Well, it happened on Saturday...
Our one car finally had something break down. Although, the Sonata has been super sweet and relatively unbreakable during the first six years I've owned the car, it finally caused a major headache!
I put the driver's side window down to enjoy some fresh air on an awesome fall afternoon. SSSCCCREEECHHHH! The window was stuck! It would not come back up!
Agitated, I quickly tried to Heman the window back into place. Nothing.
I turned the car and tried the power window button again. Nothing.
I smacked the window. Nothing. (Shockingly)
I called the dealership and made an appointment for Monday morning to have it checked out. Unfortunately, they were extremely unhelpful when I asked if they would be able to move the window back into place - I was worried about rain or breakin if I kept the window down. Nothing.
So, I got out my trusty tool set and began taking the door apart. That's right - Mr. Accounting has tools and he knows how to use them!
Long story short - after several hours of blood and sweat, I finally had the door in many pieces, but I finally found the problem. The cable wire for the Regulator had completely frayed. It would not move within the pulley system because of the wear and tear. I was happy to have found the problem, but worried about the cost to fix (even though I performed most of the labor already!)
That Monday, I took it to the dealership to see if it was covered under my Warranty or it was simpler to let them fix it. They informed me it would cost $320 to fix! $114 for the part and $206 for labor!!! WHAT!!
I pestered them that I found the EXACT same part online for $61.99 - they didn't care. They said it would only take an hour and half to fix - at $137/hour - Crazy!!
So, I said no thank you. I walked into Advance Auto Parts and paid them $66 for the part (and taxes) and drove to my uncle's house to fix it. An hour later, I had a new Regulator in place and a working window!! Plus, I saved myself $254!! Well worth the time it cost me.
As a result of this escapade, I learned a few things:
1. The dealership will always rip you off. They think they have you over a barrel and they gauge you with labor.
2. The car is not as scary machine as most people think. I'd bet that 75% of people just agree to whatever the dealership says without seeking alternatives. However, the door is literally held together by 7 screws and several plugs. The regulator is locked into place with plastic and the window has two screws keeping along the rubber track. Taking the initiative to at least try and fix the problem saved me money and taught me not to overestimate a problem. There is often a simple solution.
Our one car finally had something break down. Although, the Sonata has been super sweet and relatively unbreakable during the first six years I've owned the car, it finally caused a major headache!
I put the driver's side window down to enjoy some fresh air on an awesome fall afternoon. SSSCCCREEECHHHH! The window was stuck! It would not come back up!
Agitated, I quickly tried to Heman the window back into place. Nothing.
I turned the car and tried the power window button again. Nothing.
I smacked the window. Nothing. (Shockingly)
I called the dealership and made an appointment for Monday morning to have it checked out. Unfortunately, they were extremely unhelpful when I asked if they would be able to move the window back into place - I was worried about rain or breakin if I kept the window down. Nothing.
So, I got out my trusty tool set and began taking the door apart. That's right - Mr. Accounting has tools and he knows how to use them!
Long story short - after several hours of blood and sweat, I finally had the door in many pieces, but I finally found the problem. The cable wire for the Regulator had completely frayed. It would not move within the pulley system because of the wear and tear. I was happy to have found the problem, but worried about the cost to fix (even though I performed most of the labor already!)
That Monday, I took it to the dealership to see if it was covered under my Warranty or it was simpler to let them fix it. They informed me it would cost $320 to fix! $114 for the part and $206 for labor!!! WHAT!!
I pestered them that I found the EXACT same part online for $61.99 - they didn't care. They said it would only take an hour and half to fix - at $137/hour - Crazy!!
So, I said no thank you. I walked into Advance Auto Parts and paid them $66 for the part (and taxes) and drove to my uncle's house to fix it. An hour later, I had a new Regulator in place and a working window!! Plus, I saved myself $254!! Well worth the time it cost me.
As a result of this escapade, I learned a few things:
1. The dealership will always rip you off. They think they have you over a barrel and they gauge you with labor.
2. The car is not as scary machine as most people think. I'd bet that 75% of people just agree to whatever the dealership says without seeking alternatives. However, the door is literally held together by 7 screws and several plugs. The regulator is locked into place with plastic and the window has two screws keeping along the rubber track. Taking the initiative to at least try and fix the problem saved me money and taught me not to overestimate a problem. There is often a simple solution.
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