[ntomer]

Originally Posted by don_carmaster

I guess mayapuri,delhi is also a hub for such parts
BTW, where is sotiganj?

I had spent lotsa time there while buying/rebuilding my Gyspy; Mayapuri dealers deal mainly in army/police/government departments auctioned vehicles. Never saw parts of cars other than Jeeps/Gypsies being sold there.

[HillBilly]

Yes, Raj (Altaf) and his team are the only mechanics I go to these days. They are extremely efficient and they are a joy to be around with. I usually land up at their roadside workshop and spend the complete day there sometimes. They are happy to allow you to help them out while they fix your own car if you are mechanically inclined like I am. I really miss this in large authorized service centres that treat you like a fool and don't allow you to see the work that's being done to your car.

Don't forget the liberal amounts of tea and biscuits that they keep offering you throughout!

I've never been over-charged. In fact sometimes I've given them 25% more than what they asked for as I felt they had done such a good job.

He always uses original spares that he personally goes and buys in his well-kept Maroon Indica V2. Whats really special about this guy is that he avoids the usual Delhi Juggaad methods while fixing things. So if you want him to do a cheap and ugly temporary job, I would suggest you go to one of the other workshops in the vicinity.

He is the best AC mechanic in Noida. Period. He only uses cooling gas that comes out of a sealed disposable tin/aluminium canister that resembles an oversized deodorant spray. He never uses the gas that comes in those small rusty cylinders that the usual air conditioning mechanics use. In fact the AC in my 3 year old Endeavour is now 50% colder than when I got it from the showroom! In the past, before I went to Raj to check my AC, I was the laughing stock of my office! Now everyone wants to travel in my car!

His Denter is very efficient too, so if you have any problems with your door locks,, window glass lifters, scratched body work or scraped bumpers, he will get it fixed for you in no time at all.

He is brilliant with Tata Safaris and is a Tata Safari engine rebuild specialist. I've also seen Skodas, and on one occasion an older Mercedes Benz at his workshop.

Remember that he is very busy on weekends as there are many loyal customers that make their way to his workshop on their off day. So you need to arrive at his workshop before 10:30 am if you really want his undivided attention. Be kind and friendly with him and his team and they will respect you for it forever. Once they like you, they will go out of their way to help. In fact I have had him travel 25 Km one night (yes, in his well kept Indica) to help start my Tata Safari that had a dead battery just on a phone call. How much did he charge me? Rs. 250!

But yes, the cow dung cakes and manure pit nearby are really stinky. So if you are one of those hyper-hygienic kind of people you may want to give this place a miss!

[Guite]

Thanks for posting this, just the kind of place I am looking for, except maybe the stink!

The thing I don't like authorised service centres is that they are impersonal and expensive. It's good to know that there is reliable alternative.

[Honda Monk]

I think after ll this praise and appreciation about altaf, I should visit him for any next issue in my car. Its roughly 10 Km from my place.
Its really great to know that some workshop so small having own scanner! He seems to be really passionate about his profession.

[don_carmaster]

A small tip to everyone..
If you ever reach out to him...
And youre there while wprk on your car is beng performed, just tip his minions a bit (10-20bucks) anytime and you will be reallly satisfied with the work..

[contact.nitin7]

Originally Posted by don_carmaster

A small tip to everyone..
If you ever reach out to him...
And youre there while wprk on your car is beng performed, just tip his minions a bit (10-20bucks) anytime and you will be reallly satisfied with the work..

Don, Though there has not been a chance that I have been there, yesterday after your post I reached out to the place just to see. He seems to offer nice work, 500Rs for TWO Minda - Loud Horns, for my I10.

[Biraj]

Just dropped my Santro at Raj's place to get it repaired. Ever since I started driving the T-jet, I wasn't paying much attention to the Santro. I realised my mistake on this weekend when I took it for a test drive. My dad's chauffeur has taken no care of it and the steering feels jammed, the silencer has rusted, central locking guns on two doors are not working, the AC is not working, etc. Called Raj yesterday and he asked me to bring the car today as he has a lot of rush on Sundays. The initial experience seems good and he was prompt enough in identifying all the issues. His mechanic dropped me to my office and has promised to deliver the car at my office after the work is done.

So far so good. Will update about the quality of work done after I check the car tomorrow.

[mayankk]

It seems the team is really hogging the guy!

My headlamps have been waitlisted for almost a week now. Do post what you guys are getting done.

