Diamond Owners Being Taken Advantage Of - Maintenance

Any DA42 related topics.

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UncleSpud
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Diamond Owners Being Taken Advantage Of - Maintenance

Post by UncleSpud »

I've flown my DA42 for three years now following owning a DA40 for 5 years before that and love them both.

Last month I was charged 6 hours labor for my 100 hour inspection for each engine (12 hours). When I challenged the time, I was told to have future service work done elsewhere since "no one else questions my invoices." This was the same repair shop I have been going to for 6 years.

So, I took his advise and I've started looking for another shop for my next DA42 annual. And I am very frustrated by what I have found. There are very few shops throughout the US that have experience on the DA42 and the one that gave me a flat rate labor-only inspection rate was at $3,020.00.

I'm just getting tired of being taken advantage of and want to know if someone will recommend a shop that will charge honestly for the work they do.
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Colin
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Re: Diamond Owners Being Taken Advantage Of - Maintenance

Post by Colin »

We need a wiki of shops and various experiences with them. I assume that you don't want to travel too far.

I just have a relatively good experience with SouthTec Aviation, KRUQ, but they are quite far north of you. Do you mean that you have already dealt with Premiere, since they are the place near to you and are clearly the local Diamond experts?
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cptndavid
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Re: Diamond Owners Being Taken Advantage Of - Maintenance

Post by cptndavid »

I took my airplane to Take Flight in Orange County NY this year ( Feb.). I will with hold comment until after I get my plane back.
I have used Glenn for the prior 3 years including the 345 R install. Very pleased with South Tec service, friendly attitude and pricing.
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ZAV
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Re: Diamond Owners Being Taken Advantage Of - Maintenance

Post by ZAV »

This was one of the top reasons I didn’t buy a new DA40NG.
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Don
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Re: Diamond Owners Being Taken Advantage Of - Maintenance

Post by Don »

Colin wrote: Sun Jun 02, 2019 6:42 pm We need a wiki of shops and various experiences with them. I assume that you don't want to travel too far.
Good Idea Colin. I have been generally been paying $1700 to $2400 for annuals on my Lycoming DA40 depending if it is a year when I have to replace back up battery and instrument biannual check. My A&P is based at KTOA, Torrance CA. Curious to know what others are paying.
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pietromarx
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Re: Diamond Owners Being Taken Advantage Of - Maintenance

Post by pietromarx »

Don wrote: Mon Jun 03, 2019 2:42 am
Colin wrote: Sun Jun 02, 2019 6:42 pm We need a wiki of shops and various experiences with them. I assume that you don't want to travel too far.
Good Idea Colin. I have been generally been paying $1700 to $2400 for annuals on my Lycoming DA40 depending if it is a year when I have to replace back up battery and instrument biannual check. My A&P is based at KTOA, Torrance CA. Curious to know what others are paying.
That's the same as what I pay for a Lycoming DA40 with batteries and IFR at KWHP with Vista. Very straightforward and extremely predictable.
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CFIDave
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Re: Diamond Owners Being Taken Advantage Of - Maintenance

Post by CFIDave »

UncleSpud wrote: Sun Jun 02, 2019 4:08 pmLast month I was charged 6 hours labor for my 100 hour inspection for each engine (12 hours).
As one of the few owners who has experience doing his own 100 hour servicing on Austro engines (DA42 and now DA62), I can say it probably takes me 6 hours total to do *both* engines, each requiring:
1. Drain engine oil and replace with new oil (I take samples and send to Blackstone for analysis)
2. Replace genuine Mercedes oil filter, check old paper insert for debris
3. Drain gearbox oil while running through a "coffee filter" to check for debris
4. Examine gearbox oil magnetic drain plug to check for metal
5. Pull out tiny gearbox oil filter and examine for debris, clean filter and put back in (replace with new only every 300 hours)
6. Refill gearbox by pouring original gearbox oil back in (replace with new oil every 300 hours)
7. Remove and replace MAN fuel filter (located behind the firewall inside engine nacelle)
A lot of these steps also require replacement of safety wire.

But if you check the Austro and Diamond aircraft maintenance manuals, there are many additional inspections and checks also recommended every 100 hours, such as using the Austro Wizard software to download engine logs and examining for/clearing faults. (This isn't much different for TDI Thielert/Continental engines and gearboxes)

I'm wondering if the shop charging you 12 hours also did these other recommended 100 hour checks? If so, 12 hours may be reasonable.
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Colin
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Re: Diamond Owners Being Taken Advantage Of - Maintenance

Post by Colin »

I will be very interested to hear about Take Flight, since they are a lot closer to me (at least when I am based at OWD) than any of the other shops I've been using regularly.

What shop are people using in the Seattle area?
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Boatguy
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Re: Diamond Owners Being Taken Advantage Of - Maintenance

Post by Boatguy »

FWIW, Diamond quotes 13 hours for the 100hr inspection on a DA40 NG. Obviously that’s a single engine, but more or less same airframe.
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UncleSpud
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Re: Diamond Owners Being Taken Advantage Of - Maintenance

Post by UncleSpud »

Dave, they charged me 3 hrs each side on my last 100hr. My comment to him was “so are you going to charge me 12 hours each side next time?!?”

I just came across Fixed Wing Maintenance out of Lalkeland, FL that work on DA42’s. Does anyone have experience with them they would like to share?
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