Would a main dealer stealer use manufacturers branded spark plugs?

Originally Posted by specialone

All products will have a company recognised code of some description, might be worth contacting them with the code off them, if they are originals, they will know by the codes on them surely.
The car is that old now, there is no way they could say they have been sitting on a shelf for that long.

That's true. The car is 8 yrs old, and the plugs should have been changed 2 yrs ago. The garage couldn't claim the plugs they used were 6 yrs old. I can also prove they've been using the wrong oil in it as it says "Castrol GTX Magnatec" on the service invoices. I'll have a look at the plugs next time I am in the garage.

Originally Posted by suicidesam

Just fired a txt off to a mate of mine that was a master tech at vw G/mouth, he says that even the long life plugs are changed at 40k and they would have been replaced with non vw branded bosch or ngk's.. he left vw 4 ish years ago when Honda bought the site!

Thanks Rab

Handy bloke to know.. due to replace the belts on the golf shortly, he's got all the vag tools for it. Prob half the reason i keep buying them

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

So a Vauxhall having spark plugs branded "GM", and a Seat having plugs branded "Bosch" on on side, but with the "VW and Audi" logo's on the other?

Are the dealers supplied with these plugs my the manufacturer to use during routine servicing, or would these plugs only have been fitted at the factory?

I've just removed the VW Audi branded plugs from my wife's 61,500 mile Seat Ibiza. It had a main dealer FSH until I started servicing it myself, so it should have had plugs replaced at 20k and 40k by the dealer (the same dealer who I discovered when I did the last service they were not using the manufacturers recommended fully synthetic oil).

The plug failed yesterday, causing her a stutter and an engine management light. They certainly look older than 20k miles.

I'm trying to figure out if I've been ripped off by a stealer yet again!

What does a 20K+ spark plug look like in your expert opinion?

BTW, it boils my pi55 when people call dealerships "stealers". Sure you can take your vehicle to somewhere cheaper, but they don't have the overheads a main dealer has and invariably nor do they have the wealth of information, special tools and expertise that a main dealer does. Alot of this overhead is enforced on the dealership by the manufacturer in order to promote a corporate image, but it's easy to overlook that when you're angry at having to buy four new spark plugs at 61,000 miles.

Without main dealers we have no access to genuine parts, service advice and information... nor new vehicles when we need them.

Originally Posted by suicidesam

Just fired a txt off to a mate of mine that was a master tech at vw G/mouth, he says that even the long life plugs are changed at 40k and they would have been replaced with non vw branded bosch or ngk's.. he left vw 4 ish years ago when Honda bought the site!

The dealer he worked for might have used non-VW branded Bosch or NGK plugs at service time, but I know a few bike dealerships, like the one Holdup works at, who use genuine parts only, even spark plugs and chains and sprockets. Most buy in things like plugs, chains and sprockets from independent suppliers to the trade, a couple of which I've worked for in the past, so I'm aware of how these things work. The same happens in the car world, which is where I started my time in the motors/bike trade.

Some manufacturers have their dealerships on parts bonuses - they have to hit a target and then they get higher discount on parts for the next quarter. To hit this target they will order a batch of plugs and normal service items knowing they will be used in their own workshops or sold on to the trade. Some dealerships don't bother with parts targets and hence don't buy everything from the manufacturer, prefering to buy in things like plugs and brake pads locally from factors as they don't think the discounts and benefits outweigh the extra costs of the genuine parts.

What I'm getting at is that not all dealerships work in the same way.

Originally Posted by Lozzo

What does a 20K+ spark plug look like in your expert opinion?

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

They certainly looked older than 20k to me, but I'm no expert.

Originally Posted by Lozzo

BTW, it boils my pi55 when people call dealerships "stealers". Sure you can take your vehicle to somewhere cheaper

I can take it somewhere cheaper that doesn't rip me off too. Carbs on the XT need looking at, not something I've ever looked at myself, so I'll be taking it to see Spannerman. I won't be going anywhere near a Yamaha main dealer.

When the stealers stop fraudulently stealing my money, I'll stop calling them stealers. Simples really.

Originally Posted by Lozzo

The dealer he worked for might have used non-VW branded Bosch or NGK plugs at service time.

Years back when I used to buy them from my local VW dealer and the plugs came in genuine VW branded boxes but with non branded plugs inside, Only reason i bought them there was the "posh" triple electrode type they used early 90's were a load cheaper form the dealer than buying them from halfords or the likes.

Speaking to my tech friend on msn, he says the vw stuff still comes into the dealers in vw boxes but with standard plugs inside.

Originally Posted by suicidesam

Speaking to my tech friend on msn, he says the vw stuff still comes into the dealers in vw boxes but with standard plugs inside.

Same as Holdup described, not branded on the plug itself. I've owned and serviced a lot of different cars, but never seen plugs that were manufacturer branded, until the GM ones that were taken out of the Vectra by the AA/RAC man, and the VW Audi ones I took out today. In both cases I very strongly suspect they were OEM.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Same as Holdup described, not branded on the plug itself..

Quote from tech friend...
only vw branded on box now. early ones before 2000 were stamped on ceramic with vw but still either bosch, ngk or beru marked on metal near hex

Dam he needs to get out more

Originally Posted by Lozzo

The dealer he worked for might have used non-VW branded Bosch or NGK plugs at service time, but I know a few bike dealerships, like the one Holdup works at, who use genuine parts only, even spark plugs and chains and sprockets. Most buy in things like plugs, chains and sprockets from independent suppliers to the trade, a couple of which I've worked for in the past, so I'm aware of how these things work. The same happens in the car world, which is where I started my time in the motors/bike trade.

Some manufacturers have their dealerships on parts bonuses - they have to hit a target and then they get higher discount on parts for the next quarter. To hit this target they will order a batch of plugs and normal service items knowing they will be used in their own workshops or sold on to the trade. Some dealerships don't bother with parts targets and hence don't buy everything from the manufacturer, prefering to buy in things like plugs and brake pads locally from factors as they don't think the discounts and benefits outweigh the extra costs of the genuine parts.

What I'm getting at is that not all dealerships work in the same way.

Lozzo - what you are saying is true, the problem is that dealers are charging top money for labour (because of overheads etc) so therefore people expect top service for that money but in a lot of cases just arent getting it.
also the mark up on parts is disgusting. a set of glow plugs for my ranger from ford were £441 without fitting.. the originals were NGK. I got a replacement set of NGK for £45.60 so thats nearly a £400 difference for the same part..... justify that?

a main ford service - £460 - an independant £140.... if I pay the amount the dealers want then at that price there is absolutely no excuse at all for not doing the work to the highest standards possible..

Sean