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Too true Roly, I wouldn't fly a Typhoon if I didn't have confidence in the people around me. The quality of their work shames your average garage mechanic, even the tiniest of defects gets picked up and rectified, there is absolutely no room for errors.
Edited by MikeTorque on 27/06/2008 at 13:36
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The quality of their work shames your average garage mechanic even thetiniest of defects gets picked up and rectified there is absolutely no room for errors.
A few years back my BMW developed an annoying rattle from thr engine bay, shortly after being serviced by a 'reputable' dealership. Mods please explain? {see reply below}
I looked in the bay, and found, on one of the sills next to the front wheel well, a set of mole grips.
Lovely.
I went back to the clowns and asked
(a) If they've left a set of grips in there, what ELSE they left around;
and
(b) What the *pink fluffy dice - with respect to the mods* were they using mole grips on the engine for, anyways? Excuse the pun, but moles are the blunt instrument of engineering. What fitting/stud/bolt/nut of my engine had they stripped, which required them to use moles?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 27/06/2008 at 19:54
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Strange, but I thought that the thread would be more along the lines of:
Cars go out with a recommended cambelt change interval of 80k. Following a string of broken belts, this is reduced to 40k. But what about going the other way? Perhaps the belt is over-engineered - so why not lift it to 160k?
As for Ian's Mole Grips, point (b). What did they say in response? Nothing, I'll bet.
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As for Ian's Mole Grips point (b). What did they say in response? Nothing I'll bet.
Grovelly apologies, actually, Mapmaker.
And a refund on the labour, but not on the parts. Understandable, really.
Also, I kept the grips - PROPER set as well, none of this made in Fong Kong rubbish, and I still have them!
The chap asked for them back, and I asked, slightly impolitely, in which orifice he would like them. (Obviously I didn't use those specific terms).
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The vast majority of any service schedule is a list of checks. If the list is comprehensive, and the garage doing the work they are charging for, they should pick up early signs of work needing doing and advise the customer. If something is on a checklist for an x,000 mile service on a particular vehicle, and you pay for an x,000 mile service on that vehicle, failure to pick up an early stage failure on one of those items means the dealer hasn't done what you've paid them to do.
I have a little bit of sympathy for the dealers here though. If they ignore warning signs of work and the problem gets worse, they are blamed for not being thorough enough. If they say there's a problem that is going to need attention, they are often accused of inventing work for the sake of it. Look at the discussions we've had on here about brake pads for example.
There are also attentive and professional main dealers out there who treat cars as their own. Not as many as there should be, but they exist.
Cheers
DP
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100% agree with the orig poster
a dab of oil on a nut/bolt thats starting to rust, blob of waxoil on a underbody scrape , maybe some tape on some chafed wires etc
all goes make things easier in the long run
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"If you're referring to my Focus's sump,"
Hi L,Escargot, This thread was not intended to be focussed on your particular sump like that and I apologise if it seemed so. There was a thread (I did say thread in my OE post) about them and as we all know its a pretty common issue. Inspiration from there for this thread, yes, along with my past occupation as a contrast ;)
Sorry anyway, for any annoyance caused.
Regards
Edited by oilrag on 27/06/2008 at 18:42
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No probs, oilrag. I'm not at all annoyed. I do, however, feel that franchised dealers in general come in for a lot of unjustified criticism and get tarred with the same brush that is used on the few dealers which actually deserve the tarring. It just so happens that I like to give credit where credit is due.
Edited by L'escargot on 27/06/2008 at 18:52
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Thanks for your generosity L,escargot.
I sometimes think i`m too verbose. ;)
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Volvo 245 1989 360k Bi-fuel.
Having driven this car for 20 years from new, I now know how long pads, discs, water pumps and clutches last. Clutches are too heavy for me, so off to the main dealer (cant find an independent).
The clutch have change times of course, but as the gear box is out at an average of 175k, there are other things to do. So I request.......Please can you do the engine mounts, the clutch master, slave and tubes, the spigot bearing, main oil seal, centre prop-shaft bearing and seals, rear back axle oil seal. This was no problem with the satellite, now this is a timed clutch change....so they did run out of time for the day. Some of those items were not done, though I was pleased they picked up the gear box first motion shaft oil seal and this was replaced.
Although disappointed at the time, I should have known of these timed times.....................
'Sir you are only booked in for a clutch change.'
I booked a complimentary car but.......................
Recommended body shops are good, and pick up what needs to be done, but as above need good instructions.
ALWAYS ask for replaced parts back
Brianh
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Mods please explain?
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=32...0
&
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=32...8
ps, changed it, as per above reason.
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It's true that a really ace indy will do things beneficial but not specifically requested, without charging much or indeed at all, if he has time. But so will a really ace main dealer workshop. I remember Eurocars at Marble Arch with great affection for their mustachioed French foreman, who always got my Dyane to run noticeably better just by doing the service properly.
