Garage Looking to do extra work?

darragh_haven

Hey All,
I had to bring my golf van to the a VW garage after the floods last week. The car has 210,000 kms on it. The diesel cooler under the car was dislodged and ripped the diesel line and destroyed the cooler its self. I got an quote to replace the diesel line and cooler of 450 euro inc vat. Thats ok ( not happy but it has to be done)
Got a call from the garage today saying there are 5 or 6 other things need to be done.
1. Diesel pump in the tank is kaput!. needs to be replaced. I had suspected something like this and told them go ahead. (probably
2. brake fluid needs to be replaced. ??? wtf? (It was more or less replaced when i changed the brake pads 50,000kms ago!!!)
3. Brake pads are 65% gone and are close enough to being needed to be replaced. (as above, after 50,000kms, WTF!!!)
4. 4 wish bone bushings are totally gone, they said metal on metal. (the car seems to be handling fine)
5. Tires are nearly gone and they will replace them, didn't even offer a price on it. (told them hold their horses, i can do that myself)
6. Timing belt needs to be changed, they said it was loose and looked partilly worn. (I changed it 30,000kms ago, along with the the idler and waterpump.)

I think i know the answer already, but are these guys trying it on with all the items they are trying replace on the car. I might have to do the bushings, and the diesel pump will be done by them...... but i think they are taking the piss with everything else.
What do ye think......

Drummerboy08

One thing that sticks out in my eyes, it would be perfectly reasonable for pads to need changing after 50k, in fact I'd only expect a set of pads to last 30k.

All the rest may or may not be due. Get a second opinion if you're not happy.

Nissan doctor

Just ask them to show you the issues so you can see for yourself.

A couple of points, nothing unusual about the pads being worn after 50k. What's the condition of the disks.
Brake fluid should be changed every 2 years, how was it 'more or less' changed when you did the pads?

The other points all sound like they are pretty obvious defects so, as I said, go down and ask them to show you the problems, if they are genuine then they will have no problem with this.

darragh_haven

More or less changed the brake fluid by bleeding the brakes and filling up the resivior. filled the resivoir nearly twice

goz83

If you're surprised at the pads needing a change after 50k, there's no wonder you'd be surprised about the other stuff. But as above, go take a look and see what it needed.

mickdw

darragh_haven wrote: »

More or less changed the brake fluid by bleeding the brakes and filling up the resivior. filled the resivoir nearly twice

Don't get them to do anything you are not happy about. Pads wear would be expected tbh. I get significantly less than 50k km from front pads.
Get a second opinion too on other issues.
On the diesel cooler, there was a recall on the 05+ passat re the inline diesel cooler falling off.
It happened a new passat in the family before the recall. Worth checking if a similar recall occurred on the golf.

Greyfoot

I eat pads, only last around 10-15k

darragh_haven

alright GOZ, no need to be a smart arse.:p
I do a lot of motorway miles. cork to newry (return) every week. would hardly touch the brake from one end to the other. Thats why i'm not not too sure on the pads. I got 73 k on the previous pads and the disks are perfect.

goz83

hehe. You'll have to teach me to go that distance without using brakes.

Alright lads....put yer jackets out the windows now.

ianobrien

OP, don't forget that brake fluid is hydroscopic and absorbs moisture. You drove through deep water so changing the fluid as a precaution is a good move.

Also, if the pads are 65% gone with 50k on them, that's roughly 75k for their total life. The suspension bushes I'd not doubt, given the tendency of VW's to eat bushes.

If the repairs are genuine, It sounds like you got a proper mechanic, who gives the car a proper once over and not just a parts fitter.

darragh_haven

ianobrien wrote: »

OP, don't forget that brake fluid is hydroscopic and absorbs moisture. You drove through deep water so changing the fluid as a precaution is a good move.

Also, if the pads are 65% gone with 50k on them, that's roughly 75k for their total life. The suspension bushes I'd not doubt, given the tendency of VW's to eat bushes.

