General A little story...

[jaz]

sorry mate i read it but didnt take it in lol

i thought they usaly do because my mate works for fiat in scunthorpe were i live and he said they always check even though it doesnt say you have to in service sheet

 

[Garree001]

Indeed. Seems sensible to.

Think my next port of call is to get another opinion on my brakes! MOT says part worn, FIAT garage says tick in green box. Will I stop, or won't I? It's all a big mystery :doh:

 

[jaz]

Indeed. Seems sensible to.

Think my next port of call is to get another opinion on my brakes! MOT says part worn, FIAT garage says tick in green box. Will I stop, or won't I? It's all a big mystery :doh:

yes i would aswell mate becuase that is alot more serious than a battery lol

 

[Ffoxy]

Battery could have checked out OK but failed in the time afterwards. Its like an MoT, only really means anything at the time its done.

 

[jaz]

well there is that it just depends on how long after the service it faild

 

[Ffoxy]

well there is that it just depends on how long after the service it faild

Thats the thing really, who knows & how would it be proved?

 

[jaz]

ye true because they could just say it was fine when it left here and that would be the end of it

 

[Garree001]

Well I now have something else to throw at the garage. The brakes are in need some attention too...

Took it to two different places today (ATS and an independent). Both said that I should come back in a couple of months to see how the discs are doing. The pads are about 50% worn, which is obviously gonna give me many more miles, but they both said that the servicing place should have mentioned the discs as they wouldn't last me another year, or even another few months.

I'm inclined to think that this garage isn't all that good - which is a problem as the other nearest FIAT one is causing me other problems!

So much for the "Visual Health Check", or the simple safety ones needed for the brakes. Am not impressed with them (the garage, not the brakes )

 

[punto_matt]

Wow you dont half exaggerate and take things out of context do you? :Rolleyes: Your battery died live with it, what exactly are you going to achieve by complaining to the garage? For all you know it was green when they visually checked it.

 

[Garree001]

Yeah. And I guess the brakes wore down for the MOT, grew back for the service and died again for ATS and the independent garage. With the battery - I also said there's electrolyte residue beneath where it sits. This doesn't indicate a sudden failure and could mean even (although a long shot) the battery was damaged as plastic doesn't rot.

I guess wanting to know that my car's being properly taken care of as it were, when I hand over the keys for a service I am paying (a not insignificant sum) for, is a lot to ask for

 

[T14086]

visual healthcheck generates work for the garage...not much else really.

 

[punto_matt]

Well what difference does it make? You would still of had to pay for it one way or another. Yeah i agree breaks is stupid and an easy thing for them to pick up on and get money for but your being a petty bastard over the battery tbpfh.

 

[Garree001]

visual healthcheck generates work for the garage...not much else really.

They missed a chance to make more money then! Although slightly worrying that they stick their names down for stuff that they aren't actually checking. ATS quoted £156 for the discs. I'll call the dealer tomorrow and see what they'd charge - just to satisfy my cuiosity

Well what difference does it make? You would still of had to pay for it one way or another. Yeah i agree breaks is stupid and an easy thing for them to pick up on and get money for but your being a petty bastard over the battery tbpfh.

I didn't mind paying for stuff, if I am told and the car needs it in the first place. My concern is that at least two things appear to have been missed.

Thanks for your opinion though

 

[T14086]

They missed a chance to make more money then!

or they didnt have the parts or were to overbooked

 

[Garree001]

lol what kind of main dealer doesn't stock something like brake discs/pads? Surely it'd be something that they do actually stock as they aren't too expensive to buy and people will always go through them? I'm sure I'm about to be corrected though...

I don't think they were overbooked. They got my car in, in just a couple of days. The other dealer in the opposite direction was offering slots around 3-4 weeks in the future.

And isn't doing that kind of thing with an item such as brakes kind of a little dangerous