Main Dealers!

_kid_ · Unread post by **_kid_** » 10 Oct 2005, 15:43

I was bored so i rang them for a laugh

I asked them how much for a new accumulator sphere? The main dealer want £180 fully fitted

or '£400 with the box' (their words). £20 from gsf looks like a bargain IMO.

Its also amazing just how little these clowns know about their own cars, I asked how often the accumulator should tick to the women, puts me on hold, comes back and gives me the above gold plated sphere price. I asked her AGAIN how much should it tick, not a clue!

cornishbx16v · Unread post by **cornishbx16v** » 10 Oct 2005, 16:25

i would say that the reason that the parts counter knew very little about the car is that unfortunately it seems that the days of the parts guy knowing every model inside out are long gone! dont get me wrong, there are still a few about! the guy at the local renault dealers i used to work at had been there 25years, and still knows all the renault 5 parts of the top of his head! It is a shame but people eitherwant to drive the parts van or be a mechanic not a parts person!
I also think that the prices they offer are more of a case that they dont want the work! or more to the point, they may not have anyone working therewho knows what to do!

JohnD · Unread post by **JohnD** » 10 Oct 2005, 16:37

I still haven't been able to go to my local Cit dealer and get a part without having to wait for it to go on order. Most recent - aux. belt and plastic spacers for rear arm bearings.

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 10 Oct 2005, 18:11

JohnD wrote:I still haven't been able to go to my local Cit dealer and get a part without having to wait for it to go on order. Most recent - aux. belt and plastic spacers for rear arm bearings.

john you only had to say as i have a bag full of rear arm plastic linners,dint you get one in the bearing kit then
regards malcolm

JohnD · Unread post by **JohnD** » 10 Oct 2005, 19:24

It's an estate! GSF don't do a kit - only the bearings which are slightly bigger, and they don't do the spacers. But thanks!

Unread post by **Sir Clive** » 11 Oct 2005, 10:43

[quote="JohnD"]I still haven't been able to go to my local Cit dealer and get a part without having to wait for it to go on order.

I've been waiting for weeks for a new electrovalve unit for my C5 estate rear screenwash...the local dealers say they aren't available. I had the same thing happen when I needed a new rear silencer. Not very good for a current production car

Oh, and than you to Alan, our administrator, who solved my log on problems, for the last few days it's as if I was oustide the sweetshop unable to get in!!!

Unread post by **martyhopkirk** » 11 Oct 2005, 11:36

Took 2 days for my main stealer to get a handbrake cable in.

Price wise though it wasnt that bad.

j_roc · Unread post by **j_roc** » 11 Oct 2005, 16:30

I was once told that I couldent buy valve guide's for a 6 yr old Astra, that I would have to buy a complete head!!! I think not Mr GM - Alex.

bxbodger · Unread post by **bxbodger** » 11 Oct 2005, 16:47

Computer says no...............*

Years ago a main dealer would normally handle one make, and do so for years. Now they seem to chop and change all the time- our local Rover dealer now does Nissans, and you can bet that the partsman may know all about obscure bits for a K series, but he won't know a thing about Nissans other than what the computer says.

Our local Citroen dealer also does about 5 or 6 other makes as well-nobody is going to know much about any of them! They don't even have a seperate parts dept now- you go into the showroom and one of the sales people deals with you. I think the idea is they talk you into getting rid of your old BX and buying a nice new C5.

For odd engine bits I now go to the Pug dealers near work- they have been there donkeys years and don't do anything other than Pugs. When I wanted new injector seals the Citroen shop didn't have a clue, and although Pug spares are now looked up by VIN number they still knew what I needed- an XUD is an XUD, whatever the badge, and went out back and got them, even though the computer wouldn't comply!!!.

*(catchphrase from popular British TV comedy 'Little Britain' , for our overseas posters)

splat2 · Unread post by **splat2** » 11 Oct 2005, 17:44

I don't think main dealers want anything to do with something as old as a Xantia. They want to sell you a new car every 2/3 years and do nothing more in between other than charge you money to stamp your service book.

The ones I have experience of are incapable of actually fixing anything anyway. They have all this wonderful diagnostic equipment and are supposedly trained to use it, but when it comes to the crunch they just change bits one at a time until the problem goes away.

fastandfurryous · Unread post by **fastandfurryous** » 11 Oct 2005, 17:50

splat2 wrote:The ones I have experience of are incapable of actually fixing anything anyway. They have all this wonderful diagnostic equipment and are supposedly trained to use it, but when it comes to the crunch they just change bits one at a time until the problem goes away.

..... or the customer runs out of money. At that point the stealers, sorry, dealers job is done.

I'm also often driven to frustration at the utter lack of understanding shown by dealers. The latest issue was a complete penis of a parts man at a peugeot garage trying to tell me that according to my VIN, the car "cannot possibly have A/C sir".....it's a bloody 405 hunter... they ALL had A/C, it was a standard fitment, and mine most certainly has it!

So I called him a nob, and left.

Stinkwheel · Unread post by **Stinkwheel** » 11 Oct 2005, 18:28

I used to have a good local dealer.

CX parts easy, two or 3 days, dyane windscreen in about 2 days. Then they got bought out. Next time i asked they told me CX front brake pads were discontinued.

Oh well, thats the end of decent dealer.

Unread post by **user_3150** » 11 Oct 2005, 18:45

My local dealer part's dept are very pleasant people but don't want to know without my reg number. I find it frustrating sometimes, but then I have never been satified with any manufacturers main dealer parts departments. All for very diffrent reasons.

yangreen · Unread post by **yangreen** » 11 Oct 2005, 18:47

I think the idea is they talk you into getting rid of your old BX and buying a nice new C5.

That happened to my good lady when she made the mistake of taking her AX in for a speedo cable. They gave her a three figure sum for fitting it and when she said "no, that's too expensive" their reply was "oh, well can I put you through to our car sales department?!"

The response was not clean. The AX is still not clean either but it is still going after we fitted the cable ourselves - not a fun job!

Ian

Village · Unread post by **Village** » 11 Oct 2005, 20:47

I blew a fuse and melted the connector on the back of the H4 headlight on my old mans Rover, I went to the dealer (former citroen dealer I might add) for a replacement connector and was told I'd need a front loom!! the required part cost 55p from my friendly local motor factors, Autoparts (Malvern) (other motor factors ara available!!)