(Most expensive make, and brake system - Bosch parts)

Pagid can be had for about 1/3 less.

Minus 10% on MOT Items at ECP. (= £87.30)

Had a quote from a Citroen dealer for the same parts (Make unknown - OEM ?). Anyone care to hazard a guess how much ??

My MD reports that my front and rear brake discs require replacing soon, and quoted me almost £700 for 'genuine' parts and close to £500 for 'non genuine' parts fully fitted.

Reasonable or better looking for an independent to do the job?

I am not connected with GSF this is just a pass on of info.

While we were there SWMBO wondered off into the showroom and came back excited by one of the cars on display, the DS3 Cabrio. So I get taken to have a look, well yes it looked good and is still a C3 when all said and done. Ingenious power roof which when fully open has a unique way of folding the rear glass window down and then the roof goes further. If you open the boot the roof starts to close to allow the boot lid to open. We then had a chat with the salesman. The upshot was that we were offered the demo car for test drive.

So off we went. Well the car is very nippy and drives just like you would expect a C3 to. It was a petrol version. HAD all the bells and whistles and we were quite impressed. After 1/2 hour we returned. The result of the test drive, not for us. The ride was quite crashy and you felt the bumps, has low profile tyres. The seta position is lower than the C3 Pic and if my legs were against the seat front (cruise active) then I could get my arm between my leg thigh and the seat base, where in the PIC my thighs are supported. The roof is lower, the seats are lower and the all black was a bit claustaphobic. At the end of the test run, we found due to the low seats getting out was difficult.

The car is only 3 doors so they are longer. The boot space is the same as C3 saloon but the letter flap opening is really pitiful, putting in the shopping would be difficult. The chance of putting a zimmer frame in NIL. Access to the rear seats was fine.

The cars really good selling point is its engine a 1300 3 (yes 3 cylinder) turbo charged petrol, which was really exciting to drive. It's a car aimed at our 20 year old granddaughter not her 70 & 75 year grandparents. The price for the demo car £16000, 15 reg 4500 miles.

I used to have all my minor jobs done by very good mechanic in penkridge, but due to his health no longer does work

I have noticed price mark up is not fair, and the care and attention factor seems to be missing from their work, ie yes they repaired my car but didn't bother to tell me that another part that they had  to remove was u/s, it wouldn't have cost them anything to warn me , result took car on road and part failed,  thanks in advance,

i was quoted between £230 and £270 inc of fitting and guarantee,

I then went to kwik fit (fernside rd poole) and after being shown the state of my exhaust was offered two quotes,

one was for the whole exhaust system inc cat converter £570, and a second quote just for the cat itself £360,

after looking at my face (jaw dropping)he asked if i'd been quoted a lower price and he would beat it by £5,

when i told him that i'd had a quote of £230 a whole £130 pounds lower for the cat he couldn't believe it a rang up himself to confirm.

He then matched the price minus £5, but i said if he could do the whole exhaust for £350 i'd have it done here and now...to which he agreed!

Was this a good price?

Never been much of a hagler except when bartering over the household chores!!!!

if so then i highly recommend :)

Today they changed the fuel filter at a cost of £117. He was told that it appears to be a local problem, although one problem happened in Wales recently. They mentioned an almost new Freelander had the same problem and they broke open the filter cartridge and it was full of dirt. It has always happened very soon after the customers have filled up.

He was given a form to be submitted to Land Rover as they are investigating the problem. The Service Manager told him that all local fuel, for all companies, is sourced from the refinery at Seal Sands. I’m not sure about this.

Half an hour ago the brother in law emailed:-

Filled up 16 times since last service in March, only 2 at Morrisons & 1 at Tesco. Most at B.P Ormesby Middlesbrough) except when on holiday.

As he is off on holiday towing a caravan this weekend he has his fingers crossed. Maybe a drain of the £70 odd that he spent on Sunday would provide peace of mind.

Open for discussion and opinions.

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Citroen_Xsara+Picasso_1.8_2000/p/car-accessories/engine-oils-and-car-fluids/engineoils/5w40-engine-oil/?521776031&0&cc5_248

and use the following discount code at checkout:

SUMMER30

then you get an oil filter for free and 30% off the rest of your order!!

it worked out at £24 for pollen filter, fuel filter, 5lt synthetic 5w/40 and an oil filter, dont think theres anything cheaper than that!

make sure you add the oil filter before going to checkout

The point of this post is three weeks wait for a major part £50+ per hour for them to make wrong diagnostics and the car being so new........ makes me rather bitter. your views please :angry:

any help appreciated

cheers

Ive read on the forum it would be wise to change Cambelt / Timing Belt!!

