Trusting a Garage..

HC1 said:
I think I can speak for 90% of car drivers when I say we haven't got the foggiest how to do diagnostics and repairs or even routine maintenance and basic servicing like changing the pads when they start grinding on the discs or swapping the oil annually. I can inflate the tyres, put fuel in, and top up the fluids but anything else would be like rocket science to me.
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It's nuts and bolts, not open heart surgery. Although it's probably not wise to be messing about with it if you don't have the confidence, especially on safety critical stuff.

In reality, if you have some common sense, the ability to follow instructions and the ability to move your hands, the time and space, then you can do most of the routine jobs easily enough.
 
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sigma said:
It's nuts and bolts, not open heart surgery. Although it's probably not wise to be messing about with it if you don't have the confidence, especially on safety critical stuff.

In reality, if you have some common sense, the ability to follow instructions and the ability to move your hands, the time and space, then you can do most of the routine jobs easily enough.
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I think that the space may be my issue with car stuff... i'm used to the small space required for a motorbike, and being able to leave overnight half done... I've even used the front room in the past for motorbike stuff.
 
sigma said:
It's nuts and bolts, not open heart surgery. Although it's probably not wise to be messing about with it if you don't have the confidence, especially on safety critical stuff.

In reality, if you have some common sense, the ability to follow instructions and the ability to move your hands, the time and space, then you can do most of the routine jobs easily enough.
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I suppose if I put in the time and effort I could follow simple step by step written instructions and take photos at each stage to make sure I could put everything back together and make it look like it did to begin with but things that mechanics could do in a few hours or a day would probably have me frustrated for several weeks.
 
HC1 said:
I suppose if I put in the time and effort I could follow simple step by step written instructions and take photos at each stage to make sure I could put everything back together and make it look like it did to begin with but things that mechanics could do in a few hours or a day would probably have me frustrated for several weeks.
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If it took you a several weeks to change an air filter or do an oil change you could probably end up in the Guinness book of records :)
 
sigma said:
If it took you a several weeks to change an air filter or do an oil change you could probably end up in the Guinness book of records :)
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It's easy for you to say that when you've already learned how to do it. When my car is no longer still in the warranty period I might attempt a little bit of basic tinkering/servicing ;)
 
If you already use a place you trust - stay with them!
If you chase for the cheapest quotes you'll get stung with bad work.
I'm a mechanic and our place has generations of the same family. Loyalty won't get you cheaper prices, but it'll always get you honesty, speed of work/squeezing you in if you're stuck, will be more relaxed with speed of payment, etc etc. The trust works both ways.
 
I did always stay with one place.

Then one year I needed a fuel filter fitted. I didn't like the look of it as the fittings were rusted. (it was under the car) or would have done it myself.

Luckily they replaced it with cables ties....

Turns out the business was being handed down the family the mechanics I knew well left years ago as well.

I didn't go back for a long time as they would have easily had a nut and bolt in the workshop to use. I've started going back though as it's local and my other trusted place is an hour round trip.

Tried others but they've been crazy expensive or weird. Or you know, Mot'd the car and when I didn't ask them for an MOT!
 
mushtafa said:
If you already use a place you trust - stay with them!
If you chase for the cheapest quotes you'll get stung with bad work.
I'm a mechanic and our place has generations of the same family. Loyalty won't get you cheaper prices, but it'll always get you honesty, speed of work/squeezing you in if you're stuck, will be more relaxed with speed of payment, etc etc. The trust works both ways.
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So basically what you're saying is we are always going to get our trousers pulled down and bottoms spanked no matter which garage/service centre we use and we should just accept that you guys will always inflate your prices, and charge for work that doesn't actually need doing, and often "tinker" with our vehicles in dodgy ways to make sure we have to visit a garage/service centre again soon?

That's my experience of garages over the last 20 years buying all my vans/cars from new. Never any problems while the vehicles were within the warranty period but as soon as it expired, suddenly, the mechanics find all sorts of problems that need fixing that I need to pay for myself. Not suspicious at all !
 
My car should be in for MOT right now at my usual place, but when I called yesterday to find out if they'd moved into their new larger premises just up the road, it turns out they booked me in for next week!

They seem like a good honest outfit though, and mistakes do occasionally happen.

The other nearby competing garage appears to have closed down and I'm glad. He was a rude git, his garage was spotless but he squeezed as much as he possibly could out of his customers.

