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ABOUT COSTS...... Posted by Herb Hirsch [Email] (#114) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Herb Hirsch) on Mon, 26 May 2008 16:52:30 In Reply to: Re: SOME THOUGHTS......, pselah, Mon, 26 May 2008 15:57:02 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
In 2002 I suffered a breakdown on I-84 in CT because one of the serpentine belt pulleys disintegrated. AAA towed the car to the nearest Saab dealer in Nadick, MA...at no cost because I was a member. The dealer replaced 2 of the 3 pulleys and the belt; parts and labor came to something between $350 and $400.
Last week I replaced the belt and 3 pulleys on my wife's 2004 9-5 ARC. Since I did it, I only incurred parts costs of $180.....using eEuroparts. If I had used the short belt approach (approved by Saab) only 2 pulleys and a shorter belt would have been required for a total parts cost of $119.50.
The best labor cost you'll get would be from an indy who'll might do 2 pulleys and the short belt for $75-$85.....or a total cost of $200 est. Note that the indy might charge you for 1.5-2.0 hours which is not dishonest; 1 hour of labor is a hustle. If you decide to treat yourself to the free coffee and perhaps a loaner for a day from a dealer you'll probably get charged for 2 hours labor...at $125/hour! Now the total for parts and labor will hit $369.50! Hence, my estimate of $300-$400.
In conclusion, I recommend that you use an indy you can trust and have him replace the idler pulley, tensioner pulley and belt (short). This could keep the price down in the $250-$300 range.
Finally, 2 points....
1. DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR! Coolant is not being circulated by the water pump. You'll risk damaging the engine.
2. Make a note: This maintenance procedure should be done every 60K miles as a preventive measure.
Herb Hirsch
South Brunswick NJ
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