Advice needed - urgent

[Davey182]

Just took my car for it's 12k service.

Firstly, they used MOBIL 1 Synthetic Oil, is that the correct oil grade? It doesn't say the grade on the invoice.

Secondly, when I started the car, not only did it cut out but there was 12 extra miles on the clock!

I might just be being picky but 12 extra miles is a bloody long way for a road test. Especially around here.

Anyway, I'm hacked off about the 12 extra miles because I think they've been ragging my car. What do you all think? My friend used to be a mechanic and they said about 3 miles should've been fine...

Thanks,

Davey

 

[Clang]

Well if they have ragged it I'm sure it won't have been for the full 12 miles...! Don't worry about it they probably didn't hammer it any more than you do

As for the oil, ring them and ask what grade it is! 5w40 it should be, 10w40 will be OK but not preferred.

 

[Rich]

When I had my 306 I used to tell them not to do the road test, as long as I knew I was happy with the car beforehand and all they had done was changed the oil etc, I did'nt see the point.

 

[Funkyjahooner]

Sorry but i could not accept that they would only rag it as much as you. Its your fcuking car ffs !!! If you want to rag the tits off it or drive it like Miss Daisy that's up you you AS THE OWNER !!

No mechanic has any right to rag anybodies car because that's what the owner might do.

I would be fuming at 12 miles being clocked and would demand to find out for what reason that mileage was done on a service. Go straight to the Manager and demand an explanation and find out why !!!

Pisses me off to even imagine these places abuse other peoples property. There might be a valid reason for the mileage....but i doubt it.

 

[Davey182]

Just talking to Renault customer service, they say there was absolutely no need to take it on a road test... so I'm going to call the dealer again.

 

[rwaterman]

Confused as to why they would need to road test the vehicle after a service???

Rob.

 

[rwaterman]

Confused as to why they would need to road test the vehicle after a service???

Rob.




WTF?? Sorry whats going on with the site????

 

[Rich]

I could never see the point either.

 

[Neil G]

Sorry but i could not accept that they would only rag it as much as you. Its your fcuking car ffs !!! If you want to rag the tits off it or drive it like Miss Daisy that's up you you AS THE OWNER !!

No mechanic has any right to rag anybodies car because that's what the owner might do.

I would be fuming at 12 miles being clocked and would demand to find out for what reason that mileage was done on a service. Go straight to the Manager and demand an explanation and find out why !!!

Pisses me off to even imagine these places abuse other peoples property. There might be a valid reason for the mileage....but i doubt it.

I have to agree with you..I'd be flippin' livid if some scrote has been having fun in my car which I pay to run/insure etc.

 

[Williams025]

Find out which of them took the car out and have them arrested for taking without consent!

 

[Ad]

yeah the test drive is only only on the 36k.....

never had mine done on 12k or 24k.

 

[Ali]

As a test drive there allowed 9miles.

And i use Mobil1 and always have.

 

[kully]

As a test drive there allowed 9miles.

And i use Mobil1 and always have.

9miles in wot gear though :quiet:

 

[Davey182]

I'm gonna phone the service manager today and complain. Plus they haven't given me ANY details of the warranty work done (fixing the top strut knocking thing) - if they'd road tested for that they wouldn't have needed to take it out of the car park! I did ask them to see if they could find the source of a rattle. They claimed they couldn't hear one but the second I turned the ignition, the car was rattling in idle...

The TWOC thing is a fair comment... think I'll contact trading standards too. Maybe even watchdog!! They've seriously pissed me off.

 

[blue nose]

dont phone go and see them face to face thats what i would do (12 miles !!! ) i would go f*ckin nuts, give em hell mate

 

[Tyson-182]

Agreed with all of the above. 12 miles is a long fooking way. I have no doubt that the Manager let some scrote run loose in your car! I'd be done there first thing giving them hell!

Tyson.

 

[thedoc]

Demand some answers from the manager. Be polite though, as shouting does nothing.

 

[Clang]

I accept all the above comments, BUT what exactly do you hope to achieve? So you confront the manager and he says 'Yes we ragged the tits off it for 12 miles'. Then what?

I had my 12k service at GDI and was happy for Andy to take it for a test drive afterwards. No it wasn't 12 miles (unless he did them very quickly!) and yes I think you've been mugged.

