Slight hijack...
When the car was at ATS with its wheels off, I spotted one of the posters on the wall saying 'Brake fluid change - £35'. As I am getting old and lazy, and the car needs a fluid change, I though I'd ask them to do it before the wheels go back on. Quick and easy job. It sort of seemed to make sense... below is the conversation I had with the tyre fitter, and this is real:
Me: ...and while you are at it, can you also do a brake fluid change please?
Fitter: Sorry Sir, we don't do brake fluid change.
Me: ...but the poster in reception says 'Brake fluid change - £35'?
Fitter: Oh yes Sir, but we only do this as part of the complete braking system inspection. This is because if we change the fluid then the pressure in the system will be much higher, and if you have some problem with the braking system and we change the fluid without checking it first, then the high pressure of the new fluid will burst the seals on the master cylinder and you will have no brakes.'
Me: OK.... and how much is the 'complete braking system inspection'?
Fitter: It is free if there is anything that need to be done, otherwise if nothing is found wrong it is £30.
Me: so how exactly does this work then?
Fitter: Well the inspection costs £30, but if any work is needed then the £30 will be credited against the cost of the work.
Me: OK... so if I understand correctly, then the 'complete braking system inspection' will cost me £30, and then you will be able to proceed and change the brake fluid for £35 and refund the original £30?
Fitter: That's right Sir.
Me: This is fine then. So can you now please change the brake fluid for £35? I am quite happy for you to do the 'complete braking system inspection' beforehand.
Fitter: No Sir, we don't do brake fluid change.
Me: But you just said....
Fitter: I'm sorry Sir, but you really have to talk to the Service Manager about this.
At which point I went back to the reception area and waited for around 15 minutes for the Service Manager who was conveniently unavailable, and by which time the wheels were back on the car with the new tyres fitted so I just paid and drove off.
That was on Wednesday. On Friday, I decided to take the family car, the Previa, to have an oil change at same ATS outlet who are conveniently located near my office. I was originally going to do this myself, and already prepared the oil (bought on TC's 4 for 3 offer) and the filter (Halfords), but as I have a backlog of things I want to get done on the Omega (and as said I am getting old and lazy) I decided to let ATS do this for £40.
And since the Previa could also benefit from a brake fluid change, I was hoping that if I manage to find a more cooperative member of staff I might actually get it done this time. Unfortunately the reception was manned by the same tyre fitter from two days ago who oddly did not seem to remember me.
I booked the car in for the oil change and asked again for the brake fluid change, and the conversation was largely a repeat of the one we had two days before (and which he seemed to have completely erased from his memory). When I finally popped the question, will they then change the brake fluid, the tyre fitter said 'No, we wouldn't get involved in anything like that'. But this time he also added that the reason they wouldn't change the fluid even if they did run a 'complete braking system inspection' was that they did not have the equipment to test the master cylinder and ensure it will withstand the 'high pressures' of the new fluid.... However events took a positive turn (or so I thought) when some bloke with black oily hands stepped in behind the counter, and the tyre fitter sighed a sigh of relief suggesting this guy was their top mechanic or something similar.
The mechanic said categorically 'can't do brake fluid change, we don't have the pressure bleeder'.
Me: I see... well that explains it I guess. I suppose doing it manually would just take too long?
Mechanic: No, it is not a question of time, if we do it manually we could damage the braking system.
Me: Damage? how so? you mean reverse the seals?
Mechanic: Yeah, something like that.
And that was the end of it.... had the oil and filter changed though, so it was not a complete waste of time.
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Topic: Vibrations - GONE! (Read 4053 times)