This RS6 Engine is TERRIBLE! | Workshop Update No.67

[@Uber-GT]

I ran my own business and would constantly get calls from people who wanted free advice on boilers as soon as you mentioned a call out charge they didn’t wanna know. These aren’t your friends you clearly don’t need to beg for business your knowledge is something you’ve earned over the years through blood sweat and tears. If you’re good at something never do it for free

[@michaelcordes]

Don't forget having your competence questioned because they say it's flashing a letter and a number and you don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of every fault code for every boiler ever made

[@stephenlebillon3066]

Hi Ricky, reference people getting free advice, the easiest response is “sorry but after speaking to our lawyers we could be legally responsible if our advice was followed and something went wrong, so we can no longer offer advice over the phone” Thankyou! Keep up the great vids. Ps Bobble hat stopped me from freezing to death at navarra when I camped out at BSB rd 1.

[@tonyking9235]

THATS IS THE WAY TO DO IT .

[@julianpritchard2558]

18.50 , having run my own business I very early on decided that no advice would be given over the phone unless I knew the person! If people want help then they can bring you the car . A guy once told me “ don’t do anything for nothing “ , no free advice to people you don’t know, they are not customers they are freeloading..

[@Mozzer1966]

Great rant but you are 100% right if you run a super car you need to pay the right people to maintain it simple

[@kinton56]

Ricky, why don’t you go down the same route as Darkside developments and go to an email only contact system? I’m sure Ryan and Scott will tell you it hasn’t affected what they do on a day-to-day basis with no phone lines. Love the channel and hopefully will see you at the NG round at Donington on the track.

[@nicktippetts5942]

Completely agree Rick. Knowledge and experience is hard earned and has a value. It should never be free.

[@paullangford7078]

Pick and choose the info you hand out over the phone. Point them in the direction of a diagnosis without being specific. Eg give them a choice of three things to look at but don't say which one. If it's a mechanical question then just pull back and say it's too complex to explain over the phone and that they would have to book it in. Once you get used to where you set the limit of info your prepared to hand out it rolls of the tounge like second nature. When you know your subject inside out as you do it's easy to come up with where the line gets drawn. If you are in middle ground then ask for their number and say you will call them back when your free. That way you know who your talking to and if they don't want to wait for a call back then bin them off.

[@peterdavey2767]

You enjoy helping people in sorting problems out, this gives you a great buzz, make you feel happy. Helping others can also be good for you, gives you a good feel factor, with all the pressures you are under to help others may help you deal with your own stress. How many people have offered to freely help you? How many individuals can afford a super car and the cost of repairing it. Are the majority of your callers really garages? Answer have a second phone on Premium-rate but the problem with this you may be accountable if anything goes wrong. Or you can judge a book by it's cover ask them to phone back using Face time, Why, are they at work? Garage or shed

[@Havent_got_a_clue]

My Dad has his own business (heating engineer and a specialist in aga and rayburn cookers) he had the same problem, so he changed his number and made his mobile number off limits to customers, he always calls off of withheld caller ID and if any one wants to speak to him they call the office, the call is taken by my mum and then anything important he will call back. But your specialist skills are what make you valuable....

[@neilbathe]

Can we/I request an engine room update/video? Love that content and it seems to have been a while since the last...

[@Buzz1H1TT3RQU1TT3R]

"If you're good at something, never do it for free!" - The Joker As harsh as it sounds mate, if it's not going to benefit you (as in future customers, they can help you in the future (advice back to you) or it pays the bills) I wouldn't entertain the calls. It'll be hard to start off with but as long as you're polite and explain it then I don't think you'll have many being arsey with you. They're just trying their luck. Anyway, keep up the great work with the shop and channel 👍🏼 definitely one of my faves 😊

[@TeriWilde]

