Windshield wiper repair

December 26, 2008 11:13 AM

The windshield wipers died on our Buick Park Avenue (model year 2000). Dealership states it is not a blown fuse but a bad motor. How much should this cost to repair?

Dealership has quoted us 550--600 bucks to replace it with an after market refurbished motor (includes parts at $243.00, labor and tax). Are we being ripped off? Neither my husband nor I are mechanically inclined, so we don't know if this is a reasonable price for this type of repair. Seems high to me.

posted by pushing paper and bottoming chairs to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

I wonder if your problem has anything to do with this recall :

Model Affected:
2000 BUICK PARK AVENUE

Summary:
THESE VEHICLES HAVE A WIPER SYSTEM MICROPROCESSOR THAT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO VOLTAGE TRANSIENTS, WHICH CAN CAUSE A "LATCH-UP" CONDITION IN THE SYSTEM CONTROLLER.

Consequence:
IF MICROPROCESSOR "LATCH-UP" OCCURS, THE CUSTOMER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OPERATE THE SYSTEM IN BOTH THE LOWER AND HIGH-SPEED MODES REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.

Remedy:
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR COVER WHICH CONTAINS THE MICROPROCESSOR.

I might take it to another dealer and suggest that this could be the issue, and see what they say.
posted by HopperFan at 11:25 AM on December 26, 2008

I paid around $200 for new motors once for new motors once, but the labor wasn't nearly that much.
posted by dripdripdrop at 11:26 AM on December 26, 2008

NAPA lists that wiper motor at about $100, so you may be looking at some pretty inflated charges there, unless there are a lot more parts needed. I'd take the car to an independent shop and get a diagnosis and quote from them before committing to spending anything at the dealer.

(And before that, I'd do what HopperFan suggests, and check to see if this is the problem mentioned in the recall.)

My rule of thumb, for what it's worth, is that the dealer is good for very new cars, where you have warranty coverage and you want access to factory support for recalls and other new-car issues. But for older vehicles, which may not be worth all that much, and where you want to keep them on the road at a reasonable cost, I've found independent shops to be a lot more flexible and cost-oriented. For example, the mechanic I use will usually offer a choice of sourcing a used part, a remanufactured part, or a factory part, depending on what the problem is and how much cost matters. The dealer, however, will usually offer only the most expensive of options, and with high labor charges to boot.
posted by Forktine at 11:44 AM on December 26, 2008

As a former GM auto mechanic and current ASE certified master mechanic, I can tell you several things which may guide your decision:

1. If you know nothing about cars, which you state is the case, then you are at the mercy of the skilled craftsperson to whom you bring your vehicle. Make the best decision you can with the information you have. This car is 8 years old. Where have you been taking it for repairs and maintenance? Who have you been entrusting with all your vehicle repairs?

2. You can certainly take you vehicle to an owner operated local garage. Because of lower overhead and lower hourly rates, you will receive a lower quote, but notice that they will be using aftermarket replacement parts. When I worked for the GM dealer we as a rule used Genuine Gm parts and had to disclose to the customer when we used an aftermarket part. The few reasons to go to a gm dealer is to get Genuine GM parts, you're not getting this, so why bother?

3. Replacing just the printed circuitboard (hopperfan's post) on an 8 year old motor is generally avoided because I never wanted to see the customer return in 6 months or a year with a now dead motor.

4. Here is the motor you Need

5. Buy it and take it to a local OWNER OPERATED garage and have the guy install it. Tell the Owner you will pay him $100 cash no receipt required or $200 with receipt.


cheers.
posted by Paleoindian at 12:34 PM on December 26, 2008 [2 favorites]

Whether this is an option for you I don't know (I like to get my hands dirty and figure out how things fit together), but when similar things happen to me I look for people breaking cars and selling the parts on eBay. It's entirely possible to pick up perfectly good parts for a fraction of the price of a new part, then either fit it yourself or get someone else to do it for you. I've replaced parts of my AC system, interior lights and items of trim this way and saved a lot of money.

Of course, if this particular part has known issues that date back to the year of manufacture, replacing it with a used part from another car of similar age may not be sensible.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 1:26 PM on December 26, 2008

Many thanks for the feedback. I will be looking into the recall issue, and if that's not a go, then the motor that Paleoindian suggested. Again, thanks guys!
posted by pushing paper and bottoming chairs at 4:45 PM on December 26, 2008

There are many independent garages that use genuine GM parts. My local GM garage, for one. Ask ahead - GM parts tend to be better than aftermarket ones. On the other hand, this is a wiper motor, not rocket science, so as long as it's a reliable, reputable garage, I wouldn't lose sleep over it.
posted by zippy at 4:46 PM on December 26, 2008