₦airaland Forum

thebigkendo:
Some of us use synthetic oil, so we will not change oil when oil life gets to zero at 2000miles with engine oil still very neat.. We will reset the oil life and continue till 4-5k miles

That's dangerous though. These new cars know when they need it even if mileage never each.

DUNKA:
3.7 engine size. What is the difference between the two types?

In this case, nothing. Sometimes the labor is different I always ask before I bother to check in case something else comes up. Did you need the first or second picture?

obekediamondfuto:
yes oh, I wasn't around..... unfortunately....

and I need a free soft copy....

but so what u r implying is we need another special "book" for Nigeria markets?

when aunty radu has started already with the Yankee book?

no one is fighting anything, those around lekki, ikoyi and Co still use elizade, Toyota, Kia and the likes for service.... aunty radu is still more affordable that. those guys.

we are only engaging in critical reasoning to expose all potential loopholes and forestall a crying baby and crying mummy nothing more.

from what I have gathered sef, aunty radu is well prepared but the target is still a Lil off aim!

as for the book, me sef I don't think I want to be shown any book..... well that's just me.....

Fair enough

ivoryhouse:
Motor Oil change for 2006 jeep commander, 3.7l v6. I also need the suspension inspected, and general diagnosis carried out

Pretty much any street car, 0.5 hours (N2,500) for oil change.

Suspension system inspection 0.8 hours

General diagnosis (should include visual suspension check) but generally 0.5-1 hour

NOTE: diagnoses are free with repair with us.

RightWayauto:
You should know the as a seasoned mechanical engineering involving in automobile programming tools are actually becoming essential auto diagnostic tool in automobile repair shops.Gazzuzz you can often come across OEM Technical Service Bulletins that require them to reprogram the vehicle with the latest OEM calibration files in order to diagnose and repair car problems such as check engine light, gas mileage, false DTCS, shifting, hesitation, rough idle, emissions quality, ABS, performance and more.You install software's and use your hardware machine for proper diagnosis. You can use oem diagnostics etc and please always be polite I'm not a competition we could learn a lot from one another plus I will create a thread soon enough thanks sir @Gazzuz kamaru

You just used a lot of words to say nothing. You don't need to make it sound complicated so people who know nothing about cars think it is a giant mystery.

How are we supposed to trust you if you can't even describe what you do?

Again, please what are software and hardware machine?

thebigkendo:
Remember naija minimum wage is 18,000

9500*12= 114,000

This subset is not buying video games i hope

i said i didn't know how that would go over! Plus you're just going to ignore the 9,500 plan abi?

GAZZUZZ:
I need live and direct o! Don't want to leave an 8year old with unlimited Internet

We use ipnx and pay 25k per month. They never go over... I'm not sure how that would work for most people

There are also cheaper plans and wifi.ng offers 9,500 a month though slower than what we get with ipnx

EgunMogaji:
Okay this how it works.

Telephone rings:

Gazzuzz: Hello, this is Oga Gazzuzz.

Customer: How far?

Phone goes silent

No seriously.

Customer: I have a 2007 Accord EXL V6 that I need to have the right front drive shaft replaced.

Gazzuzz: We only replace both shafts at the same time. Each shaft is N90,000 and it'll take 5 hours but subject to inspection. We will let you know how long it will take once the car comes in.

Customer: Oklidokli, I will bring it in tomorrow.

Gazzuzz: Hoists car up, sees Ikorodu mud of life, sees welded ball joints, welded nuts, etc

Gazzuzz: I just realized that we will be closed from today for 3 weeks..

No, seriously.

Gazzuzz: Based on what we've seen during the inspection we will need to charge an additional 5 hours of work plus the following parts to make this repair.

End of story.

First,

Second, let me go sit down somewhere. He said it better than I ever could!

EgunMogaji:
Okay so here is where I take a slight detour.

You guys at home created the mess that we're in.

Did the client weld his exhaust himself? Wasn't it some odd toed Orang Utang Engineer with a welding torch that did it?

We have rusted and stripped bolts here in the USA. So all that is included in the estimate. A goo professional mechanic shop that wants to take on customer work based on the book must have experience and tools.

Just because there's book doesn't mean that you can't charge more than the book. You just have to get the customers buy in before the work starts.

