[seagully]

Hi all,

Usually get my services at Lookers Birmingham and pay roughly £200.

Am currently staying in Sussex so got a quote from Eastbourne Vauxhall who quoted £460!!

From what I've read the 8th service is just air filter/oil change and replacing key fob battery-am I missing something here or are they just rip off merchants?

 

[raimon]

Sounds like pulling your pants down lol. How much!!!!

 

[Spiny]

That's high, as this is the 8th one the Amp is out of the Voltec Warranty I think, I believe it expires on the 8th anniversary of the original registration. Ask a Local Hevra garage to quote

 

[smokie]

I just questioned a quote for a 3 year service eplan for years 6, 7 and 8, which was much more expensive than the previous three years. Answer was

"Your first 3 services were for a 3rd, 4th and 5th service, essentially two small services and one large. We have now quoted for years 6, 7+ 8 so two large services and one small."

 

[Mike From Manchester]

Arnold Clark, Stretford, Manchester, 23/7/20
8th Service £136.80
Oil8 £34.65
Oil Filter £4.02
Pollen Filter £15.97
Air Filter £48.02
DRN Plug Gasket £5.65
Screen Wash Bucket £0.37
Labour £171.45
VAT £47.82

Grand Total £286.91

If anyone is interested they suggested spark plugs needed changing every 4 years £25 each.
They now realise they didn't change the HV Coolant Fluid at fifth service £300.
Also brake fluid should be changed every 2 years £100

So basically I save d £500 that day.

 

[Gerald.Tomson]

Hi all,

Usually get my services at Lookers Birmingham and pay roughly £200.

Am currently staying in Sussex so got a quote from Eastbourne Vauxhall who quoted £460!!

From what I've read the 8th service is just air filter/oil change and replacing key fob battery-am I missing something here or are they just rip off merchants?

I got rid of my Ampera, as when I booked it in for a service on Jan 2020 ( it had a lifetime warranty) at Lookers Birmingham, I reminded the service chap Make sure you have an Ampera fitter on duty. He replied oh we don't have one now he left the nearest dealer now is at Telford with a fitter. I asked how do you deal with the new electric Corsa then?, he said oh they are different so I left it at that and sold my Ampera 2 weeks later (without the service) G.T.

 

[Ryanteck]

I'm looking at getting mine serviced, only recently purchased used but when purchasing forgot to check when it's next due and it's already due. Facepalm.

Thurlow Nunn say that it's a Major Service which includes Engine Oil & Filter, Sump Plug, Screen Wash, Air Filter, Pollen Filter & Spark Plugs. For a total of £427 but can be discounted to £275 if I signed up to the service club (Which I have). But it still seems a tad high.

Local HEVRA garage is actually slightly dearer but includes break fluid change, vauxhall suggest break fluid but at an extra £40 making them both around £315.

 

[smokie]

I recently saved about £50 on a Fiesta service by saying I'd do the pollen filter.

Which service is it you are having?

EDIT: Just spotted that yours is a 2012 so presumably the 8th too.

 

[HandyAndy]

Just had my yr2012 8th done at Bellingers in Wantage. I'm already on the service plan.
Total Goods £275.03
VAT due £55.01
Total due £330.04

This includes oil change, drain plug gasket, batch of filters, air filter, cell remonte C (whatever that is!), washer liquid, brake fluid change.
That was all covered on the service plan, no debit card needed.
Prices look broadly similar to Arnold Clark numbers above, except looks like they didn't do a brake fluid change. My brake fluid change will have been £40.34 of my £330.04 total.

In addition I asked them to check & topup the HV colant as that was a few cms below the level, charge was £7.28 incl vat for that. Separate item.

 

[BabyEVDriver]

Arnold Clark, Stretford, Manchester, 23/7/20
8th Service £136.80
Oil8 £34.65
Oil Filter £4.02
Pollen Filter £15.97
Air Filter £48.02
DRN Plug Gasket £5.65
Screen Wash Bucket £0.37
Labour £171.45
VAT £47.82

Grand Total £286.91

If anyone is interested they suggested spark plugs needed changing every 4 years £25 each.
They now realise they didn't change the HV Coolant Fluid at fifth service £300.
Also brake fluid should be changed every 2 years £100

So basically I save d £500 that day.

Jeesh. Those stealerships rob you for parts prices!!!! Gonna make you weep now. We last had our volt serviced at Bellengers in 2018, the the basic oil /filter service one, about £150, @ 80k miles. Our Voltec warranty expired in Feb 2020 as we passed 100k.

Did my own service last week as we are out of Voltec requirements now. Total cost £40 , plus 2 hours of my time. Granted i have the require tools already.

1 x Trolly Jack
2 x Axle stands
1 x 3/8" drive 10mm socket
1 x oil pan and funnel
1 x oil filter chain removal tool

Picked up the parts in the eurocarpats.com end of quarter discount sale , -42% off , free delivery.

4 Lltr Castrol Magnatec (c3) 5w 30 oil - £21.42
Crosland oil filter £1.51
Crosland Cabin Filter £7.14
Bosch air Filter £9.43
My own screen wash £0.50

My Labour £0.00, (including pressing the oil life reset button for 2 seconds) 2hrs of weekend time.

