OT - cold car fixed

[GMM]

So SWMBO was complaining that the car wasn't getting warm quickly enough (not the engine but the cabin). Of course, her answer was to increase the setting on the climate control as, in common with many people, the concept of a thermostat is somewhat lost on her. Nonetheless, she did have a point and I noticed that it was definitely cool on a long motorway trip.

Finally got to thinking about it today. Pulled out the pollen filter (no need for a workshop manual when you can get youtube) and it wasn't just clogged, it was carrying a pile of leaves. Can't be bothered to question the main dealer who has been doing full services for the past few years, but the man in the spares shop (not Halfords, who don't keep them) said they were often overlooked on dealer services.

Anyway, 11 quid and a few minutes later, viola - one warm car and happy SWMBO.

The moral of the story is, if your motor is feeling unusually chilly this winter, take a butcher's at the pollen filter.

Of course, my Dad would have just chucked it away rather than spending good cash on a new one, but I quite like (the idea of) keeping some of the particulate crap out of the car......

[Andrew Gabriel]

Before the first annual service on my previous car, I looked at a few things including the pollen filter, so I would be able to tell if they'd changed it. It had a little cover which unclipped, and you slid it out. It was slightly dirty, but only just enough to notice if they changed it.

So when I got the car back from servicing, popped open the bonnet to check. Didn't actually need to open it, as whoever changed it had completely snapped off the clips on the cover so it didn't stay closed anymore.

Stopped using a Ford main dealer after that (that wasn't the only bad practice), and have had much better servicing from my local back-street garage.

[GMM]

So I should think myself lucky that, although they hadn't done the services properly, at least they hadn't broken anything?

I'm sure you're right, but the good small places are disappearing fast, unfortunately.

At least when i used to do it all myself, I knew what hadn't been done.....

[Tim+]

Bad idea with aircon. You really don't want your condenser getting covered in crud (that will stick to cold wet surfaces).

Tim

[Onetap]

His Dad may not have had air-con. But a huge false economy, even without. Filters are cheaper than cleaning ducts.

[GMM]

Indeed. But my Dad would have questioned the point in changing the oil, on the basis that if it's been there that long it must be doing a good job.....

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You need to get a BMW. They change them when it's neither scheduled or needed - and expect you just to cough up. Not cheap either - total cost including labour parts VAT etc nearly 100 quid. And they couldn't be easier to change being more accessible than virtually anything else below the bonnet. You have to remove the right hand one to check the brake fluid.

This finally persuaded me never to go near a main dealer again.

[Andy Burns]

In my car if you turn the climate control above a certain temperature (30 degrees?) it will actually enable an electrical auxiliary heater rather than relying on engine heat, so maybe she's not as lost as you think ...

[meow2222]

I don't know why people go to authorised dealers, they overcharge heavily a nd anyone else can do the same specced job for far less. Parts ditto, eg ne w headlight £125 versus £25. Its not as if they do a better job, they g enerally seem to have poor track records.

NT

[ARW]

Removing the pollen filter is the first thing I do when I get a new (new to me) car/van.

[charles]

I solved the problem of a poor main dealer by threatening to report them to the manufacturer. After that, I was a favoured customer. But then I changed makes.

[ARW]

Well that would not bother a Ford dealer would it?

[charles]

Funnily enough, it was a Ford dealer. They'd just got the franchise after it had been removed from someone else because of poor workshop practice. Of course, nowadays all Ford dealers round here are "Dagenham Motors" - presumably a wholly owned subsiduary of the manufacturer - like most Peugeot dealers.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I did write to BMW GB. Their response was to pass on my letter to the dealer for action. ;-(

The dealer had offered to remove the new filters and replace the old. My view was I didn't want any old filters out of their rubbish bin, as there's no chance they could identify the exact ones that were fitted to my car at a later date. And of course I simply didn't trust them not to find the very worst ones they could.

The outcome was them offering a discount to the value of them off the next service. Which simply wasn't satisfactory to me.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

My BMW dealer closed down completely shortly afterwards. Although it was part of a chain. Seemed strange to me since it was in Wimbledon, with the next nearest one some way off. And BMWs not exactly uncommon. My nearest service one is now in Vauxhall. Not much difference distance wise, but parking in their car park a nightmare - and no parking in the street. The Wimbledon one had adequate parking both inside the premises and on the streets around, being on an industrial estate. But I only ever use them for the odd spare part I can't get elsewhere.

[charles]

better dealers put all the replaced components in a plastic bag in your car.

[polygonum]

Hope you don't get your engine and gearbox replaced at one of them...

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

Or ones they fished out of the bin, at least.

[ARW]

That old trick:-)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

These days? Never ever happened with the two BMWs I've owned - either at a main dealer or specialist.