The consise thread of car maintenance costs

[dune]

A few years ago I got robbed blind by a garage to have the dics and pads changed on my Audi A4. They quoted me in the region of £400 all done and I said to them if it's a few quid more just do it and don't bother phoning me up (by a few quid I meant about £50). When I picked the car up the cvnt gave me an £800 bill and when I asked for a bit of time to give him the final £300 he said that's not their policy and he'd have to keep the car. Borrowed the money and paid, but was well ****ed off about it. Later found out that it should've cost about £400 max for the work done - we live and learn the hard way sometimes...

 

I've just had the same work done again - at an old school friends new unit and he charged £312 and I know he's good because he was recommended by a mate who works for another garage and he said stuff like leave this and that for now and gave me advice on a plan to get to resolve the brakes issue i've got methodically without jumping in replacing **** like the servo and master cylinderwhich would've cost a comparitive bomb.

 

So this is the jist of the thread. With so many posters on this forum every fix for a car will have been covered, so for the benefit of all of us tell us your tales of rip-off and your tales of what you've paid and your tales of bargains for work done etc. In time this thread can then build up into a comprehensive guide for those of us aren't clued up to the finest detail, and for those of us who know a fair bit, but naturally won't be clued up on more obscure faults.

 

Please no waffle, just stuff that will be useful.

 

Cheers.

Edited 11 October, 2010 by dune

[dune]

Any chance of making this a sticky please mods.

[dune]

Oh and in the title can you and "and ****" to the end of it please because I reckon that'd be good.

[dune]

swear filter fvvvcked that, the bit in brackets therefore please put as "and sh111t"

[dune]

And please also delete these b000llocks posts

[dune]

P.s i'm buzzin my t1ts off. ha ha

[dune]

p.p.s - can i give delldays some abuse in future without an infraction.

[scotty]

somebodys on the marching powder....

[dune]

somebodys on the marching powder....

 

Tell me about your car.

[scotty]

Old bmw and an old sprinter van, 98 and 96, so I spend a fair bit of time at the garage. I can recommend Polygon on marchwood industrial estate, they know what theyre doing and dont rip you off. Also do MOTs on site.

[Hatch]

My sister used to work for a major hotel chain.

The hotel had a major contract worth millions with a firm to fix all the hotel vehicles plus all the hotel guest cars when necessary.

When she used them to fix her car they charged her for work then hadn't done.

She immediately cancelled their contract.

So they lost millions for the sake of about three hundred quid.

 

Sometimes the consumer does get the last laugh.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Those things on the road.

 

White lines.

 

Don't do it.

[sotonjoe]

Don't use Hendy Ford. HTH.

[dune]

Old bmw and an old sprinter van, 98 and 96, so I spend a fair bit of time at the garage. I can recommend Polygon on marchwood industrial estate, they know what theyre doing and dont rip you off. Also do MOTs on site.

 

There's two types of mechanics/garages = old school and new school. My best mate is old school therefore as much as he's a top man I wouldn't let him loose (with confidence) on technical stuff. That said he put me a new turbo on for little money and he did it well. Which category is the garage you're talking about?

[dune]

Those things on the road.

 

White lines.

 

Don't do it.

 

Mate you're a sparky yeah? Do you find that the new blood at your place are a lot more with it than the old boys. I find this at my place with the young sparkys being sh1t hot at their job.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

you're a sparky yeah? Do you find that the new blood at your place are a lot more with it than the old boys. I find this at my place with the young sparkys being sh1t hot at their job.

 

Depends.

 

The newer lads are mostly multi skilled, they then tend to be more interested in either electrics or mechannical. Not that many follow fully through on both lines.

 

Those that do nothing after they become skilled men tend to be more into PLCs and electronics. Some couldn't even bend a piece of conduit to save their lives.

 

Installation Electricians are the ones who keep most up to date with BS7671, they need to, and stuff like Pipe tray, trunking.

 

I'm into Maintenance and machine faults, very rare to do any installation so I find that products have changed and improved almost every time I do a small installation.

 

Electrics, like mechannics, is a very diverse field and I don't know many who are all round experts at everything in their line of work.

 

As to the old boys? We have our value in experience of faults etc.

[dune]

Depends.

 

The newer lads are mostly multi skilled, they then tend to be more interested in either electrics or mechannical. Not that many follow fully through on both lines.

 

Those that do nothing after they become skilled men tend to be more into PLCs and electronics. Some couldn't even bend a piece of conduit to save their lives.

 

Installation Electricians are the ones who keep most up to date with BS7671, they need to, and stuff like Pipe tray, trunking.

 

I'm into Maintenance and machine faults, very rare to do any installation so I find that products have changed and improved almost every time I do a small installation.

 

Electrics, like mechannics, is a very diverse field and I don't know many who are all round experts at everything in their line of work.

 

As to the old boys? We have our value in experience of faults etc.

 

I'd agree with all that. SPC, PLC's and sh1t like that tend to be the days boys areas at my place. What i will say though in defence of the old boys (the fitters not sparksy) is that are loads better at welding.

