I have had a new gearbox fitted to my Vauxhall Corsa 1.7D. This gearbox was second hand but cheaper than a new reconditioned one. Total price was £420 what do you people think of this ? good value? Basically the problem is since having this second hand gearbox fitted I have noticed that the rev counter goes much higher than it used to. I have to change gears more quickly and it gear five the car will only now hit about 80/85 max and the cars rev counter will almost be on red. Before I could hit 90/95 and it would even go up in this area.
I have been back to the garage concerned and he has told me that there is noting wrong and to ?forget about it? as you would expect. I asked him whether he had fitted the wrong gearbox to the car. He told me that this was not possible, as it would not fit anyway. I had a suspicion that perhaps a gearbox was fitted for a 1.5 diesel say instead of the 1.7 and this might explain why the car was revving so highly.
Could anyone here suggest what the problem with the car might be then perhaps I can go back to the mechanic with a bit more knowledge and challenge him. At the moment I don?t really know what?s wrong
Thanks in advance for your help people
|
I'm not a mechanic, but it sounds as if the gearbox ratios are not the same as your old one. I couldn't swear to this but it is true for my car (skoda fabia 1.9 sdi), aren't the ratios in a diesel gearbox longer? Perhaps you have a petrol gearbox fitted, or as you say the 1.5 diesel. You must be able to find out a part number from Vauxhall for the correct gearbox and check the gearbox fitted?
I hope someone else can help you a little bit more.....
|
I think you have had a petrol engine box fitted to your diesel. I also think you have paid over the odds. Time to get serious. Get the local trading standards office involved.
Happiness is a T70 at full chat!
|
|
|
|
I would give the garage chance to rectify the problem, but make it quite clear to them that you know what you are on about and you will not just "forget about it"!!
The gearbox is clearly NOT the same as the one which came out. The gear ratios are different, too low, or possibly just the wrong final drive ratio. This is why accelleration is quicker, but your top speed is lower. It could be that they could swap final drive parts.
Be polite, but firm, do not threated, but if they are not coming up with the goods, then comment that you have taken independent advice and been told to contact trading standards. See what happens.
Good luck,
Andy
|
Do Vauxhall make a Corsa-derived van? If so, I'm willing to bet that's where the gearbox came from. Same engine, but a lower final drive ratio for hauling heavy loads. Either take up caravanning (you've now got the best towing Corsa in Britain) or take it back and demand they fit the correct spec transmission.
Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com
|
Do Vauxhall make a Corsa-derived van?
Yes, it's called the Corsa Combo.
|
|
Yes, and there's a boggo Corsavan with the same body shape but no windows.
|
Ok thanks you everyone your answers are extremely helpful. I suggested that it was the wrong gearbox when I went to see him (the mechanic). Was told that this was impossible, as it would not fit. So is it possible that you can get a petrol gearbox onto a diesel engine as long as it was a Corsa gearbox. Also Andrew Moorley says I paid over the odds at £420 (cash by the way) to get the gearbox changed.
Do you suggest I go to another garage and explain the problem see if I can get a opinion, go straight to trading standards or go back to the garage again and keep moaning?
Thanks
|
Andy is telling you exactly what you should do.
Mal.
|
|
|
|
If you've paid cash I suspect there's no invoice or if there is it's a mickey mouse one, unless you can sweet-talk your "mechanic" I don't think you have a leg to stand on . Sorry.
|
Greaser - there might be practical difficulties, but assuming that the guy admits he fitted the gearbox, TypeR has a pretty good case. It's easy to get another mechanic to say what is wrong with the box and that any idiot would know to put the right one in there, etc.
A 'Mickey Mouse' invoice as you put it is as good as one laser printed on the finest vellum from the point of view of the Small Claims Court, as long as it's genuine.
If there is another witness who says that he was aware of the work, that would count, too. Finally, the guy (if he is involved in VAT fraud or is just generally dodgy) may not want Trading Standards or Customs and Excise sniffing round, so it might be in his interest to source a new box, shift the old one through the trade, and walk away maybe £100 + labour down.
More likely he is just trying it on at the moment; it's not a guaranteed win, but TypeR is a long way from being legless.
|
|
I suspect that you have got the diff unit from a commercial vehicle (van).
|
|
|
|
David- the amount of ifs and buts in your post are precisely the reasons why I think TypeR is at the bottom of a mighty big hill .
|
greaser,
That is the sort of defeatist attitude that rogue traders love!
