Back from mechanic, no petrol.....again

dory

Hey,

Just wondering if this is normal. It could be, I have no idea. I'm just wondering.

Basically, every time I, or a family member, bring a car to our mechanic it's collected completely drained of petrol. This time my car broke down after I had half filled the tank. The carburettor (sp?) was gone. He said he fixed it and on we went with our lives until I saw my little No Petrol thing flash. Mentioned it to family members who said they have had full tanks disappear at the mechanics. I didn't check the milage before so couldnt compare.

Is this normal? Does a mechanic have to run the engine that long when fixed a carburettor? (He said he cleaned it out but can't remember if he got a new one or what).

Thanks!

ABajaninCork

Doesn't sound normal to me. Did you take a picture of the odometer and petrol tank before you handed over the car?

I had to do this after I noticed the mechanic was taking the piss whenever he had my car. Thought it was me at first, but I really noticed it after I left the car with him with 3/4 tank. Got it back with the tank on 1/4 and stinking of fish!!

Pulled him up on it. He tried to make out I was mad. But when I threatened to take it further, he did own up. I never left my car with him again, and made sure everybody knew what he was up to.

Now - this is what I do every time I leave the car, or park in a long-stay car park.

Darsad

Just out interest what type of car do you have ? Wouldnt think there are too many cars on the road these days with carburettors !

dory

Darsad wrote: »

Just out interest what type of car do you have ? Wouldnt think there are too many cars on the road these days with carburettors !

:eek: Scary thought that this guy may have 'fixed' something I don't even have. It's a 10 year old Kia something-or-other. A big saloon type car.

leeomurchu

:rolleyes:

dory wrote: »

:eek: Scary thought that this guy may have 'fixed' something I don't even have. It's a 10 year old Kia something-or-other. A big saloon type car.

I'd be amazed if a 10 year old kia had a carburettor are you sure he didn't just clean out the fuel filters

An 90s car maybe but a 00's car doubtful

partyatmygaff

An 02 with a carburetor?

What kind of Kia is it? It also sounds like your mechanic may be loaning out your car or siphoning it of petrol.

Kenny Logins

dory wrote: »

It's a 10 year old Kia something-or-other. A big saloon type car.

I hope you don't talk like that around your mechanic.

Leonard Hofstadter

leeomurchu wrote: »

:rolleyes:

I'd be amazed if a 10 year old kia had a carburettor are you sure he didn't just clean out the fuel filters

An 90s car maybe but a 00's car doubtful

Indeed, pretty much all EU market petrol engined cars have had fuel injection since 1993, as that was the year when catalytic converters were introduced.

dory

Kenny Logins wrote: »

I hope you don't talk like that around your mechanic.

No not at all! I don't deal with him at all. My dad dropped and collected my car as I was working.

I must get to the bottom of this. Definitely heard the word carburettor. I'll get the exact model tomorrow. He also said about cleaning out something so that could have been the fuel filters. Won't be going back to that mechanic! My mother casually mentioned a few times before how his services use all the petrol in her car. We need to be less clueless about these things.

ABajaninCork

Yeah, you do! Especially as petrol's so expensive now...

You need to challenge the mechanic. When you get the bill, ask for a breakdown of costs. And ask him why the car now has no petrol. It's too damned expensive for you to be giving it away for free!!

goz83

wouldn't be surprised then if he siphoned the fuel out for his own car. That wouldn't change the reading on your odo.

ABajaninCork

No. But it would on the tank!!:D

godtabh

I use an Indy. Good lad.

Dropped the car off with him one day. Was been driven home and saw him fly by me on the dual carriageway!

Was a bit pissed to see these then realised that he was driving to his workshop. He was doing me a favor by letting me drop it off to his house.

Matt Simis

dory wrote: »

I must get to the bottom of this. Definitely heard the word carburettor. I'll get the exact model tomorrow.

Ask him to point it out to you.
Carbs:
https://www.google.ie/search?client=ubuntu&channel=cs&q=carburettor&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=4JE6UMaxBMbLhAfRjYH4CA&biw=1333&bih=628&sei=4pE6UJjbK4u5hAee84HYCg

Fuel Injector:
https://www.google.ie/search?client=ubuntu&channel=cs&q=carburettor&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=4JE6UMaxBMbLhAfRjYH4CA&biw=1333&bih=628&sei=4pE6UJjbK4u5hAee84HYCg#um=1&hl=en&client=ubuntu&channel=cs&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=fuel+injector&oq=fuel+injector&gs_l=img.3..0l10.60054.61608.0.61732.13.8.0.5.5.0.112.591.7j1.8.0...0.0...1c.7Te0MgBpBdM&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=d7d1c7e581673b7f&biw=1333&bih=628

dory

Thank you all! I thought you were going to rip me apart for being so clueless. Really appreciate the support. I'm going to ask him tomorrow!

