Service cost help - 6k estimate at £1200????

[Wroomster]

Hi guys, can you help. First service since owned car. has 17k on clock, about 800mile i put on myself. Diligent, dont rag the car from cold etc... i took my t350c in for a 6k service and MOT, they said they would give me a quick once over before commencing work to check I was happy to pay for all the adjustments.

Here is what they emailed me.....

"Yes, there are a few bits and pieces it is going to need for the mot. The headlamp aims require adjustment, both steering rack gaiters required re-securing, number 2 lambda/exhaust sensor is switching slowly, requires renewal and the fuel tank is leaking. We need to drain the tank to carry out a repair to it.

Also, the jump lead plug is corroded and requires cleaning, the o/s engine mount is broken, recommend renewal of both mounts, this is probably causing the noise when accelerating, the ecu temp switch is showing as a fault, requires renewal.

There are a few other bits and pieces (see below) but I have just priced for the above things to get the car through the mot and the service, the total is £1200 inclusive of labour, parts and vat. This is as close as I can price as there are options on the lambda sensors and we are hoping the fuel tank is an easy repair.

The drivers door is mis-aligned, requires hinges adjustment.
The passenger door is mis-aligned, requires catch adjustment.
The tail gate requires hinge adjustment and seal re-securing.
The timing chain is noisy, requires adjustment.
The oil tank and oil pipes are leaking slightly. Will clean off for now but will require new seal and pipes.
The catalysts requires re-sealing/new clamps, I have included the cost of the clamps in the above quote as the exhaust will have to come off to renew the engine mounts.
The diff is leaking slightly, will clean off excess.
The handbrake cables are rubbing through, not too bad.
The o/s door button cover is missing.
The dash flickering, suspect earth fault behind battery.
There is an air con fault code logged, suspect leaking pipe.

Have a think and let me know how you want to proceed."

I think this is a little steep, since the 6k service including oil change labour and vat was about £450. Also i have never seen fuel marks on the floor after parking up my car. I noticed the engine rattle, I suggested to them the mounts were lose. as with the door alignment etc.

What do you suggest, i need to make a decision asap.

Thanks,

[bogie]

depends on their labour rate?

in central London at £150 per hour, its not going to take long to spend a few hundred quid ...but if you are at a Northern specialist at £50ph., then are they saying there is a days work there now?

...how long do they intend to keep the car for?

to be honest, I think over 33K Miles in our last TVR, the avg was about a grand a time (or more if consumables needed) as theres always something that needs doing extra ....but we did live down South - I think avg labour rate was £80-100 ph

Edited by bogie on Tuesday 15th December 16:28

[timmybob]

Agree with Bogie. Very much depends where you are in the country. I used to bedget at least 1k, and be pleasantly surprised if it was less. As to whether the cost is worth it, depends on how long you plan to keep the car, but also on where you are having this work done!

[Druid]

To be honest the workload looks to be beyond an MOT and Service. My last 6k and MOT cost just short of £700 but the quote you have includes much more work.

[Wroomster]

The centre is based just south of london. about 10 miles, they seem like good guys. I think they quotes about £70 per hour for servicing, but i just want to ensure im not paying over the odds.

I think that the headlight adjustment, is dubious- i have the service history and the first MOT it had, the head lights were adjusted so comply with requirements. Do these dislodge over time.

Also I have never had any issues with fuel levels dropping.

Not too sure what they mean about the exhaust. Any pointers really appreciated.

[Wroomster]

Also the £1200 only includes the work needed for the service/mot, the stuff below in the list form would cost extra.

[TVR_owner]

It's by no means a dissaster...

I think whoever has looked at your car has been very thorough, and on the face of it (I haven't seen your car)very fair. I think 1200 inc VAT is not unrealistic for the work they propose - many of the faults are known faults. They have given you a price up front rather than a kick in the nuts when you pick the car up, and they have left you to choose to proceed or otherwise. In addition, they carried out what seems like a thorough inspection and appraisal, highlighting other, some not unusual, faults.

The only downside IMO is that you didn't get these folk to inspect the car before you bought it.

Edited by TVR_owner on Tuesday 15th December 16:15

[s6boy]

Wroomster said:

"Yes, there are a few bits and pieces it is going to need for the mot. The headlamp aims require adjustment, both steering rack gaiters required re-securing, number 2 lambda/exhaust sensor is switching slowly, requires renewal and the fuel tank is leaking. We need to drain the tank to carry out a repair to it.

Also, the jump lead plug is corroded and requires cleaning, the o/s engine mount is broken, recommend renewal of both mounts, this is probably causing the noise when accelerating, the ecu temp switch is showing as a fault, requires renewal.

Headlamp adjustment in a Tuscan can be fiddly but not sure if access on a T350 is any better.
If rack gaiters just need re-securing I can't believe that would take long.
There was a thread recently on the price of Lamda's I don't think they were that expensive or time consuming to replace.
Fuel leak could just require the replacement of rubber hose from the tank which is a known area of wear and definitely worth doing as it can leak on to the exhaust and will need the tank drained but not a long job.
If the Anderson (jump lead connector) is corroded it is definitely worth getting this sorted and associated cabling tidied, there is a thread at the top of 'General Gassing' detailing why this is.
Engine mounts breaking -or wearing more like is pretty much a consumable item with the Speed 6, however it is almost always the near-side which goes first so worth questioning that one.

