Car Service - how much?

Motoring Motoring: Questions / Help
21

Now I am in the poo again. :frowning:

I had phoned the chap in a garage I know and trust, to do my A/C, and then intended to cancel the Fiat garage doing it.
It turned out the garage I wanted doesn’t do A/C. I never expected that, I just assumed all garages did it, but I was wrong it seems.

In the end, I left it as originally planned and let it be done at Fiat along with the service.

This afternoon I got a phone call and was told it sailed through it’s service fine, but there was a problem with the A/C.

Apparently when they tried to top it up, the gas was escaping again, and they found the seals were knackered. They said this was illegal, something to do with polluting the atmosphere I think. :confused:
Apparently the seals can go brittle if it’s not used regularly, which it’s not, and I also have never had it checked since I bought it in 2014.

It seems replacement seals, plus the work involved, is expensive. :frowning:

They have now quoted £235 for new seals, but if the pipe breaks as well (don’t ask me what pipes), it will be around £358!!!

It’s one thing after another sometimes, aint it. :frowning:

22

I did warn you :wink: A/C should be run at least once a month. In future just remember to turn it on when you reverse out of the garage perhaps.

23

I know it’s probably my fault Bruce :frowning: I’ve never had a car with A/C before, and nobody ever explained to me how to run it properly, so I guess I only thought of using it in the summer, or when I have the dogs in the car and it’s getting too warm for them.
I had no idea you had to run it in the winter as well.

24

Ha ha… I run mine just about all year round, rarely turn it off.

To be honest I can’t imagine why you need it in the UK, a heater would be more important I always thought - I can still remember when a heater was an optional extra in British cars.

25

Fat lot of help that is Bruce!

I have been glad of it during this prolonged heatwave we’re having, but wouldn’t have dreamed of using it in the winter.

As I’ve already said, I didn’t know you had to run it for a short time all year round. No one tells you these things when you buy the flippin’ car!.

26

Hi

I think you are being ripped off, simple as.

My car is 7 years old later this year and the A/C, which I have not run for 2 years is fine.

27

Swim, first of all, how do you know yours is fine?
I ask because I thought mine was fine as well. Well it was working anyway, but how would you know if it the seals were damaged or it was leaking small amounts of gas?

When did you last have your gasses checked by a garage?

Apparently we are supposed to run them at least once a month, winter and summer, for 10 mins or so.

I also wonder if different makes of car makes a difference> Maybe it is a common fault with Fiat’s, I don’t know.
I know it is a known fault they have with back window squirters packing up, so maybe different makes are prone to different problems.

What make is your car?

28

Hi

I have a Ford.

It is serviced every 6 months, come what may, even though I have not been driving for a while.

Neil does it, a member of my fishing team.

He is fully trained and has all the gear in the garage he works in.

My car is not serviced by a minimum wage oik.

29

Why a service every 6 months Swim, seems excessive? And even more so when you haven’t even been using it much? Most cars only need a service annualy, and probably half of them don’t even need it then?

Also, I understood from others here, plus the garages, that A/C is not checked on a service, it is a separate thing altogether.

30

Gas? Wow, I didn’t know about that. I know nothing about air con as I’ve never had a car with one.

I’d worry myself silly if I knew gas was around in the car. :surprised:

Sorry you’re having probs Mups.

31

Thanks Pesta :slight_smile:
Yes, it’s been a bit of a nightmare.

Fender told me to not bother with it, I should have listened.
On the other hand, if it really was leaking gasses, what would have happened if I hadn’t checked?
Would it have been dangerous? :confused:

32

How complicated!

Isn’t the air con the same as the heater?

You turn it towards blue to belt out cold air, and you turn it towards red to belt out hot air. Several different degrees each way according to how fierce you want the air to be.

Maybe air con is something different?

33

No, not the same thing Ruthio, but one of the men will have to explain, because I can’t.

Where’s Fender when we need him? :slight_smile:

34

Slightly off topic Mups,but a question for anyone to answer.

Is it true air con affects petrol consumption, ie more is used?

Similarly, does using the usual fan in cars for heat or cool air etc do the same?

35

I do believe the A/C does affect petrol consumption, yes, Pesta. I have a feeling it increases consumption, but by how much, I haven’t a clue.

I wouldn’t have thought just using the car heater would at all though, but perhaps Fender or one of the other men here can explain.

36

Hiya Mups.
Something doesn’t make sense.
A. You said it was working / cooling ok. These hold very little refrigerant. If it was leaking and short, they don’t cool - but yours was?
B. Can you ask the garage EXACTLY which seals they are talking about, as they are mostly basic “o-rings” and not costly.
C. Also, what are they talking about “if the pipe breaks”??

No, if it’s leaking, it’s not dangerous. Once the system has lost a large % of it’s charge it will just shut off on a safety switch and not run. However, if a system is leaking, you are “meant” to have it repaired to prevent a knowing loss of refrigerant. That’s what they are playing on.

All sounds very suspect to me - like they are having you on to make more money.

37

The use of the fan in the car will have no effect on fuel consumption.
Using the a/c, as a rule you’ll lose about 2bhp and your fuel consumption will increase by around 5%.

38

Thanks fenderbender… I’ll blast the heat in the cold weather then. :cool:

Cos, the ‘cooler’ is less than useless
:105:

39

Go for it gal…;-)…:lol:

40

To relate the final update on this thread - in post 36 Fender gave me food for thought.
In fact, he ended up phoning the said garage on my behalf, as I found it difficult to argue with them on a subject I know nothing about.

Fender told me he was not impressed with what he was being told, and to cut a long story short, on his recommendation, I booked my car in elsewhere to be check over for a second opinion.

It didn’t make sense that my A/C was cooling the car beautifullly when I took my car in to the first garage, yet had completely conked out by the time it came out again!

So, my car has been at the second garage all day today, and they delivered it home for me this afternoon - job done.

I asked about this ‘leak’ and it seems there wasn’t one!
This second garage tested the A/C properly, and refilled it with no gas leaks whatsoever.
Charge was £102 complete, instead of the £235 - £358 that the first garage had quoted to ‘fix it.’

The moral of this story is - don’t always believe everything you are told at some garages. Do your homework, or speak to someone who knows more than you.

And sadly, there are some tradesmen who will tell women tales to earn extra dosh for themselves or their company, gambling on us ladies not understanding the problem.
My advice is, if you don’t know - ask someone who does!

Now I don’t know whether I should be telling you this or not, but when I went to pay, I was informed my bill had already been paid.

“Can’t be” I said. :confused:

The man double checked.

“Yes madam” he says, your friend who spoke to us earlier has already settled the bill."

FENDER! He says he has helped me because he knows about a very difficult, ongoing problem I am enduring over something personal. Maybe I’ll be able to tell you one day in the future.

Now before you think I am awful, I have tried to pay back this good deed, but he will not accept payment.
I felt quite overcome as you can imagine. I’ve never had a Fairy Godfather before!

[SIZE=“3”]THANK YOU SO MUCH FENDER - FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE. X X [/SIZE]