Garage servicing

[Jay]

I've just had our C1 in for a service costing over 200€. It took them just about an hour and when I collected it they said could I please take it back on Friday as they didn't have spark plugs or a filter in stock. The steering wheel and carpets were dirty and I cannot see anything they have done apart from some fresh oil and I'm not sure they have put enough of that in, just about to go check it. The only reason I have it serviced at the garage is to comply with the guarantee otherwise I would do it myself! This, I might add, is a Citroen dealership. Anyone else have similar problems with garages, is it just here in France they don't seem to give a toss?

[cooperlola]

My o/h has expressed some doubts about what gets done to his car (or not!)by the local garage but as it's now nearly 10 and rhd we're not that bothered as they charge about half what you quote and are at least handy and pleasant.

My Nissan dealership, on the other hand, is really excellent and always washes and hoovers the car out after a service.   Plus I always get a call from Nissan HQ a week or so later to ask what I thought of the garage and the service. 

Change your garage for the next time - Citroen dealerships are two a penny here, after all - and complain to Citroen whilst you are at it.

[Jay]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

Change your garage for the next time - Citroen dealerships are two a penny here, after all - and complain to Citroen whilst you are at it.[/quote]

Yeah, you are spot on - already decided to change garages and I will be writing to Citroen to complain. They would not even show me the service list in their little book with the prices. Charging 40€ for 3 spark plugs which I told them I could get for 5€ each in the local supermarket. Their response was that these are genuine Citroen parts. They should be bloody well gold plated at that price! Anyone know where I can get a detailed service intervals and service items for a C1?

[cooperlola]

Don't forget, Jay, that a C1 is also an Aigo and a 107 so a Toyota and Peugeot dealer should also be able to service it.  I thought that manufacturers could no longer insist on servicing at their own dealers but that possibly isn't the case in France!

Does this help?

http://www.servicemot.co.uk/service/citroen_c1.html

Intervals here:

http://www.citroen.ie/contentv3/index.cfm?fuseaction=page&pageID=6891

[Jay]

Thanks very much for the links. Now that is odd. Citroen UK say 30,000 miles or 2 years for petrol engine C1 and I was told 15,000 Km or every year!! The handbook doesn't actually say how often to service. Suppose that is another thing to ask Citroen France as it is not on their website (at least I couldn't find it). It would be interesting to hear from anyone else with a C1. I have a SEAT and the handbook for that is very specific.

[Gardengirl]

We took our old Saab in for a service to a Saab dealer in Nimes; I'd pre-booked by phone and told them what service was due -a big one. On arrival they asked us what we would like them to carry out; I told them again it needed such and such a service, but we were still invited to say exactly what we required. It was ready when we called back, didn't cost a fortune and was in a clean state, but nobody seemed able to tell us what work had been carried out. That was our first, and for now at least, our last service in France. We had it all done again in England, and signed off in the service book.

We've since changed the Saab for another make, and have pre-paid what seemed a very reasonable price for the next 4 years' servicing at the main dealer's near our UK home. So unless we buy a car in France the situation won't arise again for a long time.

[just john]

Peugeot 107 (virtually same as C1 but higher residual) UK main dealer service price is £119.99 inclusive, every 10K miles or 1 year (16K kilo) service details are in the Service Handbook. (dependant on air con, pollen filter extra) (spark plugs only need to changed on 40K service)

Make sure clutch cable is adjusted as per service schedule or your clutch will slip because the clutch cable stretches over a year.

[idun]

I have never had anything cosmetic done to my car in France when I used to take it in for services, whether I have paid an arm and a leg or just an arm, thinking back, we always paid a fortune for services even at the little garage in our village who everyone told me was good and cheap, turned out it was neither.

[Anton Redman II]

My experience with the Peugeot is that France was cheaper than UK and that the service was clearly carried out. However I avoided the flash main dealers and went for a small local garage without receptionist.

