Quack-Fit

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batwad
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Joined: 26 Aug 2003, 16:37
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Quack-Fit

Post by batwad »

After leaving a friend's house on Sunday night I felt my 306 pulling quite heavily to the right. I pulled over and, sure enough, a flat tyre (O/S/R) [:(] Fifteen minutes later I'd changed the wheel (by weak sodium streetlights, natch) and gingerly eased myself home.
As I've got 15" alloys and my spare is a 14" steel (albeit with a higher profile than the allys) I didn't really want to ride around too long like this, so I sloped off from work an hour early yesterday to go to a garage to get a new tyre. Now I know we all hate them, but I knew where the local Kwik-Fit is and thought that with the wheel already off they won't actually be going anywhere near the car, so I should be safe.
The chap who served me was helpful enough, and changed the tyre straight away in about ten minutes, for which I was grateful. There was a small bulge and an even smaller split in the inside wall of the old tyre, which obviously rendered it unrepairable as it's only about three months old [xx(]
Now I was almost pleasently surprised by my visit to Kwik-Fit until it came to paying. While the chap was asking me all manner of questions about my car, my house, my pet dog, my trousers and what I had for dinner last night, I couldn't help but overhear one of the other "mechanics" on the phone. He was doing an MOT on a ZX turbo diesel, which I'd spotted in the garage.
"I've got to ask you this question, because if it snaps then I'm liable if the engine breaks."
<pause>
"Well the thing is, the timing belts wear over time and we have to put them under strain for the test and if they're old or worn then they can snap which will damage the engine."
<another pause, I think the person on the other end of the phone didn't know when the timing belt was last changed>
"Well, rather than take the risk, what I'd do is change the belt now to be sure. The thing is that, to be honest, these French diesels aren't very good and have a history of..."
Well, at that point The Rage nearly took over [}:)]. "French diesels aren't very good"? [:0] I felt like leaping over the counter and pumelling into this spannergiblet that these engines were used in millions of cars by several manufacturers and as such have a proven history of being good, solid engines. I also wondered if he was aware quite the affect the TD engine had on the masses, being one of the first to provide them with a reliable and powerful diesel engine rather than the chuggers that had gone before it.
Fortunately for him, I was handed my receipt before I managed to reach for the nearest torque wrench, and my anger subsided. I had my new tyre and I could go home and fit it myself, safe in the knowledge that I knew I wouldn't forget to tighten up the wheel bolts, which I wouldn't put past some...
bxbodger
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Post by bxbodger »

My last conversation in TwitFit went something like this- "Can You fit 2 of those special offer 2 new tyres for £45 please?"
So far, so good.....tyres are now fitted, balanced, etc, then it gets surreal,.
"That will be £90 please"
"no, they are 2 for £45"
"yes, thats £90"
"no, thats £45 for both"
at this point the calculator appeared!!!
Plum behind counter-"look, 2 times £45 is £90"
"But one times £45 for two tyres is £45..."
"No, its £90"
"Get me the manager"
"I AM the manager"
"Then what does that big sign on your forecourt say- the one just there?"
"Oh...that will be £45 please......"
Cue snidely chuckling fitters....[:D]
VisaGTi16v
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Post by VisaGTi16v »

and give it 2 weeks and you will find out why they asked for all your details. They will ring you up to ask how the service was and then tell you about their other services like insurance and so on. Happened to me and my friend
gjb02
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Post by gjb02 »

I have mentioned on a previous post, how the Kwik Fit mechanic*[:I] had managed to fit a pair of tyres but had failed to notice my brake line had come free and was chaffing on the arb drop-link!!!
This was my original reason for going there in the first place, for them to investigate the funny noise I got when turning left!! It was the drop-link flicking the brake line!! It had worn through to the point you could see the dark inner core of the pipe.
I took it back and pointed out what they had failed to see, I was offered a free oil change when I needed it, and sent away with a, "it'll be fine!!" [:D]The pipe burst the following day, luckily I was testing it, whilst stationary.
* Mechanic - This one may not have been, however this does not go for all Kwik Fit employees.
Let's not tar them all with the same brush, eh.[:)]
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