[libranof1987]

Only Maruti and Tata spares are available OTC in India. So, there goes the option of purchasing spares and replacing parts yourself.

Independent garages though manage to source OEM spares of most manufacturers thru' their contacts in the distributor network. So, they can arrange the parts and replace.

That being said, given the labor rates here, the disparity in charges between getting work done in the A.S.S. and outside is not that alarming at the moment - leaving aside the Germans of course. Hence, almost everyone prefers paying that much extra to save the hassle of finding a trust-worthy mechanic.

[rosh_aveo1.4]

I was just discussing this with my friends on the same subject yesterday. What about the cars that are over 5 years old but have run pretty less?

I have one Optra, Aveo and the OHC for my father. The OHC is an automatic transmission, 2003 model which has run 98K. We give it to our local mechanic very close by, for any normal service/part replacement. The max he quoted so far is Rs. 5,000 for a complete patchwork under the car which was heavily rusted (welding/replacement and painting) and normal service of course. Otherwise it’s just Rs.1,000 or so.

The question I have is for my Optra/Aveo which I mainly use. The Optra 1.6 has run 35K, a 2007 model and the Aveo ran 22K and is a 2007 model as well. Both cars are obviously out of warranty. The Optra only requires normal service and I was not sure if I should hand over the service responsibility to the same local garage instead of the A.S.S who will charge me huge bills.

The Aveo on the other hand requires some major suspension fix due to an accident I had some years back (it’s now having a very hard/bouncy ride, clunky sound from the rear and creaking from the front and almost complete wear out of the rear tyres) and it's way due its service as well.
I had not planned for the Aveo's suspension fix at the A.S.S anyway since they asked me to pay 30 to 35K for a full replacement. It's a petrol car, not worth the effort I felt.

But it's the service that confused me. If I do it at the local garage, it would be cheaper but the service book doesn’t get filled by the authorized dealers and will this impact the resale? The sale of the Aveo is a joke anyway with our petrol prices. I don't intend to sell the Optra anyway so I am not so concerned.

So is it worth the effort to do this in A.S.S. just to prove to the next guy that the car is fully serviced at an authorized center, to maybe have a better chances of sale and slightly better price??

Sorry for the long post!

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by rosh_aveo1.4

So is it worth the effort to do this in A.S.S. just to prove to the next guy that the car is fully serviced at an authorized center, to maybe have a better chances of sale and slightly better price??

If it's just regular service jobs like changing oils and filters that you carry out at local garages, any sensible person shouldn't use that to lower the price.

I know how expensive Chevy A.S.S. is so I'd suggest you continue going to the local garage for regular servicing and save the trip to A.S.S. for major replacements/repairs.

[Aroy]

Where the A.S.S. is good - MASS I prefer the A.S.S. for major repairs.

Where the A.S.S. is indifferent or bad I prefer an independent garage.

For most of the small jobs - oil change, minor adjustment etc an independent garage is the best. For major repairs where a lot of jigs, analytical equipment and expertise is required, A.S.S. is a good bet (unless there are horror stories like Skoda, where any one is better).

[babu.sundaram]

Originally Posted by rosh_aveo1.4

...
If I do it at the local garage, it would be cheaper but the service book doesn’t get filled by the authorized dealers and will this impact the resale?
...
So is it worth the effort to do this in A.S.S. just to prove to the next guy that the car is fully serviced at an authorized center, to maybe have a better chances of sale and slightly better price??
...

The question in other words is: Assuming the quality is same, is it worth the additional time and effort that one would get by going to ASS?

Any time, a considerable repair is done out side ***, the value would go down, as there could be only the trust on seller on what was actually done. (The other hand, *** can give authentic report on what was done to the paise level, giving an independent view on history).

It depends on the difference in value and when you intend to sell off.
Say, the difference is 15K and you plan to sell after 3 years, by doing it locally, how much resale value lost is say, 20K, it makes no difference (given the interest rates, etc). My very crude thinking, if you know and are sure of the quality of local, it is better to go local (giving the OEM parts).

Originally Posted by libranof1987

... any sensible person shouldn't use that to lower the price.
...

Even otherwise, why would a buyer / anyone act sensible if it means losing money?

[Ironhide]

The ASC is not always the best bet, or best informed either. Just to elaborate, I had to drive down from Dehradun to Delhi and my car's starter motor was giving problems. Usually it would start on first crank, but sometimes (and usually it happened only in the morning) after turning the ignition key there would be a "kat" sound and the motor just wouldn't turn over.(It would eventually turn over after a while).

Since I had to drive 250kms the next day, took it to Rohan Motors, Dehradun - a MASS. The SA inspected the car (at that point it started) and diagnosed the problem down to worn out teeth of "Bendix Gear". He said that it would take the better part of the day since they get all starter related problems rectified by some other garage. I requested him to let me know the Garage's name/location but he refused. Apprehensive, but with no other choice, I handed over the car mid morning. Cut to late evening - the car was delivered with the problem apparently rectified. The SA very confidently told me that the teeth were worn out. The bill was a hefty Rs 1100/- and the bill read - starter motor service.

So far so good.

I drove to Delhi the next day and the day after that it started giving problems again. The motor just wouldn't crank! To top that I got a call from a sales rep asking how my experience had been. I let her know what I felt. She said that since I was in Delhi, I may explore the option of going to another MASS nearby.

I took the car to Palika Bhawan on a saturday. An electrician who inspected the problem told me that the problem wan't with the bendix gear at all. The solenoid switch was faulty. I told him that MASS had given me some spiel about having repaired the bendix gear. He took out the motor, opened it and said that there seemed to be no work done. Then he changed the solenoid switch with that of a motor lying with him. Total time taken -15 minutes, total damages - Rs 600. The starter works perfectly now - cranks at half a turn of the ignition key. He also told me that had I opted for a brand new solenoid switch, it would have cost me Rs 900 to 1000.

