Good Service Places - The Short List
03-26-2006, 01:31 AM
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Good Service Places - The Short List
Hi everyone,
I've just spend the last hour or so reading through the entire 23 pages of the sticky Servicing thread, and I still have no idea which dealer I should take my RX-8 to for servicing (although I have a very good idea of who NOT to take it to). I'm in Sydney and basically all i know is not to go to Brookvale.
There was a lot of b1tching about dealers (very valid, and I feel for you guys), and a lot of off topic discussion that I guess is inevitable, but it made it very difficult to find the exact info I am looking for.
The purpose of this thread is to get a short, concise version of who we should be taking our cars to, If you've had a good experience with a dealer when it comes to service and warranty, can you please post their name up, and what it was that made your experience worthwhile.
Thanks a lot in advance, and can't wait to hear the good stuff (if there is any).
Cheers
I've just spend the last hour or so reading through the entire 23 pages of the sticky Servicing thread, and I still have no idea which dealer I should take my RX-8 to for servicing (although I have a very good idea of who NOT to take it to). I'm in Sydney and basically all i know is not to go to Brookvale.
There was a lot of b1tching about dealers (very valid, and I feel for you guys), and a lot of off topic discussion that I guess is inevitable, but it made it very difficult to find the exact info I am looking for.
The purpose of this thread is to get a short, concise version of who we should be taking our cars to, If you've had a good experience with a dealer when it comes to service and warranty, can you please post their name up, and what it was that made your experience worthwhile.
Thanks a lot in advance, and can't wait to hear the good stuff (if there is any).
Cheers
03-26-2006, 03:30 AM
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rock-->o<--hard place
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Fair enough question. That thread is supposed to be tracking service costs but comments on dealers have also been made. Of the two dealers in Canberra (which are commonly owned) I prefer Slaven Mazda at Phillip
03-26-2006, 04:37 AM
#6
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I thought Mr. Gomez has a sticky thread about this???? 
3 years of effort has to be very long - I guess Gomez in his part has to summerize his thread 
But I will add here for Melbourne.
I have tried a few
I found Gary & Warren Smith, Brighton, and City Mazda were good.
Ringwood and Berwick Mazda were ok.
No bad experience yet :touchwood:
and I concur timbo's choice though
Slaven Mazda is fantastic in service... if you have a time to muck around and wait for the mechanics to finish his lunch.
3 years of effort has to be very long - I guess Gomez in his part has to summerize his thread But I will add here for Melbourne.
I have tried a few
I found Gary & Warren Smith, Brighton, and City Mazda were good.
Ringwood and Berwick Mazda were ok.
No bad experience yet :touchwood:
and I concur timbo's choice though
Slaven Mazda is fantastic in service... if you have a time to muck around and wait for the mechanics to finish his lunch.
Last edited by takahashi; 03-26-2006 at 04:39 AM.
03-26-2006, 05:49 AM
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Originally Posted by WhiteRain
......but it made it very difficult to find the exact info I am looking for.
.
Originally Posted by takahashi
3 years of effort has to be very long - I guess Gomez in his part has to summarise his thread....
I recommend you use the search feature to track down the info you need. Type in Rockdale, or Slaven, or City Mazda and get some more historical data that way.
All the best,
Gomez.
03-26-2006, 03:37 PM
#8
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Originally Posted by takahashi
Slaven Mazda is fantastic in service... if you have a time to muck around and wait for the mechanics to finish his lunch.
03-26-2006, 04:02 PM
#9
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Originally Posted by timbo
Er...don't you have lunch before finalising those pathology reports?..oh...oops
and I am taking the whole week off. 
03-26-2006, 04:36 PM
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Well, I did summarise all the service costs at one point and suggest they be averaged, etc and posted into the opening post of that sticky. I even thought 'Mez agreed to do that but I guess he wants us to work for our knowledge. 
Perhaps the sticky could be edited to include just service costs (as intended) and the remaining posts hived off to a non-sticky thread?
Perhaps the sticky could be edited to include just service costs (as intended) and the remaining posts hived off to a non-sticky thread?
03-26-2006, 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Revolver
Perhaps the sticky could be edited to include just service costs (as intended) and the remaining posts hived off to a non-sticky thread?
WhiteRain's problem is that not enough Sydney blokes have come to the par-tay
.
Post your scheduled service cost in this thread. List the dealerships name, and any positive/negative comments you may have regarding their performance.
Hopefully we'll find all the local dealers in your area perform satisfactorily .
City Mazda (Melbourne) 20K Service...prices are discounted as I get a fleet rate.
2hrs labour.... $158.40
Consumables and Environment charge.....$11
Rotary Oil 5L....$36
Oil Filter....$8.58
Sump Plug Gasket... .82c
Total...$219.
Positives....Car was ready ahead of time, remaining Rotary Oil was in the boot as requested, Flash update C/O as requested free of charge. Didn't wash the car, as requested. Tyres rotated front to rear as requested. Engine wash C/O (not part of the scheduled service).....All excellent!
Negatives....failed to change the cabin air filter, I had to point out it hadn't been done (I checked). Said they'd do it straight away, turned out they didn't have one! (actually, they come in pairs). Didn't vacuum (they asked me if I'd like it done when I dropped the car off!). Didn't stamp the service book..initialled it, but didn't stamp it until I pointed it out.
Overall, fairly happy. Annoyed that stuff got missed, happy they offer free flash, free wash, free vacuum, free engine wash. Not good enough that parts were not in stock for a scheduled service.
I'll give them another chance.....
Gomez.
Hopefully we'll find all the local dealers in your area perform satisfactorily .
City Mazda (Melbourne) 20K Service...prices are discounted as I get a fleet rate.
