Just bought a golf gti 2.0 16v. 80,000 miles, 1996. It has a main dealer history, all very proper, but can I assume that the timing belt would have been changed as a matter of course at some point in the service schedule, or would the garage just suggest it? In that case, there's no guarantee that it was actually done.
The golf is in faultless condition and I paid £5800. I part exed the alfa gtv, 97 R with FARSH and got £6900, that wasn't too bad was it gentlemen?
|
|
Without an invoice detailing the work, you can't assume.
|
|
Believe your own eyes and trust nobody in the motor trade
|
|
|
|
Spencer,
If you mean you had the Golf you wanted plus £1100 in exchange the Alfa that's fine.
I never assume with timing belts. You could try phoning the dealer in the service book and asking.
Having said that your Golf may be one of the models where VW advise checking the belt at 20K intervals, with no set change point.
Time to get onto this pronto before you get enjoying it!
David
|
How do you know that it has a full service history?
In my experience stamps in a book are meaningless. The only real evidence is a pile of itemised receipts from the dealership. I suppose a printout from a fleet company is also acceptable.
Perhaps if you only have stamps you could ring the dealer to confirm if the service was done and what was entailed.
Isnt it about time manufacturers had some sort of internet site whereby you could check the history of the car from a national database from all main dealers?
|
|
|
|
Honda dealers keep a computerised record of everything that's been done to their cars when serviced through them.
I had a 1989 Honda Prelude before I got my 2001 Accord, and on the Prelude they were able to query their system and pull out a full record of everything that had ever been done to it, they were able to check that the stamps in the book correlated (sic?) to what had actually been done to the car, and they even had entries in there like "rear portion of exhaust in poor condition check again at next service".
I assume that this sort of thing must be fairly standard in this day and age though?
Alex.
|
>I assume that this sort of thing must be fairly standard in this day and age though?
I'm not sure how common it is Alex, despite the huge help given by the PC these days.
However even in my small set-up a few seconds will enable me to access all customer/vehicle records since I started. This means details of chassis numbers, key numbers and even radio codes on top of the usual stuff. Part numbers for the common service items for that vehicle appear on that same screen, as does a list of notes detailing work required at future services and any long term niggles.
Given a few more minutes these PC records then link to the actual paper notes made every time a vehicle comes here.
This record sysyem is invaluable in looking after vehicles in the best possible way.....and sometimes batting away the odd rare "complaint".
Like the instant records I can produce for one vehicle I look after that often arrives here 6-12000 miles over schedule with filthy oil only just visible on the dipstick. It takes 5lit to refill and I record how much is drained off each visit. The last two times there was only just over 2.5lit in the thing.
One day the engine will blow!
David
|
|
|
|
|
I had an invoice saying gearbox oil had been checked;g'box blew up-dry!!!
|
|
Personnally I'd prefer a car with a full service history from a non franchised garage that relies on word of mouth etc. and not having a guaranteed client base.
|
|
|
|
