Can someone tell me how many book hours it takes to R&R a muffler system on a Durango 4WD SLT? I know I keep getting the short end of the stick. THOUSANDS of dollars "searching" for the reason for a check engine light. It finally gets fixed and comes back on after getting registered. Now the muffler... I'm disabled and cannot crawl under and do it myself anymore.

 

I don't know where you're located but around here, there are numerous muffler shops that can slap a new part on for you. Parts and labor $100-200

 

Thank you for the quick reply. I'm in California. The state that will suck you dry! $95 an hour labor. I know the part is only $85. But they'll take the retail price and double it and then add two hours of labor to it. That's my guess.

 

Buy an aftermarket one. Cut the old one out, buy a couple of adapters and muffler clamps. Done.

 

If you were working on the catalytic converter, yeah, that state would suck you dry. However, while the exhaust is part of the emissions system, the muffler just makes it quiet. It doesn't do anything for exhaust gasses. Find a cheapie muffler shop and they can do it for you. I think when you get away from San Francisco and L.A., it's not too bad.

I'm well aware of California being....different. I dread loading trucks to it as we have to load them special and usually cut the weight.

 

I'm disabled with a collapsed spine and I can't get under there and cut it out. Those days are over with. I sent a request to Midas which is a California company that specializes in mufflers for a quotes and they quoted me 100 to $500. That's quite a spread.

 

Fairly normal for them without actually seeing the vehicle. They don't know how much pipe they are going to have to replace.....

 

I've turned into and Olde Pharte myself and am accumulating an impressive number of surgery scars myself. You're right in that is a fairly wide spread. I only remember one $500 muffler and that was a one piece system with the pipes installed on a Mercedes.

 

Yea, getting old sucks! The replacement part is $85. That's the full part. All the way out the pipe. And I'm going to bet the book says it's a two-hour job when we all know you can do it in under an hour. Pop the old one out. Pop the new one in and you're done. But that's not how mechanics get paid. Especially if they're on commission. The sooner they get it done and move on to another vehicle the more money is in their paycheck. I know the game because I used to be part of it. That was a long long time ago. Now if I had to change a tire on my 4WD I have a hard time lifting the tire into place.

 

Meh... I fart dust and **** rust. Krazybob, what code are you getting for that light? You won't get a CEL for a bad muffler.