APS Tuning What a day.

[QuattroFever]

Just thought i would share my experience I had today with APS tuning.



I had the car booked in about a week and a half ago after a friend off the TT forum recommended them. I was getting F+R subframe bushes changed and 4 wheel alignment. I told them i'd already done the wishbones so should be easy to drop the subframe. The guy on the phone said £170 +vat as they've got a hydraulic press so it should be really easy then only about 4hrs work and then £70 for 4 wheel alignment.

I rolled in at about 8.30am this morning as asked and sat patiently in the waiting area. The guy said I was next after an Rs6 that was in already. 9.30 came...then 10.30...then 11.30...then "oh sorry you're not in a hurry are you, we've got some trouble with an exhaust stud"

At about 12.10 the guy took the car in a popped it on the lift. great stuff!

After standing scratching his head and poking at things for a while seemed very reluctant to do the job. Then says "Oh, it's the subframe bushes you wanted done, 'o' the guy at the desk has booked in front and rear arm bushes , we can't do subframes today mate we will need the car for at least two days"

Bear in mind I spoke to MRC who said that they have no press and could prob. do it in 4hrs if they have no problems with bolts but would have to take the car elsewhere to get the alignment done and were a little more expensive, wish I'd just stuck with what I know. MRC all the way in the future.

I mentioned this to one of the guys who said "well take it to MRC's then mate!! we don't touch s2's, it shouldn't even be booked in" And his mate goes off to call doug to check what doug really said...nice!!!!!! So i'm a liar now????

I took my keys and left.....well p****d off. Lost a days money, spent £40 on petrol getting down there and didn't get home as a result till 2.30 with the car not even touched. To top it off I've got a trackday coming up and had I known they weren't prepared to work on S2's I would have booked it in somewhere else.

Stay well away.

They come highly recommended and awarded by audi driver mag. but I found their attitude stunk, they were rude, disorganised and to top it off they gave me a half used bottle of p/s fluid free for my trouble!! They have got to have been winding me up!!!

[CliveH]

oh dear... really sorry to hear this

looks like I'll be taking my car elsewhere to get the geometry setup done

[Rusty]

That's rubbish. Subframe bushes aren't too difficult, I've done then in the garage with a home made tool, some fire and some copper grease. Hope you get it sorted.

[DJones]

Cheaper to buy your own press... and you get years of trouble free pressing... even earned a few quid out of mine...

[shark_90]

Just thought i would share my experience I had today with APS tuning.



I had the car booked in about a week and a half ago after a friend off the TT forum recommended them. I was getting F+R subframe bushes changed and 4 wheel alignment. I told them i'd already done the wishbones so should be easy to drop the subframe. The guy on the phone said £170 +vat as they've got a hydraulic press so it should be really easy then only about 4hrs work and then £70 for 4 wheel alignment.

I rolled in at about 8.30am this morning as asked and sat patiently in the waiting area. The guy said I was next after an Rs6 that was in already. 9.30 came...then 10.30...then 11.30...then "oh sorry you're not in a hurry are you, we've got some trouble with an exhaust stud"

At about 12.10 the guy took the car in a popped it on the lift. great stuff!

After standing scratching his head and poking at things for a while seemed very reluctant to do the job. Then says "Oh, it's the subframe bushes you wanted done, 'o' the guy at the desk has booked in front and rear arm bushes , we can't do subframes today mate we will need the car for at least two days"

Bear in mind I spoke to MRC who said that they have no press and could prob. do it in 4hrs if they have no problems with bolts but would have to take the car elsewhere to get the alignment done and were a little more expensive, wish I'd just stuck with what I know. MRC all the way in the future.

I mentioned this to one of the guys who said "well take it to MRC's then mate!! we don't touch s2's, it shouldn't even be booked in" And his mate goes off to call doug to check what doug really said...nice!!!!!! So i'm a liar now????

I took my keys and left.....well p****d off. Lost a days money, spent £40 on petrol getting down there and didn't get home as a result till 2.30 with the car not even touched. To top it off I've got a trackday coming up and had I known they weren't prepared to work on S2's I would have booked it in somewhere else.

Stay well away.

They come highly recommended and awarded by audi driver mag. but I found their attitude stunk, they were rude, disorganised and to top it off they gave me a half used bottle of p/s fluid free for my trouble!! They have got to have been winding me up!!!

Thank God, someone else who sees them the same way as I do. It sounds to me like the guy who spoke to you like that was from the workshop, I've been there twice in my life (once because they were recommended to me and once because I was totally desperate and was passing) and I found the attitude "cliquey" and pretty bloody rude actually. The technician who spoke to me rudely commented on my own work on my A4, and basically rubbished it. I left with a bad taste in my mouth.

