Find a reputable independent garage and seek their advice on the work required.
Thanks for that dc. Car is already at local independent MOT City waiting to be done - garage has a good reputation (according to w********************** IIRC although it's down at the moment) so I'm hoping they won't do anything that doesn't need doing but will tell me about stuff that genuinely does.
EDIT whoops a garage review website
Edited by Focus {P} on 06/10/2009 at 11:09
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A Ford dealer would do a basic service for £99, oil & filter and most things checked, genuine parts, proper oil, good value.
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A Ford dealer would do a basic service for £99 oil & filter and most things checked genuine parts proper oil good value.
Thanks - but would have required a much longer cycle home which I don't fancy in the current weather. I'll keep that in mind though for next time.
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Thanks - but would have required a much longer cycle home which I don't fancy in the current weather. I'll keep that in mind though for next time.
While-u-wait too, read their papers and drink their coffee.
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Our Ford dealer runs a bus service to our local town centre.
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I feel that dealers who offer relatively cheap basic servicing on older cars do so as a "loss leader". They hope to find other faults so that they can sting the owner with high costs to carry out the work required.
Or am I being cynical?
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Well MOT City had over 200 good reviews on the web site IIRC, so I'm hoping they'll do a good job. I haven't looked for reviews of the local Ford dealers.
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Hi Focus,
As a fellow Readingensian (sic), I was thinking of using MOT City for my next service. Would be interested to hear your opinion of them once you've picked the car up, please. They're a short drive from my workplace. They are recommended in the usually reliable Little Green Book.
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I get an oil and filter change from National for around £25 (cheaper booking on-line), renew the air filter and do the basic levels tests, topping up if necessary, myself.
A lot cheaper than £99...:-)
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Would be interested to hear your opinion of them once you've picked the car up please.
Will do. Dropped it off before 8 and I think one of the technicians did reception (always a woman who answers the phone when I ring), and he was polite/efficient. I only booked it in yesterday when I noticed the MoT expires today, although the fact it's scheduled for 4:30 implies they aren't short of work.
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Hope it passes today then! Always a "Yikes" moment for me when the car's getting MOT'd on the expiry date!
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Hope it passes today then! Always a "Yikes" moment for me when the car's getting MOT'd on the expiry date!
Mmm... just rang them (couldn't bare the suspense) and doing MoT now. Problem with handbrake on one side, either caliper or cable - it's on the ramp, they're getting back to me in 15 mins...
Service was done this morning, and chap said that as it was only an interim one they wouldn't have picked up the handbrake issue. Is that reasonable?
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Well they've just rung to tell me I can come and collect it, so hopefully that means I can drive it back legally...
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When I got there, I spoke to the person who had told me on the phone about the handbrake problem. He said (IIRC) that the caliper was stuck, but they unstuck it and it appeared to be fine after that, so they left it at that - no charge. He said he can't guarantee that it won't happen again, so advised keeping an eye on it. (There's an MoT failure sheet as well as the certificate.)
Only advisory was on slight deterioration in rear exhaust.
Total price was £163.83 - top 3 items on invoice were (ex VAT)
MOT test: 54
labour (1 hr): 45
engine oil: 21
The 'industry standard service' tick sheet looks quite impressive - 50 boxes, all either ticked or marked N/A. I can give more details if anyone is interested.
I'm pretty satisfied - it can be viewed as expensive, but I haven't been charged for any extra work, and the people I've spoken to have been polite and honest as far as I can tell.
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They charged £54 for an MOT, plus £45 labour?
Since when have MOTs cost a ton?
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They charged £54 for an MOT plus £45 labour?
The labour was for the service (presumably) which I had also requested.
EDIT: the 'industry standard service' I described in the post where you got the price figures from
Edited by Focus {P} on 06/10/2009 at 23:22
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>>>I'm pretty satisfied - it can be viewed as expensive, but I haven't been charged for any extra work<<<
As long as you're happy comrade & (hopefully) the car is all ok for another 12 months, I don't think there has been too much damage done (to your wallet) so all in all - a result!
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As long as you're happy comrade & (hopefully) the car is all ok for another 12 months I don't think there has been too much damage done (to your wallet) so all in all - a result!
Thanks - although it was a bit galling coming in on the train this morning to spot a garage near one of the stations advertising 'MoT+service' for £99. But like I said I think the service I got was a bit more than basic, and there weren't any extras. Also the invoice and certificate were presented to me in a nice folder - ok, not in itself worth £60 but little touches like that do help.