100% agree with you regarding free advice, I always said "bring it in, and I'll have a look at it" I once quoted a price for swapping a heater matrix on a transit van and he said it was too much and went off and tried to do it himself with a mate in his driveway.... the following week, he came back and asked how much taking into account he'd already taken out the seats and dashboard. The price was the same as I'd already quoted because I'd have to put everything back together when it's not necessary to take the dash or seats out....🤣

[@Kadafi-k3n]

Ideally you need front of house staff i.e service/customer advisors 👍🏻🤘🏽.. that way you dont need to go near a phone 🤠

[@scott1171]

i used to run a small business when I was at college of fixing rc cars and no one else knew how to fix them but I learnt from youtube and taking them apart then making a small website and advertising to repair them for people and I got so good at it I would know whats wrong within about 2 minuits of looking at it. my biggest problem was people using me to know what parts to get and what things were called and I was okay with giving advice but I spend so much time giving quotes or people trying to get what things they need for me without me seeing a penny and it came to the point where I wouldn't give out information unless it was someone who is young and cant afford to pay me to fix it because I was that kid. i would have hobby shops ringing me up on what parts were needed and I would later then get the customer that the previous shop had because they didn't do it correctly. its far too easy to give out information about things you are passionate about and spent countless hours of revision and reasearch for someone to come along and take that information and i get nothing for it feels like cheating.

[@andrewasghar]

I own a business and i just listen to the person that calls asking questions, If the questions is one of those that is getting indepth like timing an engine, i say the " Ok, I can get this booked in for this day". 2 things will happen they will book it in or never call and waste your time again. Your time has a value you cant give time away for free. There are 2 type of people ones you help and they help you with something in return and some will just want your time for free.

[@Tyronnster]

Love the channel as usual. Can feel your pain because you want to help anyone but not get trousers pulled down.

[@rupe7810]

It’s just the same at the dealers, you spend a good amount of time looking up a whole load of parts for someone and all they want is the part numbers so they can go elsewhere and order them. Now I send the pictures back with the prices and the part numbers covered up. That’ll learn ‘em 😂

[@chrispy104k]

The thing is that you have a wealth of knowledge that is worth something to you. Call it intellectual knowledge if you like but it has value. Giving advice resulting in an unexpected outcome could come back to bite you. As someone has already pointed out you don't want to be held liable for advice resulting in damage. I would be saying, "Without seeing the vehicle, I cannot offer an informed opinion." You need to be ruthless in business and protect your brand and your hard won knowledge. At the workshop I help out at over here in Perth, Western Australia, we say "bring the car around and we will take a look and see what the issue is". If they do come around they could be a potential customer or a time waster and you'll pick up on that pretty quickly.

[@richardstubbs9852]

I can sympathise with your rant and yes it is justified. Think your analogy of the solicitor is bang on, no one else would do it. Not got a supercar but having watched the channel for ages, your knowledge and attention to detail is second to none. I have been in the aviation industry for 30 years and you and your team’s standards are right up there. Keep up the good work. Cream always rises to the top! When I win the lottery and het my Lamborghini, I will be sending it your way for service 🤣 Lottery and get my Lamborghini, I will be sending it your way for service

[@Google_Is_Evil]

Someone suggested not giving advice over the phone for legal reasons, excellent suggestion. The other one is to have someone answer the phone that doesn't have technical knowledge. That might bite you in planning in a service without guesstimating how long something will take or how much it will cost. Getting new potential customers a quote postponed a week (you can't book em in soon anyway) will filter out a lot of the people just to get a competitive number and not actually interested in booking it in. 95% of your customers will want a quote, already know that it will cost a lot of money and are okay waiting a week for a number if they can at least book the car in without being put back a week in your planning. So, book the car, wait a week to quote it for new customers and no quote without a booking. Charge a fee for cancelling the booking. It sounds unfriendly towards your potential customers, but you have to draw a line somewhere and you can always drop these measures if it actually hurts your business more than it benefits it.

