How much can I expect a Auto garage to charge...?

[Mr_RPM]

Been lazy with some things on my jeep and Im starting to think about just taking it in.

I need my rear differential fluid changed and my transmission fluid changed and the adjuster bands in the transmission adjusted (whatever the heck those are, its what my owners manual says in the same sentence to change tranny fluid)

Im not very good at getting my hands dirty and In the cold with no garage hard floor (dirt floor barn)and with no lift or jack stands Im getting less determined. we are set up for bikes, trikes, and quads. This car stuff is out of my league.


I have fresh engine oil and oil filter
new spark plugs
new air filter
fresh front diff fluid (dealer had to fix a leak before I bought it)
New transfer case oil
and everything else going to the owners manual is all set except for the rear diff and tranny.
Id like to get this done asap with the other stuff we have done since they are over due since Must owners skip these things.

how much do you think the average garage would charge? I need to go to the used car place I bought the jeep from to pick up some half doors the previous owner dropped off and Im thinking about just getting everything I need done too.

what else do I need done anyway? just off of normal maintanece since your not able to inspect the jeep.

I have never had anything worked on before...lol

[300rman]

Well, i'll tell you right now taking shops your own parts you are gonna get charged more for labor.

shops make money selling you parts, and there was a good chance they whatever price they sold you the part for was cheaper than what you bought it for.

[tj-1bad250r]

tranny fluid change and adjust is 85 and the front diff cant be to much but whats labor up to now like 89an hour?

[Mr_RPM]

dads work (motorcycle dealer) is at 91 an hour i think. But id like to think with all the competition with automotive places it would be less. not looking to go to a dealer, just a garage.

my dads work has almost no competition around, atleast nothing worth mentioning. so prices are high (my theory of hope lol) but on my GPS alone there are at least 30 different places within the 3 towns around me.

[Mosh]

Most shops around here are at 70$-80$ per hour.

You can expect 100$ on the rear diff service.

Trans fluid flush will be anywhere from $119 to $159, fluid and labor included. That is to hook up the machine and flush out 100% of the old fluid.
It does not include dropping the pan and replacing the filter. Expect an additional $149 for that.

Honestly, if you are not having any symptoms with the trans, skip the band adjustment.
The wrong guy doing that will cause you problems, and is generally not needed on a lower mileage vehicle.

[zppeacock]

we are $105 an hour

[code200k]

place i work at is 75 an hour.

[Name Brand]

If an auto transmission is high mileage and has no problems, don't change the fluid.

While the clutches wear down, the fluid gets more grippy due to all the particles of clutch fiber in it. Putting slippery new ATF in a transmission with worn clutches will make it slip and not want to shift well.

[oldskool83]

i would change the plugs oil and filter yourself if you can. a tranny flush...id say $250-300. when my civic was done i remeber it being like $250ish. it didnt take too long but im not working on my car, ill sit there watch tv and eat a free donut.

i dont know your milage but mine was changed around 80 or 90K, normaly service requirement. but if you jeep has lets say 160K and it was never changed...you'll do more harm them good.

[Mr_RPM]

it has 66k miles on it...all these prices just gave me the push to go do it myself. lol
I got a few friends with lifts. ill bug them hahaha
the lift is basically the biggest part. I just need more room.

but laying in the frozen mud covered in an oil mess is well worth 300 bucks hahaha

Its just a matter of taking off a bunch of bolts I cant reach, removing the cover/pan and letting the fluid drain. then sealing it up and refilling it.
I have a full service manual...Its simple, just a PITA without the proper equipment for cars. I wish I could prop it on milk crates. haha :lol:

I just wish this stuff had drain plugs like the transfer case. that was as easy as an oil change

[Thorpe]

My XJ has a drain plug on the trans pan. In the owners manual it recommends a drain and fill every so often...

[cr480r]

unless you are rolling in dough, have no tools, or no skills.. You are almost always better off working on your own rigs.. Good mechanics arent cheap... and hack corner cutting mechanics arent cheap either.. I know alot of "mechanics" that I would never let touch my rigs for free.. let alone $80+ per/her...

