Servicing - meaning and misunderstanding...

CiniO

Let's put aside the fact, that most Irish driver's don't service their cars, they are not interested what servicing is, and they don't care...

Let's focus on those ones, that do service their cars.

Because even in that group, I think there is a good bit of misunderstanding what servicing is.

All manufacturers specify the correct servicing schedule for each car model.
It's usually something like that.
Change oil and oil filter every 1 year or 20k km.
Change air filter, pollen filter, fuel filter, spark plugs every 2 years or 40k km.
Change brake fluid every 3 years or 60k km.
Change coolant every 5 years or 100k km
Change gearbox oil every 8 years or 160k km.

Etc... All above just purely for ilustrative purposes.


Now - people shop around and see servicing offers. One garage does it for €150, other for €170, other for €300, etc...
I've hardly seen garages advertising servicing which would actually list items that are being done. There's very few.

People leave their car for service, thinking that's all the car needs, but end up only with changed oil filter and oil, very often with incorrect grade of oil used.

If someone keeps servicing their car at main dealers, chances of following manufacture schedule are higher, but still not certain.

Why don't people bother to actually check what needs to be done at certain mileage and ask garage purposely to do that? I think that's the only way to have everything done like it should. Other option is to do all servicing yourself to know everything is done as it should.


Example.
I bought a car privately 2 months ago. Year 2006, 100k km.
Previous owner bought it in November 2014 from main dealer with mileage of 90k km and service history. I'd assume he must have paid fairly high price for that car then, considering it was from main dealer with warranty and just after full service.
Service history was all good and regular until 2011 and 50k km.
Then there's none service history until November 2014 and 90k km which service was done by main dealer who sold the car to previous owner.
It was obvious it needed major service and everything changed which needs to be at that mileage and fact that car was not serviced for 3 years and 40k km.

However what I've found when I was servicing this car after purchase, that they didn't bother too much.
They most likely changed oil, and air filter. (you could see it was relatively new and clean as it should look after 10k km, and just over a year.
I'd bet they didn't bother changing oil filter, as the one fitted was not original peugeot (which you'd expect peugeot dealer to fit during service). It was extremely seized and took me ages to take out, and showed significent signs of rust. I don't believe this could have been oil filter fitted by peugeot dealer during service just over a year ago.
Pollen filter was complete disaster - absolutely filthy - I could bet it was the original one from 2006 fitted by manufactuer. It was original peugeot one anyway. No chance it was changed in 2014 by the dealer.
Spark plugs - gone. No way spark plugs could have deteriorated that much over 10k and just over 1 year.
Coolant obviously wasn't changed as well, as it's mostly water. However I can not be certain about that, as previous owner could have cracked the radiator or have a leak and topped coolant with water.

But in general - consensus of this story is that previous owner bought 8 year old car with low mileage from main dealer, was told that car is just after servicing, so it's obvious he assumed car doesn't need anything for a year anyway.
In fact that was far from true, as at that stage car already badly needed new pollen filter, oil filter and spark plugs, and possibly much more.



In general, service history even stamped in the book, doesn't mean much without exact invoices of items that have been done during those services.

Atlantic Dawn

Exactly, without the physical invoices detailing exact parts replaced and used I always do a full service within the first few weeks of ownership so I can use that as a starting point for timelines for all future work.

ThisRegard

Oh look, another thread/post generalising Irish drivers by CiniO.

CJhaughey

ThisRegard wrote: »

Oh look, another thread/post generalising Irish drivers by CiniO.

Yep and you know what, its true!

shietpilot

People don't look at what garages do for the price because they assume a service is a service. Most drivers don't even know that brake fluid and other things need changing. People who actually service their car usually only service the bare minimals to keep the car running e.g. engine oil, oil filter and timing belt plus anything extra to get the car through the NCT. The rest of the items get replaced only when they fail.

UsedToWait

ThisRegard wrote: »

Oh look, another thread/post generalising Irish drivers by CiniO.

