Could anyone recommend a decent, honest and reliable VW/Audi specialist
garage who'll do a good job servicing my car, won't have rip-off labour
rates, will do all the extra preventative bits (I'm thinking things like
changing PAS fluid, gearbox oil etc., stuff that is considered unneccessary
by some) as part of a standard service, and generally won't cut corners?

In the Berkshire area?

Or maybe a bit further afield - another thread on the audi newsgroup
mentioned a place in Hersham, which sounds great, but if there's an equally
good one closer to home, then so much the better. Mine is due for a major
service (well I'd like to get it done anyway) plus cambelt, and a couple of
front tyres (in hindsight, I should have tried a bit harder in knocking the
price down!).

Peter

 

"AstraVanMan" <Peter@SwerveWeb.com> wrote in message
news:ZQKob.73$382.5@newsfep4-winn.server.ntli.net...
> Could anyone recommend a decent, honest and reliable VW/Audi specialist
> garage who'll do a good job servicing my car, won't have rip-off labour
> rates, will do all the extra preventative bits (I'm thinking things like
> changing PAS fluid, gearbox oil etc., stuff that is considered
unneccessary
> by some) as part of a standard service, and generally won't cut corners?
>
> In the Berkshire area?
>
> Or maybe a bit further afield - another thread on the audi newsgroup
> mentioned a place in Hersham, which sounds great, but if there's an
equally
> good one closer to home, then so much the better. Mine is due for a major
> service (well I'd like to get it done anyway) plus cambelt, and a couple
of
> front tyres (in hindsight, I should have tried a bit harder in knocking
the
> price down!).
>
> Peter
>
>

Lol Pete, the whole point in owning an Audi is to get ripped off, and
charged stupid prices

Ronny

 

> Lol Pete, the whole point in owning an Audi is to get ripped off, and
> charged stupid prices
>
> Ronny

Replied (in another post) just to uk.rec.cars.maintenance to avoid flooding
the local groups with car-related drivel

Peter

 

"AstraVanMan" <Peter@SwerveWeb.com> wrote in message
news:ZQKob.73$382.5@newsfep4-winn.server.ntli.net...
> Could anyone recommend a decent, honest and reliable VW/Audi specialist
> garage who'll do a good job servicing my car, won't have rip-off labour
> rates, will do all the extra preventative bits (I'm thinking things like
> changing PAS fluid, gearbox oil etc., stuff that is considered
unneccessary
> by some) as part of a standard service, and generally won't cut corners?
>
> In the Berkshire area?
>
> Or maybe a bit further afield - another thread on the audi newsgroup
> mentioned a place in Hersham, which sounds great, but if there's an
equally
> good one closer to home, then so much the better. Mine is due for a major
> service (well I'd like to get it done anyway) plus cambelt, and a couple
of
> front tyres (in hindsight, I should have tried a bit harder in knocking
the
> price down!).

Two places:

- Whites, Camberley. It's on the A30 just on the London side of the
roundabout where Tesco and Marks and Spencers is - there's a sculpture of an
elephant made of plumbing parts almost outside - advert for a builders'
merchant.

- Timothy Green (aka Royal Berks Motors) on Basingstoke Road (A33) in
Reading. I think it's still on the left-hand (west) side facing towards
Reading, about 1/2 mile north of the junction with Rose Kiln Lane. The
garage has moved in the last year, but I think it's just moved a few doors
away.

Both garages looked after my two Golfs perfectly well. OK, so you pay
through the nose for parts, but that's what you get for buying a European
car I'm never completely sure that garages only replace things that
they need to and don't rip you off or try to blind you with science, but
these two certainly filled me with more confidence than my present garage,
Oxford Motors (Peugeot), who won't even let you speak to a mechanic rather
than an air-headed receptionist.

Both garages are happy to give you a lift into work when you drop your car
off for a service. I don't think either of them ever had a courtesy car
available.

 

> - Whites, Camberley. It's on the A30 just on the London side of the
> roundabout where Tesco and Marks and Spencers is - there's a sculpture of
an
> elephant made of plumbing parts almost outside - advert for a builders'
> merchant.
>
> - Timothy Green (aka Royal Berks Motors) on Basingstoke Road (A33) in
> Reading. I think it's still on the left-hand (west) side facing towards
> Reading, about 1/2 mile north of the junction with Rose Kiln Lane. The
> garage has moved in the last year, but I think it's just moved a few doors
> away.
>
> Both garages looked after my two Golfs perfectly well. OK, so you pay
> through the nose for parts, but that's what you get for buying a European
> car I'm never completely sure that garages only replace things that
> they need to and don't rip you off or try to blind you with science, but
> these two certainly filled me with more confidence than my present garage,
> Oxford Motors (Peugeot), who won't even let you speak to a mechanic rather
> than an air-headed receptionist.

Are these two Audi main dealers or independent specialists? I ask as I've
got a feeling Whites in Camberley is a main dealer (or am I confusing it
with the one further up the A30, near the junction with King's Ride??) - I'm
after somewhere where I won't be paying through the nose for labour rates
(I'm happy to pay a reasonable amount, but I'd rather nearer £30-£35 / hour
than £70+ per hour).

