This morning, a week after the first service on my year-old Octavia Vrs, I checked the oil level and found that the dipstick reading was well over the  maximum level. I took it back to the local dealer and waited while half a litre of oil was drained from the car's sump. The service adviser admitted that the mechanic who serviced my car had put too much oil in and gave me a statement of warranty work to that effect. I've driven 250 miles since the service. Is it possible that the engine could have been damaged? 

 

Also, I was advised that the rear brake discs are rusting and should be replaced (after 9,300 miles). I have taken this up with Skoda UK and they've asked me to send in photos, but I don't expect they will agree to pay. Surely, irrespective of the fact that the warranty covers brake discs for only 6 months, under UK consumer law the parts in question are not fit for purpose and should be replaced free of charge by the manufacturer.   

 

 

Edited 22 October, 20187 yr by romulus
Typing mistake

Most brake discs rust, then they get scrubbed clean by the brakes. They only need replacing if pitted etc.

1 hour ago, romulus said:

I've driven 250 miles since the service. Is it possible that the engine could have been damaged? 

Possible but quite unlikely at that quantity of overfill, in my opinion. What's the total oil capacity of your engine?

Edited 22 October, 20187 yr by Wino

Are you going to check the Oil now at normal operating temperature as per how it should be done, and then again when Stone Cold and know where it should be and where it will be before setting off on trips?

 

I hope they wrote and signed how much oil the Tech or Fitter actually put in the engine.

 

What have they given you to cover your expenses and time?

I hope the cost of the service or the next one done free.

 

Re Brakes and Warranty Exclusions, 6months / 6,5000 miles,  Brake linings & disc pads, not Discs / Drums in their wording,,

if you read the Warranty.  Then that does not excuse ****e discs.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/456595-brake-discs-reasonable

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/456529-issues-with-my-vrs

 

ŠKODA Warranty - ŠKODA.mhtml

SKODA_Warranty_Terms_August_2018_New_Car-1 (2).pdf

Edited 22 October, 20187 yr by Offski

5 hours ago, juan27 said:

Most brake discs rust, then they get scrubbed clean by the brakes. They only need replacing if pitted etc.

There is no  obvious evidence of pitting. But the dealer says that the discs should be replaced. 

Can you put up some photos of the discs?

5 hours ago, Wino said:

Possible but quite unlikely at that quantity of overfill, in my opinion. What's the total oil capacity of your engine?

4.6 litres. According to the invoice, I paid for 9 units of engine oil at £6 per unit. Presumably, each unit is equivalent to half a litre.

5 hours ago, Offski said:

Are you going to check the Oil now at normal operating temperature as per how it should be done, and then again when Stone Cold and know where it should be and where it will be before setting off on trips?

 

I hope they wrote and signed how much oil the Tech or Fitter actually put in the engine.

 

What have they given you to cover your expenses and time?

I hope the cost of the service or the next one done free.

 

Re Brakes and Warranty Exclusions, 6months / 6,5000 miles,  Brake linings & disc pads, not Discs / Drums in their wording,,

if you read the Warranty.  Then that does not excuse ****e discs.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/456595-brake-discs-reasonable

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/456529-issues-with-my-vrs

 

ŠKODA Warranty - ŠKODA.mhtml

SKODA_Warranty_Terms_August_2018_New_Car-1 (2).pdf

Many thanks for taking the trouble to reply.

 

I always check the oil about 5 minutes after switching off the engine and then again when the engine is cold. The latter reading is always slightly higher, presumably because the oil has had more time to drain into the sump. The dipstick reading is now where it should be. After the service, it was way above the max level on the dipstick.

 

The only evidence of how much oil they put in is the invoice, which shows they charged me for 9 units of oil at £6 per unit.

 

I haven't asked for any compensation. I took the car in this morning, they admitted their mistake and drained off the surplus oil while I waited. No real inconvenience as the dealer is only 2 miles away. My only concern is possible damage to the engine caused before they rectified their mistake.

 

As stated in my first post, I realise that that discs are covered only for 6 months. But if the dealer says they need replacing so soon - and not as a result of wear - this implies that they are not fit for purpose. In which case consumer law surely overrides the terms of the warranty?

So 9 x 0.5 litre,  4.5 litres.      Get them to say how much they drained.    The Master Tech should have checked that and b0llocked someone. 

