Be aware of over searvicing - Check your bill & Do not get bitten
Submitted: Saturday, Feb 28, 2009 at 09:03
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Member - Tony B (Malanda FNQ)
This is not car related but it very
well could be. I had a 2 year or 200hr service done on my my 140 suzuki 4 stroke the other day (The motor only has 100hrs though). I had done the 1 year 100hr service i year before at 70hr and got the water pump replaced instead of just inspected.
The 3 year 300hr
services requires Water Pump Inspection the 2 year 200hr service does not.
I got a bill complete with new Water pump fitted & two lots of oil charged 8ltrs & 5 ltrs.
Without going into the all the problems after this, to the companies credit they confirmed they had charged out two lots of oil by mistake and eventually removed the 8ltrs of oil, water pump parts and labour from the bill.
That is $200 better off in my pocket, so
check your bill against service requirements.
Cheers Tony
Reply By: Warstar - Saturday, Feb 28, 2009 at 13:07
Saturday, Feb 28, 2009 at 13:07
Ask any garage operator about the oil they use in servicing and if honest (and efficient) they will tell you they buy the cheapest they can get under their (yearly?) contract. By that I do not mean that they necessarily use rubbish, but it will be Castrol or
Caltex or whatever, multigrade, that they have delivered in 205L drums.
They pay something like $4 per litre. (I buy
Caltex Delo 400 by the 20l drum, retail, for under $100, and I assume they pay less.)
You have your vehicle service and it takes 10L and the charge is $80 for oil.
I don't mind paying a fair price for a service, but I do object to
the rip off on the expendables.
I always throw my drum in the back of the vehicle and leave an instruction to "use my oil". With the fixed price billing I say about $35 on each cruiser service and $20 on each car service.
Better still your vehicle uses the same oil each time, which is important if you spend lots of time travelling and having your vehicles serviced by dealers in different locations.
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Follow Up By: Member - Rotord - Saturday, Feb 28, 2009 at 18:42
Saturday, Feb 28, 2009 at 18:42
Wise move . My maintainer is knowledgeable and does nice work , but he charged $35 for supplying an axle stub dust cap that at Nunawading Landrover costs $3.50 . Now , like you , I buy the parts and he can fit them .
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Follow Up By: Steve - Saturday, Feb 28, 2009 at 20:52
Saturday, Feb 28, 2009 at 20:52
he can still put an extra hour's labour on
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Follow Up By: Warstar - Saturday, Feb 28, 2009 at 21:48
Saturday, Feb 28, 2009 at 21:48
Steve posted "he can still put an extra hour's labour on"
Steve, I go to a dealer that has fixed price servicing. When i ring to book the service I ask how much is included for the engine oil cost.
I then ensure that much is deducted from the a/c.
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