Buying parts for a Service, cheaper or just pay all to garage?

Liquid_Entity

Liquid_Entity

Liquid_Entity

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Hi

I can obtain 5L of engine oil (needs 6L so will buy 2) for a very reasonable price (see link below) and I also need spark plugs and oil filter etc. I am just wondering if it's cheaper to buy own parts and then get them to service and install these or just pay for the whole service with their parts included?

I've been on a few standard sites such as ATS that do the service for around £230 but given they only replace a few things and the rest are just checks it seems a lot. They also mention 'equivalent of OEM' so not actually the OEM parts.

In an ideal world I would love to have the time, patience and tools to do all of this myself but I just don't so have to pay someone. Just trying to save some money but get a full service done.

http://www.vwmotorparts.com/vw-engi...antum-synta-engine-oil-z-530-5ltr-p-1084.html
 
To be honest, it's going to be a case of simple maths...

A) You buying oil + spark plugs + oil filter + garage labour = £X
B) Garage is supplying parts plus labour = £Y

If X is a decent amount less than Y, then go for it.
 
Gaygle said:
To be honest, it's going to be a case of simple maths...

A) You buying oil + spark plugs + oil filter + garage labour = £X
B) Garage is supplying parts plus labour = £Y

If X is a decent amount less than Y, then go for it.
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Thanks, it is quite simple. I guess I just know what's going in to the car unlike their parts which might not be same standard.
 
Liquid_Entity said:
I've been on a few standard sites such as ATS that do the service for around £230 but given they only replace a few things and the rest are just checks it seems a lot. They also mention 'equivalent of OEM' so not actually the OEM parts.
Click to expand...
Those checks, the time taken to do them all and the expertise (ie knowing when something is on its way to failure) that comes with experience are what you're paying for, as well as any warranty/responsibility they bear for signing it off.
As far as OEM equivalents go, half the time OEM stuff isn't available any more or takes too long and costs too much... other times, it's actually better than OEM. Depends on your vehicle.

Liquid_Entity said:
I guess I just know what's going in to the car unlike their parts which might not be same standard.
Click to expand...
If you have that many concerns, perhaps go find a mechanic you can trust instead?
 
You've then got to factor in time/cost of driving to the local tip in order to dispose of the old oil. Not guilty myself (honest!) but years ago I suspect a large percentage of driveway services saw the oil down the local street drain...

My biggest hassle with garage servicing is the advisories - discs down to 40% "sir" when they are the originals on a 10 year old car which does <4k miles a year. And last service where I asked if they could change the windscreen wipers, which they forgot to do then when I did it myself a couple of weeks later found a huge split/tear in the passenger side blade you wonder what else they didn't bother with. However on the Corsa just changing the spark plugs seems to involve removing half the top of the engine so I would rather get a mechanic to do that than risk making a hash of it myself.
 
Vern1961 said:
You've then got to factor in time/cost of driving to the local tip in order to dispose of the old oil. Not guilty myself (honest!) but years ago I suspect a large percentage of driveway services saw the oil down the local street drain...

My biggest hassle with garage servicing is the advisories - discs down to 40% "sir" when they are the originals on a 10 year old car which does <4k miles a year. And last service where I asked if they could change the windscreen wipers, which they forgot to do then when I did it myself a couple of weeks later found a huge split/tear in the passenger side blade you wonder what else they didn't bother with. However on the Corsa just changing the spark plugs seems to involve removing half the top of the engine so I would rather get a mechanic to do that than risk making a hash of it myself.
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You misunderstood me, I don't want to do any work myself but I want to buy my own parts and get someone else to service it in a garage.
 
Could you cope with the issues of returns if the parts go faulty after being fitted and also being without you car for the time it takes everyone to argue 'black is white'?

This is what my worry would be.
 
Maundie said:
Could you cope with the issues of returns if the parts go faulty after being fitted and also being without you car for the time it takes everyone to argue 'black is white'?

This is what my worry would be.
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ahh yeah that would be a painful process. Didn't even consider that. Cheers. I'll just get it done at garage then.
 
For consumables I used to do this all the time. If I could get the oil and OEM parts cheaper then I would. Then my local specialist was happy to fit.

But like has been mentioned there was no returns cover on the parts from the garage who fitted them.

But for general oil, filters, discs, pads go bananas!
 
What car is the service for and is it a WV Dealer Garage or independent Mechanic your going to.

