60 000km service

[Deco]

Fully agree Mat!

I use to service my 200sx/Silvia apart from the brakes and pollen filter everything else took less than an hour with basic tools.

[brad1.8T]

Dr Mat
I'm qualified but rusty (haven't swung spanners for $$ in years) but your times are low if you are doing the job properly, carefully & taking some pride in your work.

Engine oil & filter - 45 mins (car in holding area to workshop, get spares, road test, return to holding area, etc)
Spark Plugs - 30 minutes. inc R&R, check gaps, anti-seize threads, other stuff
Air filter - 10 mins inc clean out filter box, dedust
Pollen Filter - 5 mins
Brake Fluid - 30 mins
Check brakes, tyre pressures x5, lights, wipers, other ancillaries - 10 mins.

If your a noob then ad 50% to those times.

Agree that $500 - $700 labour is a bit steep.

[DRMAT]

Come on Brad... if you're an ex-grease monkey then you know it doesn't take 45mins to change the oil and filter. The longest part of th eoil change is waiting for the old oil to come out. Plugs don't take 30mins esp if you've already got the engine cover off to do the filter. And i've stood next to the BMW guys that work on my wifes car while they flushed and bled the brakes... it literally takes 2mins per caliper with the air pressurised tool, connect the hose to the bleed nipple, crack it and it sucks the fluid through. And since when did time spent walking to get the car from the lot count as labour.

And as you said, "if you are doing the job properly, carefully & taking some pride in your work."... when did that ever apply in a dealership?

[Maverick]

Originally Posted by DRMAT

And since when did time spent walking to get the car from the lot count as labour.

What is it than if it's not billable time? Personal time? Lunch?

What about getting the parts together for the service and lining up at the counter? Should they do this in their lunch break?

Perhaps the paperwork is also filled out in their toilet break times?

And I guess cleaning and putting the tools away, cleaning up the work area for the next car falls under tea breaks?

[mr_mocha]

Has anyone ordered the OEM parts from any of the US websites and just handed them over to the stealer to service?

I saw on a few websites the OEM oil filter is around $10US = $12AUS the stealer price is $30. I know I haven't accounted for postage charges, but if purchased in bulk could be worth a few $$$ saving.

[brad1.8T]

Originally Posted by DRMAT

Come on Brad... if you're an ex-grease monkey then you know it doesn't take 45mins to change the oil and filter. The longest part of th eoil change is waiting for the old oil to come out. Plugs don't take 30mins esp if you've already got the engine cover off to do the filter. And i've stood next to the BMW guys that work on my wifes car while they flushed and bled the brakes... it literally takes 2mins per caliper with the air pressurised tool, connect the hose to the bleed nipple, crack it and it sucks the fluid through. And since when did time spent walking to get the car from the lot count as labour.

And as you said, "if you are doing the job properly, carefully & taking some pride in your work."... when did that ever apply in a dealership?

No it doesn't take 45 mins to do an oil & filter change. It does take 45mins-1 hour to do a proper oil service with all the checks.

Billable time starts from the moment you are given the jobcard by the Workshop Controller until you hand it back as a completed job. How else would you account for the 7 hours 36 minutes you are paid for? That includes picking up the spares (which should be pre-picked & binned), finding any specialised tools (because they won't buy one for each mech), finding something to put the oil in, cleaning up after yourself, etc. It's part of the job. If you have a builder at your house, do you stop paying him when he walks to/from the truck to get nails & tools? When I was doing hydraulics we charged from the moment we left home.

I'll be honest, I've never worked on a modern VAG car, so I'm guessing those times but that's what I think it would take me. I know for a fact that I'm slower than most mechanics but in the 14 years I worked on cars, I only had a maybe a couple of dozen comebacks & I used to make good profit for my employers - I even had a steady stream of customers that would only book their car in if me or a couple of the other guys could work on the car.

I worked at a government garage surrounded by British Leyland crap, 2x Toyota dealerships, an independant, a multinational tyre/brake/suspension place, a BMW dealership, Kmart, Ford & a major aircraft overhaul centre over a period of 32 years. Overall the ratios of good/bad mechs was pretty much the same in all of them probably 40%good:40% mediocre:20% billygoats. I'd guess it's probably the same now. Possibly a bit worse because if you have the aptitude to fix cars then you can also be a sparky or a plumber or a computer dude or get into an allied mechanical field (I did the last two) that's cleaner & pays more & people respect your abilities. None of the mechs that I have kept in touch with over the years have stayed in the trade.

