911 returnd from dealer with molegrips in suspension spring

[domster]

PS The OPC should be VERY apologetic re this and shower you with love to prevent you calling a local branch of Locke & De Leat yourself, because it is unacceptable behaviour. Escalation would be with Reading HQ in the first instance though, should OPC not play ball.
I once found a spanner in my engine bay a few weeks after work by an independent, left there by accident, but your molegrips trump that...

[Slippydiff]

Slippydiff said:

I can't see a problem with using Molegrips IF they're located at the very top of the damper rod in an area where the damper rod seal won't run. Bearing in mind the damper will be running a standard bumpstop that even when fully compressed will probably be 20mm thick, that leaves plenty of room for the grips (if carefully positioned.......)
Added to which the damper rod is hard chromed, careful selection of the Molegrips used should ensure that the teeth on the jaws don't damage the surface.
The above's not to suggest that this practice is recommended, Porsche do after all have a very specific tool for undertaking the removal of the top mount securing nut ........

With these feet said:

I'm not condoning the practice, but where the grips are located is above maximum bump travel. IE if it were to compress that much the spring would have to have snapped for it to pass the oil seal. Far worse would be spinning the shaft with an impact wrench. A slight mark on the chrome plating - which is probably covered by either a bump rubber or the dust cover, would be of no concern, as long as it is directly under the top mount and not the other end!

There's a bad echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo around here .....

[With these feet]

Slippydiff said:

There's a bad echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo around here .....

Didn't read the other post, just replied to the quote.

[richardrsc]

domster said:

PS The OPC should be VERY apologetic re this and shower you with love to prevent you calling a local branch of Locke & De Leat yourself, because it is unacceptable behaviour. Escalation would be with Reading HQ in the first instance though, should OPC not play ball.
I once found a spanner in my engine bay a few weeks after work by an independent, left there by accident, but your molegrips trump that...

Yeh I was a bit surprised not to get an apology, it was very matter of fact.

"Sir, the technician is just hitting your bodywork with a hammer - when he's done with that and then finished banging your missus over the bonnet, you'll probably find his lunchbox in your glovebox. Is there anything else I can help Sir with today?"*

• For the benefits of Porsches lawyers, he didn't actually say that. I was being ironic.

Edited by richardrsc on Tuesday 17th March 15:37

Edited by richardrsc on Tuesday 17th March 15:39

[Trev450]

Hardly surprising. They're not content with raping your wallet but want to treat you with contempt as well.

[aka_kerrly]

richardrsc said:

"Hi Mr RichardRSC, Just calling to let you know your car is all ready - the technician has removed his tool and has checked it out and says it's all OK"

I'm not even paraphrasing....

Well it's good to know that the mole grips weren't damaged;) but I'd still want to inspect the inner arch lining myself just to be happy.

I think those who are suggestion two new shocks, new arch lining and new spring are getting a little ahead of themselves. I confess to having used mole grips on the struts to undo top mounts in the past and this has never led to a leaky/ruined shock.

[richardrsc]

aka_kerrly said:

Well it's good to know that the mole grips weren't damaged;) but I'd still want to inspect the inner arch lining myself just to be happy.

I think those who are suggestion two new shocks, new arch lining and new spring are getting a little ahead of themselves. I confess to having used mole grips on the struts to undo top mounts in the past and this has never led to a leaky/ruined shock.

Yeh you're probably right. I'll settle for a new 991 Turbo S and an apology.

[richardrsc]

aka_kerrly said:

Well it's good to know that the mole grips weren't damaged;) but I'd still want to inspect the inner arch lining myself just to be happy.

I think those who are suggestion two new shocks, new arch lining and new spring are getting a little ahead of themselves. I confess to having used mole grips on the struts to undo top mounts in the past and this has never led to a leaky/ruined shock.

You sound quite pragmatic about it, which is fair enough.. as first replier pointed out, the '4 wheel alignment' was no doubt carried out with a spanner in the works so to speak...would you think that needs to be re-done?

[aka_kerrly]

You're right that their email doesn't really address the situation nor clarify what inspection work took place. I get the impression the sender of the email is keen to play down the significance but barely attempts to assure you that there will be no further issue nor apologise which is pushing their luck somewhat.

