WR1 Wannabe

Lot of people get upset when there car has been nicked - even if it gets returned to them in perfect condition. Some people just don't feel comfortable knowing that their property has been used without their permission.

Like when your house gets broken into, or when your missus has an affair.

That's reality, even if it wouldn't bother you.

EddScott

As said theres nowt you can do about it really. I had the tracking done on my car a few weeks back and it had done about 10 miles when I got it back. They said they had to check that it was right which I find complete tosh but what can you do? Really needed hammering down the dual carriageway did it?

In future either stay with the car if possible or ask the garage before hand do they need to test it and how far will they have to go if they have to. Explain why your asking and I don't see why they'd take offence and if they did take your business elsewhere.

Quite recently a lady I work with mentioned it to one of the boys who works there. He implied that they'd "Had a go" in the car and also said how angry they were when I complained - how angry THEY were sheesh

stevenuk300 still

iTrader: (1)

My done up 306 XSI was just a car, my Scoob is my pride and joy, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter what car it was, there are people out there taking cars which have been left with them to ........no better word than joy ride without having permission, regardless of how they drove the car or how far they drove it.
Definately whenever I leave the car with anyone again, I will be either staying with it, or taking my immobilisor key fob with me, and if they car needs to be moved I will come and move it.

There's nothing I can do now, but I can make sure it won't happen again no matter what car it is.

Would they have done the same if I had a 1.4 Escort??? I very much doubt it. Not slagging off Escorts of course, but I think you get what I mean.
TRUST NO ONE.

WRXPete

By leaving the car for agreed work, you give implied permission to drive the car only as far as it need be driven...in this case into the garage and out again, and maybe a round the lot if it's blocking stuff in etc....technically, the minute it is driven 1mm further than needs be, and without justification, you could claim it had been TWOC'd.
Why not ask the garage why it's travelled so far, and if the can't justify it, suggest you might just have to report it to the police....might get a couple of quid off, you never know.......

MikT

This thread is getting ridiculous! Comparing a house being broken into against a car being taken round the block (a sizeable block admittedly) when you've left it with them is complete nonesense!

Steven - if you feel this strongly about it, go ask whoever you gave the car to and seek an explanation for why it was used for the 4 miles. That might give you some comfort rather than coming on here and working yourself up into a state of hyper-paranoia.

If you do so and they say "sure, we wanted to check there was no panel rattle, interference, etc." ain't you going to feel a bit of a plonker having come on here with a "my glass is half empty" attitude?

stevenuk300 still

iTrader: (1)

A 4 mile trip for panel rattle?????
Not really working myself up into a state about it. I appreciate there is pretty much nothing I can do, even if it is annoying.
Just trying to get a general opinion from people, and to see if this sort of thing has happened to anyone else. If I can make other people aware of what can happen, then I'll be pleased that I can help someone out. Afterall that is mainly what this website is all about, helping others??? Yes, I'll mention it if I ever return to the stereo place, and if they reckon it is a 4 mile trip to check panel rattle, then I will ask them to let me know next time they want to check panel rattle, so I can check it with them.
There are many different opinions about this, and I appreciate the comments and what people think.

WR1 Wannabe

So you think it's better if you to try to make him feel like a plonker before that happens?



The guy is unhappy that the garage drove his car, apparently without justification. You can't help the way you feel about things - that's what make people more interesting than cucumbers. Vive la difference!

terry3333

hey steven,

man you gotta go back and question them !! cos i and probably a few others are waiting to hear their excuse...

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

TBH, if anyone has problems with trust for the garage they use...find one you can trust. It's as simple as that.

A good garage that either specialises in that type of car or performance cars are not going to be that interesting in taking yet ANOTHER scooby out for a spin just for fun, and if they do, they have too much time on their hands and aren't professional.

