craig1410
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 posted on 21/9/05 at 09:05 PM |
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Alhambra service and cambelt - £520 ???
Hi,
Am I alone in thinking that £520 is quite a lot of money to be expected to pay to give a Seat Alhambra 1.9tdi PD SE a 40k mile service including a
cambelt and tensioner? This breaks down as £210 for the service and £310 for the cambelt change.
I may be over-reacting but this is the first time I have had to pay for a timing belt to be done as I have always done them myself. However, one look
inside the Alhambra engine bay and suddenly I don't fancy it... I'm also keen to stick with my local Seat dealer (Bickets) since they are
very well regarded. Do you think there may be some room for negotiation here or do dealers tend to stick to their guns?
Cheers,
Craig.
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steve_gus
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| posted on 21/9/05 at 09:09 PM |
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in 1998 mazda quoted the service for a 323 v6 inc cam belt as 520 quid.
my dad had a cam belt done on a s reg mondeo and that was 220 quid.
atb
steve
http://www.locostbuilder.co.uk
Just knock off the 's'!
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 21/9/05 at 09:13 PM |
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It still only takes around 2 mins too change a cam belt, unfortunately these days its the hours spent getting too it in the first place that rack up
the cost, and main dealer labour rates aren't cheap, somewhere under the bonnet of my vw transporter van is an engine, cant see it though, if i
had too service it regular i think id'e change jobs.
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 21/9/05 at 09:16 PM |
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Try a VAG dealership for a comparason
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
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steve_gus
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| posted on 21/9/05 at 09:17 PM |
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i have a laguna that has a very capacious bonnet area. however, i too have never seen the engine. its buried under lots of bits of plastic trim!
atb
steve
http://www.locostbuilder.co.uk
Just knock off the 's'!
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 21/9/05 at 09:19 PM |
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I here what your saying Steve, but this is well hidden, i know its there cos i can here it running but apart from oil change and top up it looks grim,
good job there reliable.
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dave1888
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| posted on 21/9/05 at 09:43 PM |
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I phoned a Daihatsu dealer for a price for new brake pads £47 + vat new discs £77 + vat each. there tiny pads and discs I wonder where they get there
prices from.
I ended up getting pads for £7 and discs for £15 each from maccess. Bloody rip off
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colibriman
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| posted on 21/9/05 at 11:46 PM |
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Craig,
I know someone who works in the office at Bickets, you want me to have a word to see if one of the lads will do it in their own time?
cheers
Colin
need a bike engine? - www.colibriman.com
SVA ready Mk Indyblade possibly for sale.....if the offers good...!
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NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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Ben_Copeland
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| posted on 22/9/05 at 04:48 AM |
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I had a fully service on my nissan navara done recently. Included all belts and tensioner, and the usual extras.
Just shy of £300, thats replacing everything they could ever possibly replace covered by the service.
Usually i'd service it myself, but i want the nissan service history.
Ben
Locost Map on Google Maps
Z20LET Astra Turbo, into a Haynes
Roadster
Enter Your Details Here
http://www.facebook.com/EquinoxProducts for all your bodywork needs!
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James
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| posted on 22/9/05 at 07:21 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
Try a VAG dealership for a comparason
My Dad's Golf MK4 TDI estate (115PD version) is £400 for a cambelt every 40,000 miles.
That's a penny a mile!!!
Cheers,
James
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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ditchlewis
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| posted on 22/9/05 at 08:07 AM |
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It cost me £675 for a service and cam belt change on my Golf GtTdiPD 150. this has to be done every 60K.
Audi and even more expensive! VAG cars use the same parts but you pay more because of your cars badge.
I read some where that Audi has varying scale of labour charges for the model of car say A3= £40/hour, A4= £50/hour etc,etc.
A rip off but we all keep paying.
Ditch
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splitrivet
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| posted on 22/9/05 at 08:41 AM |
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I'd try to barter the price down a bit,everyone does it with me.
It does normally work if your hard faced enough.
Cheers,
Bob
I used to be a Werewolf but I'm alright nowwoooooooooooooo
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craig1410
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| posted on 22/9/05 at 11:46 AM |
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Thanks for the replies everyone, it looks like this sort of price isn't entirely out of the ordinary.
So, I've bitten the bullet and booked the car in for next week to get it done - I'm fed up fretting about it!
Colin, thanks for offering to speak to Bickets but I had already booked it in before I read your posting and I would hate to get anyone into trouble
at the dealership as they seem to be a nice bunch. I'm getting a courtesy car for the day as well which is essential for me to avoid having to
take time off work. Maybe I should have tried them for a discount or maybe even an attractive trade-in...
Anyway, thanks again everyone for the advice.
Craig.
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britishtrident
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| posted on 22/9/05 at 11:49 AM |
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Sounds OK
Even the cheapest back street cowboys will charge £125 for an Escort or Rover belt job.