[Jay]

[quote user="just john "]

Peugeot 107 (virtually same as C1 but higher residual) UK main dealer service price is £119.99 inclusive, every 10K miles or 1 year (16K kilo) service details are in the Service Handbook. (dependant on air con, pollen filter extra) (spark plugs only need to changed on 40K service)

Make sure clutch cable is adjusted as per service schedule or your clutch will slip because the clutch cable stretches over a year.

[/quote]

Thanks for that, looks like it must be 15K Km or yearly. There is absolutely nothing in the Citroen handbook about service intervals except for the inital free check. Our C1 has a Sensodrive gearbox so no clutch cable.

[Bugsy]

Just as a matter of interest our local VW Main Dealer in Poitiers send out annually, a booklet showing detailed costs of servicing and main-item repairs for all current models.

Maybe Citroen do something similar ?

.

[cooperlola]

I do find it odd that there is no detail on the servicing requirements.  My service record (a separate book which the dealer stamps every time I take the thing in) has a list for each service of what should be done, and thus the garage stamp confirms that all this has been carried out properly.  Otherwise, what's the point of dealer servicing and how do Citroen have any comeback on their garages if it's not done properly and a fault results?  Seems a bit rum to me!

[PaulT]

I can remember once being in a Ford dealerships parts department when one of the mechanics came behind the counter and said 'I did not need these spark plugs for such and such model can I change them for plugs for a whatever'.

I can only assume that some poor sucker was charged for plugs that were fitted to the mechanics car.

I once had a Wolseley 18/85 and one of the front ball joints went on holiday in Scotland. Did not have the tools with me to do it so found a BL dealer. 'Sure we can do that while you wait. I watched. The workshop manual says dismantle this and that - about a two hour job. They simply released the taper and using a deep socket unscrewed the old one and then screwed the new one in and I got a labour bill for 20 minutes work. A year or so later the other one was showing wear so I phoned a local dealer in Surrey but they wanted 2 hours labour but I dare say they would have done it in 20 minutes so I bought a deep socket and did it my self.

If you find a genuine garage stick with it but never put your faith in them.

Paul

[Jay]

[quote user="cooperlola"]I do find it odd that there is no detail on the servicing requirements.  My service record (a separate book which the dealer stamps every time I take the thing in) has a list for each service of what should be done, and thus the garage stamp confirms that all this has been carried out properly.  Otherwise, what's the point of dealer servicing and how do Citroen have any comeback on their garages if it's not done properly and a fault results?  Seems a bit rum to me![/quote]

I totally agree. I have a "Liveret de Garantie" which is stamped by the garage at each service and the mileage (kilometerage?) is recorded but no indication of what should have been done. I do get an invoice which shows the items (e.g. filters, oil etc.) that have been used and a total price. I would very much like to know before I take the car in what sort of bill I am going to have  (for example when a new cam belt is due) without having to ask and then have them look up the details in their little book, then go to the office to find a ball park figure.

I get the impression people just take their cars in for service and accept whatever bill they get! That is not the way I work I'm afraid.

[crossy67]

My sister doesn't believe in servicing and I think she is onto something.

She buys a car 3 years old with average mileage on so 35k ish,  She runs it for as long as she can until it breaks down seriously then she buys a cheap used engine from a breakers and gets it fitted.  Her last car was an Astra she put 100k miles on it changed the oil twice and eventually when the cam belt snapped she put a used engine in that cost her £100 from a breakers yard and ran it for a further 40k miles.  Other than that she gets general maintenance done, tyres, exhaust, battery and checks theoil once a year sort of thing.

[NickP]

[quote user="crossy67"]My sister doesn't believe in servicing and I think she is onto something.

