Why I never use a garage for repairs

[J0N]

I usually do my own work on my cars. Never trust a garage and the costs are too high. I had planned om replacing the middle exhaust section myself, but after snapping 2 bolts and 2 weeks trying to get them out, I reluctantly decided to get a 'professional' to sort it out.

So, took the car to Whingate Junction Garage in Leeds and his verdict was, the bolts wont budge so will need a new catalytic converter too (bolts are welded to it). So how much I asked..£250 for cat, middle section and back box (he decided to add the back box to the equation). After the shock settled I agreed to it.

Dropped the car off this morning and went for a cooked brekkie with my wife and daughter. Half n hour later the wife got a call from the garage saying it's now gonna cost £300 (Just what we needed, added charges for nothing). Again the wife reluctantly agreed because we want the car back on the road.

A couple of hours later, me worrying about the car more then anything, we pop into the garage to see whats going on. The amount of crap coming from the guys mouth was comical, if it wasn't so serious. They ordered the wrong cat pipe (was too short) so they blamed the previous owner for using mix/match parts. Then stated the car had the wrong engine! (wtf) and then says the car may have to be scrapped.. really dramatising everything he said. The guy didn't even know whether the middle section was before or after the cat converter! Apparently his business has been up and running for 15-20yrs.. Yeah ok

The wife and I went home to talk about the situation we were put in. I phoned trading standards for a bit of backbone to give the garage some grief. Trading standards were not happy at all and the garage were then reported and will be investigated.

Got the car back, as it was when it went in.. minus exhaust gaskets. and didn't have to pay anything.

One hell of a stressful day and it showed the wife why I'd prefer to spend a couple of days on something I am having trouble with than let someone overcharge us for the same job. (the guy wanted over £400 in the end.

So, my brother inlaw is doing it all for us instead, he's a mechanic and at least he can be trusted, just lives further away.

Never again lol

(The next day)

Drove the car to manchester to have the bolts took out and a middle section put on. It took him no longer than 5 minutes to heat up the bolts and wack them out. After a bit of heat on them one of the bolts came out after ONE hit with a mallet! Middle section was put on in no time and we were back on the road.

Gonna pay the Whingate Junction Garage a visit and see what they have to say for themselves trying to get up tp £400 of someone for a job that legitimately cost a hell of alot less,

 

[jacko]

yep, this is why i dont use garages

 

[quest63]

You could have had a powerflow or longlife stainless steel system custom made for less than £400.
Dirty robbing ********

Allways best to do it yourself when you can to balance out the costs for the times when for whatever reason you cant.



Glad it worked out in the end :thumbs:

 

[ScubaSteve]

I'm sure I told you in another thread the bolts were friction pins and could be hammered out, maybe it was someone else I told

 

[andyhyper]

i do use a garage a lot but only due to the fact a mate works there and i trust him totally.he does not charge me a lot (disc n pads fitted was around £20 quid and a cambelt kit change was £50) thats just for labour as i buy the bits from work but things like having my front shocks changed and rear top mounts changed a had to force cash his way!

 

[quest63]

and a cambelt kit change was £50)

Yes he's potentially my very best friend as well, being as I have a desk full of cambelt kit and water pump and auxilliary belt and I'm just down the road.Did you mention how suave and sophisticated he is ? and how kind to animals etc etc :thumbs:

 

[Bentleya]

Sometimes some places charge a fortune as they don't want to do the work. If they charge a stupid rate a get it, they are quids in but if the customer knows what he wants and knows what things cost and knows it's a rip off i don't think they care to much.

 

[J0N]

I'm sure I told you in another thread the bolts were friction pins and could be hammered out, maybe it was someone else I told

you did, but i didn't have anything to heat them up with. Bought a gas torch but was more like a flame thrower

Sometimes some places charge a fortune as they don't want to do the work. If they charge a stupid rate a get it, they are quids in but if the customer knows what he wants and knows what things cost and knows it's a rip off i don't think they care to much.

Funny thing is they were doing alot more work than necessary. They'd removed the gear linkage, undone an engine mount and took off the cat and manifold in one piece.