Lessons learnt here:-

1. Authorised Service Centres aren't always best to diagnose your vehicle's problems.
2. They often outsource work (This happened when I got my AC repaired a few years back- again they outsourced it and charged me a bomb for it!).
3. They may be out to fleece you ( case in point - they outsourced the repair work to another garage and charged a premium for it)
4. The FNG often have competent mechanics specialising in an area and mostly would provide you with an honest assessment of what ails your vehicle. This may not always be the case with ASC..

Cheers !

[Chetan_Rao]

I prefer the A.S.S. mainly due to concerns about spare quality outside (Hyundai has recently started selling spares OTC through MOBIS, but it's still very limited).

That being said, I never take ANYTHING at face value. I demand every diagnosis - minor or major - be explained to me in detail (both the what & how) before I agree to get any work done. I have quite a reputation as a nitpicker at my local Hyundai A.S.S., but now they know better than trying to pull a fast one on me.

Irrespective of who you prefer to repair your car, knowing your car and being able to trust the person working on it, goes a long way in getting good service
You can get fabulous service at an FNG and get fleeced at the A.S.S., but the reverse is equally possible if one is ignorant.

[sgiitk]

With my Hyundai's I use to go to an independent, and maybe once in two years visit the ASS. The former are normally much cheaper, and often better.

[a4anurag]

It does depend on:

1) Whether the car is under warranty or no!

2) What kind of job work does one need to do on the car,

3) Spares availability.

But majorly, I prefer the ASC throughout even after warranty ends. Peace of mind is what I get and also depends on the relation with the SA's at the ASC so that things are smoothly done and the car is also handled smoothly.

For small things I prefer the FNG as the rates are cheaper and work is done faster with more attention as pressure on the mechanic is less.

Anurag.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by Ironhide

....I took the car to Palika Bhawan on a saturday. An electrician who inspected the problem told me that the problem wan't with the bendix gear at all. The solenoid switch was faulty. I told him that MASS had given me some spiel about having repaired the bendix gear. He took out the motor, opened it and said that there seemed to be no work done. Then he changed the solenoid switch with that of a motor lying with him. Total time taken -15 minutes, total damages - Rs 600. The starter works perfectly now - cranks at half a turn of the ignition key. He also told me that had I opted for a brand new solenoid switch, it would have cost me Rs 900 to 1000...

I suggest that you shoot a mail to the dealership and ask for a refund. Also put it in the mail, that if they do NOT do it, you'll escalate this (unethical) practice to Maruti.

[lurker]

Starting problems in petrol marutis are almost always related to either the battery or the solenoid switch going kaput. Bendix, shendix are just rough names to confuse the owner.

[pdiw]

I am looking for alternate service centre in Bangalore for my Merc (C220) which is 1 year old. Can you please suggest?.

[adit mishra]

It is always advisable to change engine oil, gear oil, brake fluid, coolant at the Authorized service only. Independent Garages have virtually ruined good Maruti Swift Diesels. Get the wheel balancing, tyre rotation, and all tyre related problems solved from MICHELIN. They are the best. Basically Calliper pin greasing and drum brakes cleaning are futile jobs done only on the pretext of extracting money from customers. Independent garages are mostly inefficient. Even Bosch service centres are lacking in quality control measures. Basically authorized service centres advise unnecessary jobs. If you can skip these jobs you can get the job done at minimal costs.
For Diesel car owners never do EGR cleaning at unauthorized places. They lack the tools and after some days the Emissions warning lights may light up.

[ms_rana]

Some years back I noticed drops of motor oil where I used to park my Santro. Initially I was skeptical but on closer observation I realized that indeed my car was leaking it. On hunch I checked my car's engine oil and found it hovering around lowest level. I immediately got hold of Castrol Magnatec and topped it up.

Concerned, on next opportunity I went to nearest Hyundai A.S.C. I told them of the problem. They said that their engine specialist will check this issue as it could be serious. After sometime a person came up and peaked under the body, looked around. He told me that my Gearbox is leaking!!! As I had topped up my engine, I knew it wasn't Gearbox at all. I never had any problem with Gearbox. Then he said have you changed your clutch. I said No. He promptly added that since my vehicle had run close to 70,000 kms I should get clutch job done along with Gearbox. Total cost quoted was approx. 8K.

I thanked him for his analysis and sped to a private Garage in Noida Sector 16. There I got the vehicle serviced and engine oil changed. The problem was traced to loose engine oil Nut that was missing the washer!!! That's it! I did not get my clutch changed either! I paid around Rs400 as labour. Today my car has done more than 1.5 lakh Kms and I am still on original clutch!

On another incident, my front shocker was leaking. I took it to A.S.C and they quoted around 12K for entire job. At private garage, I got my car serviced, changed both front shocks with original Hyundai shocks from market, adjusted rear ones ... everything around 4.5K.

Afterwards, I never turned to Hyundai A.S.C. I have my own trusted mechanic to does to job to my satisfaction. It took me time to figure out a good, trustworthy garage but it was certainly worth it.

[scopriobharath]

I WAS a fan of the A.S.S but as time moved on, I found a good FNG And now I have become a fan of the FNG.

Reason: A.S.S work on replace model even when we can repair and fix something. My Santro Silencer developed a hole and the A.S.S quoted 6500/- to replace it. I took it to the FNG and got it fixed (welded) for 200/-.

At A.S.S the billing process is too complicated but whereas at FNG it is just pay cash and walk out. I prefer it when i am hard pressed for time.