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andrewk

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 15, 2007
Messages
756
Before today, I was (sort of) convinced that Nissan main dealers were "expert" in Nissan motors and that this justified using them to service my Patrol. Now, I have cause to worry .......... :(

Last week, I had Westway Nissan in Oldham service my 2005 Patrol 3.0Di SVE. At the same time, I asked them to checkout a fault - engine suddenly losing power when overtaking or powering up hill at around 2600rpm. When booking the car in, I reminded them that I had an identical problem about 12 months ago that was cured by fitting a new MAP sensor (aka boost sensor - measures manifold pressure & hence boost pressure). I also suggested that, as the car was otherwise running fine, the most likely problem this time was that the sensor had failed again. They agreed to swap the sensor under warranty. :thumb2

As it happened, they couldn't replace the sensor on the same day as the service, either because they had ordered the wrong one - or because the wrong one had arrived. Eventually, the correct boost sensor did arrive and I took the motor in this morning for them to fit it. I sat in reception watching TV, as the job only takes about 10 mins.

After about an hour, I was told that they'd fitted the new sensor and were about to wash the car (they do that for free every time I take it in). I asked the chap in reception whether they had cleared the 0905 ECU fault code. He popped down to the workshop to check and re-appeared a couple of minutes later with the mechanic who had changed the sensor. The mechanic explained that he couldn't either read or clear ECU fault codes on the Patrol. He thought there might be a fault on the diagnostics on my Patrol. This is very odd, as the dodge using a shorting link between pins 1 and 8 of the diagnostics socket to put the ECU in diagnostics mode works fine. I explained to the mechanic how I checked and could clear ECU codes - and he developed a sort of goofy look (a "don't know what you are talking about squire" sort of look). He then went away. :(:(

A few minutes later it occured to me that maybe they were trying to use a Consult III diagnostics tool (which doesn't work on a 2005 Patrol) rather than a Consult II (which does work). It turns out that I was right. Not only that, but it seems that Westway Nissan, Oldham may not have a functioning Consult II (as they still couldn't read ECU codes), so they cannot do engine diagnostics on any Nissan built before 2007. :eek::eek:

I'm not sure what I should think about this - but such thoughts as I do have are not very positive. Has anyone got any (printable) thoughts about this saga? Do any of you chaps with a (recent-ish) Terrano or Patrol use a Nissan franchise dealer?

Andrew
 
onle ever took my T2 to a main dealer once, before i joind here that is.. but you would think they could "do it" what ever the age of Nissan...
 
re-appeared a couple of minutes later with the mechanic who had changed the sensor.

Ive been to the main dealers once... never seen a mechanic their though! Part fitters yes.... but actual mechanic :nenau

Although Dixon Nissan Halifax did want to charge me £80.00 for plugging in my 2001 Terrano... to prove a part THEY had fitted was knackered after which they would replace the part for free!!!
You can imaging my response!!! :augie

NB - this was DIXON Nissan, not the new Nissan dealers now in Halifax!
 
This is a shocking state of affairs, and working taking up very strongly with Nissan UK. Make sure you have proof of postage on your letters, and give them a specific amount of time to reply to you to give you a decent explanation. (they like to send a generalised non specific letter back...)
 
The big problem with Nissan dealers has always been that the 4WDs have always been a minority interest for them; situation was even worse for the Mav if you took it to Ford, as they never had their own 4WD production.

But this specific kind of problem is not common to Nissan TBF....I've lost count of the dealers of various vehicles over the years who have just plugged a vehicle into diagnostics and not found a fault that was otherwise staring them in the face......a sort of Little Britain-esque "diagnostics says nooooo".

I remember losing my rag a few years ago with a Renault dealer over my wifes Clio after exactly that happened.....I very unpolitely suggested the bloke go a bit radical and actually LOOK at the f*cking car for a minute and guess what, he diagnosed and sorted the problem in about four minutes.

Its a classic example of todays maintenance ethos....as Briggie will tell you from his experience (and me from mine), its not that long since a technician could diagnose down to component level and likely fix as well - nowadays they are module-swap monkeys, and if that doesn't work, well lets swap something else, the customers paying.

Its cheaper for the employer as the bloke isn't qualified and its only when the sh1t hits the fan that they need a top geezer foreman or suchlike to dig them out of the poo......