Im going to change the following;

Cambelt

Tensioner

Water Pump

What else would people recommend to change at same time?

What kind of price am I looking at paying?

Would anybody recommend garages??

I live in Lincolnshire but travel upto Halifax every month to visit parents so Yorkshire/Lancashire also a possibility!

   I have just discovered this site after owning a zsara piccasso 2.0hdi diesel (53 plate) for approx five years, every year it goes in for its MOT it fails on the lower front suspension arm? and has to be renewed, but recently there has been another problem surfacing rapidly, and that is when in fifth gear and dropping down to fourth the gearstick slips into reverse quite easily which obviously is quite alarming not only for me but the car as well!! does anybody have any idea what could be wrong and also a reputable garage in Thanet/Canterbury that could repair it.

       Many thanks from a newbie.

i am currently having some problems with my pic as the immobiliser has developed a fault thus stopping the car from starting. The car is now stuck on my driveway and i need someone to tell me whats wrong with it and how much it will cost too fix it. So far i have been let down by two different mobiles so am getting frustrated. So i have two questions:

does anyone know a good mobile mechanic/auto electrician or independent garage in southend area that can help?

is this something an independent can do? (one mobile i spoke to said it was a main dealer job)

thanks 

Kevin 

Oil & filter inc labour - £64.24 in vat

Coolant change inc labour - £79.20 inc vat

Brake fluid change inc labour - £40.08 inc vat

I was hoping for more like £40-50 each for work like this, are these reasonable prices?

Brake Discs & Pads replacement

Rear Wheel cylinder replacement

brake fluid change

Price quoted is £300 (originally £325)

Does this seem a reasonable price?

Cheers.

As of today my Picasso 2.0 Hdi (04 plate) has done 70492 miles.

We have it serviced yearly by a mobile mechanic who does a very good job for around £145.00

Service done today and he has recommended the Timing belt change (due to age/wear) and Water Pump (weaping), stating he would also do the Power steering belt at the same time as it would be daft not to - quoted price, parts and Labour, £320.

Looking in service book it states 100,000 miles or 10 years before belt change. But Im not at grounds to think this guy would rip us off, he's actually gave me plenty of advice on cost savers for parts etc in the past. To be honest, he wasnt pushy for the work - just suggested we have a think about it and ring him if we want the work doing.

Would any of you experts out there reckon it is worth the change, even given 30,000 miles / 3 years early? Ive heard rumours that the recent harsh uk winter has potentially contributed to faster erosion of belts etc? Or do I hold off and run the risk of failure? Help.

I phoned two citroen dealers today to ascertain cost of repairs. Both said it would firstly involve a diagnostic check. One quoted £67+vat and the other quoted £96. Both said it would take around an hour. I would have thought that these prices were factory set!!!

Anyway, how did mechanics find faults on cars before these diagnostic computers were invented??? Are there no EXPERIENCED mechanics out there anymore????

I have recently bought a xsara picasso 2.0 hdi 51 plate with 115000 miles on the clock I was wondering what are the service intervals and how often does the cambelt need replacing? also if anyone knows a reputable garage where the work canbe done in the swansea south wales area?

Regards

gerwyn42

Hope everybody has had a good Christmas

Booked the 'Pic ' in for a major service on the 5th Jan

£150 all in not a bad price ?

Cheers G.

Some opinions on the Kwik fit review sites suggest they struggle with problems of a less obvious nature, and that servicing and general repair work can be found cheaper at more traditional garages. Can anyone recommend a reputable garage not too far from Timperley that basically looks after its customers and charge's a fair price for its work, or am I asking for the holy grail of garages ?

Have owned my 07 picasso for a year and is due it's next service

I don 't drive the car but my wife loves it :)

Have been quoted £235 from Citreon dealer I bought car from and £200 @ local independant

Have also been quoted £155 from another Citreon dealer Dryden Citroën - Rednal

He did recommend new brake fluid @ £44 and air con recharge @ £55 on top of the service making a total of approx £250

Is this a fair price ?

regards Steve

It's on 38000 and has a full service record book. How often are services due on Picassos and what exactly do they check? Does the garage alter the message on the dash so that the "arrange service" message disappears?

Sorry if these are really basic questions but I need to ask somewhere and this place seems the best?

Fern

It seems to me that many minor ailments with the Picasso can be traced back to a faulty ECU!

These don't come cheap at over 300 quid..

Our initial problem was engine over heating (beeping alarm & dashboard warning) switch off engine immediately!..

I have somehow lost the top cover off my drivers wing mirror.

Any ideas on the cheapest place to get a replacement?

Have found them on EBay but there £14, that seems a tad dear to me.

Cheers

nichthewood