Garage diagnostic equipment? Pah!

Yep, a proper mechanic and one of a dying breed.

Car mechanics cannot diagnose these days without hitching your car up to a diagnostic port, it does point to the area but then its a case of renew this then renew that until a result, unless as in your case totally perplexed but you being hundreds of £'s worse off.

With modern cars it's the 'hiccups' that leave no fault code and can't be replicated at the dealers, so you are sent on your way with "if it happens again sir please bring it in", where it will behave again once more

We have also had the opposite. My son's first car a Peugeot 205 had a problem that numerous non franchise garages couldn't sort out. Very old car so thought it would be too costly to take to main dealer. Almost out of desperation, time and money, we went to the same garage where I purchased my 405 and the guy had recognised and sorted the problem in less than half an hour!!! Its often more to do with the experience of the guy doing the work than where you take it. 

David

I may be incorrect, but I think that under the new Consumer Rights Act 2015 you can claim back the money if it did not rectify the fault.

Diagnostic equipment is only as good as the person useing it.

v9

You may well be right, Surfer, that had occurred to me but they quoted £700 to replace the ECU without being sure that it would cure the problem, and as it turned out it wouldn't have. I'm just about out of patience and prefer to draw a line under the whole rigmarole.

As an aside I visited several main dealers looking at new Audis, Minis, Volvos, Suzukis etc as a potential replacement. They all had long lists of 'interactive this' and 'intelligent that', rain sensors, and even a ruddy cup holder for goodness sake. I just want a car without loads of bling and gizmos to go wrong......go wrong.... go wrong...........

However, none of the salesmen could offer me my essential accessory; a hook upon which to hang a takeaway and avoid spilling my king prawn curry on the way home. Looks as though I'd have to screw a hook into the dash as I have had to do on my Zafira.

So much for customer research!

I have a gizmo that holds all sorts of different takeaways! It's called the wife!

My Audi has hooks in the top of the boot to hold carrier bags steady. A little thing but very useful.

I didn't know they were there for the first six months i had the car, i found them by chance when i noticed a bit of webbing hanging down. I gave it a pull and the hooks appeared, They are spring loaded to hold away when not in use.

For me a hook would be cheaper than a wife. Anyway, if you had a hook the wife could fetch the takeaway while you watched the footy

A good mechanic is worth his income. Sadly they seem a rare breed. Sorry Dave, not copying nut I have just read back ad seen your reply!

I have often found that small independents are better in this regard. Where I go is not cheap but reasonable and the chap does not load his hours. He plays fair. His first actions before reaching for his computer would have been to think, look and analyse and look at the basics. 

On the subject of hidden gizmos, Whittaker, it was 3 years before I discovered what this widget is. Its on a clip inside the petrol filler door. It isn't mentioned in the Owners Manual (click on photo to enlarge).

Well, it's for removing the tyre valve dust caps to check pressure without getting your hands grimy. The 'spade' end is for depressing the valve pin to reduce pressure and the other end fits over the dust cap to unscrew it.

I ask you!!