What is wrong with our mechanics these days?

[slim6y]

So - my car's SRS (air bag) light comes on indicating there's a fault.

I take it to the car dealership which supplies this large range of cars and say fix it....

7 hours later they call me to say my car is all good ready to pick up....

I do...

The SRS light is off - they said they just cleared the error code and it didn't come back on so it's all fixed.

I admit I wasn't convinced.

I paid $56 for there 2 minutes of work (all they did was attach their computer and clear the code).

I got home - went to lock my car - the key doesn't work!!!

i quickly phoned up this company and told them - I said "My key no longer works - it worked this morning when I got to you and when i picked my car up the key stopped working...."

The man on the phone said well it's not our fault - we didn't do anything.

I reminded him they did play with the computer and the computer holds all the key codes, therefore they've disrupted those codes and they'll need to fix that.

He said - book it in and we'll look at it.

I said ok - but I'm not paying for it.

He said I am paying for it or they won't do it.... I reminded him how the car worked perfectly before I dropped it off (except the error on the air bags).

To cut a long story short - I got the key working again (by unlocking the car manually then starting the car then turning the car off and locking it with the button) - it was obviously some luck that got it going again.... But - the air bag fault returned!!!

There's NO WAY ON EARTH I will go back to that company to get my fault fixed - they did nothing and above that they charged me for it!!!

I'm lucky, I am only $56 out of pocket - it could be way worse, but I am in disbelief that companies like this exist!!!

Anyway - rant over

 

[Serpentor]

go to the local newspaper or something

 

[slim6y]

go to the local newspaper or something

Yeah - it's an option...

What have done though is gone to the Head Office of this large Australian car company who were most dissapointed to hear that a representative of their company had such poor service.

They're now calling them up and going to make them rectify the situation ASAP - I will know more tomorrow...

 

[Jay84]

It sounds like you need one of my famous HUGS ??

hahahahahaha

 

[toddy1964]

what sort of vehicle,

 

[dtulip10]

So - my car's SRS (air bag) light comes on indicating there's a fault.

I take it to the car dealership which supplies this large range of cars and say fix it....

7 hours later they call me to say my car is all good ready to pick up....

I do...

The SRS light is off - they said they just cleared the error code and it didn't come back on so it's all fixed.

I admit I wasn't convinced.

I paid $56 for there 2 minutes of work (all they did was attach their computer and clear the code).

I got home - went to lock my car - the key doesn't work!!!

i quickly phoned up this company and told them - I said "My key no longer works - it worked this morning when I got to you and when i picked my car up the key stopped working...."

The man on the phone said well it's not our fault - we didn't do anything.

I reminded him they did play with the computer and the computer holds all the key codes, therefore they've disrupted those codes and they'll need to fix that.

He said - book it in and we'll look at it.

I said ok - but I'm not paying for it.

He said I am paying for it or they won't do it.... I reminded him how the car worked perfectly before I dropped it off (except the error on the air bags).

To cut a long story short - I got the key working again (by unlocking the car manually then starting the car then turning the car off and locking it with the button) - it was obviously some luck that got it going again.... But - the air bag fault returned!!!

There's NO WAY ON EARTH I will go back to that company to get my fault fixed - they did nothing and above that they charged me for it!!!

I'm lucky, I am only $56 out of pocket - it could be way worse, but I am in disbelief that companies like this exist!!!

Anyway - rant over

from my point of view as a mechanic i think the mechanic was in the right. a air bag system is separate to a imobiliser and would not effect the key, just a coincidence.

cheers Dayle

 

[GSXR_Boy]

At least it wasn't your cruise control stuck on

 

[toddy1964]

depending on the vehicle, the air bag ecu would have nothing to do with key coding for it is a different ecu, as for airbag faults its not usually as simple as clearing the fault, if there is a permanant fault in the system you can't clear the fault until the fault is rectified, in saying that the airbag system needs the correct voltage to sensors and airbags to maintain normal operation, if there is a bad connection or high resistance in the circuit the ecu will usually log a fault and disable the aibags, I suspect if the fault cleared and re-appeared it may just have a bad connection, but in modern vehicles the systems are fairly complexed and there is no 5 minute fix.

 

[slim6y]

My point exactly toddy - it's a 5 minute fix they did - and a fairly costly one too if I had an accident!!!

I will let you know what the HO says tomorrow

 

[Perko]

$56 is for the use of the scanner & there time.
Scanners start at about 6-7 grand & go up to about 20grand.
Nothing is free.
The service guy could have explained it alot better by the sounds of things though.
If the light comes back on & it is the same code i dont charge a scanner fee the second time.

