Disastrous Car Servicing... anyone legally minded?

AndyD_OHD

From my experience with main dealers in the past I must agree with you jeannie. Personally I never use main dealerships, and always tried to get my Dad not to pay over the odds for any work he got done. He never listened, and guess what he's going to do now... makes a change to have him listen... lol

jeannieblue

AndyD_OHD wrote: »

From my experience with main dealers in the past I must agree with you jeannie. Personally I never use main dealerships, and always tried to get my Dad not to pay over the odds for any work he got done. He never listened, and guess what he's going to do now... makes a change to have him listen... lol

My dad used to be the same! He thought that he would get it done properly at the dealers, trusted them.

Its such a shame. They charge so much and so many of them really don't care..

One of the guys at work told me that (years ago) when he worked for a different garage he met up with some guys that he went to college with and they got to talking about work etc. G..... said, its a right b*gger doing those cam belts, and the other guys said, yeh, we don't do them, we pretend we do. :eek: And they were working at a main stealership!!

And that must have been over 12 years ago.

AndyD_OHD

Exactly what my dad has always said. They're properly trained, and all that guff....

Well I'd say they are still guilty of doing the same regards the cam belts.

vaio

TiTheRev wrote: »

Really cant see why it wouldn’t run as well? All the effected parts (which essentially will be the top half of the engine) are part of the head. The timing of the valves will have been effected and that may have bent them and even damaged the pistons or head itself, but nothing below that will be damaged. They will do an oil change in case there are metal particles in the oil from the damage, but other than that nothing else needs changing?!

My kid sister had a similar issue with her Vectra, there’s a well known design issue with the oil jet that lubs the cam chain. It ends up blocking, the chain wears and then jumps bending the valves. Even though hers had 5 years & 74k on it she had a full history and, after a bit of nagging, Vauxhall agreed to pick up the bill and the standard method is to replace the engine complete.

I suppose the argument is that it might be just valves but it could also be head damage or maybe even con-rod/crank bearings and the work involved in strip & check costs more than an engine in a crate.

goldspanners

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

They won't fit a new engine (why would they???), worst end it will be a few bent valves, the labour will be the biggy not the parts.

exactly,labour will be the biggy, it will be much easier and quicker to change a complete engine than rebuild one. ive seen VW send complete new units to us rather than pay the labour to have the old one fixed,quite a few times,so maybe thats why i would expect that.
also the fact that ive seen many engine timing belt go (especially vw's) if they go at high revs there can be a lot more damage than just a few bent valves. try cracked pistons,snapped crankshafts,snapped cam shafts,need any more?

vw as a manufacturer are usually good at coming up with the goods quite easily,especially if its thier parts at fault.

i would still be expecting a complete new engine.

goldspanners

TiTheRev wrote: »

Really cant see why it wouldnt run as well? All the effected parts (which essentially will be the top half of the engine) are part of the head. The timing of the valves will have been effected and that may have bent them and even damaged the pistons or head itself, but nothing below that will be damaged. They will do an oil change in case there are metal particles in the oil from the damage, but other than that nothing else needs changing?!

and they wouldnt remove the sump? are you sure. what about the crankshaft? these do snap.especially if it was going at a fair speed.

this should be removed,especially in a case like this,considering they have never seen a belt in such condition.

goldspanners

AndyD_OHD wrote: »

I have spoken to a few car mechanics and their opinion is it is better practice, and probably cheaper in labour terms, to replace the engine totally.

and they are correct.
if they really want to try and make up for thier fault in this and prove they can be good at customer service this what they should do.

Brooker_Dave

AndyD_OHD wrote: »

What about the comment that it wont run quite as well as it did before if the engine isn't replaced?

That was nonsense.

HTH.

Brooker_Dave

jeannieblue wrote: »

That is why it is more cost effective to replace with complete head etc., rather than repair.

Valves a few pounds, head a grand.

Brooker_Dave

Bart wrote: »

When the valves hit the pistons they could shock load the crank and put a flat spot on the big ends and crank main bearings

Chances of that happening = 0.

HTH.