Half my family is in the car repair business, dealing with almost every car under the sun. And the amount of customers who come in with the fuel gauge intentionally as empty as possible, with the pure intention to stop anyone taking it for a "spin." Thing is, if the work requires a test drive....it goes to a petrol station - 5 miles away, has £10 of fuel, and the customer gets billed for it. Otherwise nothing would get done, did you know an MOT tester can refuse to test your car if it has insufficient fuel left in the tank??

TBH they also avoid Impreza Turbo owners like the plague , they are just a pain the **** thinking that their car is somehow more special and requires specific servicing. FFS its no different to a Mondeo, in fact it's easier to do a clutch or cambelt on a scoob. The owners seem very paranoid over someone wanting to take it for a spin, yet out on the carpark there are far faster and superior cars from Porsches, Cossies, BMWs to Bentleys, yet owners of those car don't seem to be bothered (except the BMW 318 and 320 owners ).

RON

When my car went into a bodtshop recently I was concerned, so I connected the actuator pipe straight to the turbo outlet, that way you only get about .4bar boost before it opens the wastegate, takes less than 2 mins to do aswell!!

stevenuk300 still

iTrader: (1)

Ok, I'm definately going to go back on Thursday and question the extra mileage. I'll post any lame excuse on here that I get, to check for panel rattle or anything else. Believe me, I won't feel like a plonker just for questioning why.

cheeseboy

The solution is easy mate - move to germany and come and use our dealer - he is just great. Never a problem, and they check over more than required. The guys are very well trained and have no intensions of ragging our or any car for that matter. I drive 250km to get to the dealer (one way), but it is worth it in the end as I know they wont overcharge for anything, and if something needs to be changed they do it no problem,. likewise if something doesnt need doing / changing, then they will tell you.

Plus, whenever we like, the garage, tools, books and equipment is all ours to use No questions asked! And the trip there and back isnt too bad either - 120 odd km of open autobahn followed by 120 km of winding roads through the schwäbisch hills - hardly any traffic, and no speed cameras...

Dream Weaver

If a car is thrashed from cold a few times through its lifetime, nothing will happen to it - shock horror!!

Engines are designed to run for 100k+ miles, and thrashing an engine from cold, even say 25% of the time is not going to suddenly blow it up, they can take it.

When I was younger I used to hammer my cars from the moment I sat in the seat, no witing for engine to warm up and they never went wrong.

stevenuk300 still

iTrader: (1)

Why do Subaru and most other car manufacturers suggest on waiting till the engine is warm before thrashing it then, especially on turbo models? Subaru's are mainly about the engine, and I know if I look after it, then I will get the best from it, and I can confidentally sell it on when the time is right that it has been looked after properly.

Even though the thought of driving into Germany sounds fantastic, don't think I will be doing that

Fizz_daz

Did you take the car to a dealer or to an acutal ICE installer.... is the first point because dealers very rarely fit stereos etc. on the premesis.

What was fitted... As already stated testing for electrical interference (especially as scoobs are VERY electically noisey) is better done under driving conditions

All depends how you view it really... remember some mileage might have been gained by moving the car around workshops, car park etc..

stevenuk300 still

iTrader: (1)

I took it to a proper ice fitter. Ok, not the biggest of places but he has room for 2 cars in his workshop and there is a small car park outside where the cars are left. All that was fitted this time was a head unit. My old one was taken out and my new one put in.

Dream Weaver

I'm not saying dont bother waiting til the engine is warm (I always do), i'm saying that every now and then thrashing it when cold will not harm it that much.

CavT

Theft? Not so me old mate. Its only theft if they intended to permanently deprive the owner of the car, the best you could get them on is TWOC (Taking without Consent), and even then, you'd be unlikely to get a conviction.

Nick

He's right there.

However you could wave around driving without insurance. I hope that you've already put this in writing to them as their writen reply & reason for the miles is important. They may of course simply dispute your mile readings. You will need to check their insurance policy to see if they are covered for customer's cars on the public road.

