Phrases you never hear from a garage

[trevskoda]

Problem with brake fluid change thay can brake bleed nipples, then new callipers needed .

No you heat them twice with accet torch to they glow red.

 

[trevskoda]

Here is another we tip, always fill the oil filter with new oil before fitting if its not the upside down type, this meens the bearings get lub from the first turn of the starter, if you dont there is anything from 5 to 15 seconds the bearings are running dry, also smear the ring seal with some oil.

 

[caledonia]

I can totally trust the garage I use to be honest. Good honest non franchise guys.
My local Peter Vardy BMW dealership is. The mechanic takes a video of your car on the ramp to show what it does and doesn’t need.
My son took his 2011 318 in as the oil light was coming on. Turned out the timing chain tensioner was breaking down and blocking the oil strainer. The whole job was done as a recall and never cost a penny and he was given a shiny new courtesy car while his was being repaired.

 

[Canalsman]

No you heat them twice with accet torch to they glow red.

My garage has just changed the brake fluid in my 'van, as well as replacing two corroded brake lines, and the mechanic lightly tapped the nipples with a small hammer before releasing them. This he assures me is the preferred technique. Give them a shock , as he put it.

Indidentally after four years since the fluid was changed the brakes no longer have a sightly spongy feel.

 

[n brown]

luckily i've done most things to a car ,mechanically, so i can talk the talk to garages ,

No you heat them twice with accet torch to they glow red.

couple of times i've welded nuts to the nipples - does the trick

 

[trevskoda]

My garage has just changed the brake fluid in my 'van, as well as replacing two corroded brake lines, and the mechanic lightly tapped the nipples with a small hammer before releasing them. This he assures me is the preferred technique. Give them a shock , as he put it.

Indidentally after four years since the fluid was changed the brakes no longer have a sightly spongy feel.

If they have been there for years heat is the only way, mind you i would be changing back cyl every few years, from calipers if looked after will last a long time, teflon spray behind the seals keeps the pistons free and no corrosion, working them in and out with a steel bar or caliper squeezer is a good idea when pads are out, carfull not to pop the pistons.

 

[wildebus]

or Arnold Clark this week who didn't say

"One of your number plates lights was blown, we've popped a new one in foc"

Instead I have a written quote for replacing it.
Labour 0.2 hours =£24
Part = £20.63
Total = £44.63
Plus VAT= £53.56

The garage my Motorhome is in at the moment for its MOT tested one of my self-builds a few years ago and failed it on the numberplate light. once they finished the test, they put a new bulb in and then immediately passed it -so I had a fail and a pass around 5 minutes apart
I asked why they didn't just swap the bulb and do a pass and apparently all these tests are timed so couldn't (plus of course no repairs are allowed as soon as the test is started).
Oh - and no charge for the bulb either.

 

[trevskoda]

luckily i've done most things to a car ,mechanically, so i can talk the talk to garages ,

couple of times i've welded nuts to the nipples - does the trick

It was the heat that sorted them, nothing to do with your nuts.

 

[trevskoda]

The garage my Motorhome is in at the moment for its MOT tested one of my self-builds a few years ago and failed it on the numberplate light. once they finished the test, they put a new bulb in and then immediately passed it -so I had a fail and a pass around 5 minutes apart
I asked why they didn't just swap the bulb and do a pass and apparently all these tests are timed so couldn't (plus of course no repairs are allowed as soon as the test is started).
Oh - and no charge for the bulb either.

AS im sure you know test centres here do not fix anything, a bulb out meens a trip home or garge to fix then a reduced resit at the gov centre, this is to stop back street mafia wingleing the sys.

 

[wildebus]

AS im sure you know test centres here do not fix anything, a bulb out meens a trip home or garge to fix then a reduced resit at the gov centre, this is to stop back street mafia wingleing the sys.

I used to think that was a good idea until I had an incorrect fail from a centre like that. Never been back to a council centre again!

 

[trevskoda]

I used to think that was a good idea until I had an incorrect fail from a centre like that. Never been back to a council centre again!

I had 2 here and pulled them, got sorted by manager once we got talking in his office and he found i knew what i was talking about, hard to fool a fool.

 

[yeoblade]

The garage my Motorhome is in at the moment for its MOT tested one of my self-builds a few years ago and failed it on the numberplate light. once they finished the test, they put a new bulb in and then immediately passed it -so I had a fail and a pass around 5 minutes apart
I asked why they didn't just swap the bulb and do a pass and apparently all these tests are timed so couldn't (plus of course no repairs are allowed as soon as the test is started).
Oh - and no charge for the bulb either.

