How Good Is Your Garage?

April 16, 2007

As a student - many moons ago - I spent four weeks working in a local garage to earn some cash. I was asked to help out the mechanics by carrying out basic car servicing tasks. It wasn't long before I was being shown the "short-cuts" used by some members of the trade. For instance, instead of checking all spark plugs I was told to remove just one...and if it looked OK then to wipe the insulators on the tops of the others before getting on with the next task.

The hard-working mechanics were poorly paid for a basic week's work - and relied on a bonus system to make up a more realistic pay-packet.

Since those days I've wondered if what I experienced was/is common practice in the motor trade.

When I came to change the oil filter on the Mk3 I had a couple of concerns. Firstly, one of the bolts holding the plastic undertray snapped off - seized by rust - as I undid it. Secondly, there was rust on the oil filter...

Re-tapping the bolt hole - whilst lying on a cold concrete floor - I cursed the Toyota designers for not making an access flap to get at the filter without having to remove the whole cover...then I began to think.

This was the first time I'd changed the oil and filter - as the car had been under the manufacturer's warranty.

I had noted that there was no sign of the sump plug having been undone. However, many garages now remove the oil via the dipstick hole - using a vacuum pump.

Hmm. So, I thought, the only need to remove the tray - would be to change the filter! So did they or didn't they? I will never know for certain.

Frankly I have to laugh when members talk about their car getting a "free clean" after servicing. Let's face it a basic service is often just an oil/filter change plus an all IMPORTANT visual vehicle safety check. The "free clean" I suspect costs you dearly!

Yep, forty years working in the media has turned me into a cynic. But ask yourself: "Have I checked-out the work the garage claims to have done...or just paid up and smiled before stepping into my clean shiny car?" Don't be frightened to ask the Service Manager just what's been done for your hard-earned money.

Let's face it cars are more reliable these days...and profit margins on sales have been squeezed...so there's more pressure on mechanics to help boost garages' profits. Next time you get a call from a service dept., telling you about a special "winter pre-check" or advisory "brake fluid change" stop and think if it's really necessary... that's my advice.

I don't want to confuse "servicing" with genuine repair work. Skilled technicians more than earn their basic £12 (circa) an hour when stripping down an engine or gearbox. It's a very skilled job. But when the apprentice is taking home more pay for doing the basic servicing - due to the way the bonus scheme's structured - well something's wrong!

So, why doesn't Toyota charge you a more realistic hourly rate for simple servicing? Well, someone has to pay for the coffee; smart showroom and "free" valeting!

java script:emoticon(' :angry: ', 'smid_5')

:angry:

April 16, 2007

As a student - many moons ago - I spent four weeks working in a local garage to earn some cash. I was asked to help out the mechanics by carrying out basic car servicing tasks. It wasn't long before I was being shown the "short-cuts" used by some members of the trade. For instance, instead of checking all spark plugs I was told to remove just one...and if it looked OK then to wipe the insulators on the tops of the others before getting on with the next task.
The hard-working mechanics were poorly paid for a basic week's work - and relied on a bonus system to make up a more realistic pay-packet.
Since those days I've wondered if what I experienced was/is common practice in the motor trade.
When I came to change the oil filter on the Mk3 I had a couple of concerns. Firstly, one of the bolts holding the plastic undertray snapped off - seized by rust - as I undid it. Secondly, there was rust on the oil filter...
Re-tapping the bolt hole - whilst lying on a cold concrete floor - I cursed the Toyota designers for not making an access flap to get at the filter without having to remove the whole cover...then I began to think.
This was the first time I'd changed the oil and filter - as the car had been under the manufacturer's warranty.
I had noted that there was no sign of the sump plug having been undone. However, many garages now remove the oil via the dipstick hole - using a vacuum pump.
Hmm. So, I thought, the only need to remove the tray - would be to change the filter! So did they or didn't they? I will never know for certain.
Frankly I have to laugh when members talk about their car getting a "free clean" after servicing. Let's face it a basic service is often just an oil/filter change plus an all IMPORTANT visual vehicle safety check. The "free clean" I suspect costs you quite dearly!
Yep, forty years working in the media has turned me into a cynic. But ask yourself: "Have I checked-out the work the garage claims to have done...or just paid up and smiled before stepping into my clean shiny car?" Don't be frightened to ask the Service Manager just what's been done for your hard-earned money.
Let's face it cars are more reliable these days...and profit margins on sales have been squeezed...so there's more pressure on mechanics to help boost garages' profits. Next time you get a call from a service dept., telling you about a special "winter pre-check" or advisory "brake fluid change" stop and think if it's really necessary... that's my advice.
I don't want to confuse "servicing" with genuine repair work. Skilled technicians more than earn their basic £12 (circa) an hour when stripping down an engine or gearbox. It's a very skilled job. But when the apprentice is taking home more pay for doing the basic servicing - due to the way the bonus scheme's structured - well something's wrong!
So, why doesn't Toyota charge you a more realistic hourly rate for simple servicing? Well, someone has to pay for the coffee; smart showroom and "free" valeting!
java script:emoticon('', 'smid_5')