That's unfair.

I think it's generally accepted on here that most Irish people don't perform preventative maintenance on their vehicles.

It's nice to have a perspective on how things are done in other countries, and taking offence is churlish.

Voodoomelon

You hear it all the time, "€180 for a service, my guy does it for €120". You can't blame customers 100% for not assuming a "service" is a "service", garages do not abide by any set standard or protocol for what's included.

Which is understandable, as apart from an oil service, every car will have different needs depending on mileage and age when it hits the ramp. The terminology used by garages should be changed; the word "service" literally and figuratively applies to no specific physical process so it should be done away with.

It should be somehow implemented into the driver training process, the various tiers of maintenance performed. IE, an oil and filter change should be completed annually. Filters every two years and coolant and brake fluid every two to three years.

And garages should produce maintenance options to match, so everyone is on the same page and price comparisons are easy to perform. Obviously the intervals vary from car to car, but the jobs are largely the same.

ThisRegard

UsedToWait wrote: »

That's unfair.

I think it's generally accepted on here that most Irish people don't perform preventative maintenance on their vehicles.

It's nice to have a perspective on how things are done in other countries, and taking offence is churlish.

I haven't taken offence, and it's like a broken record. And many of us have lived in other countries so are aware that this 'only in Ireland' nonsense is just that.

166man

Why would you buy such a poorly maintained car is what I'd be wondering..

bear1

I agree somewhat with the op here but I think its unfair to say most of Irish drivers do this.
Now lets look at what I've noticed when it has come to polish drivers.
I've noticed that the cheapest parts possible are used, I've noticed that reusing of second hand parts is quite popular and that the use of recycled tires is also popular which tells me that the ones I've met couldn't give two fcuks about their cars.
I've also met the ones who take exceptional care of their cars and spend money on the best quality at good mechanics to keep their cars in tip top shape and I commend them for it.
It depends on who has had the car before them, whoever buys my Passat will be surprised to see all jobs accounted for and no expense spared.
Just my 2c but its not just the Irish.

CiniO

166man wrote: »

Why would you buy such a poorly maintained car is what I'd be wondering..

To be honest with you, after spending whole day, and seeing nearly 15 different cars, this one was with the best maintenance record out of them.

When you are shopping for 10 year old car for below €2k, I'd assume that's the best you can get.

Besides manufacturer advices service every 2 years or 30k km.
So by service record being in 2011 at 50k km, and then 2014 at 90k km, it was over by year and 10k km. Not great, but not a disaster yet.
I'd be more concerned though about what have and what haven't been done on those services, as per my OP, stamp in service book doesn't mean much.

J.pilkington

ThisRegard wrote: »

Oh look, another thread/post generalising Irish drivers by CiniO.

+100, you would wonder why he tolerates "Irish" people

CiniO

J.pilkington wrote: »

+100, you would wonder why he tolerates "Irish" people

Could you stay with the thread subject please.
If you have something personally toward myself, you're free to write more PM's like you already did. Pity you never bothered to comment on my reply.
But I assume that's not your intention to discuss in civilised manner as that's not what you're here for.

JohnBoy26

This "Irish don't service their cars" argument is bull. There will always be those few happy go lucky people that don't service their cars but they are not confined to this country.

In general I think that Irish cars are maintained mechanically. It's the paintwork/ bodywork that's the issue with many Irish cars. Some of this is down to poor roads and the rest down to poor driving and using automatic car washes.

J.pilkington

CiniO wrote: »

Could you stay with the thread subject please.
If you have something personally toward myself, you're free to write more PM's like you already did. Pity you never bothered to comment on my reply.
But I assume that's not your intention to discuss in civilised manner as that's not what you're here for.

Ah come on starting a thread in an Irish motors forum saying "most" Irish people don't service their cars along with your other many many comments which invariably include sly digs at Irish people such as our our mostly crap roads (to quote you Irish motorways are so poorly built you can only get 6k miles on a set of tyres!) and our mostly crap drivers. Your posts constantly call out the Irish as being some kind of inferior being.

