Paying a garage to fix a problem and having the problem come back
- Thread starter Muffin`
- Start date
Don
Result 
Don
At least you know what it is now
Hopefully they will put it all right, and away you vtec!
Hopefully they will put it all right, and away you vtec!
Well, I picked the car up today, just over a month after I dropped it off. The oversized parts (because of the rebore) were on backorder when the car went in so that's why it's taken so long, which I accepted was out of anybody's control
Set off from my house at the crack of dawn to get to Temple Meads for the 7:30 train to Swindon. As ever the local buses were keeping their own timetable (not the ones on the bus stop/website) so I missed my train, awesome. My pre-booked taxi was understanding about the delay, but when I get there he phoned to say he running late due to another job. So I had to hang about outside Swindon station where there was a gas leak (lol), there were people wondering about saying don't use electric devices or smoke, so I had a bit of a headache by the time the taxi showed up.
So I get to the garage, previously agreed over the phone that it's FOC so I get the keys back and I walk back to my car and get in. I look down and thought:
"That's not good I'm gonna have to listen to a droney engine on the way back."
wait...
"**** sake my stereo's gone!"
So I walk back in and say "Stereo's not there lol, did you take it out for any reason?"
He hadn't and didn't realise it was gone/had one. So I wasn't best pleased. I said I'd phone on Monday as he's got another guy who works with him who might know but it's pretty obvious to me that it's been left unlocked and an opportunist has had away with it. Funnily enough the locking key(s) for the car are kept in an old fascia case for a car stereo to keep them together and that was now gone but the nice thief had left the locking keys in the door pocket for me (lived in the glove box before). Taking it out is not a quick job due to the iPod cable that runs down the back and out the ashtray area.
So I'm left in a dilemma, do I chase it?
- He has a duty of care when the car is in his ownership
- It's leaving me out of pocket if I don't (£150)
If he's hesitant that there never was one then it could get nasty and I go to court over the sake of £150 then I run the risk of ****ing him off. That's a problem if any more problems come back relating the rebuild and I have to take it back!
So I set off on my way home as I wanted to get back for F1 qualifying. I have another issue, my MOT expired while I was in the garage so I'm MOT'less (I know I know). My car is perfectly fine it's in tip-top condition just no ticket. So the only thing I was worried about was a FPN, so I wanted to avoid any Police cars. I set off on my way home and get onto the M4 and there's a traffic car with its lights on the hard shoulder! ********! So I nip into the third lane and stay with the flow. Phew. Then I realise there's Jap cars everywhere as of course it's Jap Fest today. So I figured of all the days a white DC2 will blend in with the traffic, it's today (how can I lose?).
Well I get towards Castle Comb and I catch the rev needle doing a little dance for me. And then the car starts to hesitate within 30 seconds the cars dying, so I pull onto the hard shoulder and it stalls as I slow down. ****.
So I phone up the garage and I'm like 'It's died on the M4 lol' and I explain what happened. It was unbelievably loud on the motorway thanks to the rice rockets shooting past. All I heard was 'Thermostat' and 'Loose'. So I start hunting for something loose but I couldn't find it. Phone up a mate and ask if he has break down, he does, start to make arrangements for a tow truck with him turning up (as it's for him not a car). So I'm stood on the side of the road with my bonnet up, clearly the centre of attention for other jap drivers with people giving me thumbs up and a smile
Called the garage back to see about getting it towed back there for diagnosis and I go into the bushes to hear him better and he shouted some more and I hear 'Bolt' and 'Gearbox'. So I go back again to look again, bingo, loose earthing wire held in with a bolt at the top of the gearbox (there was an oil leak again after I had taken it for an oil leak a few weeks ago and he'd fixed the sump gasket so he said it must have been a seal with the gearbox and he fixed it FOC so it was an oversight during reassembly, easily done). Tighten it up and it was fine. Home time!
So yeah. tl;dr - I'm home (at last) and I've got to get an MOT and a new stereo.
Sometimes I'm think this car is just a bad omen or I'm the unluckiest mother ****er ever born.
Set off from my house at the crack of dawn to get to Temple Meads for the 7:30 train to Swindon. As ever the local buses were keeping their own timetable (not the ones on the bus stop/website) so I missed my train, awesome. My pre-booked taxi was understanding about the delay, but when I get there he phoned to say he running late due to another job. So I had to hang about outside Swindon station where there was a gas leak (lol), there were people wondering about saying don't use electric devices or smoke, so I had a bit of a headache by the time the taxi showed up.
So I get to the garage, previously agreed over the phone that it's FOC so I get the keys back and I walk back to my car and get in. I look down and thought:
"That's not good I'm gonna have to listen to a droney engine on the way back."
wait...
"**** sake my stereo's gone!"
So I walk back in and say "Stereo's not there lol, did you take it out for any reason?"
He hadn't and didn't realise it was gone/had one. So I wasn't best pleased. I said I'd phone on Monday as he's got another guy who works with him who might know but it's pretty obvious to me that it's been left unlocked and an opportunist has had away with it. Funnily enough the locking key(s) for the car are kept in an old fascia case for a car stereo to keep them together and that was now gone but the nice thief had left the locking keys in the door pocket for me (lived in the glove box before). Taking it out is not a quick job due to the iPod cable that runs down the back and out the ashtray area.
So I'm left in a dilemma, do I chase it?
- He has a duty of care when the car is in his ownership
- It's leaving me out of pocket if I don't (£150)
If he's hesitant that there never was one then it could get nasty and I go to court over the sake of £150 then I run the risk of ****ing him off. That's a problem if any more problems come back relating the rebuild and I have to take it back!
