Charged

[Mr Ree]

Took the Octy in with a faulty 12v center console cig lighter to Mitchells Cheashire Oaks.

Wasn't working for the sat nav.

i checked the somewhat hazy fuse paper chart inside the side of the dashboard, that doesn;'t actually match up to the real fuse board, and everything seemed to be ok imo.

I was quizzed if I'd bought the car off them...why i do not know, and was warned after stating "no" that a charge would be made for diagnostic test.

I protested that this was a warranty issue, and they very 'kindly' waived that.

However, I am being charged for the fuse and installation of it. (10)

I don't suppose it was a fault on the car after all then....it must just be me?

Wonder why we call them main STEALERS then ey?

[TeflonTom]

you could have changed the fuse yourself for free...

[Dean-]

They have to charge something for the time they spent on it Seems OK to me

[nickguzzi]

Its not the 5 minis it takes, but the years of learning which one to change. If it was a vehicle under warranty, then I would think the good will is worth more, because now you'll think twice about going there again.

The fuse board guide is a mirror image, in their great wisdom, so you have to swop sides. No, I don't know either.

[Eddie-NL]

what is a fair price?

they are running a business, not a charity

[m0bov]

Prolly for 15mins labour.

[cheezemonkhai]

£10 is what 6 minutes of their time.

I don't think it's too unreasonable, even if the fuse only cost a few pence.

[CmB]

I would have done it for £9.50.

You would have saved yourself loads !!

[ryan-re]

i checked the somewhat hazy fuse paper chart inside the side of the dashboard, that doesn;'t actually match up to the real fuse board, and everything seemed to be ok imo.

It does match up, its a mirror image. Not very clever imo

[FriendlyFire]

My brother's father in law paid 65 pounds to have a fuze changed on his BMW. Or rather 65 plus 50p for the parts. So I think you got off light.

[Mr Ree]

Thanks for the usual 'understanding majority then. :think:

It's a warranty issue in my eyes, and as for 'well they've got to earn money somehow', well i was under the impression that warranty work was paid for by the manufacturers.

i couldn't find a blown fuse, and anyway, it must have blown for a reason, a reason that still remains a mystery.

[Mr Ree]

what is a fair price?

they are running a business, not a charity

Thanks for the kind understanding words and helpful input.

Much appreciated...not.

Edited 13 March, 2013 by Mr Ree

[TeflonTom]

Aren't covered by warranty, they are disposable items.. If there was an electrical fault which was causing the fuse to blow that might considered a warranty issue though.

[Mr Ree]

Aren't covered by warranty, they are disposable items.. If there was an electrical fault which was causing the fuse to blow that might considered a warranty issue though.

Indeed, and I appreciate that, but why did the fuse blow?

If the computer says 'no fault' though, then the customer gets stitched up, and I don't care 1 jot if it's 10p, £10 or £100.

I just hope it doesn't blow again anyway, or things are going to get heated.

[Eddie-NL]

Thanks for the kind understanding words and helpful input.

Much appreciated...not.

your welcome

how are fuses warranty related?

most car owners would have been able to do this minor job themselves

[TeflonTom]

sometimes fuses just pop for no reason, might have not been seated properly, or maybe it might be that something that plugged into the 12v socket has actually short circuited it, it's not uncommon for real cheapo mobile phone chargers to be dodgy. I'm not 100% sure about these but on quite a lot of late European cars the 12v socket it fed from the same fuse as the radio, so if you've been fiddling with that it might have caused it too.

[sherlocks VRS]

Fuses arn't covered by warranty unless there is a fault on the car as previously said and you can't complain about being charged when its possibly the satnav you have pluged in thats caused the fuse to blow as its designed to do.

[rwbaldwin]

IIRC, nothing else is fed from the same fuse and the socket will take a lighter (not just a power socket). Sometimes, cheap plugs can bend the two lighter contacts at the bottom of the socket so it's worth having a look into the socket.

[silver1011]

Fuses aren't covered under warranty in the same way bulbs aren't either.

The fuse is there to protect the cars electrical system.

It looks to me as though it has done its job.

It is expected most customers will identify and change their own fuses, hence the reason the method of identification and instructions to do so is illustrated and detailed in the manual. They even provide a couple of spares and a pair of special tweasers to extract the fuse.

The reason the fuse popped will very likely be due to something that has been plugged into the 12V socket, so not the fault of the car.

My local dealer charges £90/hour which id £1.50/minute. The dealer has charged you for 6.5 minutes of labour. Not unreasonable.

Had the car been in for a service at the same time no doubt they'd have done it for free. My dealer replaced a bulb for free when I was last in, but then I'd hope so for £90/hour.

I've lost count of the number of times I've had to swap hire cars because the 12V sockets had no power to charge my sat nav.

[Mr Ree]

Its not the 5 minis it takes, but the years of learning which one to change. If it was a vehicle under warranty, then I would think the good will is worth more, because now you'll think twice about going there again.