[@craigmiller264]

Greetings from Nova Scotia, Canada.... Industrial Mechanic/Millwright and Gas Turbine Tech... love your channel for the tech work and knowledge to work on these incredible unique and bespoke cars..... If people want the specific knowledge you've worked for years to learn and sets your business apart...then tell them to bugger off. They aren't going to ever add to your bottom line except when their client ends up coming to you and you end up working on their muppet handi-work when they have screwed it up. Cheers and thanks for your honesty in your videos.

[@GRUMPYOLDSURVEYOR]

You should be very proud of your skills, you worked hard to get them. I’m a lot older now so can afford to pick and choose my clients.

[@garybarker5750]

I dont know if you already have a computer database of customers and the jobs they have but that would be a good way to screen the calls. When a call is taken ask for things like name, reg of car, phone number etc and enter into the database. If it shows they are returning custom then you can advise and if not you can inform the caller that they will have to book the car in as you are not comfortable giving advice on a car you havent seent he condition of.

[@iainball2023]

Completely agree with your rant. I get the same thing. Stan Stevens (legendary two Stoke tuner) used to have a separate premium rate number to call if you needed advice. I actually used this once, whe I couldn't stop my yz Seizing up. ( VERY long story) ) it took three surprised people double checking I'd dialled the right number, before I got to speak to the man himself. A very enlightening conversation ensued, well worth the money spent. Still didn't fix the bike, he was just as confused as I was. Oh, yea, the moral of the story. Pretty sure I was the one and only person honest enough, and aware of the reasoning, to call that number. Ever. 😂 So probably best just to hire a really cunning call operator to weed out the twats. Love your ethos and abilities. ❤

[@stephenwilliams6939]

I have my own business for the past 21 years ,I used to get people fishing for tech info it used to really wind me up ,I told them I didn't give advice over the phone as I didn't want to be liable for any mistakes they made .Eventually it stopped because it was generally the same people phoning all the time,they got the message.'Expertise costs .' stick to yours guns mate ,keep up the good work 👏

[@mikerf900]

Your experience is your intellectual copyright..don't give it away. I was a pro photographer and always had people ask me for free advice on stuff.. because they didn't want to learn themselves or pay for my skills. Difference between giving odd hints that are widely available and in depth knowledge..or ask a few for a consultation..Great videos as always..👍

[@CrispysProjects]

Phone help : you haven't time to entertain it, We had module / ABS Comms problems with a TT race build that no one would help other that TSR which was a yes we can do it, bring it down 1hr ish Diag and a we'll plan from what's next, maybe a 6 week to fix which was a great response 👍 I did suss it, but working in main dealer environment we have a call centre and service advisors as a barrier 🚧 DISS has more barriers to technical support than ever! You could of had more on the V10, I almost bought one years ago and regret not 😂

[@leez20letcorsa]

We always get ppl ringing for advice and we got sick of it too so offered a mobile chargeable service where we would go to them, it’s amazing how quickly the calls would stop! Keep up the good work how’s the huracan coming along, hoping you’re filming a start to finish video on that showing the whole process,

[@jamest5149]

Pick your free advice hand outs, if someone is in obvious distress and is honest, also help workshops that have helped or potentially could help you in return to help build a relationship. Others are a case by case but mostly, politely say there is a cost for technical advice and see what reaction you get, those would tell you a lot about the ‘caller’ and if you want to help, you can chose to invoice or not from there.

[@grahamreid827]

Question, For the Noble, have you thought about teaming up with someone like Urchfab or Skidmore’s garage who are great frame fabricators to move this project along, also have you seen the one on Jack builds it recently?

[@shaunwhitfield112]

Great use of a quote Rick out of pale rider 😁🙌😎 Stop being soft !!!!your advice is worth money LOADS of money that’s why you are what you are You need a receptionist to filter the calls mate Class vid 😎😎😎😉😎

[@Celica555]

Great film "Pale Rider" but the quote is from "The Outlaw Josey Wales " . Another masterpiece which Ricky has obviously enjoyed many times too. CheeRS.