You are insulting people here, do you not get it?

Why not try make a point without insulting Irish people? it is possible

Meeoow

Last time I was in getting tyres fitted to my car , some Polish bloke rocked in in his big Audi. Got a quote for a tyre of 55euros and stormed out sulking cause it was too dear. And us Paddys won't spend money on our cars??

Yardleys Lavender

The OP's opening post is written in the fashion of a troll and a lot of his/her's posts show that this person has form in generalising and know-it-all-isms. It's just antagonising people on purpose.

Unless this person is rocking around the hills of Mayo in a 599 or a GT3 counting their millions, why would you pay any attention to him/her? It's only ole nonsense that was concocted after a Saturday trying to buy a five grand car for two.


He/she goes out of their way to make up cribby topics to post on boards....you can see it in the previous posts.

Whatever.

savagethegoat

I must be reading a different post to you....whatever

Agricola

J.pilkington wrote: »

Ah come on starting a thread in an Irish motors forum saying "most" Irish people don't service their cars along with your other many many comments which invariably include sly digs at Irish people such as our our mostly crap roads (to quote you Irish motorways are so poorly built you can only get 6k miles on a set of tyres!) and our mostly crap drivers. Your posts constantly call out the Irish as being some kind of inferior being.

You are insulting people here, do you not get it?

Why not try make a point without insulting Irish people? it is possible

Maybe he's not setting out to insult people but just stating a well observed phenomenon. Driver attitudes to maintenance (and other car related items) DO vary from country to country. Do Irish drivers maintain their cars to a comparable standard to German or Japanese drivers? Most people would agree not. TBH, being very anal about a long list of maintenance items would be a more Teutonic, Asian or dare I say it, even British trait, no one would think it an Irish one. Does that mean everyone has that attitude? No, but anecdotally it seems to be the prevailing culture here.

Tigger

CiniO wrote: »

People leave their car for service, thinking that's all the car needs, but end up only with changed oil filter and oil, very often with incorrect grade of oil used.

The amount of indy garages round my way buying barrels of 10w40 (not suitable for cars with a dpf) is astounding
i don't for one second believe that there are that many petrol cars or euro 3 or older cars around and i believe that this is one of the causes of so many dpf failures (where the indy simply deletes the dpf )

Tigger

Agricola wrote: »

Maybe he's not setting out to insult people but just stating a well observed phenomenon. Driver attitudes to maintenance (and other car related items) DO vary from country to country. Do Irish drivers maintain their cars to a comparable standard to German or Japanese drivers? Most people would agree not. TBH, being very anal about a long list of maintenance items would be a more Teutonic, Asian or dare I say it, even British trait, no one would think it an Irish one. Does that mean everyone has that attitude? No, but anecdotally it seems to be the prevailing culture here.

every time i try to buy a car in ireland i find myself presented with either incredulous stares or falsified documents when i ask for the service history.
in the uk you get a history in most cases

bear1

I totally understand the op, but I think its fair to say that this stuff isn't reserved solely to one country.
If he hadn't had said the Irish part and declaring it a fact I dont think anyone would have seen malice in the post.
But, I somehow doubt you wouldn't get an equal reaction on a polish forum as a foreigner saying how terrible poles are at maintaining cars.

Tigger

bear1 wrote: »

I totally understand the op, but I think its fair to say that this stuff isn't reserved solely to one country.
If he hadn't had said the Irish part and declaring it a fact I dont think anyone would have seen malice in the post.
But, I somehow doubt you wouldn't get an equal reaction on a polish forum as a foreigner saying how terrible poles are at maintaining cars.

if id of written the op it would have been very similar except i'd have started with

Let's put aside the fact, that most driver's don't service their cars, they are not interested what servicing is, and they don't care...

but i'd have meant irish because this is where i'm from

cml387

In fairness Cinio does have a point but he'd want to be more careful about how he characterises it as just an Irish trait.