But as Timbo suggests, a call to Nissan UK won't go amiss, not forgetting to mention your membership of a Nissan forum that always comes up top of the list in an internet search (thanks to Bat and the miracle that is Google Adwords LOL)

Its why when you eventually find a good garage, you keep it! :thumbs
 
But as Timbo suggests, a call to Nissan UK won't go amiss, not forgetting to mention your membership of a Nissan forum that always comes up top of the list in an internet search (thanks to Bat and the miracle that is Google Adwords LOL)


I'm not convinced that is such a great idea. I don't especially want to bury anyone. I doubt that it would result in anything very positive, even if they take notice - and Nissan, Oldham did replace the sensor (which costs over £200 :eek:) under warrranty simply on my say-so that it had failed, so it's not all bad.


Andrew
 
And so ,because of your willingness to put up with a shoddy garage,other Nissan owners will continue to suffer inadequate service from a Nissan dealer. "I'm alright, Jack" seems to be alive and well and living in Oldham :rolleyes:
Sorry for being a little annoyed, but it is because people just walk away in these situations, these garages can continue to screw over their customers.

Wife's cousin left his car into a Renault garage for a service, on leaving the garage he met a mate and they decided to have some food and a coffee across the road from the garage, looking out the window onto the garage forecourt he saw a mechanic move his car from where he left it to a spot about ten yards away. Here the car remained. He called the garage about 30 minutes before agreed collection time to see if the car was ready, after waiting on the phone for a bit,he was told the mechanic was just about finished and would be ready at agreed time. When he collected the car,he was given the bill with a list of items charged for and labour etc. Luckily, he had a witness and their was a solicitor's next door to the garage, so end result was court case,garage lost their Renault dealership,wife's cousin was refunded his bill (he had paid) plus costs. So maybe a letter to Nissan may help others.
 
I'm not convinced that is such a great idea. I don't especially want to bury anyone. I doubt that it would result in anything very positive, even if they take notice - and Nissan, Oldham did replace the sensor (which costs over £200 :eek:) under warrranty simply on my say-so that it had failed, so it's not all bad.


Andrew

But you aren't Andrew? I doubt for a second they'll bollock the dealer who takes their stock in difficult trading conditions, you just mention your membership and interests and ask them to recommend someone who CAN do the job...and as for replacing stuff under warranty.....jeez, theres no way on earth they replace a £200 sensor just cos a customer says so.....not unless they either made a killing on the car, or its aftermarket warranty in which case its a moneyspinner.....either way its not charity mate.

Don't roll over:thumb2
 
jeez, theres no way on earth they replace a £200 sensor just cos a customer says so

I didn't believe that they could possibly do that either - but they did. They ordered the part following my phone call to them - and didn't check that the ECU error existed before they fitted the new one.

Andrew
 
And so ,because of your willingness to put up with a shoddy garage,other Nissan owners will continue to suffer inadequate service from a Nissan dealer.

That doesn't follow at all. It is Nissan's interests that they have not protected - by replacing a component under warranty without real proof that it was faulty.

I do agree that not having a Consult II available is unforgivable for a franchise dealer - but then again, non-franchise local garages would not have one either. I do have real doubts about whether Westway Nissan, Oldham have the ability to diagnose engine faults effectively with or without the availability of the correct Consult device/software. From my reading of other posts in this and other forums for Nissan and other marques, they are not at all unusual in this - it is endemic in the motor industry. It is, however, still true that franchise dealers have better access to technical support from Nissan UK than non-franchise garages will have - so ultimately they should be able to diagnose faults that others cannot, albeit that it might not be a very efficient process.

I still see no point in writing letters to Nissan UK that will almost certainly be ignored or simply excused away by the service manager at the local Westway Nissan branch. If you don't use a Nissan franchise dealer for servicing, then you may not be aware that Nissan UK employ market researchers to interview customers who have recently had their cars serviced at a franchise dealer. I've had both a postal questionnaire AND a phone call from the research company on every occasion that I have had my Patrol serviced. I know that Westway Nissan, Oldham take this customer feedback process VERY seriously, as I've also had pre-emptive phone calls from the service desk to ask what I'm likely to say to the Nissan UK researchers!! You can bet that I will be providing wholly appropriate feedback. ;)

Andrew
 
not unless they either made a killing on the car, or its aftermarket warranty in which case its a moneyspinner

I didn't buy the Patrol from Westway Nissan, Oldham - so they didn't make any profit on it's sale. I haven't bought an aftermarket warranty, so they have made no money from me on one of those either.

The warranty that I referred to earlier was the 12 month warranty on the part (MAP sensor) that they fitted in April 2010 and which failed (again) after about 7 months.

Andrew
 

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