How much for a Full Car Service ???

quazzy

Hi all,

First post here in the motor thread. Hope you can help?

My car is 1999 Opel Astra 44k Miles.

Service last year was about 160 - 180 IIRC in an Opel garage.

This year they are saying it'll be close to 400.
They said that last year was just a small (minimal) service.
They said this year they need to change spark plugs, oil, filter, pollen filter etc...

Guy also said I may need a new timing belt and that'd cost 400 more.

Can anyone tell me:

- Is this correct pricing?
- Can I do any of the servicing myself to save money? ( any links greatly appreciated)
- Any way to check if the timing belt should be replaced?

Many thanks,

Q

Tobias Greeshman

Timing belts should be replaced every 60,000 miles, if you look around the engine on the timing cover, it might be wrote when the timing was last done (the milage that is), or else might be in the service book.

The last time your service was a lube service, which was probably just oil change and general check of car. This time it's a full service so it's going to be a good bit more expensive, as more things will need to be changed, especially if you're talking pollen filter, air filter, plugs, etc. €400 isn't that surprising really, I know service prices have gone up in the last few years.

PowerHouseDan

Mine costs 110 thats without changing the Breaks... And that Bmw 316i

quazzy

silas wrote:

Timing belts should be replaced every 60,000 miles, if you look around the engine on the timing cover, it might be wrote when the timing was last done (the milage that is), or else might be in the service book.

Thanks for the reply Silas

I'll check that later today

silas wrote:

The last time your service was a lube service, which was probably just oil change and general check of car. This time it's a full service so it's going to be a good bit more expensive, as more things will need to be changed, especially if you're talking pollen filter, air filter, plugs, etc. €400 isn't that surprising really, I know service prices have gone up in the last few years.

Yeah the last time it was just a basic service. I'm just woondering if any of the work could be done by me to bring the cost down a bit.

E.g. Oil change, spark plugs etc.

Any thoughts or recommendations.

Q

quazzy

PowerHouseDan wrote:

Mine costs 110 thats without changing the Breaks... And that Bmw 316i

Dan,

Is that with a BMW dealer or just a mechanic?

Q

colm_mcm

the same mechanic that can't work out what's wrong with the 316?

mmenarry

"Rip off Ireland" is getting worse then.

€160-€180 for an oil change? At best that's 20 minutes work and €50 of oil (assuming they use they good stuff instead of Opel own brand bulk-buy stuff)

€400 for a "proper" service? I'd regard plugs, oil, air filter, oil filter as a "basic" service. I'd expect the timing belt and accessory belts to be changed as well for that money.

Thank gawd I do my own servicing! Plugs, oil, filter = €60
Full service (plugs, oil, filter, timing belt, accessory belts, cam cover gasket, idler pulley, tension springs) = €100

Sure they'll check the rest of the car. By connecting the disgnostics computer. (maybe I'm just being uber-cynical this evening)

M.

TempestSabre

Ask them to give you a break down of that cost. Mine costs me 185. Up from 165 last year at a mechanic I've used for years.

oddone

Just wondering if anyone has recent experience of Ford garages?
I am looking to get my '01 Focus serviced, I only bought it recently and have only done a few thousand miles, but I think it needs a full service at least for my piece of mind, does anyone have any idea what a Ford garage will charge for this as I dont know of any smaller garages nearer to me, plus I'd like to go to the dealer where I bought the car.
Can I expect unnecessary parts replacements and a hefty bill or value for money?

mmenarry

oddone wrote:

Just wondering if anyone has recent experience of Ford garages?
I am looking to get my '01 Focus serviced, I only bought it recently and have only done a few thousand miles, but I think it needs a full service at least for my piece of mind, does anyone have any idea what a Ford garage will charge for this as I dont know of any smaller garages nearer to me, plus I'd like to go to the dealer where I bought the car.
Can I expect unnecessary parts replacements and a hefty bill or value for money?

If you're only going to get the stamp in the book, get them to do teh full service and instruct them to do nothing else. Then get anything else they "warn" you about checked by a decent independent.

I took my old escort into a ford dealer prior to it's first NCT. €700 lighter afterwards, it failed on two of the items that they'd "fixed" (emissions & tracking)

M.

bazz26

quazzy wrote:

Hi all,

First post here in the motor thread. Hope you can help?

My car is 1999 Opel Astra 44k Miles.

Service last year was about 160 - 180 IIRC in an Opel garage.