If he carries out similar research in every European country and gives us a point by point comparison then maybe he could say that we Irish are just so awful.

bear1

If you think we are bad you should see how the Italians treat their cars...

Supergurrier

Have no time to service car.

Too busy self loathing.

alta stare

When it comes to looking at service history I'd be on the side of receipts etc instead of stamped service books. I keep any receipts for any work I do and keep them in a plastic pocket in an A4 ring binder. Nice tidy and easy to flick through to see what was done and at what mileage.

As for the arguement about Irish people not looking after their cars......most of my family and friends don't bother with preventative maintenance so maybe there is some truth to it.

Alun

Tigger wrote: »

every time i try to buy a car in ireland i find myself presented with either incredulous stares or falsified documents when i ask for the service history.
in the uk you get a history in most cases

This ^^^ Along with the inevitable "Well you expect a few bumps and scratches on a car of this age", when "this age" is 2 years old ffs.

Toyotafanboi

If you are relying on the service history to define if the car has been looked after, you should probably ask someone who knows about cars to check out the actual car.

Service historys are easily forged and difficult to verify.

I bought my Celica last year, 135k or so on it with a full service history, car drove well and looked very clean inside and out. Not 3 months in, the head gasket went, highly unlikely it could have been somehow predicted, but it sort of demonstrates how a fully recorded history can offer you s.f.a in the way of assurances.

Now I have around 165k on the car... last year when the head gasket went I fitted a newer, low mileage engine. At the same time a recon'd alternator and starter, new aux belt, new battery, new water pump, rad and thermostat, new clutch kit, fresh coolant, gearbox oil, k and n air filter and a new set of iridium plugs and 4 tyres not long after.

Didn't keep a receipt for any of it.

If I do say so, the car is mechanically in great shape and anybody who knows a bit about cars would know it's in good health.

It's a €2000 car and tbh at that price point i'd be buying by condition on the day and not service history etc as really there are no guarentees with stuff of that age and to assume there is would be silly.

JohnBoy26

Tigger wrote: »

every time i try to buy a car in ireland i find myself presented with either incredulous stares or falsified documents when i ask for the service history.
in the uk you get a history in most cases

And pay a lot more for it too, especially with older cars.

zilog_jones

Not sure if this is indicative of the whole UK, but I just got a car from NI last week. It was serviced by a Toyota dealer up North in January - but the wiper blades were useless. They obviously hadn't been replaced in well over a year. Surely checking wipers is part of a standard intermediate service in a main dealer?

Toyotafanboi

zilog_jones wrote: »

Surely checking wipers is part of a standard intermediate service in a main dealer?

Checking them is.

The customer authorising fitting a new set adding €30-40 to the service price is not.

9935452

shietpilot wrote: »

People don't look at what garages do for the price because they assume a service is a service. Most drivers don't even know that brake fluid and other things need changing. People who actually service their car usually only service the bare minimals to keep the car running e.g. engine oil, oil filter and timing belt plus anything extra to get the car through the NCT. The rest of the items get replaced only when they fail.

To be fair there are a lot of people who as you say will do the basics and then see what fails in the nct and then fix that. Ive a good few friends who do that.
One of them said to me one day that my car was costing a lot to keep on the road , i had done the brakes , timing belt and water pump and put new tyres under it within 4 months. I had the car 9.5 years and it never let me down.
My friends car was constantly causing him bother. His servicing the car was change the oil and filter once a year and blow out the air filter . In 4 years of owning the car he never changed the fuel filter, spark plugs, fan belt etc.
Eventually it got to the point that the repairs were more than the car was worth.

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

If you are relying on the service history to define if the car has been looked after, you should probably ask someone who knows about cars to check out the actual car.

Service historys are easily forged and difficult to verify.

