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$151 to turn my Daylight Running Lights on!!!

4K views 31 replies 18 participants last post by  Ddaddy 
#1 ·
WHAT THE F%*@! Oh my god I am so angry! How is that even possible.

I hate the local Dodge Dealership!
 
#2 ·
Ouch.

How long did it take them?
 
#5 ·
The tech that's trained on this stuff can literally do it in 5 minutes or less. But we all know about "book time".
 
#4 ·
Sigh. Yup, same for me when I brought the Cool Vanilla Magnum home from Jason.

$150 is about what they charged me. It's 0.5 hours (maybe 0.75; no reason for this much time) plus tech fees (use of the diagnostic equipment) plus a little more for something else I can't recall.
 
#6 ·
Do they have a minimum 1 hour charge or something???

Even if they did what's the hourly rate?

That is gouging; plain and simple.
 
#9 ·
He was under the impression that he could turn them on in the MDS.

Oh well... it is what it is. I'm going to look over the bill and see how the heck they came to that price and then just deal with it. It's done, they are on, my car passed safety. Life's good.
 
#16 ·
Thats crazy for it to be that much. Holy crap.
 
#19 · (Edited)
And this seems to work as well. A lot cheaper too. I checked the vehicle support list, they do support up to 2010 Dodge Charger. They function as Starscan, but you dont need to connect to dealer-connect to use it.

I am seriously considering one right now.

Down side? Well, you might void your warranty.

http://www.autoenginuity.com/order.html
 
#20 ·
This pops up when I was suffering the Jeep forum(my previous ride was a Jeep compass). Seems quite legit. Kudos to the Jeep bros for finding something new.

This tool does have capability of programming CANBus based features.
 
#29 ·
Oh, it's not just your dealership....that looks to be the standard labor charge for doing that. My parents had them activated on their '06 300C, and that's around what it cost them as well.

So no, it's not just that particular dealership.
 
#22 ·
I'm not sure what your "daylight running lights" function is myself. Couldn't you just turn on the parking lights or is it something different and why was it not working before if you needed it?

As to the charges, it's ridiculous to me, but then it isn't my business to run..I installed a set of fog lights on mine and they wanted $105 or so to turn 'em on with the scanner..I mean plug it in and hit "enable" on the programming switch..I passed..

I went home and used a couple of relays off of the wiring harness and made 'em all work via relay. I did install a toggle inside to keep them off in any occasion if I just don't want them on..Turn on parking lights and fogs light up, normal working with the headlights and hit the high beam and they go off..Took me about two hours to wire it all up. Cost me about $15..

Griz
 
#27 ·
She is from Ontario and brought the car up from the States. Daytime running lights are federal law in Canada and considered a part of the vehicle safety. As such, they must operate as part of the vehicles provincial safety inspection.
 
#24 ·
It's stuff like this why people don't use the dealerships more. They screw themselves if you ask me by raping customers for the smaller stuff.

I know the equipment costs the dealership money but they don't need to make it all back on me...lol
 
#25 ·
what do you mean turn on daytime running lights?
 
#30 ·
Most of the programming is done with the star scan.
It cost me $48.00 with tax just to program and cut the key on my new key FOB.

The dealership wanted $152 and change + tax for the Key FOB alone.
I bought one on E-Bay for $63.00 and had some E-bay bucks: cost me: $47.00.

Unless it has to be done by the dealership, look elsewhere for a good mechanic.
 
#31 ·
Wait so in Canada you HAVE to have your lights on in the daytime? Because before I read that I was like why not just turn your lights on and forget that fee... but I guess that makes sense.. Glad to hear you finally got your Sublime all taken care of!
 
#32 ·
In case you want to know more about DRLs...


"DRLs were first mandated in Scandinavian countries, where ambient light levels in the winter are generally low even during the day. Sweden was the first country to require widespread DRLs in 1977. At the time, the function was known as varselljus ("perception light" or "notice light"). The initial regulations in these countries favored devices incorporating 21-watt signal bulbs identical to those used in brake lamps and turn signals, producing yellow or white light of approximately 400 to 600 candelas on axis, mounted at the outer left and right edges of the front of the vehicle. Finland adopted a daytime-light requirement in 1972 on rural roads in wintertime, and in 1982 on rural roads in summertime and 1997 on all roads all year long; Norway in 1986, Iceland in 1988, and Denmark in 1990. To increase manufacturer flexibility in complying with the requirement for DRLs, the daytime illumination of low-beam headlights was added as an optional implementation. Given the headlamp specifications in use in those countries, such an implementation would produce approximately 450 cd axially.

Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 requires DRLs on all new vehicles made or imported after January 1, 1990. Canada's proposed DRL regulation was essentially similar to regulations in place in Scandinavia, with an axial luminous intensity limit of 1,500 candela, but automakers claimed it was too expensive to add a new front lighting device, and would increase warranty costs (by dint of increased bulb replacements) to run the low beams. After a pitched regulatory battle, the standard was rewritten to permit the use of reduced-voltage high beam headlamps producing up to 7,000 axial candela, as well as permitting any light color from white to amber or selective yellow. These changes to the regulation permitted automakers to implement a less costly DRL, such as by connecting the high beam filaments in series to supply each filament with half its rated voltage, or by burning the front turn signals full time except when they are actually flashing as turn indicators."
 
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