# The logical progression of car mechanics... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 12, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-logical-progression-of-car-mechanics/228882 "2004-02-12T17:19:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-logical-progression-of-car-mechanics/228882/21 "2004-02-16T19:24:59Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I think the vast majority of mechanics and dealers are honest. What grinds me is the auto companies and some of the parts they put in cars. If you have a GMC Envoy, you better pray for long headlight life because it costs _NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS_ to replace a headlight! Likewise, if the rear window should break, that’ll be _TWENTY THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS_ , please. That`s crazy talk. One could remove and re-assemble the entire front clip for that price. If the headlamp is fifty buck, tops, then the rest of the job is labor. That equalls 14+ hours in the shop for a light bulb? Riiiiight… ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-logical-progression-of-car-mechanics/228882/22 "2004-02-16T22:22:55Z")
Its probably HID headlight. And yes, these cost dearly. But normaly, you don’t have to change them unless it breaks during a crash or something. And in the unlikely event that the bulb actually burns out, you can probably keep the balast and just change the bulb. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-logical-progression-of-car-mechanics/228882/23 "2004-02-17T06:55:42Z")
> [@Uncommon Sense](#): > > That`s crazy talk. > > One could remove and re-assemble the entire front clip for that price. > > If the headlamp is fifty buck, tops, then the rest of the job is labor. That equalls 14+ hours in the shop for a light bulb? Riiiiight… You haven’t priced a complete headlight assembly for a newer car have you? We aren’t talking a $7. sealed beam here. I seem to recall a while back someone telling me a complete HID headlamp assembly for an Audi was about $1600. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-logical-progression-of-car-mechanics/228882/24 "2004-02-17T13:20:29Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > You haven’t priced a complete headlight assembly for a newer car have you? > We aren’t talking a $7. sealed beam here. > I seem to recall a while back someone telling me a complete HID headlamp assembly for an Audi was about $1600. High Intensity Discharge? These types of lamps for industrial purposes (400 Watts) run about 50 bucks. What do you mean by “complete headlight assembly”. **BobLibDem** was referring to the headlight, not the entire assembly (which probably includes ballasts, wire harness, sockets, lamps, connectors, etc.). The headlight alone will not cost near that much, am I right? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-logical-progression-of-car-mechanics/228882/25 "2004-02-17T13:37:49Z")
Regarding the $900 headlight, the source of my information was our local paper, which ran [one woman’s experience](http://www.lsj.com/columnists/schneider/040110_john_1b.html) with the GMC Envoy. Then, a few days later, [she lost another $900 headlight](http://www.lsj.com/columnists/schneider/040122_john_1b.html) . Not to be outdone, another reader told of his [$2400 window.](http://www.lsj.com/columnists/schneider/040127john_1b.html) . Still more readers chimed in, one citing an [$1100 fuel pump.](http://www.lsj.com/columnists/schneider/040209_john_1b.html) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-logical-progression-of-car-mechanics/228882/26 "2004-02-17T14:03:48Z")
I had a sensor go out on my Beetle. Foolishly, I brought it to the trusted family mechanic, with the “Check Engine” light going. Cost me a grand to get the damn thing fixed. Apparently, the first time he worked on one, he had the whole engine out at one point. Which is not easy on a New Beetle. On the other hand, when the battery died on that car, the passenger airbag sensor blew out, too. ---
**Author:** ![BeerFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@BeerFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeerFan)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-logical-progression-of-car-mechanics/228882/27 "2004-02-17T16:24:12Z")
When the battery was disconnected to replace it the alarm probably reset itself to a factory default. I experienced this years ago and it took me a few days to get it fixed. I had purchased the car second hand and it didn’t come with instructions for the after market alarm system. I had to go to a car audio shop and they were able to show me how to change the sensitivity, loudness and interval settings using the alarms remote control. Are the other problems that suddenly cropped up after your service electrical? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-logical-progression-of-car-mechanics/228882.md?page=1)