<samvit@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1137266756.769856.15350@g49g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> Thanks for the feedback! Tony I went to the link you provided (ECS
> tuning), but I could not find the timing belt kit that you spoke of.
> If you can point me to the exact link that would be great. In any
> case, I'm a little concerned that there is a $160 disparity in the
> parts estimate that the mechanic provided. Is the markup typically
> this high?

Your mechanic will probably be making a profit on the parts plus his cost
may be fairly high if he's getting them from the Audi dealer. That said, you
may want to ask him if he's OK with you supplying the parts before you show
up with parts in hand. Many mechanics don't like to do that and may not
warranty the work. When I was thinking about doing the TB myself on the same
car as yours, here is where I looked for a parts kit
http://tinyurl.com/79m3a Note they will also rent the special tool that
makes the job much easier to do. Ultimately, it was a job I didn't want to
get into so I had an independent mechanic do it for about the price you're
being quoted. BTW, the consequences of TB failure are severe - many
thousands of dollars in damage to the engine.

 

<samvit@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1137266756.769856.15350@g49g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> Thanks for the feedback! Tony I went to the link you provided (ECS
> tuning), but I could not find the timing belt kit that you spoke of.
> If you can point me to the exact link that would be great. In any
> case, I'm a little concerned that there is a $160 disparity in the
> parts estimate that the mechanic provided. Is the markup typically
> this high?

Your mechanic will probably be making a profit on the parts plus his cost
may be fairly high if he's getting them from the Audi dealer. That said, you
may want to ask him if he's OK with you supplying the parts before you show
up with parts in hand. Many mechanics don't like to do that and may not
warranty the work. When I was thinking about doing the TB myself on the same
car as yours, here is where I looked for a parts kit
http://tinyurl.com/79m3a Note they will also rent the special tool that
makes the job much easier to do. Ultimately, it was a job I didn't want to
get into so I had an independent mechanic do it for about the price you're
being quoted. BTW, the consequences of TB failure are severe - many
thousands of dollars in damage to the engine.

 

<samvit@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1137266756.769856.15350@g49g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> Thanks for the feedback! Tony I went to the link you provided (ECS
> tuning), but I could not find the timing belt kit that you spoke of.
> If you can point me to the exact link that would be great. In any
> case, I'm a little concerned that there is a $160 disparity in the
> parts estimate that the mechanic provided. Is the markup typically
> this high?

Your mechanic will probably be making a profit on the parts plus his cost
may be fairly high if he's getting them from the Audi dealer. That said, you
may want to ask him if he's OK with you supplying the parts before you show
up with parts in hand. Many mechanics don't like to do that and may not
warranty the work. When I was thinking about doing the TB myself on the same
car as yours, here is where I looked for a parts kit
http://tinyurl.com/79m3a Note they will also rent the special tool that
makes the job much easier to do. Ultimately, it was a job I didn't want to
get into so I had an independent mechanic do it for about the price you're
being quoted. BTW, the consequences of TB failure are severe - many
thousands of dollars in damage to the engine.

 

The link:
http://www.ecstuning.com/stage/edpd/...ategory=Timing

This is if you are DIY but if not, Ian S is correct in saying that the mechanic
may not want to work with parts you supply and, yes, he may charge more but that
is how mechanics earn their living. This is not an inconsequential job. A person
can do it by themselves but only if they are experienced and have the special tools.

I did it with my son on his 98.5 A4 2.8q and borrowed the tools. It took 14
hours for a first time experience.

Ian S wrote:
> <samvit@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:1137266756.769856.15350@g49g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
>
>>Thanks for the feedback! Tony I went to the link you provided (ECS
>>tuning), but I could not find the timing belt kit that you spoke of.
>>If you can point me to the exact link that would be great. In any
>>case, I'm a little concerned that there is a $160 disparity in the
>>parts estimate that the mechanic provided. Is the markup typically
>>this high?
>
>
> Your mechanic will probably be making a profit on the parts plus his cost
> may be fairly high if he's getting them from the Audi dealer. That said, you
> may want to ask him if he's OK with you supplying the parts before you show
> up with parts in hand. Many mechanics don't like to do that and may not
> warranty the work. When I was thinking about doing the TB myself on the same
> car as yours, here is where I looked for a parts kit
> http://tinyurl.com/79m3a Note they will also rent the special tool that
> makes the job much easier to do. Ultimately, it was a job I didn't want to
> get into so I had an independent mechanic do it for about the price you're
> being quoted. BTW, the consequences of TB failure are severe - many
> thousands of dollars in damage to the engine.
>
>

 

The link:
http://www.ecstuning.com/stage/edpd/...ategory=Timing

This is if you are DIY but if not, Ian S is correct in saying that the mechanic
may not want to work with parts you supply and, yes, he may charge more but that
is how mechanics earn their living. This is not an inconsequential job. A person
can do it by themselves but only if they are experienced and have the special tools.

