[Hitman83]

Originally Posted by Blackfang

They pay us for both the part and labor, but at a reduced labor cost. Technicians make less on warranty repairs.

Seriously, that almost makes me wanna pay for warranty repairs. Technicians are underpaid as is. Subaru

[V8Huntr]

Every stealership no matter of manufacturer does this. For example I had my trans rebuilt and it paid 6 hours I believe for re-installation but when the tech put it back together he didn't seat the pressure plate on the clutch properly so he had to take it all apart again. I felt bad that he basically had to work an 8 hour day for free.

You can ask any tech, they all hate doing warranty work. The thing that worries me is that they're trying to do the job as fast as they can and get it done faster than the amount of hours they're getting paid for. This leaves a lot of room for mistakes which are bound to happen.

[Seppo]

Originally Posted by V8Huntr

Every stealership no matter of manufacturer does this. For example I had my trans rebuilt and it paid 6 hours I believe for re-installation but when the tech put it back together he didn't seat the pressure plate on the clutch properly so he had to take it all apart again. I felt bad that he basically had to work an 8 hour day for free.

You can ask any tech, they all hate doing warranty work. The thing that worries me is that they're trying to do the job as fast as they can and get it done faster than the amount of hours they're getting paid for. This leaves a lot of room for mistakes which are bound to happen.

Yeah that really sucks. I can definitely imagine that the quality of work drops when it is a warranty repair. Kind of cheap of manufacturers to do this to their dealers...

[CharcoalSTI]

Well in addition look at the average hourly shop rate 95.00 around here and thats more than an A/P airplane Mechanic makes which is 65.00 hr .... lots of people getting the shaft sounds like

[Blackfang]

Originally Posted by Seppo

I guess you have a rotating schedule of who gets to work on a warranty repair? I can imagine its not the most popular endeavor around the shop.

Nope, whoever gets it, gets it. My techs all get paid for the work as they are on a Team system.

Thankfully I have 3 good Master techs that have been working on Subaru's for years. I mean these guys have no problems working on 1987 Justy's.

[Seppo]

Originally Posted by CharcoalSTI

Well in addition look at the average hourly shop rate 95.00 around here and thats more than an A/P airplane Mechanic makes which is 65.00 hr .... lots of people getting the shaft sounds like

I think the car mechanic is only getting 1/2 of that $95. The stealership pockets the rest. I dunno anything about A/P mechanics, but could be that they get to keep most of that sum?

[V8Huntr]

The average mechanic makes between $14 and $20 per hour. So the rest of that $95 an hour is going to pay the service writer, cashier, parts guy, etc. Then the rest goes to the shop.

[Blackfang]

Originally Posted by Seppo

I think the car mechanic is only getting 1/2 of that $95. The stealership pockets the rest. I dunno anything about A/P mechanics, but could be that they get to keep most of that sum?

They actually get a lot less than 1/2. Figure a good Senior tech is worth 23-25 per hour. However, people have no idea what it costs a dealership to run a Service Dept. A lot of the costs come from special tools and training the techs that the dealer pays for.

[Seppo]

Originally Posted by Blackfang

They actually get a lot less than 1/2. Figure a good Senior tech is worth 23-25 per hour. However, people have no idea what it costs a dealership to run a Service Dept. A lot of the costs come from special tools and training the techs that the dealer pays for.

Yeah i am sure there are huge operating costs for the shop, its funny because people assume that the entire $95 goes to the mechanic.

[V8Huntr]

Find me some of those people! I'll work on their car for $95 an hour!!!

[CharcoalSTI]

Oh yea its a small percentage and that is same for the A/P .

