Genuine Mechanic? Few and far Between.
The last few weeks I’ve been though a right ordeal trying to find a genuine mechanic in London But now I’m happy to say my car is running sweet thanks to Xavier Auto Clinic.
MY STORY
When It’s comes to cars I’m no mechanic, but know a little thing or two about average car maintenance. I can change the oil, thermostat, alternator and various other bits and bobs. But if my car has an issue with a number of possibilities, instead of crawling under the car at the risk of making things worst, I prefer to take it to someone that really knows their stuff, someone that is experienced and has the tools to diagnose and carry out the job properly… a mechanic.
Recently I was blessed to be referred over to Phil and the Xavier team by my friend Jonathan,(thanks darling). I’m happy to say at last I’ve found a garage with a mechanic that has not been tainted by the somewhat dodgy car mechanic circle.
Michael (Phil’s brother) also a mechanic, told me exactly what was wrong with my car. He showed me where the part was, and gave me a fair price on repair. To be honest after he diagnosed the problem I could of replaced the ignition coil pack myself, but since he was honest and upfront I paid him to do it.
Job done, from now on I will be taking my car to the Xavier boys whenever I have a problem that I can’t or don’t feel like fixing it myself.
The reason for asking Phil to add this to his blog, was to simply express gratitude my for the genuine car mechanics out there.
As single mother at times things can be tight, and some mechanics just seem to take advantage of individuals with challenging circumstances.
For example recently my car needed a radiator flush.
I didn’t feel like doing it myself so I decide to take it to a well-known franchise. Low and behold they tried to hand me a quote for £890. £890! Yes I’m a woman, but please don’t insult my intelligence. Obviously I politely refused the quote and as gesture of goodwill (unfortunately not) the mechanic left the caps off my radiator off with a dirty cloth tuck in between… nice.
Naturally I decided to take the car somewhere else. I was then told that my car, (ok it’s a few years old) was a complete on its way out, actually the mechanic called it “a plum” requiring a stack of repairs, which of course where far from cheap.
Thoroughly pissed because he called my car a plum, I moved on. BTW my car may be may many things but its no plum!
It all just cheeses me off, that a mechanic will just try it with a woman or anyone in vulnerable situations perhaps without experience. Why don’t they just try that BS with the rich, and lie to the people that actually have the cash? Or better still…how about as a mechanic they just pipe up and tell the truth?
Either way their poor attitude was my gain, as I managed to find a genuine mechanic in Phil and the boys. So thank you Xavier for all your help.
Amanda P
Porsche UK Car Care Tips
Porsche UK
The Porsche UK is one of the finest manufactured cars on the market. And anyone that owns a Porsche is aware that they own a masterpiece of craftsmanship.
Porsche’s in the UK don’t come cheap, which is one of the reasons why the owner of a Porsche in the UK is touch more concerned when it comes to the general upkeep of their vehicle.
I love Porsche, and as an owner myself there are a few things you can do to ensure that the life of your “baby” is extended for many more years to come.
Porsche UK: Winter Maintenance
Porsche winter car care doesn’t have to be excessive. First it makes sense to check your tyres for pressure and tread depth to make sure everything is in order. A trip to your local auto clinic, to have your tyres and fluid levels checked and perhaps even a once over should do the trick.
Weather in the UK is sometimes unforgiving, and you never know when the snow is coming. Being trapped in the snow can be a right palaver, a great way to prevent this happening is to carry a bag of kitty litter and salt in the boot that can be used for tyre traction, with a de icer and ice scraper to remove ice from the windscreen.
Porsche UK: Spring and summer
As chilling as winter may be, spring and summer is generally not to far away.
With more frequent use during the spring summer months, it’s at this time of year when Porsche UK owners really enjoy their vehicles. That being the case, checking your oil and oil filter makes sense.
With the warmer weather be sure to also have your cooling system inspected, and in particular the hosepipes for leaks. Check your drive belts for any suspect cracks and make sure that your antifreeze is fresh to prevent the coolant from boiling in the summer heat. Just like in the winter take a little time out to make sure your tyres are at the correct pressure, preventing excessive petrol use and tyre wear.
Porsche UK: Bodywork and Interior
Irrespective of the time of year, if you’re anything like me I always like the bodywork of my car to be in tip top condition. Come on… a Porsche is meant to look great at all times, and there’s nothing worst than a grimy, dirty looking Porsche.
Salt can be a killer of bodywork. So when the weather starts to warm up I would suggest that any build up of salt that has occurred during the winter months is removed. Pay particular attention to the wheels; using a jet wash should do the trick.
As a Porsche UK driver, I find spring to also be the perfect opportunity to check for any damage that may have happened during the winter months. Unfortunately bodywork scratches, or small stone cracks in the windscreen can easily happen. Fortunately, if the damage created is small there’s no need to replace the windscreen, a simple repairing chip should do the job.
Dirty interior mats and carpets can be made to look as new using a decent carpet shampoo. Interior Vinyl can also treated to prevent cracking, and with your windows cleaned of grease, and the washer fluid topped up you should be ready to go.
Porsche UK: Regular Check ups
I always intend to get as much mileage out of my car as possible. So I advise having the oil checked several times a year, and changed around every 5000 miles.
