Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Check Engine Light (Cyl. 7-12) - 512TR -- Prize goes to Clyde

[Larry B (larrybard]

Nah, I'm a coward.  I was thinking of my car window.  While the car was 
stationary.  A symbolic act; penitence for another "Doh!" moment.
 
Don't know what the point would be to call the [d/st]ealership and ask why the 
high price.  What would you expect them to say, and what would it accomplish 
(other than, at a minimum, being a further irritant)?
 
Yes, I still do value the relationship (including the service), in spite of the 
high price.  (And, no, I'm not so foolish and naive as to believe that I'm 
somehow not paying handsomely for it; no free lunch, no free service.)  There 
are a few independents in my area who have excellent reputations, such as Mike 
Tillson.  Not inexpensive.  Oftentimes, when it comes to expertise, you get 
what you pay for.  (And, with readily fungible items, it absolutely pays to 
shop, if all indeed you need is a part, and not related service expertise.)

 

Bear in mind that, despite Clyde's educated guess, this started with a problem 
that needed to be diagnosed.  Sure, it turned out that a run of the mill O2 
sensor was needed.  But I didn't know that for sure, and wanted the services of 
a mechanic I had considerable confidence in.  I suppose I could have taken a 
chance and purchased a replacement sensor and brought it along hoping (probably 
in vain) that the dealer would be willing to use it.  Or gone to some other 
mechanic and tried the same thing.  But frankly something still rubs me the 
wrong way -- not that paying 3x the price of a part doesn't -- about going to 
an expert, having them diagnose a problem, and then going elsewhere for the 
actual repair.  Maybe I should just view it as rational unbundling.  And it's 
not as if I haven't ever shopped in a bricks and mortar expensive store, 
identified what I wanted, and then bought it for a fraction of the price 
online.  I'm normally extremely frugal (though maybe not competitive with the 
likes of Steve and Dennis).

 

Then there's the issue of what one's time is worth.  Let's not go there now, 
since I'm spending time typing this.

 

Larry
 
P.S.  Thank you, Jim, for yet another instance in which you've provided 
valuable facts.
 
> Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2009 17:08:14 -0500
> From: kjtar [at] cox.net
> To: larrybard [at] hotmail.com
> Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Check Engine Light (Cyl. 7-12) - 512TR -- Prize goes 
> to Clyde
> CC: ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com
> 
> Hope it's not a basement window. Or actually, probably better that way, hard 
> to kill yourself by jumping out a basement window. Now, the next step should 
> be for Larry to call the dealership (stealership) and find out why, given the 
> great disparity in prices for the same item, did they charge him so much? I 
> mean, yeah, it's a Ferrari dealership, not a Kia or Hyundai or whatever, but 
> my gosh...
> Basically you'd want to take this step only if you really don't value "the 
> relationship" you have with the dealer. Not, apparently, that it did any good 
> in this instance, anyway.
> 
> Kind regards,
> Tom
> 
> 
> ---- Larry B <larrybard [at] hotmail.com> wrote: 
> > 
> > Excuse me while I throw myself out my window.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2009 15:04:53 -0600
> > From: themightytoe [at] gmail.com
> > To: larrybard [at] hotmail.com
> > CC: ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com
> > Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Check Engine Light (Cyl. 7-12) - 512TR -- Prize goes 
> > to Clyde
> > 
> > Actually I found it for $32 here: http://www.familycar.com/
> > 
> > And for $28 for a 512 TR... $42 if you get the Bosch part. 
> > 
> > http://www.familycar.com/store/?Ntt=ferrari+512%20tr+oxygen+sensor&oes=true
> > 
> > Pays to shop around some times...
> > 
> > Mike
> > 
> > 
> > Larry B wrote: 
> > That's even more depressing than the $80 Mike said one cost for his car.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Not only was the price $338.87 (not including tax), but they told me that 
> > the price had just gone up to over $500 in December -- but they were giving 
> > me the pre-increase price. Wow, must have been my lucky day.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2009 13:18:25 -0500
> > Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Check Engine Light (Cyl. 7-12) - 512TR -- Prize goes 
> > to Clyde
> > From: pokiebaron [at] gmail.com
> > To: larrybard [at] hotmail.com
> > CC: ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com
> > 
> > Think I paid about $35 for a Bosch O2 for my old 911. Bet they rounded off 
> > the "work" to the nearest hour too. hee hee
> > 
> > Ed
> > 911SC
> > 
> > 
> > 2009/12/3 Larry B <larrybard [at] hotmail.com>
> > 
> > 
> > Well, Clyde's hypothesis was correct -- it was the O2 sensor. Of course, 
> > having had the dealer troubleshoot the problem (downloading the codes, 
> > etc.) and fix it, the work was far from cheap. The price of the Os sensor 
> > was a particular surprise -- not that I have a sense of what they cost for 
> > "ordinary" cars. But I believe it's a Bosch part, and quite possibly used 
> > by other cars. Makes me wonder if I could have purchased one that worked, 
> > though intended for another car -- and whether a dealer would agree to 
> > install a part they didn't provide (with their customary parts margins).
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Larry
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > ------Original Message------
> > From: Larry B
> > To: Clyde Romero
> > Cc: The FerrariList
> > Subject: [Ferrari] Check Engine Light (Cyl. 7-12) - 512TR
> > Sent: Nov 16, 2009 12:22 PM
> > 
> > 
> > Once again the warning light has appeared. If there isn't any noticeable 
> > adverse effect on performance (no missing, unusual sounds, atypical gauge 
> > readings), am I correct that (1) it's probably a loose wire and (2) no harm 
> > will probably result from driving it (at least 10 miles to my dealer, or 
> > another competent mechanic)?
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Thanks,
> > 
> > Larry
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