 20 minute job so you have another .2 or .3 hours.
Job could be done in 1.0 to 1.3 so I would not call 1.7 hours a RIP off
Their is more to a job than just the part replacement.