As a Porsche UK owner, when having your oil changed it offers a great opportunity to have your Porsche specialist look over the overall condition of your vehicle. Checking your engine and electrics doesn’t take long, and may save you big money in the long run.
Finally
My personal opinion is that a Porsche is worth every penny it costs to own one; just make sure that those pennies don’t add up unnecessarily. And with very simple car care and maintenance carried out on a regular basis, you can have the pleasure of driving your Porsche for years to come.
Feel free to get in touch, we look forward to helping you.
To health and vehicle happiness,
Your fearless mechanic,
Phil
Your Car Mechanic Vs. Your Dentist
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Mark.
Mark runs one of the top estate agencies here in West London. He works Monday to Saturday and drives all the way from Surrey to his office.
Mark’s most valuable resources are his time and his car, and a couple weeks ago Mark noticed that something wasn’t quite right with his Aston Martin – one of the warning lights had flashed up red on the dash.
Acknowledging the warning light, Mark lets out a sigh, wonders about the cost, and decides to just carry on like nothing has happened.
You see… the thought of Mark, visiting the car mechanic was not something he looked forward to, in fact he dreaded it, and understandably so because when something goes wrong on a car like an Aston martin, they are seldom cheap to fix.
MARKS SHOES
Perhaps you’ve been in in Mark’s shoes before.
You know when… the days and weeks go past, hoping that every time you jump in the car, that maybe just maybe, the car has fixed itself and the warning light won’t flash up.
Then one Friday, Mark is all set to drive home early to avoid the rush hour traffic, when all of a sudden – going over Battersea Bridge he starts to hear “dark noises in the shadows,” the type of noises you’re even more attuned to because you’ve seen that warning light every time you got into the car.
He stares intently at the warning light which he’s become so accustomed to seeing flash up –with the dreaded fear that it’s going to go horribly wrong.
Continuing to make the unusual noise, Mark’s car shuts down in the middle of the road. And Mark is left embarrassed, sat in one of the best looking non-functional pieces of automobile.
Unfortunately these things tend to happen at the worst times.
THE LOOK…
People start hitting their horns giving him the eye; in fact no one even offers to help. So Mark starts assertively searching Google on his mobile for the nearest car mechanic.
He calls, the phone rings, “Hello Xavier Auto Clinic, how can we help you today?”
Mark explains the urgent situation/location and before he has a chance to finish he hears a reassuring, “We’re on our way sir, we’ll have a car mechanic with you shortly.”
Moments later, Mark is met by the car mechanic with an emergency breakdown vehicle, which pulls his car onto the back of the trailer, clearing the road jam and transporting Mark’s car to Xavier Auto Clinic.
As soon as Mark arrives, I greet Mark and tell him that his beloved Aston Martin is in good hands and the car mechanic crew gets to sorting out the problem.
I invite Mark to take a seat in the office, offer him a cup of English tea to relax him and simply start chatting about football, work etc. you know, to get his mind off things. I give Mark access to our internet and before you know it, he’s all engrossed on his laptop,
Stepping away, I go and check on the boys and they’ve managed to swiftly find the fault and are well on the way to fixing the problem.
One hour later – Aston Martin fixed… job done!
I go back in to the office and explain to Mark in simple terms exactly what was wrong with his car. I go easy on the price, and decide not to charge him for the transfer cost, because for me, what really mattered wasn’t just fixing the car, but in Mark remembering us for a fast, friendly and genuine service.
No hard sell, no extra car mechanic expense (just because he drives an Aston), no dodgy work to ensure he’ll be back in a month’s time with the same type of problem – just a friendly, Xavier car mechanic service.
I tell Mark: “Don’t forget to take one of our cards, and please give us a call us if you need any advice or help with your car in the future.”
BIG GRIN…
Bewildered… Mark stood there staring at me with a big grin on face but completely confused.
And then he said “You know what? Going to the car mechanic always felt like going to the dentist for me, there was no way on earth I could possibly enjoy somebody drilling into my teeth and that’s exactly how it felt every single time I would visit the mechanic, but this time it felt more like I was visiting an old friend for a drink on a Friday night. Thank you!”
TIPS ON MAKING YOUR CAR MECHANIC EXPERIENCE FEEL LESS LIKE A DENTIST
Time for a change…?
If visiting your car mechanic resonates with you visiting your dentist, then perhaps it’s time to change your mechanic!
There are a lot of mechanics out there that love their job, enjoy servicing their customer’s vehicles, will truly appreciate your business, and treat you with warmth.
If you snooze you loose
If you have a warning light flash up on you dashboard, don’t snooze and leave it for days, weeks, or even months hoping that car will sort itself out. Do yourself a favour, pick up the phone and give us a call so that we can have a look at it – we’re always happy to help.
Schedule your car check-up in advance.
Whenever you like, please feel free to pop by and say hi.
But as much as we love to help all of our customers, if you haven’t scheduled your check-up/service in advance, and another customer has, naturally we’ll have to prioritise their service over yours.
By scheduling your check-up a couple days in advance, it will not only help us to make sure that we have the time required set aside for you personally, but will give us the time to attend to your car mechanic needs carefully every single time!
To health and vehicle happiness
Your fearless car mechanic
Phil.
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