Okay, so my wonderful dealership is quoting my 3 hours of labor to hook up my '03 MC to do the following:

1. change my option for daytime running lights (currently off)
2. code my installed alarm system to work properly
3. code my rear fog lights on

Am I wrong to be astonished by the $400? I spoke to the service director, and although he was very nice in explaining all of their standard practices, I somehow think this is b.s.

What are your thoughts?

 

keep in mind that my car is currently in for repair (at my expense) and they refused to accept my offer of one hour labor.

 

Sounds like waaaay too much to me.

 

When I first got my car, I wanted the Daytime Running Lights, Follow Me Home lights, and auto-locks turned on. I called the dealer to ask for a quote... the tech quoted me for an hour's labor. At around $100 an hour, I thought it was too much money for plugging in a little computer and punching a few buttons. $400 is definitely a rip off... although, coding your rear fog lights "on" seems a bit unusual. Are you having them install a new bank of toggles for it too, or do you already have the toggle for it, and the rear fogs just aren't working? The bit with fixing the alarm also makes asking for more money sound more reasonable... if your alarm isn't working properly, a modest investment of time on the dealership's part seems somewhat understandable. I'm still not sure if $400 is a fair price, though.

 

i had my mini reprogrammed for half hour labor (bout 52 bux) I asked about an alarm activation, they said that would be an hour. not sure why that takes longer, but oh well.

 

$400 is outrageous. I've asked for programming changes twice while my car was in for other service, and was prepared to be charged half or one hour labor each time. I was pleasantly surprised when they did it for FREE both times! On NAM I've seen mention of range between free and one hour. An hour should be considered excessive because takes just a few minutes, but I know that shops may be inflexible about a policy of minimum charge for taking a car into service. Charging $400 for the amount of work is taking it to new heights.

 

It sounds excessive. Our dealer would do one reprogramming free, any more than that would cost something like $75.

 

My reprogramming was done free while I had the car in for other service. Inskip MINI is highly rated here in RI and they're #1 in my book. Dealership work in general is not cheap for any brand car but getting little services (like reprogramming) really helps when it comes time to pay.

 

I paid around $50 to have my wife's '05 MCSa reprogrammed to turn on DRL and to have the doors unlock when the car is turned off.

 

They're trying to scalp you. Don't let them.

Personally, if my dealer told me that (which they never would - they rock), I'd take it all the way to the manager of the dealership, and ask them to justify for me why they want to rob me when the actual work only takes less than 1 hour. I wouldn't phrase it exactly like that, but that would be the gist of it. And if they gave me a lame azz excuse, and ask them if they think the local TV troubleshooter would see things the same way they do?

 

In late June Towson MINI (MD) charged me $60 (half hour of time) to turn on the running lights, door locks auto lock and unlock, ligts out after 45 seconds in the '02 MC that I had.

 

I've been charged $45 to change the programmable options listed in the owner's manual: DRLs, locking options etc.

It is possible that the other things you want don't fall in that category - rear fogs, alarm....and the minimum labor fee for each is an hour. Are these things you installed but now need the computer to see them?

and alto I agree it is crazy, you may be in a Catch 22 here....all I can say is when MINI calls and asks how you liked the service....

 

I bought Cassie at the MINIs of South Atlanta (MOSA) in 2006 new. I was never told of the programming options that were available at that time. When we bought my wife's 2007 MCS Cabrio at Global Imports MINI in Atlanta in March 2007, she was briefed on the programming options. When I went back to MOSA, they said it would cost me an hour's labor charge to do the programming- even after I told them I was never given the opportunity to pick which options I wanted when I purchased the MINI from them, and that my wife was given the opportunity and I just want to have the same. They said it would still cost me.

The next time we stopped in to Global to pick up some paperwork for her MINI, I mentioned the issue to the SA who asked to look at my keys...15 minutes later he gave them back and had my MINI programmed the way I wanted- FOR FREE.

Needless to say I am a big fan of Global Imports MINI now.

 

I had the rear fog light installed (retrofit) on my 2005 Cabrio including a new full toggle switch bank, light, and a wiring harness. The total cost of parts, labor, and reprogramming to activate the rear fog feature was only $200.

$400 sounds like a LOT of BS to me.

 

I have gone back and forth with my sales department several times...There is a Part A and a Part B to the PDI process. Part A is the initial car prep for it being displayed on the lot. Part B is to recheck the car and set it up for the individual, including car/key memory. My sales department and service department are now at the understanding that if Part A and B are done together without customer input(because is frankly is quicker than having to bring it in 2 times and also most cars were not presold so no cust input available) that the sales department would foot the .5 labor charge.

In the case of the OP, my dealer would have charged .5 for the programming of each part if they were done seperately and probably 1.0 would be fair to do the whole thing.