I had my car serviced last friday, and i was told my head gasket had gone..?

Question

however i got it checked by someone else today he said to me your head gasket is fine nothing wrong with your car. This person has been a mechanic for over 30 years.

I feel sad and disgusted because the servicing garage said that i needed a new head gasket.

They took 180 pound for servicing vauxhall astra 1.6LS petrol and putting new brake pads on. I asked for the bulb fuse to be changed but they didnt do it.

They even wrote on my invoice that they suspected head gasket had gone.

I have been stressed out since that day, they wanted me to leave my car so they could rob me out of 400-500 for doing my head gasket.

I feel i have been conned, because i am a female 23 years of age.

I just cant let them get away with it, because if i hadnt got a second opinion i would have been conned.

what would you do about this situation, wud u tell the papers or

Answer 1

well I have been a mechanic for 30 years and there should be no "suspect" about it, it is either gone or it isnt.

Answer 2

trading standards

Answer 3

It sounds like they saw something to make them suspect a head gasket but didn't test it.  Did the second mechanic do a compression test?  That's how you know.  To suspect doesn't cost anything but a test would.

Answer 4

Why don't you ask them what leads them to believe your head gasket is faulty! was there water in the oil or traces of oil in the water, if it was MOT'd or put on a engine analyser, unusual readings may indicate through experience with this particular model that the gasket is starting to fail, a conclusive test is where coolant gasses are drawn through a test liquid causing it to change colour if exhaust gasses are present, you need to sure they attempted to mislead you before you make public accusations against them, if it was a con they would be highly unlikely to put this in writing on your invoice.

Answer 5

Halfords of St Austell, Cornwall ripped me off for a set of brake calipers for a Rover 200 in April 1999, and overcharged me by £170. The AA Service Centre (formerly Halfords) ripped me off for an exhaust in Aberdeen in 2003. If nothing else avoid the AA or Halfords like the plague.

With respect i do think it's because you are a young woman and were taken advantage of. What was the garage called? Don't worry - they cant sue as its all factual, hence me naming the cowboys who fleeced me.

Answer 6

You would know whether you head gasket is gone, it's an easy diagnosis. Why did you ask for your bulb fuse to be replaced?

If there is no problem, report them to trading standards. And tell all your friend, the word will get round.

Answer 7

You need to either learn how to serivce a car yourself, or get a friend to do it for you/show you how to do it.  It is really simple, it is only the unfamiliarity of it that puts you off doing it yourself!  I can service either my Mercedes or my Alfa Romeo for well under 60 pounds of quality parts, and that is a FULL service - not what some garages call a full-service!  

      It is worth me knowing the condition of the items I remove, and knowing that I have done things to my satisfaction.  I do have a great German mechanic, who does anything too involved for me, but that isn't much these days really.

Back to servicing. I believe if you can put a new plug on a toaster, then you are capable of servicing most types of car!

Answer 8

Contact trading standards, i,m a mechanic and think this is disgusting!!

That way no one else will fall fowl of these thieves.

Good luck

Answer 9

You need to contact your local trading standards office. You can get the address from your local council, citizen's advice bureaux or library.

You have to be sure that the cylinder head gasket is definitely not faulty before you do this or you are going to look a bit silly.

A blowing cylinder head gasket is not always easy to diagnose. Other symptoms can sometimes mimic this problem.

Answer 10

First of all make a written complaint to the garage.  Say what has happened and ask for the £180 back.

If you don't get a satisfactory reply, write to your local authority trading standards department with copies of your letter and the reply from the garage (if they bother to reply).

After that, you can try telling the local paper where the garage is - but make sure you can prove what you say.  Any exaggeration will land you in court.

Answer 11

2.5 hours for the service.

0.5 hours for the pads.

Hourly rate of £45

Pads £15

Oil filter £5

Oil £15

Air filter £8

Spark plugs £12 (set)

This must be close to £180 ( I haven't added them up )

If you don't trust garages to do the work DIY.

Answer 12

go to trading standards and tell them. they are a division of the local authority. As you have this in writing you can show them both the garage report and if you can a report from your friend. then leave it to them.

Answer 13

Yes, don't let this go. I hate these people give other mechanics a bad name. Tell trading standards or which ever body you need to get them done otherwise some other innocent person will end up paying in the future.

F**king disgusting.

Answer 14

Go 2 trading standards

Answer 15

You best course of action is to take your custom elsewhere and tell all your friends. You could tell Trading Standards but I haven't much faith in them personally. Spread the word far and wide will do the most damage to them!

Answer 16

Write to the service manager and ask for an explanation.

Answer 17

how do you know that the second mechanic is correct?

did they check compression?

do some investigation.  do you have something like a consumer's union or better bussiness bureau?  check on the shop.