Don't trust the "specialists"!!

Bloody hell, and you have the balls to admit to that in public?

Eh? You thought a fast fit centre was a specialist? ROFLMAO.

You really must be mechanically inept.

Most in here didn't even need that.

Specialist wallet emptier for the hard of thinking.

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If I moved to a new town and needed to identify a regular garage to do the things on my car which I can't, I would look for a small garage which is licensed to carry out MOT tests. My personal experience of this type of establishment is 100% positive.

Thanks to Conor for those kind words.

I am actually a qualified engineer, but car exhausts aren't exactly my speciality.

Still, I can always count on his wisdom to guide me.

They've moved Ruislip to South Harrow?

Well I've got good reason to not go back to them again - well certainly one branch - in fact, make that two, but for different reasons.

Tracking badly out on my old Mk2 Astra van - took it in, they said they couldn't do anything as it was seized - told me to take it home, unseize the track-rod end, and then come back. When I asked them why they couldn't just use heat, they fobbed me off with something or other. I nearly contemplated having a go at unseizing it myself, but phoned up National first (this is in Guildford, with the Kwik-fit concerned being the Walnut Tree Close branch) and I took it in the next morning, and they had it on their proper 4-wheel laser alignment kit, had no problem in using heat to un-seize it (and I can't see why it should be a problem anyway - it's just a tool like any other - as long as it's used with care it shouldn't be an issue), and that was that, job done. They also needed to replace that track-rod end as it happened to be mullered. Result = one happy customer.

The other Kwik-fit I won't ever bother using are my local one (Bracknell) as they're about twice the price, like for like, to the local independent (Bracknell Tyre + Battery). It amazes me how many people don't bother phoning anyone else simply because they're a so-called "trusted" name.

No, I put South Harrow in to indicate the branch in Ruislip near to the SH tube station. I was there only for MOT, for Lord's sake. There were two elderly couples after me. Frankly I felt sorry for them for I could not imagine that they would not be conned, and won't know about it even after the event. I won't let this gut (?manager) look after my bicycle.

You claim to be an engineer, yet you can't tell the difference between a flanged joint leaking and a hole in the pipe. When you took your exams to become a 'qualified engineer' did the syllabus not cover such things as joints in pipework?

You can have more than one type of engineer... Civil, Electrical...

flanged joint leaking and a hole in the pipe. When you took your exams to become a 'qualified engineer' did the syllabus not cover such things as joints in pipework

For the benefit of the record, i am a qualified electronics engineer. I do know my way around a car too, but unfortunately, I don't have the access to jack the car up enough to check the integrity of the system.

Mind you, the next time you see an aircraft flying low overhead, duck........I may have worked on it!!

flanged joint leaking and a hole in the pipe.

I wasn't the one who said the pipe was holed- all credit for that goes to the boys at ATS and their expert training

So why mention it at all then?

Ive yet to find a specialist that i trust in any world. I dont think i know everything but every single time ive taken or heard of anyone taking anything to a specialist they have screwed it up. And since ive yet to screw anything up myself I'll stick with me lol. I may take twice the time but i cost half as much and enjoy the ongoing learning process.

Blimey - you've done your research. I've only looked for specialists on Earth. As my Dad's always said - "Life's too short to be carrying out intergalactic searches just to find a reliable car mechanic". He's got a point, to be honest.

south harrow station i know but i can't place the kwik fit

pmsl - exactly, its faster to learn yourself than search the nearest galaxies.