Garage or DIY Servicing?

Providing it was done in accordance to all the items listed in the service schedule, it would be OK to say it had been fully serviced up to date, but I would suggest that many people might expect 'FSH' to mean a dealer stamped service book.

Whether a prospective buyer would accept your service. Based just on your word and a few receipts, as being as good as the officially stamped service book, is something else. Mike.

Does it really need doing now, or could it wait a few of months? Actually, It probably can't wait a couple of months. Some people may get a little suspicious if a car is serviced just before it's sold though. Also if you don't service it before selling it, then they they can do it exactly how they want to.

To be honest I'm not certian how it will effect the resale value. If you do service it yourself though, it'll probably be a good idea to write it in the service book, and maybe make a note somewhere of what you've done.

It's incredibly sad. Despite the fact that virtually any competently carried out DIY service will be superior to garage servicing, buyers want to see a fully stamped service book. It matters not that the garage may have the most incompetent staff in the world working for them - if the book has a stamp then 'a proper job has been done' !

Kev

All the surveys on garage servicing, show that most garages, fall well below the stds one has the right to expect. In general, small independants gave more complete services than larger garages and main dealers, and at lower costs. Even those though are not going to give a service as good as one given by an owner who is a good DIY mechanic. Mike.

"Uno Hoo!" wrote in news:ctj4sr$5hg$ snipped-for-privacy@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk:

Here's a thought. Just get a stamp made up at the local newsagent, service it yourself, and stamp the book :-( In fact this probably happens a lot, a service stamp must be one of the easiest things to counterfeit! I would work out the price premium on a 6year old car for FSH, what a hundred quid at most, you will save that by servicing yourself!

Will

ROFLMAO. You think? Ever seen the cockups DIYers make? Ever seen how much they miss? How many DIYers do you know who know how to test for worn lower TCA bushes? How many know how to check for worn subframe mounting bushes? How many have access to diagnostic and engine tuning equipment?

Know many DIYers with SUN tuning gear do you?

Talk sense please. Since when has a regular service necessitated the use of Sun or similar tuning gear? Mike.

when has anything good had anything to do with Sun tuning gear?

To be honest, I think I would trust a previous car owner more than a garage. A stamped book doesn't necessarily mean that it has been serviced :-(. If I was buy a car I wouldn't care where it was done, as long as I was convinced that it had been done properly.

How many mechanics know would do all of those though? To be honest, I don't think engine tuning/diagnostic equipment is really necessary unless there is a problem. I know last time my car was serviced half the stuff wasn't done, and he didn't have engine tuning/diagnostic equipment. I intend to do my own this year, and do all of the stuff for this service, and last years service. Actually, what he did was nothing that I couldn't have easily done myself :-(

No - but how often is SUN tuning gear required? Garages don't put every car they service on tuning equipment do they?

Kev

I did once query this with Trading Standards. I said if I made up a stamp with something like "KL Servicing" on it - and stamped the book with this when I carried out a service - would it be legal? They couldn't give a precise answer but stated that if the intention was to deceive future buyers that the car had been 'professionally' serviced - then that would be a criminal offence.

Kev

"Conor" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@news.giganews.com...

Conor - when my previous Rover 75 went into the main dealer for its first oil service - they put the wrong oil in. They denied it was the wrong oil but when I checked with Rover they had to admit it was and drain and re-fill. They told me that this was the oil they used to service "all" cars that came into their garage. When the car went in for its first major service I was charged for a brake fluid change but the bleed nipples had not been touched (confirmed by an independent garage). When they were attempting to sort out uneven tyre wear with Beissbarth alignment equipment - I had to explain to them what certain symbols on the print-out meant - they didn't have a clue. Survey after survey after survey has shown that standards of 'professional' servicing are abysmally low. Jobs that should be done are not done but you are still charged for them. Jobs that don't need doing are still done - and of course you are charged for them. Rip off prices are charged for 'consumables' - often when you don't even need them. It's no use just filling up your washer bottle before your car goes in - you have to tell them not to touch the washer bottle or they'll include a charge for windscreen wash on the invoice. etc. etc. etc. I have been motoring now for over 40 years and the only time that I have had breakdowns is when my car has been serviced by garages. They are pathetically useless.

Kev

Ever seen the cockups main dealers make? One example...

Mazda 323f V6 timing belt and service, Edinburgh main dealer:

5 missing timing cover bolts. 2 missing wiring loom clips - 2 sets of wires chafing side of engine. Power steering feed and aircon feeds replaced in wrong position - both strained to limit. Missing part of loom to rear of headlamp (removed to access, not replaced). Top alternator belt tensioner assembly bolt overtightened and sheered in block. Lower bolt overtightened to compensate - sheered in use. Air con compressor bracket bolt threads stripped in alloy block.

In my opinion the chances of major f*ck-ups are the same: DIYer or main dealer "technician". At least with a DIYer there may be a sense of trepidation.

The main factor so far as I am concerned is that when I carry out DIY servicing I have a vested interest in doing the job properly. The car belongs to me and if I do it right then it will be of benefit to me in the long run. A garage has no real incentive to do a service correctly. The majority of car owners who take their cars into garages for servicing don't know one end of a dipstick from the other and will simply not know if the service has been carried out properly. When the engine subsequently fails because the garage has failed to carry out some servicing op correctly, who benefits? The bloody garage of course because that is where the unsuspecting duped customer takes it back!!!

Kev

I agree for the most part but to be fair there's another kind of DIYer... the one who won't pay for t a service to be done, and will still try to skimp on their own work. They'll only replace the oil / filter / plugs and claim the car's been "serviced". Better than nothing I suppose but I know of blokes who'll use old sump oil to top up a car. Oh, and then boast about it in the pub ;-))

Yes - although I would class such people as 'bodgers' rather than DIYers

Kev

Yup or at least they did when I used to work in garages. Checks the CAT and Lambda sensors are working OK as well as showing up any potential problems in the HT circuit.