Frequently Asked Questions
The practical questions people ask before bringing a car in — booking, pricing, timescales and how we work.
Questions about booking, pricing and how we work
These are the practical questions people ask before they bring a car in. Technical questions about a specific job are answered on the relevant service page — MOT testing, servicing, brakes, oil changes and diagnostics each have their own.
If what you want to know is not here, ring us. We would rather answer it on the phone than have you guess.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book, or can I turn up?
Ring first. We can often fit in a small job the same day, but turning up unannounced means you may wait or be turned away, and weekend slots in particular fill early. A two-minute call also lets us tell you roughly what the job involves before you make the trip.
How long will you need my car for?
It depends entirely on the job. An oil change or an MOT is under an hour and most people wait. A full service is two to three hours. Brake work on one axle is one to two hours. Diagnostics on an intermittent fault can take longer, because the fault has to be reproduced before it can be found. We will give you a realistic answer when you book rather than an optimistic one.
Will the price change once you have started?
Not without you agreeing to it. You get a price before any work begins, and if we find something else once the car is on the ramp we ring you and explain it. Nothing is replaced without your say-so, and a job that turns out harder than we quoted is our problem, not a surprise at the counter.
Can I supply my own parts?
Ask us before you buy anything. It is sometimes possible, but there are real trade-offs: we cannot stand behind a part we did not supply, the wrong specification is very common with online purchases, and if a supplied part fails you pay the labour twice. On safety-critical items like brakes we would usually rather supply them ourselves.
Do you work on vans as well as cars?
Yes, cars and light vans of all makes. Our MOT approval covers Class 4, which includes cars and vans up to 3,000kg. If you have a larger van, ring and check before booking.
Can I get a second opinion on a quote from another garage?
Yes, and we are happy to do it. Bring the written quote or the failure sheet and we will tell you honestly whether it looks reasonable. Sometimes it does, and we will say so — that is not a wasted trip, it is the answer you were looking for.
Do I have to have repairs done here after an MOT or a diagnostic?
No. You get the findings in writing so another garage can quote against them. We are a repair garage as well as a test centre so we can usually do the work on site, but there is no obligation and no pressure.
What if I cannot describe what is wrong?
That is completely normal and it is not a problem. Tell us what you notice — a noise, a smell, a light, something that feels different — and when it happens. Cold or warm, braking or turning, at idle or at speed. Describing the symptom plainly is more useful to us than a guess at the cause.
Not sure what’s wrong?
Ring us and describe what the car is doing. We’ll tell you what it’s likely to be and roughly what it will cost before you bring it in.