Useless dealership mechanics

[premmington]

What the general public needs to understand is...

There are not many good independent mechanics left!

Proper "road fitters" armed with the knowledge and equipment to correct faults on modern cars!

The earning potential is high.

So if you keep asking "how much" "how much" to a good mechanic!

He will just push your car out and push another car in for a customer who will pay!


My yard is full of customers cars who won't or cant pay.

All my customers who will or can pay, have had their car fixed and are using them as we speak!


It has reached the point, I am so busy! There are so many idiots in the trade (dealerships and non franchised garages)

I can name my own price!

(we often now quote over dealership prices for complicated jobs, and get the jobs!)




We are so busy. Trained staff is the next big problem.

We buy more genuine Ford parts from our local dealer now. Than they use on their own franchised workshop month on month! I have employed one of their senior "master" Techs and he failed to produce the standard of work required to pass our three month trial period.

Taking your car to a dealership is a joke! Find a warranty authorised independent. You will know they have earned the status, not just bought into it with shareholders money!




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[the snooper]

What the general public needs to understand is...

There are not many good independent mechanics left!

Proper "road fitters" armed with the knowledge and equipment to correct faults on modern cars!

The earning potential is high.

So if you keep asking "how much" "how much" to a good mechanic!

He will just push your car out and push another car in for a customer who will pay!


My yard is full of customers cars who won't or cant pay.

All my customers who will or can pay, have had there car fixed and are using them as we speak!


It has reached the point, I am so busy! There are so many idiots in the trade (dealerships and non franchised garages)

I can name my own price!

its fine naming your price as long as you are realistic and don't price yourself out of repeat work, I know a guy that restored scooters but his prices were high and he only got one off jobs, people will flock to a garage that has reasonable rates and can do exactly what is needed with no bull

 

[premmington]

Hold this thought!

I fix the local trading standards managers car, his wifes car! His daughters car. His fathers car.

He would know who is, in the trade "A bad garage!"

Sadly...

All the cars in my yard are owned my people who don't have the funds to finance a "proper repair" on a modern car.

One in three cars I look at are scrap! The cost of good quality parts and enough skilled labour to rectify the faults "writes them off"

 

[premmington]

Only today!

1. Customers diesel golf failed MOT for having a Miltec sports exhaust with no CAT fitted. Plus a welded repair on a suspension leg. Quoted him for a new exhaust and a new leg. He called me a "robbing *******" as it passed last year! Laws have changed. He is breaking them! I don't make the law!

2. Merc owner with cracked wheel rim. Welded up by local "specialist". In with flat tyre! I quoted for new rim. They called me a "robbing *******". Moaned the last garage had robbed them! Truth is... The wheel was so unsafe I would not have let the first abusive customer drive the car! As the tyre was about to flail off the split rim!

Complex car repairs with quality parts, repaired to a standard good enough to carry a year long warranty are not cheap!

The motoring public in general are too busy spending their hard earned wages on other things. Most car repairs are a distress purchase.

Why they think they are getting "ripped off" all the while annoys me!

Sadly it is easy to buy an ex fleet high spec German diesel car. When in reality they can only afford to pay for repairs on tiny petrol cars made in Japan.

I know I going to get allot of abuse for my input to this thread!

I run several garages! Why should profit be an ugly word!

 

[Gavin_d]

Will cars with a Dpf removal now fail? Even if the cats still present.

 

[doubleboost]

When did the MOT rule about cats on diesels become retrospective? If it legitimately passed last year with the same de-catted exhaust it should have passed this year (depending on age of car etc. obv) Like with mine, it had a cat as standard but other vehicles of the same year running the same engine don't have cats - I can leave it in or take it out, doesn't matter if it passes the smoke test.

Cats on diesels are not a testable item
DPF filters are a different matter
Most modern diesels wont even give a reading on a smoke test
Many can not even have there revs lifted above 2000 standing still

 

[Gavin_d]

The part that is daft...one of the last diesel cars I owned had 2 cats...one right after the turbo and one instead of a mid silencer...

Asked a few mot testers and got a mixed bag of answers about whether it would pass or fail if the mid section one was removed
"still has the one after the turbo - pass"
"fail"
"no idea"

Would have passed the smoke test with or without it

any comments @premmington ?

Technically the after turbo cat is a pre cat and the one after is a main cat. It would/should fail under the new rules if the second cat was removed.

 

[premmington]

The part that is daft...one of the last diesel cars I owned had 2 cats...one right after the turbo and one instead of a mid silencer...

Asked a few mot testers and got a mixed bag of answers about whether it would pass or fail if the mid section one was removed
"still has the one after the turbo - pass"
"fail"
"no idea"

Would have passed the smoke test with or without it

any comments @premmington ?

Truth...

Tested as presented!

If it had a cat and the exhaust looked like it was from factory it would pass!

 

[doubleboost]

Will cars with a Dpf removal now fail? Even if the cats still present.

As long as the DPF is present (could be empty) if it passes the smoke test it will pass

 

[Gavin_d]

Cats on diesels are not a testable item
DPF filters are a different matter
Most modern diesels wont even give a reading on a smoke test
Many can not even have there revs lifted above 2000 standing still

Lots of diesels going around with Dpf removals. Think there might be some unhappy car owners especially after the stres of having to have the Dpf removed in the first place.

 

[premmington]

Will cars with a Dpf removal now fail? Even if the cats still present.

Cored Dpf filters will pass as long as there is a "DPF shell". Even if there is evidence of welding (core removal).

VOSA are warning MOT test centres about offering DPF removal and testing on the same premises! (big brother is watching all of us in the trade!)

 

[Gavin_d]

As long as the DPF is present (could be empty) if it passes the smoke test it will pass

Suppose even with a square that's clearly been cut out then welded back in to remove the filter, it would still be hard to prove the filter is not present.

 

[the snooper]

from the testers manual
A catalytic converter or particulate filter missing where one was fitted as standard

 

[Gavin_d]

How can you prove its missing though. You can't unless you start taking things to bits.

If the oeiginal exhaust is there with the cat knocked out I mean.

 

[doubleboost]

from the testers manual
A catalytic converter or particulate filter missing where one was fitted as standard

I stand corrected

 

[premmington]

So 'missing' is a failure, but 'modified' isn't mentioned

Correct...

Tested as presented!

If it is there, and it passes the smoke test you get a MOT certificate.

If it is not there and you pass the smoke test it fails.

If it is welded up and hollow and passes the smoke test you get a certificate.

I don't make the rules!

All I do know is, if they start NOX testing on diesels, you will all be buying petrol cars for sure!

 

[the snooper]

I stand corrected

the thing is not every tester is going to know what cars had pre cats and secondary cats as standard its a mine field

 

[doubleboost]

I stand corrected

 

[Gavin_d]

the thing is not every tester is going to know what cars had pre cats and secondary cats as standard its a mine field

Which is why most testers are going to turn a blind eye i think. If it passes emissions test ok that is.

 

[premmington]

If they start NOX testing it would only be able to be added to the test for cars manufactured after a certain date or ones which a base figure is published.

Petrol cars have emissions testing done, on my petrol car the emissions test is stand behind and have a look.

True. Testing will not be retrospective.