[dune]

ESB go full member mate, i wanna send you a pm. If you want, as a peace offering i'll pay for you if you want. Gen offer.

[Andy_Porter]

I paid £650 for three years warranty when I bought my van in January and since then have had around £1000 worth of work done to it. Certainly worth spending money on warranty if you get a chance.

 

Would never use a garage unless it was reccomended, but that's the same with pretty much everyone. I wouldn't just pick up the yellow pages and pull out a name/number for anything be it a garage, a gardner or a decorator etc... Always best to go with word of mouth.

 

I usually go to Southampton Tyre and Rubber in Portswood for most things and they're all fairly sound, been using them for a long time and would reccomend them highly.

[dune]

Would never use a garage unless it was reccomended, but that's the same with pretty much everyone. I wouldn't just pick up the yellow pages and pull out a name/number for anything be it a garage, a gardner or a decorator etc... Always best to go with word of mouth.

 

My local metropolis is a town of 8,000. Word of mouth and recomendations is everything, and god help the cowboys as they're soon out of business.

[Big John]

best thing for cleaning a fabric soft top is Jeyes Fluid.

 

Best thing for cleaning and putting a sheen on black plastic trim is WD40.

 

Best thing for cleaning wipers and screens is white vinegar. Always clean your windscreen after using a carwash, carwashes leave wax on them.

[Big John]

Garages - cash is king.

[dune]

Best thing for cleaning and putting a sheen on black plastic trim is WD40.

 

Are you sure it won't damage?

 

Actually thinking about it plastic is oil so mebee it's a great tip.

[ecuk268]

Get yourself a decent workshop manual and a good toolkit. A lot of stuff (disk pads, oil changes etc) is straightforward and you can save a packet. I started off many years ago with an old banger and couldn't afford garages so learnt to do it myself.

 

Avoid Kwik Fit like the plague.

 

If you live in Southampton, Pete King in Shirley does a good job but don't get talking about the Saints 'cause you'll be there all day.

[Big John]

Are you sure it won't damage?

 

 

Main active ingrediant is fish oil.

 

multitude of uses other too. Official WD40 site:

http://www.wd40.co.uk/media/images/a/8/LIST_OF_2_000_USES.pdf

 

and google:

 

http://www.my.homewithgod.com/mkcathy/household/WD40.html

[scotty]

There's two types of mechanics/garages = old school and new school. My best mate is old school therefore as much as he's a top man I wouldn't let him loose (with confidence) on technical stuff. That said he put me a new turbo on for little money and he did it well. Which category is the garage you're talking about?

 

Thats one of the things I like about them, they seem to know about almost all the techy stuff but when they do get stuck they say so and farm it out. They have a local specialist troubleshooter who always comes up with a fix, he also does their aircon work.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

ESB go full member mate, i wanna send you a pm. If you want, as a peace offering i'll pay for you if you want. Gen offer.

 

Thanks for your kind offer, I abstain through choice and not affordability. I regularly review my choice and, as yet, I have found nothing on the forum which causes me to want to change my mind.

[scotty]

this thread jogs my failing memory, first car I ever bought was a capri (I know, I know,) and the starter motor kept jamming. You would have to lump it with a hammer or put it in gear and rock the car to unjam it. Five f*cking times this happens and every time, in three different garages, the mechanic says "no need to replace it, I'll take it apart, clean itand put it back, that will fix it." Thats a tenner every time, and every time it stopped working again after a few weeks. It finally happened while I was out on a job miles from anywhere, but I was parked next to a small garage so I went in and asked the guy to fix it while I did a job next door. He says "ok, I'll take it apart..."etc, I said no, can you get a new starter motor? He looks at me like I'm from outer space and says "well, if thats what you want I suppose I could do it that way", I said fine, I'll be back after lunch. I get back and he shows me the old motor and says "you were right, the spindle was bent on the old one, lucky we put a new one in". I thought thank christ, and asked him how much I owed him, he says "that will be £18 please." ffs

[sotonjoe]

Oh, and avoid Atherley Garage as well, unless you want to pay more than you would at a main dealer for servicing.

[RedAndWhite91]

Get yourself a decent workshop manual and a good toolkit. A lot of stuff (disk pads, oil changes etc) is straightforward and you can save a packet. I started off many years ago with an old banger and couldn't afford garages so learnt to do it myself.

 

Avoid Kwik Fit like the plague.

 

If you live in Southampton, Pete King in Shirley does a good job but don't get talking about the Saints 'cause you'll be there all day.

 

Agree with this, a mate had his MOT done there and it passed, about 4 days later realised his brake pads were worn right down. A mate and I had to change it for him.

 

I definitely agree with your first paragraph, that's exactly what my Dad said to me, and he has taught me a few basic, but handy things, such as changing brake pads etc. which will probably save me a few quid as I won't be clueless and take it to a garage straight away when something is up.

[dune]

How to save £800 - Just go on google and change your discs/pads yourself!

 

I change my oil, filter and air filter, but that's as far as i'll go. I fitted a new brake on my moped when i was 17 and put it on backwards with disasterous results. I now know my limits...