Traffic-light shopping has got to be the highlight of my day. In Gauteng you can do your monthly shopping at the traffic lights and receive pamphlets on every service under the sun. The one pamphlet that always catches my eye is the “Major Service … from R495” one.
After I stop laughing, I take one and skim through it.
The claims made are laughable because the garage will almost certainly be working for free if they carried out all the checks and replacement of parts as stipulated in the leaflet.
It is a sure way of getting a cash-strapped customer into the shop and then bushwhacking him or her.
Ten minutes after you have dropped off your car at the workshop, your phone rings ... I will give you one guess as to who it is ... yes, it’s the repair centre, letting you know that practically every other part on your motor vehicle has to be replaced.
The service is still R495 but all the other items that are damaged or badly worn, will cost you R5 000. Did you have any idea that you were driving a death trap, or that your car was in such a bad state of disrepair?
A sure fire way of getting you to do the repairs is telling you the extra they’re now quoting you, is for safety critical items.
THE REAL COST
Let me give you an example of the cost to maintain probably the cheapest car in the market, the Golf I, carburettor model:
Air filter – R37
Oil filter – R42
Fuel filter (plastic in line) – R15
4 spark plugs (Bosch) – R60
5L engine oil (15W40) – R250
Labour (1hour, incl.VAT) – R456
This totals R860 and this bill doesn’t include a percentage added to the parts. The parts are cost price to a service centre, just to show you that a major service can never be done for R495, under any circumstances.
The after-market service centres or non dealerships that are in the know, and do really good work, are well aware of the fact that these ridiculous claims of servicing your vehicle cheaply do not exist.
The old saying of “If something looks too good to be true, it is” is absolutely perfect for this situation. The absolute best check for me is the so called “visual check on driveshafts, steering, fuel lines and cooling system”.
So these guys are so damn good they have x-ray vision and can check the state of wear on the cv-joints on the side shafts.
5-SECOND GLANCE
What they mean to say is that they will have a 5-second glance at the state of the steering rack boots and the cv-joint boots on your car.
The cooling system on the other hand is completely different and needs to be pressure tested to determine if the pipes are still in good condition and the radiator does not leak. You have to be a psychic to just visually check them and be able to determine their state.
The pressure test on your cooling system and a removal and check on the radiator cap can and may save you a very costly repair. So a visual check can only be done by superman.
Don’t look for the bargains when wanting to service your vehicle ... they don’t exist (the bargains that is). Go to your regular mechanic and ask him to give you a written quote for repairs on your car.
If the quote is reasonable, but you may have a problem with paying the entire amount, ask him which items need to be fixed urgently and which items can last until the next service.
This is a sure way of ensuring that your vehicle is safe and you never miss a service. -Mercury Motoring