Skoda Octavia - service balls up

doubledragonxx

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Just after people's thoughts on this.

I had my Skoda Octavia serviced last week and effectively it's sat on the driveway until yesterday, I am a home worker it doesn't get used a lot. I had to go into the office yesterday and as I pulled the car off the driveway I noticed a huge wet patch on the driveway. I thought it was a bit odd as the rest of the driveway under it was dry but simply put it down to condensation from previous night. When I got back home I found the patch still hadn't dried out even though it had been sunny all day. Anyway long story short now checked under the car to find diesel dripping at quite a rate. I know as part of the service they had replace the fuel filter, checked under the bonnet and yep looks like they had over tightened this and had wrecked the gasket/seal.

Spoke to garage this morning, they were apologetic and collected the car to rectify the issue, they have agreed to jet wash the engine bay and were also good enough to jet wash driveway when the came to collect the car.

This is all good but having paid £250 for the service I am really annoyed and was wondering really if they should be offering to refund part of the service fee. What would you do? Doubtful whether there is any long last damage to car apart from the smell of diesel which will hopefully disappear over time.
 
I think it's pretty decent they have jet washed the driveway tbh. They made and error, they've fixed and cleaned the driveway. I would be happy enough with that.

It was an honest mistake, they've fixed it, leave it at that would be my take on it.
 
I agree - they've dealt with the problem promptly, efficiently and properly. Accept that and move on.
 
You have been without your car for an extra day because of their mistake - I wouldn't ask for a refund but I would speak to the service manager about a discount on the next service. That will cost him/her next to nothing and indicates you are intending to use them again.
 
Just a quick update, car is back the garage gave it full valet along with sorting the all important issue, so as I like to say 'Happy Days'.

Unfortunately all is not well with regards to drive, it's been jet washed twice and tbh it looks like a total dogs dinner, effectively diesel and tarmac isn't a great combination and think where they have now jet washed badly marked parts it's now started breaking up. Escalated with garage this morning as whilst I do appreciate problems happen I do expect people to be held responsible for their actions. Quite simply not happy to live with the driveway in it's current state. Garage has been really good about it so far, got a call from the manager (garage is linked to Citroen main dealer) and said they are going to send out a driveway firm to see what they can do. So a case of waiting and seeing I guess.

driveway.JPG
 
from memory diesel fuel dissolves the binder used in tarmac..
 
Jet washing will not get rid of diesel you have to use chemical sprays to break it down. You also have to stop it going into drains and inform the environment agency. The tarmac will have to taken up and replaced after a substantial spill. Worse case senario.
 
One of the reasons I believe some roads can be closed for so long after an accident is the damage caused to the tarmac from diesel spills and the fact the tarmac has to be replaced.
 
The driveway firm turned up late this afternoon and have effectively said the whole lot will need to come up to do a proper job. Obviously will look a bit junk only having one side done. Unfortunately seems as though the first attempt to jet wash with just water has had the adverse affect and has only spread the diesel. So back in the garage court to see if they are going to cover the cost.
 
from memory diesel fuel dissolves the binder used in tarmac..
Sure does - the binder in Tarmac is a heavier fraction of the same crude oil diesel comes from. As you refine crude you get heavier and heavier fractions as you go. Motor diesel is still pretty light. After refining you can use a catalytic cracker on what's left and get even heavier fractions. Keep going and you get Marine diesel (heavy Marine diesel is solid at room temperature and injected at 130 deg C) then you keep going and get bitumen (the binder in Tarmac).

Petrol evaporates before it dissolves the Tarmac - if it didn't it would dissolve the binder as well.

Back to the OP - pity they didn't use some chemicals or get an experienced clean up team initially :(. I think they would go for repairing the bit damaged - you may have to ask very nicely for them to stump up the cost of what isn't damaged. They need to make it whole again and that doesn't usually include looking like it did. They might agree a drive there must look nice though - I hope so. Good luck.
 

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