Just dropped the Fiesta off for its service and camblet. I wanted them to refit a loose mudflap and adjust the hand brake lever as it comes on too high.
I mentioned the handbrake first....'That's £35 for that sir..'
WHAT?
How long can it take to adjust the hand brake - five minutes? I told them not to bother, and I'll get a local garage to do a few other minor jobs that will save me a lot of money.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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That price is a joke...
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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My dad was charged £40 for two Pug 406 wiper blades at the main dealer. The shock was so great he paid.
It was a happy day when that car got out of warranty.
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Also they should be checking rear shoes for wear as that would be the most likely reason for excessive h/brake travel.With the drums off they should then check cylinders for leakage.
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How long can it take to adjust the hand brake - five minutes?
Depends what's involved. On some cars first you have to adjust the brake shoes within the drums before contemplating adjusting the handbrake cable. And then there's the possibility that the adjuster is siezed.
What's £35 these days? ½ hour's labour? Doesn't sound too unreasonable to me.
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If they take the drums off I guess you will find the rear cylinders leaking.... the bill will continue to rise.
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pmh (was peter)
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What's £35 these days? ½ hour's labour? Doesn't sound too unreasonable to me.
Half-an-hour may be £35 charged to customer, but only about £5 paid to the mechanic. Overheads have to be covered somehow, but I doubt they amount to £30 worth for a simple job like that.
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What's £35 these days? ½ hour's labour? Doesn't sound too unreasonable to me.
£35 for 30 minutes work!! I think not. This just makes me realise how fortunate I am to have a garage like the one I visit. It used to be about £24 (ex VAT) an hour but I think its gone up a pound or so. Even then, I?m not paying for cowboys. They're a well established VW specialist. A full service only just breaks the £100 barrier.
Incidentally, my cables past its best too. It wont release the rear brakes properly, so they told my they'd lubed it, but if that doesn't work, then they'll have to change it, which I was also told was a bit faffy.
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Espada III
Like most cars, the rear brakes on these are self-adjusting. If the handbrake lever has increased it's free travel, then there's a problem with the self-adjusters [probably caused by the cable already being too tight] that requires the removal of the drums for proper investigation.
Only an amateur bodger would blithely tighten a cable [that doesn't stretch] and send you on your way with defective brakes. An over-adjusted cable will soon "lock-out" it's return springs, leaving you with virtually no handbrake at all and also deficient rear service brakes.
Your garage's only fault was not to properly explain why the stated amount of time was needed to carry out a professional job.
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Only an amateur bodger would blithely tighten a cable [that doesn't stretch] and send you on your way with defective brakes.
I could name you a large main dealer who did that to me ...
Just as you suggest less than a week later I ended up with virtually no handbrake and the overall braking of the car was very poor - fortunately I did not find myself in a situation where I had to rely on an emergency stop.
Not surprisingly the car failed its MOT and I ended up having to pay out £160 to an independant garage for a new cable and for the rear brakes to be overhalled - price quoted by the dealer was in excess of £300!
After that experience I would never return to a main dealer.
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I'll get a local garage to do a few other minor jobs that will save me a lot of money
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all fine when you have the freedom of choice. although in this case i don't think the estimate is too high.
what do you do when you go to a mot station and the tester says your headlights need adjusting; i can do them for you now while the beam checker is on - if you give me a fiver in my hand! otherwise it will be fail, sir, and you can bring it back for a retest after having them adjusted elsewhere.
what does get me is the situation where you have no choice (e.g. when the law says: you must get a solicitor to certify a photocopy who charges £10 for 10 seconds work for his signature, or a corgi gas fitter says your boiler is condemned, you cannot diy rewire your electrics in the house, you must get a full buyers survey pack done before you can put your house up for sale, etc. ).
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what do you do when you go to a mot station and the tester says your headlights need adjusting; i can do them for you now while the beam checker is on - if you give me a fiver in my hand! otherwise it will be fail, sir, and you can bring it back for a retest after having them adjusted elsewhere.
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I am fortunate in that my MoT test station is not like that.
Established in 1962 and it only does MoTs - no repairs done.
Been going there for many many years.
It does keep bulbs and wiper blades which they will fit for just the cost of the item provided the bulbs are accessible.
They will point out other problems they might find and explain things. Beams adjusted if not corroded.
Now a 20 mile round trip but I will be off there again tomorrow, Hounslow /LHR area.
