XPost: alt.home.repair   
   From: kludge@panix.com   
      
   micky   wrote:   
   >   
   >I'm trying to get rid of some engine trouble codes, and I need to   
   >install 2 or 4 oxygen sensors.   I know I can install one of them, and   
   >if I find a place where I can jack up the car and work underneath, I can   
   >probably do the remaining 2 or 3. I'd prefer to do it myself mostly for   
   >the satisfaction and bragging rights, but also to save money.   
      
   What makes you think the oxygen sensors have anything to do with your   
   problem?  If you're getting errors saying that sensors are out of range,   
   it might well be because they are accurately measuring an exhaust that   
   is out of range.  Especially if you're seeing more than one.   
      
   >For no special reason except that I think I know how the world works,   
   >I've always felt that if I buy parts and bring them to a shop to be   
   >installed, the owner will make up the loss in profits on selling the   
   >parts with an increased charge for labor, or something, on the theory   
   >that the job takes the same amount of time minus 10 minutes to order the   
   >parts, and he shouldn't be deprived of the normal income.   
   >   
   >Is this true?   
      
   If you take O2 sensors to a shop and tell them to replace them, they will   
   replace them.  Depending on how they are feeling that day and if they like   
   you, you may get a PIA charge for bringing in your own parts and being a   
   pain in the ass.   
      
   This means that if your problem is not bad sensors that you have just   
   wasted a lot of money, both in the parts you bought unnecessarily and in   
   the labour you paid them to do unnecessary work.   
      
   Replacing the sensors could be trivial or it could be a major pain in   
   the neck depending on how rusty things are and how well-kept things are.   
   If the last person that changed the sensors used anti-seize, it will   
   greatly reduce the work needed.   
      
   But before I'd go swapping parts at random, I'd make sure that I knew   
   what was actually wrong.  A shop that is truly honest is likely to   
   tell you they won't do any work without spending time on a proper diagnosis   
   first.   
   --scott   
      
   --   
   "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)