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I've decided to use Ridgeway for my MOT today. Like all dealers I've heard good and bad things about them, however getting to and from Basingstoke (for Martins) is a pain so I thought I'd try Ridgeway.

Booking the appointment was good and bad. There is no direct line to the service department, and when you are connected 9 times out of 10 you get an answering machine (I have phoned them before). However they are good at getting back to you when you leave a message.

On this occasion the guy who phoned me back gets 10/10 for service. The only issue was that I had to have a slot 2 weeks away to get a loan car, however that's what they promise so I can't mark them down for it.

I told the guy that the car was AmD modified and also requested they check two intermittent DTCs. He understood everything and made notes.

However when I dropped the car off today, the guy on service reception, although courteous, was a bit lacking in knowledge: Because I had cleared the DTCs, I gave him a printout of what I had previously read from VAGCOM. He didn't know what I was giving him, and I had to explain how his techs could use an instrument to look for such faults. This was a revelation to him.

Also, but maybe I am being a bit unfair on him, I wanted the tech to look at my door because it was starting to make some creaking noises with driving vibration. Now I thought that it was common for such noises to be cured by using some self-adhesive anti-vibration strip. He didn't know anything about it.

Anyway, I am hoping that I don't have anything bad to report after picking up my car later this afternoon...

Good luck mate... Good dealers are few and far between

Is it expected practise to get a loan car whilst yours in in for a service? I've NEVER been offered one and it's always been 'no' when I've asked, that goes for everydealer of every car I've ever had! Perhaps I should be a little more demanding, I've always had to walk or get the train...

Another point, my RS4 was due a sevice in 1,500 miles according to DIS, before I had my stage III done. Now it says 300 (I think)... Why so much deviation? Anyone know?

Ta

Is it expected practise to get a loan car whilst yours in in for a service?

Depends on the length of work. I have a spanking new A4 2.0 tdi outside at the mo.

Another point, my RS4 was due a sevice in 1,500 miles according to DIS, before I had my stage III done. Now it says 300 (I think)... Why so much deviation? Anyone know?

Cause you've been caning it!!!

Ridgeway asked me if I wanted one when I booked.

Martins didn't usually offer - I had to ask. However Martins also did a free taxi service so I tended to use that. They also did a collection service but I am always nervous about someone driving too fast over speed-bumps to take that option.

Realistically I didn't need a loan car (I just drove a few miles to work and left it in the car park all day) as I note that Ridgeway do a free taxi service too. However I prefer one only in case of problems when they can't finish the work in time.

Anyway, the results of the experience were again mixed.

On the positive side:
1) MOT was fine. I know there are things that they 'could' have picked up on if they were being picky, but they didn't.
2) They diagnosed the door vibration (although unfortunately a bodyshop has to fix it).
3) They hand cleaned the car (although it didn't need it). Martins used to always find an excuse not to - and they have an auto-wash!
4) They only charged me for the MOT, even though they also did some investigative work.

On the negative side:
4) They didn't do anything about my intermittent APS fault because it wasn't showing a DTC. Having given them a copy of a VAGCOM DTC and telling them that I fixed it by wiggling the wires, I'd have thought they would have investigated further. I know that it will play up again (because it did so before), so it's irritating that I'll need to wait until then before getting it fixed.
5) They investigated my years old intermitted pre-cat temp low DTC. They just said "don't worry about it until it causes an MOT failure!".
6) I now seem to have a slight boost problem (I'll post elsewhere). Now I'm sure there's nothing they would have done in the MOT to affect this, and they have confirmed this as well, but I can't help feeling that it was allright before I took it in...

So overall, yes I would go back to Ridgeway, but I prefer Martins.