Audi repairs

[brianmfournier]

So back in December I traded my G35 for an S4. In May my wiper linkage seized and snapped. Pretty awesome right? See below:

So I finally decided to have this thing fixed, called Audi for a quote, $700 I bought the part online for $80 and did it myself last night. It took only about an hour and a few skinned knuckles. Where do they get $700 from? I know they charge up the a$$ for labor, but even at $200/hour that works out to 3 hours. I'd say I'm decent at working on cars, but I'm no mechanic and like I said it only took an hour. I just don't understand the justification for blatently taking peoples money, and I don't buy the excuse that it's in the repair books or the computer as being budgeted for 3 hours. It's apparently one hour of work and two hours of dicking around. Sorry about bringing this up here instead of on the Audi boards, but they're a bunch of pricks and I don't enjoy discussing things with them.

[jigahus]

how's that s4 quality wise? knock on wood as nothing has broken down on my G before.

[brianmfournier]

It's very solid otherwise. I got the V8 instead of the older twin turbo so it's pretty bulletproof. Oil changes suck though, the filter is $35 and it takes 8 quarts of synthetic.

[FrozenInferno]

Ah i used to have an s4 before the g and it was the twin turbo.. p.i.t.a my motor mounts were shot and i had to remove the whole front off the engine including the starter, alternator and such before i could even have access to them....parts are not cheap for those cars...in fact i have two blauparts cv joint kits at home that cost me well over 200 just for the joint itself.