(no subject)
I had to take my car into Toyota this morning for its service. I knew it would take about an hour and a half from previous experience and usually I wait for it because it's easier. There's free tea and coffee, and they have good WiFi so I can do internetty things while I'm there, so I spent the morning doing my jobsearch there as well as attempting to catch up on email and LJ.
At about 10.30, the service chappie came over to tell me what they'd found. When I'd handed over the keys, he'd asked if there was anything I wanted them to take a look at while they had it, so I mentioned that the heating didn't seem to be working properly as it was taking ages to demist the windscreen. He said that it was probably the filter but that they'd have a look. So when he came with the service report, he said that they'd checked the filter and that was fine so it probably meant that it was part of the actual heating box itself that was causing the problem. To look at that, they'd have to take off the centre console panel and that would be a) expensive and b) time consuming.
The only other issue was with the tyres. I fully expected that because for the past two years, I've been told that the front tyres are getting worn although they're not at the legal limit yet. However, the back tyres have now started to crack. Apparently it's recommended that the tyres are changed at least every 5 years because otherwise the rubber perishes and that's when they start cracking. So I had two worn front tyres and two cracking rear tyres which meant that they'd all need replacing. The service chappie went on to say that it would cost £66 per tyre plus fitting. However! They were down on their tyre sales quota at the moment and so he had been authorised to offer me the tyres at cost plus free fitting, which made it only £50 per tyre instead. Seeing as winter is around the corner, I thought I should probably take him up on that offer. That meant spending another hour and a half waiting for it to be done so it was a good job that I didn't have anywhere to be! The chappie did offer to take me somewhere if I wanted though so that was nice.
I got told just after 12 that it was all done and they were just washing and vacuuming it for me, so by 12.30 I was called over for the billing. Thankfully I have a service plan so that part of the bill was already accounted for. The service chappie went on to say that they'd done the tyres so that's that sorted for a few years. He also told me that the mechanic had taken a look at the heating box anyway and discovered that the problem was caused by a wire being in the way so the flaps weren't opening properly. The switch that controls how the air flows through the car has never gone completely onto the settings at either side and it was always something I'd meant to ask about but kept forgetting. Apparently that was because of this wire being in the way! I'm very pleased that the heating will now work properly, but the best bit was that as they'd not got authorisation from me beforehand, they couldn't charge me for fixing it!
So I got the new tyres at a reduced price, the heating fixed for free and I also got a free winter care kit (de-icer and a ice scraper in a smart Toyota branded case) which had just come in today! Not bad at all! I do like Toyota :)
At about 10.30, the service chappie came over to tell me what they'd found. When I'd handed over the keys, he'd asked if there was anything I wanted them to take a look at while they had it, so I mentioned that the heating didn't seem to be working properly as it was taking ages to demist the windscreen. He said that it was probably the filter but that they'd have a look. So when he came with the service report, he said that they'd checked the filter and that was fine so it probably meant that it was part of the actual heating box itself that was causing the problem. To look at that, they'd have to take off the centre console panel and that would be a) expensive and b) time consuming.
The only other issue was with the tyres. I fully expected that because for the past two years, I've been told that the front tyres are getting worn although they're not at the legal limit yet. However, the back tyres have now started to crack. Apparently it's recommended that the tyres are changed at least every 5 years because otherwise the rubber perishes and that's when they start cracking. So I had two worn front tyres and two cracking rear tyres which meant that they'd all need replacing. The service chappie went on to say that it would cost £66 per tyre plus fitting. However! They were down on their tyre sales quota at the moment and so he had been authorised to offer me the tyres at cost plus free fitting, which made it only £50 per tyre instead. Seeing as winter is around the corner, I thought I should probably take him up on that offer. That meant spending another hour and a half waiting for it to be done so it was a good job that I didn't have anywhere to be! The chappie did offer to take me somewhere if I wanted though so that was nice.
I got told just after 12 that it was all done and they were just washing and vacuuming it for me, so by 12.30 I was called over for the billing. Thankfully I have a service plan so that part of the bill was already accounted for. The service chappie went on to say that they'd done the tyres so that's that sorted for a few years. He also told me that the mechanic had taken a look at the heating box anyway and discovered that the problem was caused by a wire being in the way so the flaps weren't opening properly. The switch that controls how the air flows through the car has never gone completely onto the settings at either side and it was always something I'd meant to ask about but kept forgetting. Apparently that was because of this wire being in the way! I'm very pleased that the heating will now work properly, but the best bit was that as they'd not got authorisation from me beforehand, they couldn't charge me for fixing it!
So I got the new tyres at a reduced price, the heating fixed for free and I also got a free winter care kit (de-icer and a ice scraper in a smart Toyota branded case) which had just come in today! Not bad at all! I do like Toyota :)