Hi,

I took my car(A6 2.7T 2002/52K)to the dealer for the oil change and brake fluid flush, after an hour they called me and said that the tech noted the transmission seal leak ( output shaft seal leaks - thats what it said in the invoice) and the rear differential seal leak, but I never noticed any oil leak in my parking spot I regularly park ? and said it would be $1000 to fix it and I needed to fix before something bigger happens, the parts costed only around 100$ but the labor was 460$ for each work ( 920$ in all for both tranny and diff seal leak) , I said OK at the moment and later wanted a second opinion, and called them after 1 hr to ask them not to do it , but the service guy said that they have already started the work and initially he said it would take 2 days , but to my surprise they finished all the job by 5PM same day?? the hourly rate was 115 , so considering the labor charges it came to around 10 hours of work , where as the actual time they would have worked is from 10:30 AM to 5 PM, which comes to around 6.5 hrs ?? So my first question is was I taken for a ride ? and is this seal leak common in Audi's ?? I havea accord and it has 100K and it never leaked any oil ?? Is it so expensive to repair audi's ??Is the labor charges reasonable for the work done ?? Any thoughts friends ??

I appreciate any inputs here.

2002 A6 2.7T/52K Miles

 

you were taken for a ride without any doubt they probably wiped the item with a cloth to make it look like they did it or even if they changed the seals it was probably a cash rip off and could be done in half that time

 

Yes this is a common leak, both of them actully

It doesnt matter how long it really takes to do the job, you still have to pay the full price
most techs learn how to things fast (thats how they make money)

As for taken "taken for a ride", the dealer is always more expensive
but i seriously doubt they just wiped it off

 

I have a 2003 A6 2.7T MT6 and when I brought it in for the 50000 service, the dealer identified a rear tranny seal leak and offered to fix it under warranty. Since it would not cost me anything, I agreed to the work. But I was suspicious because I have a cement floor garage and NEVER noticed any oil drops. I had put about 16K miles on the car and typically drove a lot of highway and then home and into the garage. I stopped taking it to the dealer after that. A few months later another garage (an independent that currently does thework onmy car) did mention there were some oil stains around the driveshaft but did not indicate anything was leaking.

I have 86K on the car and still no leaking oil on the garage floor. So....who knows.

 

There were oil stains from the oil that was leaking before the seal was replaced. Rarely does the fluid leave a puddle on the floor. It leaks most when the vehicle is in motion so it blows all over. Mostly on the exhaust thou. The most common complaint is an oil burning smell or smoke from under the vehicle. Rarely is the leak identifyed by a puddle under the vehicle. That goes for the trans output seal and the rear diff seals.

 

If you were suspicious, you could have always asked to see the leak

 

I remember the final death of the '85 100S was a leaking seal at the rear of the transmission. There was never a puddle, because the fluid all went into the differential. The car had about 120k on it at the time, but the repair bill was going to be $900 (this was in '94), so it was the end for the car. Got a '94 100S (A6) wagon after that, and had anotherdiff or tranny sealblow,but this time it was under warranty, at about 20k miles. After the '94, I got a couple of Hondas, and they were certainly eye-openers as far as maintenance/dependability.No wonder the Japs are taking over the auto world. Yet....yet, I just the other daylooked at a '99 wagon with 69k on it.. Go figure.

 

FYI: Dealer Instructions

1. Always ask how much their labor rate is.
2. Always ask how much time is estimated and what parts cost will be
3. Always get this in estimateon paper (in writing)just like you would when your shopping for an INDY.
4. Always (when your diagnosing the problem) ask them to call you with the known issues before work is started. This gives you a chance to enage an INDY if needed.

Now, if they charged you more money on their labor rate that exceeds the actual time of labor on the car, it is flat out theivery. Theestimates they give you (Dealer and/or INDY) state two very important sentences.

1. This estimate is valid for 3 days (I've seen 24 hours) After three days, or whichever is stated,the paper estimate is null and void.
2. This is an estimate and may not reflect the actual price if the labor or parts exceed what is actually estimated. This sentence may start with "We reserve the right....."

They never say anything that suggests they can charge you more $$ for less time worked. There is no prestateddollar amountyou must agree to pay for the job.The service writers give you an estimate based on the average time the job takes.Their esimate is based on experience. They still have to document exactly how much time is worked and what to charge for that time.So, if the mechanic does it in less time they still charge you for the estimated time? WRONG..Thats against the law. The dealers make more money because people like you (shovin) didnt ask the right questions and they took you for a ride. It happens all the time. Go back to your dealer and ask then when the job started. Then ask them when it ended. Then ask what the labor rate is. Do the math and state your arguement. Engage the manager with the facts. If he gives you any BS, find a new dealer or a good INDY. I go over my invoices with a fine tooth comb and have been overcharged before. Luckily, I have a dealer which didn't try to screw me and they made it right. Make sure you understand the invoice and read it before you potentially put your foot in your mouth.

 

The actual labor time vs quoted labor time doesnt matter. The only thing that matters is the price that is agreed upon. The final bill cannot be more than 5% over the estimated price. By your logic, it a job was quoted at 2 hours but took 8 the customer would have to pay for 8. That is as long as the time was documented. All dealers in the usa pretty much work the same way. For the most part a technician will take less time to do a job than is quoted. Thats how they make up for woefully low waranty times.

 

Thats totally false and mildly insane

If a job pays 8 hrs to do, and the tech does it in 4, he will still get paid the full 8 hrs and the customer will pay the full 8 hrs
it never matters how long it takes the tech to finish the job in relation to what the customer has to pay