[Londoner]

I took my van in to the main agent I bought it off for its first service yesterday. Pretty impressed really, £203 including the vat. That included an upgrade to the engine management software that they downloaded free of charge.

Anyway, while we were waiting for them to bring the van round we were talking about the oil. He said it was absolutely essencial that they run on fully synthetic oil these days and if you don't you will damage the engine.
That was the reason why so many cars and vans get engine problems at about 60K. It will seem OK up till then but its not. One of the big problems they see with cars and vans that get serviced in these back street places is that you can never be sure what oil they have used.

I think he was on the level and wasn't just trying to get me to get my van serviced there. I didn't know all about the software upgrades either.

[Steve CM]

first lesson in business - never trust a grease monkey!

[matt]

I took my van in to the main agent I bought it off for its first service yesterday. Pretty impressed really, £203 including the vat. That included an upgrade to the engine management software that they downloaded free of charge.

Anyway, while we were waiting for them to bring the van round we were talking about the oil. He said it was absolutely essencial that they run on fully synthetic oil these days and if you don't you will damage the engine.
That was the reason why so many cars and vans get engine problems at about 60K. It will seem OK up till then but its not. One of the big problems they see with cars and vans that get serviced in these back street places is that you can never be sure what oil they have used.

I think he was on the level and wasn't just trying to get me to get my van serviced there. I didn't know all about the software upgrades either.

its a common main stealership story , wrong oil used at back street garages

its so you pay £203 instead of under £100 at a non-stealership

[sherco]

A few years ago took my vehicle into main dealer for a service, i marked the oil and air filter with a permanent marker pen and guess what, they told me they had changed the oil, air filter etc and charged me for them and when i checked the old ones where still on my vehicle they had just wiped them over, so never again...got i mobile guy does all my work now £15.00hr plus i get a better service 

[Steve CM]

main dealers are rubbish! I took my vivaro in and told them the head gasket had gone. they said they would run tests. they phoned me later that day and said the tests are saying its not and its fine. I said its defiantly the head and that the mechanic should be able to look at it and know and not need to run tests. I thought i'd humour them so i picked it up took it away and within a day it had used all the water. was overheating and it had cream in my water tank. took it back. they then ran some further tests and said oh yes its the head gasket : dummys! I've had a lot more experiences to even with main dealer BMW which are comical. I now use a good mechanic. he is back street but uses all the main dealer parts, is also hooked up to some computer where by he knows what needs to be done and when on your motor (ie servicing) he ain't the cheapest but he is reasonable. main dealers are a joke pretty much

Good job that its always been on a warrenty when i've had to deal with them because i wouldn't of paid otherwise

[kenaltobelli]

same here had a pugnot van leci problems in out in out never got it right wanted £800
still not right in the end part ex for a fiat touch wood never had aprob in 5 years

[supernova77]

A few years ago took my vehicle into main dealer for a service, i marked the oil and air filter with a permanent marker pen

How did you mark the oil with a marker pen 

[Steve CM]

He means the oil filter that they replace!

[macmac]

203 quid for an oil + filter change seems dear to me

What you describe is known as MDB, or- "main dealer bullpoop!"

Tony

[Scrimble]

i recently rang up the vauxahall garage for a price to service my van and change the cambelt,

the cambelt change was 130 and the service 174, i asked what they do for £174 and they change the oil and filter, and top up the screen wash.

the cambelt all they replace was the actual belt not the tensioner or waterpump.

sod that i got my mate who is a mechanic to do it the cambelt cost a tenner from a motor factor and i gave him £20 for fitting it, took him less than an hour.

i serviced my van myself but changed the plugs, air filter, oil and filter, cost me less than 40 quid, the air filter was black which wouldnt have been replaced by vauxhall.

main dealers are a joke,

[trevor perry]

whilst under warranty i had to have mine serviced by a main dealer but on checking they hadnt changed the air filter and had also broken a plastic engine cover but denied it, i think they have just one trained mechanic to organize a load of chimps and charge what they want.

[matt]

when i worked as a carpenter, we had leased vans, i was driving over some tank tracks ( dont ask ) and the steering went, i dragged it back home, then to the main stealership and they did the job, 2200 quid  when i saw the bill i told the guy that ford were ripping them off, he said i wasnt welcome in the ford place 

i had to go to the next closest for anything then

made me laugh

[scud]

  You no longer have to use a main dealer for servicing to keep the warranty.

  As long as the vehicle is serviced by a VAT registered garage and quality replacement parts are used then the warranty should be honoured.

  Once had a motorcycle serviced at a main dealer, a Suzuki bike at a Suzuki dealer, they replaced the engine oil with fully synthetic which is a big no no on a motorcycle that runs a wet clutch. It was slipping within 60 miles - they then wanted me to pay for a replacement  clutch plates!!