Emergency mechanic
Discussion
Short of knowing someone who will do you a favour to get you out of a pinch, is there anyway way of getting garage work done quickly?
Like same day (or next day) fitting of a replacement starter motor on a commercially used van.
Sort of the automotive equivalent of a 24h locksmith.
Pre covid it felt like there was a lot more give in the system, but not it seems like getting anything done at all requires booking two weekin advance. But it seems daft for a small business to be knobbled for days for the sake of an hour two spanners time.
Like same day (or next day) fitting of a replacement starter motor on a commercially used van.
Sort of the automotive equivalent of a 24h locksmith.
Pre covid it felt like there was a lot more give in the system, but not it seems like getting anything done at all requires booking two weekin advance. But it seems daft for a small business to be knobbled for days for the sake of an hour two spanners time.
dhutch said:
Short of knowing someone who will do you a favour to get you out of a pinch, is there anyway way of getting garage work done quickly?
Like same day (or next day) fitting of a replacement starter motor on a commercially used van.
Sort of the automotive equivalent of a 24h locksmith.
Pre covid it felt like there was a lot more give in the system, but not it seems like getting anything done at all requires booking two weekin advance. But it seems daft for a small business to be knobbled for days for the sake of an hour two spanners time.
Possible approach would be a local Indy garage who is open to the idea of working an evening for extra payment? They may also have a job that day which isn't time critical and where the client wouldn't be inconvenienced. Like same day (or next day) fitting of a replacement starter motor on a commercially used van.
Sort of the automotive equivalent of a 24h locksmith.
Pre covid it felt like there was a lot more give in the system, but not it seems like getting anything done at all requires booking two weekin advance. But it seems daft for a small business to be knobbled for days for the sake of an hour two spanners time.
It's also plausible that an indy has their mobile number on Facebook or even their website so may respond to an SMS over the bank holiday.
I think it's just a case of hitting the phone and just asking. Most people are normal and want to help and Indy garages will understand he importance of getting a works van back on the road.
Something that's worth checking is how accessible the starter motor is. Many are a bugger but you'd be surprised how many are easy to reach and can be changed yourself with just a spanner. Worth checking YT for a video on your van model?
Click mechanic will find you a local mechanic someone will be up for a short notice job give it a try. A pal of mine is a mobile mechanic and he often goes to jobs offered on here at anytime of the day (if he has time).
https://www.clickmechanic.com/
https://www.clickmechanic.com/
stevemcs said:
Try the main dealer, mercs and Ford have some centres that are 24 hours, as for it’s only an hour or two, it’s hardly fair on someone who has been waiting for a few weeks to be put back so someone can jump the queue.
How fully loaded is the average garage?Was in a place that started as a spin off from a closed Honda dealer, but they do everything - they have a couple of people doing reception and it always seems reasonably busy but was surprised when the owner was talking about having quiet periods and the lads getting distracted.
Sheepshanks said:
How fully loaded is the average garage?
Was in a place that started as a spin off from a closed Honda dealer, but they do everything - they have a couple of people doing reception and it always seems reasonably busy but was surprised when the owner was talking about having quiet periods and the lads getting distracted.
You're forgetting that a not inconsiderable percentage of customers, as with any retail facing business, will be either Was in a place that started as a spin off from a closed Honda dealer, but they do everything - they have a couple of people doing reception and it always seems reasonably busy but was surprised when the owner was talking about having quiet periods and the lads getting distracted.
s or incompetents. They will make bookings and then not turn up because the dog ate their homework. Then there are the not inconsiderable number of employees who don't bother turning up when the sun shines, when a game is on, when it's a Monday or a Friday because the dog ate their homework.
And then there are the basic parts that just don't turn up that day because somewhere since crossing the Channel a dog has eaten someone's homework.
So the poor bugger trying to run a business and feed a family spends an awful lot of time being dicked about by the legion of adult toddlers and has to account for all the homework being eaten by dogs by spacing out bookings to deliberately run less efficiently than would normally be possible.
One could surmise that on the occasions when people are actually doing what they agreed to do and not bailing them the business suddenly has lots of downtime?
I know a couple of local garages that will work on the basis of "drop it off and we will do it as soon as possible" but that could be same day or it could be a day or two later.
In my experience a main dealer won't seem to do anything at short notice anymore but I think that's because when I call in my case the local BMW dealer I don't speak to the dealership but some call centre outsourced
In my experience a main dealer won't seem to do anything at short notice anymore but I think that's because when I call in my case the local BMW dealer I don't speak to the dealership but some call centre outsourced
KungFuPanda said:
It’s times like this when a good existing relationship with a garage can help you out massively.
100%. I have a local place that knows I rely on my car so will always squeeze urgent jobs in. I make sure that outside of specialist/servicing jobs I take my car to them for routine stuff. But yeah, sorry not to have got back to this thread, but some good suggestions there. Bad timing that the one guy whos mobile number I have is on holiday this week, only one of two weeks the whole year he closes the garage, Mainly MOT and servicing but they will do extras for customers and friends.
Used to live by a garage where the lads where always doing foreigners on evenings and Saturdays and its that sort of people you want to get to know.
Main dealers can be scary for a lot of people and rightly so, but I guess at times that could be the best option for some people.
Interesting there is an APP for this now, of cause there is, but makes sense. Presumably works a bit like Shiply for budding mechanics.
Used to live by a garage where the lads where always doing foreigners on evenings and Saturdays and its that sort of people you want to get to know.
Main dealers can be scary for a lot of people and rightly so, but I guess at times that could be the best option for some people.
Interesting there is an APP for this now, of cause there is, but makes sense. Presumably works a bit like Shiply for budding mechanics.
steveo3002 said:
flash enough money around someone will lay in the rain and fit it on the road side
id be posting on local fb groups , write exactly what van it is and what needs doing ,not some half assed story
Im sure this is very true too. id be posting on local fb groups , write exactly what van it is and what needs doing ,not some half assed story
I've swapped a starter motor on the drive my in the past as a student, infact I did the kitcars a fortnight ago. The only hard bit can be the access but otherwise its three mounting bolts and a big fat wire.
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