Dealer Servicing!!

Did you ask for the mechanic to come with you so he could hear the noise?

Was the noise still there when you drive out the gate?

Is the noise there all the time or only when certain conditions are in play ?

You are 110 % correct.....
You meed to go old school ....

Axle
If the noise went away by itself it was possibly a stone between the disc rotor and disc tin shield. Has happened twice with my vehicle BUT I had to remove a wheel each time to get the stone out.
Many people want to be mechanics but only around 9% of apprentices are really suited to work in the industry. I did a significant automotive two day test to gain the qualification. Only 4 out of 44 passed the knowledge and practical test which required at least an 80% pass rate in 13 different vehicle systems.
Most have a very poor understanding of electrical/mechanical and electronic concepts. Teaching apprentices is no different. They are all experts when a special plug in device tellls them the problem.
Diagnosis? What is that concept?

.
Hi Axle,

I know what you mean!

Several years ago my Camry went in for a dealer service and I requested that they investigate an engine 'hesitation' at steady throttle and light load. At pick-up they recited all the wonderful items they attended to but I needed to ask about the hesitation. "Nope, couldn't find anything" said the service manager. But of course, it was still evident when I drove away!

A couple of weeks later my son's mate who had been an apprentice at that dealer was visiting us. I asked about the problem and he said "Does it make a difference if it's hot or cold". "Nope I said, same all the time".
"EGR valve" he said without any further discussion. I attended to the EGR valve and never had the problem again.

Now, that apprentice had left that dealer because he could not tolerate the foreman's attitude.......... Their loss, and their customers loss, I'm afraid.

On my part, I never returned to the dealership for maintenance services. I found a competent independent shop and continued to take my Camry and later Aurion there even throughout the warranty period. I investigated thoroughly and found that my warranty was not at risk by using independent workshops.

My recommendation is to find an independent workshop that you can trust. Some dealers may be OK but do not assume that they run a good workshop just because they gained endorsement as a dealer. It depends entirely on the management and particularly on the foreman. It is they who select and train good mechanics.

Hi Axle

The bonus about living in small country towns, you are not just another number and get to know the technicians personally and just how good or bad they are.

The guy I go to is a one man show and fully trusted by the locals and he has worked on my vehicles since he was an apprentice over 40 years ago. He is that popular, you usually have to book you vehicle in 3 weeks ahead of time and even on a basic service, goes through your vehicle with a fine tooth comb.

A couple of the bigger dealers in town have only younger kids and apprentices what work on your vehicle and do not have the experience to pin point any issues.

The only trouble now is he is talking about retiring in a few years, so just as well there are other trusted and reliable mechanics in town.


Cheers



Stephen

I'm curious Axle why you won't name and shame the business in question. By doing so you may be forewarning other car owners in the area and, giving the business a wake up call to improve their service.

Mechanics of today are merely parts replacers - they hook up the diagnostic computer and wait for the readout so they know which component to replace.

They have no basic diagnostic skills and they are no longer taught them.
They cannot repair any component, as an old-school mechanic can.

This is because the cost of parts to repair components, is always nearly the same cost as buying a complete new component.

I have about 30 starter solenoid kits that I've been trying to sell (for reduction gear starters). I'm struggling to sell them, because anytime a starter solenoid goes "click-click-click", the mechanics and dealers tell you the starter is stuffed and you need a new starter.

Yet, it takes all of half an hour to pull the starter and install the solenoid kit - with minimal mechanical skills - and to save yourself two to three hundred dollars. The solenoid kit sells for $30.

I could relate a couple of hundred stories about dealer and mechanic incompetence, that cost car owners thousands, but the forum message box isn't big enough.

By far the best was my SIL's brother, who owned a Commodore. It kept getting slower and slower, until it wouldn't go over 80kmh.

It was into the country dealer, time after time, until nearly everything but the engine block got replaced. It still wouldn't go over 80kmh.
$3500 later, he takes the Commodore to a big city dealer, who has the mega-dollar diagnostic computer that the country dealer lacked.

