Re: 45K mile service, exploding batt

[Robert W Obrien <rwo@u.arizona.edu>]

On Fri, 12 Sep 1997 AUDIDUDI@delphi.com wrote:

> > Actually, the car has never been anywhere but the dealer.  This car had
> > the Audi Advantage, so we took it to the dealer for every single
> > service, and still do.  I refuse to have my car in an independant
> > garage.  I'd do the service myself, first.  Anyway, it's the dealer
> > that's replaced the high-pressure switch 4 times.
> 
> Interesting ... I won't take my car anywhere near a dealer -- well, at least
> the local Audi dealer (Scottsdale Porsche-Audi) -- and it's not just because
> of their high labor rate and list+10% parts pricing policy.  Every time I've
> done it in the past (usually for diagnostic purposes), the bill always comes
> out to $400 and they never manage to figure out what's wrong.
> 
> On the other hand, Vince @ Vincent Engineering, the local independent shop I
> use for repairs that require special tools that aren't cost-effective to buy
> myself or when I don't have time to do the work, is often able to diagnose a
> problem correctly over the phone!  Not only is he willing to install rebuilt
> and/or used parts, he maintains a pretty decent stock of them as well!
> 
> Actually, this brings me to another point: The Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan
> area is the 7th or 8th largest in the US yet there's only one Audi dealer in
> town!  If ever there was proof that having a monopoly in a marketplace leads
> to higher prices and poor service, Scottsdale Porsche-Audi is it!  :^(

Well, there used to be two, but I believe Camelback/Sunwest was owned by
the same company. And if there's anything worse than overt monopoly, then
fake competition must be it. Actually, back when Scotts P/A sold Saabs,
they told my father that the broken antenna on his month-old 900 convert
was bent because he drove too fast with the radio on. We ate that one. 
Well, it is a town with one Audi dealer and one Saab dealer, and what, 11
Ford stores? We were regular customers at that Scottsdale place with a '95
900, 2 '88 9000Ts, an '84 900T, an '86 9000T, and my 5kcst, yet they still
were incredibly unreasonable and standoffish- why? What customer could
*possibly* be in the market for more parts and service??
      _             _             
>     / l       l o l  \       l o   Jeffrey Goggin
>    /__l l l / l l l  l l l / l l   AudiDudi@delphi.com
>   /   l l_l \_l l l__/ l_l \_l l   http://people.delphi.com/AudiDudi            
>                                         
> 
Regards,
Rob
1987 5kcst, hasn't seen the inside of a shop in over 18 months. Gave up.