preston audi!...terrible

[V16]

just to share this with u guys.

took my car in for a service, all was well. i told them about the whining noise and the lack of power compared to normal coming from the engine, i was hoping it wasn't the turbo!

picked it up at 5pm yesterday, i've had a performance exhaust fitted. cutting a long story short the guy 'cleverly' explained they could not find a fault and the noise was probably due to the exhaust as the air flow is improved and the engine wasn't able to cope with it. he explained it so well that it got me and my cousin thinking maybe there is something wrong with my exhaust, which to start with i didn't think it was as it's only a few months old.

i wasn't clearly satisfied so today i took it to a corner garage and literally within 5 minutes he diagnosed the problem. he got my car up on the ramp and found a split/cut in the pipe connected to the intercooler.

i thought audi technicians had years and years of experience, but all they could do was blame it on my exhaust. idiots!!

 

[NHN]

just to share this with u guys.

took my car in for a service, all was well. i told them about the whining noise and the lack of power compared to normal coming from the engine, i was hoping it wasn't the turbo!

picked it up at 5pm yesterday, i've had a performance exhaust fitted. cutting a long story short the guy 'cleverly' explained they could not find a fault and the noise was probably due to the exhaust as the air flow is improved and the engine wasn't able to cope with it. he explained it so well that it got me and my cousin thinking maybe there is something wrong with my exhaust, which to start with i didn't think it was as it's only a few months old.

i wasn't clearly satisfied so today i took it to a corner garage and literally within 5 minutes he diagnosed the problem. he got my car up on the ramp and found a split/cut in the pipe connected to the intercooler.

i thought audi technicians had years and years of experience, but all they could do was blame it on my exhaust. idiots!!

Didnt I read this before cause giving me serious Deja vous.

Years & years of experience, tbh alot these days are fitters, not mechanics, which is just a module off module on job mostly, good technicians are few & far between these days unfortunately.

 

[percymon]

Sadly a lot of dealers are the same... Take car out of sight of customer, leave it an hour, change oil n filter, clear fault codes, handcar to even lower paid monkey in valet section to give it a quick wash, return car to front of dealership, charge customer £300 and wait til they drive off before laughing yourself silly

Sorry, but if a garage has a flashy showroom and a manufacturers sign on it I run a mile

 

[SAiLO]

Makes me doubt if it's a good idea to get is serviced and change the cambelt in Chingford Audi...

 

[warren_S5]

I run a 2 prong approach - dealerships for stamps, quality independent for diagnosis and fault finding repairs (particularly where no codes).

It's not cheap, but if you want a car that runs well (as opposed to one that can roll to the end of the road), and you want to maintain residual value it seems only way to go.

What makes it worse is you pay the higher hourly rate for Audi service, and they have no more idea of even recognizing (let alone diagnosing) faults than my Nan, so the last 4 issues have all been resolved outside the dealer network (faulty spark plug / inconsistent idle / nail in tyre causing drone / leaking rear diff). None of these are rocket science issues, unfortunately many of them seem to be clueless imbeciles.

 

[tdisportuk]

feel for you here.


if it wasnt for this forum, i'd be tottaly screwed.

Problem lasted for so long as clearly modules were moved back then couldnt be put back right so it was all forced which bent pins in the steering ecu!

 

[NHN]

I was under the impression your mate did the work on your car TDIsport, not a dealership, which is why it got damaged no?

If correct then I cant see the connection with your issues & this dealership experience, please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[scottie123]

I really dont like using dealers for looking after my car.