All I'm saying is that if you don't want to be treated like a c*nt and have your property abused then don't take your car somewhere that does it every day!! My point was that it's done now, and as unpleasant as it may have been for you there is absolutely fcuk all you can do unless you've got a DeLorean with a flux capacitor (which I doubt you have) therefore you might as well learn from it and move on.

Take your car somewhere else in future.

 

[Gweebs]

^^^ Agree with the above comments.

BUT at the end of the day, be damned for something you did do. Rather than what you didn't.

Give them hell!! It might make you feel better and the next person who has a service won't have the piss taken from them.

These people need to understand that they can't take the piss anymore, there are a lot of reputable garages out there. Best ones make money, losers lose money.

Good luck either way.....

 

[Davey182]

Quick update...

Called the service manager, I asked why it was necessary to do 12 miles. He replied that it was standard for a service, to which I said that's funny cos Renault say it's not necessary in a 12k service... then he said it was their common procedure and that they take it out to a certain roundabout and back.

To be fair he seemed like a decent bloke and he assured me that if he caught 'any of his boys' ragging a custmers car then they would be fired - he said it in a way that made me believe him too.

I voiced my other concerns basically and he politely listened and said maybe this or this had happened. All pretty reasonable, but it wouldn't have been a problem if they'd told me all this in the first place before doing it and then why they'd done it afterwards!!

 

[Clang]

Hopefully this has put your mind at rest then?

 

[KyleB]

12 miles is alot though :S

 

[Don]

I know its too late now, but next time, put a post-it note in the car with mileage on it when taking it in for a service. For both my 12K and 24K service (with 2 different dealers) they didn't take the car out, the chances are that someone took the car on a 'butty run' or something. They wouldn't rag it, especially not in their overalls, as someone could complain to the dealer, then its mechanic, meet dole queue!!!

I had the suspension done as warranty work, and the only driving that took place by the mechanics was from car park, to ramp, and from ramp, back to car park...so some dealers are better than others!

 

[Davey182]

It put my mind at rest right up until this morning...

As I was driving to work the service light came on with the ABS and ESP lights...

Hence I'm about to start a thread in the mechanical section. Wanna know what might be wrong before I take it back to them. Bit concerned though as there was a lot of fluid by the right front wheel yesterday too.

I did take a photo of the mileage on my phone before I gave them the keys. Interestingly though, the car seems to have a noticeably better turning circle - maybe a result of them fixing the top mount??

 

[Davey182]

No need to worry then found this...

"182 problems

A common problem is the ABS, serv and Stop lights to come on its a problem relating to the brake pressure sensors on the pedals they seem to be set too low and set the lights off and logs a fault on the ECU. There is a technical note at Renault for fixing of this under warranty."

Anyone know if there's any danger from this, i.e. damaging the car in anyway? Or will it not 'sense' me braking? lol

 

[Ali]

9miles in wot gear though :quiet:

Valid point mate.

 

[mr_merc]

not being funny, but if you think what 12 miles is - that is what, perhaps 45 minutes of driving depending on where it is? (working on the basis that driving from Tiptree to Colchester is 9 miles and takes over 30 minutes).

Why on earth does it take three quarters of an hour to "check a car over". What a load of cobblers.

Sounds like the 17 year old that brought my mum's VW GTi turbo back from Colchester - pulled on to the drive with the stereo on flat out returning it from a service, switched the car straight off without letting it idle for a bit, then promptly told my mother that the stereo was awesome and it "goes well enough doesn't it?". My parents always reset the trip on it and found that not only had it covered the 9 miles back to Tiptree from Colchester - but that it had also covered a further 10 miles and the average fuel consumption was mid teens. I've been in that car when it's been driven hard previously and averaged mid 20's fuel consumption.

Needless to say my parents don't buy or get cars serviced by a certain Colchester VW dealer now.

The lesson?:

Nothing you can do about it now, but don't take it there in future.

 

[TheCake]

not being funny, but if you think what 12 miles is - that is what, perhaps 45 minutes of driving depending on where it is? (working on the basis that driving from Tiptree to Colchester is 9 miles and takes over 30 minutes).

Whilst at the same time, 12miles at 60mph is just 12minutes. Its 6mins to a roundabout and 6mins back.

 

[Davey182]

I'm pretty sure that the 12 miles was straight down the dual carriageway...

Not many other dealers in the area to take it to...

If it needs minor treatment in future I might just take it to r-tec.

 

[TheCake]

When I've taken my car to the garage I just ask them not to take it out, thus it has never been taken out since.

 

[Davey182]

That's what I'll definately do next time...