$200 to adjust valves

My local Honda dealer wanted $200 to adjust the valves on my 2 cylinder 4010 Kawasaki mule. So, I ordered a Kawasaki shop manual from them to do the job myself. It's the same manual their mechanics use. Got it today and read up on how to do the job. First the manual wanted me to remove the right fender, the drive shaft going to the front end, then the alternator cover which has shifter cables connected to the same bolts holding the cover in place.

So, I called another dealer. He said it shouldn't take more than an hour and a half, $100. Then he told me the easy way to do the job. Remove the spark plugs and valve covers. Then remove the air inlet hose on the clutch side. Use a 19mm socket on an extension and use the nut on the end of crankshaft. Put a plastic tube in spark plug hole and and turn engine to get TDC. If you are on the compression stroke, valves should be free. If not try again.

Start to finish took me about 30 minutes. My valves were spot on. Kaw recommended checking the valves with the first oil change, 50 hrs. Honda did my first service. Charged me about $175. Recently I learned they only changed my oil and didn't look at the valves.

They will never work on my mule again. $175 for 2 qts engine oil, a filter and less than 4 qts of 80w limited slip differential oil. WHAT A RIP OFF. I change my own oil and checked my valves.

I was also told JD gators uses the same Kaw engine.

Buying the mule was your first mistake. :wink:

The boss doesn't think so. She uses it everyday doing yard work. She loves it.
Wouldn't be without it. I think it's better than some gators that only have 2 wheel
drive, have a small bed, no roll bar, no power steering, no hydraulic brake. Only have
on brakes rear wheels.

Seems to me that some time in the past, Honda of America was sued by the US Justice department over price fixing, kickbacks, and generally fraudulent and predatory business practices.
Moral of the story is when you do business with crooks, you generally come out second best. Confucius say: "he who lie down with dogs get up with fleas."

My mother's uncle bought a new john Deere push mower in the spring. This summer he took it back to the dealer for an oil change and blade sharpening. The dealer told him it would be cheaper to buy another push mower.

They were going to charge him $100 per hrs. The same they charge for farm equipment.

Every thing is better than a Gator.

Hey our Honda car has a "Lifetime Warranty" on the seat belts, the catch you have to agree to pay $100 for them to "diagnose" the seat belts. So in effect they want me to agree for them to look at the seat belt and say "yep it's frayed" and pay them $100. Ah but it gets better if you check your car in to service and pay for the diagnosis they won't approve the warranty claim unless you were to buy the overpriced and un-needed transmission and or radiator flush. However I have heard if your a loyal supporter of the $75 "service" (which is an oil change and to check a list of stuff they really don't check) they'll wave the diagnostic fee, think of it as pre-paying the warranty diagnostic fee. Since it's been 24 1/2 years since I went to Honda for the recommended scheduled service that $75 oil change is probably more like $130.

The car will be 25 years old this December and has 291,000 miles on it, the most expensive repair to date was an A/C compressor. It still runs good we just don't take it out of the local area anymore due to the mileage. Our Honda push mower is now over 25 years old, during the first 5 years we lived in Florida and mowed 50 weeks out of the year. The second 5 years we live in Tennessee and mowed from early March to late December

Geo-th,In, you must have bought a cheap model, both of my gators are fully loaded with options...no kaw motor and no problems

I went to small engine warehouse. They show the gator using the kaw engine.

Perhaps not all gators use the kaw engine. My JD garden tractor uses a kaw engine too.

My 4010 mule is a fuel injected water cooled engine.
gator using kaw engine

have two 825i gators both have 3 cyl motors in them, water cooled, fuel injected and run real good

What brand of engine does your mule have in it. Mine has a Kawasaki 620 in it.It is a 2006 and have not had any trouble with it yet. Use it almost everyday

good job
I lost my 'they must be magic' awe of dealers when I got out of school and went to work as a line mechanic......at a car dealership.
Started out as the 'leaks and squeaks' guy of course...just as green as grass and talented as a stump.
Older guys there made me better and I learned a lot while I was there.
But...when hired....
[b:9bfc6335c2]I[/b:9bfc6335c2] was that highly trained dealer mechanic you pay high dollars for.
Do it yourself, I guarantee you are all better than I was back then.

2012 4010 mule 617cc engine
4010 mule

If you owned a Honda place servicing Kaws what would you need to charge for that job to service overhead, make a reasonable profit and keep the doors open?

Putting yourself on that scenario, George, what do YOU think would be "fair"?

What would YOU charge?

Bob,
The maintenance schedule for a 4010 mule recommends an oil change at the first 50 hrs along with checking the valve adjustment. I took the mule in for it first scheduled maintenance, oil change and valve adjustment. Paid $175 for just the first oil change only to learn 3 years later, Honda didn't check the valves. Good thing the valves were good and I didn't have any burnt ones. I would have been hot if they were.

If anyone wants I will be glad to spend 30 minutes to check their valves for $200 and change their oil in about 60 minutes for $175.

You are right, running a business has overhead expenses that the average person doesn't know about, insurance, utilities, SS taxes, unemployment taxes both state and federal, rent, wages and sure I left a few out.

Overhead expenses is why many dealerships go out of business.

I'm cheap, I like to do the work myself. Not to mention, only kids are working at Honda. That scares me.

(quoted from post at 23:48:11 08/19/15) If you owned a Honda place servicing Kaws what would you need to charge for that job to service overhead, make a reasonable profit and keep the doors open?

Putting yourself on that scenario, George, what do YOU think would be "fair"?

What would YOU charge?

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Six years of abundant administration following two years of campaigning has America convinced that all businesses always make big profits.