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Cost to supply and fit new alternator

1K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  NooNoo 
#1 ·
Quick question:
I had to take Golf 4 to usual friend of a friend garage because the alternator died,
He's just replaced it with "genuine quality" part.
Cost £284.
I've not seen what he's fitted yet.
He didn't mention a new belt, or anything else. The belt is only about 2 years old.
I see on Euro car parts, the most expensive Bosch is £174.
So that's about £110 labour.
Seems a lot for a simple job. Is it?
I used to happily do this sort of thing myself when I had an old Triumph, but I've lost confidence, interest and motivation, and probably dexterity to fiddle in such a complex engine bay now.
 
#3 ·
That seems excessive... pretty sure DIY remove and refit alternator on our old pd130 golf was under an hour.
It was a few years ago so my timing might be off but I remember it being relatively simple.
I did the alternstor on my Mk5 last year and it was a PITA because of the tight packaging and only having a basic tool kit but for a pro with better kit I would say an hour would be reasonable.

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#5 ·
Well I've been out with a torch and phone camera, and the new alternator is a Bosch, the most expensive! I am surprised he didn't mention that instead of calling it "genuine quality" which sounds very dubious!
It is model 0124325001 14V, 90A, they cost £175 from Euro Car Parts.
He also took the pulley off the old alternator because it was a new one fitted about 18 months ago after the old one sheared off. So I've got that.

I think my mechanical skills are probably on a par with Gerrywac, rather than "Evil". My days of finding jobs on the car to be a doddle and whipping things off are long gone - I now look at it and think, it looks like I can do it, but also looks like hidden problems too. So now I go to the garage for just about everything.

This isn't the first time this bloke (a one man band) has charged me what seems a lot.
A few years ago a service, mot and cam belt was £625, I don't think he changed the water pump, but would have done the accessory belt. Still seems a bit steep.

I did try another garage where the next door neighbour works, and I got charged £425 for MoT, basic service, and few small jobs. So even they are taking the pi55. I know I should have asked for a quote first.

I trust these people to do a good job (well I think they do), just not sure I trust them not to overcharge because the know they can get away with it. I guess they are all business men at the end of the day.

I'll probably never know how much labour he charged (unless I ask). I still assume about 100, based on the alternator was likely 180 ish. The invoice just said supply and fit genuine quality alternator, and had the bottom line cost £284.

Anyway, thank you both for your interest!
 
#6 ·
The garage we use charged us about £350 to do cambelt and water pump on our Golf.

I think Gerry does more spannering than we do these days, I don't mind dabbling with the easy stuff but the garage gets most of it now.

We do supply the parts wherever possible though. That way we have control over what's fitted and can shop around for a good price.
 
#7 ·
Mwah 'm not the youngest anymore and still pull a car apartbecause as soon as i hear the qoutes it get's my back up... f-that i'll do it myself thank you very much is what they usually hear... and than they are amazed when they see my car back at MOT time with new parts, and fitted perfectly fine and noticeable cleaner than they would do it....

Long story short I utilize the good days in summer now to do all the jobs i want doing, regardless of the parts still being okay-ish... i rather replace the lot with new parts i get myself so i decide what quality the car get's... there are only 3 things i have done nowadays, MOT, tires and alignment... but all the other stuff including bushes etc i do myself...

I suggest you start doing it again, the older i get the more methodical i actually attack the jobs, and what ever took me an hour a few years ago is now about 35 minutes including getting my tools out. Except for pulling the geabox that with my daily is a right PITA... where on a mk4 golf it's a total of about 16 bolts on my daily it's a total of 39 bolts, and 3 engine mounts that need to be removed. and that would be way more if i left the bottom engine cover on... I removed it and never put it back.

I save a lot on doing all that work myself, and i spend it on better quality parts and fuel.
 
#8 ·
I will never, ever, be involved with fitting a clutch again. Ever.

Ever.

Ripping out the SAI and that was about as down and dirty as I want to be these days I think. I got bloody sunstroke!!
Still putting off drilling the holes for the K-brace (and wiring the boost gauge, it's getting the wiring through the bulkhead that's bugging me now - and I hate removing the scuttle).

Sorry.. slight hijack..

OP... if it's possible have a look at what needs doing.. plenty of things on the mk4 are accessible if you know one end of a spanner from the other..
 
#9 ·
I will never, ever, be involved with fitting a clutch again. Ever.

Ever.
LOL i still got a thumb out of place [emoji23][emoji38][emoji23] But yeah the daily made me pull the gearbox 3 times already, first was dmf gone, replaced with SMF with matching clutch and beefed up CSC, than the clutch imploded, needed to replace that with one of a better brand that held more torque and BHP, than this year the CSC decided to pop a seal... so had to pull the gearbox again to replace that... had a better quality one laying about anyway so put that one on... in total that took me 5 days doing it all by myself... no help from anyone as my neighbor was either working or came home in pain already...

And guess what no broken fingers or any other injuries other than body hurting from the weird positions i was laying in...
back to ontopic:

as i said if you can DIY i suggest you do it it would have saved you a nice 100 pounds. that is 2 full tanks of fuel, 10 crates of beer and about 19 fastfood burger menus with some change spare!
 
#10 ·
That’s abit extreme labour is normally 60-70 an hour from standard garages ur price for the alternator is more than a garages as they get a lot of discount


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#11 ·
That’s abit extreme labour is normally 60-70 an hour from standard garages ur price for the alternator is more than a garages as they get a lot of discount
well they do have to make sure they recover their losses from the pandemic measures, so just as everything else their prices have gone up.... DIY if you can and want to save some money, have it done if you don't have the time and need it done asap.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I'd say that was ok-ish. On the high side.

Where you could have saved money is by buying just the regulator for £60. The bodies are rock solid, other than wear on the commutator.
It's also less labour intensive. I have never swapped an alternator on a mk4/TT. My MK4 has had 3 regs in 166k. My mates TT has had 2 and my mum's MK4 (gone now) had 2.

I will say the commutator is looking rather worn on mine now. There is a step in the copper where the brushes run.

:)

Edit: The problem with my mates 3.2TT was that the whole bumper and crash beam had to be detached from the chassis rails to get access. We used to pull the whole lot 6-8 inches forward, meh.
 
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