Furious with Garage!!

AlisonB · 02-10-2008 6:06pm #1

Had a problem with my car in April... chugging - smoke coming out of engine - engine light on etc.. brought it to a dealer and they put it on diagnostics and said the car had to be serviced!!

Fair enough .. 360 euro!! They also said i'd need water pump, new timing belt kit and a load of pipes .. fair enough. So they ordered them and I paid another 900 euro. So that was the 22nd of May

Was in Dublin the other day, and oh dear, the engine light comes on, car chugging, smoke out of exhaust etc. Same problem, same symptoms..

They have had the car for the LAST TWO days... tell me that I put too much oil in the car!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't put oil in it since it was in the garage for the second time in May and they are telling me this. ?? They say they found oil in my boot? Am i the only person that buys spare oil incase the car needs it?

Anyway, my car .. i don't know what to do

Anan1 · 02-10-2008 6:10pm

A few questions:

When (and how many miles previously) had the car last been serviced prior to the service in April?

Did anyone else put oil in the car in the meantime?

Had the car been using oil in the meantime?

AlisonB · 02-10-2008 6:15pm

The car is serviced regularly - got a half service september previous. No one puts oil in it other than me or that dealer.

Before I brought it into the garage I bought 5 litres of semi - synthetic.. checked the oil and couldn't believe the oil was full. I had been driving it for months and the oil was still full???

The garage had it twice, once in April and then in May for the timing belt. Why after months would the car start acting up because it had too much oil .. If anything it should have gotten better as it used the oil .. it makes no sense to me at all.

Tipsy Mac · 02-10-2008 6:45pm

Is it a VW?

anthony4335 · 02-10-2008 6:52pm

Sounds similar to a problem I had with a diesel Mondeo I had, where the lift pump had gone. Only diff was that I got little or no warning, and when it went that was it gone, it did not go away and come back.

Barr · 02-10-2008 8:09pm

€900 for a timing belt ! what kind of car do you have ?

crosstownk · 02-10-2008 8:35pm

Make/model/year? It helps to know what car you have as all makes and models have tendencies for certain faults......

mcmc · 02-10-2008 8:42pm

Barr wrote: »

€900 for a timing belt ! what kind of car do you have ?

Cost me about that price to get the timing belt done on my 02 Audi A4. It was in a main dealer though.

AlisonB · 02-10-2008 9:03pm

It's a VW Beetle 02. The things is, the problem seems intermittent. Seems to run better when it's cold. I'd be worried about a crack in the block maybe ? I don't know, but to be honest , i'm sick of the car and although i'm looking into buying an EOS, i'm thinking twice about buying VW again.

Darragh29 · 02-10-2008 11:28pm

Barr wrote: »

€900 for a timing belt ! what kind of car do you have ?

Did the garage get Paris Hilton to fit that for you or something?

Guy:Incognito · 02-10-2008 11:43pm

Darragh29 wrote: »

Did the garage get Paris Hilton to fit that for you or something?

Is she an especially talented mechanic?:D

Darragh29 · 02-10-2008 11:52pm

Stekelly wrote: »

Is she an especially talented mechanic?:D

I don't know about her mechanical skills but she sure fu*kin knows how to charge....

D_murph · 02-10-2008 11:55pm

Stekelly wrote: »

Is she an especially talented mechanic?:D

well ive seen her handle "tools" on occasion and it looked like she knew what she was doing

:pac:

galwaytt · 03-10-2008 1:59am

AlisonB wrote: »

It's a VW Beetle 02. The things is, the problem seems intermittent. Seems to run better when it's cold. I'd be worried about a crack in the block maybe ? I don't know, but to be honest , i'm sick of the car and although i'm looking into buying an EOS, i'm thinking twice about buying VW again.

Alison, I can think of no other way to say it, but, you've been...robbed. Typical garage behaviour when it comes to women drivers, tbh.

My SO, sister-in-law (s) etc, have all had this kind of treatment.

Off the top of my head, I'd be looking at an 02 sensor, MAF or similar, all common failing parts on cars these days........VAG in particular.

You're right about not looking at a VW though, there have been a lot of problems reported with the roof mechanism of the EOS - leaks, etc., and I can assure you 900 wouldn't go anywhere near curing those problems with that complex folding roof.............

I'd go back to the garage and tell them you know now you were overcharged, and see how they take it. Name 'em and shame 'em.

AlisonB · 03-10-2008 10:36am

Well i;ve just been back onto the garage - they say the oil level was an "INCH" above what it was supposed to be .. even though i had checked it the morning before I gave it to them before I drove. I'm sick and so upset. I'm collecting the car and bringing it to another family mechanic.

Supposedly they were going to take the cylinder head off and check for damage.. I can't believe it!!

AlisonB · 03-10-2008 1:00pm

update ...

Brought it to another garage.

Car is fine!! a tiny bit of blow back in the engine. The garage i had put the car in with previously had left the car low in oil. He brought the car for a test drive ( a good scutch as we say), said the car was perfect.. no missing and said to drive it over the weekend and see how I get on.

