Benchmark for handbrake unit change?

el_espiritu · 10-03-2007, 11:30 PM

Hey guys,

can anyone tell me what't the official benchmark value in hours to change the handbrake unit in the interior cabin of an alero?

I'm supposed to pay 214 EUR (appr. 302 US$) cause my dealer (official Chevrolet & Cadillac dealer) doesn't had the right tool for the screws and needed over 2 hours to change it....

I'm not willing to pay that amount.
Would be great if anyone could help me with a few facts.

[ion] C2 · 10-03-2007, 11:32 PM

To replace it with a stock one or aftermarket? I know it's a pain in the ass.. that's it.

el_espiritu · 10-04-2007, 12:29 AM

Replace it with stock for sure. Is there any replace part.....? I'm not sure if you are sure what I mean? It's the handbrake lever including the break function and the take-up for the handbrake bowden cable.

What do you mean with "I know it's a pain in the ass.. that's it." ?
As far as I saw it, with the right tool, it shouldn't be more than 1 hour to change it.

Cliff8928 · 10-04-2007, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Remove the front seats.
Remove the console trim plate
Remove the rear cupholder to access the rear retaining screws
Remove the front retaining screws
Remove the console
Disconnect the electrical connector at the parking brake indicator switch
Raise and suitably support the vehicle
Remove the front parking brake cable from the equalizer.
Pull the cable toward the lever to gain enough slack to remove the cable from the lever reel and disconnect the cable barrel.
Remove the cable from the lever using the special tool.
Remove the three parking brake lever assembly nuts.
Remove the parking brake lever assembly.
Remove the parking brake indicator switch.

All that has to be done to get it out, and then it all has to be put back together.

el_espiritu · 10-04-2007, 06:15 AM

Remove Front seats was not done, cause screws behind them were already missing on mine.

And this one here:

"Raise and suitably support the vehicle"
"Remove the front parking brake cable from the equalizer."

Why that...? The cable in the interior room is fixed at the handbrake. You need to loose it, change brake unit and tighten it again at new unit.
Nothing needs to be done from the side under the car!

That's my understanding on it...

el_espiritu · 10-04-2007, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff

All that has to be done to get it out, and then it all has to be put back together.

Do you have a given time from GM for this work?

Cliff8928 · 10-04-2007, 12:14 PM

I just have the service manual, unfortunately I don't have any labor time guide information.

lonnie · 10-04-2007, 03:23 PM

When did the worth of EUR become higher then the US dollar. What the hell?

zoomie · 10-04-2007, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by el_espiritu

Hey guys,

can anyone tell me what't the official benchmark value in hours to change the handbrake unit in the interior cabin of an alero?

I'm supposed to pay 214 EUR (appr. 302 US$) cause my dealer (official Chevrolet & Cadillac dealer) doesn't had the right tool for the screws and needed over 2 hours to change it....

I'm not willing to pay that amount.
Would be great if anyone could help me with a few facts.

I think 2 hours sounds fair, but $150 per hour? Ouch. My dealer rate in Canada is $95 per hour.

The Euro started at par with the US dollar and went up from there. The Canadian dollar is worth more than the US dollar today to.

Cliff8928 · 10-05-2007, 02:39 AM

Don't forget the cost of parts too..

el_espiritu · 10-05-2007, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff8928

Don't forget the cost of parts too..

No part, sorry. I got the part from the seller of the car, the dealer just needed to charge for the work.

Eh_nigma · 10-05-2007, 08:36 AM

Ironically, I just finished this last night. The replacement of JUST the lever portion takes less than an hour. That's removing the floor console, removing the lever, replacing and remounting the lever along with the floor console.

All you need is:
10mm socket
13mm long socket
flat-head screwdriver
needle nose pliars.

This can also be done without removing the seats.

DO release the e-brake from the rear as Cliff posted.

Removing the floor console is a bit of a pain in the ass if you're doing it the first time. The dealership though, well, I can get off in at most 10 minutes.

Once it's off, the e-brake sensor (at the rear of the e-brake) needs to be disconnected. The 13mm long neck socket needs to unbolt the 5 13mm nuts. The shifter will obviously need to come up enough to lift off the e-brake.

Using the slack from disconnecting the equilizer, you have enough play to disconnect the cable. When it's disconnected, then with the needlenose pliars you need to press in the 3 teeth on the collar of the cable, at the rear of the e-brake lever assembly.

Toss out the old one or whatever you'd like to do. Feed and lock in the cable to the new e-brake lever, and bolt it in connecting it all as it was before. Remember to reconnect the equilizer.

Putting it all back together (the floor console included) should be less than 20 minutes. So yeah, replacing it start to finish, I can't see being more than an hour.

...and I just got off the phone with a buddy at GM, 1.5hrs @ $72.00 hr for the lever replacement.

el_espiritu · 10-05-2007, 09:50 AM

Thanks Eh_nigma,

that sounds good to me. This is something I can deal with next week at my dealership here.