I had a similar incident on my 3 yr old Honda 125. Failed it for loose nut (a Nylock nut!) on brake lever. Informed me of the failure and said they would carry out a FOC workshop repair for me. I watched him tighten the nut 1/2 a turn , with a spanner he already had in his pocket, and preceded to pass the MOT. Im not sure he thought he needed to be awkward but there we go. (Do they need a number of failures to make the garage pass/fail stats look good for VOSA ?) Obviously didn't need my business next year which he of course he succeeded in accomplishing.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I had a similar incident on my 3 yr old Honda 125. Failed it for loose nut (a Nylock nut!) on brake lever. Informed me of the failure and said they would carry out a FOC workshop repair for me. I watched him tighten the nut 1/2 a turn , with a spanner he already had in his pocket, and preceded to pass the MOT. Im not sure he thought he needed to be awkward but there we go. (Do they need a number of failures to make the garage pass/fail stats look good for VOSA ?) Obviously didn't need my business next year which he of course he succeeded in accomplishing.

It maybe they had just had inspection and was unsure if you were a secret shopper looking to catch them out.

Triple S's first shop was across from an MOT station and I'd have my break in there as they had a stove and inspections were quite often sometimes and never booked, they just turned up.

 

[marchie]

It was the heat that sorted them, nothing to do with your nuts.

If you can get your nipples close to your nuts, you need to reduce the size of your man boobs ...

Steve

 

[Tezza33]

"Your pads need replacing but don't worry, your brake discs are fine."

I've lost count of the times I've been told with a grave expression, "oh yes, your discs are corroded/pitted/scored, I'm afraid they'll need replacing too."

Are we being ripped off?

The MOT garage that I use is very trustworthy but they are in the minority, if it fails on something simple they fix it FOC, I haven't bought a bulb in 10 years
My pads needed changing but he told me the discs were OK

 

[wildebus]

I had a similar incident on my 3 yr old Honda 125. Failed it for loose nut (a Nylock nut!) on brake lever. Informed me of the failure and said they would carry out a FOC workshop repair for me. I watched him tighten the nut 1/2 a turn , with a spanner he already had in his pocket, and preceded to pass the MOT.

Im not sure he thought he needed to be awkward but there we go. (Do they need a number of failures to make the garage pass/fail stats look good for VOSA ?) Obviously didn't need my business next year which he of course he succeeded in accomplishing.

They are not allowed to make ANY changes or adjustments - he did exactly what he should do and did not do what would have been better for you AND easier for him as he was simply not allowed to.
DVLA/DVSA/VOSA/DoT/whoever polices MOT inspections have undercover inspectors and if there happened to be one there during your MOT, the garage could be in danger of losing their license.

 

[r4dent]

Back in the 70s I was involved in Land Rover off road motor sport.
My Series 2A developed a mis fire and another competitor had just opened a small LR shop / service outlet so I took it to him.

I explained the problem to his employee (literally a two man business) who made a few suggestions all of which I had thought off and checked as OK.
After half an hour we were joined by the owner and the three of us spend another 30 minutes talking possibilities and drinking tea.
Suddenly he shouted "Your dizzy cap must be cracked!" he ran into the shop, came out with a new cap and fitted it.
It told me to take it for a run ans check it out. It ran better than ever.
I came back and asked for the bill. "30 bob for the cap" he said. I asked about all the labour spent on diagnosis.

He said it was sorry it had taken so long, and they had learned a lot. It wasn't fair to charge me for their training!

My friend / rivals name is "John Craddock" and he grew that business to be one of the largest Land Rover parts outlets in the world with a turnover of around £10 million.

Given his approach to customer service I think it is well deserved
.

 

[yeoblade]

They are not allowed to make ANY changes or adjustments - he did exactly what he should do and did not do what would have been better for you AND easier for him as he was simply not allowed to.
DVLA/DVSA/VOSA/DoT/whoever polices MOT inspections have undercover inspectors and if there happened to be one there during your MOT, the garage could be in danger of losing their license.

Not disputing that, more that the fault didn't really exist, he chose to invent it and conveniently had the correct spanner in his hand to correct it! When back home I check, it was possible to tighten or losen this nyloc nut a couple of turn in either direction with little if any effect. What he did, did nothing. Anyway a FOC repair winner winner chicken dinner! I lack gratitude

 

[Technispark]

"Your pads need replacing but don't worry, your brake discs are fine."

I've lost count of the times I've been told with a grave expression, "oh yes, your discs are corroded/pitted/scored, I'm afraid they'll need replacing too."

Are we being ripped off?

What happened to remedial pads that Ford pioneered in the 80s they had a surface of carborundum grit to clean up the discs ? I make up my own now with carborundum powder and 2 pack epoxy.

 

[maingate]

The mechanics who looked after my vans and did the MOT on them were old school and excellent. On one occasion I dropped it of for MOT and gave the guy the keys. As I was getting into my car (that the Wife had followed me in), he shouted me back and told me to check the cab for personal possessions and ensure the windscreen was not obscured (he coughed a couple of times as he said it). He was telling me to remove the dashcam from the windscreen (without telling me) as it was an MOT fail.