We got a call from the Tucson Dodge dealer on Friday that our power steering cooler parts had come in, so I made an appointment to go in on Saturday to have the work done and to have them fix the suspension squeaking.
We left at 6:30 a.m. in the dark to get there for an 8:15 appointment. One of the first things I wanted them to do when we arrived was to go out with me to hear the squeak. It was a cool morning and the squeaking didn't start until we were almost to Tucson—it is temperature-dependent and something heats up after going over a bumpy road for a while and starts squeaking. We even went around the block an extra time when we got to the dealer to make sure it would have enough bumpiness to demonstrate the problem. We thought that it was on the right front side.
After about a 15-minute delay, the mechanic climbed into the passenger seat and we started off. No squeak over the same section of road Ellen and I had just tested it on. The mechanic probably weighed about 200 pounds more than Ellen. His weigh seems to have been enough to dampen the motion so it didn't squeak. We managed to hear a small creaking noise and he thought it was coming from the rear. I certainly couldn't tell at that point and was quite frustrated that it couldn't be reproduced with him in the van ... not as frustrated as I'd be later. They took the van to fix the power steering leak and the supposed rear squeak, while I went to talk to the service manager about parts prices.
The prices they charged for the steering parts seemed rather high so last night I went online to see what they were there. As I suspected they were much lower. For example, for the idler arms (the ones that had already been replaced twice) the dealer charged us $219 each. I found the same part, same manufacturer, same part number, at a large online parts supplier, RockAuto, for $62. Thinking that this wasn't quite fair, I went to the manufacturer site to try to find list price. It directed me to their local dealer, O'Reilly Auto Parts, where they were $132. Most of the other parts were similarly priced.
I questioned why there was such an enormous markup on the parts and the Saturday service manager said he'd ask the parts guys. He came back and told me that they got the parts from another local dealer Merle's Auto and that is what they had paid. Off he went. This seemed a bit unlikely to me, so I gave the local Merle's a call and they quoted $129, less than O'Reilly.
Meanwhile, our usual service advisor came back to tell us that they had gotten the wrong part for the power steering cooler. They'd ordered a transmission cooler instead and they were having trouble finding the right part and it would be about $150 plus freight to get it. At that point I figured that I might try looking online, where I found it for about $80 with free shipping. While I was at it, I gave a look at the Tucson Dodge online parts site, where they listed it for $54. Hmmm ... maybe I should look up the idler arm—$144 at there own site. Time to talk to the service manager again.
Time for another song and dance. The explanation this time was that they only charged that price online, that the shipping charge made up the difference. While he was there, I put the part into the online cart and calculated shipping to Tucson, $16. We were still $60 apart, why? Well, they charge list price here at the dealership. "You mean that if I walk in and buy the part, they run down the street and pick it up for no more than $129 and turn around and sell it to me for $219, but if I order it online, I get it for less"? "Yes". Let's just say that a nasty letter to the Service Manager, the Parts Manager, the General Manager and Chrysler is forthcoming.
So we left it that I would find the power steering part (maybe online from their own parts department) and get back to them when I've found it (or maybe I'll find someone else to do it).
They told me that the mechanic had found the source of the squeak and fixed it. It was metal to metal contact in the springs since the insulators between the leaves had worn, as had the spring bushings. The service manager said that the bushing had been replaced and there would be no charge. When I went to pick up the keys and paperwork from the service advisor and it only said that they lubricated the springs and bushings and the noise went away. No new bushings. We left.
The noise went away just long enough for us to do our shopping and get onto Route 86, Ajo Highway, then it came back just the same as ever and from the front. After we got onto the Sasabe Road, Ellen took over driving so that I could try to listen and pinpoint it. It was coming from just under the passenger seat. There is a large rod connected to the suspension that terminates there with a rubber bushing. Some online searching identifies it as a strut rod and strut rod bushings and if the bushings fail it can make a noise. Makes sense. Do I bring it back to Dodge?
At least the end of the day was good. We arrived back at the refuge just in time for a spectacular sunset and as we approached the Sonoran Outpost gate, a Great Horned Owl was waiting, sitting on the gate fence post. He moved down the fence when we pulled up the gate, but it was a good view.
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