Main Dealer servicing.....not

Bearcat

Got the mrs a c5 09 off a main dealer recently...80km....all stamped....manufacturers warranty....all the bells and whistles. I had a hunch it wasn't serviced so feck I decided to change the oil and filter on it anyway as belts and braces. Lifting off the engine noise cover, it looked as this was a first. Oil filter was nearly locked in position and certainly didn't look as if was changed in the last 3k. Fuel diesel filter was deffo not touched, (on order). Finally the air filter....these are all consumables that should have been changed.....air filter was black and manky....old leaves and dust littered the air box....Hoovered it all out and changed same.

Rang the dealer for an explanation.....told him don't waffle me as he's onto the wrong guy for that.....wasn't having any of it....their records show it was serviced.

So my old chestnut....main dealer servicing and I'm going back years of experience is not worth a sh!t. Time and time again I have come across cars stamped upto the wazoo with main dealer stamps and creaking at the seams with tired consumables.

Find yourself an independant ....at least you'll know the work has been done.

racer1

Bearcat wrote: »

Got the mrs a c5 09 off a main dealer recently...80km....all stamped....manufacturers warranty....all the bells and whistles. I had a hunch it wasn't serviced so feck I decided to change the oil and filter on it anyway as belts and braces. Lifting off the engine noise cover, it looked as this was a first. Oil filter was nearly locked in position and certainly didn't look as if was changed in the last 3k. Fuel diesel filter was deffo not touched, (on order). Finally the air filter....these are all consumables that should have been changed.....air filter was black and manky....old leaves and dust littered the air box....Hoovered it all out and changed same.

Rang the dealer for an explanation.....told him don't waffle me as he's onto the wrong guy for that.....wasn't having any of it....their records show it was serviced.

So my old chestnut....main dealer servicing and I'm going back years of experience is not worth a sh!t. Time and time again I have come across cars stamped upto the wazoo with main dealer stamps and creaking at the seams with tired consumables.

Find yourself an independant ....at least you'll know the work has been done.

I am not surprised.... I use main dealers to service my cars as they are usually still in warranty.... But if I had a car out of warranty I wouldn't use a main dealer unless I had a good relationship with them and knew there work. I have heard stories over the years.

Nissan doctor

racer1 wrote: »

I am not surprised.... I use main dealers to service my cars as they are usually still in warranty.... But if I had a car out of warranty I wouldn't use a main dealer unless I had a good relationship with them and knew there work. I have heard stories over the years.

There is very little advantage to using a main dealer even when your car is within warranty.

anthony4335

I always wondered about that. You go to look at a car, service history stamped in the book. However how do you really know if the stamps are genuine. That is why I use an independant garage I trust, and keep the invoice and reciept with the book to prove that the service history is genuine.
Recently bought a car, dealer says it was serviced, but I notice now that the items that should have been done on the last service have not been ticked ,i.e transmission fluid and drive belt. Now I have looked and the drive belt looks good, however it is a now defunct type of short belt and should be a long belt. So I will be changing that soon along with all the pullies and tranny fluid. I don't trust dealers as far as I can throw the car I am buying.

dieselbug

I think part of the problem lies with the manufacturers, they keep extending the service intervals, making them longer and longer to make their product more attractive to the consumer. ie lower serviceing costs, less servicing needed.

The dealer then follows the manufacturers guidelines. I remember some time back seing a Focus with full Ford service history and the airfilter was in a really bad state but according to the guidelines it wasnt even due for inspection yet.

MuppetCheck

Nissan doctor wrote: »

There is very little advantage to using a main dealer even when your car is within warranty.

For goodwill I would if the price was right though. You don't need a main dealer for warranty reasons but they may look down on it if you needed something out of warranty that they could potentially cover. I have yet to have a bad experience with a main dealer. I have used independents local to me also and been pleased bar one or two not having small items needing to be ordered or the correct diagnostic equipment.

