MOT success!
 

Delighted to say that the S90 yesterday passed the MOT with just one advisory - for the deteriorating suspension wishbone bushes that give the car its signature "squeak" each time it goes over a speed bump.

The tester said that the bushes will need to be replaced for next year's test, but if that's the limit of things to worry about when presenting a 21-year-old car for MOT then I am one very happy S90 owner!

Jack

I had two bushes advised a few years ago. The same test station said nothing about it the following year. Two subsequent test stations have said nothing about it. Go figure.

October 2015 : A garage/MOT testing station in Henley on Thames gave me this advisory and their tester came out to my 940 window and told me that I really needed to get these replaced very soon:

Offside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Later that month my own Volvo indi said they didn't need replacing

October 2016: My 940 passes MOT at a Welsh MOT Testing Station who don't pick up on them and my Volvo Indi don't think they need replacing

October 2017: My car goes back into that very same Henley garage for MOT some 20,000 miles / 2 years later and the same bushes are not picked up on MOT! My Volvo indi doesn't think they need replacing

October 2018: My car goes into the Welsh MOT testing station who do not pick up on the bushes some 30,000 miles / 3 years after originally being picked up on MOT

That same Henley garage had my car in for oil and filter change and rang me and asked if they could give the car a little checkover whilst it was in. I said yes. My bill was c £183 iirc! I swallowed rather than make a fuss and embarass myself at the counter but I will never use them again, EVER!

Go figure!

Oh dear. Laney. I was chuckling. Until the end. EEEEEK !!!!


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Laney your experience is bugging me, and it wasn't even done to me.

Now that is the sort of "sales technique" that I really, do not like.

The relevant Latin maxim would be (approx.) Quantum Meruit.

Approx, the price that the amount of work merits.

So what did they do. Say compared to an MOT. And for an MOT one receives an official certificate.

Ridiculous, to put it mildly.


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:err: :swoon:

£183????? For an oil & filter change????? :nah:

Average oil filter price, about £6 for a pattern one, i paid not much more than that for a Volvo one from an indie in Norwich a few years ago.

Some 10W40 semi-synthetic engine oil, 5L i believe is the amount on red-blocks (from memory) is usually about £20 ish from ECP until the discounts are applied.

Go worst case scenario, Genuine Volvo filter for say £12, oil at double the price, £40 so we're up to £52, let's say £53 to make the figures easy. That means they are charging £130 for the first hours labour or part thereof for a job that takes about 20 minutes.

Even at half an hours labour at that rate it would still be £118 which is way more than the job is worth!

Most of the bill was for the 'little check over' which they rang and asked to do, more fool me for saying yes! They gave me basically a doubled up report of what the MOT Certificate they had issued me said, advisories etc..

They had fitted me in at short notice for oil and filter change on a Saturday morning (but couldn't get fuel and air filters I'd asked for) so I guess in my head because she was overdue a service and I was oh so busy to get one done I probably imagined that they meant give the engine a quick check, like plugs and stuff, and I was a bit stressed that I just didn't have time to get the car in for service, but this wasn't what she meant at all

When she rang and asked if they could also give the car a little check over she omitted to mention it was going to cost an arm and a leg

They've lost my custom and I've told everybody in the area what they've got up to with my MOT and this incident

I wonder how many others they've pulled that trick on?

Why oh why do garages pull stunts like that? Surely common sense would tell them that a happy customer is likely to come back, and also recommend the garage to their friends. An unhappy customer won't come back, and will suggest their friends avoid the place.

Or in this weird and wacky digital cyber-world, doesn't fairness and customer service mean anything any more?

Jack

Just for fun, i put my old beast in for MoT today :

https://i.postimg.cc/hGKpKzxB/IMG-20...-152003159.jpg

The emissions were very clean as well :

https://i.postimg.cc/Mp79kbn5/IMG-20...-152425616.jpg

That's another years life for the old girl! ;) :D