Guest starspirit Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Just been quoted £103.65 for the first service by Pug dealer in Carmarthen which is very fair but his garage has a 7' height limit so he can't do our van. This dealer is a fairly recent addition to the Pug network and just goes to show their commitment to us motor homers. The dealer in Haverfordwest quotes £269.00 for the same service and when challenged I got the reply that their labour rates are £69.95 an hour and labour in Carmarthen (25 miles away) must be less for the quoted 1.4 hours that the work allegedly takes. He also argued that it depends how much oil is needed - so do I assume that the main dealer has no idea how much oil a 2.0hdi sump holds? Frightening or what? My local commercial specialist garage quotes £40 + vat + whatever Peugeot charge for oil and filter. Guess where I'll be going? Is £269 for the first service a record or are there even bigger con artists at work in rip off UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Just been called back by the Haverfordwest dealer who advises that he should have quoted £209 not £269 due to an error. However as they want my custom they will do the service for £155 which is very kind of them I reckon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Hi Starspirit- Do I unduerstand that this first service by a non main dealer will carry the official stamp in the maintenace book, so that the 3yr warranty will still be valid. The reason I ask is my Peugeot 2ltr TD will be due its 1st service (2yr or 12000miles) in May and I dont fancy paying those silly quotes you received if at all possible. regards chas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Just been to our "local" motorhome dealer and the notice on the wall says: Service for Chausson, Rapido & Challenger 105 euros. Don't know if this includes any oil or anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Had to visit local Fiat (commercial) dealer for a recall check and see their charges are £225 for 18,000 miles service on Ducato. Not condoning their pricing, but the main dealer for my Honda Accord was very similar last year. Flicka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howie Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 When under warranty its always advisable to use main dealers if only for peace of mind Richard, and £155 seems to be about right and the going rate. Once the warranty expires the choice is yours of course, and this is why you should find a reputable garage and build up a good relationship rather than forever shopping around if possible. I,m lucky in having this sort of garage two minutes away with the owner having a motorhome as well, and over the years i,ve been going there, a level of trust has built up so I,ve come to put my faith in the work they do, and the prices they charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 Yes Howie I understand the benefit of a good dealer relationship but the dealers (supported by the makers) seem to take advantage of this to charge silly prices. Dealers get pais for work either by the maker under warranty or by us and if the fact they did not service the vehicle becomes and issue I would have a few polite but probing words with the dealer principle. The independant garage will use genuine Peugeot parts for which an invoice will be passed to me as proof and he will follow the Peugeot service schedule (so he says - just as likely as the apprentice given the job at Peugeot methinks) and the book will be stamped. So I am seriously tempted to spend £67 instead of £155 and put my faith in a well regarded local garage who work on vehicles of all sorts and sizes all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howie Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 Only problem there Richard is if you do have trouble with the van then Fiat might try to wriggle out of any warranty obligations because you have,nt used one of their authorised dealers. May as well pay the going rate and go elsewhere as soon as the warranty is up, if only for piece of mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 As I understand it Howie the EC rules allow me to have my van serviced anywhere as long as it is the the makers schedule and uses reccomended parts? Well that's the theory? Anyone any experience of this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 My father has just had his Suzuki serviced at local garage, nearest dealer had stopped trading and Suzuki importers have said it is OK if they adhere to procedures and use genuine parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howie Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 starspirit - 2007-01-20 6:23 PM As I understand it Howie the EC rules allow me to have my van serviced anywhere as long as it is the the makers schedule and uses reccomended parts? Well that's the theory? Anyone any experience of this?I,ve heard of this as well Richard, but unless I was absolutely sure I would still follow the warranty guidelines to the letter. £8000 for a blown motor!. Not the time to find out that because your local garage did not use the "recommended" engine oil, you then face the possibility of paying for any repairs/replacements out of your own pocket. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 How many times do we have to go over this same ground?You can take your vehicle to any srvice garage for the first service and still be in warranty, as long as the service schedule is adhered to and the book stamped.Just because the main dealer does the first service does not mean it's done properly. They usually only change the oil and filter anyway.Just the highlight this point. I once bought a new Renault 5 Turbo car and part of the 1st service was to torque down the head, now this is very important on a Turbo vehicle as the pressures involved can blow the head gasket. Just to make sure they had done it, I put pieces of tape on parts of the rocker cover, some you could clearly see and some hidden round the back. If the cover had been removed to do the work it would be obvious. Needless to say the ones round the back were still there. I said nothing and did the re-torque myself. So, one lost custumer to that dealer. A lot of the dealers only use a lad to do this work, as it's very easy and they make more profit.But as I've said before It's your money, your choice. I personally do all my own servicing on everything, especially my boat, which has a 200HP 3.7Ltr Volvo Diesel engine. As I want to be sure all the correct materials are used and it's done properly.That way if it goes wrong i know who to blame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howie Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 Patience please Peter. One of the benifits of old age is that after a week or two every subject mentioned looks brand new, so we never get bored. Changing the oil and filters etc, presents no problems, but given the complexity of modern vehicles anything else has to be left to garages who have the specialised equipment needed to carry out the work. I would still play safe with issues on warranty, but thats just me, and i,m sure that any reputable garage would as you say be acceptable for this sort of maintainence. Third time i,ve mentioned "peace of mind", but for me thats what its all about and another thing that comes with age, and I think Richard should stop being such a miserable skinflint and get the work done proper. