ZF approved garages

[homer simpson]

I have been looking into getting my ATF changed at some point on the S8. I have seen references to Mackies and Chester Transmissions but I was looking for somewhere closer to the Midlands.

So, I looked on ZF's website and they had a few garages listed. I contacted the nearest (Notts I think) and they said they don't do servicing?? Surprised, I asked for ZF approved garages and the gentleman said they have a Protech Scheme and would give me the details of local garages. The two nearest were

1. Autokraft BMW
Pasture Croft
Solihull
B94 5DJ
West Midlands
Great Britain
Phone: 01564 703434

2. Driver Transmissions
257 Moseley Rd
Birmingham
B12 0EA
Great Britain
Phone: 0121 440 3476

I haven't contacted either yet but I am assuming they will know these 'boxes and use the correct tools/oils/software.

Has anyone had any experience of either of these garages?

[MikkiJayne]

Driver Transmissions are the ones who rebuilt Davey Blueyes D2 gearbox which blew up again after a few thousand miles and just out of warranty.

Just sayin...

[The_Laird]

I know it’s a pain, but Mackies are your guys! I’m now back in the Midlands, but still take the car to Mackies. If you get there early enough (about a 5 hour drive from here) for the car to cool down before they open, they’ll have you back on the road for lunchtime. It’s a long day, I know, but worth it if you value the gearbox!

[MikkiJayne]

Yeah just watch they don't remove the sump with a rusty spoon, or indeed try to charge you extra for moving some imaginary extra hardware out of the way...

[homer simpson]

Originally Posted by MikkiJayne

Driver Transmissions are the ones who rebuilt Davey Blueyes D2 gearbox which blew up again after a few thousand miles and just out of warranty.

Just sayin...

This is the sort of thing that concerns me. I want the life to be prolonged not shortened lol

Originally Posted by MikkiJayne

Yeah just watch they don't remove the sump with a rusty spoon, or indeed try to charge you extra for moving some imaginary extra hardware out of the way...

I read that too. Mackies seem to be the go-to place but damn they're far away. What about specialists like Badger 5, VRS (Northampton) etc?

MJ, do you fancy doing D3 ATFs?

[MikkiJayne]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4u9bfWy-BE

[The_Laird]

Originally Posted by MikkiJayne

Yeah just watch they don't remove the sump with a rusty spoon, or indeed try to charge you extra for moving some imaginary extra hardware out of the way...

Did I miss something? Have Mackies done a wrong ‘un?

[homer simpson]

Originally Posted by The_Laird

Did I miss something? Have Mackies done a wrong ‘un?

The bottom of Spanker's post (#1)

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=14939

I was expecting £155 + VAT for the job but it was at this time, after all but two staff had gone home, that the subject of the "extra hours" work needed to be discussed.
"How much were you quoted??" said the foreman behind the desk.

"£155 + VAT" I replied

"For an S8??" he quickly responded...

"Yes. I was quoted £155 + VAT when I booked the appointment over the phone earlier in the week", said I, knowing that the person who had quoted me was Lisa Mackie, who was the only other employee in the building and was sat in the same office. She sheepishly did not look up from her computer screen.

The foreman muttered something about the S8 been more difficult to get to because "of the extra hardware" that needed to be moved out of the way. I did not have the knowledge to challenge him on that.

"And then there is the extra 5 hours that our technician has taken to drill and re-tap the sump holes".

Annoyingly I said that to spring such a thing on me at the 11th hour without consultation was a very poor practice (or words to that effect).
We finally agreed on me paying an extra 3 hours for the 5 hours of supplementary work, which at £75 per hour + VAT, brought the total bill to about £456.