I am afraid this thread reminds me of my own benign neglect of my own cars over the years, in the matters of brake fluid and coolant changes in particular but also checking gearbox oil levels and so on. And I have seldom changed brake pads before noticing poor braking or even hearing metal on metal. Of course I have taken better care of some cars than others.
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Mike Torque The budget for servicing a Typhoon is almost unlimited and comes from taxpayers, not individual 'owners' who have to foot their own servicing bills! Not really comparing like with like IMO!
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 27/06/2008 at 20:14
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Servicing that Typhoon's Napier (Napier Bell?) must have been fun.
Sleeve valves, weren't they?
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Sump full of mechanics' fingers...
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Better than bananas, Lud. And there are famouse tales of 2CVs traversing africa with a monkey-food gearbox...
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I've never gone that far... but when I was younger and ate more I often used to think that a gearbox or back axle full of steak would start to smell strangely and mysteriously appetising for a while, perhaps some time before the unit failed definitively...
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Thread was intended to be more about the first and last paragraphs in my original post, schedules in changing times. Next time I`m going to leave the ham and cheese out of the sandwich, Why won`t anyone gnaw on the crusts for a while...
;);)
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You ask in the op oilrag whether owners would be prepared to pay a bit extra for those dabs of waxoil, grease, underseal etc, in the known but hidden places as well as the obvious ones.
Owners would be willing to pay, in my opinion, if they valued their cars and meant to keep them. Not everyone does. Many here indeed would say it was lavishing money on some future owner who won't have to pay any extra for the car and may be a ghastly fellow as well.
Others just want to preserve machines in decent fashion. It's a matter of principle for them. I agree with their attitude but I don't behave like that myself. Perhaps I might under different circumstances, who knows?
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Agree Lud,
Especially about the "future owner"...
Bought 16 inch water pump pliers earlier today and like the look and feel of them. As SWMBO says, "there`s no hope" ;)
All the Best ;)
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I suppose we fall into two camps here, one the one hand some, including myself who treat our vehicles far too well and have an affectionate feel for them and know when something isn't right, possibly treating our vehicles as a friend to be shown care, courtesy and generosity.
From cleaning out any salt residue, to dabbing the old wax-hoyle around the brake pipes and anything else that looks a bit neglected, to over servicing of all mechanical parts, probably far too frequently. And to excessive care of the body.
Yes i am guilty of all those, i like to check my engine oil and and still find the oil translucent on my diesel, i swear the engine sounds sweeter after its had an oil change less than half the mileage recommended.
Its a pleasure to open a door thats had a drop of oil on the hinges and the locks and stays, to pull the greased bonnet cable, and to feel a smooth action instead of having to yank the thing out of the dashboard to try and bring the outer cable up enough to ping the bonnet.
The other camp treat their vehicles as a tool, to be given the minimul maintenance and care as stated bible like in the handbook.
Nothing wrong with that either, but the differences between us cause some posts here.
I wonder if the way we buy our vehicles has an influence on our care of them.
We bought the old MB some 6 years ago, really for swmbo, as she is a confident and very swift driver and loves unique things.
It was the car she fell in love with, and was searched out as having the colour combination she wanted, with a very low mileage, good history and 1 owner.
It was i suppose a present, and is cared for in the same way an antique might be.
The hilux was a different type of intended use obviously, but was researched and tested and is intended to possibly last many years, hence it too is babied.
If on the other hand a car was required by someone normal, (and i do know we are a bit potty), to cost x pounds and was reqd to last x years and be worth x pounds at reasale, then it would only be a tool and wouldn't possibly be such a heartfelt purchase.
I've waffled again, sorry. and my speelings have gone a bit awry..;)
Edited by gordonbennet on 27/06/2008 at 23:14
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Mike Torque The budget for servicing a Typhoon is almost unlimited and comes from >> taxpayers, not individual 'owners' who have to foot their own servicing bills! Not really comparing like with like IMO!
AS, "almost unlimited" - actually it's strictly controlled and monitored, unless something hits the fan then it's a new ball game !
I'm a tax payer like anyone else and I like to see everyones hard earned cash used efficiently and effectively. There are good quality mechanics out there going a good job in the motor trade, not because they are paid lots of cash but because they apply themselves and settle for nothing less than doing a first class job. It's the poor quality workers who skimp, cut corners and lie about the work they do (or don't do) that causes the profession to get dragged down far too often. It doesn't matter who is paying the bill, be it private or public, there is no excuse for poor quality and shoddy work on equipment that essentially saves a persons life, an excuse may cost someone their life.
When I have my car serviced I expect the work to be done to quality standards, and if something gets missed or isn't fixed properly I will then discuss it with the service people who then usually apologise and offer to rectify asap.
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