I bought my Celica last year, 135k or so on it with a full service history, car drove well and looked very clean inside and out. Not 3 months in, the head gasket went, highly unlikely it could have been somehow predicted, but it sort of demonstrates how a fully recorded history can offer you s.f.a in the way of assurances.

Now I have around 165k on the car... last year when the head gasket went I fitted a newer, low mileage engine. At the same time a recon'd alternator and starter, new aux belt, new battery, new water pump, rad and thermostat, new clutch kit, fresh coolant, gearbox oil, k and n air filter and a new set of iridium plugs and 4 tyres not long after.

Didn't keep a receipt for any of it.

If I do say so, the car is mechanically in great shape and anybody who knows a bit about cars would know it's in good health.

It's a €2000 car and tbh at that price point i'd be buying by condition on the day and not service history etc as really there are no guarentees with stuff of that age and to assume there is would be silly.

I could be shot for saying this but your word can count for a lot when it comes to selling the car. The condition of the car then backs you up.

Tigger

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Checking them is.

The customer authorising fitting a new set adding €30-40 to the service price is not.

Wipers are €5 for crap €10 for passable and €20 decent

tomwaterford

Tigger wrote: »

Wipers are €5 for crap €10 for passable and €20 decent

+ stocking markup??


Though on the point of the tread...was always of the opinion that servicing and not doing basic maintenance along with it as you go is somewhat pointless

As if you service and do a few small bits each time...it should be better surly than having to spend a rake of money to put it through an nct on stuff that should be done anyway??

CiniO

bear1 wrote: »

I agree somewhat with the op here but I think its unfair to say most of Irish drivers do this.

Unfortunately, I'm affraid it's a fact that most Irish drivers don't service their cars. Obviously the older the car, the more it happens, and therefore it's actually very hard to find a 10 year old car which would be regularly serviced, and cars being driven for 5 years without oil change is not unusual.
Probably owners of brand new cars, stick more to servicing schedule, even for purpose of keeping the warranty.

Now lets look at what I've noticed when it has come to polish drivers.
I've noticed that the cheapest parts possible are used,

There's plenty of replacement parts available there (non OEM) for popular makes, like VW, Opel, Fiat, etc...
People use them because they are cheap. It might be a false economy, as part might fail few months later, but well.... That's what it is.

I've noticed that reusing of second hand parts is quite popular

Same as in Ireland - in the west most garages source the parts at scrapyards...
Maybe they don't go as far as some Polish lads trying to squeeze another 20k km from set of second hand shock absorbers, or clutches, but cheap labour cost makes doing those things worthwhile there I suppose.

and that the use of recycled tires is also popular

Do you mean second hand tyres or remoulds/retreaded?
Retreaded tyres are sometimes good alternative if manufactured properly. Unfortunately quite often they aren't manufactured properly.

which tells me that the ones I've met couldn't give two fcuks about their cars.
I've also met the ones who take exceptional care of their cars and spend money on the best quality at good mechanics to keep their cars in tip top shape and I commend them for it.

There's very much wrong with Polish car market, condition of vehicles, and way people fix them. I know that.
But you can't say that people don't service their cars, as in my whole life I don't think I've heard or known anyone in Poland who would run 5 years without changing oil. In Ireland I know personally many people who do that.

CiniO

OK, let me explain.

J.pilkington wrote: »

Ah come on starting a thread in an Irish motors forum saying "most" Irish people don't service their cars

By reading this forum for the last 7 years, that is one of the most repeating opinions in here - that Irish cars are not serviced properly. That by buying in the UK, you are way more likely to find car which was serviced regularly.
There's hardly a day on the forum, that someone doesn't mention that fact one way or the other.
When I moved down here, I was shocked that people drive for many many years without even changing a oil, as it was something I never seen or heard of from Poland.
Currently I personally know many people who are my friends or aquaintances who don't maintain their cars at all. They just buy them and drive on without thinking servicing is necessery.
Also my experience buying car secondhand here, proves that finding a car with full service history is nearly impossible, and finding one with any trace of servicing is also hard.
That's why I wrote the first sentence of my OP as a certainty, as I thought everyone knows that anyway.

along with your other many many comments which invariably include sly digs at Irish people

I have never ever said anything bad about Irish people my friend.
I moved here to Ireland, and since the very beginning I was treated like at home (or rather better). I'm much greatful to Irish nation for welcoming me here and treating me like one of them, and never letting me feel like an outsider. And I'm absolutely serious about that.

such as our our mostly crap roads

In place I live roads are really crap.