[Deco]

All in All still a RIPOFF!!

[Maverick]

Originally Posted by Deco

All in All still a RIPOFF!!

Simple, if you don't like it either do it yourself, take it somewhere to get it done (ultratune will be right up your alley) or start up your own VW cut price service centre

Just because you can't see the value of the work performed doesn't mean it's a ripoff.

[DRMAT]

Or take it to a VW specialist who actually gives a shit about you and your car, charges far less, fixes what you ask for instead of giving lame excuses for why they couldn't do it and does better work. Little guy FTW.

[johno]

i think people get burnt either way Mat. Have had some good stealer experiences and bad and good and bad private mechanic experiences as well. All a bit hit and miss really.

[mr_mocha]

Any chance of getting a scan of a 60k service invoice?

I am after the genuine part # for the items changed in the 60k service. Thanks in advance.

[Deco]

Maverick do u have nothing better to do but be a condescending prick? Are people only allowed to have an opinion if it's the same as yours?

And yes I will be taking it to my regular mechanic who use to work for Renault and VW in Europe.

$1076 for a service is a RIPOFF and looks like most people on here feel the same. If ur happy to pay that amount thats fine, but don't expect others to agree it's a fair price.

[PASHN8]

Thank the lord my dad taught me to spin spanners at an early age! (i'm a photographer with an I.T. background)

60k service seems quite basic to do and i'd love to do it myself to save the hundreds or dollars, but i'll need the books stamped to keep the next owner happy unfortunately.

Deano from Volkspower will definitely be getting my 60,000 service when it comes around (which could be a while given I drive the car 4-8 times a month) as he seems to be one of the friendliest and straightforward mechanics I have come across in a while and i've come across plenty!

[saad]

Dino love your real estate work, its an area Ive been trying to get into myself:

http://mizaage.com/portfolio/architecture

[manol]

Originally Posted by saad

Dino love your real estate work, its an area Ive been trying to get into myself:

http://mizaage.com/portfolio/architecture

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU DON'T DO OR DON'T WANT TO GET INTO?

[HCGTI]

Originally Posted by Maverick

Simple, if you don't like it either do it yourself, take it somewhere to get it done (ultratune will be right up your alley) or start up your own VW cut price service centre

Just because you can't see the value of the work performed doesn't mean it's a ripoff.

theres an Ultra tune that does DSG services here in Melbourne.
and he doesn't rip you off

thats because its owned by Kosi.
Tony recently had his serviced by Kosi.
will be taking my car to him for next service, he knows VW's and is right around the corner from my house

[Big Yellow]

Originally Posted by HCGTI

theres an Ultra tune that does DSG services here in Melbourne.
and he doesn't rip you off

thats because its owned by Kosi.
Tony recently had his serviced by Kosi.
will be taking my car to him for next service, he knows VW's and is right around the corner from my house

X2 to Kosi!!

Former VW service manager and raced a GTI in the gt production series!! Def knows his stuff!

[G-rig]

Originally Posted by HCGTI

theres an Ultra tune that does DSG services here in Melbourne.
and he doesn't rip you off

Does it uphold your warranty and use correct oils/procedures? Sounds like it's a bit better than your usual Ultra tunes at the shopping centre where you'd get your car doors dinged next to the foulcans.

Originally Posted by manol

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU DON'T DO OR DON'T WANT TO GET INTO?

sounds like Saad want's to be good at everything, why not have a crack.

[saad]

I have a problem - I like too many things. I wish I could 100 years of active life so I could do everything I want. Sometimes I wish I lived during the renaissance where you had to be a a polymath, be good at everything, in order to succeed. Theres just so much stuff to do how could you ever choose just one thing!

[G-rig]

Or could be ADD/OCD... Just dont forget to take some time out to chill as well

[HCGTI]

Originally Posted by G-rig

Does it uphold your warranty and use correct oils/procedures? Sounds like it's a bit better than your usual Ultra tunes at the shopping centre where you'd get your car doors dinged next to the foulcans.

if everything is performed according you your service book and correct oil is used, i can't see why not.
its not like a nuff nuff is doing the service.

[G-rig]

Originally Posted by HCGTI

if everything is performed according you your service book and correct oil is used, i can't see why not.
its not like a nuff nuff is doing the service.

That's good was just checking as you usually think 'cheapest option' when you think of ultratune but like every franchise imagine there are beeter ones.

However I think a chap on whingepool was using lube mobile which is taking it a bit far.