[@mosestaukobong5937]

I honestly think the number 1 problem is some people do this business for the business part of it not for the passion and that’s where you experience this kinda nonsense, because a person doesn’t have the technical background of what they doing,they just saw an opportunity to run a business. People will ask you stupid questions without even checking the basics. Great content as always I’m from South Africa and I always relate with the same problems you have that side😂

[@danielmarshall4587]

Great vid as always..... and YES feel your pain regarding the "hangers-on".

[@kevsimner]

I got a call on bank holiday weekend evening (which I mostly ignore) but after 4 missed calls i thought it might be an emergency. Turns out an engine I've never worked on blew its head gasket! They got short shrift. On the flipside a previous customer emailed me about a fueling issue on a Saturday. I rang him back and after we were done he offered to pay for my time. It's a tricky tightrope.

[@stevenlee4437]

I also have a voice message on my phone saying leave a message because we can’t get to phone calls during the day. I say if you leave a text there’s a good chance you’ll get a sooner answer. Then I devote an hour to calling people back, but a lot has automatically changed to text booking over time

[@pauldunningham7640]

Rick. I think you forgot. A4 A5 and A7 all have DCT options. Usually mated to 3.0Tdi, but also the V6 supercharger and later V6 turbo Tfsi. Biturbo 3.0tdi is ZF8 as RS6 RS4 like the one you sold has similar DTC. I'm pretty sure it's the torque limit that dictates the change to ZF as the DTC in that longitudinal layout can't handle the torque.

[@jonofalltradesmasterofnone832]

I run my own very small business (just me) and have spent 40 years in the industry, with the last 25 years in the same sector I spend £20k a year on specialist software and standard subscriptions. I get calls all the time from people asking for advice based on this knowledge and now I only help those that help me.

[@paintballrefjosh]

Thanks for the pointer on the Crank Position Sensor. I ended up finding my misfire issue in Cyl 3 - the VFE supercharger has a boost port just above Cyl 3 and it's supposed to be blocked off but that boost port cap blew up and was leaking air. Makes sense because I was also seeing rich bank 1 so some of the boost air was escaping :( All fixed now though, thanks!!

[@BEYTEK]

i feel ya bro. it gets too much somtimes and you end up grumpy and short with people. Its a hard life being awsome haha

[@grahamreid827]

Easy answer to the calls issue, have a receptionist who vets the calls, releases you to deal with your core business, only giving out your personnel contact number to valued customers and business associates.

[@ianhoyle8459]

Totally agree, someone switched on that is experienced in responsibly fielding incoming calls that can eloquently yet firmly separate the wheat from the chaff. You’re answering questions on KZbin and it’s clear you care about your organisation and customers. Otherwise you become a victim of your own success. I have experienced that a business can easily feel like it can become monsters. Best wishes

[@Walker-xl5zl]

As regards quotes, and you being part of a lever to beat the price down, we charge for complex quotes (so, not something like a parts order) that have a number of hours involved. If they place the order, then that gets reimbursed or swallowed into the work.

[@Stanley1971]

I don’t and have never run a business but when someone asks for advise on anything it means they trust your judgment and knowledge which is flattering but there’s got to be a point where you have to say this isn’t a help line number it’s a business went to get my car fixed at BMWs body shop and I had to pay for a quote which would get taken off the bill if they done the work

[@d33dub]

m2 comp rear drive is duel clutch, does that count?

[@byronstobbart830]

I work in Robotics and we get the same kind of calls people after advice and after quick fixes. We have started screening the calls before they come into the technical dept and if their a regular customer we try an get back in touch within 24 hrs if their not we will get to you when we can. Quick fixes are only quick due to years of experience in the Industry sounds like you might need to hire someone or create a tech support section on website to direct the traffic then you can go through the requests when your free. You might even be able to create a membership for your tech support so you don't feel as tho your giving experience away for free.

