Technical Dealing with Garages and inspection prices.

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Technical Dealing with Garages and inspection prices.

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Hey guys

I've been looking on the Internet but my question is not quite answered.

So can anyone shed any light.

1) I am planning to take my partners car in for inspection as I suspect their is something wrong with tappets / valves. I was told by Evans Halshaw it will cost £50 for the first 30 mins. Now say if they look at it and say '"it's nothing". Do I still need to pay?

Ps this is not a fiat but people on this forum been insanely helpful so thought would cast feelers.

You can see a link to her Vauxhall corsa D 1.2 SXI 2013, loud engine noise on YouTube below.

 
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I'd not expect to pay for the inspection if I was giving them the job however, if I was looking for a diagnosis to diy then I'd expect to pay. Find an independent with a decent hourly rate, you'd get an hour for £50

I take it you've checked oil level? Any other symptoms apart from the noise?

Cheers
 
I agree with Ben - you would pay for an inspection as that's paying for their time. If you're giving them the job of repair the inspection should be 'free' .

Having said that, my nephew had engine noise in his low mileage jag which had just been serviced at the jag main dealer a month earlier. They charged him £500 for a diagnosis -yes, £500. Then said he would need a new engine at a cost of £9000. When he said that £9000 was a bit steep (50,000 miles on his car) they said they would do it for £5000. Absolute bargain, eh?

Go to a smaller workshop and ask them to listen to your engine (which does sound 'tappety'..). Smaller workshops charge £40-£50 per hour for labour as opposed to mortgage rate repairs by big dealerships.
 
yes go to a smaller garage one or two people working together likely to have a listen for free and give you advice.
has it been run low on oil?
has it had yearly oil changes?
has it had a recent oil change?


I have heard much worse.


sound comes over on videos differently on videos in real life is it louder or quieter?
 
It sound like a tappet noise to me, trouble is you could strip it down and see nothing wrong. Having worked in both main dealers and small independents, i know that neither are a charity and time has to be paid or accounted for. Personally and following on from above posts i'd give it an oil flush and a oil & filter change using decent products and see how it goes.
 
does it sound the same when it warms up?
Hey flisko. Yeah it sounds like this throughout warm or cold . It's buggin me. As I regular service it and look after it. Only got 25k on the clock and my gf drives like a usual woman so not thrashed.
 
I'd not expect to pay for the inspection if I was giving them the job however, if I was looking for a diagnosis to diy then I'd expect to pay. Find an independent with a decent hourly rate, you'd get an hour for £50

I take it you've checked oil level? Any other symptoms apart from the noise?

Cheers
Hey Ben! Yeah I have checked oil and did a fresh oil change about 2 weeks ago but sounded like this b4 hand. I've looked at timing chain and seems fine and from research it's seems to be timing chain / lifters / tappets area of problem . Her car has life time warranty hence me talking to a vauxhall dealer as If it is a problem then it SHUD be covered. But I took it to another vauxhall a few months back and they said nothing is wrong. But believe there were fobbing me off.
 
I agree with Ben - you would pay for an inspection as that's paying for their time. If you're giving them the job of repair the inspection should be 'free' .

Having said that, my nephew had engine noise in his low mileage jag which had just been serviced at the jag main dealer a month earlier. They charged him £500 for a diagnosis -yes, £500. Then said he would need a new engine at a cost of £9000. When he said that £9000 was a bit steep (50,000 miles on his car) they said they would do it for £5000. Absolute bargain, eh?

Go to a smaller workshop and ask them to listen to your engine (which does sound 'tappety'..). Smaller workshops charge £40-£50 per hour for labour as opposed to mortgage rate repairs by big dealerships.
Wow I feel for you nephew. I no jag is a luxury brand but £5000! Hope he got a fair result in end. I was thinking about going to smaller garage. But issue is her car dies have lifetime warranty. So if it is a problem SHUD be.carr8ed out under warranty BUT I took it to another vauxhall and they said nothing is wrong. But this vauxhall dealership is terrible and belive just fobbing me off. So I'm weirdly hoping it is something as I want it fixed but paid by warranty. But I'm worrying that they just can't be arsed to do the work as I assume it's not a 10 minute job and doing.soemthing under warranty.may not be.priority one. So I feel If I go small garage dealer they will say it's x y or z. Pay dem. Then only take it to vauxhall for them to say it's nothing. It's been a right back and forth for me.
 
