Why do garages always WRECK cars?

roddydogs

facade wrote: »

Fixed that for you

When I do a job, it takes me 10 times longer than a "professional" because I take the time to get it exactly right (to my satisfaction), and fix everything else that I notice along the way.

Just take a look at the personal cars of garage mechanics, the last thing in the world they want to do is waste any of their own time fixing them, when they have spent all day trying to fix someone else's in the minimum time possible (be different if they can do them in works time, but that sort of thing stopped in about 1990)

You are Colsten in disguise & I claim my £5.

agrinnall

Probably the most hyperbolic thread title I've ever seen on here.

RichardD1970

What's a VW Galaxy?

AdrianC

RichardD1970 wrote: »

What's a VW Galaxy?

The bloody garage have been busy swapping badges, too...

OP - have a check for some Seat Alhambra badges, too, in case you've got the full set...

molerat

RichardD1970 wrote: »

What's a VW Galaxy?

Probably a Sharan made in the Ford factory and re-badged. When I worked in a factors many customers were upset when they found their beloved premium VW was a common Ford.

TadleyBaggie

roddydogs wrote: »

Impossible, just the same as a builder/decorator or whatever will never do your house as well as he would do his own.

I beg to differ, I bought my first house from a professional decorator, the decoration was appalling.

Strider590

I imagine you took it somewhere that's quite a large garage, where they have a management structure involving people who don't do anything on the shop floor? In these places you find the technicians have very unrealistic targets to meet and the chance of things getting broken/forgotten is very high.

facade

TadleyBaggie wrote: »

I beg to differ, I bought my first house from a professional decorator, the decoration was appalling.

I told you why, no-one wants to bring their work home.

The reason Builders have great houses is because they have a building company, and they often use their minimum wage employees in slack time to do the work and use discounted materials. (Without risking libel )

The garage problem is they are trying to get more jobs done in times way below "book time" so they cut corners, often breaking clips off items and over stretching connectors and hoses rather than
dismantling properly.
They also get "the boy" to do a lot of the dismantling, with a worn out socket and an impact gun usually, which doesn't do the heads of the fasteners much good.

If you want a job done properly always do it yourself.

Mr.Generous

although not wrecked I have had damage done twice at garages through carelessness. The plastic engine cover on an otherwise immaculate 1 year old car cracked through trying to force it on.

I should really accept full responsibility myself for this. I saw an offer for an oil and filter change at Kwikfit and thought why not at that price, what could go wrong?

The other occasion that springs to mind was when I got an MOT and they advised that the brake lines had been damaged and straightened by someone. I know it had been in for rear disks and pads - but again I have to take some responsibility. My usual garage was busy and wanted about £50 more to do the job than a garage my neighbor recommended. I went with the cheap option with a place I didn't know and I never checked the work.

I have damaged stuff myself working on cars, its just something that happens. The difficulty comes when you are charging someone to provide a professional service.

fred246

arcon5 wrote: »

You don't touch engine oil for a clutch change -- so if the engine oil has been overfilled you've either checked it immediately after turning the engine off or you've done it yourself.

I wasn't expecting them to have touched the oil. My wife was using it for a long run so being a bit old fashioned I checked the tyre pressures and fluid levels before she went. I was furious when I discovered they'd 'topped' the oil up. As I say I have changed the oil in the car at least 16 times and I DO NOT OVERFILL. I then had to drain the oil off by torchlight. Ahh! I've no idea what they've topped it up with so I'm just waiting for my PD oil to be delivered and I'm changing it again.