Fault diagnosis costs.

D

Davidb

New member
I have an amber engine light which I need to get checked. My stealer wants £162 to plug the diagnostics machine into my car!!

This seems excessive to me. Does anyone have a recommendation they can give me for someone in Kent (I’m in Rainham) who can tell me what the problem is for a more reasonable sum?

Thanks all.
 
A decent indy would do it for no more than half that - mine did it free and gave me a printout of the codes to take to a dealer for a warranty repair.
 
Davidb said:
I have an amber engine light which I need to get checked. My stealer wants £162 to plug the diagnostics machine into my car!!

This seems excessive to me. Does anyone have a recommendation they can give me for someone in Kent (I’m in Rainham) who can tell me what the problem is for a more reasonable sum?

Thanks all.
Click to expand...

If I look at this from the dealer perspective it feels perfectly reasonable:

'Plugging it in' takes a tech off other payable work for a period of much greater period of time than it would appear, blocks a bay and involves admin. invoices, explain to customer, etc..
If a minimum fee everyone would take their car to the dealer, get it diagnosed then do the job themselves, of have a local indy do it
If they do the work they will likely discount such costs off the eventual bill

Not great fan of dealers and I do all I can myself, but happy to pay a dealer for something important
 
cj10jeeper said:
'Plugging it in' takes a tech off other payable work for a period of much greater period of time, blocks a bay and involves admin. invoices, explain to customer, etc..
Click to expand...

My indy has a handheld portable wifi reader so no bay needed. Plug-in, read codes, tells me what's up. All done in 5 minutes and a happy customer who'll come back again and again. Sometimes process gets in the way of customer service. And efficiency. ;)
 
scm said:
cj10jeeper said:
'Plugging it in' takes a tech off other payable work for a period of much greater period of time, blocks a bay and involves admin. invoices, explain to customer, etc..
Click to expand...

My indy has a handheld portable wifi reader so no bay needed. Plug-in, read codes, tells me what's up. All done in 5 minutes and a happy customer who'll come back again and again. Sometimes process gets in the way of customer service. And efficiency. ;)
Click to expand...

I wouldn't disagree at all with you. My 2 decade trusted garage is the same, but both models attracts and retains business in a different way.
 
May not work in UK, but here in US, at least one autoparts store (Autozone) does this for free.
They just come out to the car with a handheld. Takes 5 minutes.
Obviously they hope yo will make purchase but no obligation.
(OTOH, I have never taken the Jag there, so who knows??)
 
PaulWildsmith said:
Buy a cheap obd reader?
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I found one for £30 on eBay - great investment... really easy to use and then you know what is up and can research independently (on Google) :D :D
 
Mikeyf said:
PaulWildsmith said:
Buy a cheap obd reader?
Click to expand...

I found one for £30 on eBay - great investment... really easy to use and then you know what is up and can research independently (on Google) :D :D
Click to expand...

Make sure it doesn't trigger the dreaded battery drain! Check that the light in the hazard switch goes out a few minutes after locking the car .... ;)
 
Just to add to this they didn’t charge me for diagnostics in the end. The light is now off. I think they took pity on me after charging me just shy of £700 for sorting a leak from the rear diff. 😂
 
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