This year they are saying it'll be close to 400.
They said that last year was just a small (minimal) service.
They said this year they need to change spark plugs, oil, filter, pollen filter etc...

Guy also said I may need a new timing belt and that'd cost 400 more.

Can anyone tell me:

- Is this correct pricing?
- Can I do any of the servicing myself to save money? ( any links greatly appreciated)
- Any way to check if the timing belt should be replaced?

Many thanks,

Q

Did you get a quote from a different garage or an independant mechanic?

Main dealer prices can vary from half reasonable to pure insane. It is usually the cost of labour where they make their money.

44K miles is very low mileage for a 1999 car, the timing belt imo should be changed every 50k - 60k miles or 5 years which ever comes first. Usually when they change the timing belt they change the water pump also as it is located near by. €400 for this while not cheap from a main dealer it is not very expensive either compared to a VW dealer for example who can charge up to €1k for the same job.

Best thing to do is shop around, at this stage a 99 car doesn't need to go to the main dealer for a service. A good independant mechanic will do just a good (or bad) job as a main dealer. Surely a family member or friend of yours knows a good mechanic.

quazzy

Thanks for all the info.

I'll call around a few places and see whats on offer?

Regards

Q

mack1

Man that's crazy! Rip-off Ireland indeed!

I paid over €800 to service my GTi (albeit incl. brakes) but still think that was fairly steep!

mmenarry mentions €180 for an oil change? are you serious?
I lived in the US for a while and an oil change everywhere was a standard $20 (oil included) or $30 for the fancy stuff for a 330i!
I guess we only have ourselves to blame, we put up with this crap!

€5 cuppa coffee anyone?

mmenarry

mack1 wrote:

mmenarry mentions €180 for an oil change? are you serious?
I lived in the US for a while and an oil change everywhere was a standard $20 (oil included) or $30 for the fancy stuff for a 330i!

Ridiculous isn't it? 20 minutes and a max of €40 worth of oil.

Gives a labour rate of €430 per hour!

M.

TempestSabre

mmenarry wrote:

If you're only going to get the stamp in the book, get them to do teh full service and instruct them to do nothing else. Then get anything else they "warn" you about checked by a decent independent.

I took my old escort into a ford dealer prior to it's first NCT. €700 lighter afterwards, it failed on two of the items that they'd "fixed" (emissions & tracking)

M.

To be honest I think a well regarded independents stamp is better than a dealers. I don't trust a dealer maintained service history anymore. Without fail in our extended family and friends. Contact and service with dealers of any make has been abysmal.

mmenarry

TempestSabre wrote:

To be honest I think a well regarded independents stamp is better than a dealers. I don't trust a dealer maintained service history anymore. Without fail in our extended family and friends. Contact and service with dealers of any make has been abysmal.

I'd agree fully, shows that the owner took a bit of care in their car (as opposed to trusting the local "stealer" to do the best in the business)

However, if you're seeling a 2-3 year old car, your average buyer will be looking for the dealer stamps.

If I had a car from new that I intended keeping 5 years or more, it'd never see the dealer again.

M.

mazzyk

I've just booked my 01 Mondeo in for a full service at the end of the week with a Ford dealer (Airside in Swords). It desperately needs a going over as it's been a while since the last service - they're quoting me €275.

I hate paying for anything motor-related at the best of times so €275 plus whatever other "extras" they might find to add on is just going to make me weep!

I'm sure it's much more expensive here than in UK for services?

Tobias Greeshman

mazzyk wrote:

I'm sure it's much more expensive here than in UK for services?

Actually as far as I know it's more expensive in the UK. I remember talking to an English guy a few years back when I used to work in a garage, and he was saying service prices in the UK were crazy. Bear in mind this is about six years ago, so maybe it's changed since.

oddone

mazzyk wrote:

I've just booked my 01 Mondeo in for a full service at the end of the week with a Ford dealer (Airside in Swords). It desperately needs a going over as it's been a while since the last service - they're quoting me €275.

I hate paying for anything motor-related at the best of times so €275 plus whatever other "extras" they might find to add on is just going to make me weep!

I'm sure it's much more expensive here than in UK for services?

Thats a good guide, cheers.

kluivert

€125 in Opel in Monaghan.

Oil Change, filters and sparks.

Hows does your car have 44k miles, do you want to swap for my Astra also 1999.

mickey1985

How much are people paying for service now?I'm quoted 180 for a simple service?

bazz26

Holy 2006 thread resurrection Batman!

How much for a piece of string? What's a simple service?