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Quality of Sri Lankan Service Centers?


Klord

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So I took my car to St###### in Boralasgamuwa for a full service. Though she is a brand new unit, the service reminder was due - 86 dates, so thought of giving her a full treat. This is the first time I am doing a car service on my own as this is the first car I own. Long story short, I wasnt satisfied by their service. I know I dont have much previous experience to compare. But from what I saw, I decided not to get a service done from them again. The way they treat vehicles is very bad. All the owners are chilling in a waiting area while cars get washed/ oil changed out of their sights. I doubt most of them have ever witnessed the actual process at least once. I thought of having a walk around in washing area out of curiosity and was not happy about the way they did the service. 

The process in a nutshell,
Use high pressure water to soak the car, spray some cleaning agent, quickly rub the surface with an old piece of towel (hey where are microfiber cloths?), and done.

Also, I dont know if its ok or not, but the service guy applied some foam and washed it away with some liquid which I think is water.Then he applied high pressure air to the engine bay to dry it up. I felt the pressure was too high for smaller engine parts. Worst that he did it in a hurry and I am not sure if he dried the engine properly. I went back to the office and inquired a service adviser about my concerns and he told it is the usual process of servicing. He said it is a special chemical to clean the engine bay and it is not water that they use to wash the engine bay. But I am certain that I saw steam coming up from engine (why is there steam, if its not water?).  I am not going to go in detail about my entire experience, just wanted to share what I saw and how I felt. 

In a positive note, they have a very good front office and good system established to make appointments and gets the job done on time. But the quality of the service is highly questionable. I dont think this is an isolated incident, so thought of sharing to make people aware. Maybe I am being paranoid, maybe I am thinking too much, but it doesnt harm you for being a bit more vigilant about the way others treat to things you love.Thank you. :)

Edited by Klord
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Washing the engine bay is asking for trouble, especially on a car with an EFI engine with a lot of sensors around. Using a pressure washer on the engine bay is a big no no. If the engine bay is dusty, just vacuum it or use high pressure air to get rid of the dust. Wipe down with a rag and use a good engine dressing to detail it if required. If there are oil leaks, washing it off is not the solution. You can use an aerosol degreaser on a rag and wipe oil and grease stains off.

So before the service, ask them not to wash or spray anything on the engine bay and to just use high pressure air to clean off dust. As for your concern about the high pressure air being too intense, the engine is a very harsh environment and components in there can withstand some high pressure air. 

As for the steam you saw, all of these cleaning liquids have some portion of water in them. When that comes into contact with the warm engine, steam is produced. So you can't really conclude that they used plain water just because there was steam.

I personally don't allow service centres to clean any interior component (dashboards, console, door cards and trims etc.) with any chemical. What might be okay for one car might be too harsh for another and I have experiences with dashboards and rexin cracking and discolouring. Also, you don't know what service centres are using. It might be some cheap chemical whereas if you clean it yourself, you can get a good one and be more careful in doing it. 

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I have Euro and my agent has advised me not to take it near any service even for a wash. At the service once a year they wipe the engine bay. I use a blower once in a while to get rid of the dust and wipe off any stubborn patches with a wet cloth. Most of the engine bay is covered so it is easier to clean.

Even the high pressure on the wheels could damage your sensors (ABS)

Actually you don't need to use the high pressure washers in vehicles, any muck in even on inner wheel archers could be hosed off using you garden hose.

On my previous Japs i tell them not to wash the engine bay.

This is what I have been practicing, newer had any issues (sensors/ electric) with any of my or my family cars for the last 30-40 years.

 

 

Edited by kush
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13 hours ago, Klord said:

So I took my car to St###### in Boralasgamuwa

I've heard a LOT of negative comments on St##### and I was surprised cos I've not really had major issues at Maradana  - and it turns out most folk go to Boralesgamuwa - I think the Boralasgamuwa joint should be avoided.

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54 minutes ago, matroska said:

I've heard a LOT of negative comments on St##### and I was surprised cos I've not really had major issues at Maradana  - and it turns out most folk go to Boralesgamuwa - I think the Boralasgamuwa joint should be avoided.

I never had any issues with Maradana for the 5 years (2013-2018) I had my CRV

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That’s why people need to be comfortable with little bit of elbow grease and some sweat. You go to a servicing station, waste your time waiting in an A/C room while worrying what’s going on with your vehicle. How about, spending that time at home doing it yourself? It’s a simple process which requires few tools and you’ll be saving your time, money and will be getting a good work out as well. You’ll get to know your vehicle as well. For the past 13 years of vehicle ownership, this has been my process. I take my car to service stations only for oil changing and running repairs. Washing, Polishing, Vacuuming and interior cleaning is all done at home as DIY jobs. It’s really satisfying as well. That’s how I have been able to maintain a 20 year old car in good condition without any electrical or cosmetic issues. ? 