[300rman]

it has 66k miles on it...all these prices just gave me the push to go do it myself. lol
I got a few friends with lifts. ill bug them hahaha
the lift is basically the biggest part. I just need more room.

but laying in the frozen mud covered in an oil mess is well worth 300 bucks hahaha

Its just a matter of taking off a bunch of bolts I cant reach, removing the cover/pan and letting the fluid drain. then sealing it up and refilling it.
I have a full service manual...Its simple, just a PITA without the proper equipment for cars. I wish I could prop it on milk crates. haha :lol:

I just wish this stuff had drain plugs like the transfer case. that was as easy as an oil change


dropping the pan gets MAYBE half the fluid out.

[Mr_RPM]

dropping the pan gets MAYBE half the fluid out.

then how do get it all out?

[Mr_RPM]

anyone? The place I bought it from said 150 for tranny fluid.

if theres no way to get the fluid out without a special tool then this is my route?

[Mr_RPM]

i got this answer for anyone wondering...

You cannot flush it yourself the way a shop would if they have a trans flush machine but you can drop the pan, drill and tap a small hole it will have to be pipe threads and install a plug, change the filter and gasket re-install it add about 4 qts of trans fluid and check it. drive it a few days and drain some more out do that till you have gone through the 12qts that will be in a case. That will have flushed all the fluid out for you and you will have a clean filter. With that many miles you need a new filter for sure. You needed one a long time ago

[SWIGIN]

I unhook the return line and start the engine. This will not hurt your tranny unless you put it in gear. Once it starts to slow down, shut it off and dump 4-5 quarts in and restart the engine. This will push the rest of the old fluid out of the torque converter. Then drop the pan, replace the filter and pan and fill the tranny.

[SWIGIN]

i got this answer for anyone wondering...

You cannot flush it yourself the way a shop would if they have a trans flush machine but you can drop the pan, drill and tap a small hole it will have to be pipe threads and install a plug, change the filter and gasket re-install it add about 4 qts of trans fluid and check it. drive it a few days and drain some more out do that till you have gone through the 12qts that will be in a case. That will have flushed all the fluid out for you and you will have a clean filter. With that many miles you need a new filter for sure. You needed one a long time ago

Doing that is kinda dumb. You'll just be diluting the new ATF with dirty ATF......try it like I posted above.

[Mr_RPM]

Thankyou, when it comes down to it, for ANYTHING as far as internet, you guys on 3ww are the most educated group out there(IMHO). go on any other forum (jeep forum, atv forum, ect...) and you get alot of crap.

Maybe Im the only one, but if i have a question or something to say, 3ww is the way to go. lol

[willreed03]

You can flush it yourself...I used to be a mechanic and this is how we did it on most vehicles. Drop the pan, change the filter AND gasket...trust me even if its a steel rubber gasket change it. It's got almost 70000 miles so change it :D

After you get that done fill it up through the tranny dip stick tube (I assume it is an automatic?) then find your tranny cooler lines and take the pressure line loose (the one that pushes the fluid into the cooler). You may need to run a tube from this to make it long enough, and put it in a bucket. A friend really helps here. Now start the vehicle and if you took the right line off fluid will begin to flow out. If it does not, hook it back up and take the other line loose. Now when you have the right line loose make sure you have 4 or 5 qts of tranny fluid ready to dump into the dipstick tube. Just keep dumping it in while the vehicle is running and flushing until the fluid coming out looks clean and new. Then shut it off, put the line back on top it off then start it back up and check it a few more times. Go drive it around the block a few times and then check the fluid again. Tranny, filter and flush complete.

However to me after doing it so many times and getting tranny fluid all over me I just take my vehicles to a reputable tranny shop and they do it for about 135 bucks. It will cost 75 to 100 depending on gasket and filter cost for me to buy it and do it myself and to me paying someone 50 bucks to do that nasty ass job for me is well worth it.

And for the disclaimer---I take no responsibility for any damage done from any of the advice I give. The great rule is if you don't feel comfortable doing it let someone else do it.