Re:Re:Gen 4 service cost

Just picked the car up from dealer. Oil life reset wouldn't talk to their computer. Brought the car home and we had a think. Instructions are, ignition on, push and hold indicator knob, select oil change and press and hold knob.
This doesn't work.
Once you get to oil change you give quick push on knob and then Reset OC comes up and then you push and hold knob until successful comes up and light goes out.
Now why didn't they know how to do it?
They initially said that it could be my air horns or supplementary instruments.
Balderdash!

Roger

To me it seems these days the Main Dealer Technicians (mechanics) are not trained to think for themselves.

A **** trained technician is only trained to follow the **** script, if a problem falls beyond that they are screwed! And if the OBD2 computor diagnostic does not find a fault, then process of elimination doesn't exist

**** insert any car manufacturer

You pay a premium for the expertise of the main dealer, that's why they cost more than the independent
Sorry to say but my own experience over the years is they just fleece you. 
Won't go near them myself these days.
 

Unless it's for real specialist work or something that I can't justify buying the equipment for to do myself, I have opted out of the entire paid technician system. This has been facilitated by buying cars that are inherently well built in the first place and hasn't always been the case but with Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota especially it has been much easier than with Land Rover, Mercedes, VW, Ford and Jeep. I still wake up in a cold sweat thinking about fixing the Defender and the C220d, random things going wrong just because it was Tuesday and either being too numb and heavy to fix without a hoist or needing a special electronic key that only works if you are stood on one foot with your hair parted to the left and your right buttock on fire. I'd sooner have an impreza or cruiser or Jimny any day, they just work even if they are broken.

On Viv's Audi the onboard computer can be set to advise you as to when a service is due. The first one was at 12,000 miles and when we collected the car we received a supplementary sheet advising us that the two front tyres were due for replacement. I queried the tread depths mentioned - I had previous to the service measured them - and profuse apologies were forthcoming when they re-measured them. At the next service we became the proud owners of the only tyres in the cosmos that had actually grown in size, and we have it in writing.

Say after me, I will not be conned, I will not be conned

---

Roger

ps. What a horrifying sight, Lambert with his arse - or at least half of it - on fire.

The problem I have with them is on more than one occasion I have caught them out, intensionally or not, try to extract vast sums of money for work I don't need.
They assume the person in front of them knows nothing, it's always interesting if you go armed with facts.

I enjoy working on my vehicles and have the tools, software and manuals for the vehicles I own, they don't expect that.

I had a Nissan that I suspected the VVT diverter valve was faulty. Error codes and cleaning had almost confirmed, but at £350 it was a lot to just change and not be 100% sure. The workshop manual detailed a test that could be performed by the dealer specific software tool to confirm, and the time to do it, so I opted to take it to the main dealer for confirmation.
Booked in and told about my findings and wants, the first call from them was to confirm I would pay for a code read by the "engineer". I told them what the code was, but they insisted the "engineer" must do it, ok I said.

The second call was to confirm my error code (D'oh!) and ask for permission to remove the intake system to measure for timming chain stretch?????
Nissan's own service manual said the code was VVT valve, so why the timming chain?
They tried to imply it was a known fault and would cost £80 to investigate and £1500 to fix. 

It's was not a known fault, they lied, and my vehicle had only covered 30k t the time. I told them to put it back together and don't touch it any further.
I eventually found the value secondhand from a breaker in London and swapped it, sold the car 4 years later still working fine.

So main dealer and the "engineer" wanted to march me down a £1500  cam chain replacement I did not need and then the £350 plus labour to fix the original problem.

Honest mistake or elevation of jobs to keep cash flow high?
 

On occasion it has been expedient to send my dear old gray haird mother to get something done done like an mot or steering alignment. On one memorable occasion she rang me up having taken the Cherokee in for an egr sensor diagnosis as my cheap tool wouldn't reset the code only read it. I had spoken to the service guy and explained precisely what he was expected to achieve and he accepted it and was fine with me on the phone. Anyway mother got there and was told that the technician had heard a suspicious noise taking the vehicle round to the bays and having had it in the air it was making an expensive gearbox needing replacing noise and they couldn't in all consciousness let it leave. Hence the phone call. Dad and I were busy but we downed tools and I went across to see what the issue was. As those who have met me in person will attest I have more than a passing resemblance to a bald silverback mountain gorilla and am quite loud and a bit sweary. So I rock up and find the service guy who I had spoken with and ask how he's getting on and it's all gravy until I ask by the way why does it need a new gearbox? His face dropped through the floor. They provided and fitted the sensor for free and we got a hundred quid parts voucher. They do say that 99% of car sales people give the rest a bad name but it also mostly true with the service dept too.

Bob1050 wrote: Just had a look online and I see that the 3 Year/36000 mile Suzuki Service Plan is still advertised as being available - and you can buy it for older Suzuki models. Might be worth some of you doing a bit of research and look at the FAQ's? Rather surprised that more Forum members seen unaware of this deal? I might renew mine once the current Service Plan expires. I have had zero problem at 2 different Suzuki garages getting them to service the Jimny under the Service Plan and delighted with the work undertaken.

cars.suzuki.co.uk/owners/servicing/service-payment-plan/

Emac Telephone: 0330 099 8503
E-mail: central.sales@emac.ltd.uk

Just been quoted £749.92 for 2 main and 1 minor services. Seems the £800+ I was originally quoted for 2 minors and 1 major was a nice earner for the dealer.

When a service is complete you receive a copy of everything that has been in the form of a form with all the items on the schedule ticked. We were told that a minor problem with the OBD not talking to their computer and refusing to turn of the service interval light had been sorted and ticked as complete.

Not so.

Light stayed on so we returned. "Have you fitted any after market items", "yes, air horns and instruments". "It could be that so we need the car for 1-2 days to sort it. I will email you and give you some suitable dates".

Went home and had a think. Handbook is rubbish and w/shop manual is not much better but decided to add an instruction, basically a quick prod on the knob instead of press and hold and we were into the next phase and then press and hold and light goes out.

Bingo.

Now why didn't they do that?

Because they do it via the OBD and that wouldn't play ball.

As you can imagine we were not impressed and didn't tell them we had sorted it but decided to see if they would get back to us on the Monday.

Answers on a postcard please.

Eventually sent them an email to receive more horse apples and rubbish reasons.

So, are we being harsh on them or did we have legit. reasons to complain?

They are sending us a "how did we do" form in the next few days. Can't wait.

Roger

First service done last week, £98 inc oil. Result!

Did they change the gearbox and transfer box oil?

Both diff. oils are replaced at first service and then just inspected every other service. Manual or auto and t/box are not inspected or replaced at the first service. After that it depends on the oil used.

Roger