[Guite]

Went to Raj Motors yesterday, a young chap by the name of Suhel was there. Inquired about rate and time required to service AC of my Getz: he said Rs 1500 in 30 minutes. So gave him go ahead.

In 30 minutes his team was still struggling to remove the heating coil located below glove box. He said complete removal will help in thorough cleaning of the unit, and that the nut holding it has rusted.

They are essentially a roadside mechanic so I was not comfortable leaving them to themselves. I was not comfortable waiting under the scorching sun either. To their credit they requested me to wait in their 'office'; there is no decent seating space there. I finally told them to forget about removing the heating coil and speed up the work. Watching them I also had a feeling they were not familiar with this car and that they did not have appropriate spanners to reach nook and crannies.

Indeed he filled refrigerant from a DuPont can. However this took an awful amount of time. The complete work took more than 2 hours and we (wife and myself) did not notice any improvement in the cooling.

In the end this type of work is not for me. I would rather entrust the work, wherever possible, to a reputed branded workshop and do my own thing (work or relax) while they attend to the work at hand. To me the money saved in waiting on someone (paying less) is not worth my time, especially if it involves waiting in an environment I am not accustomed to. Agreed I would have to wait sometimes in a branded workshop too but at least there are comfortable seating, conditioned air, entertainment and beverages. I am neither rich nor snobbish: it's just my comfort level that comes into play.

Ps: may not be related but the battery conked off during this procedure and I bought a new one. The old one is five years old. I don't suppose there is anything they did which would over stress the old battery.

[don_carmaster]

Originally Posted by Guite

Went to Raj Motors yesterday, a young chap by the name of Suhel was there. Inquired about rate and time required to service AC of my Getz: he said Rs 1500 in 30 minutes. So gave him go ahead.

In 30 minutes his team was still struggling to remove the heating coil located below glove box. He said complete removal will help in thorough cleaning of the unit, and that the nut holding it has rusted.

They are essentially a roadside mechanic so I was not comfortable leaving them to themselves. I was not comfortable waiting under the scorching sun either. To their credit they requested me to wait in their 'office'; there is no decent seating space there. I finally told them to forget about removing the heating coil and speed up the work. Watching them I also had a feeling they were not familiar with this car and that they did not have appropriate spanners to reach nook and crannies.

Indeed he filled refrigerant from a DuPont can. However this took an awful amount of time. The complete work took more than 2 hours and we (wife and myself) did not notice any improvement in the cooling.

In the end this type of work is not for me. I would rather entrust the work, wherever possible, to a reputed branded workshop and do my own thing (work or relax) while they attend to the work at hand. To me the money saved in waiting on someone (paying less) is not worth my time, especially if it involves waiting in an environment I am not accustomed to. Agreed I would have to wait sometimes in a branded workshop too but at least there are comfortable seating, conditioned air, entertainment and beverages. I am neither rich nor snobbish: it's just my comfort level that comes into play.

Ps: may not be related but the battery conked off during this procedure and I bought a new one. The old one is five years old. I don't suppose there is anything they did which would over stress the old battery.

This is one area which for sure needs improvement
But when you talk about getting the same stuff done at some other workshop or maybe at the companies A.S.S. you will for sure get looted !
Here is my instance
Last year at the same time my car esteem's A/c had given away and harbouring the same kind of thoughts that you had i took it to MASS in my area

So this geeky guy comes and looks up my car, he writes "service" in the estimate without even asking what am i here for.

I then tell him about the car's A/c working intermittently with no specific period or time interval.
He brings in a device and attaches it to the A/c vent and shows me a cooling temprature of 14 degrees Celsius which should be near 5 degrees as he told me.

He accepted the car, And handed me an estimate of 24000 bucks
W.T.F. i was furiated at his callous attitude

He told me the that the compressor will go to Msil main office and might have to be changed and this is the near about costhe will intimate the exact on phone

I packed him and called Raj, he asked me to bring the car to his garage
He had a close look for more than 15 mins checked all compressor connections
And then with a wicked smile came inside the car and told me that the whole system is fine, not even the refrigerant has a leak
Its the A/C switch which is the culprit

So for me Rs .24000 became Rs.100 which he refused to accept at first.!

