Skip the Ripoff: Do Small Repairs Yourself
We probably all have horror stories about being taken advantage of at a dealership service department. While some car repairs should be left to the professionals, the fact of the matter is, it's often easier to do something yourself than you might think.
Case in point: An overly zealous valet broke the window switch on my 2001 BMW 325Ci. I called around for repair estimates, and was quoted anywhere from $140 to more than $200 to fix it (one Los Angeles-area dealership wanted $145 just to "diagnose" the problem -- parts and labor were extra). The service advisers all left me with the impression that it was quite a laborious job, because "you can't just pop the window switch off and install a new one, you have to take off the entire center console."
Instead of blindly believing their stories, I did some research online with the help of a friend to see just how difficult it would be to install the switch myself. Lo and behold, I found a priceless resource of how-to info for my car that seems to have been put together by one or more enthusiasts who just like working on their cars (the site is an unofficial collection of information and is not associated with the manufacturer).
Turns out the job was as simple as popping off the shifter boot, removing four screws, lifting up the loose section of console and unplugging the old switch. And the entire console did not have to come off, contrary to what I'd been told.
As for the part, I found it online from a few different places for about 50 bucks.
Installation was a snap, and thanks to careful research, I was able to replace the switch in about 15 minutes. And it cost me only a fraction of what the dealer would have charged -- never mind the time I would have been without my car.
Of course, these circumstances were all specific to my car, but you'd be surprised what kind of information you can find -- and how much time and money you can save -- with just a little digging.
Originally posted at Edmunds.com