Vauxhall servicing!

Put my Vectra in for its last warranty service at the local vauxhall dealer After a discusion here last year with Mr Cheerful and others went for a brake fluid change as well. On taking it home in heavy rain noticed oil film on drive next to front wheel Looking under and found both front wheels & tyres wet with hydraulic fluid on them. Checked the rear and all dry... too dry in fact. Looked at the rear bleed nipples and bone dry, never been touched. Started looking at other service items and new air filter but air box had a lot of leaves and dirt in the bottom. OK that's minor but it only took me seconds to hoover it out, why wouldn't they do that. Went back to vauxhall over the brake fluid and the girl on the desk said oh the back brakes don't need doing. After asking her why do we change brake fluid then, she went out to ask someone. Came back and asked for my keys and said we'll do it now!

Glad I'll be doing my own servicing from now on.

Reply to
Bob Dodds
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It is the same old story unfortunately, paying top dollar at a franchised dealer does not guarantee quality workmanship unless you stay and watch the service being carried out. From our experience it does not matter if it is a Vx or Hyundai dealer, they all cut corners yet charge for a proper service. The produce check sheets with ticks for 'clutch fluid level checked' - yet it is a cable clutch. Clutch cable free play checked.................it is an automatic. Hinges lubricated......same old dust sitting and bone dry. All minor but non the less blatant lies. Then you come to the fluids and materials used:- how on earth they claimed to use 4 tins of brake cleaner on my brakes is beyond me but was listed on the invoice.

Gio

Reply to
Gio

how about 35 quid for fan belt grease plus 12 pounds for environmentally friendly disposal of old oil, plus vat of course. (15 or more years ago at a Mercedes dealer)

Reply to
Mrcheerful

£24.00 to check the coolant level plus £24.00 to top it up if required , clock garage Birmingham same again about 15 years ago

Never did pay the bill

Reply to
steve robinson

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Can Toyota dealers be relied on ?

Reply to
john east
[...]

Ah, the "how long is a piece of string" question!

An individual dealership might be fine; personal recommendation is everything. Dealers are franchised, so one might be OK, the next terrible.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Best one I had was my BMW going in for a full service (inspection 2) with the centre brake light failed, and the dash warning for that on. Collected the car and it was still on. Complained, and they changed it while I waited. And charged me an extra 16 quid. It's an ordinary stop lamp bulb and can be changed without any tools.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Must be a nightmare to own a modern car. I service my 1993 Saab 9000 myself: Oil, filters, plugs and bulbs. Synth oil at strict 4000 miles schedule. Car done 210,000 miles.

Reply to
johannes

I'd hate to have a car which could only do 4000 miles between oil changes. Last one of those I owned was made in the '50s.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

It will probably do much more who knows? But how long will the engine last? The 4000 miles is a self imposed limit, I think normal servicing interval is at least 12,000 miles.

What happened to your car that made it into the '50s? Why didn't you keep it? Did the engine wear out?

Reply to
johannes

Erm, me means it was MANUFACTURED in the 50s, YTC.

Changing your oil every 4k miles is bloody insane - I very much doubt it makes any difference to doing it at 12k intervals. Not with modern oils, anyway.

Reply to
SteveH

Ahh ok, but 50s hardly relevant since my car wasn't spec'ed that way. So I thought that he meant running 50k miles between changes, but I should have read more carefully. But I don't use brand name synth oil, just supermarket synth oil @ £20 for 4 Litre bottle. After 4k miles the oil is black, this can't be any good for the turbo. Still same turbo at

210,000 miles. Whatever I do is my problem, whether bloody insane or otherwise...
Reply to
johannes

So why do you change it so early?

1950s.

The engines did wear out in those days. They don't now - even with 12,000 mile oil changes.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Well, Vauxhall's "Life time" warranty only covers up to 100,000 miles. Apparently, Vauxhall don't trust their engines beyond 100,000 miles!

Reply to
johannes

Most of the things you'll have in your house have only a one year warranty. Do you expect those also to only last 1 year?

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

My last car was on 24,000 miles intervals. Gone down to 12,000 on current car as its a bit older and the service works out 6 months offset from the MOT, gets it checked regularly.

Reply to
Simon Finnigan

I don't believe car manufacturers take much interest in life beyond

100,000 miles of their cars, when the market value is max 10% of new.

Disclaimer: Supercars seem to be different. A 100,000 miles Porsche 911 is still a Porsche 911 in peoples mind, so prices stay high for longer.

Reply to
johannes

A 911 isn't a 'supercar'.

HTH.

Reply to
SteveH

Semantics. Nobody knows the exact definition of a Supercar. Lewis Caroll etc... Perhaps we should call it an 'exotic' car.

Reply to
johannes

The BMW 325 / 525 TDS engines from the 1990s have an oil service interval of 4,500 miles when used in the Vauxhall Omega.

David

Reply to
David

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