I'm still with Andy S and DavidHM on this.
|
|
Dizzy- I was just stating the obvious difficulties that TypeR could face if he finds himself at the mercy of a rogue trader.I'm 100% with him if an injustice has been done,but as for defeatest attitude- you don't want to hear about my on-going " conversation "with Vauxhall.
|
Greaser - small claims cases are easy to win. All he neeeds to do is prove (not beyond reasonable doubt, but on the balance of probabilities) that there was a contract (with any invoice from the guy, absolutely simple, and he might not even think to deny that there was) and that the box, final drive or whatever is the wrong one (which any dealer will be able to do for half an hour's labour).
Once he gets that in writing from a friendly mechanic (and why not, he's paying them), he's got himself a judgement for £420 or the cost of getting the work done again, if it is less. Whatever denials the original mechanic has made are completely irrelevant, as it's a clear case of the box not being fit for purpose and/or as described. These are implied terms under statute, so unless the invoice specificially refers to selling a 'broken Corsa gearbox' or 'Corsa van gearbox' or something like that, he's home and dry.
If the guy still refuses to pay up, the court will send the bailiffs round. Even before litigation, a quick word with Trading Standards will be enough to show the garage that he's serious and might change the mechanic's mind.
Some people will try and brazen it out from ignorance or the belief that one CCJ is worth ten people walking away quietly. Maybe so, but it doesn't change TypeR's interest. There are always ifs and buts, but this is a very straightforward contractual dispute and I know which side I'd put my money on.
|
By the way, I should make clear that contractual damages are calculated to put the aggrieved party in the position they would have been had the contract been performed.
This depends on the cost but the damages due will not be limited to £420, if you cannot get the work done elsewhere for that point. The law takes the view that it is the garage's fault for underquoting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I hope he declared your job. If not he could leave himself open to investigation by the tax office. This could prove to be far more hassle than fixing your car. He should be aware of this should any legal action be deemed necessary.
|
|
|
No question. The correct diesel gearbox should have a different set of ratios AND different final drive ratio to match the characteristics of the diesel engine, which reaches peak power at much lower engine speed than a petrol. Without this the car will 'run out of revs'. To give some idea the current cars have a 3.94:1 for 1.0 and 1.2 petrols (except SXI which has a 3.74) with a 0.89:1 5th gear giving about 19 miles an hour/1000 revs. the diesel has a 3.55 final drive and a 0.76:1 5th giving 24.6miles an hour/1000 revs. No wonder your car won't exceed 85!
Regards
John S
|
|
I have a basic type receipt, which is a card from the garage saying the work that was done with the name and address of the garage. I don?t believe the garage concerned will dispute the fact that he carried out the work anyway. As for my tax status I?m a student and I would say the onus is on the garage owner to sort his tax affairs and not I.
|
TypeR - the point about tax is that, if the garage hasn't paid VAT, he's committed a crime and can be investigated and stands to lose far more than the cost of a dodgy gearbox. In any case, if the work was within the last few weeks, it won't even be time for him to declare it to Customs and Excise so, if he knows it's going to go pear shaped, he can at least get the VAT invoice in so he's covered in that respect.
I wouldn't worry about it; you have an invoice and, if a quote doesn't specify whether or not VAT is included in the pirce, the law just presumes that it is. Therefore, unless he offered you the chance to pay without paperwork for a lower price, you've done nothing wrong; and even if he did, so what? He's hardly going to put his hands up to it on past form, plus it's really not worth going after you for it as there'd be no evidence other than the word of a VAT fraudster with a grudge against you.
That is NOT legal advice, by the way - you make of that what you will. If I were in your shoes, I would go back to see him, with an engineer's report of what the problem is, and say that you want him to fix it properly. If he won't, firmly but politely say that you are prepared to speak to Trading Standards and make a claim in the Small Claims Court. If you still get no joy, and be firm - take someone along for moral support, but not violence :-) then speak to a Citizens Advice Bureau or a firm of solicitors that offers a free initial consultation.
|
Thanks David. I intend to give my local Vauxhall dealer a call in the morning and book the car in see if they say whether the gearbox is wrong or faulty. Then follow your advice and ask for an engineers report. Will put another post once I have any news.
Thanks again everyone for your help.
|
|
|
|
