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View Full Version : Why I don't normally take my cars to a garage...


MG mad
11-06-13, 04:13 PM
I'm not normally one to bitch and moan on a forum, but today I'm making an exception.

Took the ZS in for it's bi-annual MoT equivalent here in Germany. Failed on rear pads, headlight aim and a small spot of rust. First two easy, rust nothing major but not having a workshop welding was going to be difficult. So took it to a garage locally. "No problem, bring it in on Thursday and it'll be done by Friday at 5."

It wasn't, they hadn't started. No major, it wasn't a big job so we waited (fortunately took a German colleague with me as my German, while fine for ordering beer and food, is not that great). Spot to weld was under the wheel arch, no worries up on the ramp, wheel off, weld it up, wheel on (careful of the locknut, do it by hand please), car off ramp, inspector goes to give it the OK... oh crap, no brakes. Nicely welded through the brake hose, clever.

"Can we give it back to you tomorrow?"

Saturday rolls around with four new discs waiting to go on the car, naturally of course they can't find the parts locally, can we pick it up on Tuesday? So my weekend plan of changing discs becomes suddenly empty (filled with beer instead). So went in to pick up car this arvo, finished, all legal no worries. Finally. Drive off.

Think to myself, why did they put the centre cap on the other wheel (I'd left it off so they wouldn't lose it or damage the wheel removing it). Fearing they'd not been able to get the lock nut remover off stop, take centre cap off, no all good, but where is lock nut remover? Search car, not found. Drive back to garage (after calling my colleague to see what 'lock nut remover' is in German). Ask where the buggery is it, colleague who did repair found, looking a bit sheepish, tries to say he doesn't know then wonders half heartedly to the workstation, oh, there it is....

http://i1268.photobucket.com/albums/jj570/mgmad/IMG_0361_zps91f95077.jpg (http://s1268.photobucket.com/user/mgmad/media/IMG_0361_zps91f95077.jpg.html)

Clearly not done up by hand.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Shrug. "You have another one, Ja?" "No, I don't."

"Well it was a bit **** really."

So there goes my plan of new discs before our big alps trip next week.

petet16
11-06-13, 04:36 PM
There's the legendary German efficiency for you, made a nice job of destroying the adapter for the lock nut.

peterzs
11-06-13, 04:44 PM
Lucky you noticed it and you wernt up in the Alps, when you did.

Should have got them to get the locknuts off and supply you with a new set.

Not as bad, but when I went to pick my car up after a clutch change, I walked up to the car to find the garage owner filing the threads on one of the wheel studs!!!! Suppose they spun it up on the gun and missed the threads.

MG mad
11-06-13, 04:48 PM
I'm not trusting them with my car again... I'm organising some replacement (standard) wheel nuts to pick up at MG Live and will either borrow or buy a removal tool.

Plus, no chance they'll have replacement nuts. And while my German is quite average, theirs was not much better so communication was limited, at best.

Skillen
11-06-13, 04:55 PM
That is not the best result!
I started taking my locking nuts off when taking my car to garages for anything needing the wheels off as the last time I left them on the apprentice stripped the thing on the first go with his pneumatic wrench.

talkingcars
11-06-13, 05:30 PM
Not a good tale - I've pmailed you a locking nut removal method that works easily.

James

Alan.F
12-06-13, 03:58 AM
I'm not trusting them with my car again... I'm organising some replacement (standard) wheel nuts to pick up at MG Live and will either borrow or buy a removal tool.

Plus, no chance they'll have replacement nuts. And while my German is quite average, theirs was not much better so communication was limited, at best.

i have 2 ful sets of wheel nuts and locking keys you can have a set for price of postage

stamford
12-06-13, 07:55 AM
Incompetent tw@ts!

MG mad
12-06-13, 08:28 AM
i have 2 ful sets of wheel nuts and locking keys you can have a set for price of postage

Thanks mate, that would be great. You have PM.

caled
12-06-13, 09:16 AM
Finding a decent garage is difficult at times, and even ones that were ok can take someone on who is a bit... soft in the head.

I took mine for an oil change last year to a garage Ive used numerous times before. They must have taken on a new guy as I came back to find him explaining that it was a nightmare to do as he had to take all the oil out of the dipstick hole because they couldn't find the oil sump plug...

Bad news on the locking nut socket, least it should be easy enough to replace. Id be more concerned that the muppets had gone through the brake line in the first place.

StragglaSteve
12-06-13, 10:03 AM
Never surprising to hear that even the Germans cant do mechanics as well as us brits!

real annoying for all that to happen, especially the brake lines! but in all honesty, get ride of the OE wheel nuts and get yourself some MCgard wheel lock nuts... the OE MG ones are made of play-dough :(

MG mad
12-06-13, 11:28 AM
I had planned on replacing the locking nuts anyway, in fact had all but ordered some a couple of weeks back but decided to wait till next pay day (oops). I think the odds of someone nicking wheels off a 12 year old MG in Germany are pretty low.