Club 80-90 Forums

toomanytoys wrote:
Oh and the Scooby spat its exhaust off today....... a bit of inginuity required to fix without resorting to a new 2nd cat... and the oil leak on the Syncro is getting worse.... Maybe I should take some time out and fix my own vehicles....

bloomin typical sounds like a builders house, everyone elses buildings fine but theirs falling apart with everything half done

toomanytoys wrote:Maybe I should take some time out and fix my own vehicles....

Do you get a good family discount???

Em
x

well done that man...hope to met you sometime, we spend a lot of time on the phone to people giving advice which we are more than happy to do, we also fix a lot of vans....Aircooled and water that have been to "specialists" there is a real shortage of people that understand these vehicles and the more we can do to share our knowledge and expertise the better.
You are so right about the overheads buddy....it's a killer big time!

I sympathise with Cafnod and others who have had bad experiences with main dealers.

I can't claim to have a lot of experience, as I tend to stay well away from them if possible.

The last time I took the Ro80 to a main VAG dealer for "a service" was in 1975, just after I bought it. When I went to collect the car the following day I was told it needed a new ignition unit, a complete new exhaust system, and a new engine, as mine had a serious water leak and was liable to explode. Total cost of some few thousand pounds.

The car now wouldn't even start, so I went into Swindon, bought a Sparkite Unit, fitted it and drove away. The water leak was a loose hose clamp; the engine lasted until 1981, I had a stainless exhaust made about 2 years later for less than their new one.

In the 80's and 90's my company in Spain had a few Seat and Fiat vans, which were serviced by the dealer we bought them from, but I don't think they ever did more than change the oil and filters. The battery on one new van exploded the day after a service. It was only half full of electrolyte and the gas inside blew up. Dealer said it was a sealed battery and they didn't have to check it. Wasn't even covered on Fiat Warranty. The Seat dealer lost the spare wheel on one car (stored on top of the engine).

I drove the Syncro to England in 2000, just after I bought it. The LH outer CV joint started clicking on the way, and was jamming up when we got to Surrey. I phoned the nearest VW Commercial dealer, who said they could fit a rebuilt shaft for £39 plus an hour's work. Recovery vehicle took it there. I pointed out the bad joint and left.

Next afternoon they called to say it was fixed. I was really pleased, and paid the bill of £189.65 by cheque. Invoice said:

"Check noise from left hand rear wheel. Lots of play in drive shaft/cv joint. Checked all drive shafts and wheel bearings, remove rear brake drums inspect brakes & clean. Check gearbox and diff units. Found oil level low, drain oil (oil dis-coloured - signs of overheating also lots of swath) & top-up with new oil."

I was surprised to be told the CV joint was OK and drove away. I got to the main road by Croydon airport, and the joint locked up again. I crawled back to the garage very upset and had them remove the shaft. Joint had water and grit inside. They had no spare at all so they dismantled, cleaned and replaced the old knackered one. I refused to pay the second bill they gave me, which they eventually agreed to.

I got a new joint from Volkspartz the next day, fitted it myself, stopped the cheque for the first "repair", and sent another for an hour's work plus the gearbox oil.

They were upset now, but eventually saw it my way. They were "disappointed I had cause to contact them" as "the inspection of joints as you are aware is and can only be visual unless the stripping of the joint is carried out"

Its about time the main dealer had his say.... Yes I work at a main dealer (not vw), yes we do plug our lap top in when the engine/air bag or any other lamp pops on, but that said lap top only tells you half the story. It may tell there is a fault with the ECM but that's not the point we start changing them or any other componant. Often it is something simple like a broken or trapped wires and no lap top is going to tell you where that is. It is all down to correct diagnoses procedure by a skilled techy. Its all about experience too we know our brand inside out and like other garages spend time on the fone to customers and other garages (for free lol), sometime sorting their problems in minutes when they have spent days and hundreds of pounds trying to fix a car.We often have cars towed to us that other garages just can't fix, it happens almost every week. Yes sometimes things go wrong and we get it wrong but that happens everywhere, yes the bills are more expensive but I can't help that (but our overheads are far more and the massive wage they pay us ), but sometimes and just sometimes you get what you pay for...
Si (toomanytoys) is a vw specialist (just like we are in our field) and a very good one, just wish everyone else in the trade was like him and like we try hard to be..
IAN

I know all main dealers can't be that bad. I've probably been unlucky with some of those I've chosen (not all), but I do get upset when I ask for a particular job to be done and they do something else.

