I had a shop install springs and do an alignment -- caster, camber and toe. They also did an oil change. It took them 6.5 hours. I figure an hour or less to swap springs (the rears practically change themselves) about 10 minutes for the oil change. So unless the mechanis is completely incompetnet, I don't see how an alignment can take that long -- even with lunch thrown in.

:x

Did they bill you for 6.5 hrs labor? Mechanics can clock what the book says, but they usually want to perform faster than the book. That way they can make more money.

Example. Springs replaced takes 1 hour on a lift in real time. 3 hours according to the service manual. The mechanic clocks 3 hrs and works 1. Perfectly legal.

If you're just mad about how long it took them, fogettaboutit and go somewhere else from now on.

Sounds like book time to me.

Mark44

They didn't charge me for an alignment, just the spring swap and oil change. For me the bigger issue was having my schedule screwed up. When I set the appointment and when I dropped the car off, they said about 2 hours, which sounds reasonable if someone just gets down and does the work. And because I set an appointment -- at a time they suggested -- I think that implies that's when they have an opening and that's when they'll start working on it, not 3 or 4 hours later, maybe after lunch.

So, no, I won't be going back.

Probably took them a couple hours to find the alignment specs...

I took my xb to my toyota dealer for the free oil change and an alignment after I put on my springs. Took them about an hour because there were other cars in line for the alignment.

springs, alignment, oil change. Should have taken about 2 1/2 hours tops. But if it was the first time with a scion than yeah, they had to have looked for the specs on the alignment.

no more than 2 hours tops to do all of that. they could have changed the oil while doing the rear springs. Or even when changing out the front springs. even when I got my first alignment, less than a month having my xB, I used the echo specs. yup, sounds like book time.

Was it there first time with an xB? Maybe you should have found a scion friendly shop in your area.

I do alignments almost all day,ya lots a fun :roll: On average I can do a four wheel alignment in 20 minutes,most of my time is spent hooking up the heads,we have an older machine but I also do calibrate it at least evey two weeks myself so I know it is accurate.Then there are times when you have to install a camber kit or two and that does take more time,messing with shims on older vehicles,frozen rusted parts,time to break out the torch etc can be timely as well.Still haven't done one on an xB,including my own,don't have the specs yet but ordered a new disc yesterday and should have the 05 specs next week

1 to 2 hour job is all it takes down here.

6.5 hrs---did the mechanic take a five hour break to watch csi reruns?? OMG- was the guy a "knuckle dragging mouth breather"? (as quoted by one of the mods from another topic) Damn. you've got patience.

Are you talking about Stadium Toyota in Tampa, because I swear it's an exact duplication of what I have gone through due to their lack of care and/or wealth of incompetence. It's a shame, because through Scion the dealers have a chance to reinvent their image. In my experience they have failed, and they have screwed up so miserably that I will never again buy a Toyota product unless it's used and not dealer-serviced.

I just had a service and alignment and it all got done while I waited took about 45min total.