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 Richard, You are quite correct saying that . I use one dealer for the VW and they service most of them things that you use to get on an aeroplane /steps ladder vehicles. Amongst other giant lorries & the like. I told him about the motor home and he ponted to a EU directive on the wall. Whilst I had already had Betsy serviced at a main Fiat dealership not to far whom gave excellent service to the customer & I think if my memory serves me right around £100 . The dierective did say that as long as they used genuine fiat parts ect ect. When I asked him why he said that little garages would go out of business and that this was now being reconised as long as they stuck to the parts procedure and obviously stamped the book . Every thing was hunky dory .. I do think some of these main dealerships make up there cost's as they go along . Good luck we will go back to the first one only because we are now due the first service but if we still have that one next year I think back to the little garage to try as he always does the VW spot on. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 howie - 2007-01-21 1:13 PMPatience please Peter. One of the benifits of old age is that after a week or two every subject mentioned looks brand new, so we never get bored.Changing the oil and filters etc, presents no problems, but given the complexity of modern vehicles anything else has to be left to garages who have the specialised equipment needed to carry out the work.I would still play safe with issues on warranty, but thats just me, and i,m sure that any reputable garage would as you say be acceptable for this sort of maintainence. Third time i,ve mentioned "peace of mind", but for me thats what its all about and another thing that comes with age, and I think Richard should stop being such a miserable skinflint and get the work done proper. ;-)Hi Howie, Sorry to spoil your excitement at finding a new subject to reply to. But by the time you read this, you will have forgotten what the subject was won't you. Keep taking the medication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 Items to be 'serviced' Howie are, bleed fuel filter, change oil and filter, check and top up (all full) brake fluid, washer fluid, pas fluid, coolant & battery. Visual check of drive belts, handbrake, hydraulic circuits, tyres, rubber protectors (the mind boggles), clutch, brake pads, horn, lights, windows, mirrors, washers and wipers. If all that constitutes specialised work needing special tools on a complex modern machine that I can't do here at home then I too must be getting old. I may not be a 'trained' mechanic but I have a lot of experience over the years and have rebuilt many car, including amateur rally, and boat engines and gearboxes. Even if I do say so myself my standards of cleanliness and attention to detail are very high which I reckon enables me to check fluid levels etc. with a certain degree of competence sadly missing in many garages and main dealers. The other thing called for on the service is a change of brake fluid but I have severe doubts as to the need for this after 2 years and less than 10,000 miles. Has anyone ever heard of brake failure due to the 'hydrascopic' action of brake fluid absorbing moisture from the air? It's in a sealed container ans system for heavens sake with just a pin prick of a hole at one end to avoid a vacuum forming so just how much moisture can it possibly absorb at the business end where it really matters and which is the only part likely to get hot enough for it to have any effect? I don't know - does anyone else please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howie Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 Hi Richard. I agree the work you have listed can be done by any reasonably competent person, although I would still follow recommended brake fluid change intervals as this may raise safety issues. What I did have in mind re. modern vehicles and specialised equipment was the amount of electrical equipment now fitted as standard, and this is something totally beyond me i,m afraid. What I do realise is that you can now use any garage you wish as long as genuine parts and components are used, and I will do my best to remember this if this subject is raised in any future thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 It is very important to change brake fluid at the recomended intervals. I have experienced partial brake failure due to "boiling" the fluid while going down Wynatts pass in North derbyshire a few years ago, its not an experience I'm in any hurry to repeat! As you are a competent DIY mechanic I'm surprised you don't change the fluid yourself, its not a big job and usually only takes about an hour or so and the new fluid is only going to cost a tenner or so. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 I will do the brake fluid myself Dave - it's just that I'm not convinced of the need to change it every two years. However as you say it's cheap enough why not? Any idea how old the fluid was in the vehicle that gave you the scare? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Unknown but it was over two years old. It was in our last camper which was a 1986 Freight Rover 310. We had owned it for over two years when the incident occurred and ever since i've made a point of changing brake fluid early rather than late. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 You can buy an automatic brake bleeder that is pressurised from the spare wheel, which makes it one man job and takes no time at all. Just rig it up and open the bleed nipple and it is all done automatically. No pumping the pedal. I got mine from Halfords. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Many thanks Peter - I've had a home made one for a long time now that does the same job by gravity - but it can get messy at times so perhaps now is the time to mdernise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 After some haggling I agreed with the Haverfordwest Dealer that he could do the service including brake fluid for £155 - with no extras - guaranteed. So it was done today and the service was quick and the people polite. However the price rose to £165 because they said that I misheard the price. Yeah right! They changed a rear light bulb that did not need changing and broke the indicator bulb which they failed to notice whilst so doing. The oil level is now about a cm too high above the full mark on the dipstick, they failed to reset the speedo service indicator and they failed to stamp the service book. I have to wonder what else they missed - and when I will discover it (them). Three guesses as to who will do the next service! Main dealers? May the heavens protect us from them. And they wonder why all surveys rate Peugeot main dealers as poor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Richard. You want to go back and get them to stamp the book. Looks like all my comments about dealers have been vindicated then doesn't it. Now you know why I wont trust them with something that could cost me not only money but my life. Especially on my boat at sea and with only the one engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I would not go to sea with only one method of propulsion Pete. Having been a sea fisherman part time out of Falmouth I have wasted too much time seeing what can happen and towing in silly sods with only one engine which failed. These ungrateful people invariably asked us 'how much they owed us' to which the standard reply was 'about half what you would have paid ten minutes before we saved your boat and your lives will do' Needless to say we did not want paying - which is just as well really because no one ever did. It was only the reduced cost that made me go to the Peugeot main dealer and he has already been informed how I feel and that there is no way on this earth I would ever buy a Peugeot car or have my van serviced by him again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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