10 mins later, back comes the word - the fuel filter INSIDE the fuel tank is blocked! Just over an hour and $200 later, he's back on the road, and the Commodore will do full speed with ease.

You ought to hear his opinion of the local Holden dealer!

Cheers, Ron.

Everyone is an expert in hindsight or when they aren't actually involved and bloody Mr Google is a bane of all us all. Bloody makes everyone an expert in every trade. I live in a small town and 95% mechanics here are bloody decent at their trade. Dealerships have technicians, there is a difference and even most of those are good .

I have been lucky enough to find a good specialist subaru shop who were willing to work on my vdj76. They investigate every noise and bend over backwards to fit me into thier very busy schedule never had a problem. Just got a front locker fitted and the quality of workmanship and customer service is something a dealer cannot match at all (in my humble opinion) ;)

After 2 bad dealer experiences both relating to wheel bearings am going to stick with the independents

Cheers jed

Trouble today is many Dealerships don't employ qualified Automotive Mechanics and most 'independents' don't either preferring to employ the cheaper labour sourced from the 457 Visa pool. Most Dealership Service Dept 'meet & greet' personnel including the Service Manager are not qualified Mechanics either but are 'Service Receptionists'. Comments from those working in Dealership Service Depts suggests that some Dealerships book in more vehicles than they can service on certain days and the 'overflow' gets driven in the front door, the windscreen service sticker is changed and the vehicle is returned to the car park.

Mate had a noise in the front left on braking after a long gravel section. Dropped it into a Toyota dealer for them to check it out.

Picked it up all fixed, couldn't find anything, they assumed correctly it was probably just a small stone caught between the pad and the disc. Tried the brakes on leaving the dealers and all was well, few hundred meters up the road went to stop and had little brakes. Got out and checked the left front and found a puddle of brake fluid under the wheel. Back to the dealers very slowly and they got annoyed as it was getting near knock off time!

Turned out the apprentice hadn't done up the brake line coupling properly. Question is why would you undo the brake line to check the caliper in the first place?

FWIW

I wanted wheel bearings serviced.
Local Toyota dealer quoted $100 per hour, estimated the time involved and the bill, time to pick up the Landruiser.

Came back, vehicle ready, job done., satisfied customer.

Just posting this because I'd been told about dealer rip-offs etc., but this went exactly as expected.

I do basic servicing, but rear bearings beyond this amateur.

I had an early D4D common rail Prado. They had injector problems that would develop during the warranty period, sometimes quite early - the cold start rattle that if not attended to or correctly diagnosed would lead to a dead engine.

The forums were full of reports of dealers not diagnosing, or dodging the issue.

I was monitoring engine noises at start-up, almost obsessively.

I left the vehicle with my dealer for a routine service. During the service, and without any mention from me because I didn't think I had that problem, they picked up a failing injector and under warranty replaced all four, with new high pressure pipework. I saw the internal bill to Toyota - over $7000. I was impressed.

They undid some of their good work on another occasion when they let the apprentice fill the battery to the top, resulting in acid spewing over the battery and its surrounds, removing a fair bit of paint, but they fixed it ok.

I had a Holden commodore serviced at a dealership. Picked it up late in the arvo and took my son to footy practice, while waiting thought I would check under the bonnet. When I checked the battery it was bone dry. Next morning back to dealership and asked for service manager and showed him. My question to him was "what else hadn't been done ' left car to be re serviced and given a loan car. Next service reported a miss under load, picked up car told all ok test drive good. Went about one kilometre miss still there, back to dealership got the service manager to test drive with me .Straight away he said crook coil pack one cylinder we have had a lot fail. I then asked the question "how come service people tell lies"
no acceptable answer . left car and given loan vehicle

Cheers

greenant

Axle.
This seems to be you having trouble with an axle.

My toyota dealership service has its issues too.
At the 12 month service they are supposed to re grease the wheel bearings which they didnt do. However my car hasn’t done the 20000 km.
Now my next service they are due again and curious if they will get done. Due to my car having low km.
So i haven’t decided (if they don’t do it) weather i pull them up on it.
Ive always done all my servicing and wheel bearings, and think im probably better off not having some dope play with them.