car repair query

saor said:
Difficult to tell. They could've fixed a genuine issue and not spotted the second issue, or they could just be taking you for a ride. Imo once the car is out of warranty, find a good car shop to work on your car instead.
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Thank you, i am definitely taking your advice
 
TheChamp said:
This what you need to do, ask for a technical report of what was fixed the first time and what was subsequently found to be faulty the second time, ask for the old parts that were replaced, it would put you in a much better and informed position if you want to take this further, it also put the dealer under pressure to commit themselves of what was supposedly fixed, because as it is now they can change their story and you would be none the wiser with all the technical jargon they throw at you.
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Thank you so much, I'm at it
 
Neuk_ said:
Do not trust the diagnostic machines or fault codes entirely, it still takes an experienced and intelligent mechanic/technician to diagnose issues properly, many fault codes are simply indication's of an issue some where and not really definitive indicators of the exact cause of the issue.
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Spot on. People think these computers in their cars and at the dealer are the messiah...

Sometimes it cannot even see a vacuum line obviously disconnected in the engine bay but only gives you pointers to the symptom of a vacuum leak affecting other things downstream. A good mechanic should know this.
 
Nomfundo07 said:
I thought that much as well... now if the light comes back on again after they have fixed it, then i will have to pay again...?
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I'm currently in the same boat with the car at the same shop for the third time now.
The engine light was coming on and the car went into limp mode so I took it to a "chain store" type service center.
They fixed the car but a few days later it did the same thing again. I checked if they replaced the two items that they invoiced me replacement parts for and realized that only the one was replaced and went back to them. They told me only the one was faulty and when I got difficult because they invoiced me for both they gave me store credit for their "mistake" and had a look at the car again. Replaced some sensors etc and the next day it did it again. And thus the car is back there. I'm wondering if I should get a second opinion.
 
Nomfundo07 said:
Thank you, i am definitely taking your advice
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Tell us where you are, maybe someone on here knows of a reputable mechanic you can use, @Neuk_ might be able to help as well if I'm not mistaken, he knows some VW techs.
 
TheChamp said:
Or take it somewhere for a diagnostic report, it will give you a good idea of what is happening before forking out thousands of rands fixing things that are not the problem.
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That is why you read the codes before hand, and do some research. All codes are industry standard, and it gives you a good idea what the error reported is, so the dealer cant scam you.
 
TheChamp said:
Yeah, they are taking advantage of you, you are paying for their misdiagnosis. That is unfortunately how they work, they aren't known as stealerships for nothing, they scam people.
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Misdiagnosis, or both parts were broken? Potato potato, and good luck proving it.
And even if you prove it, they replaced it and did the work so there is almost no chance of getting a refund.
 
In the late 80s already, when this computer nonsense in cars started, many dealers were stressed with the diagnosis. The most complicated failures landed in our shop. That was after the dealer and the manufacturer gave up. We worked for the engine management system suppliers. Our tools where more elaborative than the dealer's scanner. Then it was one or two ECUs (one for the engine, one for the transmission)

30+ year later I am happy to have a Beetle from my niece to fix.

ECU controlled systems in motor vehicles became to insanely complex that I admire every today's mechanic to be able to fix them. Especially cross-manufacturers. The failure code does not tell you exactly what part or cable to fix. Only the circuit of the malfunction. Which overlaps with other circuits.

In 2000 the 7-series BMW hat a minimum of 70+ ECUs from a selection of 120 in each car.

So give your dealer a break, or find one you trust more. Or buy an old Beetle.

Thanks for reading.

Meanwhile listen to all the pathetic excuses your IT department has when the printer stops. They can learn a lot from us car mechanics.
 
Spaffy said:
I'm currently in the same boat with the car at the same shop for the third time now.
The engine light was coming on and the car went into limp mode so I took it to a "chain store" type service center.
They fixed the car but a few days later it did the same thing again. I checked if they replaced the two items that they invoiced me replacement parts for and realized that only the one was replaced and went back to them. They told me only the one was faulty and when I got difficult because they invoiced me for both they gave me store credit for their "mistake" and had a look at the car again. Replaced some sensors etc and the next day it did it again. And thus the car is back there. I'm wondering if I should get a second opinion.
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Was it the ash tray?
 
Tom427 said:
In the late 80s already, when this computer nonsense in cars started, many dealers were stressed with the diagnosis. The most complicated failures landed in our shop. That was after the dealer and the manufacturer gave up. We worked for the engine management system suppliers. Our tools where more elaborative than the dealer's scanner. Then it was one or two ECUs (one for the engine, one for the transmission)

30+ year later I am happy to have a Beetle from my niece to fix.

ECU controlled systems in motor vehicles became to insanely complex that I admire every today's mechanic to be able to fix them. Especially cross-manufacturers. The failure code does not tell you exactly what part or cable to fix. Only the circuit of the malfunction. Which overlaps with other circuits.

In 2000 the 7-series BMW hat a minimum of 70+ ECUs from a selection of 120 in each car.

So give your dealer a break, or find one you trust more. Or buy an old Beetle.

Thanks for reading.

Meanwhile listen to all the pathetic excuses your IT department has when the printer stops. They can learn a lot from us car mechanics.
Click to expand...
Well triggered this one.
 
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