Urgent advice needed

DelboyH

Hi all,
Bit of a problem and im hoping you can help.

Last week my car had its MOT. it passed but i was adviced the tracking needed doing as the 2 front tyres were wearing on the inside edge and were barely legal.

Today was my first day off, so this morning i took my car into my local tyre shop and had 2 new tyres fitted. The tyre guy said the tracking needed doing but i said not to worry as it was booked in later today at my local garage i've used for years.

So i drive home, car is fine. hour later i drive the 10mins to my local garage. I ask to wait, and 30 mins later the owner comes in, chucks me the keys and says its all sorted.

I walk to my car, get in, start it up, go to put it into 1st gear and the clutch didnt feel right and it did not want to go into gear. I take my foot of the clutch and try again, this time it went in but reluctantly. I pull forward and the car didnt feel right. I stop, go to put the car in reverse but it wouldnt go.

So i got into the office and explain to the owner my car wont go into gear. He gets in and has the same problem. So off he stomps and comes back with the mechanic who done the tracking.
He asked the mechanic if he had any problems with getting it into gear etc on the test drive, to which he replied no, it was fine no problems what so ever.

Ok, the owner, mechanic and myself push the car onto a ramp and they take a look.
He then says to leave it with him, as he thinks the clutch may of collapsed!!

So what happens now? the car has had no clutch problems at all, was perfectly fine when i parked it up. The guy said it was fine when he test drove it, so if it is the clutch, any ideas on whats caused it etc....who pays? i left them with a perfectly working car with just a tracking fault and half an hour later i have a car that doesnt work.

Seems odd it was fine when i gave him the keys and now the clutch is possibly bust.
Ive used them for about 5 years now, its a good garage, nice helpful staff.
Im waiting on a phone call,so need advice for when he rings.

thanks in advance.

[Deleted User]

Adjusting the tracking doesn't involve the clutch, so not going to be related.

Clutches do, eventually, fail, so it may be pure coincidence that it choose that moment to fail.

DelboyH

Yeah i rang my old man as i have not got a clue when it comes to cars, and he said the same that the tracking would not affect the clutch. It may not be the clutch has collapsed, that was just his first thought, its been 3 hrs now and no call so i may have to ring them and ask for an update.

Not sure what else it could be. Its just strange that the car was perfectly fine when i left it. now its not. Really hoping its not the clutch.

[Deleted User]

DelboyH wrote: »

Really hoping its not the clutch.

Could be the gearbox, which is even worse.

DelboyH

Well it was the clutch.
I just rang them as i hadnt heard nothing and it turns out the owner/mechanic was working on it.

Gearbox is out, the clutch he said was completely collapsed, metal to metal what ever that means.

He said it was pure coincidence that it happened whilst in their garage, and could of gone at any time but he said he is willing to fit it for free if i pay for the clutch at £96.00.......result, what a nice chap.

I always thought you would know if a clutch was going, we had no problems what so ever.

I suppose he was in a tricky situation, but i doubt a lot of garages would be so kind.

McKneff

You can only put it down to coincidence.

Clutches can just 'go'

You were extremely lucky it went when it did, you could have been miles away and stranded.

And even more lucky not to have been charged all the labour costs.
Hope you use them again.
Nothing to stop you naming them for their kindness.

pendulum

This thread fills me with "hmmmmmm".

Yes, coincidences like that happen, but very rarely. If it screwed up after a test drive I'd suspect the bloke who test drove it rode the clutch or deliberately sabotaged it to get work.

Offering to fit a new clutch for £96 isn't really in keeping with a deliberate rip-off attempt, though. Unless they just disconnected something and haven't really fitted a new clutch at all. It makes me wonder why they would offer to fit a clutch for free if they didn't do anything wrong in the first place.

pendulum

Could have damaged/bent something like a selector when jacking it up for example.

TrickyWicky

I had a gearbox explode on me a few years ago out of the blue.Never had any trouble with the clutch but suddenly there was an almighty bang and the car started violently shaking. Got home with it being all ok.. got my neighour to test drive it who assured me I was panicking for no reason (silly old s*d) and then the almightiest of explosions happened with an almighty BAAAANNNNGGG. No power, car was kangerooing and came to a stop within a few feet. The wise one got out and looked under the car and said "Your gearbox has gone mate - it's exploded through the bell housing!". I looked under and yep, sure enough there was a 3 inch diameter hole in it with pieces of gear teeth falling out with the gearbox oil.

Imagine if I'd taken it to a garage and then that happened? - I'd be thinking the same! The thing to remember though is that gearboxes, clutches and other bits deeply inside the engine are not easy to access for sabotage. They can and do fail unexpectedly when you least need or expect it.

The garage could have accidentally knackered something and be trying to put it right on the quiet on the other hand they could be genuinely victims of a coincidence like you and costing their own time to help you out. What matters is that they've put it right for you to keep you mobile and they've done their best to see you right. Many garages would just rip you off or tell you to get out.

dispossessed

Coincidences can and do occur.

The incidence of such coincidences occuring, shortly after a car has undergone routine work at a garage, would be an interesting area for further academic study.

I would suggest that you request your old clutch is returned to you. You do, in fact, still own it. The garage could put it in the box in which the new clutch was delivered.

Food for thought perhaps....

Buellguy

Or it could just be a garage that OP has used for years and is willing to go out of their way to keep repeat business

Ive used them for about 5 years now, its a good garage, nice helpful staff. - from OP