[@chriswild2458]

I have spent my life in construction( different discipline I know but the principle is the same ) , and used to give really technical specs with quotes , then found my specs being used by less clued up contractors supplied by the potential client to undercut me . I am happy to share info with other contractors who I know and trust to help them ( and vice versa it has to be said) , but I now give a quote on a ballpark spec and detail the spec if I win the contract .

[@ARRMAFANBOY]

Bang on the money mate, if you can afford the type of cars you work on, don't try and cheap out to get stuff done when things go wrong, you want it done properly the be prepared to pay for professionals to do the job as it should be done! Love the vids Ricky, keep it up and brush the s**t aside 👍👍

[@ultimateshinedetail]

Also I absolutely love your videos man. You are next level bro 👊🏼

[@rewrittenpath]

@Ricky. Tell them to feck off, but be polite and spell it "Phuq". Seriously though, if they're not customers tell them you cant give a 20 minute advice session over the phone as you won't get anything done that day due to the 20 calls that will follow that one. If someone is going to shoot you don't make it easier for them by loading the gun for them. The other angle you could try is to say you only give basic advice out without seeing the car, as if something goes wrong and you and your advice get dragged into a situation that could end up as reputation destruction. Keep doing what your doing. I love your stuff.

[@johngibson3837]

Hey up mate my business is tree's so not much in common apart from customers, I've always given advice free even when offered money for it as i feel it's correct for my industry, like doing a quotation it's wrong to expect a customer to pay for that ( striping an engine is obviously different ) unless agread in advance. Good rant and wish you all the best

[@andrewmccallum3505]

How about asking for a consultancy fee straight up,personally as a small business owner myself I can understand the need for information as well hoping people can respect the fact that you have had to learn it yourself and it has had a cost to you. As the owner of a 2005 gallardo in Australia I unfortunately can't just drop it in to you chaps and if I need information I think it only fair to pay for knowledge and expertise. Keep it up kids,its fun and educational watching 😂

[@andywalsh1185]

Great Rant and 100% right about the free loaders. Did you ever race production 2 strokes Tzr250 Rg250 or Kr1s ? I had friends who race at North Gloucester back in the day Keep up the content love it 👍

[@wayneprince8588]

Great video and totally agree with your opinion on giving out free advice you have every right to feel the way you do it’s almost like people want to earn a living off all your hard work I experience the same feeling everyday but in a totally different environment keep up the great work 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@ralphmillais5237]

The "free advice chancer" is one of the oldest problems for all skilled trades people. I know people who no longer give out their personal phone number. They have a personal phone that only the wife knows the number to and all business calls go through a separate number, simply because they got to the point that they were spending so much time on the phone they weren't getting any work done! Ever heard the expression "generous to a fault"?? Well, it is true, you can be too generous! And what makes it worse is that many people do not even appreciate that generosity!

[@777MAV]

Loved the rant! Nice one.

[@wayneb251]

Another great video gents. Re: Free Advice - In the same that someone owning a stethoscope doesn't make them a doctor, you providing competent advice doesn't make the chancer on the other end of the phone competent to complete the task in question. So for you, I'd say, time for a bit of extra self preservation, your a business not an charity👍

[@ianwarren8316]

Your rant is entirely fair! Don’t run my own business so not got any sage advice beyond once you know a garage is taking the piss save their number in your phone so they won’t get help twice!

[@mcnelstv1880]

My 600lt has a bad habit of closing the exhaust valves in 3rd gear. It's out of warranty. Any way to fix that?

[@kneesparks]

Hello Ricky, in relation to the TCU mapping for the ZF8HP box you said someone in Poland? Could you link me to his site?

[@lukeshardlow768]

Part of my job is answering calls from other engineers. So much time is spent dancing round the cause which is usually them. They also have all the same information available and I've had them tell me before that its just easier to ring then look. It is getting worse in all industries.