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>>> a garage near one of the stations advertising 'MoT+service' for £99.<<<
Cheapest isn't always best Focus - corners are sometimes cut! I have an aversion to cheap engine oil and filters - I was in the motor trade, so I have a little idea of 'what goes on' ;-)
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Cheapest isn't always best Focus
Would you like to come and have a chat with my wife? :-)
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Focus, thanks for the info re: MOT City. Sounds like a recommendation. I'd be quite confident to use them now.
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Sounds like a recommendation.
It is, although I would definitely treat it as a non-expert recommendation.
BTW it gets 95.5% from 318 feedbacks with a 5* customer rating on the Good Garage Scheme website (link not posted because I suspect it will get filtered out).
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If I use them, and they fill my sump with Ribena, I won't hold you responsible Focus.
:-)
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If I use them and they fill my sump with Ribena I won't hold you responsible Focus.
Now you mention it, I did wonder where those purple stains on the drive came from this morning... :-)
If you do use them, I would of course be interested to hear what you think of them.
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Just an update on MoT City, mainly for Alanovich.
Stepson has just got his (ie. our old) Yaris MoTed plus full service. The car is over 7 years old, and is red apart from the matt black bonnet which he fitted himself after a prang (along with various other bits and pieces):
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=70116&...f
He dropped it off at 8am, and got a call at 9 to warn him that it would need 3 new tyres for starters...
Well it came to about £400 all in, including £120 for the 3 tyres (which he was anticipating), 2 hours labour for the full service, and the MoT. They had one or 2 advisories, but apart from the tyres, no failures - just a couple of advisories. Stepson says it feels a lot better to drive now.
So the recommendation still stands.
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Thanks, Focus. I'm interested as my (Jan) 2006 Mazda 6 is due its annual mot and service in January, and I'm trying to plan ahead what I want to do with it. It's only on 31000 miles, having covered only 5,000 or so since its last, full Main Dealer service in February this year. The warranty I bought with it will expire in February, and I won't be renewing it. I think I might just go with an oil change service, as it seems to me the car is perfectly OK otherwise. At 4 years old I think it's time to go Indie, I'll be giving MOT City a call shortly for a price. Thanks again.
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>>A garage could advise as to whether the cambelt is in need of replacement.>>
To check that out on my car, they would have to take it apart in any case to do the check. Most likely go on mileage, which you can work out for yourself...:-)
Incidentally, my VW's cambelt was changed at 62.5k and cost just under £200 (genuine parts) from a well respected local independent garage - a firm supposedly specialising in VW engines' cambelts replacement wants £360 according to its website...:-)
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***Always*** get the oil changed at least once a year, in fact engine oil deteriorates faster on short runs.
Personally, I would only use a top notch engine oil in my car - engine oil = lifeblood!
Cam belts? well - there is a swear filter in use ... a neglected cam belt replacement often causes much pain - of the financial kind!!
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If a car is over 3 years old the annual MOT check - done correctly - will duplicate many of the important checks carried out in a service but the oil change is a must as you are covering such a low mileage presumably with many short runs.
I don't see the point of paying a main dealer £90 an hour to check such things as washer fluid, lights, seat belt tensions etc - so I take a piecemeal approach.
On my wife's 6 year old MINI (bought new and serviced up to 50K under the inclusive service package as part of the cost when purchased).
since 50,000:
1. Take car for annual MOT at local trusted independent
(I rely on this check for steering suspension corrosian etc)
2. Ask MOT tester to check pad thickness whilst the car is on the ramp
3. If all ok - drive home, change oil and filters(3) myself, check battery, fluid levels, grease hinges etc
4. Periodic items not covered above (coolant/brake fliud/gearbox oil change, polybelt replacement) I get a price for that job only from the indy and get it done as per the book.
Advantages - cheaper, only pay for what is required.
Disadvantages - the "book" is not stamped, which may be a problem for some but I keep all receipts and a documented record of what's been done AND we're not planning to sell, we'' probably keep it for a few more years and then pass on to one of my sons.
I realise the missing stamp may an issue for some.
Note: If you can't do the oil yourself - kwikfit will do it for £35 using Mobil 1.
J
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oil change is a must as you are covering such a low mileage presumably with many short runs.
Thanks for all the advice folks. FWIW it's not that the car does a lot of short runs, it just doesn't do many runs.
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Disadvantages - the "book" is not stamped - I realise the missing stamp may be an issue for some
Whyever not? It won't be a franchise stamp, but any respectable indie's stamp is better than a blank space.
