I mentioned on another thread and so did a few others, about Vauxhall Corsa’s. My eldest lad is running a ‘55 plate 1.0 Breeze at the moment. MOT is due in just over a month so needs a look over. Unlike his Dad, regular checks/maintenance is not on his radar, much like his brother TBH. Anyway, he’s down in Flitwick, we’re up in Leeds so not easy to get hands on so he let Halfords do a general check over and Kwickfit check brakes, tyres etc, all ‘free’
Between them, £1050 for the following work,
Two budget tyres on rear
Replace one front spring
Secure one cv boot
Secure One drop link dust cover
Fit new handbrake cables
Apparently all good then for MOT, everything else OK. So, I bought a cv boot, two springs and a full front set of discs pads (as they mentioned they were nearing their limit) for £50!! Two budget tyres from ATS, fitted for £75. Handbrake functions but they said it would be nice to replace the cables ‘for peace of mind’ Also got air/oil filter and new plugs (only three plugs though) I have the oil already. So a ‘service’ done too!
I am driving to Flitwick tomorrow with Mrs B, to collect the car (he’s on holiday all next week), will bring it home, do the work myself, as all the tools etc are at home, get the tyres fitted and hopefully a test too! So I’m also doing the front brakes (callipers fine according to Halfords) which wasn’t in the quotes, neither was the MOT test, or the service, for approximately £200 all in plus a bit of fuel obviously. My point is, adding in the brakes and service parts, potentially over a £1200 in labour! I’m sure non of the new parts would be genuine Vauxhall, so not any better than what I’m fitting?
The car is a banger and he won’t keep it beyond this next year so not worth spending more than necessary on it. TBH, I’m quite looking forward to doing the work!
My years of working on the many 5’s I’ve owned and keeping cars and motorcycles on the road when I was younger (Think 1970’s) is paying off, I also have the time, being retired Hope he buys a decent, newer car next time!
My daughter had a quote from the dealer to fit a new alternator on her Kia. I don’t even think that was at fault but I’m 130 miles away from her and the car to know.
Anyways I told her to wait and take it to my local trusted garage for a second opinion, the car was ok to drive but she says it’s making a funny squeaking noise, everything else ok. She was due to come see us in a few days but went back to the dealer near her.
Nearly £800 spent she rang me and said I’ve had a new alternator fitted at the dealer
I know Mick/ CC! My lad was finished right at the start of lockdown, he was working his notice at the previous place, a week off and then starting the new job when the new company terminated his employment before he even started! No furlough scheme for him, or help elsewhere, his girlfriend did get furlough and now back full time but only getting 80% of her previous salary! Hard Times, hence me stepping into the breach to help out. He’s got an income from Uber eats, hence the car needs to be on the road (and safe) for him to earn anything. Not easy for folk at the moment.
Barrie
It erks me is spending unnecessary amounts of money on something that can be done far more cheaply and not necessarily getting a poorer job done.
I blame my daughters husband, he’s the one who wastes money but I won’t go there. It’s not my money, he earns it to waste, far more more than I ever did when I was working. He worked his way up to his position, worked hard I can’t begrudge him that but he controls the finances/budgets for his particular dept with the MOD, go figure.
Navy? Two huge aircraft carriers but no support ships or aircraft. Army? Contemplating mothballing it’s tanks, which are virtually obsolete anyway. RAF? F35 the wonder-weapon: just like the F111.
Well, phase 1 has happened. Been and picked the Corsa up. Just got back home from Flitwick to Leeds! TBH, its given me a chance to assess the car I can feel the broken front spring, there’s an EML light on but its been on since his oil pressure sensor blew so hopefully I can read the code(s) and clear it. 1 litre three pot is obviously a bit gutless after driving down in Mrs B’s Audi vorsprung durch technik! but, it pulls OK, handbrake only a couple of notches more than ‘acceptable’ brakes pull in a straight line even though they are worn, so I’m hoping new discs & pads will sort that
Will get started tomorrow!
Barrie
Totally agree! My point really though was the starting point based on their’s and Halfords reports plus added work by me potentially saving in excess of £1k! Not everyone, for various reasons, are able or capable of undertaking this type of work and may end up paying out a heck of a lot of money, believing it to be right. I just hope I can sort it all for my son
Barrie
Get to it Barrie, up early
I got half mine done yesterday, NS brakes, OS to do today, strip down, grease rotate wheels etc. Don’t need anything renewing it was all changed around 8k miles ago…
Totally understandable that some times paying a professional to do a job is the sensible thing to do. But when you can’t trust ’ the professional ’ it gets tricky.
My other half’s CX5 needed new brakes (pads and discs) all round at its first service, according to the local Mazda dealer. I questioned/challenged this and they were adamant about wear rates and so on. I told them to not do the work, I would do it myself.
I changed front pads only, about six months later.
At subsequent services, the brakes have been reported as ‘checked and absolutely fine’. Therefore I can only assume the car is fitted with self healing technology.
I do have some sympathy with garages, given the range of customers and the way cars are used. They send the vehicles out knowing they won’t see them for a year and have to assume the owners know nothing about visual checks on brake pads. They don’t want them in before the next scheduled visit complaining ‘there’s a brake light up on the dashboard’ or worse, ‘there’s a horrible noise when I brake’, so they err on the side of caution to make sure that doesn’t happen, based on ‘typical’ customers. An example; my previous car (C class) was in to MB for a service at 5 years/50,000 or so miles. I was told front brakes were about 50% worn ( just like the year before) and it will probably need changing next time. Unlikely I said, that means a change at 100,000 at that rate. Service guy was amazed it still was on the original brakes, saying typical change interval was 25,00/30,000 miles.
JS
I think that a good local garage that you can trust is definitely worth finding and keeping. My daughters VW Polo had a faulty air con unit. The local garage looked into it and found that it was actually the switch, so he went onto ebay and found a second hand one for £30. He gave us the link, we bought it and he charged us £50 for fitting it. I don’t want to consider how much the VW dealer would have charged…
Phase two carried out yesterday replaced both front discs/pads, ended up buying a pair of drop links (£14 a pair) from local eurocarparts, both front springs renewed, one being almost 2" shorter than the other! today hopefully will be easier, I was totally knackered after yesterday’s exertions! Angle grinder to get old droplinks off, every bolt rusted on although pistons and sliders on calipers were all fine. Wipers/plugs/oil and filter/air filter and adjust handbrake are phase three today, MOT booked for Wednesday (tomorrow) so let’s see if that throws anything up!
Barrie
All done now, ready for MOT tomorrow. Well, its as done as I can make it anyway! Did a final walk around and check, all lights working correctly, front and rear screen washers, tyres have plenty of tread and are evenly worn, approximately 4mm all round. No EML lights on, seat belts good. Plus all the work I’ve done so far.
Barrie
plus a bit of fuel obviously. My point is, adding in the brakes and service parts, potentially over a £1200 in labour! I’m sure non of the new parts would be genuine Vauxhall, so not any better than what I’m fitting?
I can feel the broken front spring, there’s an EML light on but its been on since his oil pressure sensor blew so hopefully I can read the code(s) and clear it. 1 litre three pot is obviously a bit gutless after driving down in Mrs B’s Audi vorsprung durch technik!