However I am stuck as I have no independent specialists anywhere near me, and I dont want to take a risk in using a backstreet garage that I dont know

 

[defer]

Took my S3 in to a dealers down south close to where i work for an oil change, which some how took them 4 hours to do (i had waited for it). They had found a fault with the cannister and solenoid for the fuel tank gasses so could i bring it in next week for it to be repaired. Took it in the following week. 2 hours later got my car back only half repaired as they'd forgotten to order all the parts necessary. As i was travelling back up north for a few weeks i said i'd go to my local dealers to get the job finished, not a problem they said as they could fax the details to them. Got home and spoke to my local dealers, to be told that they couldn't complete a job started by another dealers, unless of course i wanted to book it in with them so they could re-diagnose the fault, and they wouldn't accept a fax from them with details. *****. I only go to main dealers because its in warrenty otherwise i'd do it myself.

 

[Tyler Owen]

Swindon Audi seem pretty good at diagnosis ... just a shame they have scratched my car everytime its been in ....

 

[N8]

Bristol Audi are useless as well, most of them haven't got a clue, good job the germans built the car, as if they were made here they'd look like this huh:

 

[Lee_R]

I'm lucky my dad is a mechanic of 25 years main dealer experience and has no idea how to use a computer!

These days if you computer says no, the techy says no to. They need to engage their brains and do more physical checks rather than relying on the computer to tell them what to fix

 

[auroan]

I run a 2 prong approach - dealerships for stamps, quality independent for diagnosis and fault finding repairs (particularly where no codes).

Thats exactly what I do. Most of my newer A4's have been under dealer warrenty for a good period of time in my ownership. If my car develops a fault I tend to try and diagnose it my self (or take it to a specialist for diag), produce an official looking type diag "report" and then take it to Audi for the parts to be replaced under warrenty. Never had an issue doing it this way.

I'm more than happy taking a spanner to my car... but due to lack of experience compared to most specialist my diag skills are not quite up there. The only time work is actually done to replace parts on my motors is when I don't have the tools or access to a ramp, or if I can get the work done for free.

 

[V16]

haha.
Glad im not the only one who thinks the dealers are a waste of time. an audi stamp in the service booklet i guess can help with the resale of the car, but if i have a problem then theres no way i'll be going back to audi. £120 labour to fit a few filters as well, just because it's audi!

What makes it worse is you pay the higher hourly rate for Audi service, and they have no more idea of even recognising (let alone diagnosing) faults than my Nan, so the last 4 issues have all been resolved outside the dealer network (faulty spark plug / inconsistent idle / nail in tyre causing drone / leaking rear diff). None of these are rocket science issues, unfortunately many of them seem to be clueless imbeciles.

the hourly rate is just ridiculous, a corner garage does a better job for half the price.

and any garage can diagnose your car, £80 from audi just to check if the engine is giving out a warning fault is ridiculous. how audi could tell me they could find no fault, whilst a local mechanic took me for a drive and could find out the problem so quickly. Audi were charging me £99 for rear brake pads, i'm not saying thats much but for the same breaks fitted at a garage down the road did it for £70. anytime to spend less then i will, just means more money to blow on mods!

if anyone is from preston who needs tyres, brakes, filters etc. try Hi-Q on blackpool road. great place and great prices :icon_thumright:

 

[c_w]

the hourly rate is just ridiculous, a corner garage does a better job for half the price.

and any garage can diagnose your car, £80 from audi just to check if the engine is giving out a warning fault is ridiculous. how audi could tell me they could find no fault, whilst a local mechanic took me for a drive and could find out the problem so quickly. Audi were charging me £99 for rear brake pads, i'm not saying thats much but for the same breaks fitted at a garage down the road did it for £70. anytime to spend less then i will, just means more money to blow on mods!

if anyone is from preston who needs tyres, brakes, filters etc. try Hi-Q on blackpool road. great place and great prices :icon_thumright:

To be fair, brakes changed at Audi for £99 vs £70 at HiQ I would use Audi. That kind of price difference is to be expected going in to a dealership franchise and not too bad at all IMO.

However I do agree about the hourly rate charges being silly and the "computer says no" mentality!

 

[defer]

A good independant in the Preston area is Ian Collins on the A6 near Owd Nells, just do a google search.