Garage replaced lifetime filter with inferior - advice

[KVF]

Hi

 

I had my vehicle serviced by a garage. It is, or was fitted with a K&N air filter - which is a lifetime filter which just needs to be cleaned. It's supposed to give increased performance & mpg.

 

I checked it today and found it to be replaced by a throw away filter so I have a £48 filter missing and was no doubt charged for the inferior part they replaced it with.

 

K&N filters have been around for along time and are clearly marked up, so I assume a young inexperienced mechanic/trainee was doing the service and hadn't been told to look out for them.

 

I've emailed the garage today to see their response - has anyone come across this before?

[Conniff]

As you say, K&N have been around a long time. If they really were that good, don't you think the car makers would fit them as standard especially if they measurably increased the mpg.

[Nagasis]

I have a k&n filter. I think they are over rated.

 

Did you tell them not to change it? Did you want them to clean it instead?.

 

It was probably dirty and not performing as well as the oem one that replaced it.

 

As for mpg increase its negligible at best.

[KVF]

I would guess that with the number of air filters manufacturers fit to vehicles, the extra cost would soon add up, not to mention the manufacturer makes a profit on every filter it sells whereas fit a third party manufacturers filter and it is the third party making the profit.

 

Likewise why do they make a 2 litre, 2.5 and 3 litre diesel engine for the same vehicle - why not just make the 3 litre - after all it is more fuel efficient because it it ticking over to do the same work the 2 litre has to work hard to do.

 

And why on the 2.5 litre engine do they choose to give three power options - 90hp; 115hp or 125hp - it's the same size engine - why not just make it the best that it can be?

 

Kenlowe cooling fans are another money saver - again a third party.

 

But my question was if anyone had had a garage remove lifetime parts and replace with inferior, not how they feel these parts perform.

[Nagasis]

Changing air filter is part of the service. If you didn't tell them not to then it would be changed unless it was clearly an after market part such as a cone or honey comb filter.

[Conniff]

Changing air filter is part of the service. If you didn't tell them not to then it would be changed unless it was clearly an after market part such as a cone or honey comb filter.

 

I can't agree with that. I would never have allowed one of my mechanics to replace an after-fit filter (or any modification) with a paper one unless I had specific instructions from the customer. Let us know what the email reply says KVF.

 

Are we talking a bolt on chrome and wire job or a paper element replacement that is in the original filter box?

If in the box, then I would agree with the above. How would they know unless you told them.

[KVF]

K&N filters aren't a new to the market item that motor engineers wouldn't be aware of, they have been around a LONG time and I wouldn't have expected it to be changed unless they had checked with me first - they are designed to be cleaned not thrown away and replaced with paper ones.

 

It's not paper, it's a lifetime replacement for the paper one, clearly marked as being K&N - I wouldn't expect it to be removed.

[Conniff]

Yes, but was it a bolt on one or was it in the original filter box??

[KVF]

It's a lifetime replacement for the paper one so it would naturally be in the filter box.

Edited November 23, 2012 by KVF
I have removed a sentence added to this post presumably by admin to make it look like it was posted by me.

[Conniff]

Oil and filter changes are usually given to the junior to do. He probably thought it was a big brillo pad so changed it.

 

Hang on until you get a reply to your email, should be tomorrow latest, and let us know what he says.

[Nagasis]

Why not ask for it back and if that's not possible ask for a contribution towards a replacement.

[KVF]

That's what I think is likely, a junior or apprentice was given the task, but given that these type of filters have been around for a long time and are clearly marked then I feel either the garage has failed to drum into their staff that they need to check or the person changing it didn't pay attention at the time.

[KVF]

Why not ask for it back and if that's not possible ask for a contribution towards a replacement.

 

 

If they still have it I will be happy to have it back, but one doesn't expect to have to check up on the work done by a garage and so I didn't look at the time. I have a six monthly diary note to check the filter and this is when I saw it wasn't there any longer

[Conniff]

Why not ask for it back and if that's not possible ask for a contribution towards a replacement.

 

 

I've emailed the garage today to see their response

 

..

[heliosuk]

Got to go with Conniff on this one. k&n stuff is often proved to be a waste of money. Garage who changed it could actually be doing you a favour in the long term. Tests I have seen done with this type of filter show no long term benefit whatsoever but because of the name it is percieved they are better when in reallity they don't do anything more or give any advantage. And as conniff rightly points out if they had an advantage then they would be fitted as standard anyway.

[Surfer01]

Regardless of whether the filter is of any benefit, it cost the OP £48 and is life long filter and any trained mechanic would know that and simply wash it and replace the filter. I bet that the garage never charged the OP the apprentice hourly rate and that the OP paid the hourly rate for a fully trained mechanic to do the work.

[heliosuk]

Any trained mechanic would get rid of the K&N rubbish and put it back to design intent which seems the have happened. So fair play to the garage it seems. K&N make some quite wild claims without concrete backup!! There is only rate applicable in workshops and that is the hourly rate. Doesn't matter who does it, it's a set hourly rate.

[Yukiko]

If the garage were instructed to complete a service, they'd have done so in line with manufacturer guidelines, or gone down the basic service route of; Oil, filter, air filter.

 

In replacing the air filter for a standard one, there's a 100:1 chance they've prevented you from having your insurance voided as a K&N performance filter has been known to be called a "Performance Enhancing Modification", regardless of the fact they do sod all apart from make the under-hood area look untidy and "Barried" with.

 

Seriously, if they've still got it in the bin, ask for it back if it matters. If not, consider them as doing you a favour by ridding your car of it.