Garages must issue service cost breakdown

the automotive industry: our focus in this article is the service cost breakdown after a vehicle service.
Engines need to be serviced at recommended intervals, precisely as set out in the manufacturer’s handbook.
One reader wrote to us about his experience when he recently took his car to a garage for a major service.
After the service, he was issued with an invoice for US$175, after the garage indicated it had changed the oil, the oil filter, coolant, all fluid levels and the fuel filter. They said they had checked front and rear brakes and discs.
There was another charge for US$150 for the oil that was replaced (no quantity indicated), fuel and air filters and skimmed brake disc pads.
The total charge after the two invoices was US$325. Our reader’s concern was that there should be an invoice showing the rate, the quantity and materials used.
In layman’s understanding, the check-up of the brake system, the removal of brake pads, discs and their skimming should be treated as one job, as opposed to the issuing of separate invoices for each process.
It is just like charging the checking of a cracked crankshaft, its removal, resizing and resitting, separately when it’s one thing that is being worked on. How can you check a crankshaft without removing it and test-checking it?
We wish to illustrate this by using the example of an elephant used in elephant rides in the Victoria Falls.
The elephant represents emotion, the rider represents a rational mind, and the path represents the context.
Relating this to our reader’s situation, the garage is the elephant, the vehicle owner the rider of the elephant and the suppliers of parts and oils are the path.
In this triangle, all three sides are interdependent and there is need for transparency and honesty.
In this example, rational thinking represents the vehicle owner as a rider who is at the mercy of the repair outfit, and again the rider.
The garage, on the other hand, is like an elephant that is emotional and, being a powerful animal, can do whatever it wants, despite the concerns of the rider.
The path, in this the context, is the supplier of oils and parts. What then motivates some of the suppliers to sell substandard parts and oils?
Is it the paucity of information available or perfunctory selling techniques to make a quick buck, or being the concept of Mianzi or Guanxi – simply, what is therefore for me – or the phrase “scratch my back and I scratch yours”?
We want, again, to redefine the clear distinction on the use of monograde oil and multigrade oils.
We have stated in the past that the monograde oils are suitable for one temperature range and hence create problems when starting up for this is where the engine wear and tear takes place more frequently.
Multigrade oils are suitable for both cold and hot starting, with the oils responding quickly and reducing the wear and tear at start-up times. Could that be the reason for the conflicting marketing gimmicks on the market, where monogrades are classified as SAE 30,40,50 and multigrades which are used for both petrol and diesel and for modern vehicles, normally have the letter W, such as SAE15W40?
Of late, there seems to be an advent of oils such as SAE Petrol with API rating of SL (S means petrol or gasoline engine and L being a performance at a higher level good enough for the environment and efficiency of the engine through minimal wear and tear).
There is confusion in that in the past such oils were inscribed as SAE 15W40 API SL/CF.
What has since happened is that, due to changes in engineering, there has been a tendency now to offer specific oils for a specific engine, especially for petrol or diesel.
The other marketing gimmick which can confuse a layman is on viscosity ranges and different performance levels.
The problem for a layman is on the temperature range for SAE viscosity numbers in temperature grade for API SG/SH/SJ/SL/SM.
For petrol engines are that SAE30 operates between 0 to 40 DC., 10W30 operates from 30 to 40 DC, 10W40 ranges from 20 to50 and 5W20 starts at 30 to 40 DC.
This is applicable to petrol engines. For diesel API rating API CF being 5W30 starts at 30 to 30DC, whereas 10W40 starts again at 30 to 45 DC.
If you have observed the temperature range, we find it rather confusing that some products are said to be specifically for diesel and yet they have the same temperature range.
If these oils were used in Europe, that would be fine because in those very cold temperatures the 10W40 would be ideal.
However, some of the oils being sold locally have one temperature range, yet our temperatures are not consistent and tend to change from time to time and place to place.
It is our view it does not matter buying oils that operate at minus degrees Celsius.
We believe that if the Petroleum Authority Board was active, this triangle would be corrected through awareness campaigns as opposed to imposition of fines.
One aspect that needs to be followed up is whether all these outlets and hardware shops selling lubricants are registered and paying the stipulated US$20 000 annually as demanded by the Petroleum Act.
Returning to the invoice issue, the Motor Trade Association clearly advises that, when taking a car for servicing, you should know the two terms used on quotations and cost estimates. The cost estimate is a tentative figure or “thumb suck” figure: however, the general rule is that if the cost should exceed the cost estimate by 15 percent, prior notification and approval in writing should be received from the vehicle owner.
As a tip, such a price would read something like “the cost of repair US$200 in nearest to the rounded figure: whereas the quotation is a more definite figure, such as cost of repairs, US$200,20.
In all instances, there should be a breakdown of cost or service rendered, so we advised the reader to go back to the garage for a proper invoice.
l Let’s meet again for more Obel titbits next week and contact us on the above numbers or through G. Mbeya on 0774 215 505.
PROUDLY ZIMBABWEAN