March 2003
I took my vectra to a national fast fit chain for an oil change about 6 months ago. A few weeks ago I took it for another, this time at a small independent tyre place. They informed me that they were unable to do the work as the plug was just spinning and would not come out. I returned to the place which had done the previous oil change and to cut a long story short the area manager sent me a fax stating that he accepted the threads could have been damaged when they changed the oil but similarly the second garage could have done the damage when attempting to undo the plug. He offered to cover half the cost of having a helicoil fitted and invited me to bring the car in to one of his branches for this to be done.
I have since paid for the sump to be helicoiled at a cost of £100 from a 3rd garage as I did not trust any of the other two to work on my car.
It seems fairly obvious that this damage can only be caused by over tightening and therefore would be entirely the fault of the first garage- I'm really annoyed about this as through no fault of my own I have picked up a £100 bill. I have not yet replied to his offer as I am still considering my position. Can anyone suggest a best course of action? Thanks
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I nicked this elsewhere - thought it was rather funny ...
You know you're in a South African summer when.....
* The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
* Hot water now comes out of both taps.
* You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
* The temperature drops below 35 degrees and you feel a little chilly.
* You discover that in February it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.
* You develop a fear of metal car door handles.
* You break a sweat the instant you step outside at 06:30am
* Your biggest bicycle-accident fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end
up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"
* You realise that asphalt has a liquid state.
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Hi Ian,
Reminds me very much of February in Austalia, 48degC in the shade,
A few more:
1. why australian's insist on A/C as standard but dont understand the concept of a sun roof to let the sun in!
2. Whoever invented the remote central locking had obviously tried touching a black door lock after being parked in the sun
3. insulated reflective steering wheel covers
4. ditto but sunscreens for the dashboard
5. Roos taking up all the shady spots under the trees, when you return to the car the roos are even using the car as a local shade
generator.
Ian
Anyone able to go through the steps of replacing the front, driver side wheel bearing on my Cavalier? Tools, Torque settings, problems to watch out for. Ta, Redser Read more
Only use the outer race of the old bearing to knock in the new.
Then support the hub in a vice and tap the new bearing, complete with hub carrier onto the hub using a tube or socket on the inner race.
You should be able to remove the old bearing by using the same socket or tube on the inner race of the old bearing.
I am interested in a focus TDCI (115 PS). I don't mind taking my chance on one from auction as it will be nearly new and have manufactures warranty. Car supermarkets want £11,000 (10 K 02 late) as do motorpoint and Trade-sales (new when they have any). I have checked BCA but they only have some coming up as a closed sale.
Anyone know when thay will start to appear in general auctions and a rough price for about 10 K.
Reards
James S Read more
I can't answer your question, but do bear in mind that, whatever its age, it will only have a manufacturer's warranty if it has been serviced in accordance with the Ts&Cs. And, to all intents and purposes, that means at a main dealer rather than a fleet company's own workshop and at the appropriate mileage.
I have the Omega MV6 and it is just turning 3 so I put it in for its MOT. About three/four days before MOT I started to feel some problem and reported this to the garage and when I phoned back they told me the car failed due to the engine missing. They tried changing the plugs but this didn't help and are now "looking" for the cause of the problem.
The symptoms are like this. At low revs the it seems to miss but as the revs climb (2500+) the car performs normally again. The feeling it almost like a slipping clutch when it is just starting to wear out. It can sometime be a bit jerky. The car idles fine and even revs without any problems as long as it out of gear. I'm sure my father had a more drastic problem with similar symptoms with an Citrion BX and it turned out to be carberator problems.
So, as I am not very technical (froma mechanical point of view)and I feel I am going to get hit with a large bill I was wondering if anyone here had any ideas of what the problem is.
Any idea's would be helpful. Read more
So, is problem cured ?
Adam
Had a meeting with a fleet manager the other day. He was full of good stories, but the best one (which he swore was true) went like this:
Van driver calls maintenance dep't asking where he can get a new dipstick for his Transit. Maintenance bloke gives him the name and address of the appropriate garage but can't resist asking how he lost the previous one. Reply: "Oh, I've still got it, but it's the wrong sort - it's too short to reach the oil!" Read more
I think this was also a term used to describe a parts manager at a dealership I used to work at.
Among his many initiatives was to fold a large gasket on handing it to a customer, so that the customer could put it into his pocket!
I am moving to Spain soon & want to buy a LHD car. I am working on the theory that a LHD will be cheaper here & i will get more as a trade in for my current car, a Volvo S40 2.0T, 1998. I want to get a decent LWB 4X4 for little as (im)possible.
So my questions are;
Am i right in my thinking or is it best to wait until i get to Spain?
Where is the best place to go for a LHD car? I live in SW London near Barnes.
Will i be better off (cheaper) looking for a double cab truck thing?
Thanks for taking the time to read this and i will keep you posted of the results if i buy anything.
Hoppo Read more
A couple of Spanish second-hand dealers websites may be worth a look
www.canalcar.es
www.km100.es
Both are in Madrid, but will give some idea of price levels
Can anyone explain why my 1997 for ka, has developed severe pre ignition (pinking) Had it to a ford dealer who couldn't find anything wrong!Does it do damage, its driving me mad..... Read more
Possibly I suppose, if mixture was weaker than it should be as a result of faulty lambda sensor. There is no knock sensor on this engine.
The spare wheel "holder" under the car cannot be released as the screw and nut mechanism is rusted solid. The car is 8 years old and looks like it has never been used. I've tried oil and WD40 but to no avail. Anybody got any ideas?
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These can be a pig. The problem you will find is that, because the hook only lodges over the cradle, excess force will just cause it to wrench away and spin. Then even mole grips can't get a good enough hold to break the seizure on the bolt.
Despite days of WD40 soaking I've had to cut a couple off over the past few years.
Thats why at every service I drop the spare wheel and lubricate the thread.
MM
Came across this site with some startling facts and figures on the pollution and waste generated in the making of and in the use of the motor car.
Authenticity may be questionable as it is biased, nonetheless I found it interesting.
www.carbusters.org/freesources/stats.php
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Venus is a few million miles nearer to the sun! Also, how much CO2 is released everytime a volcano erupts?
Browse
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Well this is how bad it can get...
Second garage unscrews sump plug OK and drains oil. Replaces sump plug and strips the thread right at the last point by overtightening. Plug just spins round.
Guy thinks on his feet and pours the old oil back into your engine and reports he couldn't get the plug out.
You would never know would you. That is why it is far from certain garage one was at fault and given that they have taken a reasonable line.
Sorry if first post was a bit abrupt, didn't mean to be.
Just been supplied the wrong clutch for todays job for the third time in a row and failing to see the funny side of life!
MM