Bryan Williams
Member
- Messages
- 1,234
- Location
- Manchester England
After having pants pulled down on a recent car repair I decided to try to find a decent reliable garage for future repairs /services.
Think I have, on a recommendation from a work mate I tried tried a local place.
He's been going there for years and always been happy with the service.
He's not soft, ex gas fitter.
The garage is a small indy husband and wife team, she's on the spanners as well, she's the one I talked to.
Told her I needed a full breakdown of parts /labour on bill, the quote is the price I pay unless nasty surprises and I get to see proof of the parts I order.
I asked for a price on a 2010 fiesta cambelt/water pump and aux belt change, they came back with £290 all in, which is OK.
I asked for a Gates belt kit, she said they only use Gates.
I get a full breakdown of the bill if anything else pops up during the job they show me first before carrying on.
All in all it looks promising, clean tidy little garage, pleasant, open, up front staff.
Anyway, my sister phoned me today and I told her about all this, she asked if hers needed doing, an 04 micro auto with 40000 on it.
I said mine was due as they recommend 120000 or after 10 years, if micras are the same as fiestas she's well overdue I tell her.
She's worried now so I say I'll check.
Turns out hers had a timing chain, it's well over due and prices vary from 500 to 1000 as its a pig of a job
.
I read up on it a bit, supposed to be a lifetime part but they stretch, oil changes are very important, been lots of fails.
Thing is hers runs, drives great, no rattle, noise on start up or when cold, good all round condition for the year.
If you Google early micra timing chain you wouldn't go near one.
So don't really know what to tell her now, she wasn't happy thinking she might be due a £300 bill like me, now I have to tell her that her car had a potential recall fault, she's driving on borrowed time and to avoid a possible engine pop she needs to be spending up to a grand.
Me and my gob.
Think I have, on a recommendation from a work mate I tried tried a local place.
He's been going there for years and always been happy with the service.
He's not soft, ex gas fitter.
The garage is a small indy husband and wife team, she's on the spanners as well, she's the one I talked to.
Told her I needed a full breakdown of parts /labour on bill, the quote is the price I pay unless nasty surprises and I get to see proof of the parts I order.
I asked for a price on a 2010 fiesta cambelt/water pump and aux belt change, they came back with £290 all in, which is OK.
I asked for a Gates belt kit, she said they only use Gates.
I get a full breakdown of the bill if anything else pops up during the job they show me first before carrying on.
All in all it looks promising, clean tidy little garage, pleasant, open, up front staff.
Anyway, my sister phoned me today and I told her about all this, she asked if hers needed doing, an 04 micro auto with 40000 on it.
I said mine was due as they recommend 120000 or after 10 years, if micras are the same as fiestas she's well overdue I tell her.
She's worried now so I say I'll check.
Turns out hers had a timing chain, it's well over due and prices vary from 500 to 1000 as its a pig of a job
.I read up on it a bit, supposed to be a lifetime part but they stretch, oil changes are very important, been lots of fails.
Thing is hers runs, drives great, no rattle, noise on start up or when cold, good all round condition for the year.
If you Google early micra timing chain you wouldn't go near one.
So don't really know what to tell her now, she wasn't happy thinking she might be due a £300 bill like me, now I have to tell her that her car had a potential recall fault, she's driving on borrowed time and to avoid a possible engine pop she needs to be spending up to a grand.
Me and my gob.