I'd not expect to pay for the inspection if I was giving them the job however, if I was looking for a diagnosis to diy then I'd expect to pay. Find an independent with a decent hourly rate, you'd get an hour for £50

I take it you've checked oil level? Any other symptoms apart from the noise?

Cheers
Hey Ben Yeah I checked oil and changed it a couple weeks ago. But it has been doing this way b4. But it is regularly serviced. The only other issue I had, but this was.making noise b4 this was. A couple months ago got a misfire code in cylinder 4. Check and there was some.oil down the spark plug wells. Not loads but some in there and it coated the spark from firing. SO I changed spark plugs and valve cover gasket and rubber spark boots. Don't k ownif they are linked? But other than that end is just loud and horrible sounding
 
It sound like a tappet noise to me, trouble is you could strip it down and see nothing wrong. Having worked in both main dealers and small independents, i know that neither are a charity and time has to be paid or accounted for. Personally and following on from above posts i'd give it an oil flush and a oil & filter change using decent products and see how it goes.
He thanks. Maggers. I did an oil change about 2 weeks ago with Petronas sythium but was making this b4 hand. I've heard back and.forth with oil flushes hence why I've never.done one. And I get time has.to be paid.for I'm in graphic design and it's one of those professions ppl don't want to pay. But my.local vauxhall dealer I do not like hence me trying a new one. But just feel this are.going to merely turn engine on and say 'nothing wrong' . As I have taken this in b4 to my poor.local dealer and they said that. I just feel they do not want to do such a labour I tense job so just going to fob me.off, I pay £50 and had nothing done. BUT reason I need them because if it is something I have.life time warranty so it's. Like a gamble if you understand
 
yes go to a smaller garage one or two people working together likely to have a listen for free and give you advice.
has it been run low on oil?
has it had yearly oil changes?
has it had a recent oil change?


I have heard much worse.


sound comes over on videos differently on videos in real life is it louder or quieter?
Hey jack.

No, yes , yes to Ur questions. It only has 25 k on miles and is not thrashed at all. I service it last year and this one. As it has a service plan in the first 3 years. I appreciate your response. If u read below to other guys messages I have explained.full story, I just cannot right it all out again lol. But would appreciate u giving a read if you feel u have any more insight
 
Ah, O.K. reading this i gather the car was bought with the lifetime warranty Vauxhall were selling at the time? I hav'nt had personal experience of this scheme but would imagine that there are various clauses relating to servicing and unless it has been done by a VAT registered garage to the time schedule then they may use that as a reason to decline. Certainly, a warranty company we deal with for a nearby major used car site will decline claims on that basis even if the fault is totally unrelated and would be unaffected by servicing. I would expect the dealer to have an initial look and then say it requires dismantling for inspection at your cost which would be covered by a successful claim. The problem is, if they find nothing - which is quite possible - then you are left with the bill.
 
You definitely need to check that warrantee still valid after you have done services yourself.

Great advice from Maggers.
 
It sound like a tappet noise to me, trouble is you could strip it down and see nothing wrong. Having worked in both main dealers and small independents, i know that neither are a charity and time has to be paid or accounted for. Personally and following on from above posts i'd give it an oil flush and a oil & filter change using decent products and see how it goes.
Hey maggers since you have.worker in dealers before ( assuming as technician) what you say about what you hear? Get the car in asap. And also is it a bad thing to hear your tappets etc what can really happen if you left it as I no what the problem appears to be but not really found out what happens if not addressed?
 
It sound like a tappet noise to me, trouble is you could strip it down and see nothing wrong. Having worked in both main dealers and small independents, i know that neither are a charity and time has to be paid or accounted for. Personally and following on from above posts i'd give it an oil flush and a oil & filter change using decent products and see how it goes.
Apologies for hounding you maggers but also if you are / were a.mechanic do you ever algae this problem and here of Wynns Hydraulic fluid used? If so would you recommend or would u say and oil flush is better ... or both?
 
It sound like a tappet noise to me, trouble is you could strip it down and see nothing wrong. Having worked in both main dealers and small independents, i know that neither are a charity and time has to be paid or accounted for. Personally and following on from above posts i'd give it an oil flush and a oil & filter change using decent products and see how it goes.
Apologies for hounding you maggers but also if you are / were a.mechanic do you ever algae this problem and here of Wynns Hydraulic fluid used? If so would you recommend or would u say and oil flush is better ... or both? .
 
My guess is if you did an oil change out of schedule, but did respect the recommended intervals to service her at an official dealer (with stamp etc.), the warranty should still be valid.
Anyway, I'd recommend not to tell anybody...

BRs, Bernie
 
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