Crazy markup on parts

All the Dealerships are Independent franchises. They all have their territories. Doesn’t matter Engine brand dealer or Truck brand dealer. I had the worst experience at Cat of Michigan. They work mostly on Construction equipment. Thought I was going to the best Cat shop. They broke teeth off the bull gear and cracked the timing cover. Found the broken teeth after I took it back leaking oil. Original job was $2000 to rebuild my fuel pump. Still had to buy an upgrade fuel temp sensor kit and install myself, after it derated 300 miles from home. 35 mph all the way. I had specifically told them to change the original internal sensor. Apparently they didn’t know anything about it. That was my last dealing with Cat. Bought a Detroit.

 

Pretty much this. I take my pete to the same dealer every time. Plus i have an accoint there so i get the fleet pricing ontop of a decent discount for being a regular and doing 100% of my service there.

For refrence lemme see if i can find them...ah yes had to do my oil change on the road with my own filters at a TA since i couldnt be back before i went WAY over my miles. $534.99 before tax for 11 gallons of T4 rotella 15W-40 the labor and service. Filters were 305.85 from pete. And oil sample kit was $25. Or around $866 bucks and that is pretty much in line with every road place i hit nowadays.

My oil change at pete, exact same service same filters $630.80 without tax for fluid top off, filters, 11 gallons t4 15W40 rotella, general inspection, new wipers, truck and 5th wheel grease, tires aired up, general once over and included oil sample. Less if i bring my own oil which i do as often as not.

My at home cost even with bulk buys is around $590 if i pay to dispose of the oil. $515 if i just throw it in the oil heater.

Most small shops or chains you go to exactly once or arent a discount member of are going to charge you full price. If you have a relasionship with the shop they usually give you much lower prices since it keeps you coming back and they make much more money off you long term then just an expensive once and done job will.

 

Expensive filters.

 

T4 shell rotella 15w40 is around $85 per 5 gallon bucket where i live or i can get a 55 gallon drum around $980. 11 gallons at around $17 a gallon average $190 filters are what get me. The OEM kit for a MX is around $305 with the davco fuel filter as well. Oil sample $25

Around $510-525 depending if i get anything on sale. I live in the middle of bum#### nowhere so i gotta pay around $75 to get rid of 11 gallons of oil if my heater is full.

Yes i can get the filters cheaper online or use aftermarket. But the MX filters are so expensive that your as likely to get chinese counterfits that destroy your engine as not. So i dont play games and just bite the markup and get them from a pete dealer. That and MX engines are picky as #### and the aftermarket filters as as likely as not to cause issues even if they are "good" ones.

 

Its a pete. They add a zero to everything just because they can lol. And technically you can go 50 to 65k between changes......but.....i do them at 15k just because im using the severe duty cycle from my manual.

That and if i can get 15k out of a fuel filter without it clogging, then its a #### holiday miracle. Usually they turn jet black and get goopy after 10k or so and start to throw fuel pressure derates at me. Less if i use a lot of bio diesel. So i tend to not trust my oil filters to lsst a lot longer. As for shell my whole family has used it for 3 generations. I do too because reasons. That and with 1 million miles even if other stuff is cheaper.....i dont want to screw with the chemistry inside the engine.

 

The markup in HVAC is crazy. My son is a manager at a HVAC supplier. He handles the commercial side of the business but he can sale any of it. Got a buddy of his to install a new unit for my home. With the deal from my son and the buddy doing the work for a cash deal it cost me about a third of what the going price was.

 

Before trucking I used to work in an auto parts warehouse. Working in the warehouse and receiving the parts and posting them on the computer, I was able to see what the company paid for the parts and then what they did them for at the counter. The markup on most everything was 50% more than what they paid for it, and some items the markup was about 70% more! And this was back in 1986. The manufacturers are trying to make it to where the common working man can't even work on his own vehicles and will have to take it to a shop or dealer to get fixed. That is their end game! And it's B.S.!!

 

For what it’s worth, I noticed Peterbilt Lincoln, Nebraska seems to be cheaper than most dealerships out there on parts.