Team-BHP - Friendly Neighbourhood Garage - World of Service (Sector 63, Noida)

My 2012 Manza Aura ABS has been aging very rapidly. Driving almost 100+ kms everyday from Greater Noida to Gurgaon and back, its touching close to 1 Lakh kms and thus beyond the regular visits to TATA Workshops, it is necessary to visit a reliable FNG once in a while. (Each visit to TATA is a productive day wasted)

Heard about "World Of Service" from my co-brother who happens to reside in Indirapuram and had got his Dzire detailed and some minor repairs done through them. My first visit was to get the rear wheel bearing changed. One call to Mr Tarun and an appointment was fixed. The work was done to my liking, comfort and convenience.

Visited once again to get the electricals checked. Faulty battery lead to Ignition Fuse blowout.

Strengths

Great eye for detail
Handpicked mechanics with complete Know How
Very courteous and understand your love for the car and are willing to share the work being done and the reason
Sourcing of OE parts at reasonable costs
Use sealed oil cans to avoid any transfer of impurities. Brands like Mobil & AGIP
MultiBrand - Lots of Fiats, Maruti Swifts, Honda & Lancer
Tricky works such as Steering Pump repair and Head Grooving

Opportunities

Relatively new setup but they are improving steadily
Following machines are slated for installation
- Alignment Machine
- Tyre Balancer
- Tyre and AC Machine

Since my car is still under warranty, I am yet to get a Service done but a casual chat with some other customers coupled with my own experience confirmed the quality of work being done. Once out of warranty, this is going to be my goto place for Service.

Overall very happy with the work and would surely recommend to fellow BHP-ians.

Name - World of Service
Mobile - +917053132424

Location Update - July 2017

World of Service Noida has moved to A17, Sector 67, Noida. This is a much larger facility with much more parking space and working bays and the physical infrastructure is slowly being upgraded in a better way. For customers coming from NH24 side its only 1.5 km more driving.

Google co-ordinates:
28°36'11.9"N 77°22'55.2"E

Map location link
http://maps.google.com/?q=28.603307,...91&hl=en&gl=gb (I am not sure if this will work directly as a link).

Since BHPian dhondusaxena has summed up really well, lemme too share the experience which I had when I went there for a complete service of my punto at 50,000 kms.

-The mechanics and electricians are one of the most experienced you will come across. They saved me from a clutch overhaul scam that a Fiat ASS was pushing me for by doing clutch bleeding and gear oil change.

-I put this engine oil-AGIP I-sint 5W40-fully synthetic from there, and I have found a marked difference in my way the car drives now. It drives just like new, considering how extra finicky I am when it comes to my car's maintenance. Plus, it drives, much much better and more responsive.

-They rectified my starter motor issue which the other workshops didn't do.

-The quality of work was done to my utmost satisfaction. And all spare parts used were genuine.

-Saw their paintwork also, its top notch.

People there are knowledgeable and hard working. They take few cars at a time, and devote their full commitment on the same.

-My friend's VW polo crossing 90k kms had an issue with a damaged sump. They corrected it for a competitive cost compared to what VW offered and his car too runs much better with no issues.

-serviced an i10 also. Their motto is no repeat work and any car that comes in, goes out with all issues resolved.

-A lot of things are in pipeline, for which we have ample opportunities to give them.

I've had some work done on my Safari and Zen by WoS in the past couple of months and have had enough exposure with them to compile the feedback. The work I’ve had done includes:

- Rust addressal on the Safari. There was a patch of rust discovered on the inside of the front right fender, A pillar and the inner bottom section of the tailgate. The work carried out was superb with a lot of attention to detail. The tail-gate needed to be repainted after the work and the painter had masked a sticker on the tail-gate and painted around it (out of sheer laziness I presume). I pointed it out to Tarun and the tailgate was re-painted with the sticker removed as it should have been. No questions asked and i wasn't charged extra for it.