This is one of his great mind instances which makes me ditch the comfort of ASS and helps keep my pocket and car comfortable
Which for sure guarantees a piece of mind
Choice is always yours
Thanks

[satishchugh]

Raj started his career with Maruti Suzuki, before moving on to various companies including Mercedes Benz and hence he has good knowledge of many cars. His experience of working in so many service centers has also honed his client handling skills.

My association with him started in 2010 and for next 2 years my Fiat Palio was serviced/repaired only at his garage. It was a 2001 Model and has been troubling me since last 1 year. During 2010-12, he worked on its gears, AC, fuel supply, electricals and also on engine. His knowledge of the car and thorough work ethics impressed me. However my ageing car kept on developing one problem after another, and so I had to visit him multiple times. I got my doubts because of these frequent visits but he never appeared to be the con person introducing those faults. Further since every time there was a new issue and not really the original issue reoccurring, I couldn't attribute it to him. Finally I sold off my car to a scrap dealer and bought a new Chevy Beat. The new car and its inclusive service hasn't given me a chance to visit him in last 2 years, but even now when I visit the area we exchange courtesy’s.

As all small garage owners, he employs and trains young boys. While some of these are good, one in particular was cunning. At one point, he offered me to service my car at home without the knowledge of his master so that I can save some money. I could never trust his service after this incident and told Raj that only he should investigate and then direct his boys to do the needful.

[devilwearsprada]

I have been getting good reviews here. Agreed.
I went to him today for a friends figo, got the clutch changed and he charged Rs.6000 i.e. Rs.1500 for the labour.
I dont understand this part, considering he doesnt have a closed garage, no seating place and in the heat, he is charging RS.1500 for the labours?
My esteem's clutch when it got changed, from a good reputed service center was charged Rs.750 for the labour.

He then told us the Timing belt was off, and since it was getting late and raining, he said sometime later. We agreed, but another shocking part he told me he will charge Rs.1500 for a simple timing belt change?
Why? Is it justified? I am not a miser, but money is very important!

[lapis_lazuli]

Originally Posted by devilwearsprada

charge Rs.1500 for a simple timing belt change?
Why? Is it justified? I am not a miser, but money is very important!

Word's around, he is opening a new outlet in Sector 63 worth a few crores! That means serious capital! On the other hand, a colleague of mine had work done worth INR40k (Skoda Laura). The head had to be opened, fuel pump changed and some related work. The work was perfectly done, but, he had put in a used pump while my friend was charged for a "new" one! It was an accidental discovery just before delivery, by my colleague who had opened the bonnet to "have a look". My colleague is fairly technical so it was difficult to fool him!

Seemingly, Raj immediately went into apologetic mode, saying "I was about to tell you, the new one will be put tomorrow etc etc"! A perfect gentleman that my colleague is, he chose to neglect the whole incident, but not without getting a new pump ! This is something that my colleague had narrated to me, and I have no reasons to think he would distort the sequence of events. He is actually happy with the work done and his car is back to its usual self, with improved mileage and all!

[tsk1979]

I have also gone to Raj primarily for suspension jobs.
Pros
1. Dedicated
2. You can inspect the work and parts
Cons
No ramps or heavy lift equipment
Expensive labor - eg 1500 for front suspension jobs of 4x4 safari comparable to TASS

This means that job which should take 1 hour takes 2 and you end up paying a big labor bill too. But parts in open market are cheap which is good


His workers expertise for 4x4 safari front suspension is not too good.
However, he can do an excellent job on the 4x2 safari.

So for non specialist jobs like rear suspension, brake discs and brake pad replacement, this is a really good place.

Met a few bhpians there.

He also owns a scanner.

That said his expertise is engine build. Saw a Laura engine opened up at his shop and he was doing the complete rebuild with piston rings valves, turbo etc., etc.,
EDIT : seems like same laura in the post above mine

[mayankk]

Well, I had a word with him sometime back, and he mentioned that he got a discount of 1500 arranged on the clutch, that its for 6k at ford., but he managed to source one for 4.5k. Is that true, Devilwearsprada?

He has repeatedly told me that he gets a lot of business referring team-bhp, so he gives a labor discount if the car is sporting a sticker, else its the normal rates. I yold him that your business from TBHP may dry up if you start doing things like this, and the skoda incident, which frankly sounds like just another FNG now.Whats the use of coming to you if you are also doing the same stuff as all the others?

Anyway, I hope he mends his ways now on for everybody. Its just too much effort finding a good mechanic. I, for one, have not had cause for complaint so far.