Mycroft H

captainspeed wrote: »

Indeed, pretty much all EU market petrol engined cars have had fuel injection since 1993, as that was the year when catalytic converters were introduced.

My Renault has a carb, there was a few Hondas with carbs after 1993

Kenny Logins

dory wrote: »

Thank you all! I thought you were going to rip me apart for being so clueless. Really appreciate the support. I'm going to ask him tomorrow!

I think the problem is that your mechanic, a person you have put your trust in, may be taking advantage of you being 'clueless'. We're on your side.

jtims

Darsad wrote: »

Just out interest what type of car do you have ? Wouldnt think there are too many cars on the road these days with carburettors !

i have a 02 3.2 petrol bmw twin carb

Pottler

Hmm, seems to be all the rage at the moment, the whole "I'm a mechanic, lets act the gimp" thing. I left a van in to be serviced yesterday, popped back early to "see how it was going". Arrived in time to watch the oil being refilled. 10w40 boggo mineral was the mechanics grade of choice, I had a good look at the freshly opened 5 gallon can. Total and utter cnunt. It's a HDI, it only takes 0w40 fully syn and nothing else is reccomended for it. I can guarantee I will get billed for fully syn. I said nowt, took the van, went and bought the right oil and will change it tomorrow. The oil and my mechanic both. When he lands in with his bill midweek, we'll have a full and frank exchange of views.:) It will involve him shoving his bill where the sun don't shine.
I bet this is common - engine needs special enough, expensive oil, fire in any old muck and bill for the dear stuff - nice little racket. I'm pouring a new slab in a shed and throwing in a 2 post lift. Feck em, that was enough for me, we'll service them and fix them ourselves from now on. Cnunts.

The Pontiac

That's why I like changing the oil and filter myself. Proper grade good quality oil and filter. And it works out cheaper. Win, win!

Matt Simis

jtims wrote: »

i have a 02 3.2 petrol bmw twin carb

Do you now? Which engine/car?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_BMW_engines

Nissan doctor

How could you not know the name of your own car??


Anyway, to drain half a tank on any normal car would take maybe 300odd miles at least so if he is driving your car that far or syphoning petrol off then you need to get proof. There is a whole other thread about a mechanic running up miles on a customers car.

As for running the engine after cleaning the throttle body(what I reckon was actually done), it would take hours to drain that much fuel at idle.

Nissan doctor

jtims wrote: »

i have a 02 3.2 petrol bmw twin carb

Not unless you have some sort of custom built engine.

coolbeans

Pottler wrote: »

Hmm, seems to be all the rage at the moment, the whole "I'm a mechanic, lets act the gimp" thing. I left a van in to be serviced yesterday, popped back early to "see how it was going". Arrived in time to watch the oil being refilled. 10w40 boggo mineral was the mechanics grade of choice, I had a good look at the freshly opened 5 gallon can. Total and utter cnunt. It's a HDI, it only takes 0w40 fully syn and nothing else is reccomended for it. I can guarantee I will get billed for fully syn. I said nowt, took the van, went and bought the right oil and will change it tomorrow. The oil and my mechanic both. When he lands in with his bill midweek, we'll have a full and frank exchange of views.:) It will involve him shoving his bill where the sun don't shine.
I bet this is common - engine needs special enough, expensive oil, fire in any old muck and bill for the dear stuff - nice little racket. I'm pouring a new slab in a shed and throwing in a 2 post lift. Feck em, that was enough for me, we'll service them and fix them ourselves from now on. Cnunts.

One mechanic screws you over and they're all bad. You're a smart one.

galwaytt

Easy fix: leave it in when it's on reserve, orange light flashing. Note the mileage if you like, as well.

Mar4ix

galwaytt wrote: »

Easy fix: leave it in when it's on reserve, orange light flashing. Note the mileage if you like, as well.

And when come collect , take a can of fuel, make sure, you not stuck on the way home :pac:

I am servicing my and friends cars myself, cos garages is more like rip off.. put the cheapest oil, charge as for proper one... no wonder many cars has engine problems at small mileage.

listermint

Matt Simis wrote: »

Do you now? Which engine/car?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_BMW_engines

Only one i know of of that year is the S54 implying that it is an M3 i assume. Gas characters around here

MugMugs

Well if the car does have a Carb then is it any surprise there's no fuel??

