David Jenkins
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| posted on 19/10/07 at 06:05 PM |
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I hate main dealer garages!
At the beginning of this week the ignition lock on my wife's Matiz decided to break. Got home, had a look at the manual and decided that I
could fix it myself - until I realised that changing the lock meant that the new key wouldn't be accepted by the immobiliser. 
Because of this I decided to order the parts and have them fitted by the local main stealer (they were going to charge me for their time in
re-programming for the keys anyway). I was quoted 30 minutes total (sounded about right).
After 45 minutes at the garage, a mechanic came out and said "we're having some problems - the thing's held together with security
bolts, the type where the head snaps off, and we can't get the lock barrel out." My response was "That's interesting - I got
the barrel out with a 2mm allen key poked through a little hole".
He took me into the workshop, where the foreman was about to attack the steering column with an electric drill! I pointed out the little hole, told
them what to do, and left them to it... 15 minutes later the whole job was done. If I hadn't been there the steering column would have been
trashed! 
I asked if he had a manual - he said it was on his bosses' computer - and she only worked in the morning, and it was turned off...
I am now busy composing a snot-o-gram for the service manager...
The one saving grace was that the mechanic only charged for the key re-programming - he was too embarrassed to charge for all the time he'd
taken!
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Scoob
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| posted on 19/10/07 at 06:11 PM |
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Shudda just took a look in the autodata books /program.. they show you what to do.. Very helpful 
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 19/10/07 at 06:20 PM |
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I knew how to do the job - the problem was getting the key re-programmed once I'd finished...
...or did you mean that they should look in the books? 
[Edited on 19/10/07 by David Jenkins]
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Johnmor
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| posted on 19/10/07 at 06:51 PM |
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Main Dealers
Dont' even start me on main dealer, so called experts, pahh
I'm sorry to rant but they treat peole like idiots and charge for the privilege.
How about, get a main service( still under warranty) and oil filter falls off after 50 miles!
Quote from main dealer" that probably shouldnt happen"
No sh*t sherlock!!!!
The story got worse from there but i dont want to steal your thunder.
If i could I would never go near a dealer garage again, ever, ever ,ever,!!
But I suppose it gives me something to measure my mechanic skills against, and when I do I always come out on top!
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Scoob
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| posted on 19/10/07 at 07:37 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
I knew how to do the job - the problem was getting the key re-programmed once I'd finished...
...or did you mean that they should look in the books?
[Edited on 19/10/07 by David Jenkins]
It tells you in auto data how to reprogramme keys
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skydivepaul
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| posted on 19/10/07 at 08:17 PM |
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if you dont like main dealers then never by a FIAT!!!!
a freind of mine took his fiat ulysse in to repair the gear linkage cable (under warranty) four months later he gets the car back (he had a hire car
for this time paid for and the charges were over 5 grand) after one day the gear linkage breaks again.
he takes it back to fiat where they tell him they had to modify (read bodge) the new cable as it didnt come with any fittings.
needless to say he isnt happy
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stevebubs
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| posted on 19/10/07 at 09:56 PM |
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Ditto on a certain Alpina dealership.
Car back from repair after significant engine work.
Oddly, battery doesn't appear to be charging.
Owner discovers 2 nuts on the windscreen, and sticks head under bonnet.
Alternator not connected...
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Shamrock GS
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| posted on 20/10/07 at 07:33 AM |
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This may be going against the grain here but I have huge reqpect for local main dealer - Harrisons Ford garage in Peebles. Over the last 2 years they
have gone out of their way to get long dead bits for my car (capri / sierra donor). The day before the SVA they also got a bloke in from his holidays
to balance and set the carbs. He was the only one old enough to be able to do it using screwdrivers and his brain instead of hooking up to a
diagnostic machine.
Gary
“Let your plans be dark and as impenetratable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
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cjtheman
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| posted on 20/10/07 at 09:29 AM |
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an easy way to have the key re-programmed is when you fit the new lock take the new key and the old key to your local timpson the shoe people they
will cut the key from the new key and program with the old key so you will have a new key with old program
not sure if you can make sense of that
but my bro works for them and i had same prob on my boys speedfight scooter he sorted it
wanted
sunny weather
sva pass 12/6/09
taxed 16/6/09
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JoelP
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| posted on 20/10/07 at 06:47 PM |
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i had similar bother when i snapped the key on my sprinter - they needed the van there to code the new one! Not sure what they expected, van on a
recovery wagon or hotwire it at home? Needless to say i bodged it and havent bothered getting it coded yet!
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