Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting MIL P0420

Took car to Autozone pulled code of P0420, they could not reset light. Looked on forums about code, could be cats or could be o2 sensors. Saw that converters should still be covered under the 8 yr 80k mile warranty, but also was a possible reflash on computer.

Thought it could not be that bad. Took to Maxwell Ford in Austin.

$135 to reflash the computer, $13.50 for hazardous waste fee/Disposal plus tax. I asked about what was disposed, but they would not say and would not take the charge off.

Just an additional 10% profit. Too bad I did not have the time to do it myself, I feel sorry for those who cannot do any car repairs at all and get ripped off all the time by the stealerships.

Hope the CEL doesn't come back. I've never heard of "reflashing" the computer. You can clear codes by disconnecting the positive battery terminal for 20 minutes.

This thread deals with P0420 you can also use the search function and find more

If the "reflash" worked then great, but if it comes back
1: Go back to the dealership and get your $$ back
2: Spend some $$ to get it fixed

Good luck!
EDIT
I did a search on reflash, there are a few, but that's the first time I've heard of it, and I spend WAY too much time on CEG

I think that is what the dealer did, I just had a problem with the extra 10% charge for hazardous waste disposal when all they did was connect to the computer and reprogram the PCM.

I had checked on here prior to taking it in, hoping that if the cats are going bad they would do that instead of the reprogramming. $135 plus additional 10% for hazardous waste disposal is a good profit center for reprogramming your computer according to the TSB

The hazardous waste fee was when the guy who gets the bill craps his pants. LOL...I would have gotten him to top up my halogen fluid at the same time...LOL Thats the best one I have heard in a long time. Take that back and ask to see the manager...ask what moron charges hazardous waste fee for a reflash.

They wouldn't tell you what it was and you paid it?

PT Barnum was right. Sucker born every minute.

The hazardous waste fee is usually a fixed percentage of the repair ticket, regardless of the type of work done. Its too hard to charge specific customers hazardous waste fees based on the work done on their cars, so most dealers around here just tack on an additional percentage on everybody's bills to cover the state and federal permits required, hazardous waste disposal costs, etc.

I don't complain, since I work for the agency that is implementing those environmental rules and forcing those costs on the dealers.

Control and disposal of "hazardous waste" is part of the overhead of the dealership.

It should be incorporated into the shop rate instead of tacked on as a surcharge.

Adding it as a surcharge allows the dealer to advertise or post an hourly rate that might seem competitive but when the 10% surcharge is added would not be competitive with other service providers.

IMHO, this is a blatant case of failing to advise customers of the true cost of service. Falls into the same category as "documentation fees" on the purchase of a vehicle.

Steve