Scoobybits

if you ask me the garage have no right to move the car from their premises as no reason to and if need be they should have asked you the owner first.

makes me wonder if the "joy rider" was the firms "boy"...bet he is not covered on the firms insurance ..most traders policies getting pretty strict usually named drivers and over 25 these days on insurance cover..so you are right to question why???
could have been an expensive stereo fit mate!!
4 miles is not the point...
sorry but i agree with you "coshed" from cold..nah not a good idea..
all "what if's" though find out WHY they used it and does the boss know..? trusting staff ?

Is the stereo any good!

Tiggs

if you get worried about 4 miles on your car i'd worry more about the effect on your life rather than the cars! you're heading for a a heart attack!

im sure when a car is designed they do allow for the fact it might be driven at some point! god forbid!

T

ps- ohhhh...i wonder if they put a bit of non optimax petrol in it for you! quick! engine rebuild!

Scoobybits

missing the point arn't you?

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

We regularly put up to 60 miles on a car when we've done an engine job. During that time we are obviously treating it with kid gloves and make sure that we behave as expected to behave with someone's pride and several thousand pounds worth of joy.

We tell customers this and we've NEVER had any comment other than 'thanks'. It is important after any job on a car to test it out and make sure that there are no rattles and squeaks from any part that may have been disturbed during the work. It's also important to settle an engine down and make sure that after major surgery everything is working correctly

It IS bad form to use the car for the lunch run and we wouldn't do it, although if the post office or the bank is on the route then that would be a matter of convenience.

Cars are always protected with seat covers, floor mats, wing covers and any other precaution we can offer to ensure that your car comes back as-was. We take a detailed survey of scuffs to wheels and scratches to body and windows EVERY time we go anywhere near a car. You get a signed copy and we get a signed copy. NEVER had a problem.

It's called customer care and we're proud of ours.

David API

Scoobybits

and no doubt the customer is aware of your plans when they leave the car..unlike the originator of this thread.. you agree then its **** poor just takin it out for no reason?

Dark Blue Mark

David, the difference is that you would have no interest in thrashing or abusing the car, you see them day in / day out, which is good in my book. I used to get my MOT done by a bunch of real old boys, and had no fear they would even think about driving it. Not that I would use Halfords or the like for anything, but i'd be a wreck leaving it in their hands.

Thats the problem, its such a cult car that any little oik working at these places, would do anything to take it for a thrash.

I dont care what anyone says, I dont want anyone driving my car without my approval.

MB

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

I guess what I am trying to say is that not everybody will abuse a car and that just because it happens occasionally it also doesn't mean that the 3 or 4 miles it has done are at warp factor 10. Probably, but not definitely.

David

stevenuk300 still

iTrader: (1)

It's the whole not knowing what has been done during those 4 miles. I'm not a stressy person and am defiantely not going to have a heart attack over it. What has been done now has been done, but that wasn't the point of this thread. It's not to get myself into a state over this matter, but to get the message across that people should beware when they leave their cars for work to be done on them. I'm a very trusting person, and wouldn't have expected this, but am also cautious hence the reason I took a photo of the mileage on my phone. The distance the car has travelled is either here nor there, the fact remains the car was used without permission for a simple head unit change. The car had been in there before to get subs etc fitted, and no problems then so trusted them to have it again. To be fair the install is spot on and I can't fault the work. I am going back tomorrow, so will definately ask the question, and see what they say. Again, if they needed to take it out to test for anything, they had my mobile number, so why not call?

Non optimax..........I dread the thought

stevenuk300 still

iTrader: (1)

Just come back from the Ice place. I asked the manager if anyone had taken my car out the last time it was in, and he replied no, only round the car park, so I told him someone from work reckons they saw me, but I was at work at the time and the car was here to have the head unit replaced. He then asked some of the lads working for him, and one of them finally admitted that he had used the car for a Macdonalds run. The manager then said, we'll there you go then. Not quite the response I was looking for, but I asked them if ever my car is in there again, to give me a call before taking it out.
It was if it was the norm to take someone's car at lunchtime to go pick up food.

Tiggs

"Macdonalds"

check with IM to see if this will effect your warranty.

T

Brun

LMFAO@Tiggs