 

[dtulip10]

$56 is nothing totally agree craig.

when i was on the tools a scan started at $100.

slim6y it was two different problems, dont blame the tech not there fault. i think ya got out of it lightly.

 

[slim6y]

My point - if you read correctly was I requested the car be fixed - and considering it's not road-worthy with the SRS light on they didn't follow my instruction.

They made NO effort to fix the problem - they just put a band aid on it which unfortunately was not very adhesive!

Scanning and removing a code from an expensive scanning machine was not my request - my request was fixing the car!

 

[BJC-787]

i just had mine fixed they said it was a loose wire to the air bag

 

[slim6y]

i just had mine fixed they said it was a loose wire to the air bag

This is also what I believe is the case - except the company I took it to made no effort to find this - at least the one you took it to - looked at the fault, fixed the fault, removed the code.

Oh - to live in a world where you pay money for a service that works...

As for the mechanics here who believe the company I took it to did the right thing think of this:

1) The car was left at the shop for an entire 8 hours - during this time the fault was only removed from the computer and that was it.

2) To get my car there I had to organise another car to pick me up and to get my daughter and myself to school.

3) To pick up the car I had to organise someone to pick me up and my daughter from school and drive me back to the mechanics. There was no offer of a courtesy lift or car (not saying that's essential - but saying it's customer service).

4) In order to drive my car on the road (to be insured) it must be road-worthy - in reality I should have the car towed there - at a considerable cost!!! None the less, I took a HUGE risk and chose to drive it (albeit carefully) - when it left the shop, the fault came back on, again it was instantly un-insured! Yet, I made every effort to fix the problem - it was a shame that the mechanic did no such thing.

5) I now have to drive an un-roadworthy car until they come to a solution or I don't drive it at all.

For many of you that's a big 'boo hoo' - but unfortunately I don't have a situation which allows me to be a no car family - I don't live in a big city where buses actually run. I live 30km from my place of work so taxi is out of the question at these costs.

Personally - I think that a mechanic should do the job requested and that's the final word - and I am sure many of you (who are mechanics) would be unhappy and frustrated if a car was returned to you unfixed. But I bet you'd make every effort to make it right again!

 

[BJC-787]

i took it to a holden dealer an it was there for 4 hours and cost me $65

 

[sara_sabian]

Contact the MTAQ and lodge a complaint against them, this should be covered under their workmanshop warranty, you deserve your money back or the problem to be rectified.

 

[craig.a.c]

2) To get my car there I had to organise another car to pick me up and to get my daughter and myself to school.

3) To pick up the car I had to organise someone to pick me up and my daughter from school and drive me back to the mechanics. There was no offer of a courtesy lift or car (not saying that's essential - but saying it's customer service).

Not everyone offers the use of courtesy cars.

 

[dtulip10]

you clearly do not understand, it may just be a soft code and there be no real problem. i think you should stop your complaining and try to understand the system they have removed the code from. you need to talk to the tech not, complain to authorities.
most of the time all you can do is remove the code and see if it comes back if it does not, it was probably just a low voltage signal.
so quit your complaining about the mechanic and talk to him.

 

[slim6y]

My complaint is quite valid - I paid for a service that was not given fully.

I did phone and talk to the service rep (they don't let you talk to their mechanics there).

Regardless of the soft code or any part of the computer system - let's face it - they were in the computer and that's all they did.

There's probably HUGE amounts of work to go through to find a lose connection or even something upsetting the sensors. And cars are so overly complicated these days. But why on earth charge for something you didn't fix??? Keep the car another day - that would be awesome. Make sure there's customer satisfaction. Make sure the customer gets what they pay for.

I'd have paid $500 if needed to have it fixed and safe - ready and road-worthy if that's what it would take. But I would NEVER pay $60 to have the car not fixed.

So if you think my complaint is whiney - then perhaps your family's safety, or your car insurance isn't as important to you as mine. So I do apologise that I didn't hit the same chord with you as it did with me.

But I also think I come from a familiar background where the customer should get at least the service they requested.

A mate of mine used to work with this company - and he had a laugh and stated - this thing occurs all the time - he was the rep that used to take about 30 complaints per day about the poor service and workmanship of this company. I didn't realise that before I took it in - he quit that job because the complaints were too much.

So I now feel even more justified to take it to the car manufacturers head office.

The fact I am in Cairns and the HO is in SA (I think) and they seemed to know of this dealership already - so it doesn't surprise me that many complaints of poor workmanship have arisen.

Again - all i am suggesting is that some times it's better to do a job properly or not at all!

 

[dtulip10]

has the light come back on yet???