| Archive for The Motor Forum talking cars since 2006 |
| PhilD |
How much?!Just dropped my GP Sporting off for it's 3 year 36k service and MOT. I asked how much it's likely to be and nearly keeled over when told by the lady it will be about £400. "it's a big one!" she said (steady Alan) "they have to take the wheels off and everything!"Fuck me I thought give me 10 minutes and I'll take them off for you! Also apologies to everyone I have cursed when they have criticized lower GP models, they have given me a loan GP and what a shitbox it is. |
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| gonnabuildabuggy |
+ 1 pt for Bangernomics!
Inspection 2 (a big one - they even change the diff oil, not just take the wheels off) - £240 at local BMW specialist. Pot plants aren't so good but sounds like the loaner (10yr old 150K mile 318i) is similar. |
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| Guitar Zero |
You need to haggle and shop around.
First quote for my first service on big Dee was £288. After ring round my local dealers and playing them off each other, I ended up paying £186 at the dealer that originally quote £288. £400 to service a Punto is fucking insane - I had an inspection 2 on a 5 series done at Damon Hill BMW for £340. |
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| gonnabuildabuggy |
Agree. My only concern with doing that on servicing is what corners might they cut to recover some of their lost profit? It's easier when buying goods as they can't really change them. |
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| Guitar Zero |
There aren't many corners to cut to be honest - it was a simple oil and filter change complete with a " visual check " (I always get the job sheet to see what they have checked). Because the EU4 D5s have an 18,000 mile service interval, they charge a small fortune for the oil and claim it's special long life stuff (more like snake oil to be honest).
I always check the basics after the car has been serviced (is the oil new ?, is the filer new ?, or has the filter casing barrel been opened up ?), so, I've got my new oil and a pukka stamp in the book. If the engine subsequently fails due to dealer cost cutting, it's Volvo's problem, not mine - I'll have my free new engine please. |
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| gonnabuildabuggy |
Crikey, that's a lot for an oil and filter change, I forgot what main dealers charged. The Honda is on a pre-paid programme (£300 for 5 services) so I've got artificial figures to compare to. |
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| Guitar Zero |
That's why I went spastic when they quoted £288
£186 seems fair enough - the consumables were almost half that and it took them 2 hours to do it. From memory, the 12k mile oil service on my 2.0 Focus was £120 |
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| PhilD |
Last minute thing as forgot I needed MOT for tax (which runs out today) thought I'd get it all done together and as they could fit me in at late notice I was actually grateful! £400 includes £55 for MOT, ok, give me shit for that aswell ;-) | ||
| simonp |
My local Renault dealer wanted £216 for the car's first service. That's some oil, a filter or 2 and a look over. It got took to a local independent who did it for £90. | ||
| DaveGibson |
That almost makes the £324 for 3 year service + MOT that Lexus charged me appear reasonable. | ||
| Blarno |
+1 for shopping around. A basic fluid service for Blue Frog at the Renault Stealership is 210 greens. And that's a basic service: oil, filter and washer fluid.
I found a local mobile mechanic, who just happens to have opened up a workshop not 100 yards from where I work. My first service from him cost me 180 greens for plugs, all filters, new oil and a complete check. Indeed, I just had it serviced again last week for 150, including new wipers, oil, fluids and brake check. He even takes the wheels off... |
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| Guitar Zero |
Given your mechanical know how, how come you aren't doing the servicing yourself and then creating a receipt for your history file ? | ||
| Blarno |
Any other car I would, but with the mechanic I get a nice stamp in my history book. As it had FSH when I bought it, it made sense to carry it on. It will also help to confirm the low mileage.
Anything bar electrical and servicing work is done by me, with receipts kept in a file, marked with the date of change and mileage. |
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| Pkh72 |
My Focus is in for it's 3rd service next week, which i believe is a major one, they have quoted £315. | ||
| cbeaks1 |
A bit cheaper here - I'm pretty sure they can stamp your book, and while there you can get an extra 50 PS for £500.
http://www.pumaspeed.co.uk/showdetails.php?id=684 |
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| Guitar Zero |
Get Mountune to service it for free whilst they wang on your ST260 upgrade kit. | ||
| "him" |
Now that is "man maffs" in action... what a great idea! | ||
| Pkh72 |
In an ideal world that's what i'd be doing, i need to wait and see what happens with the other halfs job before i start chucking money about. Sad i know, but that's the reality of it. |
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| Martin |
I'm a bit out of touch, but that does seem like an awful lot of money for a service.
Makes the TLC pack on the MINI ben better value than I thought, especially when I didn't have to pay any extra for it! |
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| PG |
When we bought the Shogun we got 3 services (intervals are 12,500 miles) for £375 as part of the deal. The MINI deal is outstanding, although weren't LR offering the same thing on Range Rovers when they were under BMW ownership?
My 70,000 service on the Jag was over £500 
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| "him" |
The last "service" on the Saxo was over £1000... | ||
| PG |
Likewise. The £500 was for the service. Then there was the next £500 for the stuff that needed fixing. |
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| TimR |
When I bought the Alfa I got offered 4 years/48k servicing for £400.
On the face of it that was a good deal but it meant you'd have to get the car serviced by Arnold Clark and that's where it all fell apart 
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| PhilD |
All done. £143 for the service, £80 parts, £40 oil, £54 MOT, £10 loan car, £40 VAT. £375 total.
Now I need new tyres, feel a new thread coming on... |
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| Apex clipper |
Falken! 
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| Blarno |
Uniroyal!
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| GonnaBreakABuggy |
+ For Blue Peter's episode on making your own potato stamp. |