The only extra service that has been added in the last year or so is a limited range of tyres on site.
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Just dropped the Fiesta off for its service and camblet.
Shouldn't handbrake adjustment be included in the service?
I assume you were having more than an oil and filter change.
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Espada III
Your handbrake may not need adjusting as 5 to 7 clicks is the norm. Please see this I posted for Adam back in March:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=29958&...e
You can also see why, to do the job properly, it's not a 5 minute job.
HTH
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Was Charles {P} but someone c o p i e d my name with spaces.
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Thanks - but the handbrake was only operating after far more than 5-7 clicks. It comes up very high and will not hold on a reasonably steep hill (my drive) unless it is pulled up very very high.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Ask to see a copy of the service schedule checklist. I am sure it will include handbrake check/adjust. This should be included in every Ford service. When my Ford has been in for a scheduled service the handbrake has been adjusted without ever being charged for any extra labour. Plain and simple it is a rip off the dealer is trying it on, this work is part of the service.
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As carl233 says, check the service checklist if the service was at a Ford dealer.
As I don't know exactly which Fiesta model you own, I have guessed and the checklist for a Duratec 16V engined model, 2001 onwards says 'Handbrake - Check operation/adjust, if necessary'
I would guess that as suggested this is standard procedure.
This can be viewed at www.etis.ford.com/fordservice where you can check your exact model.
If it is a Ford dealer I'd be inclined to print the checklist off and go wave it under said service receptionists nose..
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Your handbrake may not need adjusting as 5 to 7 clicks is the norm.
Ford handbrake levers have the equivalent of several notches travel before you get to the first notch on the ratchet. I imagine that this is to try to prevent over-adjustment. In the bad old days you could have the handbrake adjusted to the extent that the brakes would be on even before you got to the first notch.
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L\'escargot.
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I think this is very reasonable !
I think you should also have offered to wipe the service managers brow for him also !
Tongue firmly in cheek at this point...................
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From my (very limited) experience of car servicing, I was under the impression that garages tighten the handbrake because it's an easy way of making you realise that they've actually done some work on the car.
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"Half-an-hour may be £35 charged to customer, but only about £5 paid to the mechanic. Overheads have to be covered somehow, but I doubt they amount to £30 worth for a simple job like that."
£30 to cover:
Buying/renting premises - where is this - could it be in London?
Insurance
Heating
Cost of capital
Advertising
Lighting
Cost of equipment in garage
Courtesy cars?
NI on top of anything the mechanic gets paid (which may be a lot more than £5)
Other bureaucratic costs
Legal expenses
Rates
...
The list goes on. My local fleapit garage is up in the £30 an hour range and they are in VERY cheap premises.
V
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No not London but Manchester.
Anyway car needed a gearbox seal fitting at £35 inc VAT and anti-roll bushes at £70 inc VAT.
Car is going in for a major service amongst other things, so hopefully brake performance was chekced, but thanks for the service sheet site.
Hopefully it will drive nicely when I collect it tomorrow....
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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How long can it take to adjust the hand brake - five minutes?
Service receptionist:- Talk to you, take keys from you and then arrange the job.
Technician:- Get protective coverings. Place protective coverings in car. Drive car from where you have parked it into workshop and onto hoist. Raise hoist. Adjust handbrake. Lower hoist. Return car to parking slot. Remove protective coverings. Report to service receptionist that job is done. Return to workshop ready for next job.
Service receptionist:- Prepare invoice. Accept payment. Give you back the keys.
A bit more than 5 minutes I would opine.
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L\'escargot.
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Snail - I asked for it to be done as part of the service, so 99% of your 'bits' are included.
Anyway its £35 for a full tear down of the rear brakes etc etc, not a simple tighten up with a spanner, so I found out.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Well I got the car back and the handbrake now holds on the first notch, or the second on a steep hill. As was said above, the action goes some distance before the first ratchet is felt.
Car does not feel any different, despite a major service, cambelt change, brake and anti-freeze fluid change and anti-roll bar bushes renewed. In total £582 inc VAT - Phew! On top of that was the MoT and new wiper blades last week - £85 and I taxed it was well.
Am I a good son-in-law?!!!!!!!!!!
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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YES
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Thank you!
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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As was said above, the action goes some distance before the first ratchet is felt.
Well, I said something right then! ;-)
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L\'escargot.
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