Average cost/time to rewire headlights?

[Ozzy1]

Hi all

Bit of a difficult question to answer as there are so many variables, but am picking my stag up tomorrow having had the lights done and I could do with a ball park figure to potentially 'discuss' the price with the guy who has taken two weeks:?to sort the problem and I want to have a bit of ammo to hand in case he tells me that it was a huge job and that's just how long it takes (if that makes sence) - I don't want to rip the guy off at all, just make sure he is not ripping me off.

The lights were not working at all properly - head on near side not working, and when you then turned the lights off, the dips came on??? Anyway, the wiring was pretty grim (alot of additions over the years - previous owners) and so I asked the mechanic (classic car guy but not stag specialist) to try to sort it out simply, but if not getting anywhere, then to just start a new. After spending more time trying to get the existing wiring to work than I had envisaged, and then giving up on it, he has nowrewired them (after adding a new head/dip switch and earth leadwhich I got for him as well), and now it's ready (tomorrow) but I am slightly concerned that the bill may be 6,7,£800 or more at £35/hr for at least 3 days work in that 2 week period if not even more. So as I said before I started boring you all is,.. if he had been any good at his job, how much time should it have taken a 'competent' mechanic?

Any vague suggestions would be very much appreciated

Regards

Ozzy the Pom

[V Mad]

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The advice I would give to anyone who is using an unfamiliar garageis to ask for an estimate, and to discuss best/worst case scenarios before having any work done. If it sounds unrealistic then get another opinion. Ask on the forum for recommended placesfor getting work done. If there are no local 'good guys' why not consider driving to another area when it could save you hundreds and get a better job done.

If headlights are not working, the usual problems are bullet connectors corroded, but also main or column switches faulty, fuses, fuse holderorother connector problems. When someone talks about a 'rewire' what does that mean? The wiring itself is not usually faulty, so it is misleading. If you are rebuilding a car from scratch then you will want to consider all new wiring looms, but replacing looms on a running car is mostly unnecessary and expensive as access if difficult, and they can often be repaired in situ. Even then anything approaching £6/7/800 is outrageous IMO. If that is what you expect I wonderwhyyou wouldlet them loose on your car.Moraystags experiencemade me cringe with sympathy; andshould be a lesson well learnt.

I have just had a car in with a sorry story. He left it with a local garage, and after keeping it 3 months, they apparently screwed it up. On the way over to me it broke down, and we found that the carbs had fallen offbecause the thread had stripped on the manifold. Also plug leads had gone and carbs were well out of balance. How did they manage to miss all that? To cap it all he claims they dented the wing in three places :shock: I just hear too many stories like this. :X

[singapore stag]

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I could get a small flat rewired for 6-800 pounds, far far too much. Firstly the fault is already known, lights not working as they should. So it's really straight forward, armed with a multimeter its not too difficult finding out the cause.

Whatdid the mechanic do in the time hehas spent with the car?, if he was to write an essay about it I bet it would not even cover half a page.

Sukh

[Ozzy1]

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Thanks for the advice guys.

It may be a leason learned for me, I'm picking the car up in half an hour so will see just what the damage is. I know that he was complaining that all the wires he touched seemed to fall apart (lots just twisted together and then taped up) and that there were loads of different wires all 'bodged' together with absolutely no colour coding used and in many cases having apparently no use- will just have to see.

Cheers

While we're here then, can anyone recommend a reputable place for work around the Diss area (south norfolk/north suffolk) border?

[BlueMK2]

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Wiring looms are a pain to fit, I know I was going to replace the main loom in my Stag, the cost for just the main loom is £235.00 and BL time book says seven hours, so if the garage is charging £55.00 an hour that’s £728.50 including VAT and that does not include the dash wiring, centre console wiring, relay board and the harness that goes to the rear lights and interior lights, change the lot and you could be looking at over £1,000.00. I spent half a day trying to find a bad connection in my loom I was about to give up and thought I will just have a look at this bunch of wires and I found it, now if I had looked there first I would not have missed my dinner. So in answer to your question, how long is a piece of string or how honest is your garage, did they find the fault quickly and just kept your Stag to make it look like they were having problems finding it or maybe they did have problems finding the fault, but headlamp wiring is not that difficult. Always go to a garage you know or has been recommended to you, I have used Enginuity a couple of times, not cheap but there work is very good, they even gave me the Stag back cleaned.

[Ozzy1]

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Thanks again for the advise

Have now collected and it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be - £475 plus vat (which included oil change which I supplied the oil & filter), he showed me numerous other minor tidy ups he had done, and I'm pretty sure he didn't charge me for all the time it actually spent on it - (I think he was a bit embarrased just how long it took), so not as cheap a fix as I was hoping, but everything (lights related anyway) now working so am happy..... or I was until it just failed the MOT:X this morning on a small chassis hole, but that's a lot more straight forward (and cheaper) to sort.

Thanks again all

Ozzy