Stroke of luck ...

[Jethro_uk]

Popped to a local shopping centre yesterday. The car parks issue these "chipcoins" which you put in a machine when you are leaving, and pay the appropriate amount. You then use the chipcoin to open the barrier.

Paid up, got the chipcoin, popped in on the little space in front of the cars (Citroen C4 Grand Picasso) instrument panel.

Drove to barrier, went to get coin ... nowhere to be found.

After an embarrassed thorough search, I had to call the attendant, and pay the £10 for a lost chipcoin.

First bend on the drive home, my heart sinks as I hear a rolling sound from behind the dashboard. Then again with the opposite turn.

All the way home.

Feeling less optimistic than I appeard to SWMBO I spent a few minutes assessing the situation, before gently inspecting the dash area.

To my delight, a plastic cowling was just clipped into place. Removing that I saw 2 torx screws holding a plastic bracket which holds the handbrake button in place. I removed that, and whilst I couldn't feel the coin, saw 2 more torx screws holding the speedo display in place. I undid those, moved the speedo display up, and lo and behold, there's the coin.

Retrieved and safely stored with the £10 receipt (it's refundable if you find the coin). Carefully put dash back, feeling *very* pleased with myself. I had visions of a 2-hour dealer job.

[Jethro_uk]

1) Because the noise of a coin rolling around in the dashboard would send me mad in no time. 2) Because modern cars are so constructed that most DIY jobs are out of the question ... special tools, jigs, clamps, fixings.

btw I suspect most main dealers would charge a lot more that £25/hour

[D.M.Chapman]

About 100 quid per hour more than that around these parts...

[Brian Gaff]

You mean you have one of those which was not built around the heater then, blimey.

Brian

[Jethro_uk]

LOL. That was my fear. I vague recall it taking over 3 hours to replace the heater matrix on a FIAT 131 ... I had visions of the cars production starting with the matrix held in place with wires, as the car was built into place.

That, or the wiring loom ;)

[Huge]

You'll be lucky. I imagine most main dealers are well over £100/hr by now.

[Tim Watts]

Ha - I remember the wiring loom! Had to help my dad get the fusebox out (twice!) as the contacts on some circuit burnt out and he rewired the innards to use a spare fuseway.

[Nightjar]

Which is why, now it is out of guarantee, I go to a chap who has all the training and equipment to service my car, but only charges £55 an hour.

Colin Bignell

[Huge]

[D.M.Chapman]

I do the same, but also while it's under warranty. As long as they use parts that are up to spec (usually means manufacturer parts) then it's fine.

They found something with a pug that I then took to the dealer to sort a couple of years ago. They also found something with my Mondeo that ford were happy to sort under warranty.

I steer clear of my local ford dealer for several reasons, and the one I use is in Maidstone so a fair distance - they didn't expect me to take it all the way back to them.

Darren

[dennis]

You should have gone to him anyway, there is no requirement for it to be a main dealer, just manufacturers parts.

[polygonum]

Chatting to a Mercedes dealer, he insisted that manufacture started with a metal plate which contained details of the entire build - which engine, paint colour, spec. level, etc. coded as holes (very strong punch card!)