Greetings,

Would anyone care to offer what they would consider a fair (reasonable) price for a non-dealer, 2-bay garage to replace the starter on an 07 Accord ?

Thanks.

 

repair pal, = 110-138 labor part 425-509 honda new your mechanic,= part 107. rebuilt part labor 95

 

Thanks acmech52. Posted for a neighbor. She is rather vulnerable when it comes to cars. I had already diagnosed it for her but I didn't have the time to help her with this and she needed her car ASAP. She took it to "her" mechanic. I don't know if it was a genuine Honda part or non-Honda new, or reman. But the bill was $550. Seemed a bit steep to me.

Thanks again for the reply.

 

Parts that mechanics use are usually aftermarket with a big mark up.
Add on top of that the labor. Honda starters are not easy to do and would require about 1.5 to 2 hours labor.

 

Avisitor, Thanks for the reply. Yes, I know about the markup. I can understand a "reasonable" markup, but sometimes they can be upwards of 70-80%. Why not a fair markup on the part, and an increase in hourly rate. I saw an AC Delco new for $170 on RockAuto. I also looked at a few videos on the R&R of the starter. If it was my personal car and it was a bit warmer, I'd probably tend to it myself. In a 14 year old car, there's brittle plastic connectors that have to be removed, brittle wires etc. Even being careful, I've had my fill of both. Thanks again for the reply.

 

a starter is very easy to replace actually. No special tools needed. One of the most simplest procedures to do.
You could cut costs down by searching for a salvage pick n pull type yard or just a junk yard where you can get a 30 day return on whatever you might find at said salvage yard.

Theres also always some repair place that will rebuild starters on the chaep.
If I were you I would look at a few videos on yourtube to see how to replace a starter.
Than youll see how easy it is. I want to say its really something you cant mess up . but some people can burn hard boiled eggs.

You could even rebuild the starter yourself. Just buy an inexpensive kit watch a few videos on youtube - get a manual....and viola for the fraction of the price for labor and new part - you could do it yourself - and perhaps that will only inspire you to want to take on more simple repairs when they pop up and save yourself tons of money.

I remember when I didnt know anything about cars - and this muffler shop quoted me $350 to cut my muffler pipe and replace a hole in the exhaust pipe.
I watched videos bought a manul went to a salvage yard to practice and for $400 replaced the entire exhaust with new parts from the exhaust manifold back - the A pipe - resontaor cat muffler...all for about same cost to replace a hole in muffler pipe and change out a muffler.
Went to pep boys to have them change my struts and a tie rod - $900 they quoted me. I learned how easy it is to do it myself and did it for $200.

Worst case, if youre not confident - try finding a school...hgh school or even a trade schol with an auto tech curriculum. See if theyll do it - or if you could bribe a student with a pizza to do it for you.
Starter is not a 1 1/5 hour job like someone tried to say.
Its simply removing 4-5 nuts - 2-3 for the bolts to the frame, and the signal and the ground. Pull it out, and replace the exact same way you took it apart.
It really is that easy. 1 hour tops for someone doing it the first time. 15 minutes for anyone that knows what to do.
Good luck

Another tip could be going on craigslist - the starter replacement is one of those things anyone with even alittle knowledge of car repair cant mess up.
Would be cheaper than going to a dealer or mechanic. I once got told by honda that it would cost $1200 to replace a broken tibbit screw head for my rocker arm assembly.
I was forced to figure it out myself and learned it was only 20 minutes and 21 bolts to remove.
I did have to but a torque wrench - but I went to a salvage yard and for 20 whole cents - I repaird my cars problem.

20 cents + cost of a torque wrench
vs
$1200 for honda doing it.

 

You have not tried to replace a Honda starter.
You can go from the top which requires removing the throttle body and intake manifold
Or going thru the bottom which require removing the radiator bracket and doing everything by feel.
Honda also uses a very long bolt in the back cause it is so hard to get to the bolt hole
Not everything is as simple as you think it is.
Definitely much easier said than done.

A Toyota Camry starter is on top and takes less than 20 minutes.
A Suzuki Aerio requires 3 hours to do without a lift
And it also require removing part of the frame to gain access to the starter
I'll give you 15 minutes to replace it.

Two or three bolts to the engine or transmission depending upon the set up. Not the frame.
Most starter motors use the engine block as the ground. The signal wire you call it is the ignition wire to the starter solenoid.
You simply do not know enough.

 

FTCC, Thank you for taking the time to reply. I appreciate it. Unfortunately, as a few others mentioned, this starter is not that easy. There is a lot of disassembly on the top in order to access it. Intake manifold and then some. Several electrical connectors too. In a vehicle this old, those connectors and the associated wires become brittle and are subject to damage with the slightest of movement. In warmer weather I may have opted to do the job myself. I've done many as you describe. A few bolts a couple cables, in- out, done. This one is not that simple. Are you studying auto tech at FTCC?

Thanks again.

 

An auto parts store can get a brake rotor for say $12-18 dollars. Then, in turn, sell it at retail for $60-80 dollars. Got to pay for brick and mortar stores and employees.
They will wholesale it to a garage for say $48-55 dollars. Upon which the garage will mark it up to $80-120 dollars. It seems everyone has to make money.
Otherwise they would go out of business. Reasonable?? I do not know what is reasonable anymore. Use to think 20% mark up was good enough for them.
Just do not know the business side well enough.