Get car serviced at main dealer or local garage?

motorguy

roddydogs wrote: »

Must admit a couple of years ago, my car needed the air con repaired and the service was done at the same time, I checked the dipstick and noted the oil colour. I am 99% ertain it wasnt changed, and the old trick of marking the filter was too fiddly as their is now a cover underneath. But what could I do? It was still covered by warranty, it might have just have been a lazy mechanic, not the suits.I didnt say anything.



veen a lazy mechanic

If it were a diesel car the oil will go black almost instantly. Certainly within a few miles. Could be quite hard to tell.

Viscosity of the oil is usually a good clue, particularly on a diesel car. Often when its due a service the oil will feel "watery" between the fingers, whereas after an oil change it will feel creamy and fluid.

roddydogs

motorguy wrote: »

If it were a diesel car the oil will go black almost instantly. Certainly within a few miles. Could be quite hard to tell.

Viscosity of the oil is usually a good clue, particularly on a diesel car. Often when its due a service the oil will feel "watery" between the fingers, whereas after an oil change it will feel creamy and fluid.

It was a petrol Mazda 2.

motorguy

roddydogs wrote: »

It was a petrol Mazda 2.

I'd have taken it back at the time and queried it. Very hard to say now and without seeing it at the time.

I would have thought not changing the oil and / or filter would be a disciplinary offence in any reputable establishment.

fred246

Imagine you are a main dealer. You have 6 one year old cars booked in for a service. Your mechanic rings in sick. There is no way you can do the work. Do you:
A)Phone all the customers and explain the situation. Listen to them shouting down the phone. Hear all the tales of woe, the demands for compensation. "We'll never buy a car off you again." Re-scheduling the service puts it outside the one month either side rule. They would have to fudge the date on the stamp. Await the negative reviews on google.
B)Just stamp the book. That's all the customer wants. Maintains the value of the car. They'll get rid after another couple of years. 6 happy customers!

motorguy

fred246 wrote: »

Imagine you are a main dealer. You have 6 one year old cars booked in for a service. Your mechanic rings in sick. There is no way you can do the work. Do you:
A)Phone all the customers and explain the situation. Listen to them shouting down the phone. Hear all the tales of woe, the demands for compensation. "We'll never buy a car off you again." Re-scheduling the service puts it outside the one month either side rule. They would have to fudge the date on the stamp. Await the negative reviews on google.
B)Just stamp the book. That's all the customer wants. Maintains the value of the car. They'll get rid after another couple of years. 6 happy customers!

If you're a main dealer you've probably 20 mechanics not one.

A Service Manager of a team as big as that will be paid for his ability to manage the workload in his team, not to not bother doing it if he was getting it a bit tight.

You've no clue as to how much scrutiny Franchises are under these days by the manufacturer who are eager to protect their reputation and market share. Not a pups chance behaviours like you describe happen.

missile

fred246 wrote: »

Imagine you are a main dealer. You have 6 one year old cars booked in for a service. Your mechanic rings in sick. There is no way you can do the work. Do you:
A)Phone all the customers and explain the situation. Listen to them shouting down the phone. Hear all the tales of woe, the demands for compensation. "We'll never buy a car off you again." Re-scheduling the service puts it outside the one month either side rule. They would have to fudge the date on the stamp. Await the negative reviews on google.
B)Just stamp the book. That's all the customer wants. Maintains the value of the car. They'll get rid after another couple of years. 6 happy customers!

I find that farcical, but I guess it may happen on occasion at some back street garage. If you believe that, it is one more reason to use a properly regulated franchised dealer for servicing.

motorguy

missile wrote: »

That may happen on occasion at some back street garage. If you believe that crap, it is one more reason to use a properly regulated franchised dealer for servicing.

I dont care if he believes it, the issue i have is that he propagates it as FACT.

almillar

Hi Fred, I notice you've asked a question, but you didn't answer mine... here's a reminder.

Fred. What if, stick with me, I follow your advice, and don't service my new car, for 3 years. I buy dealer stamps on eBay. Then you buy my car. 'Full Service History'. You service it yourself for a few years.

Who will you blame if the engine breaks?

fred246

Your scenario just illustrates that you can't trust a service history. People can take a car to a garage for a service but they don't know if it has actually been serviced. The only way to know it has is to service it yourself. The second best is a mobile mechanic who you could watch doing the job. If you have to take it to a garage you need to photograph the dipstick and mark the filters before it goes in. I like to buy cars that haven't been messed about by a garage so I buy then before their first service is due.

Mercdriver

almillar wrote: »

Hi Fred, I notice you've asked a question, but you didn't answer mine... here's a reminder.

I don't think Freddy boy is gonna answer the question...