# General > Business >  Viking Motors

## Tugmistress

New small garage up in Ormlie, www.vikingmotors-thurso.co.uk

anyone turning up with a viking motors business card will get a discount  :Grin: 

OPENING MONDAY 14th JUNE!

----------


## EDDIE

There labour rate on there website is £20 hr thats mega cheap im suprised they can make profit at such a low rate but good luck to them

----------


## Bobinovich

Good luck to 'em - it'll make a change not having our eyes gouged out for simple car maintenance!

----------


## upolian

Sounds good  :Smile:

----------


## Tugmistress

Thank you to the great and wonderful 'org' happy customers at Viking  :Grin:

----------


## unicorn

Good luck with the new venture  :Grin:

----------


## upolian

I will be sending a few people to you,im fed up of customers telling me they are being ripped off having their cars fixed by idiot garages.

----------


## Stefan

About time Paula, repairing cars on a snowy lane between sheep, goats and dogs isn't fun, is it.
Do you do welding ?

----------


## Tugmistress

Thank you  Upolian, appreciate it  :Smile: 

Stefan, lol you're right on the the point about the sheep etc  :Wink:  and yes we will be doing welding - tried the old one today, it has seen better days so looking over the next week at getting a new one  :Grin:  (mig)

----------


## EDDIE

> I will be sending a few people to you,im fed up of customers telling me they are being ripped off having their cars fixed by idiot garages.


Probably one of the biggest problems in fixing cars is when you get an itermittent fault its the most difficult thing to fix and can take quite a few attempts to fix its the same old story when the car goes to the garage the car wont play up its only when the car leaves the garage it starts playing up its just one of the scenary that in some cases it just a case of let the fault develop before you can find it

----------


## rumpelstiltskin

Are there any of the mechanics there actually qualified?

----------


## upolian

> Are there any of the mechanics there actually qualified?


Pop in and see then  :Wink:

----------


## rumpelstiltskin

Viking motors is the one i should have said.

----------


## Tugmistress

Come down and see for yourself  :Wink:

----------


## Mik.M.

> Are there any of the mechanics there actually qualified?


 So long as they do what you pay them to do and do it properly unlike some of the "qualified" mechanics tend to do.  :Wink:  Good Luck Paula & Michael. Mik.

----------


## goldenguernsey

> Are there any of the mechanics there actually qualified?


I should say so, had my vehicle repaired today, brilliant result, its fantastic now, what a relief to find a garage that does such a thorough repair and at such reasonable rates. Would definitely recommend Viking Motors  ::

----------


## Tugmistress

Thanks GG - Glad to help  :Grin:

----------


## EDDIE

> Are there any of the mechanics there actually qualified?


Its hard to believe but you do get some people that are qualified and have all the papers and are good at the theory side but hands on there rubbish and then you meet the next person who aint got there papers and have worked there way up by being keen and have good attitude and are ten times better than any qualified mechanic

----------


## unicorn

> Its hard to believe but you do get some people that are qualified and have all the papers and are good at the theory side but hands on there rubbish and then you meet the next person who aint got there papers and have worked there way up by being keen and have good attitude and are ten times better than any qualified mechanic


 That is very true indeed.

----------


## ducati

> Its hard to believe but you do get some people that are qualified and have all the papers and are good at the theory side but hands on there rubbish and then you meet the next person who aint got there papers and have worked there way up by being keen and have good attitude and are ten times better than any qualified mechanic


Its not exactly rocket science these days, modern cars rarely, if ever actually break down. Most work is servicing or replacing worn out components. If they do break down, instead of thirty years experience you just need to plug in the correct software and it tells you whats wrong.

None of the above applies if (like me) you have an Alfa Romeo. Then the last person in the world you want looking at it is an Alfa qualified technician!  ::

----------


## chiel

> Its not exactly rocket science these days, modern cars rarely, if ever actually break down. Most work is servicing or replacing worn out components. If they do break down, instead of thirty years experience you just need to plug in the correct software and it tells you whats wrong.
> 
> None of the above applies if (like me) you have an Alfa Romeo. Then the last person in the world you want looking at it is an Alfa qualified technician!



sorry ducati,have to say thats rubbish,why is it that people think the'computer fixes it',this is only true if vehicle faults lie in software faults and require an update to fix,otherwise the computer doesnt fix anything,it may give a fault code and a direction to start looking at,but thats it,it still takes that experience to trace and rectify,so its not as simple as people think

----------


## EDDIE

> Its not exactly rocket science these days, modern cars rarely, if ever actually break down. Most work is servicing or replacing worn out components. If they do break down, instead of thirty years experience you just need to plug in the correct software and it tells you whats wrong.
> 
> None of the above applies if (like me) you have an Alfa Romeo. Then the last person in the world you want looking at it is an Alfa qualified technician!


