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Thanks for your reply. Ouch £90 each is quite a lot, was hoping it would be about that for both of them. Was that to replace just the gaiters or the CV joint?
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I think he's asking about the Gaitors not the joints ! Bit cheaper too !
Very quick job for a Garage,shouldnt cost very much.They even have sticky gaitors nowadays, so nothing needs to be unbolted !
Ooop's a bit late with that one !
Edited by mickyh7 on 04/05/2010 at 20:02
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Thanks Micky *Mel checks she's still a woman* :)
Yeah it's just the gaitors that have deteriorated, so hopefully it will be cheaper than replacing the CV joints.
That's interesting that they know have gaitors that can be replaced without unbolting anything. I'd read on an old forum that they were difficult to access which is what made their replacement relatively expensive due to the work involved, so hopefully it will be an easier job nowadays.
i'll ring my usual garage and ask for a price.
Thanks for your replies
Mel
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It was the gaiters both times, that's what they charged me. Gaiter itself £13+VAT
Edited by Lee1 on 04/05/2010 at 20:54
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Oh right, I thought you'd had the cv joint replaced on both occasions. More expensive than I'd thought. I'll ring for a price tomorrow and let you know how much they charge me.
Mel
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Oh right, I thought you'd had the cv joint replaced on both occasions. More expensive than I'd thought. I'll ring for a price tomorrow and let you know how much they charge me.
Mel
TBH I don't know what's a gaiter and what's a joint, they just said to me your cv joint's gone and what's on the bills are what I've said, they only wrote "gaiter" for parts, I'd no idea that gaiter was different to joint! Anyway neither garages were cheap ones, so hopefully yours will be less especially if not in London like mine were.
On the K11 you may also need seat belt anchors welded one day and sills welded and ext door handles wear out. My K11 has been VERY reliable though, well worth the repairs.
Hope all goes well, hopefully they will be cheaper!
Edited by Lee1 on 04/05/2010 at 21:51
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From what I've read I think the gaitors are like rubber boots filled with grease that protect the joint from grit etc. If the gaitor become too worn it can split, the protective grease seeps out and the joints become worn, and then you're heading for trouble.
I live in the north so repairs are probably cheaper than London. I've already had a spot of welding on the underneath sill as that's what it failed its MOT on last year, and I think it had the other sill welded the MOT before that (I've only had it 16 months).The report said the corrosion was close to the seatbelt anchorage point, so hopefully that will have sorted that. The driver door handle is a bit loose, but I picked one up on ebay for if it ever needs replacing.
I need a new resistor as the heater fan only works on full whack, which I've heard is a common problem for Micras, they only cost about £30 and are easy to fit. Apart fromthat I've had a new exhaust (2 sections), battery, spark plugs and a punctured tyre. It's been a wonderful ebay bargain... only £530 16 months ago, had 46000 miles on the clock. Runs like a dream and great bodywork for its age.
I drove the new shape micra for a while and this one is built like a tank compared to the flimsy body on that. It pinged in if I put any weight on it. This one feels solid and sturdy and has been a great buy!
Mel
Edited by Mel01 on 04/05/2010 at 22:23
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The resistor can be soildered just make a bridge over the burnt out section.I've done a few. Sometimes it works,sometimes it wont..Its easy to try.
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If you want to save money, you need to get down and get (a little) dirty).
Put the car on full left lock, (turn the steering wheel as far to the left as it will go) and jack up the front, left hand side until the wheel is off the ground. You'll see the drive shaft that turns the wheel and a flexible rubber gaiter covering the flexible joint that connects it to the stub shaft that turns the wheel. Turn the road wheel and examine the gaiter, If it's only got thousands of tiny cracks, then whoever did the MOT is looking for work. If you find an open split through which you can see greasy mechanical bits, then get it changed ASAP, otherwise you'll need a new CV joint.
Repeat, with steering turned to the right, for the other side.
If you can't be bothered, then either drive it until something gives, or pay someone who knows what they're doing!
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Tom - thanks for explaining how to check it. I'll try to have a go and if not I'll get my son to have a look before taking it into the garage. Although I do trust my local garage (not the one where I had my MOT) they have told me before I don't need work doing where another garage had said I did, which is why I've stayed with them. Unfortunately they couldn't fit me in for the MOT and it had expired as I'd totally forgotten it was due, so I needed it doing ASAP.
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Thanks for the tip about bridging with solder. I will give it a go.