If you shop around there is value to be had. I paid €140 today for a full service from a main dealer - usual oil and filter, fuel filter and air and pollen filter. Was quite good in my opinion. Also was able to get a slight rock in the seat covered (400 part) due to play on the motor.

If you find a good dealer I would use them over an indy. Many indy garages are far superior to some dealers but in my opinion there is still a value to a dealer history of the worst happens out of warranty.

Mech1

MuppetCheck wrote: »

For goodwill I would if the price was right though. You don't need a main dealer for warranty reasons but they may look down on it if you needed something out of warranty that they could potentially cover. I have yet to have a bad experience with a main dealer. I have used independents local to me also and been pleased bar one or two not having small items needing to be ordered or the correct diagnostic equipment.

If you shop around there is value to be had. I paid €140 today for a full service from a main dealer - usual oil and filter, fuel filter and air and pollen filter. Was quite good in my opinion. Also was able to get a slight rock in the seat covered (400 part) due to play on the motor.

If you find a good dealer I would use them over an indy. Many indy garages are far superior to some dealers but in my opinion there is still a value to a dealer history of the worst happens out of warranty.

I find that price quite unbelievable, what type of car?
can you post a copy of your invoice? (minus identifiers of course).

MuppetCheck

I don't have a scanner until in work Tuesday. It was a special offer with extras alright but a lot of places are doing specials recently. Total was 142odd and it took a small bit of calling around.

Ronnie Beck

Bearcat wrote: »

Got the mrs a c5 09 off a main dealer recently...80km....all stamped....manufacturers warranty....all the bells and whistles. I had a hunch it wasn't serviced so feck I decided to change the oil and filter on it anyway as belts and braces. Lifting off the engine noise cover, it looked as this was a first. Oil filter was nearly locked in position and certainly didn't look as if was changed in the last 3k. Fuel diesel filter was deffo not touched, (on order). Finally the air filter....these are all consumables that should have been changed.....air filter was black and manky....old leaves and dust littered the air box....Hoovered it all out and changed same.

Rang the dealer for an explanation.....told him don't waffle me as he's onto the wrong guy for that.....wasn't having any of it....their records show it was serviced.

So my old chestnut....main dealer servicing and I'm going back years of experience is not worth a sh!t. Time and time again I have come across cars stamped upto the wazoo with main dealer stamps and creaking at the seams with tired consumables.

Find yourself an independant ....at least you'll know the work has been done.

They are just following typical manufacturers service intervals. Air filters aren't changed for 3 years or 40,000 miles. Oil filters every 2 years or every second oil change etc. This doesn't make it right but you can't really complain. Sure you see new longlife service oil thats good for 24 months. Ridiculous really. It's all about marketing and selling new cars.

HellFireClub

Bearcat wrote: »

Got the mrs a c5 09 off a main dealer recently...80km....all stamped....manufacturers warranty....all the bells and whistles. I had a hunch it wasn't serviced so feck I decided to change the oil and filter on it anyway as belts and braces. Lifting off the engine noise cover, it looked as this was a first. Oil filter was nearly locked in position and certainly didn't look as if was changed in the last 3k. Fuel diesel filter was deffo not touched, (on order). Finally the air filter....these are all consumables that should have been changed.....air filter was black and manky....old leaves and dust littered the air box....Hoovered it all out and changed same.

Rang the dealer for an explanation.....told him don't waffle me as he's onto the wrong guy for that.....wasn't having any of it....their records show it was serviced.

So my old chestnut....main dealer servicing and I'm going back years of experience is not worth a sh!t. Time and time again I have come across cars stamped upto the wazoo with main dealer stamps and creaking at the seams with tired consumables.

Find yourself an independant ....at least you'll know the work has been done.

Nothing whatever unusual about an oil filter being difficult to remove, this is always the case due to heat transfer across the filter oil seal and is perfectly normal when a vehicle has been serviced as per the schedule.

