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Emission Failures - What procedures should we follow? #

Posted by John Cooke on March 1, 2009, 10:44 pm

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Just a quick one for everone
If a car is brought in failing an emission test.
what test procedures should we follow,and does everyone have the same problems as me ..PRICE...
They have paid another garage for the MOT fail ,and now i will charge them again to get the emissions sorted.
Any thoughts.

Re: emission fail

Posted by Tony Sefton <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/ukautotalk4/info/user=UKAT5581' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 2, 2009, 8:02 am, in reply to "emission fail"
Tony Sefton

Hi John. The price to start with is an unknown quantity as you have to find out what is wrong with it before you can fix it. ( £45.00 per hour for as long as it takes to diagnose and fix the problem )

i usually say how can i give you a price before finding out whats causing the problem and what it requires to fix it. ??? it might simply need a service, a £5.00 component, or an Ecu or an engine to rectify the problem. which could range anywhere from £50 to £2500.

i would say that you need 1 hours labour to code read the vehicle, do an emissions test and an initial assesment.

at that point you will have either identified a problem or found out that you need to go deeper and then you can advise the customer what you think the next step is. ( either further investigation at your hourly rate or may need some parts fitting )

Even after you have identified a Faulty component, you cannot tell the customer that it will definitely fix it, ( All you can say is that part is faulty and it will not pass an mot untill its replaced so it has to be changed ) as it might bring the emissions readings down from 10% C0 to 2% C0 but it will still fail the test, so will then need more time and parts.
( i,e, it could have damaged the cat or contaminated the oil etc etc )

If they still don't understand, they can let the other guy fix it or do it themselves.

Re: emission fail

Posted by John Cooke <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/ukautotalk4/info/user=UKAT5461' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 2, 2009, 2:51 pm, in reply to "Re: emission fail"
John Cooke

Hi Tony
Thanks for the resonse
Been telling them that for years,
This job would be better without customers[and french cars]

Thanks
John Cooke

Re: emission fail

Posted by Tony Short <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/ukautotalk4/info/user=UKAT2713' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 2, 2009, 6:38 pm, in reply to "Re: emission fail"
Tony Short

I agree entirely with Tony. I have that issue at the moment with a numpty customer with a p reg 1.4 306. Failed on various including emmissions.
Car obviously misfiring as I drove it to its mot.Customer wants to know how much. Gave him above reply. He wanted to know why I hadnt "checked" it over prior to mot. I asked him why he gave me a vehicle knowing full well it
wasnt running properly! And,as in previous years,no oil in engine,washers empty,tyres nearly flat and coolant low. He came round first thing today demanding to see mot failure. CV boot was an item and he said "oh I dont know what that is as I dont anything about cars!"
I guess if their boiler packed up they would just quietly pay the bill!
AAARRRGGGHH!
Tony

Re: emission fail

Posted by Martin Stackemann <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/ukautotalk4/info/user=UKAT1721' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 2, 2009, 10:23 pm, in reply to "Re: emission fail"
Martin Stackemann

Hi John,I MOT test its difficult,I can estimate most MOT repairs except emission failiures or ABS faults,I usually say "the days of sticking a screw drivers in something to adjust it have gone i'm affraid sir" and as regards time it might take they usually understand "how long is a piece of string?" I sympathise with you and every one in the motor trade.The times i ask when did last have your car serviced answer uurh!,or is the cambelt ok ,it should be!and when you explain the reason you've asked they're prepared to risk it, sorry to go on but customers they sometimes do my head in. But i'm

Re: emission fail

Posted by andy watkins <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/ukautotalk4/info/user=UKAT5346' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 3, 2009, 7:27 am, in reply to "Re: emission fail"

If I think the customer is going to be a problem I firstly put the problem with him and ask him for the detailed service records.This normally quitens things down.

Re: emission fail

Posted by Shaun Dale <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/ukautotalk4/info/user=UKAT2719' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 3, 2009, 8:25 am, in reply to "Re: emission fail"

Unfortunately with manufacturers telling customers via the media that their products are so perfect they will never go wrong and with purchasers gullible enough to believe it, then we will always have customers like this! I try to set the customer expectations first, "no Sir, it probably isn't just a fuse" type of conversation. Money's tight and they want to spend as little as possible, I just tell them that I can't find a cheap fix to an expensive problem and I don't know what that problem is until I have looked! I usually say that I will investigate for 2 hours and then report back, as I think that in 1 hour you can only do the really basic tests, bearing in mind I get a lot of trade referrals and if it just a dirty air filter someone else would already have found it (means I rarely get the easy ones).
Shaun

Re: emission fail

Posted by John Cooke <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/ukautotalk4/info/user=UKAT5461' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 3, 2009, 7:13 pm, in reply to "Re: emission fail"
John Cooke

Thanks for all your responses, will have to get tougher.But then again its not my fault the car failed its MOT!!!!!

Re: emission fail

Posted by John Ritchie <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/ukautotalk4/info/user=UKAT2638' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 3, 2009, 8:14 pm, in reply to "Re: emission fail"
John Ritchie

Diverting a little but my local snapon rep told me of a garage who asks the customer if he wants a cheap job or a quality one , if the customer replies " a cheap job" he then replies "sorry but i only do a quality job so you have the wrong garage sir ... thought nice one

Re: emission fail

We are surrounded by garages who charge £10.00 to do a "code read".
The worlds gone mad!!!!
I blame the government.

Re: emission fail

Posted by Ian Whitmore <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/ukautotalk4/info/user=UKAT1710' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 4, 2009, 1:23 pm, in reply to "Re: emission fail"
Ian Whitmore

Hi
Theres nothing wrong with a code read for a tenner. I quite regulary do them for free.
Rest assured thought thats what they get (a code read,) codes & explanation written down. (NOTHING ELSE.)
When they come back 2 weeks later because their mate changed the o2 sensor & it still hasnt fixed the problem, then they start to pay !!!!

Re: emission fail

Posted by John Ritchie <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/ukautotalk4/info/user=UKAT2638' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 4, 2009, 10:56 pm, in reply to "Re: emission fail"
John Ritchie

Free? Your having a laugh hey ? aren't you ?

Re: emission fail

Posted by ian Whitmore <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/ukautotalk4/info/user=UKAT1710' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 5, 2009, 1:23 pm, in reply to "Re: emission fail"

Yes Free !!!

Nearly everybody I have done a free code read for is now a customer of mine & trust me as a garage who is not going to rip them off.

Classic example is code read which comes up with oxygen sensor out of limits. I write this down for them & they go away & get there mate who knows all about cars, to replace oxygen sensor.

A couple of weeks later they come back as EML still on for a second code read, OH its still the same !!!

Thats when I say would you like me to replace the split vacuum pipe over here thats causing your problem £10 to £20 later & an explanition about cause & effect & I have a new customer who thinks we are great.

Works nearly every time !!!!!!!!

Re: emission fail

Posted by John Ritchie <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/ukautotalk4/info/user=UKAT2638' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 5, 2009, 8:41 pm, in reply to "Re: emission fail"
John Ritchie

Hi Ian , if it works for you thats great

Regards
John

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