How to tell if main dealer had done service eg oil / filter

[BazzaS]

Background summary: Query if garage performed all they said on a service, they initially offered "we'll inspect to see all was done", but then agreed to redo service. How to be sure they do so and don't "just inspect"

 

Full Background:

62 plate vehicle (would it help if I gave make & model?). Purchased from new, main dealer service package for 3 years.

 

Recent service. Items "charged for" and invoiced (although 'cost' then credited back to reflect the service package), including the manufacturers recommended volume of oil.

 

Within 1000 miles of the service : a puncture, (so not related to the service, but) as a result an Automobile club / association attended.

Spare put on but as a routine they offer "check your oil for you?".

The mechanic had been superb and we knew it is one of the key performance metrics they get measured on, so we said "it won't be a problem, but go on, anyway!" , so he wouldn't get marked down.

Oil was on minimum.

 

The car was on the flat, so we concluded:

a) we had an oil leak, or

b) it had used 1L (amount from max to min on dipstick) as a result of usage (but had never before used that much for the mileage done), or

c) they hadn't actually put in as much oil as they'd stated / charged us for, during the service.

We took photos of the levels, and bought some oil.

 

Car taken back to main dealer. Inspected, no sign of an oil leak externally. No concern of "internal" leak (& no extra smoke / blue smoke from exhaust).

They said "we've taken photos, bring it back after 1000 miles for us to check the levels by comparison"

 

Taken back after 1000+ miles.

Oil level had dropped very slightly (commensurate with use/ usage we'd seen previously) but nowhere near 1L. Still no sign of an oil leak. Mechanic who did the service has left the company "so we can't check with them"

 

As no sign of a leak, and no reason why it should use 1L in 1000 miles just after the service but then go back to its usual minimal oil consumption : they couldn't come up with a more likely explanation than the correct amount hadn't been put in.

 

Their initial suggestion : they'd give us a few bottles of oil.

We noted this still left us unsure : what else might have been "ticked off as done" on their worksheets, but not actually done, if the full amount of oil had been signed off & charged for?

They then offered "we'll do an inspection" : OK, but can an inspection give certainty that that part of the service was actually done? If not, how can they be sure without redoing the service??

 

They then offered to re-do the service.

 

This leads to my question : can an inspection give certainty that the servicing has been done?

If we were right to push for a re-do of the whole service are there any "lay mans" means to be sure items have been serviced on the "re-do" and not just "inspected" (such as oil and oil filter, air filter : anything else we should be checking, too?)

 

Thanks,

Bazza

[scaniaman]

Was this by any chance a Vauxhall bought from arnold clark??

[BazzaS]

Was this by any chance a Vauxhall bought from arnold clark??

 

No : a lucky escape bearing in mind what I've seen on CAG re: Arnold Clark ....

 

VW Golf Plus, bought from new, VW main dealership.

[Conniff]

If you have any suspicions of the servicing garage, discretely mark the changeable items ie the oil/air filter/filler cap and anything you can see.

It could be that the oil was topped up to the correct level but not checked again after the car was started so the loss was in filling the filter and oilways.