Main Service Or Independent?

DIY oil change is super easy with an oil extractor, especially if the oil filter is also on top of the engine (I always look for this now).

Suck out oil via the dip stick tube, change oil and air filters, put new oil in, done. My daily hasn't had a garage service since I bought it.
 
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Nasher said:
DIY oil change is super easy with an oil extractor, especially if the oil filter is also on top of the engine (I always look for this now).

Suck out oil via the dip stick tube, change oil and air filters, put new oil in, done. My daily hasn't had a garage service since I bought it.
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This is good if resale value isn’t a concern, people like to see service stamps
 
Back in early 2018 I contacted virtually every local independent garage, main dealer and one man mechanic outfit for a quote on a major service ie everything in a minor service + pollen filter, wiper blades, and brake fluid.

Went with one for £255 which was cheap for here back then. On the day I delivered the car managed to reverse into a lorry whilst trying to maneuver into their side street garage.

That cost at least £100 worth of damage. I swore from that moment I’d never cheap out on garage service again.
 
Umm I mean that's easily solved by just not crashing your car when you drive it :confused:

Cheaper service.
No crashing.
Profit?
 
nlel1975 said:
Back in early 2018 I contacted virtually every local independent garage, main dealer and one man mechanic outfit for a quote on a major service ie everything in a minor service + pollen filter, wiper blades, and brake fluid.

Went with one for £255 which was cheap for here back then. On the day I delivered the car managed to reverse into a lorry whilst trying to maneuver into their side street garage.

That cost at least £100 worth of damage. I swore from that moment I’d never cheap out on garage service again.
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Eh?
What?
How does one even try to decipher that nonsense?
 
JonRGV250 said:
How does one even try to decipher that nonsense?
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If I had gone to a garage offering a collect and return service, it wouldn’t have happened. Well if it had it wouldn’t have been my fault. So any savings I’d made were wiped out when I pranged it.
 
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Interesting take.

Anyhow, generally unless you're trying to preserve car's value with a fancier stamp in the book and/or maintain manufacturer's warranty the dealer isn't really worth it.

Saying that, my local Honda dealer actually was cheaper through BookMyGarage than independents so did services with them while had 2 years of warranty. Did also have a video health check sent to me which was nice but to be fair, nothing there that wouldn't get picked up by regular MOT.

Plenty of reviews around nowadays so you don't end up with a cowboy garage.
 
nlel1975 said:
If I had gone to a garage offering a collect and return service, it wouldn’t have happened. Well if it had it wouldn’t have been my fault. So any savings I’d made were wiped out when I pranged it.
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So because of a mistake you made, you've sworn off independent servicing forever...?
 
Mart2912 said:
I still take mine to the Mini dealership due to the warranty, but they are a bunch of chancers. Last October when my car went in for a service, they suggested my front disks and pads needed changing and were quoting about £650. I refused as I wasn't convinced they needed to be done. 2 months later, I got my car MOT from the same place, and it passed without any advisories. 1 Year later, brakes are still fine with an extra 10k miles on them.
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My car went in for the MOT recently. By magic, without checking the alignment at all, it needed a wheel alignment for £120!

I refused, of course.
 
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nlel1975 said:
There are some independents who offer collect and return services.
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Right, but you have the ability to drive and park your car I assume.

Your first post implied you swore off independent garages because you crashed your own car, not because of collect and return.
 
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neoboy said:
Interesting take.

Anyhow, generally unless you're trying to preserve car's value with a fancier stamp in the book and/or maintain manufacturer's warranty the dealer isn't really worth it.

Saying that, my local Honda dealer actually was cheaper through BookMyGarage than independents so did services with them while had 2 years of warranty. Did also have a video health check sent to me which was nice but to be fair, nothing there that wouldn't get picked up by regular MOT.

Plenty of reviews around nowadays so you don't end up with a cowboy garage.
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Yea Toyota/Lexus are worth it as they warranty extends to 10 years of you go with them.
 
JonRGV250 said:
What’s even more amazing is the wheel alignment has nothing to do with an MOT.
Was it Halfords?
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Maybe the tester saw abnormal tyre wear and attributed it to misalignment?

Granted, I've experienced being told my alignment is off when it is not. Just tyrefitting placed fishing for extra work.
 
sovietspybob said:
I used to be able to do a service on my old Yaris in about that time, kick old washing bowl under the front to catch the oil, remove sump plug and filter, change cabin and engine air filter while it all drains. You're probably only 10 minutes in so far, new sump plug washer and new oil filter in and then fill with oil, getting on for 20 minutes maybe, general check over of the other fluids and starting the engine up and checking the oil level and topping up brings you to about the half hour mark with time to tidy up.

If you need to jack your car up and remove under trays that adds significant time but if you're lucky enough to have a car designed to be serviced easily it can be done very quickly indeed.
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I thought you said you were doing a service, No problem doing as oil and filter change.
 
bainbridge said:
Maybe the tester saw abnormal tyre wear and attributed it to misalignment?
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An MOT isn't a tool to upsell work to people who are already stressed enough with not knowing whether the result will financially ruin them or not.
Nor may I add is it a free diagnosis session.
 
I decided to go to an independent last year and this due to the main dealer screwing me over. I bought my car new from them in 2019 and had them service it for the first four years. Last year they refused to do it under a service plan until about a month after I'd already had it serviced elsewhere, which they knew about. So offering to do it then was pointless.

This independent is the next best thing, if not better. Here's their promo video...


Their owner and master technician won an award last year for being top technician...

https://www.snapon.com/EN/UK/Diagno...st-news/Top-Technician-Top-Garage-2024-Finals

Its a good honest business, not the cheapest around but you often get what you pay for.
 
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