When you plug in the computer all it does it gives you an error code and indication were to start fault finding it doesnt tell you whats wrong you still have to be able to read wiring diagrams to diagnose the fault properly so your not guessing.
A modern mechanic servicing and replace worn parts thats the easy bit its all about being good diagnosing faults thats whats important.
It is starting to get to the point were u will have no choice but to go to the dealers because every dealer is using there own special design lead thats not compatabile with anything else there own software and there electronics is different from other dealers  and thats what makes it hard for people to start up there own business.
The proper way to diagnose faults is u plug the laptop into the vehicle you get the fault code you then have to get the service manual you look up the code and then you follow the steps in the manual on how to diagnose the faults and you have to no how to read diagrams and no about electrics thats how you do it because if you look at a service manual it would shock you on how much theory there is in the book you could never absorb all that info thats why the service manual is a cruical part in diagnostics.

----------


## ducati

> sorry ducati,have to say thats rubbish,why is it that people think the'computer fixes it',this is only true if vehicle faults lie in software faults and require an update to fix,otherwise the computer doesnt fix anything,it may give a fault code and a direction to start looking at,but thats it,it still takes that experience to trace and rectify,so its not as simple as people think


Nope you misread, I said the software tells you what the fault is.  :: 

And it's not rubbish, unlike you I know what I am talking about  :: 

On Modern cars the Fault Code and the performance readout identifies precisely the component that is faulty  :: 

sorry about all the rasperrys I'm in a bad mood

----------


## ducati

> When you plug in the computer all it does it gives you an error code and indication were to start fault finding it doesnt tell you whats wrong you still have to be able to read wiring diagrams to diagnose the fault properly so your not guessing.
> A modern mechanic servicing and replace worn parts thats the easy bit its all about being good diagnosing faults thats whats important.
> It is starting to get to the point were u will have no choice but to go to the dealers because every dealer is using there own special design lead thats not compatabile with anything else there own software and there electronics is different from other dealers and thats what makes it hard for people to start up there own business.
> The proper way to diagnose faults is u plug the laptop into the vehicle you get the fault code you then have to get the service manual you look up the code and then you follow the steps in the manual on how to diagnose the faults and you have to no how to read diagrams and no about electrics thats how you do it because if you look at a service manual it would shock you on how much theory there is in the book you could never absorb all that info thats why the service manual is a cruical part in diagnostics.


You can buy universal readers with software for all car makes. Made by tool manufacturers like Snap On for instance. (I believe all car makers have to make the software available). There is a certain amount of standardisation happening at the moment, after all, there are only so many perameters that can be measured.
A good start if you are starting up a business. My experience is most small garages don't as they tend to specisalise in other areas of vehicle repair.

edit: you may need a few different cables but they are very cheap

----------


## chiel

> You can buy universal readers with software for all car makes. Made by tool manufacturers like Snap On for instance. (I believe all car makers have to make the software available). There is a certain amount of standardisation happening at the moment, after all, there are only so many perameters that can be measured.
> A good start if you are starting up a business. My experience is most small garages don't as they tend to specisalise in other areas of vehicle repair.
> 
> edit: you may need a few different cables but they are very cheap



lol Ducati,you made me laugh,if you knew so much you certainly wouldnt have an alfa.As far as leads go,everything EOBD compliant has a 16 pin connector for diagnostics etc,so 1 lead usually is enough.and no the software OR computer doesnt and cant fix anything,like i said
  you remind me of the halfords ad',everything only takes 2 ticks and its done ,lol

----------


## ducati

> lol Ducati,you made me laugh,if you knew so much you certainly wouldnt have an alfa.As far as leads go,everything EOBD compliant has a 16 pin connector for diagnostics etc,so 1 lead usually is enough.and no the software OR computer doesnt and cant fix anything,like i said
> you remind me of the halfords ad',everything only takes 2 ticks and its done ,lol


Twice now, I didn't say the software fixes anything. Read what is written! ::

----------


## EDDIE

> You can buy universal readers with software for all car makes. Made by tool manufacturers like Snap On for instance. (I believe all car makers have to make the software available). There is a certain amount of standardisation happening at the moment, after all, there are only so many perameters that can be measured.
> A good start if you are starting up a business. My experience is most small garages don't as they tend to specisalise in other areas of vehicle repair.
> 
> edit: you may need a few different cables but they are very cheap