- Tachometer and Start Button installation. Both of these items were installed by their very experienced electrician in a very impressive and clean manner. The exposed wiring was properly sleeved and insulated - without my having to ask. Leads me to believe the work standards they've set for themselves are much higher than what we generally find at FNGs and even A.S.S'es.

- General service and ignition problems. I'd been facing a bit of random misfiring and idling issues on the zen. The expert mechanic Irshad took due time in diagnosing the issue rather than making assumptions about the problem and jumping to conclusions. The problems were rectified with a new ignition coil and distributor ultimately but WoS made every attempt to repair and save money.

- Suspension and underbody repair. A friend's Linea had seen an under-body hit with a stone which resulted in a broken engine shield and damaged lower section of the front bumper. Along with this, we decided to get the Linea GC kit installed as the car was on stock suspension with 80K on the odo. All required parts were sourced in half a day and the work was completed in 3 days. This included some misc work like a power window and central locking issues. Again, every effort was made to repair and save money wherever possible. A very slightly leaky intercooler was discovered by Irshad and was repaired - again saving a substantial amount of money.

Based on my experience, these are the pros:

- Work attitude. The owners have set very high standards for themselves and have inculcated this in the work-force. I've seen each member of the work-force go that extra-mile and not even try to cut any corners. Not once have i heard the phrases "yeh nahi ho sakta" (This can't be done) or "yeh toh aise hi rehta hai" (This is how its supposed to be) when you raise a problem about your car to them. Irshad took half a day to fabricate/fix a minor plastic part on the Safari's clutch pedal to solve an issue of inconsistent pedal travel whereas every other person outside WoS advised me to live with it. They seem to live by the "Bob the builder" motto - "Can we fix it? Yes, we can."

- Expertise. The whole workforce comes with a rich amount of experience in their respective fields and each member has been sourced selectively. The range of work which they do is truly diverse. It will be a single-stop solution for all automotive needs once fully setup. Despite their experience, the guys working there do not have the "i know better" attitude which we find so often at A.S.S. The guys recognise an enthusiast and will treat you accordingly. While installing the tacho, the electrician (Anand) worked happily while i read out the instructions to him from the manual.

- Superlative parts sourcing ability. These guys can source everything under the sun - new, used or junkyard items. Try getting a Fiat ASS to get you an ECU for your 1.9D Palio. WoS even have tie-ups with OEMs to supply to them at a very competitive cost. While used items can be sourced by them, they will give you proper advice regarding the suitability of it considering the criticality of function.

- Facilities. While the setup is still a bit distant from being fully established right now, there is already a proper indoor paint area, a dedicated wash bay and even a lift (something very beneficial but not available at most FNGs). I am told an alignment machine, tyre balancer, AC machine, lathe machine and various detailing tools are on the way.

- Communication. One of the factors which many of us probably don't place a lot of emphasis on while dealing with FNGs but to me it plays a vital role in building trust and relationships. As it sometimes happens, there are unexpected delays in work or an unforeseen problem arises but I have always been called and informed and I can't recall a single incident wherein I have had to follow up or seek an update on the work progressing. Definitely gets a huge thumbs-up from me for the professionalism. Good service levels are a definite USP of this place. Ohh...and there's no restriction in talking to mechs and standing by your car while the work is being done.

Potential improvement areas:
- Cost. In terms of price segment, I'd put them above an average road-side FNG but below A.S.S. Some friends have been reluctant to come here for small odd jobs and prefer their road-side FNGs. However, with the work being done correctly the first time there is never any need for a repeat visit - something other FNGs which i've experienced don't live upto. So while other FNGs may save cost initially, i am not certain that in the long-term it leads to a lower cost of ownership overall. Plus, there's always a fuel and time cost associated with repeat visits for same work.

- Location. Its at one extreme end of NCR in an industrial hub of Sec 63, Noida. A lot of people have had trouble finding the place but google maps points it out fairly accurately. I am not complaining for myself though as its just 2 kms from my place.

Overall, WoS promises to be a one-stop solution for all our automotive needs once they’re fully established. I hope the quality standards remain intact, though, as the volumes and popularity grows. Seen many TBHP recommended places become complacent when the TBHP popularity becomes too much to handle.