(to quote you Irish motorways are so poorly built you can only get 6k miles on a set of tyres!)

That's not my quotation.
I never said Irish motorways are poorly built. Do search and check if you like.
I was saying that Irish roads are built in technology, which causes excessive tyre wear, but provides extra grip (comparing to roads on the Continent).
This effect is even more severe in the west on the country roads, where I mostly drive, and indeed I struggle to get much more than 6k miles from a set of front tyres.

But yes, sure - misinterpret whatever I'm saying the way you like, and bash me then for doing digs on Irish people which accoring to you I seemingly must hate a lot.

and our mostly crap drivers. Your posts constantly call out the Irish as being some kind of inferior being.

Lack of driver education for many many years in here, created a generation of drivers, who unfortunately don't have the best skills. Is that my fault?

You are insulting people here, do you not get it?

No.

Why not try make a point without insulting Irish people? it is possible

For you, anything is an insult, so what's the point in trying?

bear1

CiniO wrote: »

Unfortunately, I'm affraid it's a fact that most Irish drivers don't service their cars. Obviously the older the car, the more it happens, and therefore it's actually very hard to find a 10 year old car which would be regularly serviced, and cars being driven for 5 years without oil change is not unusual.
Probably owners of brand new cars, stick more to servicing schedule, even for purpose of keeping the warranty.



There's plenty of replacement parts available there (non OEM) for popular makes, like VW, Opel, Fiat, etc...
People use them because they are cheap. It might be a false economy, as part might fail few months later, but well.... That's what it is.


Same as in Ireland - in the west most garages source the parts at scrapyards...
Maybe they don't go as far as some Polish lads trying to squeeze another 20k km from set of second hand shock absorbers, or clutches, but cheap labour cost makes doing those things worthwhile there I suppose.

Do you mean second hand tyres or remoulds/retreaded?
Retreaded tyres are sometimes good alternative if manufactured properly. Unfortunately quite often they aren't manufactured properly.



There's very much wrong with Polish car market, condition of vehicles, and way people fix them. I know that.
But you can't say that people don't service their cars, as in my whole life I don't think I've heard or known anyone in Poland who would run 5 years without changing oil. In Ireland I know personally many people who do that.

Yes but I think it's unfair to assume as fact that each motorist in this country neglects their car when you can see clearly on this forum its not the case.
I knew you'd disagree with what I said about poles and their cars but I'm sticking to my opinion.
As I said in another post I agree with you somewhat about the servicing.
Could this trait be more visible due to the recession we had causing people to spend their money on other things and start skipping services?
You are here 7 years which means you arrived at the height of the crisis so you may have a different mindset to someone who has lived there all their life.
Re the tires in Poland, I meant completely recycled, I.e. There would be no writing on the tire at all.
Btw I'veno problem with what you wrote I just think its not as clear cut as you made it out

jimbo112

Getting my car serviced next week, 152 reg 1.6 diesel, its going for its second service, what should I insist that is serviced/changed?

And should I request a receipt detailing the actual work done on the car instead of a generic invoice not stating the actual servicing that was done.

Bigus

Oh yes the English are correct to service their cars religiously and do as told

" for sale Alfa 166 full history £ 35,000 in maintenance invoices, first £999 secures "

:rolleyes:

UsedToWait

jimbo112 wrote: »

Getting my car serviced next week, 152 reg 1.6 diesel, its going for its second service, what should I insist that is serviced/changed?