Drain plug gasket? The stole money from you, the oil sump drain plug is a 10mm hex and is fitted with a high temp nitrile o-ring, The sump is spot faced. Unless the o-ring leaks, it will never need replacing.

 

[Mike From Manchester]

When you know that words like gasket, sump and hex to name but a few have an air of mystery if not magic to me, then you'll understand why I pay the garage elves to make things work. My classical grammar school education did not equip me for the life I lead. Nor for anything else for that matter.

 

[BabyEVDriver]

When you know that words like gasket, sump and hex to name but a few have an air of mystery if not magic to me, then you'll understand why I pay the garage elves to make things work. My classical grammar school education did not equip me for the life I lead. Nor for anything else for that matter.

Ha. grew up on a 1970's council estate, which had a communal car park for a row of 20 houses, but also included a 2 car bay walled section, specially built for council tennants to park and fix / service their cars. So learning stuff from Dad like servicing oil and filters, spark plugs, changing brake pads and discs, CV joints and gaskets, wheel berings, even repairing failed head gaskets was pretty much standard fare of everyday life.

 

[Ryanteck]

Jeesh. Those stealerships rob you for parts prices!!!! Gonna make you weep now. We last had our volt serviced at Bellengers in 2018, the the basic oil /filter service one, about £150, @ 80k miles. Our Voltec warranty expired in Feb 2020 as we passed 100k.

Did my own service last week as we are out of Voltec requirements now. Total cost £40 , plus 2 hours of my time. Granted i have the require tools already.

This is roughly the route I'm planning to go now, I don't have tools to do the oil change but is still a substantial saving.

Oil change at Chain / Independant garage - £60-75. Apparently is Dexos 2 rated.
Bosch Air & Pollen Filter - £20
Screenwash - Already filled up.

Only thing I'm looking into is spark plugs, there's mixed information as to when it's due when I google around.
100,000 miles seems a definite they're due to be done. Vaux say 8 years but I've seen sources say 10 years. (As mines under 80,000 miles). So might do that at a later date.

 

[BabyEVDriver]

Only thing I'm looking into is spark plugs, there's mixed information as to when it's due when I google around.
100,000 miles seems a definite they're due to be done. Vaux say 8 years but I've seen sources say 10 years. (As mines under 80,000 miles). So might do that at a later date.

Thing is, what you have to remember, like the 2 year brake fluid change, we dont drive ICE cars. I'n all ICE cars you will replace the front brake pads before you ever replace the brake fluid. My Volt @ 105k still has 40% pad life left from the factory originals, and the braking system is still running @ 71% efficiency, according to the MOT test docs. This tells me, the brakes just are not getting used much, so why stick to ICE service schedules, when the braking system doesnt get ICE use. Mem i plan to change the brake fluid, after i replace the front Pads. That could be another 50k easily.

Same with spark plugs as you mentioned. In the past in both a 2002 BMW 320i and a 2006 i-vtec Honda CIVIC, the spark plugs were 50k mile change items. Now think about our cars, how often does the ICE actually get used? I roughly worked out not more than 30k miles. We got out Volt @ 2 years old with 15k miles on the clock, it had a very high lifetime MPG of 145mpg, and low miles, just 15k in 2 years and 4 months. This told me the 1st owner didn't use it much and did the bulk of his miles in EV mode.

Now when we collected the car in 2014 i immediately reset the "B" trip computer, and it has never be reset since. So i know in 90k miles i have a average MPG of 108, and have used 811 gallons of petrol. Taking an assumption of an average of 35MPG , x 811, means the ICE has only done around 28500 of those 90k miles, 61.5k have been in EV mode. Add say 1.5k of petrol miles for the first owner, and my ICE engine has not done more than 30k miles, as an good estimation, you cant know exactly.

So again, happy to change the oil when the time based computer says so, as it's only every 2-3 years. But change the spark plugs with only 30k of use. I will wait until i have used about 1400 gallons of petrol, then i know the spark plugs have done at least 50k miles of work.

 

[smokie]

Isn't there something about brake fluid degrading over time, so even if you don't use them a lot it would need changing?

 

[Spiny]

Brake fluid is hygroscopic, it can be tested for water content, there are gadgets for this.
Traditionally the fluid would boil and reduce braking, not something I'd expect much in the Amp as the friction brakes are not used much.
Worth changing if it measures contaminated or simply on time. Though how long between changes is a good question given its usage.

 

[Ryanteck]

Thing is, what you have to remember, like the 2 year brake fluid change, we dont drive ICE cars. I'n all ICE cars you will replace the front brake pads before you ever replace the brake fluid.

Indeed, this was why when I found resources saying 10 years rather than 8 it seemed more sensible.

I only recently got it and reset Trip A & B when I did so only have the lifetime MPG to go on. Approximately though I get a figure of around 35/78k miles done on petrol. So it would roughly be due at 100k miles (as I'll be using the petrol a fair bit too).

But it seems a simple enough job, and saving the amount I have brings the total to around £150 so might be something I look at doing then I know it won't need doing again.