Peter

 

>
> Are these two Audi main dealers or independent specialists? I ask as I've
> got a feeling Whites in Camberley is a main dealer (or am I confusing it
> with the one further up the A30, near the junction with King's Ride??) -
I'm
> after somewhere where I won't be paying through the nose for labour rates
> (I'm happy to pay a reasonable amount, but I'd rather nearer £30-£35 /
hour
> than £70+ per hour).
>

Whites is a main dealer AFAIK.

I.

 

"AstraVanMan" <Peter@SwerveWeb.com> wrote in message
news:zEMob.123$3h5.846@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net...
> > - Whites, Camberley. It's on the A30 just on the London side of the
> > roundabout where Tesco and Marks and Spencers is - there's a sculpture
of
> an
> > elephant made of plumbing parts almost outside - advert for a builders'
> > merchant.
> >
> > - Timothy Green (aka Royal Berks Motors) on Basingstoke Road (A33) in
> > Reading. I think it's still on the left-hand (west) side facing towards
> > Reading, about 1/2 mile north of the junction with Rose Kiln Lane. The
> > garage has moved in the last year, but I think it's just moved a few
doors
> > away.
> >
> > Both garages looked after my two Golfs perfectly well. OK, so you pay
> > through the nose for parts, but that's what you get for buying a
European
> > car I'm never completely sure that garages only replace things that
> > they need to and don't rip you off or try to blind you with science, but
> > these two certainly filled me with more confidence than my present
garage,
> > Oxford Motors (Peugeot), who won't even let you speak to a mechanic
rather
> > than an air-headed receptionist.
>
> Are these two Audi main dealers or independent specialists? I ask as I've
> got a feeling Whites in Camberley is a main dealer (or am I confusing it
> with the one further up the A30, near the junction with King's Ride??) -
I'm
> after somewhere where I won't be paying through the nose for labour rates
> (I'm happy to pay a reasonable amount, but I'd rather nearer £30-£35 /
hour
> than £70+ per hour).
>
> Peter

They're the same outfit - one's the showroom the other (near the white
elephant) is the service centre.

I must admit I didn't have too much success with Whites when I had a Golf
(company car). It took about 4 sessions to find a windscreen leak and never
did manage to diagnose an intermittant stall.

Better luck with TG, the specialist took the car home for the weekend (I had
a loan car) and fixed the problem. Now it may be coincidence, but about 10
miles later the car was making a very sick noise in 2nd gear - which turned
out to be a missing gear tooth.

This was about 4yrs ago, mind.

 

As mentioned on the other ng, I have used Wheelbase in Hersham for many
years. Their rates may not be half that of the main dealer but their hourly
charge is for all time spent on your car, not taken from a manufacturer
supplied service menu.

The guys are ex VW and know the cars inside out. If it wasn't for warranty
issues on new cars, I would take my cars there from new. Much better than my
experiences with Whites and HWM.
www.wheelbase.uk.com

If you're just looking for parts, there is German & Swedish near Heathrow
and VAG Parts - www.vagparts.com

No connections, just a happy customer of these people.

Colin M

 

> I must admit I didn't have too much success with Whites when I had a Golf
> (company car). It took about 4 sessions to find a windscreen leak and
never
> did manage to diagnose an intermittant stall.
>
> Better luck with TG, the specialist took the car home for the weekend (I
had
> a loan car) and fixed the problem. Now it may be coincidence, but about 10
> miles later the car was making a very sick noise in 2nd gear - which
turned
> out to be a missing gear tooth.
>
> This was about 4yrs ago, mind.

Are Timothy Green a main dealer as well, or an independent?

Peter

 

> As mentioned on the other ng, I have used Wheelbase in Hersham for many
> years. Their rates may not be half that of the main dealer but their
hourly
> charge is for all time spent on your car, not taken from a manufacturer
> supplied service menu.

Which can work in two ways, but it's nearly always to the benefit of the
customer. And if a job did take a fair bit longer than normal, then whilst
I'd rather it wasn't more expensive(!), I wouldn't mind paying if it meant
that they weren't underselling themselves, meaning there would be more
chance they'd be still in business the next time I wanted a good job done.

> The guys are ex VW and know the cars inside out. If it wasn't for warranty
> issues on new cars, I would take my cars there from new. Much better than
my
> experiences with Whites and HWM.
> www.wheelbase.uk.com

Who are HWM?

> If you're just looking for parts, there is German & Swedish near Heathrow
> and VAG Parts - www.vagparts.com
>
> No connections, just a happy customer of these people.

Just one query - are the parts from companies like these always guaranteed
to be genuine OEM parts, or pattern parts. I know in a lot of cases pattern
parts are fine, but I've also heard that in many other cases OEM parts are
much much better.

And what are the prices Wheelbase charge for parts on their jobs (when it's
something that's not covered by a standard fixed price service) compared to
specialist parts importers like these?

Peter