I'm getting him to replace the oil filter and plugs anyway next week and to do an oil consumption test over the next 6 weeks. I'm baffled.

hobochris · 03-10-2008 1:06pm

who was the garage? name and shame

Darragh29 · 03-10-2008 1:11pm

AlisonB wrote: »

Had a problem with my car in April... chugging - smoke coming out of engine - engine light on etc.. brought it to a dealer and they put it on diagnostics and said the car had to be serviced!!

Fair enough .. 360 euro!! They also said i'd need water pump, new timing belt kit and a load of pipes .. fair enough. So they ordered them and I paid another 900 euro. So that was the 22nd of May

Was in Dublin the other day, and oh dear, the engine light comes on, car chugging, smoke out of exhaust etc. Same problem, same symptoms..

They have had the car for the LAST TWO days... tell me that I put too much oil in the car!!!!!!!!!!! I haven't put oil in it since it was in the garage for the second time in May and they are telling me this. ?? They say they found oil in my boot? Am i the only person that buys spare oil incase the car needs it?

Anyway, my car .. i don't know what to do

Was the seal on the oil container in the back of your car broken, like was the container actually opened at any stage or was it just a spare can of oil in case you ever needed it and that it was still sealed?

Was your car due a timing belt kit & water pump replacement??? If it was, then you can't really blame the garage for flagging this during a service, because the alternative could have been that they didn't advise you properly and you'd have all the expense that usually comes with that...

I can understand your frustration but I can't understand how come if the garage put too much oil in your engine, that this causes an intermittant problem like the one you describe, excess smoke, engine light on, etc.

AlisonB · 03-10-2008 1:31pm

I'm not denying the car needed a timing belt and a service, but that was their solution to the problem at the beginning, when the problem happened again, in this case, they are saying someone put too much oil in it. When I checked it (the morning before I got it assessed) the oil level was fine.. yet today they claimed it was an inch above that ?? It makes no sense whatsoever.. as the guy in the office say "If there was too much oil in it, you'd only get to drive it for a couple of days". I completely agree... I don't think the issue here is too much oil - but related to oil .. Maybe worn rings or something causing a leak and resulting in the excessive smoke.

The oil can in the back of my car has been there since i've owned the car incase I need it, along with the coolant and the screen wash. I'm driving for 11 years now and I know enough about cars to know when I smell a rat.

I don't know the legal implication of naming and shaming but i'd rather not..

Darragh29 · 03-10-2008 1:48pm

AlisonB wrote: »

Had a problem with my car in April... chugging - smoke coming out of engine - engine light on etc.. brought it to a dealer and they put it on diagnostics and said the car had to be serviced!!

This I would suggest is where things started to go wrong. An excess oil consumption problem is going to be diagnosed in this manner. Main dealerships are now run by centralised computers hooking up with MDL, if your car comes in with a problem and they don't have a record of scheduled items being done on time, some dealerships will literally force you to have these events attended to before they proceed with your actual problem, because "that's what the computer tells them to do".

You need to understand OP what is happening here in some dealerships, you have low skilled apprentices and technicans who might not have huge exposure to diagnostics, being guided by an over arching computer system that is telling them what they must do. If you had have gotten the timing belt and water pump done in another VW garage and the car serviced, they would have looked straight into your actual problem, because the MDL computer system would not have forced them to tick these boxes before proceeding to look into your actual problem. I know you are livid at this but unfortunately it is the "system".

Ferris · 03-10-2008 2:31pm

Darragh29 wrote: »

I know you are livid at this but unfortunately it is the "system".

And its the reason that dealer servicing should only be used while a car is under manufacturer warranty. After that find a good indy mechanic or specialist who actually has a brain and an interest in keeping his customers happy.

Beta Ray Bill · 03-10-2008 4:39pm

Thats unfortunate mate.

I would never bring my car to an Irish mechanic/dealer. I always go up north (I'm Irish Btw LOL)

They just cant be trusted, simple as.
EG Last car I had (Mondeo) brought it to a Guy cuz the engine light was on. got it back (€200) he said there was a problem with the engine mangement system and he fixed it.... hes fixed it by pulling out the bulb for the light!

brough teh car to a Ford Dealer.. they wanted €900 for the fix
Then brought it to a ford dealer in newry.... £340

Will I ever use an Irish garage/dealer again?

Hell No!

Darragh29 · 03-10-2008 4:45pm

Ferris wrote: »

And its the reason that dealer servicing should only be used while a car is under manufacturer warranty. After that find a good indy mechanic or specialist who actually has a brain and an interest in keeping his customers happy.

Well after spending over 1000 Euro in a dealership, the OP still has the exact same problem that she presented with. I don't know many indy's who would leave the OP in the same situation to be honest, warranty or no warranty...

eringobragh · 03-10-2008 4:49pm

grahambo wrote: »

EG Last car I had (Mondeo) brought it to a Guy cuz the engine light was on. got it back (€200) he said there was a problem with the engine mangement system and he fixed it.... hes fixed it by pulling out the bulb for the light!

