Servicing (Yet Again)

SimonExtreme · Oct 11, 2005

So, its time for the annual service and checkup and I need to decide where to go. The story so far.............

For the last 5 years the car has been looked after by Autofarm. In the 18 months before I bought it the whole car had been gone over with a fine toothcomb and lots of work done so that the brakes, suspension and everything else were like new or in many cases, were new. The file the car came with is impressive and that service record and the work done was one of the factors that made me buy the car.

I knew of Autofarm due to the motoring press and because an ex boss used to get them to look after his car. At the time of buying the car, Autofarm added a lot of credibility to my decision. They were even happy to talk about the car and its history.

So, my first reaction is to take it back to Autofarm. However, if I asked this board who to go to (without the above info), Autofarm might not be high on the list. In addition, I disagree with the oil they use (but have bought my own for this service) and they are a fair distance from Wimbledon!

So, do I keep the history running (is it worth something?) or do I go elsewhere. If elsewhere, who do you all recommend?[

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Yoda · Oct 11, 2005

I think you will be fine going to any number of well know and reputable specialists, main thing in my opinion would be to find some one who deals with these cars regularly. Places that come to mind are JZ Machtec, Jaz, GT1, 9M, Autofarm etc. It probably does look/feel nice to have continuity but the most important thing for me would be to find someone you have confidence in and build a rapport with.

I chose Jaz because they are local and they were recommended by a couple of very fussy people I know (you know who you are!). They coincidentaly also happened to have looked after the car since it was imported although that wasn't a deciding factor. I have found them to be very good - reliable, very helpful and fair pricing. A few friends have used Autofarm and given mixed reviews so wouldn't be my first choice.

Regards

zub · Oct 11, 2005

I live in Putney and use GT One in Chertsey. Ask for Craig or Peter.

Ian964 · Oct 12, 2005

I'm in Cobham and have used GT1, JZM and am about to go to Jaz - all good experiences so far. Your comment about the oil they use is interesting - these three all use different ones. In my MY90 964, GT1 use Mobil 1 Motorsport 15W50, JZM use Castrol Magnatec and Jaz said they will use Castrol RS 10W60. It could just come down to which oil you prefer!

SimonExtreme · Oct 12, 2005

Ian

Interesting about the oils although I will be supplying my own. However, I researched this a lot and it seems that Castrol RS 10W60 really isn't a good choice for our cars. This is one of the problems I have with Autofarm. If you look at the Oil and Fuel forum there is a long thread with comments from Oilman (Simon Barnard) who really is one of the most knowledgable around. Just a couple of quotes from him

"Personally I am not a fan of the Castrol RS 10w-60 in modern cars, its just too thick unless it is specifically recomended for you engine by the manufacturer, when hot it is as thick as some gear oils and this can lead to its own problems."

"The Castrol RS 10w-60 is one of these hydrocracked (group III) oils that Castrol won the right to call synthetic. It's neither PAO (group IV) or Ester (group V) basestocks, I know this because I have chemical analysis on the product dated May 04."

I have also checked this out with other sources and I won't put Castrol RS 10w-60 in my car. Its too thick and its not a true synthetic oil. I don't really understand why these respected specialists do use it although I suspect its to do with the way Castrol market and sell it.

Anyway, have a read of the thread and ask Oilman your own questions, you might find it interesting.

SimonExtreme · Oct 12, 2005

OK, if I get my car serviced anywhere other than Autofarm, I suspect it will be GT One. However, what I really want is advice on whether the continued "single specialist" service history is worth something.