4000 mile old air filter...
Discussion
5678 said:
philmots said:
If there's something wrong with them, they'll want them back to find out what it is exactly.
Already been established. They tried to reject the warranty claim which I have then successfully appealed against. 
Just asked my mate what service was indicated as being undertaken. He doesn't have the book at his work to check but says he remembers it had 'all filters' ticked as being changed.
The dealer who carried out the work is being contacted to see if they can shed light on the matter.
Also, as stated by someone previously, Inspection 1 doesn't require a filter change. But every service requires a test drive to see if there are any issues not picked up by routine check lists. Poor preformance and economy should be picked up by this or the OBD readings I would have thought?
The dealer who carried out the work is being contacted to see if they can shed light on the matter.
Also, as stated by someone previously, Inspection 1 doesn't require a filter change. But every service requires a test drive to see if there are any issues not picked up by routine check lists. Poor preformance and economy should be picked up by this or the OBD readings I would have thought?
irodger said:
Just asked my mate what service was indicated as being undertaken. He doesn't have the book at his work to check but says he remembers it had 'all filters' ticked as being changed.
The dealer who carried out the work is being contacted to see if they can shed light on the matter.
Also, as stated by someone previously, Inspection 1 doesn't require a filter change. But every service requires a test drive to see if there are any issues not picked up by routine check lists. Poor preformance and economy should be picked up by this or the OBD readings I would have thought?
It would, but just because it looks dirty doesn't mean it needs changing.The dealer who carried out the work is being contacted to see if they can shed light on the matter.
Also, as stated by someone previously, Inspection 1 doesn't require a filter change. But every service requires a test drive to see if there are any issues not picked up by routine check lists. Poor preformance and economy should be picked up by this or the OBD readings I would have thought?
TheEnd said:
It would, but just because it looks dirty doesn't mean it needs changing.
NO but the fact that there is a big black mark on the floor where the filter has been dropped on the deck and if you look closely you can see the dirt is starting to clump together into big lumps means it is way past needing changed.A colour change isn't a good indication of filth but big lumps is an indication it is way past dirty.
thinfourth2 said:
TheEnd said:
It would, but just because it looks dirty doesn't mean it needs changing.
NO but the fact that there is a big black mark on the floor where the filter has been dropped on the deck and if you look closely you can see the dirt is starting to clump together into big lumps means it is way past needing changed.A colour change isn't a good indication of filth but big lumps is an indication it is way past dirty.
irodger said:
Also, as stated by someone previously, Inspection 1 doesn't require a filter change. But every service requires a test drive to see if there are any issues not picked up by routine check lists. Poor preformance and economy should be picked up by this or the OBD readings I would have thought?
???No way is a dealer going to pick up on a car being 2-3 mpg down because of a dirty filter (if it can even affect the mpg that much). Unless it's a fault that can cause misfiring, poor running or handling faults I really wouldn't expect a dealer to pick it up. I'd also be surprised if the test drive consisted of more than once around the block. In fact, I work at the other end of the road from a big BMW garage, and usually see mechanics spinning round in the junction to head back to base, making the 'test drive' about 600 yards.
Moral of the story: learn how to check basic service items yourself, request that they be changed at additional cost if you're not happy, and a filter can get very filthy in 20,000 miles.
Any car that has survived serious milage, ask the owners what their secret is, and it'll be 'I change the filters and oil every 5,000 miles and stay on top of maintenence'.
Thats shocking but doesnt supprise me. My missus has just bought a new car and the garage stamped the service book up to say its been fully serviced. When she got it home I checked and found the air filter was as black as the one in the picture and clearly hadnt been changed in a very long time. I dont understand it personally. When I service my car, i always change all the filters regardless. A new air filter for my golf costs something like 6quid from my local car shop and takes about 3 minutes to change, so its a no brainer for me.
I've seen filters look like that between the necessary service changes.
With most diesel parts, things go black pretty quick, but they still work fine.
What I don't know is how long it takes them to go black, it could even be as little as 4000 miles. There's enough people who have decided to challenge dealers over black engine oil in diesel onto to realise it goes jet black within a mile.
With most diesel parts, things go black pretty quick, but they still work fine.
What I don't know is how long it takes them to go black, it could even be as little as 4000 miles. There's enough people who have decided to challenge dealers over black engine oil in diesel onto to realise it goes jet black within a mile.
I wouldn't say it is always the mechanics directly but more than likely the management. Each part not changed but billed means less time on the task so more jobs can be filled in...plus a bonus bunt for the parts not taken out of stores but charged for anyway 
A friend of mine started work with a local GM main dealer a few years back and walked out after a couple of days. Service manager suggested wiping the oil filter and not changing if they thought they would get away with it. Same goes for anything else. In return the mech gets a bonus if he fits more jobs in.
Wherever poss I carry out work on all my vehicles myself. In my experience whenever I entrust any car/bike to a dealer it comes back with more problems than it went in with
....but they stamp the book so I should thank them for that ?
A friend of mine started work with a local GM main dealer a few years back and walked out after a couple of days. Service manager suggested wiping the oil filter and not changing if they thought they would get away with it. Same goes for anything else. In return the mech gets a bonus if he fits more jobs in.
Wherever poss I carry out work on all my vehicles myself. In my experience whenever I entrust any car/bike to a dealer it comes back with more problems than it went in with
....but they stamp the book so I should thank them for that ?WeirdNeville said:
??
I'd also be surprised if the test drive consisted of more than once around the block. In fact, I work at the other end of the road from a big BMW garage, and usually see mechanics spinning round in the junction to head back to base, making the 'test drive' about 600 yards.