2hrs labour.... $158.40
Consumables and Environment charge.....$11
Rotary Oil 5L....$36
Oil Filter....$8.58
Sump Plug Gasket... .82c
Total...$219.
Positives....Car was ready ahead of time, remaining Rotary Oil was in the boot as requested, Flash update C/O as requested free of charge. Didn't wash the car, as requested. Tyres rotated front to rear as requested. Engine wash C/O (not part of the scheduled service).....All excellent!
Negatives....failed to change the cabin air filter, I had to point out it hadn't been done (I checked). Said they'd do it straight away, turned out they didn't have one! (actually, they come in pairs). Didn't vacuum (they asked me if I'd like it done when I dropped the car off!). Didn't stamp the service book..initialled it, but didn't stamp it until I pointed it out.
Overall, fairly happy. Annoyed that stuff got missed, happy they offer free flash, free wash, free vacuum, free engine wash. Not good enough that parts were not in stock for a scheduled service.
I'll give them another chance.....
Gomez.
03-26-2006, 10:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Gomez
If you have another look at the first post of that thread, you'll see I asked people post any positive/negative comments about dealership performance. The thread was/is intended to be a guide to selecting a dealership service department. Many have posted about their experiences.....it's hard to get people to post about happy outcomes, I guess.
Originally Posted by Gomez
WhiteRain's problem is that not enough Sydney blokes have come to the par-tay .
. 
, or indeed people who live outside Sydney, or most of all...other Sydney-siders. We're all far too self-absorbed and too damn important . What was with that damn duck by the way?
Originally Posted by Gomez
I did agree to do a bit of a summary on the first page.........I don't suppose anyone knows where to buy a DeLorean with a flux capacitor ?
03-26-2006, 10:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Gomez
I don't suppose anyone knows where to buy a DeLorean with a flux capacitor ?
(sorry...couldn't help myself )
I guess the lessons learnt from all this is that (a) we're not very good at staying on topic and (b) no-one seems to know how to use a template
...me? ... 
It's also a big limitation of the single sub-forum, and no-one's got the time to mod properly and split threads
03-26-2006, 10:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Revolver
. What was with that damn duck by the way? ......
......Umm, isn't that what the edit button is for?
............Umm, isn't that what the edit button is for?
The edit button wont give me unlimited time....the DeLorean will
03-26-2006, 10:55 PM
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Originally Posted by Revolver
......It needn't be a needle in the haystack exercise.
03-26-2006, 11:02 PM
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Originally Posted by labrat
Grand Prix Mazda Aspley in Brisbane is fine.
I asked them to change the oil (not normally part of the 1,000km checkup) with Mazda Rotary Oil, which they did. They left the remaining oil in the boot for me.
Asked them not to wash the car, and they didn't.
Asked them to take extra care of my 2 week old baby
... and they did - no marks on the interior (which with the "stone" coloured leather/Alcantra interior was much appreciated).It took about 1:45hrs, and I waited while it was done. It has a rattle in the centre dash, which I have to rebook to have done (might leave it till 10,000km when I'll leave it with them all day).
03-26-2006, 11:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Gomez
Don't knock the duck. We love the duck.
Originally Posted by Gomez
The edit button wont give me unlimited time....the DeLorean will
03-26-2006, 11:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Gomez
In this case, it isn't a needle in the haystack exercise. As I posted earlier, all one needs to do is type a dealers name into the search field and every post about them will rise to the top.
I've also gotta say I've tried to use the search function in the past and found it to be hopeless. Maybe it was driver error but I'm starting to understand the virtues of staying on topic - less need to use the search function.
03-27-2006, 01:13 AM
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Originally Posted by Revolver
Yes, but what if you don't know the dealer's name?
Here's a tip....cut the Mazda dealer's page out of the phone book and pin it up on the corkboard next to the fridge
.
03-27-2006, 01:23 AM
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'Mez....I was thinking the same thing about half way up the page. Maybe the sticky thread can include the instructions to this modem concept, ie in the first thread of the Scheduled service costs thread you can suggest to people to look up a bunch of dealers in their area and then search on them dircetly?
Andrew
Andrew
03-27-2006, 01:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Gomez
WhiteRain, I apologise for Revolver. He has taken your thread off track and filled it with off-topic banter. I allow him some slack....he's new.
03-27-2006, 01:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Gomez
I know you blokes in Sydney are a little behind we cosmopolitan types here in Melbourne.....but we do have the Yellow Pages up there, don't we?
Here's a tip....cut the Mazda dealer's page out of the phone book and pin it up on the corkboard next to the fridge .
Here's a tip....cut the Mazda dealer's page out of the phone book and pin it up on the corkboard next to the fridge
.
03-27-2006, 02:12 AM
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Originally Posted by auzoom
'Mez....I was thinking the same thing about half way up the page. Maybe the sticky thread can include the instructions to this modem concept, ie in the first thread of the Scheduled service costs thread you can suggest to people to look up a bunch of dealers in their area and then search on them dircetly?
Andrew
Andrew
03-27-2006, 02:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Revolver
Oh okay then. Whatever. I guess I was operating on the belief that a sticky thread should be more user-friendly. Sure you're not just too keen to defend your baby?
Ferchissakes people.....get off your ***** and SEARCH. I have posted shitloads of useful technical stuff in that thread, the recall threads, and hundreds of threads in the Tech Garage. It can't all be précised into 3 posts.
WhiteRain complains because he has to read through 23 pages of posts in the sticky. So what? If you haven't got the time to read, why come onto a forum?
I like this forum. I spend a lot of time here. I have learnt nearly everything I know about RX-8's from here.
If you put in the time .....you reap the reward. Life isn't easy. Sometimes you gotta work for stuff. Knowledge requires effort.
Cheers,
Gomez.