I now carry a lot of tools and quite a few spares in the VW, but if I ever get stuck again away from home I'll make sure I make out a detailed Work Order. This didn't happen the last time, as the place was closing when I got there (the RAC sent a towing vehicle instead of a flatbed on their first effort), and I gave verbal instructions only.

Having had a service business for many years I know how hard it is to get good people, and all about overheads.

Main dealers are usually sales-driven, the workshop being a nice sideline churning out standardised service work. Often not too many around in there with real skills, or knowledge of non current models.

Firstly I wish to say I am not trying to demean anyone but point out my own experiences from my years in the motor trade.
I like RichardF could quote a lot of main dealer type issues, the Bedford CF they badly rebuilt the carb on when it went in for an oil leak being one of the funniest 20 odd years later but not so at the time. However what I was trying to say is that most high street garages, not necessarily main dealers, seem to have no interest or in many cases staff capable of working on anything that is non standard and part replacement orientated.
And like you Fullsunian I have worked for main dealers; Volvo (cars) Mercedes (heavy commercials) and For d (commercials, where I was workshop foreman). I have worked for myself and subcontracted to most of the breakdown clubs AA, Greenflag, RAC etc.
Where I was an aprentice we had 20+ Scammels, Atkinsons Fodens and ERF's none of which were standard but had various generators. welders and lifting/towing rigs. We were taught that a motor vehicle is a motor vehicle and we should, within reason fix it or find out how to fix it if it was outside our experience. Not 'I can only fix Nissans or Peugeots'.
This has got a lot easier as technology has progressed, microfiches, computer drawings, internet searches, online resources and so on.
When I buy a vehicle from a specialist who has just refitted the part that explodes on me in @50 miles
I feel I have every right to be unhappy about it but I agree everyone makes mistakes even when they should know better. BUT my big problem is that they will not take responsibility for their mistakes or even admit them. 'The customer is always wrong' seems to be their motto, followed by 'even if we mess it up we are entitled to as much of your money as we can reasonably blag out of you'.

Cafnod wrote:F We were taught that a motor vehicle is a motor vehicle and we should, within reason fix it or find out how to fix it if it was outside our experience. Not 'I can only fix Nissans or Peugeots'.
This has got a lot easier as technology has progressed, microfiches, computer drawings, internet searches, online resources and so on.
When I buy a vehicle from a specialist who has just refitted the part that explodes on me in @50 miles

Why would a Nissan or Peugeot or what ever dealer need to know any other type of vehicle? Would a for d dealer send their machanics on a vauxhall training course, no. A dealer is surely a specialist in the make it sells nothing else.
As for things are a lot easier, you are having a laugh. We changed an engine on a new Renault traffic last week, give me a R reg transite any day...Try and get your head round the latest Renault wiring diagrams...

I think most people know by now that you don't take your 10+ year-old vehicle to a main dealer. Half the staff there would have been about 15 or less when it was made, and I suspect the training courses don't cover anything over 5 years old - most warranties expire after a couple of years. You just pay the bills after that unless you can suss it out yourself.

At the present attrition rate of older cars due to the discount you can get on a new car if you scrap an old one there soon won't be any left - nor parts. That should make everyone happy...............

Hi Ian a friend of mine probably wrote most of the Traffic wiring diagram, he designs control module systems for most of the French stuff, why they employ someone who lives in the cotswolds dont ask me but I can give you his email if you want.

Hi matey, I work at a nissan dealer. The traffic or primastar when nissan have put there badges on it...I think the Japs rewrite the manuals....badly
Give me something old any day, points, dwell angles, tappets far more fun then sitting there with a lap top..
IAN

Hey lads... all this main dealer stuff is a little off topic from what I started.....

Agreed