Howdy,
I took our '97 Mazda Protege in, it was getting too hot when the A/C was on. The shop I took it to (an independent, Mazda-only, mechanic shop) pressure-tested the coolant system (no leaks), checked the two fans' operation, and coolant level (I checked the coolant level before I took it in and it was fine). After finding nothing wrong with any of the above, they pulled the thermostat and used a heat gun to test it's behaviour (does it open at the right temp).
They said the thermostat's behaviour was erratic, and replaced the thermostat and the thermostat gasket. Repair bill total was $117. Thermostat + gasket was around $10, the rest was labor.
Now, I have never replaced a thermostat in the Protege, but I have in about every other car I have owned, and it has always been an easy repair, both ability-wise and time-wise. It is usually the first thing I try when I notice a cooling problem because it is cheap and easy to do. This time, I didn't because I don't have the time to do it right now.
My questions are basically this: is this thermostat harder to get to that most others, taking more time? And, is $117 too much for the work described above? I forget their hourly rate, but I think it is between $50-$60/hour, so I was charged for somewhere between an hour and two hours labor.
The problem is gone now, so that's all it was. I am just wondering if I should use this shop again should I need to take the Protege in sometime in the future for whatever, or if they are unreasonable in cost. I chose them based on the recommendation of two people who said they did good work and were honest and reliable. I have no qualms about their server; they were timely and got the job done when they said they would, and of course that is worth something in and of itself.
Any opinions?
Thanks,
Scott