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Mel, if the Micra ever gets warm start problems, there's a technique to it which if I recall involves the fuel pump fuse being removed, but I'm not sure on the old health & safety with that so won't go into details. Warm start problems on the Micra usually means new spark plugs needed. Also, good quality oil and regularly, keeps the timing chain happy. The external door handle - there's a certain technique to it not in the Haynes manual. Typically the handle just snaps off once it's been loose for a while. You're well-prepared with the spare! My Micra was unused for 14 months while I drove another car and started first time once I fitted a new battery, and in the words of another local garage it's "bomb-proof". Mine has 106800 on the clock!
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Lee - not sure what you mean by warm start problems. It's the heater in the dashboard that only works on full whack, the low and medium settings have burnt out. The only starting problem I had was when we had the snow and the engine flooded really badly, which is why I needed new plugs.
It's the pin in the door handle that goes through the rivets that slips out of place once in a while which makes the handle loose. I just push it back into place and it secures it until the next time. No doubt it will snap eventually.
Wow that's some hefty mileage! Mine's only got 52000 on the clock. I only pootle around in it. Hopefully I'll have it for a few more years yet! I could probably do with the oil changing though, thanks for reminding me.
Mel
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Mel, sounds like you know far more about Micras than me! Anyway by warm start I meant hot start. New plugs (I did mine every 6-12 months) stops that problem of having starting problems of that kind (for newbies: I mean when you drive somewhere, park then engine off, then return maybe up to an hour or two later and find the car won't start easily or at all) . New plugs and good oil also I have found returns mpg to usual good levels if you notice that mpg is deteriorating somewhat.
With petrol the price it is, if I had any sense I'd put my 998cc Micra back on the road and SORN my thirsty 2 litre MPV.
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Lee - I don't really know much about Micra's or any car for that matter... just what I pick up on forums and the like, and you know what they say about a little knowledge being a dangerous thing! I like knowing what could be wrong, but leave the actual technical stuff to the experts.
I'm hesitant to say this... but I've never had warm/hot start problems. Only time the Micra failed to start was in the cold; once due to a flat battery, and another time due to flooding, and each time the car had been standing idle in the snow for several days without the engine being turned over.
Can't imagine why taking it for a run then parking up should prevent it starting up again. The only overheating I've ever experienced was with a Rover which eventually blew the Head Gasket.
Yep, I think I'd get your Micra back on the road. I love everything about mine; great fuel economy, nippy around town, but can put a spurt on when I need to overtake, and I can park it on a sixpence!
Mel
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Mel, The worrying thing is I think many of us on here know quite a bit more than some of the garages, although I have found a (very) few good ones they are easily outnumbered 10:1 by places who really should just stick to doing oil changes, pads and plugs.
I think that hot starting problem with old plugs is because the auto choke may come on and old, worn plugs get flooded, so I think I recall the solution was to remove either the fuel pump relay or the fuel pump fuse, then turn over the engine and then when the engine starts (after the plugs dry a bit and using the little bit of fuel still in the system) quickly push the fuse back in so that the pumping of fuel recommences to keep the engine going. I might've got this wrong because it was some years ago that I last had to perform that little trick until I got the new plugs and a deep socket to remove them, so perhaps one of the more experienced on here will correct me if my memory's playing tricks. The technique was taught to me by a breakdown driver I called out.
Happy Micra motoring, enjoy those envious looks at the petrol station! :o)
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Happy Micra motoring, enjoy those envious looks at the petrol station! :o)
Ha ha, my son said to me the other day... "have you seen the price of petrol now?" I had to confess I wouldn't have a clue what the price of petrol is and couldn't tell you if my life depended on it. I only use about 30 quid a month, if that, in fact that probably does me 5 or 6 weeks. He puts that in every week just to drive 10 miles to work and back (he drives a VW Passat estate).
Sorry I'll stop gloating now :)
Mel
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My local garage said it will be about £80 inc VAT to replace both of the gaiters. They were about a tenner each plus 1 1/2 hours labour. Sounds good to me!
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That is a good price I think, Mel. I asked another local garage for a guesstimate price here in the SE for one and they said £70 for one gaiter (but maybe doing both at the same time wouldn't be much more).
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Used to be able to get gaiter kits that enable you to change the gaiter without removing the joint, just cut the old gaiters off along with the metal clips that hold the gaiters on, then the new ones wrap around the joint and are superglued together to form a complete gaiter, then fit the new metal clips that come with the kit, about 5 minutes work each side and about £10 ISTR . They are normally available from motor factors
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And they last almost as long as it takes to fit them!
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