Don't you just hate it when...
22 September 2006, 11:58 PM
#1
Don't you just hate it when...
My car had problem in that clutch slave cylinder gave up the ghost 
That meant recovery from Redbridge Roundabout and car to garage for a gearbox out operation
Garage is a central London main dealer for the marque.
This happened last Thursday. On Friday they were still to work on it but had ordered the parts in just in case for that type of thing. Monday g/box out and diagnosis confirmed. They also had to do a regular service.
Bottom line is that it took until this afternoon to be finished, although I had been meant to collect last night but they were "having problems" re-installing the steering wheel.
I have put some pressure on them as they were so vague as to when it would be ready. Gearbox/clutch is 8 hr job and service is 2 hours, so you would expect the work to be done Wednesday/Thurs at the latest. However, the garage was not great at managing expectations and keeping customer properly informed of progress
I collected it this afternoon. It had not been washed properly - still had cow poo all over the bottom sills! Sure I don't expect a full valet but having paid what I did and their rate per hour would think to get a clean car. Not a great issue. However, the low rev vibration of something like a lose or over-tigtened heat-shield was annoying as is the clicking from the gear lever (manual). The vibration noise is something that is just too aggravating to put up with although the clicking maybe. Prob is that they shouldn't be there.
Anyhow, back to work. Leave @ 20:00, jump in the car looking forward to the drive home (succession of vans this week) and I get to the gate and the Low Coolant message pops up
Just had the car serviced! Stop and pull the bonnet and sure there is not a lot of coolant in the reservoir... Getting angry now.
Happened to look at the radiator shield or whatever it is that you call the protective plate at the front of the engine bay over the rad and see that there are two bolts missing These hold the air-box duct in place and I see that this is loose as is the airbox
I then notice that there are a number of scratches in the paintwork on the sills to the wings under the bonnet - not little ones but quite deep scoring in the paintwork
To say I am dis-chuffed is an understatement.
Oh & to top it all, I have a 4-cell maglite I keep in the car and that is not there any more
I am seriously tempted to get an AA/RAC inspection as I feel un-confident in the work that has been carried out.
Also, why would I need 7 screws and a bolt in having the gearbox out/in? I could possibly understand 1 for the steering wheel break off screw but the other 6 & bolt? Surely you take something to pieces and when you put it back together again, you use what you took off? Why then charge me for the screws? Jeez its only £5 but it is confusing!
I will be going over the car as much as I can in the daylight tomorrow but I am very unhappy. There will be many angry words on monday but it means a couple of hours out the office as well getting it sorted.
Funny thing is that we had the dealer principal & the marque commercial sales manager for our vans in the office today on a (lack of & bad) service issue, I just wasn't expecting to be in the same boat for my own private car later in the day
That meant recovery from Redbridge Roundabout and car to garage for a gearbox out operation Garage is a central London main dealer for the marque.
This happened last Thursday. On Friday they were still to work on it but had ordered the parts in just in case for that type of thing. Monday g/box out and diagnosis confirmed. They also had to do a regular service.
Bottom line is that it took until this afternoon to be finished, although I had been meant to collect last night but they were "having problems" re-installing the steering wheel.
I have put some pressure on them as they were so vague as to when it would be ready. Gearbox/clutch is 8 hr job and service is 2 hours, so you would expect the work to be done Wednesday/Thurs at the latest. However, the garage was not great at managing expectations and keeping customer properly informed of progress
I collected it this afternoon. It had not been washed properly - still had cow poo all over the bottom sills! Sure I don't expect a full valet but having paid what I did and their rate per hour would think to get a clean car. Not a great issue. However, the low rev vibration of something like a lose or over-tigtened heat-shield was annoying as is the clicking from the gear lever (manual). The vibration noise is something that is just too aggravating to put up with although the clicking maybe. Prob is that they shouldn't be there.
Anyhow, back to work. Leave @ 20:00, jump in the car looking forward to the drive home (succession of vans this week) and I get to the gate and the Low Coolant message pops up
Just had the car serviced! Stop and pull the bonnet and sure there is not a lot of coolant in the reservoir... Getting angry now.Happened to look at the radiator shield or whatever it is that you call the protective plate at the front of the engine bay over the rad and see that there are two bolts missing
These hold the air-box duct in place and I see that this is loose as is the airbox I then notice that there are a number of scratches in the paintwork on the sills to the wings under the bonnet - not little ones but quite deep scoring in the paintwork
To say I am dis-chuffed is an understatement.
Oh & to top it all, I have a 4-cell maglite I keep in the car and that is not there any more
I am seriously tempted to get an AA/RAC inspection as I feel un-confident in the work that has been carried out.
Also, why would I need 7 screws and a bolt in having the gearbox out/in? I could possibly understand 1 for the steering wheel break off screw but the other 6 & bolt? Surely you take something to pieces and when you put it back together again, you use what you took off? Why then charge me for the screws? Jeez its only £5 but it is confusing!
I will be going over the car as much as I can in the daylight tomorrow but I am very unhappy. There will be many angry words on monday but it means a couple of hours out the office as well getting it sorted.
Funny thing is that we had the dealer principal & the marque commercial sales manager for our vans in the office today on a (lack of & bad) service issue, I just wasn't expecting to be in the same boat for my own private car later in the day
Last edited by Puff The Magic Wagon!; 23 September 2006 at 12:01 AM.
23 September 2006, 12:09 AM
#6
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I used to work in the business until very recently, i can empathise with the full situation watto, the problem dealerships find is staffing issues & the ability to get good staff.
I dare say in your industy good bus drivers are hard to get also
I dare say in your industy good bus drivers are hard to get also
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23 September 2006, 12:20 AM
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Originally Posted by Puff The Magic Wagon!
Our vans are Renault/Vauxhall/Nissan Traffic/Movano/Primastar things. Nothing to do with my personal car.
I get it now.
23 September 2006, 10:52 AM
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Originally Posted by Puff The Magic Wagon!
Volvo XC70
They are an absolute pig to work on.
Like any other car, Bolts can shear on gearbox removal and exhaust (it's in the way, and they rust up solid), that's probably why your billed for one, and the extra time to extract the broken stud
Screws, mystery.
Loose components - its a dealer, what do expect?
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