Dealership diagnostic skills??
- steptoe
- Master Member
- Posts: 11582
- Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:00 am
- Location: 14 miles outside Gotham City
Dealership diagnostic skills??
I was always under the impression (fool me) that new car dealerships workshops had diagnostic equipment to diagnose faults in their own brand.
Got a big problem no one can solve ? give in and take it to the dealer....and expect a big bill when they finally get it sorted.
I have met a few Bitsamissin dealer mechanics who have told me otherwise- that the fixes are generally either down to model specific experience or simply having running models in stock to swap some components over with to find fault.
I recently got talking to an older bird with a turbo Forester who claimed to have complained of a problem for several months to her local subie dealer, and nearly given up ( I think she neearly took up the offer to swap the GT for me Brumby !!) None of the workshop dockets mentioned the complaint or a diagnostic charge either for that matter. She was verbally quoted some thousands to replace the cat converter-in case it was the cause. I saw it after the new after market cat was fitted and old one was partially 'gone' but no fix the problem.
Looking at the original leads, 30,000 k old $22.50 spark plugs (ea), and a coil pack _ I'd start to interchange these with another going model if I had the access ( Like someone at a dealership !!) Aftermarket lead set $160 would you risk buying them ? genuine or otherwise
Car would start but die under various loads and got much worse the instant new cat went in, gasses flowing more efficiently
She has resolved to take it up with her dealer when she got back home
I hope she made it back to where ever it was!!!.
Got a big problem no one can solve ? give in and take it to the dealer....and expect a big bill when they finally get it sorted.
I have met a few Bitsamissin dealer mechanics who have told me otherwise- that the fixes are generally either down to model specific experience or simply having running models in stock to swap some components over with to find fault.
I recently got talking to an older bird with a turbo Forester who claimed to have complained of a problem for several months to her local subie dealer, and nearly given up ( I think she neearly took up the offer to swap the GT for me Brumby !!) None of the workshop dockets mentioned the complaint or a diagnostic charge either for that matter. She was verbally quoted some thousands to replace the cat converter-in case it was the cause. I saw it after the new after market cat was fitted and old one was partially 'gone' but no fix the problem.
Looking at the original leads, 30,000 k old $22.50 spark plugs (ea), and a coil pack _ I'd start to interchange these with another going model if I had the access ( Like someone at a dealership !!) Aftermarket lead set $160 would you risk buying them ? genuine or otherwise
Car would start but die under various loads and got much worse the instant new cat went in, gasses flowing more efficiently
She has resolved to take it up with her dealer when she got back home
I hope she made it back to where ever it was!!!.
- Chris_Rogers
- General Member
- Posts: 1155
- Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2005 10:00 am
- Location: Brisbane
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- steptoe
- Master Member
- Posts: 11582
- Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:00 am
- Location: 14 miles outside Gotham City
sounds like.....was !! after wording the girl up on who might have better access to parts to interchange...(the dealership) ....she got results after talking to the workshop boys...and me and me mate scored a box of Crownies (or something very similar, I carried the box, put it down and then it disappeared- I am calling the cops very soon )!
well done jzk for thinking out loud
well done jzk for thinking out loud
yeah, had a poor experience with a suby dealer over here, (won't name but they aren't the one in the city....) they had my dads 01 wrx for several days and failed to find a faulty coil pack (there is only four!!!!!!) which took my friendly auto elec/mechanic 10 minutes to identify. And its dropped an obviously worn fan belt straight after its 100k service. If it isn't changed automatically at 100k, a routine inspection would have shown the fatigue cracks........ And we were 300kms from home, 38 degree day and no A/C.
unimpressed, going to the city dealer from now on....
unimpressed, going to the city dealer from now on....