33 minutes ago, Wino said:

Can you put up some photos of the discs?

Sure. These are the photos I've sent to Skoda UK.

Those discs look fine to me

Get those discs checked and measured.

 

By said Master Tech, then see if someone was Upselling.     Be sure your getting this in writing and Dealer Principal involved.

 

Lax management maybe.....    People are supposed to trust these employees to be competent.

They look fine too me too no ridge on the outside, no grinding or anything I think that garage is trying it’s luck 

Rarely seen photos of discs on here that look less in need of replacement.

19 minutes ago, Offski said:

Get those discs checked and measured.

 

By said Master Tech, then see if someone was Upselling.     Be sure your getting this in writing and Dealer Principal involved.

 

Lax management maybe.....    People are supposed to trust these employees to be competent.

As Superb TWM, ntl 123 and Wino have pointed out below, the discs seem OK. Hopefully, Skoda UK will be of the same opinion and will issue a *******ing to the dealer for recommending the replacement of parts which are serviceable. They are going to phone me back. As you say, I will need to ask for a reply in writing. 

They are at it.  The members are almost certainly correct.   Stevie Wonder could have felt the discs without the need of a visual inspection.

 

So the Master Tech needs your car for an hour to do a service correctly or supervise whoever did it.

Check tyre pressures, this is all part of even an interim service.

Do the Health Check items correctly and the report.

 

On the diagnostics, road test etc etc.   Making sure a car is safe at the 1st service just as at a PDI or a Major service.

 

Customers expect trained and qualified technicians or fitters or supervised apprentices. 

If the Master Tech did the service then maybe ta ra, root toot, needs the boot.

Edited 22 October, 20187 yr by Offski

28 minutes ago, ntl123 said:

They look fine too me too no ridge on the outside, no grinding or anything I think that garage is trying it’s luck 

That's my feeling too. After I had left the car at the garage for the service, they phoned me at home and tried the hard sell. Apart from the new discs, they tried to convince me that I needed an air con refresh. And that's after they had already persuaded me to pay extra for an oil and fuel system flush.

10 minutes ago, Offski said:

They are at it.  The members are almost certainly like.

 

So the Master Tech needs your car for an hour to do a service correctly or supervise whoever did it.

Check tyre pressures, this is all part of even an interim service.

 

On the diagnostics, road test etc etc.   Making sure a car is safe at the 1st service just as at a PDI or a Major service.

 

Customers expect trained and qualified technicians or fitters or supervised apprentices. 

If the Master Tech did the service then maybe ta ra, root toot, needs the boot.

As you say, supervision is the key. If, as I suspect, the job was done by an apprentice, his work should have been checked before the car was released.

Look like my Roomster discs. The rear discs are not as shiny as the front as the rear does not take the full braking. Dealers try it on as when I picked up my Roomster after its 3rd service they commented on the lip on the discs. I commented that a lip was starting to form after 2500 miles. Work at the dealers may be in short supply.

44 minutes ago, Wino said:

Rarely seen photos of discs on here that look less in need of replacement.

The verdict seems to be unanimous. It'll be interesting to see what Skoda UK say.

Those discs are perfectly good.

Rip off or clueless mechanic (quite likely given the oil overfill).

I had our other car - a Zafira - serviced at a Vauxhall “specialist” 2 years ago when I bought it, as it was a due for a cam belt. One of the huge list of advisories for extra work, was front discs excessively worn. 2 years and 20000 miles later they are still on the car and there are no problems with it whatsoever. I measured the discs myself and they were within the tolerance specified.

I have done all further servicing on it myself. To be fair they did a good job of the cambelt, but the attempt to get extra work was in my view a rip off.

What can Skoda UK Customer services say about Official Dealerships considering that Skoda UK and CZ are no better with honest or clarity of bluff and bluster.

Makes me question whether they actually just hadn't fully drained the oil in the first place and just put in 4.6 litres as that's what it should be.  Unacceptable either way as it should have been checked afterwards.

Name the dealer....

6 minutes ago, ScoutCJB said:

Makes me question whether they actually just hadn't fully drained the oil in the first place and just put in 4.6 litres as that's what it should be.  Unacceptable either way as it should have been checked afterwards.

That's a good call.