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2 hours ago, LashNeo said:

That’s why people need to be comfortable with little bit of elbow grease and some sweat. You go to a servicing station, waste your time waiting in an A/C room while worrying what’s going on with your vehicle. How about, spending that time at home doing it yourself? It’s a simple process which requires few tools and you’ll be saving your time, money and will be getting a good work out as well. You’ll get to know your vehicle as well. For the past 13 years of vehicle ownership, this has been my process. I take my car to service stations only for oil changing and running repairs. Washing, Polishing, Vacuuming and interior cleaning is all done at home as DIY jobs. It’s really satisfying as well. That’s how I have been able to maintain a 20 year old car in good condition without any electrical or cosmetic issues. ? 

Totally in agreement with you. I was doing the same thing sometime ago.

Now compelled to take the vehicles to the agents to keep the warranty going and to maintain perceived second hand value as prospective buyers think that company maintained is better than enthusiast maintained.

Goes only for the service anything else DIY.

 

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3 hours ago, LashNeo said:

That’s why people need to be comfortable with little bit of elbow grease and some sweat. You go to a servicing station, waste your time waiting in an A/C room while worrying what’s going on with your vehicle. How about, spending that time at home doing it yourself? It’s a simple process which requires few tools and you’ll be saving your time, money and will be getting a good work out as well. You’ll get to know your vehicle as well. For the past 13 years of vehicle ownership, this has been my process. I take my car to service stations only for oil changing and running repairs. Washing, Polishing, Vacuuming and interior cleaning is all done at home as DIY jobs. It’s really satisfying as well. That’s how I have been able to maintain a 20 year old car in good condition without any electrical or cosmetic issues. ? 

But how do you wash the car bottom+under car wheels?

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Since we are talking about servicing can you guys recommended what should be done in a service ? I know oil change, oil filter change and wash are normally done. If one needs to keep the car out of troubles for 100,000km what should he/she focusing on service. I learned break oil moisture check in this forum. Any other checks i need to worry about ?

1. Power steering oil. Normally when should it changed ?

2. Any other mechanical parts which needs to be checked in a service ?

 

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I maintain my vehicles at Unit#d Mot#rs - Orugudawatta since 2011. I take vehicle there since they are not the best  in service, but they know about the particular  vehicle model than any other. And I always remain with the vehicle and never leave vehicle with them. Usually I take vehicle there on weekdays morning and then I can do all maintenance repair and service at same day.  But I am warning you guys never take your vehicle to service on Saturday mornings to Unit#d Mot#rs - Orgodawatta. Service is too bad and no sufficient staff. Unfortunately I had to take  my Lancer twice there on Saturdays including last service. Service is worst. They gave me a slip to sign that service is ok and I rejected.  I showed them many mud patches remaining there and  finally they had to taken vehicle for second time wash. Unit#d Mot#rs - Orugodawatta service center was very good in service, few years ago and now dropping the quality of the service tremendously. Believe me being agents for Mitsubishi they did not check  ATF level at service until I forced them to do. The service adviser on Saturday 22 June 2019 was telling me it is not required. I made a complaint on bad service extended me and still no response from them.  Shame on you Unit#d Mot#rs - Orugodawatta. 

Edited by Sampath Gunasekera
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UNIMO at orugodawatte, is it that bad? I thought it was one of the best service Centres out there. I am planning to put my car to UNIMO in kandy. Anyone had experience with them?

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2 minutes ago, K.o.N.o.S said:

UNIMO at orugodawatte, is it that bad? I thought it was one of the best service Centres out there. I am planning to put my car to UNIMO in kandy. Anyone had experience with them?

If it's the Katugasthota workshop I've had plenty of experience with them; I get mine serviced by them and the Kurunegala branch

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21 minutes ago, K.o.N.o.S said:

@Hyaenidae yes I am referring to the katugasthota workshop. Care to share your overall experience?

Okay, so... I don't let them do body washes for obvious reasons. I've seen the piece of rag they use to wash the cars with lying on the dirty floor more than once. I just get an underbody wash done, especially informing them not to direct water at the engine bay from the underside and not to use kerosene to clean the underbody. That's it for the washing and cleaning part.

They're really good when it comes to maintenance work; I mean, once the mech who attended to my vehicle knew the exact amount of oil that goes into the engine, with and without the oil filter replacement! That's really something, considering they work on many models every day and the Lancer EX is not a model they get to work on frequently. I'm yet to meet a fellow EX owner there (perhaps we'll meet there someday?) You'll have to tell them to do the tire rotation and the correct tire rotation pattern when they take off the wheels for cleaning though, otherwise, they'll just fix the wheels as they were. They'll check the fluid levels and make corrections if necessary.

The best thing about them is that they let you stay near the car as they work on it so you know exactly what they're doing and you can ask them to do the work the way you want, and they would comply without question.  They have a comfy lounge with creature comforts and all, the security will casually mention of its existence, but if you want to stay near the car like I do no one's stopping you. Hawking them like that paid off once or twice when they attempted to correct the coolant level with tap water instead of distilled water.