So I set off on my way home as I wanted to get back for F1 qualifying. I have another issue, my MOT expired while I was in the garage so I'm MOT'less (I know I know). My car is perfectly fine it's in tip-top condition just no ticket. So the only thing I was worried about was a FPN, so I wanted to avoid any Police cars. I set off on my way home and get onto the M4 and there's a traffic car with its lights on the hard shoulder! ********! So I nip into the third lane and stay with the flow. Phew. Then I realise there's Jap cars everywhere as of course it's Jap Fest today. So I figured of all the days a white DC2 will blend in with the traffic, it's today (how can I lose?).
Well I get towards Castle Comb and I catch the rev needle doing a little dance for me. And then the car starts to hesitate within 30 seconds the cars dying, so I pull onto the hard shoulder and it stalls as I slow down. ****.
So I phone up the garage and I'm like 'It's died on the M4 lol' and I explain what happened. It was unbelievably loud on the motorway thanks to the rice rockets shooting past. All I heard was 'Thermostat' and 'Loose'. So I start hunting for something loose but I couldn't find it. Phone up a mate and ask if he has break down, he does, start to make arrangements for a tow truck with him turning up (as it's for him not a car). So I'm stood on the side of the road with my bonnet up, clearly the centre of attention for other jap drivers with people giving me thumbs up and a smile
Called the garage back to see about getting it towed back there for diagnosis and I go into the bushes to hear him better and he shouted some more and I hear 'Bolt' and 'Gearbox'. So I go back again to look again, bingo, loose earthing wire held in with a bolt at the top of the gearbox (there was an oil leak again after I had taken it for an oil leak a few weeks ago and he'd fixed the sump gasket so he said it must have been a seal with the gearbox and he fixed it FOC so it was an oversight during reassembly, easily done). Tighten it up and it was fine. Home time!
So yeah. tl;dr - I'm home (at last) and I've got to get an MOT and a new stereo.
Sometimes I'm think this car is just a bad omen or I'm the unluckiest mother ****er ever born.
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To me it sounds like you have an amateur outfit working on your car, who seem to come from the school of hap, hazard and slap dash. Bill them for the radio and take it somewhere else next time. Not gone through the thread in detail but cutting to the chase its seems they have a history of half a job and if a jobs worth doing it's worth doing twice.
Don
Jesus.
Definitely chase them regarding the radio
Definitely chase them regarding the radio
I think you're right. The bloke does come highly recommended on the owners club, people on here have used him with nothing but praise for the knowledge and service. If I chase the radio then I think I'd lose all after sales unless I start to write recorded letters. If it's a problem with the rebuild I have to spend money as opposed to FOC then it's not as desirable. The next closest specialist is Hampshire iirc, quite a drive!
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Soldato
Jesus, after all that there's no way I'd let them off for the stereo.
Not an amateur outfit at all.
Just seems there have been a catalogue of small errors and a shed load of bad luck for Muffinmonster!
The stereo thing is ridiculous though, chase it up with him, they should surely have insurance for when the car in on the premises. Not relenting on a stolen stereo would be very silly indeed and it's obviously gone!
Chase him up on it. Aftersales regarding the rebuild should not come into it, your stereo has been stolen with the car in their care/workshop. It's a totally separate issue.
Soldato
What the actual swear word relating to having intercourse with a female?
I don't see much professionalism in this thread.
This is textbook delusion and denial.
And you guys are the textbook lynch mob who:
- Know nothing about said outfit.
- Have never purcahsed parts through them and had assitance with a DIY install.
- Have never had any work done there.
- No nothing about their excellent work and good reputation within the community.
Not denial, just putting things into perspective compared to your rash conclusions formed solely from the experience described in this thread. I'm not rushing to their defence, there are a number of problems that have happened throughout this process that need to be addressed, and I'm sure he'll look into them, but stop harping on about it in typical OcUK Motors forum geek fashion.
Muffin, feel free to PM on the other forum if you want a chat or any advice, I'm on the pc most of the day.
- Know nothing about said outfit.
- Have never purcahsed parts through them and had assitance with a DIY install.
- Have never had any work done there.
- No nothing about their excellent work and good reputation within the community.
Not denial, just putting things into perspective compared to your rash conclusions formed solely from the experience described in this thread. I'm not rushing to their defence, there are a number of problems that have happened throughout this process that need to be addressed, and I'm sure he'll look into them, but stop harping on about it in typical OcUK Motors forum geek fashion.
Muffin, feel free to PM on the other forum if you want a chat or any advice, I'm on the pc most of the day.
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Did you break the rings in properly? Although its fine as they state, to keep the car under 5k for the first 500 miles, but you need large cylinder loads to create the best cylinder seal within the first 100 miles or so. If this isnt done you can often end up with a smokey oil burning engine.
None of that is relevant though is it...
Fixing mistakes and making mistakes are totally different things...
Those points are completely relevent seeing as I have had experiences with the garage on a number of occassions, had my car in there and also seen and heard about the work done on many other cars. You just called me delusion, when in fact you are the one with no clue insulting me over a company and man you know nothing about.
There have been a number of mistakes that shouldn't have happened and have been fixed. It's not really acceptable that they happened but that doesn't change the fact they did. Hopefully there won't be anymore and Muffin should let them know about the mistakes properly, as in feedback, so they understand his dissatisfaction and ensure they don't happen agiain with him or others.
The stereo is a separate issue of what seems like theft, and this needs to be sorted out by them!
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Soldato
Uh, no way i'd let them get away with losing your head unit. Get onto them about it pronto!