[@mikereynolds3704]

Re: your rant Rick, you really do need a receptionist to filter calls. Redirect your phone number to the reception desk and they can take messages and, after they're used to it, the receptionist will be able to tell you if it's genuine or another business after free advice. Then it's your decision if to call them back. You need to be a bit ruthless for the sake of your business, your reputation and your staff. You've earned the right to say no.

[@prebenlohse1684]

Well said and makes perfect sense. Keep up the good work!!!!

[@pbjr1234]

You have worked hard and learnt from your years of experience if other people scratch your back you can scratch there’s get a office manager to vet all calls and you manage the workshop you have vast knowledge and they should pay for that old adage pay peanuts get monkeys

[@samcarman9709]

Top video mate when my rs6 needs a service I’ll be bringing it to you

[@cm-oo1td]

Being used for advice is a sign of your success, you could try asking them if they're in the trade at the start but to be honest the real car people will go to the best regardless of cost and you will get their custom then

[@kevinwhittaker1307]

Knowledge is hard earned, don’t give advise for free to anyone that you don’t know. It has to be a two way street with other knowledgeable professionals or with payment for those who require your help. Get someone to field all your calls and dedicate time to reply to the genuine enquiries, it will allow you to concentrate on getting your backlog down (or projects completed 😉) 👍

[@StephenGee-qi9mw]

Hi Rick, Your quandary is one I've had all my life as a very good builder working at the same level in my trade as you in yours...could try a scale of charges for varying advice, ie v10 timing 200 quid. Ask Kate to take details of advice sought then present to you for quick cost yhen phone them back to book a call slot taking payment. If you loose or offend those people you have lost nothing. You have so much work on anyway and that will continue to grow. You can't please all the people all the time mate. You're not a nasty person....just an honest one.

[@Cryptodad89]

Love the channel and brutal honesty best way to be I’m in the market for a brand new r8 which in your opinion is best for a long term keep

[@mattjones78]

You have so many great informative videos which they can look up and They are great watching even if it’s not of direct need to myself (haven’t afforded a lambo yet! 🤷‍♂️) But like you said, you are a business first and the social media is there for us to watch the great work you do, not a free link to your encyclopaedic brain! Seems business is seriously booming and now you have two arms back the bikes keep you more than busy balancing work/sport/family/social media and so on(love the CR too, you doing MX around here too?) Just keep building a video library and send people there to look for the free advice. 🤷‍♂️🤘🏻

[@bbreedo395]

As u done said ‘if u are good at it ! Get paid 4 it ‘ ! Done 👊🏾

[@alandouglas5563]

Little request… more bike content please 🙏 Especially your racing.

[@trinatarr-fy8wp]

Ah, the joys of self employment and being good at what you do. There’s no easy answer except thicker skin. Keep it up

[@clumhain]

I am a follower , thats it, if i buy an R8 and want advice on it i will first offer to pay for your time and expect to pay well as i am getting expert advice. Amazing how many trades value their own time highly in monitary terms but resent paying for others expertise.

[@DIYPrecisionTool]

I've had to deal with getting asked for free advice and/or being used as a quoting baseline. Many times I have said such things as this: "I certainly appreciate the thought and opportunity to quote you but I'm afraid I don't need the practice. I'm fair but not necessarily cheap. Please keep me in mind if your requirements change."

[@jomyall2002]

You could introduce a tech support line on a premium rate

[@davidthegolfer]

Ricky, why don’t you set up an enquiry email address and pre vet them before answering. It formalises enquiries so you can take the next step in how to deal with the issue. Quantify and solve it. An auto reply would say that not all questions will receive a reply. Good luck

[@andrewhollidge4522]

Great one ask leading questions to Gage if a customer or not I run my own business not in cars and had called you for advice on a rs3 I was looking to bye And your advice was key to not bye it bUT would use you because I trust you For future cars I feild so many sales calls establish if a customer or business early in the call then make your call !!