Have visited them thrice.

First Visit:

My Punto had taken an underbody hit so got it checked. I was suspecting the intercooler may have been hit but they figured out it was only the engine protection sheet that was bent. Very nice experience I had.

Second Visit:

Second time I visited them when the blue&me had stopped functioning. The ASS said it was an electronic failure and the only option I had was to get a replacement north of 10k. :Frustrati

I discussed the issue with WoS. They took three days and were able to repair the module to perfection at a cost friendlier to my pocket. I was totally impressed with their commitment, knowledge and workmanship.

Third Visit:

Visited them third time two months ago to get my car serviced primarily. Once there I asked them to also replace the cracked front bumper. They suggested that the bumper could be repaired at much lower cost. I asked them to get the rear bumper repaired as well in that case and also paint the left side of the car. Got the delivery in time and the work done was beyond I had expected. Excellent workmanship. They also switched the oil to synthetic and I am loving the ride since then, no issues whatsoever clap:

What I like the most about them is their obsession with. They treat the vehicle as if it were their own and their technicians are not only knowledgeable and experienced but also very courteous, patient and passionate.

They also take pride in doing tricky repair jobs where an authorised service centres would do a replacement at much higher a cost.

They do not advertise and rely on references only as of now. I am a totally satisfied customer and highly recommend this place to everyone.

If you love you car, do give them a try once. Here are the pics of my Italian beauty right after the service. Both the bumpers repaired and complete left said painted:

I had been there too, last Saturday. The day of the Nepal quake.

I had an appointment fixed for 10 in the morning. Work in mind, was to get the two Punto bumper fog lights welded back to position. As Punto owners would know, these are prone to damage and breakage. These are held by brackets on one side and a No.3 self tap screw on the other side. Not too tank-like, no?

So, I was greeted by the workshop staff and the work started after 30-40 minutes. This was because their denter was working on a Honda City VTEC dent. (I spotted another friend and we started chatting on various topics. His Punto was been overhauled at 1 lac kms: the rear suspension.)

The denter opened up the bumper smoothly, so, it seemed he knew what he was doing.. FIAT bumpers are not so easy to dismantle. Rest of the work was smooth, they cleaned the bumper interior first. Then they welded the brackets and formed a "naka". Seemed solid and I was assured by them, that unless some vehicle comes and hits it from behind, it's unlikely it would fail again.

The hard part: refitting the bumper. While apparently the refitting was "fast", the alignment was not. They had to spend quite a bit of time to get it right to my satisfaction. The best part: they called in 2 more of their expert techs for advise, and only then, was it aligned to near perfection. clap:

I was happy and wanted to leave after paying. But, despite my insistence to leave the car as it is, they did a quick top wash, at no charge :). It was spic and span when I left the workshop.

They have a good setup now: aligners, lifts, dedicated paint area, a bonded store, AC gas jig, a clean and chic waiting area and good staff. Many technicians were ex FIAT and Honda. Some, I knew by face from other workshops. Like other posters have said, there is a certain warmth there, and you don't ever feel you are on the verge of being fleeced.

No significant cons worth mentioning.

Pricing: more than the hit or miss FNG, quite less than the ASS.

Would I repeat? YES, definitely!

After hearing some positive reviews about this place, I went one day(around a month back to check the workshop and get an advise on the fan belt noise for my swift. It was good to interact with the team and they seem to be knowledgeable of what they were doing although most of the cars they handle are fiats is what I could see and understand. The workshop is no where close to a proper car servicing workshop as one would like to imagine in terms of facilities and infrastructure (if you compare it with any service center), I believe they are still setting up things and it appeared to me as somewhat rustic with a polished gentleman managing things. The place is big and looks promising albeit if they setup the infrastructure to manage cars accordingly.