Thanks, you've just confirmed what some of us have thought previously! I'd like to know if BMW HQ recommend 600yds as a suitable distance for a road test!I'd also be surprised if the test drive consisted of more than once around the block. In fact, I work at the other end of the road from a big BMW garage, and usually see mechanics spinning round in the junction to head back to base, making the 'test drive' about 600 yards.
rabbitstew said:
..the garage stamped the service book up to say its been fully serviced.
Cars don't get "fully serviced" anymore.Most cars alternate between minor and major services. The minor service is typically oil & oil filter change and some checks and the major service is oil and oil filter change and some more detailed checks. Spot the difference?
The other service items, plugs (if it's petrol), air filter, pollen filter, fuel filter and brake fluid will usually be be done more irregularly depending on time and mileage.
mrtwisty said:
Moral of the story (thread?) man-up, buy a socket set and do your own servicing. (then realise you haven't got any stamps in your service book when you come to sell it - bugger. I haven't thought this through have I....?)
Absolutely !Wonder how many families that can ill afford it dilligently take their cars to a dealers for a service and effectively just pay for a stamp and a signature in a little book ?
All a service is, realitically in most cases is an oil change, any half compentent person can do that and all the other stuff can be done as and when it is needed, a service seems fairly arbitary to me, one day a year where everything gets done, I just do mine as stuff needs doing, loads better and I dotn have to leave it at a garage. I do everything a service would entail, I have the manual and it hasnt brokend down
Cabin Filter
Brakes (Disks and Pads)
Fuel Filter
Oil and Filter
Air Filter
Brake fluid
etc etc
I reckon a lot fo the time the work doesnt get done at all in garages, hence the manky filter, a lot of the time a wash and a hoover gets done so it looks better but really, who checks, bloody racket !
JM said:
The car manufacturer will neeed to send them back to claim new ones from the light manufacturer.
I think my appeal moved it into the realm of good will, rather than true auc warranty. Thus I see it as me being given new units for free, not an exchange basis. Got to book it in tomorrow so will see what they say. I have owned my Esprit twice.
I serviced it myself not long before I sold it, replacing the air filter with a green cotton type filter that needed a bit of trimming in order to get it to fit properly in the filter housing.
About four years later, I bought the car back again.
In the meantime, it had been serviced three times, by two different, but very well known and well respected Lotus specialists.
At each service, the previous owner had been charged for a new air filter.
When I did the next service, I whipped off the filter housing and what did I find?
Yep, the same bloody filter that I had fitted
Same old story. If you want it doing properly, then do it yourself.
I serviced it myself not long before I sold it, replacing the air filter with a green cotton type filter that needed a bit of trimming in order to get it to fit properly in the filter housing.
About four years later, I bought the car back again.
In the meantime, it had been serviced three times, by two different, but very well known and well respected Lotus specialists.
At each service, the previous owner had been charged for a new air filter.
When I did the next service, I whipped off the filter housing and what did I find?
Yep, the same bloody filter that I had fitted
Same old story. If you want it doing properly, then do it yourself.
All of my cars have been serviced by the same mechanic for years.
He works from the type of back-street shed that you would never think of using to service/repair your pride and joy if you didn't know better.
He is a very trustworthy and competant mechanic and always gives you the old parts back without being asked.
Tim
He works from the type of back-street shed that you would never think of using to service/repair your pride and joy if you didn't know better.
He is a very trustworthy and competant mechanic and always gives you the old parts back without being asked.
Tim
mrtwisty said:
Moral of the story (thread?) man-up, buy a socket set and do your own servicing.
Until they ban home spannering!It'll happen one day. Just look at home electrics and gas work. Being ripped off by the professionals will be compulsory and just think how much worse their service will be without any competition!
supersingle said:
mrtwisty said:
Moral of the story (thread?) man-up, buy a socket set and do your own servicing.
Until they ban home spannering!It'll happen one day.
I would hate to do it for a living, but working on my own cars is one of life's few pleasures.
I've just been looking through the service history and receipts for my '88 Honda Prelude.
The old boy who owned it before me had it for over 20 years and it was serviced regularly at a Honda dealer.
The Honda dealer has 'replaced' the front brake pads 8 times, front discs 3 times, rear brake pads 4 times and rear discs twice. It's had new shocks all round and the rear shocks were then replaced again.
I very much doubt all this work was necessary (or even carried out) as the car has covered less than 75000 miles.
The old boy who owned it before me had it for over 20 years and it was serviced regularly at a Honda dealer.
The Honda dealer has 'replaced' the front brake pads 8 times, front discs 3 times, rear brake pads 4 times and rear discs twice. It's had new shocks all round and the rear shocks were then replaced again.
I very much doubt all this work was necessary (or even carried out) as the car has covered less than 75000 miles.
skinley said:
I've just been looking through the service history and receipts for my '88 Honda Prelude.
The old boy who owned it before me had it for over 20 years and it was serviced regularly at a Honda dealer.
The Honda dealer has 'replaced' the front brake pads 8 times, front discs 3 times, rear brake pads 4 times and rear discs twice. It's had new shocks all round and the rear shocks were then replaced again.
I very much doubt all this work was necessary (or even carried out) as the car has covered less than 75000 miles.
Sounds like a track slag The old boy who owned it before me had it for over 20 years and it was serviced regularly at a Honda dealer.
The Honda dealer has 'replaced' the front brake pads 8 times, front discs 3 times, rear brake pads 4 times and rear discs twice. It's had new shocks all round and the rear shocks were then replaced again.
I very much doubt all this work was necessary (or even carried out) as the car has covered less than 75000 miles.
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