Where can I find a good mechanic?

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Where can I find a good mechanic?

Dibbles

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Joined
Sep 21, 2012
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3
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Location
Christchurch, Dorset
Does anyone know of a decent mechanic who can fix a Doblo 1.2 multijet 05 near Christchurch in Dorset. Car refused to start & our usual garage too busy so called a mobile mechanic who diagnosed (for £35) glow plugs but he couldn't help til next week so asked a friend mechanic who changed 2 plugs, but found 2 jammed. Paid £60 for plugs. It started but he then noticed very low revs (only 3000) and changed air flow meter (part cost £100) & £50 labour. Still low revs & now notice a rattling noise under bonnet. Booked & waited for our normal garage who got strange diagnostic readings & advised us to go to the main Fiat garage and has become very 'hands off'. Car has been at the Fiat garage (miles away) for a week having spent £96 diagnostic test (which failed to find problem) + £84 to find EGR needs replacing and ano £84 to find timing chain maybe causing the rattle. Waited a week so far for EGR to arrive from Italy - quote ano £244 to replace. (NB Old Air flow meter was found to be working!). Quoted £320 if I want the timing chain adjusted plus any parts. So far paid 35+60+100+50+96+84+84=509, due to pay ano £244 (for egr) = £753 plus optional £320 plus parts to get timing chain fixed (will wait and save up). We are on a very low income. Our mechanic doesn't want to fix the EGR or the timing belt for some reason so we have no choice but to let Fiat to fix it at £84 per hour (due on monday) but isn't there anyone cheaper who is willing & able to do Fiat repairs round here? Have now been 3 weeks without a vehicle. Can anyone recommend a good mechanic?:confused: I have been so pleased with this lovely van car but maybe the Doblo was a bad idea if repairs cost this much?.
 
Owned mine since November 2003 89k miles total cost to date £22.500. Including labour and mods.

Oh there money grabbers!!

Only thing I can advise on is the rattle. It won't be the chain! It could be something simple like the belt tensioner or alternator clutch!
 
Thank you. Fiat reckon it might indeed be the tensioner. In the meantime we found a local garage who believed our new egr valve (paid £244 for fiat to replace on Monday) was already failing (by Friday) & recommended he blank it off, which he did for £90. We were advised to use '10K boost' or 'wynns egr3' cleaner as a cheaper method to clean out the inlet manifold (as the revs fail after 3000) and to drive in a more 'Italian' way ie. dash around at high revs more often. Has anyone tried these products on the 1.3 multijet? (The engine rattle will have to wait for now). :confused:
 
If the egr is failing within 5 days I would go back to Fiat, make a complaint and have them sort it out. There should be some kind of warranty on their work. 3 months at least!
 
The last mechanic (who blocked off the egr) said it was a common problem on these engines and had seen others with repeated egr failures. The (previous) Fiat mechanic (who changed the egr) said he did not know if the dirty/carbed up inlet manifold had caused the original egr to fail or if the failed egr had cause the build up of carbon in the manifold. He changed the egr and said the manifold needed a proper clean out but we could not afford for Fiat to do it (at £84 an hour - not sure how long it would take but it's quite a big job) and he did warn us that the gunk in the inlet manifold could cause the egr to fail again - though I wasn't expecting it to happen within the same week! Firstly, I don't know if the egr did definitely fail or not (never told), secondly it has now been blocked off, and thirdly, if it has failed Fiat might complain that it has been tampered with since they last saw it and might well blame the gummed up inlet manifold. Just now trying to clean it out as cheaply as possible with wynns egr3. Funds depleted. Faith in mechanics not high. Thanks for the encouragement though.:cry:
 
Sounds like classic example of my mate says this and this guy down the pub reckons this etc etc

Has anyone actually had the car on flight recorder or simply just guessed parts on hearsay! If I aid for diagnostics (from anyone wether a dealer of bob down the road) I would want a printout and data or they aint getting paid.
 
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