So I was advised the belt needs to be changed as it squeaking and it will resolve the issue, they incidentally also pointed out a leakage of gearbox seal which needed a replacement as well to resolve the matter. However they don't stock many parts is what i came to know and the required parts needs to be procured on need basis, anyways as I was short of time I left the facility with the intent of returning next day to get the work done. Next day before going to them straight I headed first to the Maruti Service Center which is nearby to this facility and I regularly get my car serviced from there, I generally wanted to understand the issue with the fan belt noise and also wanted to check the cost of changing the leaking oil seal replacement, I was quoted less that what World of Service was Charging to replace the oil seal and also the fan belt seemed to be fine and a simple pressure water wash on the belt resolved the issue, it was probably some dust which was rubbing against the belt and making the noise and the belt was as good as new, the belt issue has never cropped again till date so not sure why I was advised to change the belt in the first place, anyways I also got the oil seal job done at Maruti Service Center as I felt I would get a better service for the money I would spend at Maruti based on the infrastructure and clean environment of bay area where the car will be handled, the cost of overall work done was comparatively cheaper with better facility and infrastructure to handle the work.

To say the least, WoS is at an early stage of its life. Having said so, the owners are car enthusiasts & passionate about what they do. That really speaks volume because as a customer, you would quickly realise that its not a regular 'run-on-the-mill' service station like any other Authorised/un-Authorised Service Centre, its driven by their passion & love for cars.

The mechanics are well trained & have rich experience of having worked in 'Authorised Service Centres' of big brands - Honda, Tata, Fiat, Hyundai, 'Mercedes'. My personal experience has been quite good with short waiting time before someone starts to look into the problems of your car, quick diagnosis, offering of multiple solutions to chose from - quick fixes to elaborate solutions, additional checks on the car & with mild suggestions on upcoming part replacements, fixes, possible issues due to car's age & wear/tear etc. There is a complementary wash thrown in for any work that you get done on your car & you don't have to ask for it. Being a start up & relatively small, don't expect them to stock all spares of every manufacturer, but I believe they have all the running service parts of all manufacturers as well as a strong tie up with OEM suppliers (within the vicinity of sector 63 & else where in Noida) & OEM manufacturers, so availability of spares of most cars is not a challenge. All you have to do is have patience & it will be arranged as early as possible. I got my Fiat Linea's brake pads from them & it is working much better & smoother than the OEM part. Also as per the info that I have from them, they have also ventured into manufacturing of brake pads for all cars to reduce cost of ownership.

Service they provide : Wheel alignment & Balancing, all mechanical work, Car Paint, AC service, Wash & Cleaning area, fast moving spares, decent waiting area (your family members would not feel awkward here), good trained & amicable staff and above all a great attitude & knowledge about cars.

I have 3 cars, 2 of which are 6 or 7 years in running. Will I take them to Auth. Service Centre for most works - Perhaps not ! Will I take them to WoS - Definitely Yes.

The big litmus test

Owing to my superb past experiance of 50,000 kms service and other issues being sorted out, my car recently completed 58,000 kms and have been to multiple long station trips. I discovered that there was a drop in performance and emissions overall were higher than to my taste. Immediately suspected a clogged EGR and inlet manifold. Now, to get the job properly done I decided to go to WoS and gave them a list of few jobs to be done
-EGR and inlet manifold clean
-Brakes clean and service
-Clutch bleeding
-The tailgate needed a respray after a truck banged it near to my house.

While I was out for 4 days, I told them to take their own time, and do the work properly. While the car was worked upon, they called me up and told me that there is a minor leakage from the sump and oil had started to leak out, albeit not to an alarming level that it triggers off a warning on the instrument cluster. Also, one coolent hose has cracked and droplets of coolent were leaking. I suspected this to be due to an underbody hit from a recent trip on the weekend.

Cleaning the EGR and inlet manifold
Now, this process was what gave me a surprise. They took close to 6-7 manhours, just to open the EGR valve and the inlet manifold, as per the manufacturer recommendation. They did the job slowly and in a well organised manner. What I received on whatsapp shocked me.

