Vauxhall service PHOTO's

Not obviously a grasp of good English.

That I cannot believe. The small garage maybe but not the franchised
dealers. The money they charge must go somewhere and I know it is not to
the lads on the floor doing the actual work.

I totally hate putting a car into a garage and avoid it if at all possible.
Unfortunately I now have a car still under warranty and so am rather
hog-tied for a couple of years. My local Vauxhall service manager is a good
chap (often lent me specialist tools in the past) but I still don't trust
his troops even under his watchful eye.

Once got an Opel Kaddet back from a big Vauxhall dealership. Came back with
a rattle it didn't have before. Opened the bonnet and found several
spanners, screwdriver and an oil can down behind the battery. Didn't go
back to complain - just added them to my toolkit.

Vin.

 

the words "Pot","Kettle" and "Black" come to mind

 

When i picked up my new car the salesman opened the bonnet, pointed to the
washer bottle and said that was the only thing that needed checking.

6000 miles later, when the clicking noise from the top of the engine got a
bit loud i thought i ought to check the oil.

Luckily a 1/2 litre was sufficient (although it did take a while to pour down
that little hole where the dipstick is)

 

Please tell me you're not really that stupid?

 

Hope you read this Mr Fatsod before taking your car back

1. If it has had a new head gasket then Head Bolts may need Re-Torqueing
after first 500 miles. ( Haynes Manual shows this is needed on my Nissan)

2. I would go into garage act as if you have been already informed of the
new head gasket and casually ask if you will need to bring it back for
Re-Torqeing after 500 miles.

3. Make sure and tell us how you got on.....

 

Agreed, but the engine in the photo is a GM unit. Reasoning:-

1). Cylinder head bolts are on the outside of the engine. On the Isuzu
unit, the bolts are under the rocker cover (apart from two which are on the
bulkhead side of the engine). Head bolts on the Isuzu are generally socket
head (Allen), not Torx type.
2). Braided rubber fuel leak-off pipes visible in the bottom of the photo.
On the Isuzu engine these are metal, besides which the injectors are mounted
on the bulkhead side of the engine. Taking a picture similar to what the OP
posted would require removal of the intake manifold.

Anthony
Remove eight from email to reply.

 

(SteveH) wrote in

which bit ? Believing the salesman or pouring oil down the dipstick hole ?

 

Unless he has an Austin 7 or equivalent, it will not need retorquing.
Most modern vehicles are angle torqued, rather than by a measured pressure,
therefore there is no reading to torque to. Sorry to burst your bubble, but
if a customer asked me to retorque a newer Vauxhall, I would have to assume
that they were older than fire, <g>

 

no because i don't have a fetish about "English like wot she is writ"

 

A strange collection of words to 'come to mind'. What on Earth were you
thinking of? Sounds like some fetish I have not heard of (and tried) before.

BTW: Shouldn't your statement start with a capital 'T' and end with a full
stop to make a proper sentence?

Vin.

 

It is indeed a difficult situation, but I very much doubt that punters
will try it on. If suspicious the garage holds all the cards to screw
the customer. The customer wants to build a good long term relationship
with the garage on fair terms and visa versa. Trust is a crucial
ingredient.

 

Once heard that Fiat sold 500 Cromas in the UK in total, so it's quite a
rare sight. And they didn't just dissolve in thin air since the body was
galvanised. I had mine for 10 years and no rust. Quite nimble handling
since car was light for size, but indeed some body flex. Poor quality
interior plastics warped on a sunny day, strange for an Italian car.

 

Topping up the oil via the dipstick.

 

They were OK-ish, but much better with a Saab, Alfa or Lancia badge ;-)

 

Nor do I. My own punctuation isn't up to me being too pedantic about others
writings. The OP to this subthread did use one misuse of English that
always riles me though. The constructs - "He teached me how to ride a bike"
and "I learned him how to ride a bike" smacks at the poor education
standards nowadays (or of pure laziness).

I shouldn't let such trivia bother me but the raised blood pressure gives a
nice colour (NOT color) to my cheeks as well as giving my BP pills something
to work on.


Vin

 

Out of interest, are you going to mention about the oil splattered all

Heh! I did that. Well, not all over Ireland. Uni was in Guildford, home
in Bracknell (that's a really long drive as far as the other Peter's
concerned!). Popped home to get various things, and while I was there I
cleaned out all the crap from the car (just moved the rubbish into the bin,
didn't go to any stupid lengths like vacuuming it or anything), and also
checked and topped up the oil. Left the cap off, and half way to Bagshot
there was a crappy old Uno in front of me and I could smell and see burning
oil - thought nothing of it, just a knackered car in front of me which I was
quite close behind. Then I get to the M3 junction (Bagshot/Lightwater) and
the smell's still there, but the knackered Uno isn't. I pull over and
realise what I've done. Oil's splashed bloody everywhere. A quick check
reveals that it's just within limits, so I carry on driving it (very gently)
to the Vauxhall dealer about 2 miles down the road, where I buy an oil
filler cap (plastic type as well, saves burning your hands on it) for £2.
Problem solved, though it was still burning the oil off for a wihle.....

Peter

 

(SteveH) wrote in

Actually that was my Mother not me
she'd done a course in car maintainance as an evening course and was so proud
she'd checked the oil and topped it it up all by her self that i was in a
quandry.
fortunately the puddle of oil on the driveway decided me and she did see the
funny side of it

 

How the hell did they manage to make essentially the same floorpan. ISTR
the doors are swappable between the Saab, Fiat and Lancia. Only the Alfa
had a significantly different bodyshell.

 

Yep, I liked the style so I got a Saab 9000 after that. The Saab is 200 Kg
heavier, and it shows in quality and durability.

 

The doors might have the same shape, but I don't believe they are
interchangeable. The Saab doors are much more substantial and closes
with a solid clunk, whereas the Croma's doors closes with a "pling".
The wheel bases on all those cars are exactly the same 2672mm or
thereabout. Saab has dead axle rear suspension, whereas all the Italians
had independent rear suspension. The Croma felt more nimble in turn in,
whereas the Saab feels more stable at high speed. It is a more relaxed
car to drive. The old Saab engines are extremely strong and durable,
and now perhaps getting into "they don't make then like that anymore",
territory as GM has taken over much of the business.