Actually nothing of what you have said is indicative of poor servicing, maybe apart from debris in the air filter housing, which could be explained by a lazy mechanic who didn't bother cleaning out this material if any of it fell in during a previous service. As for dirt on the engine, again, some mechanics will clean an engine during a service, more won't.

If this was the kind of thread where you had been able to prove that parts were not changed (by marking them prior to a service), I'd agree 100% with you, but it's just speculation on your part, that is along the lines of, "I just had my car serviced, and I checked the oil and it's black, so therefore the oil hasn't been changed so I rang your man and had an argument with him!"...

Bearcat

HellFireClub wrote: »

Nothing whatever unusual about an oil filter being difficult to remove, this is always the case due to heat transfer across the filter oil seal and is perfectly normal when a vehicle has been serviced as per the schedule.

Actually nothing of what you have said is indicative of poor servicing, maybe apart from debris in the air filter housing, which could be explained by a lazy mechanic who didn't bother cleaning out this material if any of it fell in during a previous service. As for dirt on the engine, again, some mechanics will clean an engine during a service, more won't.

If this was the kind of thread where you had been able to prove that parts were not changed (by marking them prior to a service), I'd agree 100% with you, but it's just speculation on your part, that is along the lines of, "I just had my car serviced, and I checked the oil and it's black, so therefore the oil hasn't been changed so I rang your man and had an argument with him!"...

I can prove nothing even the record of an air filter change in the last 3k....even though it was jet black. Re oil filters the word over tight comes to mind and a manky paper filter says to me not done in the last 3k. Fuel filter was deffo never touched and it was supposed to have been changed.

The service schedule wasn't adhered to...period.

Ronnie Beck

Bearcat wrote: »

I can prove nothing even the record of an air filter change in the last 3k....even though it was jet black. Re oil filters the word over tight comes to mind and a manky paper filter says to me not done in the last 3k. Fuel filter was deffo never touched and it was supposed to have been changed.

The service schedule wasn't adhered to...period.

It was probably changed a year ago after last service. Did you not read my post above. Oil filters are normally changed every two years. Whats this 3k business. Is there a stamp to say it was serviced 3k ago.

HellFireClub

Bearcat wrote: »

I can prove nothing even the record of an air filter change in the last 3k....even though it was jet black. Re oil filters the word over tight comes to mind and a manky paper filter says to me not done in the last 3k. Fuel filter was deffo never touched and it was supposed to have been changed.

The service schedule wasn't adhered to...period.

Where the fúck does it say that a service interval for this vehicle is 3K? What's this obsession you have with a 3K service, who get's their car serviced every 3k ffs???

HellFireClub

Bearcat wrote: »

I can prove nothing even the record of an air filter change in the last 3k....even though it was jet black. Re oil filters the word over tight comes to mind and a manky paper filter says to me not done in the last 3k. Fuel filter was deffo never touched and it was supposed to have been changed.

The service schedule wasn't adhered to...period.

Oil filters are often extremely hard to remove, maybe you just haven't changed enough of them to know that.

How on earth can you just assume that the fuel filter wasn't changed? Isn't that model one of those paper insert types? If it is, how in the name of Christ can you tell from looking at the housing, whether the filter inside was changed or not?

MuppetCheck

Sounds like it was done as per the service schedule. Most items will be every second service. Have a look in the service booklet and see what the intervals are.

Markcheese

Sounds like the dealer told the op that they'd just serviced the car... Or maybe they just implied that they'd done it..

clogher71

Mech1 wrote: »

I find that price quite unbelievable, what type of car?
can you post a copy of your invoice? (minus identifiers of course).

I had to get my car 'plugged in' for a re-set, Tallaght based dealership was E60+vat, and I needed to make an appointment, and they only did them on a Tues&Friday mornings if I remember correctly. Offaly based dealership said, drive in anytime & I did, E10.00, job took 10mins......