Ford Focus Serviced today - "HELP"

Strider590

It's more than likely they cross threaded a plug and cracked the ceramic insulator, damage wise the alloy head might have damaged threads. If they bodge this then you will have problems changing the plugs in future, but I'd doubt any chance of performance loss unless they were REALLY heavy handed with it.

Im not really sure about the best course of action, I think an independent opinion before the work is carried out would be wise.

vaio

but I certainly wouldn't accept it back until they removed and refitted the offending plug in front of me

greggp_2

The garage called me today and It has been diagnosed as a damaged valve (no other damage apparently)!

They are now fixing the problem. In the meantime they are organising me a courtesy car. They said I would have to use my own insurance on the hire car - I told them I wasn't happy with this and they have now said they would have to put it through their own insurance (How very decent of them)!!

I am now beginning to get a little miffed with them as the guy at the garage kept pouring on about his problems down the phone to me about how busy they were etc and that its costing him to provide me with a courtsey car (What??)

As Far as I am concerned not my problem. I have been very decent with them to date and not got shirty with them or anything like this.

greggp_2

The garage called me today and It has been diagnosed as a damaged valve (no other damage apparently)!

They are now fixing the problem. In the meantime they are organising me a courtesy car. They said I would have to use my own insurance on the hire car - I told them I wasn't happy with this and they have now said they would have to put it through their own insurance (How very decent of them)!!

I am now beginning to get a little miffed with them as the guy at the garage kept pouring on about his problems down the phone to me about how busy they were etc and that its costing him to provide me with a courtsey car (What??)

As Far as I am concerned not my problem. I have been very decent with them to date and not got shirty with them or anything like this.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

The end of the spark plug will have bounced around inside the cylinder a bit, before either getting smashed into tiny pieces and chucked down the exhaust (if its the ceramic piece that came off that's quite likely, and not a big deal), or stuck between the piston and cylinder wall (very bad), or whacked into one of the valves that lets air in/exhaust fumes out and damaged that (not so bad).

I concur with the above, I would expect confirmation that if cross-threaded, the cylinder head has either been replaced, or the thread replaced with a helicoil. I know from personal experience, as the previous owner of my car spot-welded a glowplug in place on the head. Thankfully that isn't a big deal for me as the glow plugs are only needed for a minute or so each time I start the car, but for you a spark plug is an essential component that is used whenever the engine is running.

greggp_2

It was the other end of the spark plug (Not the ceramic end) which came off - the guy at the garage showed me the damaged plug

mikey72

If you have lost the earth electrode, it may have damaged the bore, the surface of the piston or the rings, it's worth a second opinion.
If not, at least a compression test when it's finished.

greggp_2

any suggestions who could give me a 2nd opinion please - do I take it to main dealer or high street garage?

Hintza

greggp wrote: »

any suggestions who could give me a 2nd opinion please - do I take it to main dealer or high street garage?

Need to be careful as they could be seen as trying to profit from the other garage's misfortune. Someone like the AA would be better.

greggp_2

my friend works in the motor industry and he has told me that spark plugs on ford focus are usually good for 60k. Mine is 2008 model and only has 20k on the clock. ANy thoughts anyone please?

I am Now worried the garage has conned me out of money for plugs that didnt need changing and the mess that this has caused as a result!!!