[DoctorSTi]

Speaking of clutch tranny warranty. I had my 30K service done and since then I have had a much worse time getting into 2nd in the morning, especially in the cold. I mean 1st to 2nd requires double clutch and even then sometimes it will not get into 2nd until I slow down and go from neutral to 2nd. I can't downshift from 3rd either, without double clutch that is. I took it to a different dealer around where I live now and they said they would try putting "their" tranny fluid in to see if it fixes the problem. They didn't charge me a penny for that service but unfortunately it is about the same after as before. Do I need to ask for warranty replacement of my synchros? I also feel like the clutch slips in third only, which sounds ridiculous but that's how it really feels to me. Is that possible and should I bring clutch shudder and slipping up when I take it back in this weekend for the synchro problems. I am a really tame STI driver and never abused this thing despite being stage 2. Car has 35,750 miles now and is about 38 months old. I told them that the problem started after my 30K service 4 months ago so the onset was within my 3year/36.

[skeeler]

I don't really understand how/why so many burn up their clutches in such a short amount of time. I am still on the original OEM clutch. I am a single owner of an '04 STi and am nearing 137,000 miles. I've auto-xed several times and seriously, the only time I've ever smelt the clutch was when it was being broken in--especially during the 18-mile test drive I did the day I signed the papers, and when I come up the 3/4 mile hill up to my house. Granted, it is a vertical climb of around 380', with mostly 90-degree turns and even a long, drawn-out 180. There are times I have been just under 95 on one stretch of this hill and the slowest speed I will be going through any of the turns is 48. I don't ever use the brake going up or down the hill unless I am driving on my winter tires. I have had to teach myself the art of rev matching. I have absolutely no idea if rev matching lengthens the life of a clutch, but if it does, it is well worth it.

I won't, at all, speculate that any of you out there don't know how to drive your STi's, but I guess it is all relative to the situation of how you drive to how your clutch performs.

My biggest issue with this car has been the struts. I have had the rear struts replaced five times, now and the fronts replaced twice. It goes back in the shop on Tuesday for the most recent change of the rear struts. What amazes me is I do regularly test the limits of the vehicle's capabilities (within reason, as I am driving mostly on public roads), and I have not done anything off-road or any auto-x or rally-x since the last replacement set. It is clear, then, that since my first set of strut replacements were done prior to ever doing any events and this past year has been without events, too, that there is truly a faulty design on the struts and they do wear out.

I have had a lot of "run-around" from the local dealership, as I and many others have had to deal with the techs "denying that there are warranty issues to resolve with our cars." I had always speculated that SOA pays a lower reimbursement to the dealership for warranty repair than what the service dept. could/would normally charge for service.

Regardless of whatever compensation a tech receives for a job performed, I don't agree with a dealership "beating around the bush" to get out of having to peform a warranty repair. This kind of behavior has led me to travel 100 miles futher to get dramatically better service.

[Blackfang]

Originally Posted by DoctorSTi

Speaking of clutch tranny warranty. I had my 30K service done and since then I have had a much worse time getting into 2nd in the morning, especially in the cold. I mean 1st to 2nd requires double clutch and even then sometimes it will not get into 2nd until I slow down and go from neutral to 2nd. I can't downshift from 3rd either, without double clutch that is. I took it to a different dealer around where I live now and they said they would try putting "their" tranny fluid in to see if it fixes the problem. They didn't charge me a penny for that service but unfortunately it is about the same after as before. Do I need to ask for warranty replacement of my synchros? I also feel like the clutch slips in third only, which sounds ridiculous but that's how it really feels to me. Is that possible and should I bring clutch shudder and slipping up when I take it back in this weekend for the synchro problems. I am a really tame STI driver and never abused this thing despite being stage 2. Car has 35,750 miles now and is about 38 months old. I told them that the problem started after my 30K service 4 months ago so the onset was within my 3year/36.

Take it in and have it diagnosed. The fact that it has occurred since the 30k service most likely, but not completely impossible, is a coincidence. Have them diagnose the problem.

As for the clutch, your warranty is 3/36k. If you have a problem and never bothered to take it in for a diagnosis before the warranty ran out, shame on you.

[ENGPREZA]

my STi clutch slips has a 4500 miles on it,do i still have the warranty,even if i had the mod short ram intake and catback exhaust?coz once my wife drove my car,she accidentally burn the clutch,what happen was she shift the gear into 4th and then step the gas,on the green light.Sometimes it happens to me too.