Yes, it's a racket...but that's how the business model has evolved. Service after sale is a big margin driver of profit in many industries.

There's a small chance I could rip it apart and fix the problem, unfortunately my time is worth a lot as well. I could spend a 1/2 day or an entire day running around trying to buy parts and replacing everything that could be wrong. The expertise of a service person is at a premium and best case you still have a unit with a lot of other worn parts.

What's going to die next?

-spence