Car been in a garage for 17 weeks

_ASH_

Hi Guy's, im really hoping that someone can advise me on the next reasonable practice for this as it's making me bad.

I changed a simple sensor on my car as im a competent mechanic and something went wrong with the electrics, so I rang a local garage who said that he'd have it recovered to his garage and repair it for me.

He's now had it for 17 weeks and every time I ring him up, he says "were still working on it". 

Ive just been to drive past the car and it's still in the same place where it was dropped of by the recovery people, so I don't think he's even looked at it.

As ive said, he's had it now for 17 weeks, of which I hired a car for the first 10 weeks using up all my savings, Ive now had a warning from work because I can't travel to do a portion of my job.

I feel at my wits end and just want it all over with.

Can anyone please advise me on how to get my car back so I can send it somewhere else.

Many thanks in advance

Ash

Scrapit

Are they actually working or have they shutdown?

AdrianC

_ASH_ said:

I changed a simple sensor on my car as im a competent mechanic and something went wrong with the electrics

That could cover a vast array of potential problems, from a melted loom to fried ECUs.

What car are we talking about? It may well be quicker, simpler and a lot cheaper to cut your losses. so I rang a local garage who said that he'd have it recovered to his garage and repair it for me.

He's now had it for 17 weeks and every time I ring him up, he says "were still working on it". 
Ive just been to drive past the car and it's still in the same place where it was dropped of by the recovery people, so I don't think he's even looked at it. So have you arranged for a transport company to collect it, and take it to a proper specialist autoelectrician?

"Hasn't moved" doesn't mean it's not been worked on. Have you asked him for any more detail? What the diagnostics are showing, what he's found so far?

_ASH_

yes, they are open in the pandemic that we're in.

It's a 2011 Range Rover and bare in mind, that ive worked on these cars before, and all I did was to change an ABS sensor (simple job).

Ive not arranged anything as of yet, because he has both of the keys and I need to get these off him.

Scrapit

Then go there and get it. Reading between the lines you don't want the garage to carry out the work either cos they cant/won't or cos you don't trust them. In that case get your vehicle back, pay them what's owed if anything and find someone else to do it.

AdrianC

_ASH_ said:

... all I did was to change an ABS sensor (simple job).

Yet "something went wrong" with the electronics... And that's the bit that you want him to fix. It's also the bit that's likely to be far from straightforward.

Why on earth does the garage have BOTH keys? Let me guess... Because whatever "went wrong" was serious enough that it was possibly going to need the security systems re-coding?

oldagetraveller1

"I changed a simple sensor on my car as im a competent mechanic and something went wrong with the electrics, so I rang a local garage who said that he'd have it recovered to his garage and repair it for me."

I hope the Freds don't see this!

fred246

Certainly sounds a bit strange. Doesn't a 'competent mechanic' just fix it?

born_again

So after you changed the sensor what is the issue ?

Mercdriver

Tell the owners that you followed Fred's advice and want his details to sue him, saying that it was simple, anyone could do it following a Youtube video.

fred246

Sometimes you have to watch more than one YouTube video. Electrical problems are my favourite. They're great puzzles to solve. Always nice if you can find a good wiring diagram. I wouldn't have thought many mechanics truly understand electrical systems. Maybe that's the problem here. Maybe mechanics always use 'auto electricians' to solve their electrical problems.