OT: car warranty diagnostic charges

[sm_jamieson]

Astra just under 3 years old, still "under warranty". CD400 radio unit some times reports an error on inserting a disk, usually works after several tri es. Dealer says we will have to put it on a diagnostic machine, if it turns out not to be covered, it will cost you £96 and obviously a charge to fix it . Even bloke on the phone said it's a Catch 22 situation.

Does that situation seem reasonable ?

Anyway, I have sent an email to Vauxhall to try to find out exactly what fa ults are covered on the CD400 so I can try to second guess the dealer. The dealer says they do not have this information, so I presume they find the f ault and then ask the manufacturer if that particular fault is covered.

On various internet forums there are people saying the diagnostic check has not found anything, and they have still been billed ! In my case I would a ssume it is some type of mechanical fault, and do not want to potentially b e charged for a useless run on a diag machine.

Simon.

[JimK]

Having googled the removal procedure I'm not that surprised they attempt to claw a charge back....

How can it not be faulty though? If you can demonstrate the fault to them isn't that sufficient? Or is this good old traditional Vauxhall warranty squirming?

Jim K

[GB]

As an example: The heads on the CD player might be dirty. Would that be a warranty fault, or fair wear and tear, or user error (putting in dirty discs)? I'd certainly try a cleaning disc before shelling out £96 to have the radio removed.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , sm_jamieson writes

Hmm.. I felt stuffed after a diagnostic test failed to find a fault after a relay failure required an AA call out and report. Fault continued through the warranty period with Ford denying any responsibility. My wife became adept at banging the lid of the relay box with the tin of sweets from the glove box.

Out of warranty, I replaced the relay (£20.00) and the fault has not returned.

[Brian-Gaff]

In my experience cd units or dvd units in cars seem to be less than reliable. Muck is the main problem usually, next is condensation gluing the dust on.

The problem is even if they put a new unit in, its only a matter of time till it does the same thing again.

Brian

[JimK]

/The heads on the CD player/q

Can't wait for the caveats after that start ;-)

Jim K

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've got a CD autochanger in both cars. One dates from '97, the other a few years newer. Neither have given any problems.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Typical with car CD players. The player unit gets dirty through the disk slot, and eventually the laser optics are impacted. If you wait a bit longer, it will probably become sufficiently unreliable as to be obviously faulty every time.

I have found a blast with an air duster through the loading slot can can improve things for a while, but eventually it won't help anymore.

A cleaning disk might fix it, although the thought of those things with a couple of brushes spinning in a drive never fills me with confidence.

It probably needs taking out, opening, and properly cleaning out.

[Bob Eager]

A cleaning disk with lots of dirt on the brushes. Then you'll have a hard failure.

[GB]

Sigh. Head, then, not heads. The lasery bit that reads the cd. Clean it, with a disc. Like this

Or this.

If you have a *constructive* suggestion, don't let me stand in your way.

[JimK]

/Sigh. Head, then, not heads. The lasery bit that reads the cd. Clean it, with a disc. /q

Chortle. Lens?

Jim K

[Chris Bartram]

I think it unlikely that the diags will find anything: on VAG cars the radios are usually diagnostic capable, and VCDS will read codes, but fault codes are usually limited to telling you if a speaker output or the antenna amplifier are disconnected.

[GB]

Wow, you really are sad if you find that funny. Was the meaning of what I wrote in any way at all obscured by my using the word head rather than lens? Was the suggestion of using a head cleaning disc a bad one?

As I said, if you have anything useful to say, don't let me stand in your way.

Have you sorted out your duct fan yet?

[JimK]

/Wow, you really are sad if you find that funny. Was the meaning of what I wrote in any way at all obscured by my using the word head rather than lens? Was the suggestion of using a head cleaning disc a bad one?

As I said, if you have anything useful to say, don't let me stand in your way.

Have you sorted out your duct fan yet? /

Hehehe you sour old git :-)

Jim K

[GB]

In a fit of madness, I chose to respond to your post. Anyway, I study your posts, as I want to see what happens after you connect your duct fan to a lighting dimmer.

[JimK]

/In a fit of madness, I chose to respond to your post. Anyway, I study your posts, as I want to /q

..... continue trolling you.

There corrected it for you:-)

Jim K

[Simon263]

Particularly if you are a smoker.

[Adrian]

That non-warranty faults are chargeable?

Yes, absolutely.

For all the dealer knows, the CD player's been fed a diet of jam-smeared biscuits by a feral 3yo.

[JimK]

/For all the dealer knows, the CD player's been fed a diet of jam-smeared biscuits by a feral 3yo/q

Well the ops alleged surname is 'jamieson'......

Jim K

[fred]

True. I've had a cd changer in my cars for years and none have ever given me any trouble. Probably because I don't use them. Can there be a worse environment for listening to music than inside a tin box ?