What happens is when a car is new only the dealers have the software and leads for it and when the car gets to say 3 years old then there is universal leads and software for people to buy
Like as i said before it only tells you the fault codes you still need the wiring diagrams and and you still need to know how the system works on that make thats why a lot of back street garages when they get a customer come in with a technical fault they just call in auto electrician he fixes it they put there mark up on it the customer is non the wiser?
Thats why these days its getting to the stage were if you have a ford u go to ford to get it fixed and so on which i disagree with they quite easly design a car with on board diagnosticss if they wanted to but they dont

----------


## ducati

> What happens is when a car is new only the dealers have the software and leads for it and when the car gets to say 3 years old then there is universal leads and software for people to buy
> Like as i said before it only tells you the fault codes you still need the wiring diagrams and and you still need to know how the system works on that make thats why a lot of back street garages when they get a customer come in with a technical fault they just call in auto electrician he fixes it they put there mark up on it the customer is non the wiser?
> Thats why these days its getting to the stage were if you have a ford u go to ford to get it fixed and so on which i disagree with they quite easly design a car with on board diagnosticss if they wanted to but they dont


Alfa's break down so often there are about a million suppliers for the leads and software. There are even vendors that have redesigned Alfa's software so it works  ::

----------


## goldenguernsey

Well my vehicle needed taken apart so they could actually see what was wrong with it. I was watching what was happening and it was the most awkward job imaginable, however, once diagnosed the replacement part was ordered and as soon as it arrived Viking Motors foned me and I went back for it fitted, all in the space of 2 days. Pretty rapid I thought. Highly delighted, so much so have put another vehicle in for pre test repairs, won't be going anywhere else from now on.

----------


## Stefan

Popped my small farm quad over as it wouldn't start and wasn't running properly before neither.
All fixed, serviced and it never ran better. I am a truly happy guy and my neglected motor bike is going in next.
Price was extremely fair, couldn't recommend higher !

----------


## goldenguernsey

I seen it stefan!, was there when a took my vehicle back lol, yer right, sterling job they do and proper genuine folk too, I likes that about them, a rarity nowadays

----------


## Happy Guy

My Jeep wouldnt start on Sunday morning - battery completely flat! one quick phone call, and he was there in less than 15 mins - anther 15 mins and I was up and running, AND he had checked my battery, topped the water up in it, AND checked my oil and advised me THAT needed topping up as well! All this at 9 am on a Sunday morning! Huge bill? No way! totally reasonable!!!!! 100% reccommended

----------


## Tugmistress

Glad to be of service happy guy  :Grin: 

and thank you to the orgers that have tried us out, business is ticking over nicely thanks to YOU!!!!!

----------


## Scout

Tugs I am sorry did not know you had started up business  with cars until now. Well done. You never know I may pop around to have you look at my car:-)

----------


## Tugmistress

Thanks Scout, we will look forward to seeing you  :Smile: 
we're looking at getting quite a sophisticated diagnostic thingy wotsit,  if it works out ok and we do get it, then we'll be doing an offer on a  diagnostic stest on your vehicle (as long as the software we have covers  it lol) for around the £30 mark. we just have to justify a couple of  grand on one piece of equipment first!

----------


## bridgeend

> Thanks Scout, we will look forward to seeing you 
> we're looking at getting quite a sophisticated diagnostic thingy wotsit,  if it works out ok and we do get it, then we'll be doing an offer on a  diagnostic stest on your vehicle (as long as the software we have covers  it lol) for around the £30 mark. we just have to justify a couple of  grand on one piece of equipment firs
> t!


This is one of the main bits of equipment that a Garage needs if there staff are to work on modern cars without it there is little they can do .
Any garage worth there salt has an up to date system .

----------


## Tugmistress

Hence we are seriously looking in to it  ::

----------


## mrlennie

> without it there is little they can do .


 :: er no.

----------


## changilass

> This is one of the main bits of equipment that a Garage needs if there staff are to work on modern cars without it there is little they can do .
> Any garage worth there salt has an up to date system .


 
Poppycock!

Viking motors has loads of satisfied customers, myself included, that can vouch for the fact that you are talking out of your rear end.

There is plenty of work they can and have done for plenty of folk.

----------


## davem

Aye a good friend paid a grand for a main dealer to leave his motor with the same problem it went to inverness for.
Fixed by a neighbour with a large shed, spanners and nouse.

----------


## changilass

Aye dave lol, a bitty nouse goes a long long way hehe.