The customer that comes in with a welded stuff etc can be told that the work for engine R and R is 20 hours and it's extra 5 hours to R and R the welded exhaust. He can then take the estimate to Joe Blow shop down the road for another estimate.

Guys, don't fight this thing. It's what countries we run to like Japan, USA, Germany, UK do that makes their business envious.

Make una stop looking at negative ways and try to come up with ways to set standards.

One of the biggest issue on my building site is artisans that are not able to give me a "per square feet" estimate.

Working on cars as a living, is not easy, just like in any industry, so yes you'll get to face welded exhaust, stripped bolts, etc once in a while.

I you face that on every job then maybe one should consult "Awon Iya Osoronga" to find out what the heck is going on.

That should be the expiation and not the rule. This is life and it's not foolproof.

EXACTLY

EgunMogaji:
For sure.

And is where ea good shop will start collecting new spare parts/gaskets/o rings as time goes on.

On a funny note.

So I rebuilt a 13B rotary engine for a Mazda truck I was messing with and after I put it all together and installed the engine in the car, I noticed an O ring that was left over.

So these were the days before internet (yeah I'm a dinosaur). I went to a local speed shop adn showed them the O ring. One guy recognized it as an important oil passage ring and the car will not build pressure without it.

I called the mail order place where I bought the rebuilt kit (I think it was JC Whitnney) and they pulled some gasket kits, some had one O ring, some had 2 O rings,

So guess what I had to do?

Yep, the O ring was installed already.

Oh the joys of engine rebuilds. Now I'm spoiled as I just have a video camera going while I'm working on cars so I can review if I did a step.

Oh wow! Lucky! Yeah, over time you collect unused pieces and have them in hand for other jobs.

mmrius:
I had the transmission replaced at Ladipo. I bought a tokunbo transmission gear for 180k, labor was 20k, original honda Z1 transmission oil 4,500x5 = 22,500. I also sold my faulty transmission for about 5k or 10k not sure now.

In all, I spent about 230k - 250k. Best part is, till date I have never had any issues with the transmission gear. Money well spent.

Glad you're happy. FYI you'd have rebuilt yours for less.

If you can afford all the things we mentioned in the s-class, ball out! It's no comparison at all!

What you need to do is return the PS4, get Xbox one with gold live membership $50/year and never buy a game again!

My kids get lots of new games every month with the membership and leave me the bleep alone! Their PS4 having friends always want to come to our house because they always have new games

Hope the GTA is for you and not the kids unless you want them perfecting their pimping hoes, car jacking and dope selling skills...

sosidauto:
Sorry for my late response I have not been online
150k for the engine
Radiator is 8k and Audi shaft is 5k

Cc Gazzuzz

This is a legitimate question customers have. Hold on to your hat because it's about to get contentious!

THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE.

There are Auto shop software that dictate how long every single job on a car should take. Every dealer has it even if they choose to ignore it. It is referred to as the "book". If the "book" says 20 hours and they take 40 hours, they can only collect 20 hours.

Conversely, if the "book" says 20 hours and they are really good and take 16, you still owe them 20 hours.

The book bases time on a "good " or "B" technician not even an "A" so there is no reason why techs should be going over the allotted time consistently. If a tech can't beat book time without making mistakes, they can't work for Mr Transmission-Milex.

The most popular book is Alldata, followed by Mitchell. There are others of course but they are all pretty much the same as far as labor hours.

While it's called a book, it's actually software or online. You can buy a subscription if it's worth it to you from any of them but the subscriptions usually run anywhere from $100-200 a month. Alternatively, you can simply ask us and we'll tell you.

In an extreme case where there may be rusty bolts or Kazeemization, your tech may be allowed a few more hours of labor but we have never asked for it.

As a guideline for you, our labor rate is N5,000 an hour meaning a typical oil change would be around N2,500 and brakes would be around N7,500 in labor per set.

THERE IS AN EXCEPTION TO THIS

Electrical diagnosis is charged in half-hour increments at a rate of N6,500 and capped at five hours maximum. If we can't tell you what is wrong with your car in five hours of electrical diagnosis, we stop.

SO, what repair do you want to know about? Tell us year, make, model, engine size, drive type and repair being done and we'll tell you how much to expect to pay for repair!

I feel so strongly about this, if you have coming repairs elsewhere and want to know how long labor should be, ask and we will tell you. If you want to give them jara hours, no problem. At least you'll have an idea.