Main dealers have a massive investment in training and diagnostic equipment trouble is most manufacturers use this as an excuse to keep close control
of the electronic diagnostic codes. However VAG cars are much better provided for by cheaper OBD diagnostic tools than any other manufacturer, if I
owned a recent VAG car I would invest in a copy of VAG-COM and a suitable interface. It wll do almost everything the dealer electronic diagnostic
machine will do.
see http://www.onboarddiagnostics.co.uk/
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serendipity123
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| posted on 22/9/05 at 12:02 PM |
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i've just had a bearing replaced on my 3 year old vectra and that was £300 at main dealers rant rant rant
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iank
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| posted on 22/9/05 at 12:21 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by serendipity123
i've just had a bearing replaced on my 3 year old vectra and that was £300 at main dealers rant rant rant
Yeah, I dinged a front wheel bearing on a Yreg Astra a couple of years ago (slid into a kerb on black ice at lowish speed). Was rumbling a bit so I
took it in - £150 (they don't change the bearing they exchange the whole hub! bearings being a non-servicable item!)
Not buying another Vauxhall, so long term they lose.
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Lotusmark2
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| posted on 22/9/05 at 03:51 PM |
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My most shocking quote £242 for a spark plug change on my Merc C240 Twinspark
[Edited on 22/9/05 by Lotusmark2]
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Guinness
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| posted on 22/9/05 at 07:21 PM |
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A mate put off getting the cam belt done on his Puma, finally booked it in and guess what, it went on the way to the garage. Cost him best part of a
grand to get the engine rebuilt.
My worst service so far has been on my company Audi A4 TDi at 60,000 miles.
New brake discs and pads all round, 4 new tyres, cam belt change, fluid change, brakes bled, service and a few minor faults £1,200!!!!
Stick with the Seat mate.
Mike
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Danozeman
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| posted on 22/9/05 at 07:51 PM |
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Servicing is expensive especially when cambelts are involved. I used to take my fiesta to the dealers to keep my warranty and stamp up even though
im a mechanic. They stung me 250 quid for a 30k service which had no faults. It never went back... The time before that they wrang me and said it
needed a rear wiper and a tyre and they wanted 120 quid just for that. They didnt do it.
520 is quite reasonable for one of them. Im sure galaxies and sharans would be more at there respective dealers.
Dan
Built the purple peril!! Let the modifications begin!!
http://www.eastangliankitcars.co.uk
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Dale
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| posted on 22/9/05 at 09:20 PM |
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Ah makes me miss my old f150 with 300k miles on it. Engine never cracked open original everything other an a carb service . Only problem was
ripping driveshaft bearing out a couple of times. 300ci straight six absouloutly bullit proof. I hate newer cars but they are a nessessity.
Dale
Thanks
Dale
my 14 and11 year old boys 22
and 19 now want to drive but have to be 25 before insurance will allow. Finally on the road
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steve_gus
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| posted on 22/9/05 at 10:28 PM |
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i dont understand why cars dont use good old fashioned chain drive. might be a bit noisier, but gernrally they made more noise as they got older, and
seemed a lot less likely to snap without warning.
atb
steve
http://www.locostbuilder.co.uk
Just knock off the 's'!
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mackie
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| posted on 23/9/05 at 07:52 AM |
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I payed around £600 for my last major service for my puma. This included all fluids and filters, rear bushes (poly), cambelt and aux belt change,
gearbox oil seal, brake fluid system vac and new fluid and bleed. So no I'd say £520 is not too bad, cambelt services are just expensive
I'm affraid!
Quite a few people at work have VAG cars (mostly Audis) and every time they take them in to a dealer they seem to want to changed the disks and pads.
I've checked them before and they've been fine. They charge £400 for the job too! Obviously trying to make a quick and easy buck.
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craig1410
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| posted on 23/9/05 at 08:34 AM |
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Mackie,
On the subject of changing brake pads/discs, my car needed rear brake pads shortly after its last service. The guy who did the service did an advisory
that they would only last about 5000 miles after the service and sure enough the onboard computer started to warn me after 6000 miles that they needed
done. I fully expected their quote to be too high and expected to be doing the work myself but to my surprise they only charged something like £45
which seemed pretty fair.
Overall I am very impressed with Bickets and compared with my experience of Arnold Clark they are much much more friendly and helpful (and competent).
Very much "of the old school" when it comes to customer care. I also think that Seat cars in general seem to be much better value for
money than the competition without sacrificing quality.
Cheers,
Craig.
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Gav
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| posted on 23/9/05 at 08:39 AM |
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quote:
I also think that Seat cars in general seem to be much better value for money than the competition without sacrificing quality.
Indeed ive had my Leon Cupra(1.8T) for two years now and am very very pleased with it,
However my only problem with it is they didnt use the "Proper" suspension on the rear as per the Golf/A3 but then again i didnt pay as
much for the leon as i would of for an equvilent Golf/A3.
only problem now is 80k is on the clock and the cam belt is due a change!
[Edited on 23/9/05 by Gav]
[Edited on 23/9/05 by Gav]
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britishtrident
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| posted on 23/9/05 at 10:03 AM |
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Seat and Skoda bodywork and interiors don't stand up to years of use the way VW and Audis do -- as a direct result they have much lower
residuals than VW or Audi. Before buying a new car it is worth visiting a couple of car auctions to see how vehicles age and what dealers think of
them. VW, Audi, Honda, Toyota, Mazda 323 , Volvo are liked by the dealers because they stand up to wear and tear, Fiat, Seat, Skoda Vauxhall, Renualt
are at the bottom of the pile because dealers know they will generally cost money to prepare for resale. While Nissan Almerias are cheap at
auctionbecause they have taken over the market niche that used to be held by the Montego -- not that bad but the image is dreadful dull boring.
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