I did it with my son on his 98.5 A4 2.8q and borrowed the tools. It took 14
hours for a first time experience.

Ian S wrote:
> <samvit@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:1137266756.769856.15350@g49g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
>
>>Thanks for the feedback! Tony I went to the link you provided (ECS
>>tuning), but I could not find the timing belt kit that you spoke of.
>>If you can point me to the exact link that would be great. In any
>>case, I'm a little concerned that there is a $160 disparity in the
>>parts estimate that the mechanic provided. Is the markup typically
>>this high?
>
>
> Your mechanic will probably be making a profit on the parts plus his cost
> may be fairly high if he's getting them from the Audi dealer. That said, you
> may want to ask him if he's OK with you supplying the parts before you show
> up with parts in hand. Many mechanics don't like to do that and may not
> warranty the work. When I was thinking about doing the TB myself on the same
> car as yours, here is where I looked for a parts kit
> http://tinyurl.com/79m3a Note they will also rent the special tool that
> makes the job much easier to do. Ultimately, it was a job I didn't want to
> get into so I had an independent mechanic do it for about the price you're
> being quoted. BTW, the consequences of TB failure are severe - many
> thousands of dollars in damage to the engine.
>
>

 

The link:
http://www.ecstuning.com/stage/edpd/...ategory=Timing

This is if you are DIY but if not, Ian S is correct in saying that the mechanic
may not want to work with parts you supply and, yes, he may charge more but that
is how mechanics earn their living. This is not an inconsequential job. A person
can do it by themselves but only if they are experienced and have the special tools.

I did it with my son on his 98.5 A4 2.8q and borrowed the tools. It took 14
hours for a first time experience.

Ian S wrote:
> <samvit@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:1137266756.769856.15350@g49g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
>
>>Thanks for the feedback! Tony I went to the link you provided (ECS
>>tuning), but I could not find the timing belt kit that you spoke of.
>>If you can point me to the exact link that would be great. In any
>>case, I'm a little concerned that there is a $160 disparity in the
>>parts estimate that the mechanic provided. Is the markup typically
>>this high?
>
>
> Your mechanic will probably be making a profit on the parts plus his cost
> may be fairly high if he's getting them from the Audi dealer. That said, you
> may want to ask him if he's OK with you supplying the parts before you show
> up with parts in hand. Many mechanics don't like to do that and may not
> warranty the work. When I was thinking about doing the TB myself on the same
> car as yours, here is where I looked for a parts kit
> http://tinyurl.com/79m3a Note they will also rent the special tool that
> makes the job much easier to do. Ultimately, it was a job I didn't want to
> get into so I had an independent mechanic do it for about the price you're
> being quoted. BTW, the consequences of TB failure are severe - many
> thousands of dollars in damage to the engine.
>
>

 

Forgot to mention in the last post:

ECS Kit $254 + shipping.

I have no affiliation with ECS but have bought from them and I am happy with
their support.

Also, I would not attempt this without a shop manual, a friend who is mechanical
and familiar with Audis and a case of your favorite adult beverage.

I wouldn't worry about the $160 disparity in parts costs. That much gets lost in
rounding errors and is made up for many times over if your mechanic is a
competent Audi technician by getting the job done correctly.

Ian S wrote:

> <samvit@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:1137266756.769856.15350@g49g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
>
>>Thanks for the feedback! Tony I went to the link you provided (ECS
>>tuning), but I could not find the timing belt kit that you spoke of.
>>If you can point me to the exact link that would be great. In any
>>case, I'm a little concerned that there is a $160 disparity in the
>>parts estimate that the mechanic provided. Is the markup typically
>>this high?
>
>
> Your mechanic will probably be making a profit on the parts plus his cost
> may be fairly high if he's getting them from the Audi dealer. That said, you
> may want to ask him if he's OK with you supplying the parts before you show
> up with parts in hand. Many mechanics don't like to do that and may not
> warranty the work. When I was thinking about doing the TB myself on the same
> car as yours, here is where I looked for a parts kit
> http://tinyurl.com/79m3a Note they will also rent the special tool that
> makes the job much easier to do. Ultimately, it was a job I didn't want to
> get into so I had an independent mechanic do it for about the price you're
> being quoted. BTW, the consequences of TB failure are severe - many
> thousands of dollars in damage to the engine.
>
>

 

Forgot to mention in the last post:

ECS Kit $254 + shipping.