And should I request a receipt detailing the actual work done on the car instead of a generic invoice not stating the actual servicing that was done.

In the service handbook of your car it will tell you what needs to be done and when - it's different for each car, and also depends on the engine you have..
If the invoice doesn't detail the work done, it should at least be written up in the service book and stamped by the garage.

CiniO

Bigus wrote: »

Oh yes the English are correct to service their cars religiously and do as told

" for sale Alfa 166 full history £ 35,000 in maintenance invoices, first £999 secures "

:rolleyes:

So you're saying it's not worth servicing cars in Ireland, just because they depreciate so quick?

CJhaughey

Have you considered that Cinio may have only had experience of Poland and Ireland?
He may not have seen how other countries do servicing or indeed have experience with it so to paint him as some kind of Anti-irish because he states his experience is unfair.
In his experience and in my experience as well what he says is largely true, whether or not it holds true in other EU nations I can't answer definitively.
Yes some people do service vehicles correctly keep them in good condition but in many cases the least amount of money spent on a vehicle in most peoples eyes is the best outcome for them, regardless of what damage is being done in the longer term.

biko

Out of all the people I know, hardly anyone has a clue about cars and servicing.
Some are content with letting NCT find issues and then only fix those. No car pride at all.

barneygumble99

A major problem also that affects legitimate garages is that overnight you can fly into the country , open a garage the day after and call yourself a mechanic, and no one checks whether you have qualifications, insurance etc. Doesn't inspire confidence in a lot of people hence why there's threads every week from people looking for reputable garages, realistical quotes and diy advice.

UsedToWait

barneygumble99 wrote: »

A major problem also that affects legitimate garages is that overnight you can fly into the country , open a garage the day after and call yourself a mechanic, and no one checks whether you have qualifications, insurance etc. Doesn't inspire confidence in a lot of people hence why there's threads every week from people looking for reputable garages, realistical quotes and diy advice.

Can locals not do this also, or is it just foreigners you have a problem with?

bear1

barneygumble99 wrote: »

A major problem also that affects legitimate garages is that overnight you can fly into the country , open a garage the day after and call yourself a mechanic, and no one checks whether you have qualifications, insurance etc. Doesn't inspire confidence in a lot of people hence why there's threads every week from people looking for reputable garages, realistical quotes and diy advice.

I think people ask questions because they want to go into a garage knowing that it has been recommended.
If I'm looking for a good VW mechanic in Galway but can't find them via google then I'd go onto chat thread and ask. No harm in it and doesn't mean that the VW guy is better than anyone else, it just means that more people have used him to generate enough of an opinion.
Has nothing to do with opening up a garage the day after you fly in... tbh I didn't even get that.

PauloMN

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Now I have around 165k on the car... last year when the head gasket went I fitted a newer, low mileage engine. At the same time a recon'd alternator and starter, new aux belt, new battery, new water pump, rad and thermostat, new clutch kit, fresh coolant, gearbox oil, k and n air filter and a new set of iridium plugs and 4 tyres not long after.

Didn't keep a receipt for any of it.

:eek: I cannot understand how you wouldn't just have kept the receipt for all that work with the handbook, for your own sake as well as anyone else's.

Agricola

biko wrote: »

Out of all the people I know, hardly anyone has a clue about cars and servicing.
Some are content with letting NCT find issues and then only fix those. No car pride at all.

The culture here is more about pride in this year's number plate on your car, more than how well an older car looks or how well it is maintained. I know plenty of people who just can't see past the year on the plate. If your car has 161, doesnt matter if it's a Fiesta or a Duster, you are doing well for yourself. If you have a 10+ year old pristine Beemer, Audi, Merc etc minded like a baby and looking like it rolled off the line..... meh, old car is old! :rolleyes:

Specifically about servicing, I think the above is compounded by the fact that a huge amount of people haven't a clue about anything under the bonnet and either have to decide to go with an expensive "service" from a garage or just keep going another while and shur til be grand! The latter often wins.