We know a lot of people here will not like what we are saying but again, this is where USA was back in the 70's.

People there thought it wouldn't be profitable to work that way and resisted but now not only is it profitable, customers are easier to deal with and customer satisfaction is up. It WILL change. By the time all 10 stores of our stores are open across the country and people see, it will have to.

Imagine fixing your car in lekki, going to village in Enugu, having car trouble there and just pulling into the one there without worry about cost if it's a warranty issue.

EgunMogaji:
Mr. FUTO probably missed class when I held a lecture on "book".

A) The book will specify how long repair should take a mechanic. This is not only useful for the consumer but massively useful for insurance companies.

Any shop/mechanic that doesn't complete work before the book hours should be flogged with a timing belt.


B) Most small shops forgo the book thing, and especially those that specialize on a certain brand or certain automotive aspect.

So for me I won't be doing book in Nigeria (I think so far), it will be project based. For example, 4 wheel brake job, including changing all rotors/drums, pads/shoe and related hardware should be a relative easy task that can be advertised for a given amount of money. So you might see something like "N35,000 brake job".

The industry in Nigeria needs to develop a book for repairs as we're in uncharted territories. I've seen some scary engine bays.

We also desperately need a blue book value.

Bet you estimate come close if we price it by the book for that project based on the labor rate we use.

obekediamondfuto:
this is wonderful..... Gazuzz, oluwaseunla, lejeun, kingreign, ET all abeg make una get this book handy


aunty radu, abeg soft copy dey? does the book cover for unforseen circumstances.....like exhaust welded to the engine direct

While it's called a book, it's actually software or online. You can buy a subscription of it's worth it to you from any of them but the subscriptions usually run anywhere from $100-200 a month. As a Carquest, it's inbuilt into our system so we don't subscribe.

In an extreme case like direct weld, maybe one or two hours extras might be permitted but we have never asked for it.

GAZZUZZ:
as per number of hours, rust and abuse come into play.

This client had his exhaust joints welded in place, a 4-6hr engine drop cost us 2days, and a lot of emails forward and back plus pictures to explain why we had to cut the old one out, and explain why we would not return it back without him getting a replacement

www.nairaland.com/attachments/7380490_img201807071537378_jpege92899f32cd931842ce749a1d75ef665


have you ever seen a situation where the engine refuses to come out due to worn out bolts by last technician?


Have you seen the amount of mud from a vehicle from akute ikorodu and notorious environs

Nigeria has a unique car repair culture.

It's a learning curve for the newbies

Yes. We've actually dealt with that exact situation before. All that is factored into the time. Again, if you have the right tools, these are not huge problems. We encountered that all the time. We are from Texas where people go off roading and lots of farm vehicles.

darmilolah:
If Labour and Diagnosis is free that is DIY. Then, it's a Yes.

If Parts are to be sourced internationally and the cost will not be more than the price of the Borale. I will rebuild.

I'm not sure if you saw previously from Egunmogaji's post. Engine parts are NOT expensive! Ask him what those kits he posted cost and most of the time, you only use a few pieces!

So diagnosis is free with repair, labor is cheap and so are parts. Your also get peace of mind for 6 months to a year. What's not to love?

LeJeun3:


At this rate, it would be great doing a rebuild.

Machining the 2 cylinder heads + Grinding of valve of a V8 engine takes over 10hrs.....

Well approximates almost match��‍♂️��‍♂️

We're actually cheaper than that. Almost half! Not sure where he pulled that from.

obekediamondfuto:
I have a question.

how do we quantify/ measure the actual Vs ideal hours a mechanic should spend on a particular project?


I speak this for the benefit of everyone in naija before other mechanics start seeing this kain thing and start billing us per hour...

then u go see mechanic that will spend 20 hours for engine removal then 8 days rebuilding and 2 weeks to install.... by the time the project is finished, money spent on man hour labour would have purchased two of that kinda vehicle. excuses like.... "oga, the vehicle strong oh we no fit loose am" or the likes will surface

please is there any corporate entity that can verify,/ audit these labour hours or its not necessary.....

for now I know aunty radu them are trying to change things so they would not even dare doctor hours.

Easy. There are specified hours in Auto shop software that dictate how long every single job on a car should take. Every dealer has it even if they choose to ignore it. It is referred to as the "book". If the "book" says 20 hours and you take 40 hours, you can only collect 20 hours.

