Servicing costs shock at Sidlow

[Buzz84]

I recommend TC Garage in Copthorne (between Crawley and East Grinstead), tel 01342 718556. They are VAG specialists and I have taken my motors to them for a number of years now.

Peter.

thanks for the pointer, but I just phoned them up and got an even bigger shock, their prices are even more than Sidlows

Service = £232.50
Cambelt = £423.00
Brake fluid change = £56.00

Total = £711.50

Sort of dispells the belief that indys are cheaper than main dealers.

 

[Cupraloon]

If your local give these people a try, had mine serviced there last week, & they didn't strip me up.

H & S Motor Services
Unit 2a, Redkiln Close, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 5QL
Tel: 01403 252591

The place i bought my car from uses them, to do all their sales servicing also.

 

[Timmbo71]

If you go to a main dearler, u will pay inflated prices.. i work on Chysler Jeep and Dodge, and our labour is just under £100 an hour!! have found sidlow v good so far. only had warrenty bits done as do own servicing.

 

[Dennis]

Main dealer had 4 franchises including rover and lotus (same engine etc) Lotus service ran a premium despite same people doing the work.

You could say it is because there isan increased risk of damage/if something goes wrong but when I took mine along for some warrenty work and pointed out expnesive paint job so be extra careful they refused to touch the car.

So why the premium?

 

[ginger_fool]

I recommend TC Garage in Copthorne (between Crawley and East Grinstead), tel 01342 718556. They are VAG specialists and I have taken my motors to them for a number of years now.

Peter.

ditto very helpful guys... ill be taking my Cupra there for services.

 

[james_tiger_woo]

ahhhh service costs what are they,,,,,,,,,

Nobody likes a smart-arse!

Anyhoo

Cambelt + Service a few years back:

Dealer £500
Independant £300

Sold to the independant.....

I've been to the same place with my old Leon and my Bora a lot - no problems, cheaper and better service than the dealer.

 

[wackyracer]

correct me if im wrong, but itsn the replacement interval for the cambelt on a leon cupra About 110K? ( 180,000kilometers)
I know it has to be inspected at 60k and then again every 30k.

just curious as this is what my book says!

 

[NickT]

You beat me to the punch Wackyracer, serves me right for banging on.

FYI if you read the service schedule book (it's a bit convoluted I know) you'll find that a cambelt service isn't due on a Cupra until 120k, the cambelt is only inspected at 60k and then every 20k after that until it needs replacing or 120k. It's the TDI that has the cambelt replaced at 60k. (This is a schedule book for an 01 LC so they might have changed it).
I was phoning round various Seat dealers for 60k service prices including a cambelt service (which varied wildly I hasten to add), cos i thought it was due, and it took an independent garage to inform me it wasn't actually due a cambelt service, just an inspection (dealers never said a fecking word!). That's when I checked the schedule book carefully. The independent did suggest it would probably be wise not to go the full 120k and that they usually recommend a cambelt at 80k. Of course my water pump went at 70k so it was done then by VAGtech. I was talking to John at VAGtech about this and funnily enough he said Audi had recently revised there recommended cambelt service interval to 80k (I think, well they have definitely reduced it).

 

[james_tiger_woo]

True, but it's genearlly recommended for most engines after 60k - I personally wouldn't leave it longer - nor would I want to find out what happens if I do leave it and it does snap....

Now why don't all manufacturers do chain-cams??

 

[wackyracer]

Im sitting tight on mine... I have a rather expensive warranty which covers the cam belt and any thing affected by it should it go prematurely so long as its serviced properly! im on 72k at the moment, but i must admit by 100k i will prob have it done anyway.
My old MX6 was great as it had a 'non interfence' engine so if the cam belt went it wouldnt knacker the engine ( well so they say!) yet to find anyone who had tested this theory at speed!

 

[NickT]

I was wondering why more manufacturers don't/can't produce non-interference designed engines, would save a lot of financial pain if the cambelt did fail, think I just answered my own question.

I certainly wouldn't wait until 120k, I think 80k sounds about right although I did read a thread on SCN (I think) where a traffic cop said they ran Octy VRS' and their mechanics usually changed the cambelt at 80k, but they did a test on a couple and let them go to 120k without any problems, but then i guess it's not their money!

I'm curious to know what the TDI boys do, as it seems to be the general consensus to change at around half the recommended interval on petrol lumps do you change them at 30-40k?

 

[Buzz84]

well i would be careful and make sure you phone around as I phoned several places and found that TC garage in copthorne was the most expensive for the work, wanting more than the main dealers.

Found Frosts in haywards heath to be the cheapest, cheaper than the indie garages. good service too.

alot of manufacturers are heading towards chains for timing which is good as they dont require replacement.