Friendly Neighbourhood Garage - World of Service (Sector 63, Noida)-img20150614wa0011.jpg

Friendly Neighbourhood Garage - World of Service (Sector 63, Noida)-img20150614wa0013.jpg

The system was filled to the brim with carbon and soot. They took another 2 hours to properly clean the system, and another 5-6 hours to place it properly and reassemble the engine parts which were opened.

The car only came out of the lift on the 3rd day morning after this and all the other mechanical jobs were performed. They repaired the sump, resealed it, replaced the coolent pipe and first asked me to top up engine oil, but since I covered 8000 plus kms, I asked them to repl;ace the engine oil with new one and change the oil filter. Also, I told them to replace all the other fuilds since I wanted my car to run like new and be safe for another 40000 kms atleast. They did it promptly, and the tailgate was also repainted by their painter after it was removed from the car, along with removal of 2 areas of minor rust formation near the rear windowline. This involved removal of window and reinstallation with proper procedures. The following jobs were done at 58,000 kms:Tailgate paint with rust removal, windscreen removal and refit

Cleaning of EGR, inlet manifold
radiator flush and cleaning of intercooler
New engine oil, Agip I-sint 5W40, fully synthetic
New oil filter
New air filter
New AC filter
Cleaning and bleeding of brakes, and new brake fuild
Clutch bleeding
New p/s oil (mobil)
New brake oil (mobil)
New gear oil (mobil)
New coolent (puroguard-ANAND group)
General checkup and tightening of underbody bolts and interior trimmings
replacement of tailgate latch due to sensor issue
Suspension checkup (no issues found)

The bill came out to be a bit north of 19,000, which I feel is competitive for the number of jobs done, and the way it was done. The work was done with full precision and dedication and the car now looks new, runs like new, is environment friendly and much, much more fun to drive. Would give them a highly recommended status owing to utmost high standards of maintenance that I adhere to my car.

This is one FNG with a high standard, and hope that they continue to maintain the same.

Friendly Neighbourhood Garage - World of Service (Sector 63, Noida)-img_20150614_135811.jpg

Bottom line: What needs to be done properly is NOT done by company authorised service stations. EGR cleaning is a full day job, for which dealers charge north of 2k and "do" it in only 30-60 minutes-max 3 hours? on an average. A customer is not even aware of how it is done, and when I called two dealerships (of two different brands), they admitted that due to high targets and workload, they do not do the job properly and still bill the client for it. What further shocked me was that many dealerships do not do the inlet manifold cleaning properly. This has to be a 2 working day job since removing all the complex machinery is a tedious task. Not promoting WoS here, but what is a truth, needs to be told in the open.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidindica (Post 3730575)

The big litmus test

I discovered that there was a drop in performance and emissions overall were higher than to my taste. Immediately suspected a clogged EGR and inlet manifold. Now, to get the job properly done I decided to go to WoS and gave them a list of few jobs to be done
-EGR and inlet manifold clean
-Brakes clean and service
-Clutch bleeding
-The tailgate needed a respray after a truck banged it near to my house.

While I was out for 4 days, I told them to take their own time, and do the work properly. While the car was worked upon, they called me up and told me that there is a minor leakage from the sump and oil had started to leak out, albeit not to an alarming level that it triggers off a warning on the instrument cluster. Also, one coolent hose has cracked and droplets of coolent were leaking. I suspected this to be due to an underbody hit from a recent trip on the weekend.

Cleaning the EGR and inlet manifold
Now, this process was what gave me a surprise. They took close to 6-7 manhours, just to open the EGR valve and the inlet manifold, as per the manufacturer recommendation. They did the job slowly and in a well organised manner. What I received on whatsapp shocked me.
.

This came as a surprise for me. Even i asked them to clean the EGR when i was their for 45k service(current odo at 49.5k), but their advisor blatantly said EGR cleaning is not recommended. Since then i am still in the dilemma whether its good or bad.

So how has been your experience post cleaning? I am sure this is too early to ask this but please do share your experience after munching some miles.

