There are threads on Subaru forums linking ABS light with blown bulbs.
jason18,
May 3, 3:35pm
So the diagnostic machine wont tell you that a brake light could be the problem! Whats the point in having one if it cant scan the codes and say its something to do with tail lights otherwise I may as well take it to my old school mechanic and get him to check things out.
Hey it was a long time ago and I was happy to pay it in the end as I got my car back. Just they could have rung me! LIKE I ASKED!
lyonruge,
May 3, 3:40pm
Yeah but the point is, it was probably mostly time that was charged, they could have rung avery half hour and told you didnt have an answer, do you want us to carry on, after four hours if they rang and said, we think its the bulb, would you have not just said, oh well, replace it and see what happens! or would you have picked up the car and done that your self, then taken it back to get the light cleared! they may have taken a liberty, but it was probably stupid not to going by what youve told me.
jason18,
May 3, 3:42pm
Why cant they run a diagnostic and then ring me and say look it might take us a few hours to work this out we charge at 60 an hour or what ever did you want to carry on. Not a hard ask.
lyonruge,
May 3, 3:44pm
ill, ad, so many workshops now will say, well, we will spend an hour on it, but if we cant find it, you will have to take to XXXXX, and after youve had 4 or 5 shops do that to you, its cost you just as much anyway. We do all those jobs that noone else has wanted to, theyve been to 3 or 4 places already, lost an hours worth of cash at each one and we just say, yep, we'll fix it, itll take time, its $70/hr, leave it there and we'll ring when we know something, if we get to 2-3 hours and havnt had a result we'll ring and advise and get authority to carry on, but half the time, you tend to fix a problem as part of the diagnosis.
lyonruge,
May 3, 3:44pm
snap!
lyonruge,
May 3, 3:45pm
communication is the key!
jason18,
May 3, 3:46pm
Yeah I accepted it at the time .I was young and broke. Just wanted a phone call with just a hint of an estimate. Or some kind of knowledge. I see what mechanics deal with now and I will happily pay for time and diagnostic machine etc just a call was all I asked for .
jason18,
May 3, 3:47pm
Spot on.
jason18,
May 3, 3:48pm
If I didnt ask for a call I would of happily paid it.
lyonruge,
May 3, 3:50pm
its hard man, things change so fast, its a hard game now, scan tools are great, but they can send you down the wrong track easily, they are good at eliminating possibilities, but they only as good as the operator, so many guys today have forgotton the basics, try to go too fast, be too cool and it doesnt always get a result. One of the most helpful diagnostic tools in our workshop, is Google! its always going to have happened to someone else, before. google has solved many faults for us, or at least pointed us in the right direction.
jason18,
May 3, 3:56pm
Hahah good old google. That is always my main mechanic
evotime,
May 3, 7:36pm
Switch yeah sure brake light bulb nah
curlcrown,
May 3, 8:20pm
Try to get the mechanic to buy the car for what you would have sold it for had you not fixed it. This way you still get what you want and they also get a chance to make some money for what they have done. It's a solution that leaves neither party out or pocket and avoids an unpleasant disareement.
nightboss,
May 3, 8:45pm
That Mr. Google is wonderful. Creates experts out of Muppets.
jason18,
May 3, 9:24pm
hahha.
jason18,
May 3, 9:25pm
Oh sorry mr expert. They must have put the word bulb by mistake.
a.woodrow,
May 3, 10:34pm
Ya know. some jobs just can't be accurately quoted, you just have to get in there and fix it. If money is that tight, car ownership is not for you.
pauldw,
May 3, 10:59pm
Don't bank on it. The switch and the bulb share a common connection at the controller. Most of the reported bulb faults have had a broken brake filament back feeding the park light circuit to the controller.
jason18,
May 4, 12:39am
Well subaru said Bulb so thats what Im going on.
evotime,
May 4, 1:23am
Yeah true I guess it could be possible. Regardless it's still pathetic to quibble about the cost of a bulb
beblowin,
May 4, 3:36am
you budgeted $300 to fix car and if it was over that you would consider replacing the car, well you wont get much for under $1000 bucks these days being on a tight budget you might be better off keeping it.
jason18,
May 4, 3:45am
Oh so sorry.
evotime,
May 4, 4:34am
Forgiven. Don't let it happen again.
paul271,
May 5, 4:50am
Sorry buddy, seen it myself. Two blown bulbs on a 2000 legacy caused ABS light to come on. Replaced the computer before I discovered it.
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