All you say is very true, Let us go back 20 or so years to a time when a car needed a service every 5-6000 miles.

Firstly, the ignition system, A. Distributor-many moving parts and contact points all of which wear and req adjustment (gap and timing), spark plugs-renew @ 6000 mls, H T leads-cracked insulation.

B. Fuel system, air filter-renew, carburretor,-loads of linkages to wear and or adjust, jets to wear and adjust

acc pump diagpragms to split and leak.

C. Engine,- tappets and rockers to adjust breathers to clean oil and filters to change.

D. Suspention,- ball joints to wear and grease, brakes to manually adjust, Add to this exhaust systems which only seemed to last 18 months, batteries which only lasted 2 years (max) and various leaks through

ill fitting body panels doors etc and its easy to see how the old mechanics of days gone by earned their crust.

Now to 2007, with the exeption of oil and filter changes (now @ 10000-20000 mls), and spark plugs (60000ish mls) everything is electronically controlled and has no moving parts or wear problems which regardless of what we see in the forums are very, very reliable.

Build quality is now out of this world on every make of car compared to years ago (when was the last time any rain came in through your hood?)

After all this my point is, routine servicing is now down-skilled to a check- and- tick box routine, which is better for us but allows the main dealer to fool the un-knowing motorist to paying for something he isnt getting.

Many dealers play on the "service record book stamp"importance., Rubbish- this can always be got round by any dealer if they think it will seal a deal for them, belive me, I know!

As for the oil filter access on your roadster, do what I did, if you look along to the right you will see a series of slots in the plastic panel, cut out the two middle ones with a hacksaw blade (the plastic is very thin and easy to cut) this gives you just enough room to put your hand through and reach the filter). We got our roadster @36000 mls and the oil on the dipstick was clean after the pre sale service but the filter was as yours, very dirty and rusty, say no more.

Bob.

April 16, 2007

Old school mechanics hands

Technicians hands

;)

April 16, 2007

I'm more of the way in thinking that you don't really get "mechanics" on modern cars.. all they are, are fitters. These days if your car breaks down the part doesn't get repaired.. it gets replaced, a new one "fitted".

No disrepect meant to any of these fitters, they are very knoledgeable and good at what they do... but as far as repairing things on modern cars, well.. it just isn't done anymore is it.

April 18, 2007

Thanks for the tip on the oil filter change Bob. Your comments are spot-on.Also remember water-pumps always seemed to need replacing after a few years too - before the advent of electric cooling fans!

As for Les's hands...well you are using the wrong oil Les. What you need is Johnson's Baby Oil!!

:)

April 19, 2007

If you think that paying a hefty price for servicing/repairs at a main dealer is sensible then take a look at this article (courtesy of The Independent) and weep...

http://motoring.independent.co.uk/features/article348136.ece