Overall, I'd say the experience has been positive, mainly because of me being near the vehicle for the entire time and informing them of the work I need to get done and the way I want to get the work done.

 

Edited by Hyaenidae
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@Hyaenidae thanks for sharing. I think now I have a good impression on them. I actually did my first service at Automiraj in Gampola. I only put the car there because the service manager is a good friend of mine and he personally looked into my Car. So that was a positive experience. I will be doing my next service at UNIMO katugasthota. Of course we will meet there someday. I guess together we can find out @Bracket's whereabouts.?

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17 minutes ago, K.o.N.o.S said:

@Hyaenidae thanks for sharing. I think now I have a good impression on them. I actually did my first service at Automiraj in Gampola. I only put the car there because the service manager is a good friend of mine and he personally looked into my Car. So that was a positive experience. I will be doing my next service at UNIMO katugasthota. Of course we will meet there someday. I guess together we can find out @Bracket's whereabouts.?

Indeed. I'm sure his BRATT thread inspired many to become Lancer owners

Edited by Hyaenidae
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14 hours ago, GayanR said:

But how do you wash the car bottom+under car wheels?

Step 1: Buy a water regulator/ spray from your local supermarket

Step 2: Fix it to your garden hose

Step 3: Spray underside of your wheel arches to soak the mud

Step 4: Wait for few minutes for the muck to absorb the water and loosen, you can wash rest of the body while you wait.

Step 5: Hose off the mud

You can put your finger to the hose and create your own spray patterns if you don not wish to invest in a regulator.

This saves me money/ time and lot of heartache looking at some idiot ruining the paint work of the car.

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15 hours ago, virajn said:

Since we are talking about servicing can you guys recommended what should be done in a service ? I know oil change, oil filter change and wash are normally done. If one needs to keep the car out of troubles for 100,000km what should he/she focusing on service. I learned break oil moisture check in this forum. Any other checks i need to worry about ?

1. Power steering oil. Normally when should it changed ?

2. Any other mechanical parts which needs to be checked in a service ?

 

The answer to this question is that it depends from vehicle to vehicle. The best thing to do is to read your owner's manual and check the service schedule set by the manufacturer. The schedule specifies everything such as how often you should replace fluids, filters, belts and attend to tyre rotation, valve clearance adjustment and so on. 

If you don't have the owner's manual (which is typical for most cars in Sri Lanka because people put it in their bedroom cupboards like gold jewellery without having it in the glove box of the car and passing on to the subsequent owners, or because it's a JDM vehicle), try finding one online. 

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2 hours ago, kush said:

Step 1: Buy a water regulator/ spray from your local supermarket

Step 2: Fix it to your garden hose

Step 3: Spray underside of your wheel arches to soak the mud

Step 4: Wait for few minutes for the muck to absorb the water and loosen, you can wash rest of the body while you wait.

Step 5: Hose off the mud

You can put your finger to the hose and create your own spray patterns if you don not wish to invest in a regulator.

This saves me money/ time and lot of heartache looking at some idiot ruining the paint work of the car.

That’s the way to go. I think undercarriage washing is not something that needs to be done regularly. Often the places which gets dirty are the wheel wells which can be cleaned at home as per the way you have mentioned on a weekly basis. Undercarriage can be cleaned usually after the end of a rainy season. I usually do it only when it is needed.

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17 hours ago, kush said:

Totally in agreement with you. I was doing the same thing sometime ago.

Now compelled to take the vehicles to the agents to keep the warranty going and to maintain perceived second hand value as prospective buyers think that company maintained is better than enthusiast maintained.

Goes only for the service anything else DIY.

 

Was wondering.. when you take it to the agents, does washing, vacuuming, engine dressing come as a must? Isn’t there a way to select only mechanical inspection and servicing such as oil change, cleaning the brake system,  refilling fluids, engine scanning etc. only? The place which I take my car for servicing uses this policy. They don’t do washing, but does mechanical inspection and repair as well as servicing and you get to keep a service record as well which is similar to a service record given by the agent.

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28 minutes ago, LashNeo said:

Was wondering.. when you take it to the agents, does washing, vacuuming, engine dressing come as a must? Isn’t there a way to select only mechanical inspection and servicing such as oil change, cleaning the brake system,  refilling fluids, engine scanning etc. only? The place which I take my car for servicing uses this policy. They don’t do washing, but does mechanical inspection and repair as well as servicing and you get to keep a service record as well which is similar to a service record given by the agent.

I was wondering the same. What is this place ?

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  • 5 months later...
On 8/8/2019 at 10:43 AM, virajn said:

I was wondering the same. What is this place ?

I take my car to L*l Alawa*ta Associates for servicing. They don't wash the vehicle. Their job seems to be much better than most of the service stations. All oil changes, filter changes, brake cleaning and adjustments etc done by mechanics under the supervision of Mr.L*l Alawa*ta. Another important thing is that they don't try to sell things unnecessarily. For example all other service stations change the oil filter every 5000 kilometres. But in this place they change oil filter once in 10000 kilometres which is similar to local agents do.

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