----------


## Walter Ego

> This is one of the main bits of equipment that a Garage needs if there staff are to work on modern cars without it there is little they can do .
> Any garage worth there salt has an up to date system .


Now, let me guess.

You either run a garage or a chum of yours does and you're trying to do down the opposition with crude attempts to undermine their credibility.

Pathetic. ::  The mark of a bitter and inept loser.

Good luck with the business, Viking. Not everyone up here is as narrow minded as this clown.

(mental note, must find out where Bridgends 'garage' is and avoid it. ::

----------


## EDDIE

> This is one of the main bits of equipment that a Garage needs if there staff are to work on modern cars without it there is little they can do .
> Any garage worth there salt has an up to date system .


Depends on how you look at it mordern car electronics is prity reliable so i cant see there being a lot of computer related faults.
Look at say kwik fit and halifords they dont have the expensive diagnostic equipment or any for that matter  or do welding work for mot they sub contract the work out.They do mot,services,replace all the fast moving part and there busy garages.
I think whether you have a diagnostic computer or not it wouldnt deter people from coming to them to get repairs done on there car its just all depends on the repair they need and most importanly price thats what matters and for all the times u do get a computer related fault most people would just accept the fact you have to go to the dealer to plug it into thre machine most people are aware on how high tech the electronics is and that the dealer is the only one with the software.
One of the good thing about going to proper dealer is your getting dealer trained mechanics , genuine parts,fully equiped garage with all the latest tech and your also paying a very high labour rate and parts and ending up with a huge bill to pay for all these things when you just go to owner back street garage like viking and get repair probably half of what you would pay at a dealer and the quality of workmanship is just the same if not better and if you were to see the mark up on parts that a dealer puts on it would horrify you

----------


## HaggarJ2

Good luck to them fair rate at £20.00 per hour. But thats what all new businesses do have a low start rate trouble is once they get a few customers te rate usually goes sky high and the quality drops dramatically .Hope they are different we need some fair businesses up here.

----------


## Stefan

Dropped my bike off the other day in the van. Whilst having a chat with Paula, Michael reappeared from underneath my van ( :: ).
After announcing that my propshaft bearings are worn but the chassis was sound and investing would be wise.... he had a look at the engine, checked my oil and water, topped both up as there was virtually none in it. I thought that many people would think he's just trying to get more business out of a guy who has no idea what a propshaft bearing does... well, went home, did some paperwork, came across my van MOT from February and the third page says "Advice: propshaft worn"...

mmmhhhhh, I SHOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION !!!!!!

Needless to say Michael is doing my propshaft bearings next week when I get the bike back before I forget what he said and break down with the van...
After that he can fit my tow bar onto the car and do an MOT on the wife's 4x4. Don't think I will be going anywhere else ever again. Keeping in mind the van had an MOT in Feb and had only done a few miles round Caithness, so clearly there wasn't any attention being paid to oil and water at the time.

I have a petrol cement mixer that won't start...it's an engine, right ? I bet Michael would inspect that if I left it in the van... worth a try...LOL !!!!!

----------


## Tugmistress

not much left to do on the bike stefan, just got to go get a chain and then test run  :Wink:  you never know, leave it in the back of the van and mention it, he might be tempted to have a play lol

and haggar, when VAT goes up in january that's the only price rise we will have in the foreseeable future  :Grin:

----------


## crayola

> I have a friend who has used this Garage never  again poor service and we have been told he is NOT a time served  engineer.
> Poor service and a dreadful Attitude if you question anything plenty of  other Garages in Caithness locally owned with friendly staff willing to  listen and SMTA registered.





> This is one of the main bits of equipment that a Garage needs if there staff are to work on modern cars without it there is little they can do .
> Any garage worth there salt has an up to date system .


May I ask why you are badmouthing Viking Motors on here?

With a name like bridgeend could it be that you are badmouthing a new rival business? If so then shame on you!  ::

----------


## bothyman

> May I ask why you are badmouthing Viking Motors on here?
> 
> With a name like bridgeend could it be that you are badmouthing a new rival business? If so then shame on you!


Look through bridgeend's other posts, it seems he doesn't have a good word to say about anybody.
But then he's only on his 8th post??  so it can only get better :: .

----------


## Walter Ego

> Look through bridgeend's other posts, it seems he doesn't have a good word to say about anybody.
> But then he's only on his 8th post?? so it can only get better.


I wouldn't hold your breath or take any bets on that, Bothyman.

----------


## caithnesslad

Just thought i would add some positive to viking motors , he helped me take a gearbox off my car and also came out another day by himself to put a new clutch on and fitted gear linkages etc, very helpful character.

----------

