There are threads on Subaru forums linking ABS light with blown bulbs.
jason18,
May 4, 6:35am
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 4, 6:40am
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 4, 6:42am
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 4, 6:44am
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 4, 6:44am
snap!
lyonruge,
May 4, 6:45am
communication is the key!
jason18,
May 4, 6:46am
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 4, 6:47am
Spot on.
jason18,
May 4, 6:48am
If I didnt ask for a call I would of happily paid it.
lyonruge,
May 4, 6:50am
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 4, 6:56am
Hahah good old google. That is always my main mechanic
evotime,
May 4, 10:36am
Switch yeah sure brake light bulb nah
curlcrown,
May 4, 11:20am
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 4, 11:45am
That Mr. Google is wonderful. Creates experts out of Muppets.
jason18,
May 4, 12:24pm
hahha.
jason18,
May 4, 12:25pm
Oh sorry mr expert. They must have put the word bulb by mistake.
a.woodrow,
May 4, 1:34pm
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 4, 1:59pm
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, 3:39pm
Well subaru said Bulb so thats what Im going on.
evotime,
May 4, 4:23pm
Yeah true I guess it could be possible. Regardless it's still pathetic to quibble about the cost of a bulb
beblowin,
May 4, 6:36pm
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, 6:45pm
Oh so sorry.
evotime,
May 4, 7:34pm
Forgiven. Don't let it happen again.
paul271,
May 5, 7:50pm
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.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.