Conversely, if the "book" says 20 hours and you are really good and take 16, you still get paid 20 hours. That's why our shops do so well. We consistently over-perform the "book".

The book is how mechanics get paid in the usa so if they work 40 hours but only book 30, they get paid for 30. Someone like my husband consistently booked 90 hours a week working 40 when he was with other companies. No mechanic worth his salt EVER agrees to salary in the USA. If they do, RUN.

The book bases time on a "good " or "b" technician not even an "a" so there is no reason why techs should be going over the allotted time consistently. If a tech can't beat book time without making mistakes, they can't work for us.

The most popular book is Alldata, followed by Mitchell. There are others of course but the are all pretty much the same as far as labor hours.

Egunmogaji, AutoElectNG and some others can confirm this.

obekediamondfuto:
yes I Don show!

I dunno y my mentions here were not duly updated.

firstly, most of us are speaking from the mechanics view, .... which is very important.

but how many mechanics can undertake this task of engine rebuild? less than 20 percent and more than half of the 20 percent are taking this task cos they want to use the engine as a test subject, so before they start.... they give u a caveat emptor (oga e for beta to Change this engine oh).

one can only speak for himself(as a mechanic) ... u cannot unanimously speak for others. but to declare publicly that a rebuild is better than a replacement...... is kinda ambiguous before someone somewhere tells his mechanic to rebuild his gearbox.

A rebuild, is always better and cost effective when it is done right and all protocols observed! even in the corolla...... but like I keep saying, Nigeria is a peculiar place... what is obtainable overseas is extremely far fetched here....

firstly we lacked expertise, then expertise came, then came the lawyers and the force men, then came the Arabians and Mexicans, then we found a way around all these.

common tire patching, the vulcanizer will put 50 in the tire for u and tighten 3 out of 5nuts and still will not lock them because u ain't there to supervise...... talk more of engine rebuild. when it is done right, it is always good for the customer and tedious, time consuming and complex for the mechanic whose time does not adequately translate to money.

it's like whether it's better to rebuild a heavily accidented vehicle or to replace it..... when it is done right, it will be almost like a brand new vehicle than buying another used vehicle from the Oyibo man.

but the time involved, coupled with the lack of either expertise or responsibility on the part of the mechanic will almost always deter the customer from embarking on that journey.

Which is why we said we are trying to change the standards here.

darmilolah:
Rebuilding option sounds nice but English speaking mechanic will make some of run.

Her Royal Majesty quote 9500/hr. In my head I am thinking and pressing calculator how many hours will take to unmount, rebuild, reinstall my small civic engine bearing in mind that the Borale is less than 100k in oyingbo and labour is cheaper to fix the engine there.

No she didn't! Our labor rate is N5,000/hr. Maybe N6,000 if it's a special car. Plus you could do that but as previously mentioned i'd be responsible for all parts and/or labor to your engine for 6 months to a year

kunzzy4me:
Pls what could cause a car or vehicle from timing jumping(

That's like asking what could cause a cold? You need to take the car to a reputable shop for diagnosis or provide a LOT more information and then take the car to a reputable shop for diagnosis.

If you specify where you are, I'm sure the gurus here can recommend a place.

oblo:
Oga no be Funke... Na Amaka be her name... She disappoint me

I don't know why I just feel like the appropriate response is to fight you!

GAZZUZZ:
You need to come for tutoring o! There's a whole new vocabulary out there.

Do you know borale?

Literal translation, yes but not slang use

weyreypey:
You're in the best position to help the prospective buyer out? Everything new OEM

If you mean do pre-sale inspection just to tell them what the rest of us already know, yes. Otherwise, *opens back door and yells* "Gazzuzz, where you dey? Lucrative opportunity for you!"

[quote author=weyreypey post=70217426]Hahaha Gazzuzz radautoworks mayor2013[/quotes]

Come. Why are you bringing me into this? Take your time o!

weyreypey:
See radautoworks making the op sign the cheque for repairs

You guys just dey use style pursue people for me. I'm cheap o for what I offer. But the contract above is for them to only bring the car to Gazzuzz. Radautoworks is in no way, shape or form interested in this car. They will now carry the epe meant for the seller to my head

If the car was such a good deal, the seller would fix it up and resell. Who doesn't like money?