Distributor labor time
Distributor takes about 1.8 hr of shop labor on a typical vehicle. Across 12,869 vehicle and engine combinations from 51 makes, most fall between 1.5 and 2.0 hours, and the longest take up to 2.3 hours. Cadillac, Lincoln and Land Rover vehicles tend to take the longest; Kia, Geo and Opel the least. The exact time depends on your car, so look yours up below or pick it on the home page.
Enter a rate to see the labor cost of each job. Many US shops charge somewhere between $100 and $200 an hour.
At $150 an hour, labor for this job is usually $225 to $300, about $270 on a typical vehicle. Parts are extra.
How long it takes across all vehicles
Hours, in half hour steps. Each bar is how many vehicle and engine combinations fall in that range.
Distributor time by make
| Make | Typical | Most vehicles | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadillac | 2.3 hr | 2.3 to 2.3 | 247 |
| Lincoln | 2.3 hr | 2.3 to 2.3 | 92 |
| Land Rover | 2.3 hr | 2.0 to 2.3 | 28 |
| Mercedes-Benz | 2.0 hr | 2.0 to 2.3 | 309 |
| BMW | 2.0 hr | 2.0 to 2.3 | 176 |
| Porsche | 2.0 hr | 2.0 to 2.3 | 156 |
| Volvo | 2.0 hr | 2.0 to 2.0 | 121 |
| Audi | 2.0 hr | 2.0 to 2.2 | 84 |
| Lexus | 2.0 hr | 2.0 to 2.3 | 58 |
| Alfa Romeo | 2.0 hr | 2.0 to 2.0 | 47 |
| Jaguar | 2.0 hr | 2.0 to 2.3 | 47 |
| Infiniti | 2.0 hr | 2.0 to 2.3 | 39 |
| Acura | 2.0 hr | 2.0 to 2.0 | 36 |
| Chevrolet | 1.8 hr | 1.5 to 1.8 | 1,829 |
| Ford | 1.8 hr | 1.5 to 1.8 | 1,648 |
| Dodge | 1.8 hr | 1.5 to 1.8 | 1,486 |
| GMC | 1.8 hr | 1.5 to 1.8 | 979 |
| Plymouth | 1.8 hr | 1.5 to 1.8 | 652 |
| Pontiac | 1.8 hr | 1.5 to 1.8 | 611 |
| Buick | 1.8 hr | 1.5 to 1.8 | 478 |
| Oldsmobile | 1.8 hr | 1.5 to 1.8 | 456 |
| Mercury | 1.8 hr | 1.5 to 1.8 | 365 |
| Chrysler | 1.8 hr | 1.5 to 1.8 | 309 |
| Ram | 1.8 hr | 1.5 to 1.8 | 75 |
| Studebaker | 1.8 hr | 1.5 to 1.8 | 67 |
| Jeep | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.8 | 427 |
| Toyota | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 383 |
| Volkswagen | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 277 |
| Nissan | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 190 |
| Mazda | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 186 |
| AMC | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.8 | 166 |
| Mitsubishi | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 152 |
| Honda | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 151 |
| Subaru | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 103 |
| Isuzu | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 82 |
| MG | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 68 |
| Hyundai | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 56 |
| Fiat | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 50 |
| Suzuki | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 36 |
| Peugeot | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 33 |
| Renault | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 27 |
| Saab | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 24 |
| Opel | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 20 |
| Geo | 1.5 hr | 1.5 to 1.5 | 14 |
| Kia | 1.0 hr | 1.0 to 1.5 | 16 |
Other ignition repairs
- Ignition Control Module
- Ignition Switch
- Ignition Lock Cylinder
- Ignition Timing Adjustment
- Spark Plugs
- Ignition Coil - Single
- Ignition Coils - All
- Spark Plug Wires
- Distributor Rebuild
- Distributor Cap and Rotor
- Ignition Points and Condenser Replacement
- Coil Pack
Hours are what a professional technician takes with the right tools, the same way shops quote jobs. Figures come from the Open Labor Project database.