Wroomster said:

There are a few other bits and pieces (see below) but I have just priced for the above things to get the car through the mot and the service, the total is £1200 inclusive of labour, parts and vat. This is as close as I can price as there are options on the lambda sensors and we are hoping the fuel tank is an easy repair.

If this figure includes the 6k service I don't think it's too excessive.

Wroomster said:

The drivers door is mis-aligned, requires hinges adjustment.
The passenger door is mis-aligned, requires catch adjustment.
The tail gate requires hinge adjustment and seal re-securing.
The timing chain is noisy, requires adjustment.
The oil tank and oil pipes are leaking slightly. Will clean off for now but will require new seal and pipes.
The catalysts requires re-sealing/new clamps, I have included the cost of the clamps in the above quote as the exhaust will have to come off to renew the engine mounts.
The diff is leaking slightly, will clean off excess.
The handbrake cables are rubbing through, not too bad.
The o/s door button cover is missing.
The dash flickering, suspect earth fault behind battery.
There is an air con fault code logged, suspect leaking pipe.

Timing chain should be sorted at the service to prevent excess wear although not part of the schedule AFAIK.

Pretty much all the rest are common problems and can be dealt with over a period of time.

Where are you looking to get the service carried out?

[tuscan_al]

I just had a 6k at Str8Six and the bill was 1k, and I only picked up a few of the points for them to do that I couldn't handle.

Most of those jobs are very easy, may take 30 min each so your just paying for someone elses time, how confident are you? Do what you can yourself.

"Yes, there are a few bits and pieces it is going to need for the mot. The headlamp aims require adjustment, both steering rack gaiters required re-securing, number 2 lambda/exhaust sensor is switching slowly, requires renewal and the fuel tank is leaking. We need to drain the tank to carry out a repair to it.

Does it pass the emmisons? If so sort the lambda yourself after.

Also, the jump lead plug is corroded and requires cleaning, the o/s engine mount is broken, recommend renewal of both mounts, this is probably causing the noise when accelerating, the ecu temp switch is showing as a fault, requires renewal.

Mounts, can be a pita so upto you.

Temp switch is £30 and five min.

Edited by tuscan_al on Tuesday 15th December 16:20

[Wroomster]

Thanks for your help.

I am getting it serviced at a place that rhymes with BVR SIX in Epsom (dont think im allowed to give exact details on this site..right?)

Many of the points are minor...in fact i asked them to look at the door alignment etc, just because I am quite anal and like thinks to be absoultely perfect. They are not major issues at all.

So I wouldnt say its a disaster....what I wanted to get done was get it to pass the MOT, get a 6k service and have the tappets inspected/done. And attend to anyother major mechanical problems that pop up.

I just want to to the important things now then worry about minor niggles later. Perhaps even do some myself.

[tuscan_al]

My first mot cost £500 courtesy of fernies, and some cat issues, or lack of! Chin up and enjoy the car.

Sure the 12k will break 1.5k

Edited by tuscan_al on Tuesday 15th December 16:59

[Targarama]

It does sound like they are being fair and thorough - mentioning leaky diff/oil pipes and saying they will clean off and to watch them is good in my book. Also being so comprehensive with the list of things needing attention is good news.

Most of the items listed are things which do need attention over the years. Some are more important than others. Why not get all the crucial things fixed (IMO you should check the fuel tank - it has been known to rub on the chassis on some cars - definite safety issue). Some of the cosmetic things can be done later (boot seal/latch adjustment for instance).

[tuscan_al]

Wroomster said:

The catalysts requires re-sealing/new clamps, I have included the cost of the clamps in the above quote as the exhaust will have to come off to renew the engine mounts.

New one on me that? Pretty sure the mounts are insitu job and no exhausts need to be hurt in the making of?!

Edited by tuscan_al on Tuesday 15th December 17:40

[Waitey]

Seems a little high. My 12k service @ Selby TVR was only £951 and that included tappets and a rear suspension re bush.

[willtvr]

Where and when was the previous service carried out?

[lovelyplates]

My last service at BARNET TVR was £1200 for a 12,000 mile service, and i think i paid about £750.00 for a 6k service....

[OatSy]

My last 6K service + MOT with oil tank seal replacing plus geo setup was just under £1,200, I think you should get the engine mounts done as these will need doing at some point anyway, even if they are ok now.

[willtvr]

willtvr said:

Where and when was the previous service carried out?

I asked this as it seemed rather a lot of items to crop up since the last service.

Edited by willtvr on Wednesday 16th December 11:04

Edited by willtvr on Wednesday 16th December 11:06

[SonicHedgeHog]

If you put this price in the context of what the T350 is (i.e. a £40-50k, hand built car) then it probably makes sense. It's a crap time of year for any bill like this but you don't own a Ford Focus. In fact, my Civic diesel cost £350 to service last time round and there was nothing wrong with it so your bill is arguable quite good. It will make a dent in your current account though.

[tuscan_al]

willtvr said:

willtvr said:

Where and when was the previous service carried out?

I asked this as it seemed rather a lot of items to crop up since the last service.

Edited by willtvr on Wednesday 16th December 11:04

Edited by willtvr on Wednesday 16th December 11:06

exact reason mine was so much, certian Hampshire Indy hadn't don't much on last two services.