Jesus, Thats shocking :eek:

Ferris · 03-10-2008 4:57pm

Darragh29 wrote: »

Well after spending over 1000 Euro in a dealership, the OP still has the exact same problem that she presented with. I don't know many indy's who would leave the OP in the same situation to be honest, warranty or no warranty...

The only problem is the systems that are developed by manufacturers to force you to bring your car to their dealers. Some indy's wouldn't have the tools or knowledge to maintain a model that was brand new. My Da's audi, for example was remapped three times by the Audi dealer to make the engine run smoother, an indy wouldn't have been able to do that. After a few years however its indy all the way.

In saying that I've never had a car with a manufacturers warranty.

Darragh29 · 03-10-2008 5:02pm

grahambo wrote: »

hes fixed it by pulling out the bulb for the light!

In my experience, it's usually a customer who starts enquiring about this only after they have been given a price for actually resolving the issue. I've been asked to do this more times by customers who just want to avoid paying for anything and I always refuse and ask them to bring their car somewhere else.

You can't blame Irish mechanics for the cost of parts down south which are just stupid, especially from a dealer. This is what has you getting quoted 900 Euro for something down south that costs you 500 Euro up north...

Main dealers will not an indy garage a proper discount down here, because most of them just begrudge the fact that the indy garage down the road got the job that they think they should be automatically entitled to...

Darragh29 · 03-10-2008 5:08pm

Ferris wrote: »

The only problem is the systems that are developed by manufacturers to force you to bring your car to their dealers. Some indy's wouldn't have the tools or knowledge to maintain a model that was brand new. My Da's audi, for example was remapped three times by the Audi dealer to make the engine run smoother, an indy wouldn't have been able to do that. After a few years however its indy all the way.

In saying that I've never had a car with a manufacturers warranty.

The OP could have gone to a decent indy garage that would have sorted out her problem and also have advised her that she needed a timing belt and a service. Her manufacturers warranty would still be unaffected.

Beta Ray Bill · 03-10-2008 5:08pm

eringobragh wrote: »

Jesus, Thats shocking :eek:

In fairness I've had a pretty bad run with Irish Mechanics

out of the 10 or so I've dealt with only 3 really do the job correctly.

1 guy is retired (cant use him anymore)
1 is my next door neighbor (he will never accept cash off me and I dont like being a sponge)
1 is a Lad Called Derek (He looks after my Evo)

rest are Chancers

I've had so many bad dealings.. Only today I sent a letter of complaint off to the Fast Fit Tyres Head office regarding a crummy job they did on the tracking.

****** *****
*** ****** **** ********
******
****** *
Ireland.

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to you in complaint of the service I received at Fast Fit Tyres on the ********* road. I brought my car (**********, White *****) to this branch on Saturday the **/**/**** to have the tracking fixed. The job was completed in an hour and I paid €70 and took the Car home. I then went out in it that night only to find the tracking was not fixed. I brought the car back on Sunday morning however the branch was closed. I did not have time during the week to deal with this issue so I brought the car back on the following Saturday (**/**/****). Upon which I was told the tracking was spot on. I did ask the lads there to check it again. They did so and they still said it was spot on. I said 'ok' and took the car out again and its still not correct. The car is not damaged in any way so it is definitely something to do with the machinery being used having not been calibrated correctly or person doing the Job was careless. In either case the machine is giving the wrong output. I am now fed up with having to deal with this. This Saturday (**/**/****) will be my third Saturday in a row trying to get the tracking fixed on the car, and I will not be bringing it to Fast Fit Tyres

In saying that the Lad that actually did the work was a nice person. And I have no complaint about his attitude etc. However at €70.00 for this Job I expect it to be done correctly. By the time you read this it will have cost me €140.00 + Time + Petrol to get this Issue fixed as Fast Tit Tyres did not do the job correctly in the first place.

I am very annoyed about this issue as it should be a simple enough task. I would also not be inclined to use Fast Fit Tyres again. At the very least I believe I am entitled to a refund as I paid for a service which I was not given.

I look forward to your reply on this Issue.

Regards
G.

Darragh29 · 03-10-2008 5:26pm

grahambo wrote: »

In fairness I've had a pretty bad run with Irish Mechanics

out of the 10 or so I've dealt with only 3 really do the job correctly.

1 guy is retired (cant use him anymore)
1 is my next door neighbor (he will never accept cash off me and I dont like being a sponge)
1 is a Lad Called Derek (He looks after my Evo)

rest are Chancers

I've had so many bad dealings.. Only today I sent a letter of complaint off to the Fast Fit Tyres Head office regarding a crummy job they did on the tracking.

Is this complaint relating to your Evo you referred to above???

Beta Ray Bill · 03-10-2008 5:27pm

That is correct, Why do you Ask?

Darragh29 · 03-10-2008 5:39pm

grahambo wrote: »

That is correct, Why do you Ask?

Modified suspension?

Furious with Garage!!

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