[@chriscardwell3495]

Someone else in your team could answer the question at the first port of call. If it is very technical then they will then book the car in for a service . . . Asked for a quote for a car transporter because I wanted to be able to retrieve my car from a garage - but the transport garage knew why I phoned. A youtube channel - I subscribe to - provides advice on carpentry if I pay a larger monthly subscription.

[@Argiers]

It sickens me to watch certain KZbinrs who Ricky alludes to driving dangerously and irresponsibly on public roads. Their channels should be demonetised and investigated by the police.

[@jasonpmcqueen]

Darkside do some ZF maps, I have one on my 435d daily. Just adding incase its useful to anyone.

[@Drop_bear_au]

suggestion m8, there is a 3 way option to deal with this... 1 you set up a phone line /email to deal with it with a pay for advise to businesses or public. ( knowning any advice can bight you in the arse) 2nd option :you group up with a handfull of businesses that you trust and setup a page were you all can log in and when you provide a quote it lists a summary and amount to stop the shoppped around to get the better price. (can be time consuming) option 3 you set up a line that says thankyou but we are extremely busy providing advice to our customers and attending to customer repairs please leave your name and number and ill return your call.(give the option to screen and sort the bs between a future customer and wasting your service time some would also call it its another polite way of telling them to f@#k off. disgraceful though that a another machanic /repair shop calls for advice and doesnt have the decency to say they need help. good luck with this one

[@petrolheadparr]

in answer to the question of why RS6's dont use DCT.... the C7 S6 has a DCT and shares the same engine as the RS6 (4l TT v8) so there must be another reason other than packaging, Torque handling maybe?

[@chrishull500]

Whether it's skill or talent you should be paid in this day and age as running a business isn't easy

[@robertmailer4978]

Ricky , if it’s an easy fix over the phone , and helps someone who maybe a future customer (boilers) I will , but keep all hard earned knowledge in between my ears🤣🤣🤣🤣, love the videos

[@matspatpc]

It's nice of you to not JUST say "Sorry, no advice over the phone". I have been on both sides of that - sometimes I want/need inforrmation about something and I will phone companies to try to get the information I need - I wanted to know what pin on the ECU measures the battery voltage for my track-bike, apparently Suzuki tech support do not help individuals with that - figured things out in the end anyway, but would have been easier if I had known directly that "It's pin number 16" (not sure which pin it actually is). I have also been working for various computer companies and been asked for advice, and then customer goes to another company that sell for less (presumably, as we never got an order). The hard part really is to find the balance between potentially pissing people off and losing a potential customer, but at the same time not simply helping people who will never be customers anyway. Didn't get enough time to chat at Pembrey, seemingly always going in opposite directions, but maybe we'll meet again - the young lady will be racing with NG the rest of the season. I'm only paying some of he expenses in return for coffees and bacon butties... And the joy of seeing the smile after getting a trophy or two - which is definitely worth it - she got a win in PI600 and fourth overall in the third race, from back of the grid after DNF in race 2. I'm stilll buzzing, from just standing by the pit wall cheering her on!

[@grahamclifton5849]

Hi Ricky, regarding the free advice line, speak to Darkside or even call them & get first hand the way they deal with free landing spanner monkeys, keep up the great vids. I'm searching for a C7 & will of course ring for free advice 😆

[@kevinwillcox-v8e]

Hi Ricky The problem you are experiencing is you are to accessible to these people,technical advice is knowledge hard earn over many years off hard work and making mistakes it has a value . Your request for a parts man perhaps a time served service manager or late 50 s technician or master tech is more the way to go with the function of filtering you call as well keep up the channel and if your looking at increasing subs perhaps a feature build like a golf gti engine build tune and rolling road brakes suspension etc just to take a bigger audience along a series with you but with a twist All the best Kevin from bath

[@XFC8800]

DL501 - 7 speed dct gearbox with quattro (C7 ,B8, B8.5), successor is the DL 382 - also 7 speed dct (B9, C8) not is the RS models though. DL501 was available in the S6 C7.

