General Held to Ransom by Fiat

[sludgeguts]

You`re going to have clean hands for a while then

I do hope so

I've never been lucky enough to have a garage & pit, instead I rely on a tarp over a makeshift pergola & a pair of home-made ramps (6' long, 2' tall).
Everything that has gone wrong seems to have gone wrong mid-winter. I crawl from under the car & beginning to think I'm just getting too long in the tooth nowadays (I, too, was a 60s youth:slayer: ).

Just not looking forward to four years of Dealer service charges. (If it gets too expensive, I'll keep trading in just before the light comes on. Dobbies are so cheap to buy I might save some money )

 

[usher]

A main Citroen dealership near us was chosen for one of those undercover trading standards tests where various parts were marked to see if they had been checked or changed during an expensive service, needless to say they were caught out & heavily fined,they used a trainee as a scapegoat for not doing the job properly, still hasn't stopped them swamping the area with new cars tho.
My new Panda will go in for its first two services but the year 3 one which is also the most expensive it will not as there is little point if the warranty expires at the same time. If of course I am experiencing any serious problems then it will go in a month or so before the 3 years is up.
I was told that there will be an option to extend the warranty when the 3 years are up altho the option was not offered there & then.
Whats the bet that if your car has been in & out under warranty for loads of problems that you would not be offered the extension:slayer:

 

[oilrag]

Regarding the service light, I always found forming a normative pressure group to bring results as a means of change.

If members changed their sigs to

" Protest about the examiner service/oil light issue"

That would be sufficiently non specific to not raise any legal issues, would stimulate debate across the board and make Fiat aware. As I`m sure FiaT UK and the dealers read this board.

A good test for equality and free speech........... :devil:

Regards

 

[sludgeguts]

Normative?
Now there's a word I haven't heard in a long time.

 

[oilrag]

I altered the sig in `user cp` didnt realise it would show on all my previous posts....
Wow ! what a way to spread a message across the board

 

[oilrag]

I crawl from under the car & beginning to think I'm just getting too long in the tooth

No way ! our generation can do anything. Even if it hurts for a few days afterwards

I`m not at the stage yet where I have to crawl down the drive to the garden gate to pull myself up.... but even then... as long as a spanner can be gripped:woot:

 

[T14086]

Turn my back for 2 minutes & you lot are creating anarchy ....right here goes;

I agree that oil lights are there for a reason but to have oil service reminder glaring at you all the time you're driving is just ludicrous.

I can appreciate that some drivers need a kick up the backside where servicing is concerned - to ignore servicing an engine is sheer folly but we don't need an in your face reminder.

Its more than likely it wont affect you anyway,the only vehicles I have seen coming in for oil changes at a different time from a yearly service is taxis & social welfare vehicles, i.e. constant daily stop/starting as this degrades the oil faster.......therefore it proves the system is working

A generation of them seem to have disapeared from the general garage trade around here.
He was bought out by a couple of lads with modern main dealer training.

Exactly as I said,however the blame (if any) here lies with technology not garages/manufactuers.

The last time my car was in my local fiat dealers they said there wasnt a viewing area as they didnt do MOT's. So not all independents or main dealers have viewing areas.

I said "is there a viewing area" obviously not all do in which case ask to speak to the tech that worked on the car after to see what was done.

But for a regular service on the engine side, its just about only oil and filters these days.

Dont forget the observation as I mentioned earlier to spot potential future faults

Pity really that you cant specify the DET technician for the routine service.....
Railroaded into a main dealer service for the warranty last year, I would have been willing to pay an extra £50 on the labour for that degree of competence and assurance.

Ask

Whats the bet that if your car has been in & out under warranty for loads of problems that you would not be offered the extension:slayer:

None,it doesn't matter.Correct previous maintence is all that counts.

Regarding the service light, I always found forming a normative pressure group to bring results as a means of change.

If members changed their sigs to

" Protest about the examiner service/oil light issue"

That would be sufficiently non specific to not raise any legal issues, would stimulate debate across the board and make Fiat aware. As I`m sure FiaT UK and the dealers read this board.

As mentioned above its unlikely to affect anyone here unless you have a service vehicle with loads of short journeys,loads stop starts etc.

At service if degredation index figure is less than 25% (which most are) the oil will get changed anyway.

 

[sludgeguts]

My BiL had a VW transporter for many years. He had a bright red LED on the dash which even a dealer couldn't put out. In the end he solved the problem with a bit of black insulation tape. He sold the motor on four years ago & the 'fault' is still there.

What a pikey

 

[oilrag]

As mentioned above its unlikely to affect anyone here
At service if degredation index figure is less than 25% (which most are) the oil will get changed anyway.

I had a flashback to school then with the underlining...
Were you my Science teacher back in 1959 T ?

 

[custard]

of course if you look at the car as consumer goods.anything under warrenty needs to be repaired by the manufacturer and outwith warrenty they dont need to supply tech info support to third party repairers

 

[RichDoblo120]

Well my local Fiat dealer was cheaper than my local independent Fiat specialist for a service.
The good thing is Fiat don't seem to set the prices so if you shop around you can get a good price at a dealer.

 

[oilrag]

Quote, From link below on Government Block Exemption regulations

"independent garages and roadside assistance organisations will have much greater access to technical information, including diagnostic equipment and software."

Source
http://www.dti.gov.uk/consumers/fact-sheets/page38070.html

Surely this should mean the independent trade should be able to turn off the service/oil deg light following a service?

Regards

 

[oilrag]

Turn my back for 2 minutes & you lot are creating anarchy ..

Kev?

 

[luvduvs]

Kev?

Ok.. ummm.. T smells!!!

PMSL

 

[oilrag]

5hrs 56 minutes ...counting

 

[T14086]

I had a flashback to school then with the underlining...
Were you my Science teacher back in 1959 T ?

I aint that old

Quote, From link below on Government Block Exemption regulations

"independent garages and roadside assistance organisations will have much greater access to technical information, including diagnostic equipment and software."

Source
http://www.dti.gov.uk/consumers/fact-sheets/page38070.html

Surely this should mean the independent trade should be able to turn off the service/oil deg light following a service?

Regards

........but........aslong as they can afford the access top tech information,the diagnostic equipment & training to support that.

5hrs 56 minutes ...counting

:devil:

 

[T14086]

Ok.. ummm.. T smells fresh unlike my kangaroo feet

Very kind of you Kev

 

[luvduvs]

Very kind of you Kev

Actually now that you mentioned it I did get myself tinea when I was in Thailand.. its almost healed now :yuck:

 

[T14086]

tinea? whats that

 

[luvduvs]

A.k.a ringrowm. Mine doesn't look as bad as this photo but you get the idea.. I reckon it was because of the damn boat ride in that stinking river where I got completely soaked with sewage water!