Is it Service, or is it Something Else?

Having a vehicle means having to have it serviced, and that means inter-acting with the service providers. That term covers many sins, from filling up with gas, petrol, or fuel (whatever you might like to call it) at the “service station” to a full-scale overhaul at the taller, (garage) it ultimately means trouble.

I’m dating myself by saying that I do remember the good ole days when you pulled in to fill ‘er up and you got your windshield washed, your tyre pressure checked, and there was also a mechanic on duty. Have a flat? No problem, “we fix ‘em while you wait.” These days, generally it’s self-service, or as it will be indicated in Spanish, “auto-service”. That sign at a car service station is more than a little confusing. You could be waiting a long time for the attendant to come out.

Even if you are a lady with fingernails, if you drive a car there are some things you are just going to have to be able to do. Even the traditional act of chivalry whereby you could depend on a man to stop and change your flat for you is fast disappearing. Men are just as likely to pass you by muttering, “sorry lady, I am in a hurry!” My suggestion ladies, get your tyres ultra-sealed so that you never have to worry about a puncture.

I am pleasantly surprised whenever there is an attendant on duty. Ever notice how controlling they are about you sticking the hose in the car. It’s because they are paranoid. If the boss sees that customers are quite prepared to fill up their own cars then that guy’s job is surely in danger. And then there is the question of those latex gloves: who uses those? Probably the ladies with nails and nail polish, I suppose. I personally wouldn’t be seen using them. It might call my manhood into question.

I have only driven into one service station where the attendant, a beautiful young woman, (am I being sexist? Sorry!) started the process of filling up my tank, then walked off to the front of my car with a small bucket and actually cleaned my windscreen. Now, you should know that I am a fanatic about having a clean windscreen at all times, so I got the greatest pleasure out of that. Who does that anymore? The only place I know of is the ZARCAR service station in the Poligono Industrial La Cala in Finestrat, quite close to the printing presses of the Costa Blanca News Group. And yes, they do have the loveliest young women working there which is another plus for us guys. (There, I’ve said it and I’m not really sorry! )

As to finding a good and satisfactory mechanic who actually understands your car, they are like gold dust. Much like finding the perfect bartender, they are to die for. Quite naturally one’s experience will be varied, but I do believe that it can be said that there seems to be one common thread amongst mechanics here in Spain: at least in my experience I have found there to be a reluctance to help me beyond my requested work. At no time have I had a garage suggest to me that I really should have the timing belt checked. No one has asked me, when was the last time the airbag was replaced? Oh yes, especially in older models with airbags, if you need the thing you will really need it, rather like a parachute. That’s no time to be testing it. There doesn’t seem to be any guidelines about this, but to have peace of mind ask your authorized concessionaire about possible tests for your model of car.

If there is a British garage near you no doubt you will be encouraged to work with them. At least the language problem disappears. Well, maybe! I took my car to a mechanic who is a Scot, and I swear I understand Manolo from Barcelona much better. Clearly, dealing with a British garage is not necessarily a panacea as even in the U.K. there will be good ones and the not-so- good. I personally had an experience where I was not very happy at all. Perhaps it was a one-off situation so I won’t whinge on about it. I just never went back.

I don’t want to leave this topic without touching on the preventative maintenance topic. It cannot be over-stressed that regularly scheduled maintenance appointments should be kept. At least twice a year for most ordinary driving, the car should have the oil changed, together with the oil and air filters, and a general check of other things such as brake pads, fluid levels for brakes, power steering, belt tensioning, particularly the timing belt; spark plugs, and a host of other check points, and a report prepared. This is the process that keeps your car in the best condition so that you can rely on it when you need it.

I admit that we can get a bit lazy about the care and maintenance of our vehicle, but look at it like this: if we were still riding horses and we failed to do our due diligence we might have a very long walk indeed!

Please don’t overtake on two-way road systems. Save your life for those who love you!

Copyright (c) 2008 Eugene Carmichael