[@stevenlee4437]

When people messaged me asking for phone calls and advice I started saying there’s a 100quid PayPal fee for an hours consult. No-one ever bothered. Now if someone asks something simple on a KZbin video I’ve no problem. People are people, human nature with a lot is to be takers… givers like us need to set boundaries.

[@Steviegtr52]

I ran a business for over 40 years. Met many others the same. Most would say to me You cannot make money while you are on the tools. They all went on to great things business wise. I stayed on the tools & stayed small. Did i do wrong. Well i enjoyed doing what i did & am now well retired & doing ok. Stay safe man. I will say you definately need a parts man or woman. That alone will take some of the strain from your shoulders. Steve.

[@michaellukar2201]

Hi Ricky , thank you for helping me out doing my own repairs on my R8 and saving me a stack of money. I thought it was right to drop off some beers and bottles of wine to say thank you for your kind help when I was passing by on my holiday . I personally would be happy to pay £10 or up to £30 or more for your professional time and advice being the best money can buy over the phone even after 10 minutes . It’s a small price to pay for the best advice and it’s not much to pay when you can afford a super car .

[@dannylee5289]

Question: Would you lend the contents of your Snap On tool cabinet to the monkey in the garage down the road? If not why would you lend your much more valuable acquired skill and knowledge base to that individual? If they've already paid for you to do work then further advice is arguably just good customer service to retain their goodwill/trade. If they are in a position to reciprocate with advice you may need then it's also worth considering. In all other cases I think your knowledge is a valuable asset and it should be charged out accordingly. Love the straight talking and the car/bike mix. Crack on old love!

[@pauljohnson1272]

Ricky keep it going buddy but don’t be so honest on your vids about business if they want your great knowledge they will pay for it to be fair these guys can afford these cars keep up the good work Would love more bike content rubber side up bro 🤙🤙🤙🤙

[@porkster5924]

Ricky you are there to help your customers and those businesses who tap you up for your knowledge need the finger. They know your skill and knowledge and it’s wrong on their part to blatantly use you. It’s not fair and those who aren’t honest with you need telling where get off.

[@bgj2940]

Charge a consultation fee. Setup a Venmo or PayPal acct specifically for that.

[@RWL2012]

Why put Venmo before PayPal? PayPal is the well-known one. I actually hadn't heard of Venmo until early today, when I had a scam email pretending to be them, which I then reported to the real Venmo.

[@mattholley5652]

Hi Ricky. On the free advise rant. If its a genuine customer, I would help, but for people taking the piss, just tell them they need to book it in.

[@ukwan]

My 2016 A4 TFSI Quattro has a DCT (DL382-7Q) in the longitudinal layout but I think it just sucks at torque handling and it was cheaper to have a ZF-8 instead coz it fit in the bigger turbo cars like RS6 etc. It's an odd choice though because the transmission in my 250hp A4 is faster and sportier than an RS4 😅

[@jeremynash5623]

I give away loads of information that’s freely available on many platforms but for individual specific advice then you have to pay, only a very few have a problem with that

[@ultimateshinedetail]

You can count on 1 hand how many real friends you have in life. Get a deflector person to take that crap from the phone. If the deflector can’t answer then you need them to email you so the deflector can talk to you about it.

[@cm-oo1td]

When you got out of that box, I looked at your hair and thought you have really been asleep in there 😂

[@k4o5sfc]

I used maintain my mates computer, laptop, and gadgets. I taught myself how to do these things and it’s made me a few quid. But the minute I said it’s “my time”…you’re going to have to pay me something. He got nasty and told me I was tight and whatever.. Ive not talked to him since… I don’t give it time venting and that. Just get and do what you got to do. Just hang up