When comes to the oil quantity the 6l will be a maximum so if 5l is above the minimum you could save urself from having to buy 2 and would still be considered safe. Even based on 2 5l at that price

2x 5l Oli = £27
4 x Spark Plugs = £20 (£5 each)
1x Oil Filter = £10
1 x Air Filter = £15
1 x Cabin Filter = £15

Parts Total = £87 ( these would be the very maximum costs unless using uprated parts. So that leaves £143 for labour. Main Dealer quoting this would be about average my mechanic in Northern Ireland for this basic service would charge max £70.

All of the above would be considered consumables so wouldn't really have a "warranty" as such time it lasts would depend on "driving style" so would all come down to quality of workmanship etc.

for a car under 2.2l id expect basic service oils/filter to cost all in £150 or less form an independent mechanic
 
Orionaut said:
Garages shouldn't agree to fit owner supplied parts, And owners shouldn't ask them too. it really is a potential can of worms for all concerned.

http://pmmonline.co.uk/article/customer-supplied-parts-fitting-them/
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No I agree, I would never ask a garage to use parts I supply for a service, I did however when the wiper mechanism went one my old 3 series get a replacement from a BMW breakers and my mate from the boozer (he runs his own garage and told me to get the part) fitted it for a couple of pints.
 
Depends on your relationship with the garage, my local I've used for the last 10 years will let you supply your own parts for servicing etc but they will tell you if they don't think they are upto the job.
 
I did this a couple of times with parts I supplied but the mechanic was a family friend so no major issues should something happen.
One part was an exhaust that I bought via eBay. Was a hell of a lot cheaper than he could supply.
Turned out QC wasn't brilliant and it was a few cm too short re brackets and fittings IIRC.
The mechanic had to faff about with the fixing but got there.
Been on the car for a few years no issues but realised I had little come back.
 
Orionaut said:
Garages shouldn't agree to fit owner supplied parts, And owners shouldn't ask them too. it really is a potential can of worms for all concerned.

http://pmmonline.co.uk/article/customer-supplied-parts-fitting-them/
Click to expand...

It's definitely nothing to do with the rise of the internet/online part suppliers meaning that garages not being able to charge what they like for parts anymore. If I need a part for my car, I'm able to type my VRM into hundreds of websites and them give me a price, a picture and a part number of the item I need. I can look on forums for advice from other owners. I am able to Google local motorfactors and call each one of them to see what their prices were. Years ago, that wasn't at all possible. I had to take my car to the local garage, then wait for the mechanic to call me with some exorbitant price for a part and I could either take it or leave it, because he had all the contacts and only he knew the part i needed.

The irony is that independent garages are the biggest offenders at supplying and fitting cheap, crap Chinese parts - and are happy to do so when they're making profit on them, but as soon as they're not, they start wheeling out stuff about safety. I've got no problems with garages making profit, and I actively support my local independent garages and recommend them to friends because they are great, but let's cut past the BS and not try to pretend this is about safety - it's about trying to trying to reduce competition and it's about money.

Dave Hill of London Road Garage said, “Does any repairer seriously want his or her job compromised by inferior quality parts that they didn’t even make a profit on?
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The last part of that guys quote sums it up. They're happier to fit crap parts as long as they're making profit on them. I'd be willing to bet that the vast, vast majority of parts customers supply are from GSF/EuroCarParts/CP4L/eBay or the local motor factor - the exact same places the garages get them from. And even then, if you do get that 1 in 1000 customer who turns up with some parts you've never heard of and aren't happy with, you can simply tell them your not happy to fit them as you don't consider them to be safe.
 
Depending on what i am having done to mine, sometimes i buy parts one month and the pay to have it done the month after, to spread costs a bit :)
 
I've supplied my own oil before. But the other things aren't really much cheaper to buy yourself.

I only ever use indi garages with a good rep. You gotta be careful of them using inferior and non-OEM parts. There is a reason why many of them are cheap.
 
my view is i'm paying for someone with the correct tools, knowledge and experience to look at the car.

if you're going with a reputable garage then i don't imagine you're going to be paying a significant premium for the supplies, although you will be paying for labour.

garages are big users of such things, and they have a network, so normally they're not going to be paying over the odds for stuff if they're worth their salt.

i use a variety of garages for different issues, but my go-to for servicing is part of a dealership who's one of those people who lives by his reputation and won't let it be spoiled for anything. i have in the past used a different indie to do work and they somehow passed my car through mot when within a month the front brake shield fell off due to corrosion followed by the exhaust, suffice to say i will not be returning there.
 
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