She buys a car 3 years old with average mileage on so 35k ish,  She runs it for as long as she can until it breaks down seriously then she buys a cheap used engine from a breakers and gets it fitted.  Her last car was an Astra she put 100k miles on it changed the oil twice and eventually when the cam belt snapped she put a used engine in that cost her £100 from a breakers yard and ran it for a further 40k miles.  Other than that she gets general maintenance done, tyres, exhaust, battery and checks theoil once a year sort of thing.
[/quote]

That system is fine in the UK where you are never more than 5 miles from a garage should all go tits up, but in France where the nearest garage when you break down is far and away, it's Sunday/Monday and everything is closed, and the roads do not have any name, it's not too clever. Preventative maintenance is better than as necessary repairs.

[Jay]

[quote user="NickP"]

[quote user="crossy67"]My sister doesn't believe in servicing and I think she is onto something.

She buys a car 3 years old with average mileage on so 35k ish,  She runs it for as long as she can until it breaks down seriously then she buys a cheap used engine from a breakers and gets it fitted.  Her last car was an Astra she put 100k miles on it changed the oil twice and eventually when the cam belt snapped she put a used engine in that cost her £100 from a breakers yard and ran it for a further 40k miles.  Other than that she gets general maintenance done, tyres, exhaust, battery and checks theoil once a year sort of thing.

[/quote]

That system is fine in the UK where you are never more than 5 miles from a garage should all go tits up, but in France where the nearest garage when you break down is far and away, it's Sunday/Monday and everything is closed, and the roads do not have any name, it's not too clever. Preventative maintenance is better than as necessary repairs.

[/quote]

I agree there. We broke down and had to call the services. First thing the silly woman asked was "where are you, what is the postcode?". We didn't have a clue, I suggested she trace our mobile like they do in the UK. Seems they don't do that here and so we had to ask someone for the postcode! An hour later a transporter arrived for the car, two hours after that they sent a taxi to take us home.

[HoneySuckleDreams]

Our citroen garage "serviced" our car. Two days later it broke down so I had it towed back to them. it turned out is was the fuel filter that was blocked...."but you changed that when you serviced the car?" I said...."but you didn't ask us to change it" they said.

I've just been stuck in Brico Depot for 2 hours tonight with a broken car, 2 weeks after a major Citroen "service". I've knocked BD about customer service ever since I started using them. Not tonight though...two blokes and the security guard quite happily pushed me and car around the materials yard and out into the dark and deserted car park.

[crossy67]

I can understand that for some less mechanically minded people a service is reassuring but I don't believe it makes your car any more reliable, breakdowns happen regardless.  I am of the opinion, if my car breaks down and I can't fix it road side then no one can.

[dave21478]

[quote user="crossy67"]My sister doesn't believe in servicing and I think she is onto something.

She buys a car 3 years old with average mileage on so 35k ish,  She runs it for as long as she can until it breaks down seriously then she buys a cheap used engine from a breakers and gets it fitted.  Her last car was an Astra she put 100k miles on it changed the oil twice and eventually when the cam belt snapped she put a used engine in that cost her £100 from a breakers yard and ran it for a further 40k miles.  Other than that she gets general maintenance done, tyres, exhaust, battery and checks theoil once a year sort of thing.

[/quote]

Fine in UK, but I wouldn't do it in France.

I ran various bangers in UK for several years. Sub £200 purchase price and ran them for a year until the MOT expired. If it would cost to much to MOT, it would get broken up for parts and replaced with another one. That was in Britain though, where I could go to the auctions and get a good, running, legal car for £150 or less, or if required an afternoons rummaging in a scrapyard would turn up a working engine for £40 or so. This is just completely, utterly impossible in France - usable cars are never, have never been and will never be that cheap. Looking at LeBonCoin etc, I would say the cheapest price you will likely find usable car would be 600 - 700€, and even that will need some work. As for scrapyards....lets just say I am currently looking into a pallet delivery service to ship a Subaru engine here from UK for a friend.

Also, garage servicing whether its here or UK involves a lot less actual work than most people believe. A standard service is basically just an oil change and a quick checklist of "inspect and report" items. If you are lucky you might get the carpets hoovered or the screenwash topped up too.