OP, does your car have a choke?

corktina

i got a new engine in my car the other day, came back with no petrol...delighted to see it as it meant he had given it a good testing by using for a day or two. Delivered back to my house and all ready to go when i got back from holiday...all i had to do was go pay the bill.

He's sound out...I thought €300 to swap the engine and all the ancillaries was pretty good. Serviced it too.

I would mention its for sale on Donedeal but we aren't allowed advertise on here.

deandean

I shared a house with a mechanic quite a few years ago, he regularly brought customers cars home on his lunchbreak (for a test drive) and siphoned petrol out of them for his own use.

S28382

deandean wrote: »

I shared a house with a mechanic quite a few years ago, he regularly brought customers cars home on his lunchbreak (for a test drive) and siphoned petrol out of them for his own use.

Now there is a motherfu*ker if ever i did hear of one.

jtims

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Not unless you have some sort of custom built engine.

Its a m3 custom build 3.2 6 cyclinder twin crab straight flow pipe its just a show car not for roads around here

Nissan doctor

jtims wrote: »

Its a m3 custom build 3.2 6 cyclinder twin crab straight flow pipe its just a show car not for roads around here

Sounds like a very odd choice of mods. The M3 already has ITB's so it would be next to impossible to improve on those with twin carbs. Leaving aside that it would be extremely difficult and complicated to make carbs work with the rest of the electronic controls, especially the Vanos system.

I'd love to see a pic?

Pottler

coolbeans wrote: »

One mechanic screws you over and they're all bad. You're a smart one.

Actually, no. I've a big enough fleet, I've been through a lot of mechanics. The general attitude is either total ignorance or total carelessness. Exceptions do exist, but they are rare and booked solid. One mechanic, yeah. Right. BTW we service Industrial Generators, one thing we do and I've seen all the tricks used by "mechanics", had to fix their handywork many's a time. Anyway, 2-post is ordered, so now that crap is well and done with.

jtims

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Sounds like a very odd choice of mods. The M3 already has ITB's so it would be next to impossible to improve on those with twin carbs. Leaving aside that it would be extremely difficult and complicated to make carbs work with the rest of the electronic controls, especially the Vanos system.

I'd love to see a pic?

its taking 4 year to get the engine near ready some small problems with the carb alright car is not finished yet still working on it. Putting on at moment full custom rebuild body kit

166man

jtims wrote: »

its taking 4 year to get the engine near ready some small problems with the carb alright car is not finished yet still working on it. Putting on at moment full custom rebuild body kit

Pics/custard proof needed or GTFO.

We'd all like to see this I reckon?

M three

dory wrote: »

No not at all! I don't deal with him at all. My dad dropped and collected my car as I was working.

I must get to the bottom of this. Definitely heard the word carburettor. I'll get the exact model tomorrow. He also said about cleaning out something so that could have been the fuel filters. Won't be going back to that mechanic! My mother casually mentioned a few times before how his services use all the petrol in her car. We need to be less clueless about these things.

Fuel filters would be replaced. usually only if the car was spluttering, running badly.
If you get really bad fuel then mechanics would drain out all the fuel and should rinse out the tank and replace fuel filters.

What was wrong with the car? Was it just a general service?

He may well be siphoning off the fuel for his own use, given the value of fuel it is a possibility....

Leonard Hofstadter

166man wrote: »

Pics/custard proof needed or GTFO.

We'd all like to see this I reckon?

+1, I simply don't believe it otherwise. That engine is one of the most advanced engines ever made with individual throttle bodies amongst other things to get every last horsepower out of it without having to put a turbocharger into it. Many people say that the S54 is the best engine BMW ever made.

M three

166man wrote: »

Pics/custard proof needed or GTFO.

We'd all like to see this I reckon?

Yep.

Jtims, wheres the beef?

caprilicious

I had a Z3 with a faulty brake caliper. Stupid thing would intermittently seize up when I was driving.
To 'Test' this out, the garage recommended that they get one of their mechanics to drive it home that evening to see if it happened.

Feckers charged me an extra hour's labour for this & he must have lived fairly far from the garage as there was over €20 worth of petrol gone from it :mad:

I wouldn't mind but I paid the same garage in excess of €1500 a few weeks prior to fix an unrelated issue with the brakes :mad:

Lando Griffin

They are not all bad.
Car fully serviced last week and a few small jobs to do for NCT.
Went in with 1/4 tank came out with 1/4 tank.
Asked me to bring it back a day or 2 before the NCT to recheck the lights as he said himself the roads are so sh**it it could knock them out slightly.
Brake pad sensor light on, sensor problem and fixed didn't "change" all the pads like some might.

knipex

I have a mechanic that is great. He is a small independent guy, not the best "people person" (in fact he can come across as downright ignorant if you don't know him). Every time I leave the car into him for a job its returned with a cardboard box in the boot with all the parts he took out, the empty oil can that he used to fill it and the empty boxes of any parts fitted.