For example, the father in law's car went in for a service, the brake fluid was a whisker below full and way above minimum. Indeed on the slight downward slope of his driveway, it read nearly at max level. This rude garage owner charged him £13 for a pot of dot 4 to top up the fluid with a few drops!

My usual place is a bit dirty and oily but I like it.
 
HC1 said:
So basically what you're saying is we are always going to get our trousers pulled down and bottoms spanked no matter which garage/service centre we use and we should just accept that you guys will always inflate your prices, and charge for work that doesn't actually need doing, and often "tinker" with our vehicles in dodgy ways to make sure we have to visit a garage/service centre again soon?

That's my experience of garages over the last 20 years buying all my vans/cars from new. Never any problems while the vehicles were within the warranty period but as soon as it expired, suddenly, the mechanics find all sorts of problems that need fixing that I need to pay for myself. Not suspicious at all !
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So you haven't found a decent garage?! Keep looking then. I said that once you find one, keep it.
 
In my experience they are rarely trustworthy sadly and like many in the service industry time is a premium and "that'll do" their mantra. Occasionally they will surprise you but most of the time it's just disappointment.
 
Housey said:
In my experience they are rarely trustworthy sadly and like many in the service industry time is a premium and "that'll do" their mantra. Occasionally they will surprise you but most of the time it's just disappointment.
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This is a good point - there's potentially a difference between a garage who will fleece you for extra cash, and one who will do honest work but perhaps without as much care as you would like. My trusted garage are very good about prices and recommendations but I wouldn't like to take something precious there. He's just not the sort to baby a vehicle at the expense of speed...
 
Good garages go the extra mile, they do the job properly and they represent you strongly in manufacturer and warranty claims. I've had dealers tell me "sorry sir, that's something you will have to take take up with Mercedes" (as one example) when another dealer will own the exact same issue, speak to Mercedes and get it fixed for you. Same with Audi, BMW, Porsche etc over the years.

The fact one dealer can and the other can't is reflective of the motor trade and how vital the people are. I don't give people second chances any more, I am tired of being let down. Clear on what I want (and be clear, that is just the work done to standard) and we will get on and you will get my continued business. Ignore that and NEXT.
 
I just checked how much I paid for the flexi to repair my Saabs exhaust and it was £11.51. I already have a welder, tools, angle grinder and discs.

With a lift you are most likely talking 90-120 minutes to weld in a new flexi.

A decent welder can be around £500. Add another £100 for angle grinder and discs. Then another £250 for a tool chest.

Then you need to teach yourself to weld. (Not that difficult on scrap metal and a couple of days)

The cost to do it yourself is £1000 BUT once you have those tools you are quids in if you do your own repairs and quite easy make your money back in no time. You will also be surprised just how many jobs you can do around the house with a welder and things you would normally throw out you can fix.
 
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adam cool dude said:
I just checked how much I paid for the flexi to repair my Saabs exhaust and it was £11.51. I already have a welder, tools, angle grinder and discs.

With a lift you are most likely talking 90-120 minutes to weld in a new flexi.

A decent welder can be around £500. Add another £100 for angle grinder and discs. Then another £250 for a tool chest.

Then you need to teach yourself to weld. (Not that difficult on scrap metal and a couple of days)

The cost to do it yourself is £1000 BUT once you have those tools you are quids in if you do your own repairs and quite easy make your money back in no time. You will also be surprised just how many jobs you can do around the house with a welder and things you would normally throw out you can fix.
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How much to buy the lift and the high roofed garage to fit it in?
 
Housey said:
I don't give people second chances any more, I am tired of being let down. Clear on what I want (and be clear, that is just the work done to standard) and we will get on and you will get my continued business. Ignore that and NEXT.
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That's me in a nutshell with everything in life these days and not just garages. I do a lot of research and thinking before I give anyone my business and I never use a service just because it's the nearest/fastest one to where I live but if I even slightly feel something was a bit dodgy the 1st time I use a service there is no chance I will ever come back and risk a 2nd chance. I expect a proper job done. Nothing more, nothing less.
 
My mother once trusted a garage, well more a mechanic who would service and once over before an mot.

Unfortunately when she gave it thought, it seemed he had been doing the unnecessary for years. Disks and pads every year or two, wipers more often than not.

How she noticed the as by querying with me a handbrake cable one year after the last.

Never used him again.
 
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