I ran a 306 HDi for 6½ years and changed my own oil and filters throughout - handwritten record every 6K. When the car was traded in at a Pug dealer, one of their mechanics kept the car for himself, commenting that the service record was better than most of their cars'. (It had my indie's stamp for brake fluid and cambelt changes as well).
Edited by Andrew-T on 06/10/2009 at 15:52
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in reply to doctorchris:
1. >> However, no matter how many miles a car does in a year, a change of engine oil and filter is worthwhile. >>
Do you really mean "no matter how many"?
How do you define "worthwhile"?
2. >> Air filters become clogged up and spark plugs wear out over time so these eventually need to be replaced. >>
Depends what you mean by "over time" and "eventually".
Some makes/models recommend spark plugs changes at 100k miles, and air-filter changes at the major service.
3. >> Brake fluid absorbs water over time which can lead to ABS and brake failure so this should be changed, I would say every 3 years. >>
I seem to remember discussion on this forum that the water absorption theory was wrong.
in reply to perro:
4. >> ***Always*** get the oil changed at least once a year, >>
Why?
Edited by jbif on 06/10/2009 at 12:28
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Erm
Re brake fluid
Wor 1998 200,000 + mile Galaxy
Is still running on the origional brake fluid
less one change? perhaps??? when pretty new. as a recall to do with the brake fluid resovoir cap
Fair chance they simply swopped the caps though
Got ABS too
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Brake fluid and cambelts.
You don't realise you need 'em til they fail!
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Brake fluid and cambelts. You don't realise you need 'em til they fail! >>
Plenty of evidence of cambelts failing, due to either not being replaced when due or failing soon after because of a botched job.
However, where is the data and evidence for brake-fluid failures?
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Brake fluid is no different to oil - it assists in the effective operation of an important part of the vehicle.
If changing it every couple of years means fewer problems down the line the few quid spent doing so is good in my book - ABS pumps aren't cheap.
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But cambelts done every 60k miles
Well Doh
I might risk running the current one past 240,000 miles
just to see
like
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ABS pumps aren't cheap >>
You have greater chance of ruining the pump if you cannot be sure that the fluid change has been done in near-perfect "surgically-clean" factory conditions.
Have the fluid changed at maker's intervals, but not because of some unproven "water" in fluid theories.
Edited by jbif on 06/10/2009 at 13:12
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I've had both fail.
Cambelt on a MK3 Cortina - I got away with that one.
Brake fluid boiled on a Triumph Vitesse. I only got away with that because another driver realised I wasn't stopping for the roundabout!
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As stated brake fluid absorbs water so over the years use loose their properties. I usualty tend to get it done every two years but often with my dads car its needed major brake work requiring new fluid anyway within that time.
As for servcing I did a full service when I bought the car including new plugs (there is no HT leads on my car). Its still on the original coil pack so that might go but fot the next service which is due the same time as the MOT I will simply have an oil change done and change the air filter myself.
I do a mini service every month anyway which basicialy consists of a tyre, light and fluid check.
Every 6 months I will jack the car up and check for play in bearings etc.
Don't skimp on servicing but it dosn't mean you need to pay £100 for a service. I will also get the camshaft bolts checked sometime as they can work loose on my car.
I think the semi DIY approach to servicing is knowing what to look for and what common faults go wrong with a certain type of car. You can then use a trusted garage just to do certain jobs such as an oil change or even plugs if you're scared of cross threading them.
I find sites like this help a lot in terms of diagnostics that is where I save a fortune. I get my mechanic to tell me the code, then I work out with the help of others what is really going on and its often not what the fault code tells you.
Edited by Rattle on 06/10/2009 at 13:16
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>>>then I work out with the help of others what is really going on and its often not what the fault code tells you<<<
The mark of a good diagnostician! I can see why you went into computers :)
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Every 6 months I will jack the car up and check for play in bearings etc.
But Rattle, as your cars are over 3 years old the MoT tester will do that for you every 12 months (presumably). Are you a bit of a worrier?
Edited by rtj70 on 06/10/2009 at 16:01
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I will never forget driving my Triumph Herald down a welsh mountain with no brakes due to water in the (never changed) brake fluid boiling and leading to a loss of hydraulics.
Nowadays, water in the brake fluid causes corrosion in the ABS systems.
Engine oil deteriorates within the engine despite the mileage, in fact short journeys are harder on the oil.
The OP is not car savvy so needs some advice as to when various consumables need to be replaced.
I've known a few folk who believe in the "my car never needs servicing" creed but these people almost always get rid of their motors at 3 years at the most so they get away with it.
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