Then around a year ago the S2 had some battery problems and wouldn't start at a petrol station forecourt. I managed to get a bump from a kind attendant and carried on to Oxford, knowing full well that I'd need a battery before I arrived at my destination. Popped into APS because I knew they were on route, left the car running and asked for a battery. "Er, I don't know if we've got any to be honest, I'll go and have a look around upstairs" was the answer. He didn't find a battery.. good job as batteries do have a shelf life!!!! I asked if he (Ed) knew where I could get one locally, which he didn't... drove out of APS and down to the bottom of the road, and there's the biggest fecking battery and tyre place you've ever seen slap bang infront of me!!

Tossers mate, I have absolutely no time for them whatsoever, although some of my friends on other forums totally swear by them.

If the face fits and all that...

[Lloyd]

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I have only had very positive experiences with APS and recently too. Nathan set up the geometry on my car and I have been impressed with the way it's now handling.

[DarrenM]

Im still awaiting an email back from them from "2" enquires i sent start & middle of last week..

[anton]

agree with what others have said here....subframes are not hard...did both on a CQ in 8 hours, that was with only hand tools and included new wishbone bushes and we burned the bushes out cos our press is smll and fiddly and strugle to get the subframe in...plus burning is fun. but for a garage to quote 2 days!!! he blatently just couldn't be assed cos his other job ran over!!! and a half used bottle of power steering fluid?!?!?! you cant even use that in an S2!! thats an insult as far as i'm concerned!!!

Ant

[CliveH]

I've never used them, but if I was in that area and needed help, I know which way I'd go - I would be following the signs to Banbury...or maybe the AA truck would...

[Jamo]

Cheaper isn't always better......................

Many an owner have learned this the hard way unfortunately.

[shark_90]

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I have only had very positive experiences with APS and recently too. Nathan set up the geometry on my car and I have been impressed with the way it's now handling.

With respect, that's not exactly hard for a garage with a Beisbarth is it? I mean, it's not representative of their workmanship is it?

[QuattroFever]

Cheaper isn't always better......................

Many an owner have learned this the hard way unfortunately.

I should have known better tbh, had work done by doug before but was lured in when they told me they had a "proper" 40 tonne press and could do it in less time than MRC hence saving money and time, I intended on going back to work after so seemed a better option but obviously they're into the whole lying to get business game, and then don't want it when you show up!


I know where I'm going in future.

[CliveH]

I know where I'm going in future.

MRC - you know it makes sense...

[Lloyd]

With respect, that's not exactly hard for a garage with a Beisbarth is it? I mean, it's not representative of their workmanship is it?

Did I say that it was?

I've never used the equipment myself, so can't comment on how complex it is to use.

I did say I had repeated good experiences at APS and will be using them again in the future. What impressed me with the GEO was their experience and advice on using non oem spec geometry. Their suggested set-up resulted in my car now handling better than I thought it could.

I could be more specific with my +ve impressions of their workmanship and attention to detail but suggest people keep an open mind and decide for themselves.

I think it's probably fair to say that sometimes every garage has an off day?

For example; I know one of the mechanics who worked on my car at MRC a couple of weeks ago certainly had a major off day. My car dumped it's hydraulic fluid all over the engine bay just 8 miles from leaving MRC. Visibly split o-ring on pump. Also , the throttle body hose wasn't seated correctly and popped off at 30 miles from MRC. Big boost leak.

At about 40 miles away the new suspension front right started knocking quite seriously. Turned out the strut caps were not torqued up correctly. Furthermore, the rear nearside CV boot split within 10 miles from leaving. There were other minor niggles but you get my point.

I'm pleased to add that Doug personally made time on a Saturday to put everything right but it was disappointing for so many things to go wrong so quickly after picking up the car.

I will be using MRC again, just will keep my fingers crossed it's Doug who does most of the work!

[Robatron]

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I have only had very positive experiences with APS and recently too. Nathan set up the geometry on my car and I have been impressed with the way it's now handling.

They did a pretty good job with my geometry too but I don't think I would trust them to work on the car.

A friend of mine took his S3 to APS as the steering was vague. He was told that the rack was playing up and a new rack was ordered for a fair amount of money and the workmanship would cost an awful lot of money too.

He had to take his car to another garage for one reason or another and they told him that APS were talking out of their **** and it was infact the track rods ends which were duly replaced. As far as I am aware APS disputed this even though the car has now been transformed without the need for a new rack.

So now he is out of pocket for the cost a steering rack but flat out refused to have it fitted when it wasn't needed.

Needless to say he won't be going back.