So when I was getting my oil changed a few months ago, the service rep mentioned my low horn wasn't working and to call them before my next oil change and they'd order me a new one and replace it during that service. Since I don't regularly use my horn, I appreciated that they caught this on their own and were willing to address the matter without me saying anything.

So I called them shortly before my oil change last week and they ordered the part. During the oil change, however, a difference service rep said they swapped out horns and it still didn't work. He said the tech even attached a multimeter to the pinout and saw the horn wasn't getting any power.

He then mentioned that since my car had been in a collision (I bumped into a car in front of me in stop 'n go traffic--no airbags deployed but still my fault, I get that), that the problem had to be with the repair and that I should go back to the shop and have them fix it.

I then asked how much it would be have them fix it, and he said it would start at $80, and that it would go from there. He said he didn't anticipate it being too much more as he suspected it was a "crimped wire" somewhere in the front of the vehicle. I thanked him and said I'd probably have them do it during the next oil change.

When I got home, I figured I'd take a look at it and see if I could find the suspect wiring. I took off the radiator support ornament and started looking at the low horn and it appeared to be wired correctly. I then checked out the HRN FSM section and looked at the electrical wiring in the vehicle. I noticed each horn has its own fuse, and figured that'd be a good place to check first.

Sure enough, the fuse for the low horn was blown. I picked up another 15A fuse for about $1, popped it in, and sure enough--I now have my low horn again.

Now, I'm slightly confused as to why I, a computer engineer who admittedly knows very little about cars, is able to troubleshoot and resolve an issue with a horn which ended up just being a blown fuse in a matter of minutes, and yet an Infiniti service team couldn't resolve it in two inspections of the issue. Either they didn't think to check the fuse for the horn, or they knew it was a blown fuse and they wanted to get $80 from me.

The former case is scary and the latter is insulting.

I was hoping Infiniti service would be a little more...reputable than Nissan service (I also have an Xterra and Altima). Very disappointing.

 

Money talk. 80 $

 

They probably charge $80 an hour for labor, and they probably round up. So five minutes of labor rounds up to an hour. They tell you they won't charge you for the parts a.k.a the fuse, a.k.a ($1,) they will just charge for labor. Gotta love it.

 

They did suggest you take it back to the place that did the initial body repair. I don't think they were out to screw you. If they were, then they'd probably try to diag right then and there.

Sure, it's common sense to check a fuse, and although they caught the non functional horn initially, going any deeper into it would not have been cost effective if you didn't approve the charges. What if it wasn't a fuse, but something else (relay, bcm, etc..). Makes you wonder though, if they knew it was the fuse and still tried to charge you the $80 diag. Gotta milk every RO...

 

Unfortunately this is not just an Infiniti thing...I have experienced this kind of "service" from most all dealerships of all makes over the last 20 years or so.

It seems that people can get certifications to be a technician these days without actually knowing how to troubleshoot. Maybe they are taught to do the work, but if you don't have the ability to troubleshoot, it's worthless.
And it's not only in the automotive industry either...I've been in the high tech industry for over 22 years now and when I was a tech I could not believe how many of my coworkers had no idea how to troubleshoot problems. Some of the these people had higher degrees than mine, but couldn't figure out anything.

Some people just never know how to troubleshoot...I believe some of it is an inherent thought process that you have or don't have. People that don't have it really shouldn't be in positions that need it...

Nowadays, people are hired on their certificates or degrees without even being able to prove they have the skills. I've seen people with higher degrees hired over a guy that has no degree, even though the guy with no degree can run circles around the other guy when it comes to troubleshooting and repairing.

This is what we have come to today...a piece of paper instead of actual knowledge and skill...this applies to all kinds of careers.

My 2 cents...

 

I hope you wait 'till your next oil change (don't tell them over the phone) and have your camera ready to take a pic of the service rep's face when you tell them it was just a fuse.
Be sure to post the pic here! And give us the name of the stealership...

 

^^^This^^^

 

They would have replaced the fuse, then.
The repair order would have said:
"Repair open circuit in horn wiring......$80.00"

I am not joking, I've seen it done when I was a tech.