Let me also share my experience with WOS. I will just state the facts and let readers draw their own conclusion. I have a Santro that’s used only for ferrying my Sister to and from office, and is driven by a paid driver. The car is now 12 years old and has done 1,31,000 KMs.

Day 1: My Santro Xing (driven by paid driver) stops on the road and refuses to start. I call WOS and they very promptly send a recovery vehicle that jump-starts the car and takes it to their service center. They inform me that the battery has gone kaput and requires to be changed. I give a go-ahead and they change the battery to Amaron. The driver tells me that the AC keeps tripping and the cooling is not effective. The AC expert (as per WOS) checks the AC and recommends a service. I approve the service and it’s done quite promptly. I am told that the compressor is weak thus, I won’t enjoy the cooling but it won’t trip. I tell him that I am planning to replace this car with a new one so, not interested in spending on things that can be avoided for now. Pay them Rs. 2000 for the AC service and the cost of battery, and leave.
Day 3: The AC stops functioning. The compressor doesn’t switch on. I ask the driver to take it to WOS. He stays there for 4-5 hours and then calls me that no work has been done. I call WOS and get to know that there’s some electrical issue with AC system and they will need more time to diagnose it. Since they are busy on a Fabia their team will be able to work after 2-3 days. I ask the driver to return.
Day 6: I send the car again. Around afternoon, I get a call from WOS stating that the compressor needs replacement. Reluctantly, I agree to get it changed. They give me an estimate of Rs 8-9 K for compressor and inform that work will be done by the next day.
Day 7: I call WOS around 2 PM to check when the car will be ready. They tell me that my Santro is the first model of Xing, and the compressor was changed in the subsequent models so, they haven’t been able to find the one for my car. They tell me that they have sent the compressor to the spare-parts guy to get the exact match. I get call later in the evening and inform that they have found the compressor and work will be done in the first-half of following day.
Day 8: I call around afternoon to check the status. I am informed that the earlier compressor had created an emery(or emmy, I didn’t get that term) in the system thus we might have to change multiple parts. Although they will try to clean the condenser, cooling coil and valve to try and limit the number of parts that have to be changed, they aren't sure if it will work.
Day 9: I call in the evening to check the status. WOS informs that nothing can be salvaged and we have to change compressor, condenser, cooling coil, RD bottle, and expansion valve. Although I wasn’t too convinced, I agree to get it all done as the car is ~12 years and was running on stock AC. I am told that it will be ready by the next evening.
Day 10: I call in morning and am told that the team is working and should be able to finish it by late evening. I again call in the evening and get to know that the AC is tripping so there seems like some electrical issue. At this point my patience runs out because I felt that they were just focusing on fixing symptoms instead of practicing a systematic approach to identify the cause. I ask them to give my car as is and tell them that I will get the work done elsewhere. They request for one more day and promise to fix everything.
Day 11: The car is ready and is delivered around afternoon. They changed the alternator cut-out and rectifier plate as they believed that the charge developed was low. The total bill after discounts is Rs 19,500
Day 12: The cooling is ok but not the way a new AC system should feel. In the afternoon the car overheats and stops. I call them and they request to resend the car.
Day 13: Car is sent around afternoon; they check everything and inform that the head gasket has blown due to over-heating. They recommend changing the head-gasket and give an estimate of Rs. 7.5-8K. I mention that there’s no oil in coolant or vice-versa. Their version is that the gasket can blow without any tell-tale sign. I tell them that I am busy and will get it done later.
Day 14: I send the car to another FNG in Noida. They check everything and find that the radiator was clogged. They do a service (oil + filters) and fix it all for Rs 3000. They are affirmative that the head-gasket and engine is fine, and there’s no damage. It’s been close to two weeks since then, and the car is running fine.

I had sent my car to WOS under the assumption that unlike other FNGs, they will be able to offer great work under minimal supervision. I believe that the work done would have been better if I had the time to directly supervise the work done or had followed-up more regularly. Perhaps, I should have taken a second opinion on the AC before replacing all parts. Then again, it’s a 12 year old car, perhaps it was the time to get all those parts changed.

Here’s a copy of the bill: