Suzuki dealer servicing…RANT WARNING!!

[Pikey Dave]

My DF140 was out of warranty during lockdown, I’ve had it “professionally” serviced at great expense during the first 5 years of its life in order to keep the warranty. So now I’m onto DIY servicing, I made a start today & look at one of the first things I find..
Before


After


This is the fuel filter bowl, it was a bugger to get off as it was so tight. When I eventually separated it, the first thing I don’t see is a feckin “O” ring ffs.

Needless to say it now has one as per the service manual.


If you want a job doing…..

[jeffstevens763@g]

Who did it Dave pm me if you don’t want to slag em off please.

[Steve509926]

Rant fully justified Dave.

[spartacus]

Reminds me when my mum used to drive a new shape Vauxhall Astra, which back in the early 90s was a revolution in how cars were going to look. Anyway - it had been in for a service at the main dealer, as it was a nearly new car to her after years of dealing with old buckets.

Anyway - after picking up the car for her I noticed that there was something hanging down underneath. Turns out the mechanic (they're all service technicians these days) had left a ratchet hanging off the exhaust bracket.

Took it back to their service reception - that alone was worth it to see there faces - 'you'll be needing this then!'

Nothing surprises me these days. Part of the reason I service my own cars and boat engines.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

Who did it Dave pm me if you don’t want to slag em off please.

I’ll give you 3 guesses, but you’ll only need 1[emoji849]

[FoxZulu]

Not good. You'd think that whoever tightened it up would've noticed the lack of compression due to there being no 'O' ring there.

Back in the 70's/80's my father - design engineer at Vauxhall Bedford - got a brand new company car every 12 months. In 1975 he got a lovely new Viva Magnum 2.3L. 1 month later it had it's first service. The next day the engine siezed solid on his way to work. It was recovered to the factory and there was no engine oil in it! Net result, a brand new engine fitted.

Our Yamaha F225 is 18 months old and we will definitely have it 'professionally' serviced to preserve the warranty, but after that we'll probably continue doing the same as although I'm pretty handy with spanners and engines I don't understand the computer/ECU side of things. I could certainly do the oil changes, impeller, plugs and anodes myself but I couldn't sign off the service log.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by FoxZulu

Not good. You'd think that whoever tightened it up would've noticed the lack of compression due to there being no 'O' ring there.

Exactly, it’s the first time I’ve serviced the engine & although I’m not a Suzuki trained “technician”, I am/was an engineer. As soon as I separated the bowl from the head, I knew it wasn’t right. It was so bleeding obvious. Anyone with a modicum of engineering nous would have spotted it.

[Steve509926]

That's taken me back, I loved my Magnum 2.3l

Sounded like a box of spanners on tick over, and was very rough and lumpy at anything less than 40mph, but anything over it was a beast

I think I've dropped on lucky getting my OB serviced where I do. The guy is self employed (the marina bring him in as and when) and appears to do a good job. Shows all the parts he's replaced and says why he's not replaced some things. Charges accordingly, not fixed service pricing so works out cheaper.
Older (younger than me!) chap who talks to you, makes a big difference.

[FoxZulu]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Exactly, it’s the first time I’ve serviced the engine & although I’m not a Suzuki trained “technician”, I am/was an engineer. As soon as I separated the bowl from the head, I knew it wasn’t right. It was so bleeding obvious. Anyone with a modicum of engineering nous would have spotted it.

Or 'felt' it. My last 'proper job' was in the plumbing workshop at an FE college. My favourite was watching a student trying to tighten a length of LCS pipe into a fitting using an adjustable spanner instead of Stillsons and wondering why it wouldn't work. Don't even talk to me about cordless screwdrivers - it sounded like machine-gun fire all day. Take it away and give them a manual screwdriver and they had no clue what to do with it

[FoxZulu]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

That's taken me back, I loved my Magnum 2.3l

Sounded like a box of spanners on tick over, and was very rough and lumpy at anything less than 40mph, but anything over it was a beast

I think I've dropped on lucky getting my OB serviced where I do. The guy is self employed (the marina bring him in as and when) and appears to do a good job. Shows all the parts he's replaced and says why he's not replaced some things. Charges accordingly, not fixed service pricing so works out cheaper.
Older (younger than me!) chap who talks to you, makes a big difference.

Yeah, they were great cars in their day. The engine was half a GM V8 which is why it was canted over to the side. Can't remember the angle now but was probably 30 degrees.

[A1an]

As a wise man once said “a professional gets paid for what they do, it doesn’t mean they’re any good at it”

[GuyC]

It is bloody frustrating.

Lots of these large companies seem to have morphed into accountancy firms with an engineering department rather than vice versa. I guess it is why small firms / one man bands often provide better quality than the large OEM's.

Don't get me started on Toyota.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by GuyC

It is bloody frustrating.

Lots of these large companies seem to have morphed into accountancy firms with an engineering department rather than vice versa. I guess it is why small firms / one man bands often provide better quality than the large OEM's.

Don't get me started on Toyota.

After a lifetime in engineering, I’ve seen the whole industry move from being led by engineers to run by accountants, and it’s not pretty. It stifles innovation & creative thinking.
We’re now paying the price as a nation, we can’t shift for bean counters, whilst there’s a critical skills shortage.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

After a lifetime in engineering, I’ve seen the whole industry move from being led by engineers to run by accountants, and it’s not pretty. It stifles innovation & creative thinking.
We’re now paying the price as a nation, we can’t shift for bean counters, whilst there’s a critical skills shortage.

Yep glad I retired couldn’t stand it any more, ordered my stuff from dulas thanks for the heads up Dave