Was I ripped off?, new radiator/brake light switch...

[Domberch]

hello all. brief tale of woe...took my T3 Caravelle 1989 in to a VW place in oxford (nameless for time being...) as had radiator leak. They fitted a new one , cost £330 all in, didnt seem too bad (?) but when I got it back my brake lights were nt working (I'm 99% sure they were ok before) so took it back assuming they would reconnect whatever they had accidentally undone. But I got whacked for a further £60 for a new brake light switch. I let them know that I wasnt happy but had to stump up. The mechanics all went a bit sheepish....But now I get home and find that my left side rear light and frong left side small light are n't working...checked the bulbs and fuses.... and don't want to go back again....
feedback welcome. could it be a loose connection etc.
cheers, Dom.

[windysurfer]

I'm no expert but I changed my brake light switch the other week.

It took about 15 minutes and the switch was a fiver

[funbus1]

Radiator; £96.plus vat, From gsf.

[Mocki]

Radiator; £96.plus vat, From gsf.

plus a hour at most to actually change the rad and lets say another hour to bleed it up....£100 , still not £300 tho....... although, whats the bet they paid more than GSF price for the rad

[Ye Olde Syncrospares]

sounds about right,rad £100,2 hours labour @£35-£50 ph,6 litres of g12 all plus VAT=AROUND £300,CJ.

[Laurie]

You are talking about an OLD vehicle. How are they going to knacker your lights by changing a Rad?
If you're unhappy, take it to a VW dealer but take a tub of vaseline with you.
God help the garage if you get a puncture!

[Red Westie]

I've got to say that after reading your post and having a pretty good idea of what they would have had to do to the vehicle to carry out these seperate repairs that they appear to be unrelated.
I want to stay objective in this but will say that similar things have happened to me in the past where I have repaired a vehicle and it has returned with a completely unrelated fault.
Can I enquire....did you ask the garage to thoroughly go through the van and supply a defect list? because the way they work is to carry out the requested repair and report on any related work, thats it!
I do think the chargers were a little on the high side.
£100 rad, £25 Antifreeze and 2.5 hours labour I reckon around £250 and 15minutes for the brake light switch should have make the total cost of that repair about £25 max

Martin

[HarryMann]

A genuine VW rad is a bit more than £100 retail...

Check they have put all the air-deflector cards back in nicely (2 sides and one at the bottom), though they can often be missing/ damaged to start with.

Did they say they had problems with the brake-light switch, justifying the £60.

Did you specify genuine VW or copy parts (e.g. GSF), do you even know what you got?

[Russel]

Now when you took it back did you say my switch needs changing or my brake lights dont work?One is a straight switch swop and the other a fault diagnosis and then a switch swop once it is determined to be ure (preshure)switch.
These 2 problems you have had have no relation to each other.That is like getting a plumer in to change your toilet then blaming him for your stove not working.
A word that comes to mind is SINCEYOU!
Russel

[toomanytoys]

Local BMW garage is £95 an hour...

Sounds pretty fair for the Rad.. as Syncrospares says..
are they familier with the T25... someone that knows these vehicles will always be quicker than any novice...
What were the charges on the invoice??
Garages are not there to do you a favour and need to make a living..

Brake switch.. bit dear, shouldnt take long to sus what was at fault and change, but maybe they bled the system as well.. whats on the invoice??....

If you are unhappy with the price, then get a manual and learn how to do stuff yourself.. unfortunatly these are old vehicles and will always require work doing.. thats a fact....

[beetleseb]

I agree the £60 is a bit much if it was just a swap but if its a diagnose and bleed then its about right. Alot of the fault hunting and bleeding would be easier with 2 blokes thus double the labour.

Are you sure the brakelights haven't been gone a while? I drove round for ages b4 a mate mentoned it!

If your after good service and prices in oxford try the vanshack, I've always found them to be spot on with my bay and bug and treat them as well as if its their own.

Seb

[Domberch]

wow, thanks for all the input.
I have to say that I guess the rad was an ok deal and the brake light a bit expensive. I didnt know it was the brake light switch...so yes they had to diagnose it. I had by chance had a friend to tell me if they were working about a week or so before taking it in (I was checking all the lights) . And only realised because a woman driving behind me on the way back from the garage nearly went into the back of me....and followed me home to tell me brake lights weren't working!
It was a VW dealer.
I'm guilty as charged on the ignorance front, I really wish I did know more about engines and electronics....might have to go on a course or something...Thanks for the tip about the place in Oxford. I will check them out, as my lights still need fixing and I dont really want to go back to the other place. It's prob just a loose connection but as I said , I'm clueless and would never find it.
thanks again for the feed back, this is a top site,
cheers, Dom.
ps, is there a place on this site to find out about local T3/veedub sites.

[Domberch]

sorry that was meant to read local T3/veedub CLUBS.

[HarryMann]

It was a VW dealer.

Ah.. zis might help explain the £60...

Even if chappie had to get another to help with bleeding for a few minutes or disgnosis, that's generally not doubled up hours, as in theory, equipment and skills should allow it to be done by one, and of course quicker with two so balanxces out?

Local clubs... don't thinkw e have an index of them.

80-90 has local events from time to time, and get togethers around the country.. as you're a full member, you should be able get into Trips and Events forum here, so keep an eye on that for like minded T25 owners.

Please put your Member Number in your profile and if you can't get into Trips/Events and Members Only forum here, drop me a PM

Machynlleth - that's a nice area! Seen a good few T25s driving through there last eyar.