Servicing woes, 981 Cayman GTS

[andygo]

Took my car in for it's 8 year major service to my local OPC.

Got home and checked the oil. It shows just the bottom segemnt as green, leaving three grey segments, not including the over max top segment. Thats underfilled by 1275 ml or circa 2 1/2 pints.

I dont think the brakes have been bled as there is no residual brake fluid inside the nipples. Tested by inserting a cotton earbud stick, came out bone dry. I'd be interested to know how the front brakes were bled without taking the wheel off. I had marked the wheel bolts nearest the valve cap and they were still in the same place.

I was however charged for 2 ltrs of brake fluid which sounds a LOT.

Not convinced the plugs have been changed as the wheel liners (which as far as I know have to be removed to get access to the plugs looked very much undisturbed.

I'll get the car jacked up tomorrow for a better look.

Oh, and I had to add over 2 ltrs of water to the screenwash..

Finally, I seem to have acquired a scratch on my wing.

The problem is like going to a new restuaraunt. If the strter is a bit off, then you doubly scrutinise the main course. If thats substandard, by the time the dessert appears, you are on a mission!

[andygo]

Rather not say at the moment thanks. Doesn’t really change the story anyway… .)

[andygo]

Interesting, quite possibly mine is the same although it’s always been steady before. I’ll open the tailgate to reset the reading just in case.

[andygo]

Youforreal. said:

Honestly…..really would find it incredibly hard to believe you were charged for an 8 year and they didn’t

1. put enough oil in it
2. go near the brakes or have the wheels off
3. change the plugs
4. fill your screen wash.

And you have been changed for all the above!

Apart from 4 which is an easy oversight, that would ruin a reputation if true.

Well I'm not sure about the plugs as I haven't physically looked at one. Will have a look tomorrow, easy enough.

But certainly the front wheels haven't been off and the lack of residual fluid in the bleed nipples doesn't instill me with confidence. I'm curious about charge for 2 litres of brake fluid, seems excessive.

I'm going to reset the oil level and see if it improves. But to be fair, it's the only method I have of determining the oil level. Whatever the actual level is, if it's reading low you would expect the garage to notice and sort.

I'll be doing a bit more investigation before raising issues with the OPC. Hopefully all will be ok and my faith in garages will be restored to it's previous low bar!

[andygo]

LunarOne said:

How are you going to reset the oil level?

If you open the rear hatch for 10 secs or so, that resets the display after a few miles. Seems a weird way of finding out how much oil you may not have in the engine.

https://www.porscheclubgb.com/forum/threads/oil-le...

Various confirmations available re this on the net.

[andygo]

I went to the OPC to maintain my warranty otherwise I would have used RPM Technik.

[andygo]

Slippydiff said:

More reliable than relying on what may or may not be found inside the bleed nipple covers … :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ITEQ-Liquid-Tester-Lights...

I get your point with the tester, but I replaced my brake fluid about 18 months ago when I fitted the new rear calipers that the original OPC sent me.

They sent me the calipers as no slots were available over the Christmas period and the January for them to replace so I did it myself.All four nipples in the rear calipers were seized, impossible if the bleeding process had been carried out 4 months earlier.

Actually that saga is the main reason I'm picky about the whole service process. The master tech from that OPC told me that they only need to flush about 20ml of fluid from each side of the calipers. I found that quite shocking.

Edited by andygo on Friday 10th May 08:41

Edited by andygo on Friday 10th May 08:44

[andygo]

I have added just over a litre of oil to get the level to indicate full.

The OPC has told me that they bleed the brakes without removing the wheels as they bleed them whilst on the ramps. Is that even possible?

[andygo]

You would think so tbh. I am on 20 inch wheels, but you would have to be a gynaecologist to do it!

Edited by andygo on Sunday 12th May 11:57

[andygo]

I went to the OPC to maintain my warranty otherwise I would have used RPM Technik.

[andygo]

maz8062 said:

This doesn’t make sense to me - why would you add oil when you’ve just paid for an oil service? Surely you should have ask the OPC to check what they’ve done.

Regarding bleeding the brakes, if they work and you’re happy with them, why waste your time speculating?

If I were you I’d have complained to the OPC about the oil and use that in accusatory way to question whether they’d done the other work and let them prove that they had. I certainly wouldn’t be substituting work that I’d already paid for.

The OPC offered to fill up the oil, but taking a 35 drive each way to get some oil seemed a bit of a faff tbh. I filled it up little by little myself so I knew exactly how much as in there. The car typically uses no oil between changes.

As regards the brake feel, they felt fine before I took the car in, no different afterwards. I'm just not confident they have done a professional job on the brakes, just on me!

[andygo]

981Boxess said:

How is that supposed to work with the warranty, allowing customers to fit calipers on a car themselves surely isn't in keeping with the warranty rules?

What about the plugs, you were concerned about if they had been changed, were they?

I was happy to fit the calipers myself, at least I knew they were done properly and bled well, pistons retracted into the calipers etc, plus I didnt have to wait several weeks for the privilege.





Ref the plugs, I could see shiny scuff marks on the bolts and finger smudges where the coil packs had been held to unplug them so I assumed they had been done,

Edited by andygo on Monday 13th May 19:42

[andygo]

981Boxess said:

Charging for jobs not done would have been a red card, a yellow it is then.

No garage is perfect indy or OPC, at least it is all sorted now.

Having your car serviced and not sure it's been done properley shouldn't even be up for discusssion rally. Garages can be their own worst enemy and unfortunately their reputation sometimes goes before them..

[andygo]

Mikebentley said:

I came here as the OP linked this thread rom another. It seems unless I’m missing something that there maybe an issue with an oil sensor. We haven’t got to the bottom of whether the brakes were done. The plugs may have been done. Has the OPC been challenged?

I don’t believe there is an oil sensor issue. It was showing as circa 1litre short and sure enough, that’s how much it took to show the correct level.
I haven’t re contacted the OPC as I’m waiting until I can put in a personal appearance.

[andygo]

Agreed, they don’t give a monkeys imho.

[andygo]

Making a complaint without gathering your facts is even bigger waste of time imho.