The fuse board guide is a mirror image, in their great wisdom, so you have to swop sides. No, I don't know either.

Thanks Nick.

I think you are the only one on this thread that can actually understand where I'm coming from. Appreciated matey.

I think some have you have clearly MIS-understood my gripe here, (or perhaps I'm partly guilty for not making myself absolutely crystal clear) and as is becoming more common in here now I've noticed of late, simply seen this as an opportunity to dive in, claws out, and taken the opportunity to slag a fellow poster off. Getting sick of it tbh. Some of you are just SO unfriendly.

I DIDN'T take the car in simply for a fuse change at all. I could do that myself., as I'm not a complet imbercile as some of you are possibly suggesting.

i took it in for the car to be investigated for a possible electrical fault as I couldn't find a blown fuse per confusing paper diagram as supplied.

Any garage with half an ounce of decency and common sense would have rung me up to advise the fuse was blown, and asked me would they like me to change it, as there will be a £10 charge to do so, OR either advised me as to WHERE exactly it is for ME to change, or just do it as a good will gesture to keep my custom..,.which they have now lost for the next service.

As a matteer of intrest, the rear 12v socket IS and was working when I plugged in my sat nav for charging, so I really don't think plugging it into the front one blew the fuse. I suspect it may have already been blown by the previous owner?

The fact that I was quizzed as to where I purchased the vehicle sounded out a warning siren to me.

In essence, they've seen their arse with me for DARING to take a car in under warranty that wasn't purchased from them, and decided to charge me as gesture of their annoyance.

Wasn't impressed with the surley flippant attitude of them either tbh

[banzaiman]

I think the Picture of the Fuse box in the Manual is the correct way round (Not a mirror image). I was trying to find a switched live for my add a circuit to connect a boost gauge to

[Mr Ree]

I think the Picture of the Fuse box in the Manual is the correct way round (Not a mirror image). I was trying to find a switched live for my add a circuit to connect a boost gauge to

I used the paper/card diagram sheet that's tucked inside the side of the dashboard, and it really is baffling.

Even holding it against the fuse board so it's the same shape so you can relay the appropriate fuses to the diagram didn't help tbh.

The fuses shown didn't relate to the actual ones.

[sworrall]

ive had the same from them in the past with a faulty wheel bearing. I put it in there as it was the closest to me and they advised me it was that bad that I shouldnt drive it. When I asked about a courtesy car they said no problem, we'll find you something even though our cars are out. 15 mins later the boss pops out and asks "did you buy it form here?" with the answer being no they now couldnt do anything re a loan car for me except hold onto my car until the part came in two weeks later.

I ended up ringing around the other dealers and found slaters could get one so I drove it there and got it fixed the next day with a loan car too. That was the point that i moved all my servicing for the last 10 years to slaters in abergele (now lightcliffe)

I'd agree that no they arent a charity but for the sake of replacing a fuse (or asking you first if you wanted it changing and charging) they could have kept you as a servicing customer and potential new car buyer in the future. Theyve gained £10 and lost a customer. very short sighted :(

[Mr Ree]

ive had the same from them in the past with a faulty wheel bearing. I put it in there as it was the closest to me and they advised me it was that bad that I shouldnt drive it. When I asked about a courtesy car they said no problem, we'll find you something even though our cars are out. 15 mins later the boss pops out and asks "did you buy it form here?" with the answer being no they now couldnt do anything re a loan car for me except hold onto my car until the part came in two weeks later.

I ended up ringing around the other dealers and found slaters could get one so I drove it there and got it fixed the next day with a loan car too. That was the point that i moved all my servicing for the last 10 years to slaters in abergele (now lightcliffe)

I'd agree that no they arent a charity but for the sake of replacing a fuse (or asking you first if you wanted it changing and charging) they could have kept you as a servicing customer and potential new car buyer in the future. Theyve gained £10 and lost a customer. very short sighted :(

+1, and thank you. You seemd to have grasped what I'm rambling on about without resorting to personal swipes.

My faith in here is being restored.

[CmB]

+1, and thank you. You seemd to have grasped what I'm rambling on about without resorting to personal swipes.

My faith in here is being restored.

OK OK...i will change it for £6.50 and throw in a half used air freshener

What i don't understand is why dealers think people are going to carry on using them when they do things like this. I guess they assume people are going to return to them whatever. The only way i would go back to a dealer now is if i absolutely had to for warranty work, like yourself, but i would make sure they did not carry out any work without a phone call to myself beforehand.

The VW specialist i use now will always phone before doing any work however minor and run through it with me on the phone. The same garage did not charge a penny for activating bluetooth, via VCDS, on my Amundsen stereo and it is things like that which will always make me want to go back.

(on a side note i will slag you off for spelling 'complete' incorrectly..............grammar nazi awaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy :moon: )