If the repairs are genuine, It sounds like you got a proper mechanic, who gives the car a proper once over and not just a parts fitter.

I didn't know the intricacies of brake fluid that well tbh.
It looks like the VW garage are being helpful rather than trying to take the piss from the responses from most of ye.
Thanks everyone

AlanD

darragh_haven wrote: »

6. Timing belt needs to be changed, they said it was loose and looked partilly worn. (I changed it 30,000kms ago, along with the the idler and waterpump.)

This is unreal. Why garages think they can get away with nonsense like this is beyond me. They assume that most folks don't know anything about cars and so for the most part, get away with lumping unnecessaries on to the customer to pump up their own income.

I know it's hard times, but wow!

Nissan doctor

AlanD wrote: »

This is unreal. Why garages think they can get away with nonsense like this is beyond me. They assume that most folks don't know anything about cars and so for the most part, get away with lumping unnecessaries on to the customer to pump up their own income.

I know it's hard times, but wow!

Why do you assume they are being dishonest? If a garage is going to say something is loose and looks worn then these are two visual things...very easy for the customer to see and another garage to verify if the customer brought it somewhere else.

I've seen countless timing belts over the years that have worn prematurely due to incorrect fitting, cheap parts, incorrect tension etc etc

fasttalkerchat

I was giving the mechanic the benefit of the doubt until the last point. I would take that for a second opinion. My opinion of when something needs changed and someone elses would be different. I take tyres right down to the legal limit where others change them when they're part worn and buy new ones

Nissan doctor

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

I was giving the mechanic the benefit of the doubt until the last point. I would take that for a second opinion. My opinion of when something needs changed and someone elses would be different. I take tyres right down to the legal limit where others change them when they're part worn and buy new ones

The garage can't force you to have any work done.

You may take your tyres right down below the safety limit to 1.6mm, that's your choice, that doesn't mean that the garage is wrong in telling you that your tyres are worn if they are below 3.0mm though.

fasttalkerchat

Nissan doctor wrote: »

The garage can't force you to have any work done.

You may take your tyres right down below the safety limit to 1.6mm, that's your choice, that doesn't mean that the garage is wrong in telling you that your tyres are worn if they are below 3.0mm though.

What I'm trying to say is that he may be suggesting work that does not need to be done but that could be done anytime this year. For example a garage may say you should get the brakes done long before they are an NCT failure.

Nissan doctor

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

What I'm trying to say is that he may be suggesting work that does not need to be done but that could be done anytime this year. For example a garage may say you should get the brakes done long before they are an NCT failure.

I hope I'm seeing things. There is no connection between the requirement to change your brakes and passing the NCT.

The NCT do a balance test on the brakes....They don't check the wear on the brakes.

Again...if your pads are worn down to less then 2mm remaining....this will not effect the NCT so is the garage wrong to tell you they need changing?

fasttalkerchat

Nissan doctor wrote: »

I hope I'm seeing things. There is no connection between the requirement to change your brakes and passing the NCT.

The NCT do a balance test on the brakes....this tells you nothing about how worn your pads/disks/shoes/drums etc are.

Fair enough.

Anyway, my point is that one mechanics opinion of when something needs done might be different to another's so you can get a second opinion.

Nissan doctor

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

Fair enough.

Anyway, my point is that one mechanics opinion of when something needs done might be different to another's so you can get a second opinion.

In certain instances I agree, but if the belt is not tensioned correctly and/or has visible wear on it, then its not an opinion, its a something that customer can visibly see for themselves and a timing belt is not something you take chances with.

Now if the garage are refusing to show the customer the issues they are reporting, then alarm bells should certainly be ringing.

Yardleys Lavender

But you don't have to do the work if you don't want to. It's like when you go to the dentist, they'll always tell you that you need to go to the hygienist.

They only thing is though when your brakes fail or your timing belt goes kaput or what ever else happens, someone else is in the position of pointing out that you were told. It's just a matter of how much you like to play Russian Roulette with your wallet. If you are doing long heavy trips then your into more frequent trips to your garage.