I have no affiliation with ECS but have bought from them and I am happy with
their support.

Also, I would not attempt this without a shop manual, a friend who is mechanical
and familiar with Audis and a case of your favorite adult beverage.

I wouldn't worry about the $160 disparity in parts costs. That much gets lost in
rounding errors and is made up for many times over if your mechanic is a
competent Audi technician by getting the job done correctly.

Ian S wrote:

> <samvit@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:1137266756.769856.15350@g49g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
>
>>Thanks for the feedback! Tony I went to the link you provided (ECS
>>tuning), but I could not find the timing belt kit that you spoke of.
>>If you can point me to the exact link that would be great. In any
>>case, I'm a little concerned that there is a $160 disparity in the
>>parts estimate that the mechanic provided. Is the markup typically
>>this high?
>
>
> Your mechanic will probably be making a profit on the parts plus his cost
> may be fairly high if he's getting them from the Audi dealer. That said, you
> may want to ask him if he's OK with you supplying the parts before you show
> up with parts in hand. Many mechanics don't like to do that and may not
> warranty the work. When I was thinking about doing the TB myself on the same
> car as yours, here is where I looked for a parts kit
> http://tinyurl.com/79m3a Note they will also rent the special tool that
> makes the job much easier to do. Ultimately, it was a job I didn't want to
> get into so I had an independent mechanic do it for about the price you're
> being quoted. BTW, the consequences of TB failure are severe - many
> thousands of dollars in damage to the engine.
>
>

 

Forgot to mention in the last post:

ECS Kit $254 + shipping.

I have no affiliation with ECS but have bought from them and I am happy with
their support.

Also, I would not attempt this without a shop manual, a friend who is mechanical
and familiar with Audis and a case of your favorite adult beverage.

I wouldn't worry about the $160 disparity in parts costs. That much gets lost in
rounding errors and is made up for many times over if your mechanic is a
competent Audi technician by getting the job done correctly.

Ian S wrote:

> <samvit@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:1137266756.769856.15350@g49g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
>
>>Thanks for the feedback! Tony I went to the link you provided (ECS
>>tuning), but I could not find the timing belt kit that you spoke of.
>>If you can point me to the exact link that would be great. In any
>>case, I'm a little concerned that there is a $160 disparity in the
>>parts estimate that the mechanic provided. Is the markup typically
>>this high?
>
>
> Your mechanic will probably be making a profit on the parts plus his cost
> may be fairly high if he's getting them from the Audi dealer. That said, you
> may want to ask him if he's OK with you supplying the parts before you show
> up with parts in hand. Many mechanics don't like to do that and may not
> warranty the work. When I was thinking about doing the TB myself on the same
> car as yours, here is where I looked for a parts kit
> http://tinyurl.com/79m3a Note they will also rent the special tool that
> makes the job much easier to do. Ultimately, it was a job I didn't want to
> get into so I had an independent mechanic do it for about the price you're
> being quoted. BTW, the consequences of TB failure are severe - many
> thousands of dollars in damage to the engine.
>
>

 

"Tony" <tonyjnospam@nospamvisi.com> wrote in message
news:11sj1g8hlturoae@corp.supernews.com...
> Forgot to mention in the last post:
>
> ECS Kit $254 + shipping.
>
> I have no affiliation with ECS but have bought from them and I am happy
with
> their support.
>
> Also, I would not attempt this without a shop manual, a friend who is
mechanical
> and familiar with Audis and a case of your favorite adult beverage.

Just don't start into the adult beverage too early. I bought both the
Haynes and Bentley manuals when I was seriously thinking about doing it
myself. Plus I have a decent tool set and experience in rebuilding various
and sundry car systems years ago when I was a poor grad student. Ultimately,
I decided it was not worth my time, effort, and aggravation.

>
> I wouldn't worry about the $160 disparity in parts costs. That much gets
lost in
> rounding errors and is made up for many times over if your mechanic is a
> competent Audi technician by getting the job done correctly.

As a businessman running my own small manufacturing operation, I mark up
both labor and materials and don't begrudge a mechanic doing the same.