He tells me it stops any agrumements and saves him a fortune on bin charges.......

He is the only guy I ever gave a car to who I trust 100%. If he says he did something then he did it, if he says it needs a part then it needs the part. If the job was done it was done right. He refuses to do bodge jobs (which costs him business).

Not like a number of main dealers I could mention.

MugMugs

^^^^

I had one like that. He also sold his car and used company cars. Ie Mine. To be fair it didn't bother me much until I met him towing another car one day with mine. We ended our relationship soon after that.

IrishZeus

Just do what the rest of us do and give the car to Nissan Doc. Safe as a house.

Chuck_Norris

Or George Dalton if you're near Portlaoise.

Pottler

Just a quick update on my recent "experience" - van was actually in to be prepared for DOE, involved full service, new brakes, thorough check over and replace WHATEVER was required. Supposedly all done.
Fired it in for the test, driver rang me to say it failed! "On what?" I asked.(first time one of my yokes ever failed a DOE, just never happened before, I always have them fully sorted so they sail through)
Guess what, it was the brakes(big time), shocks(2), bolt loose in suspension:eek:, as in hanging off, headlights misaligned, etc etc. So that was a good, thorough, pre-DOE. I stand over what I said earleir in the thread, there's an awful lot of messers out there. Not hugely impressed.

dieselbug

For a start, it definitely does not have a carburetor. Has to be fuel injection.

Depending on what the problem may have been, he could have burned a lot of fuel test driving, checking emissions etc, but unlikely half a tank.

A common problem in garages is customers leaving in cars to be repaired with hardly any fuel in the tank and the garage having to put in fuel for test driving to be sure of a successful repair. Especially larger cars where consumption will be high. But they have the option of adding it to the bill.:)

dieselbug

Sorry,ignore above post.
I posted after reading one page only.

Yes, as in all walks of life there are good and bad. But on balance probably mostly good. Mechanics, or Technicians is probably one of the most unappreciated services out there as a lot of people see them as untrustworthy.
mainly because they dont understand the complexity of the modern motor vehicle.

The modern technician has to be a mix of a Mechanic, an Electrician and a software Engineer. Plus the amount of expensive equipment needed to try to keep pace with technology is frightening.

At the end of the day you have to go with your instincts.

Stheno

Pottler wrote: »

Actually, no. I've a big enough fleet, I've been through a lot of mechanics. The general attitude is either total ignorance or total carelessness. Exceptions do exist, but they are rare and booked solid. One mechanic, yeah. Right. BTW we service Industrial Generators, one thing we do and I've seen all the tricks used by "mechanics", had to fix their handywork many's a time. Anyway, 2-post is ordered, so now that crap is well and done with.

knipex wrote: »

I have a mechanic that is great. He is a small independent guy, not the best "people person" (in fact he can come across as downright ignorant if you don't know him). Every time I leave the car into him for a job its returned with a cardboard box in the boot with all the parts he took out, the empty oil can that he used to fill it and the empty boxes of any parts fitted.

He tells me it stops any agrumements and saves him a fortune on bin charges.......

He is the only guy I ever gave a car to who I trust 100%. If he says he did something then he did it, if he says it needs a part then it needs the part. If the job was done it was done right. He refuses to do bodge jobs (which costs him business).

Not like a number of main dealers I could mention.

I love my mechanic. I go in, I tell him what's wrong with the car, what I think is causing it, if he disagrees he says so, and regardless he gets it fixed.

He has relationships with main dealers and gets parts through them, and advice if he needs them. He does have a rep for tending to enjoy driving the cars he likes, of which one is mine, to be honest, I drop it in with a quarter tank, and will often tell him to take it out and check what I am saying, so I'll often end up with a car close to empty, and know I've given him permission to do so.

Drop in the car with feck all juice to be honest, then you won't be worrying!

leeomurchu

I'd have said the complete opposite about mechanics these days all you have to do is plug in a diagnostic machine and it tells you exactly what the fault is, gone are the days when experience was key and you could diagnose a fault just by listening to the engine.

Nissan doctor

leeomurchu wrote: »

I'd have said the complete opposite about mechanics these days all you have to do is plug in a diagnostic machine and it tells you exactly what the fault is, gone are the days when experience was key and you could diagnose a fault just by listening to the engine.

That displays exactly the ignorance that leats to people thinking they are being ripped off even if the garage are doing things properly.

Plugging in a computer gives you a fault code.....that is not vehicle diagnostics.