Of pre-service svending

"Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen" (distraxi)
06/29/2020 at 00:50 • Filed to: Semi-Svended

Does anyone else here always ensure their car is clean before it goes in for a service?

I’m a bit on-again off-again about cleaning my cars. Usually they get at least a wash every few weeks*, though rarely the full Svend. However when I’ve got other shit on - like now, as you can see from the background to the image - they can get pretty filthy. But I always give them a wash and vacuum before they go in for any work. Even though I know perfectly well the dealer’s going to wash it anyway - and charge me for it - I have a superstitious belief that if you let them think you don’t care about your car, they won’t care about it either. Plus I’m probably a bit embarrassed to hand a filthy car over to “car guys”.

So the Skoda’s clean for the first time in several months: as well as the aforementioned “ shit going on ”, we’ve gone straight from months of “ don’t waste a drop ” level drought to the last few weeks being nonstop “ I’m not washing my car in the rain ” mud pies, so car washing has been right off the table of late.

* except Clifford the Pajero. As a farm hack, he gets treated like any other working dog: he gets a bath once a year whether he needs it or not. And Mrs Distraxi’s Leaf, which !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is an embarrassment to humanity for which I disavow all responsibility. So really just the Skoda and the 86, now I think about it.

DISCUSSION (11)

CompactLuxuryFan > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
06/29/2020 at 01:04

They charge for the wash? Here in the US it’s more common for (at least the luxury dealers) to wash for free but they aren’t known for doing a great job so owners who really like to keep their paint in top shape will forbid the dealer from washing it, usually by also ensuring it’s clean when it goes in for service and even leaving notes and signs in it.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > CompactLuxuryFan
06/29/2020 at 01:28

You pay for everything, one way or another :-). It’s “free” here too, inasmuch as there’s no line item for it and you won’t get charged less if you tell them not to do it. But it’s part of why the dealer hourly rate’s half as much again as the indie one (and why my cars never see a dealer again after the warrantee’s up).

Svend > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
06/29/2020 at 02:54

I didn’t know you have an Octy (or did I? Somethings coming back to me now).

She's a lovely girl, vRS is always a little more special.

I make a point of cleaning the car so the dealership doesn’t touch it (though last time she went in, they sent an e-mail with a video of a service of the underside when they check tyres, suspension, brakes, etc... and they said in the video, they washed the car. Lol). They are expressly told not to wash the car in any way and even know me as, ‘the guy who won’t let us clean his car’.

Even the engine gets a thorough clean before going in.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Svend
06/29/2020 at 03:23

We’ve had the odd conversation about it, but if you’re anything like me you probably only remember other oppos’ vehicles if they post about them nonstop.

Why does it not surprise me that that’s your rep at your dealer?

Svend > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
06/29/2020 at 04:08

I knew an antipodean cousin had a Skoda, just couldn’t remember which one.

I’ve been trying to post less about mine, promise. Lol.

How is she?

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Svend
06/29/2020 at 04:30

Ask me again when it comes back from the shop tomorrow :-).

But actually, It’s doing really well. Racking up a lot of miles carrying a lot of crap and hasn’t missed a beat. And it’s still a nice car to drive: it’s not a loveable companion, but it’s a supremely likeable one.

I suspect that like my last “VW” (a Mk5 GTI a few years ago ), I’m going to keep it well past the economically sensible replacement point because it’s so competent I won’t be able to decide what to replace it with.

Svend > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
06/29/2020 at 04:58

They are great solid cars. They aren’t amazing in one particular field, except practicality, so many little features that stack up, but they do everything well.

Your vRS will have that extra punch over the regular Octys though. That bit more pep. As long as you service them, they just keep going really. So if your happy, great.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
06/29/2020 at 05:20

Every vehicle we have seems to be a farm hack. We washed the Forester for the first time in two years a couple of weeks ago using a flappy brush auto carwash (the sort of carwash that car nuts hate to use). The car came out reasonably clean...and looking almost polished such was the prevailing dullness!

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
06/29/2020 at 05:32

“ the sort of carwash that car nuts hate to use ”

But the only sort that, y’know, works .

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
06/29/2020 at 05:39

They aren't nuts for nothing, you know!

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
06/29/2020 at 08:54

I always clean thoroughly and photograph the whole car prior to service