I don't think this is an occasion where you need to unleash hell on the OPC (yet) but it's worth them documenting on the car service file/your client file that this incident happened so that if (and it's a big if) you have problems with that particular shock further down the line you have some back up. I presume you emailed them the picture you posted showing the grip in place?

It would also be good practice and hopefully regain your trust if the OPC were to perform a fresh alignment check and provide you with a pre/post print out of the results plus an apology.

Good luck!

[domster]

Sadly, a lack of apology is a rude but legally sensible course of action by the OPC to avoid accepting responsibility. Porsche themselves denied anything was wrong with 993 wiring looms mere weeks before they did a recall and thereby admitted the fault. Complete volte face. I would get the dealer principal on the phone and stress it would be in their interests to 'do the right thing' and be gentlemanly about it rather than sweep the issue conveniently under the carpet. It's a mistake, but it deserves a bit of customer care rather than 'batten down the hatches' quasi-legal dismissal.

[NJH]

bearman68 said:

NJH said:

There is no good reason for a pair of grips to be in there, I would look carefully to see if the grips were tight on the damper rod and if yes then reject the damper as its now scrap. Changing front struts is pretty easy actually, I did the pair on our old 968 and have stripped em down twice on the race car. I also don't agree with the note about use of windy guns, there is no good reason other than expediency to ever use an air gun to tighten nuts. One will note for example that the good tyre shops will only use them to get nuts up to finger tight then torque the nuts properly with a torque wrench.

No, not right. Windy gun is excellent for tightening the top nut, as the impact turns the nut and not the damper shaft. This makes it much, much easier to tighten the nut to the home position, rather than holding the damper with the poxy T40, and trying to get a spanner around it. I personally would then check with a torque wrench once the nut is home. Windy guns are good on all sorts of suspension bushes for the same reason. (Superb on cylinder head bolts too - Oh, no, hang on.....)
Agree with the rest of the comment though.

Semantics really as your agreeing that the final torque should be done with a torque wrench, the thing that worries me with the use of those things is guys taking short cuts and just wacking everything on FT with the gun.

[NJH]

BTW its stories like the one of this thread that really makes me question about ever buying a newer car again. I hold my hands up to the pros like Hartech/EMC/JMG etc I am not a mechanic but I know enough to know that nobody other than a nobby trainee of complete cowboy would think this is how you change struts. With my brother I recall we grinded off some flats onto an old socket so that I would have some handy tools for doing this job.

[Richie200]

Shocking stuff OP. The fact that the molegrips were in an area away from the possible travel of the damper is irrelevant. The fescalised portion of the strut could potentially be damaged and now exposed to atmospheric moisture which will lead to corrosion. I am shocked that an OPC would even have such tools at their disposal.

Edited by Richie200 on Tuesday 17th March 19:35

[Bennachie]

A head needs to roll and bump down a few steps over this...

FWIIW I would be livid and the pix would be in the haqnds of the dealer principal, porsche reading and my legal rep.


Bloody hell.....




Just when |i was beginning to trust 'garages'..............

[richardrsc]

Bennachie said:

A head needs to roll and bump down a few steps over this...

FWIIW I would be livid and the pix would be in the haqnds of the dealer principal, porsche reading and my legal rep.

IT's absolutely NOT Porsche Reading. I'm not allowed to say who it is, but it isn't them. It's not Swindon either, I wish it had gone to them as they've always been brilliant.

[Magic919]

I expect he means complaining to Porsche HQ in Reading.

[g7jhp]

richardrsc said:

IT's absolutely NOT Porsche Reading. I'm not allowed to say who it is, but it isn't them. It's not Swindon either, I wish it had gone to them as they've always been brilliant.

Clue's in your profile you live in Herts!

[utgjon]

Their reaction is disappointing so far...

I hope they assure you they'll be clamping down on these sorts of mistakes in future?

[Slippydiff]

richardrsc said:

Yeh you're probably right. I'll settle for a new 991 Turbo S and an apology.

You really haven't appreciated the gravity of the situation have you ?

This is PH, individuals must be held accountable for their actions. Here's what you're entitled to, and don't let anyone try and convince you that you're entitled to anything less :

1. A new car for free.
2. A loan car whilst you're waiting for your new car (this needs to nothing less than a 918)
3. Free fuel and servicing for life.
4. A night with their hottest receptionist (and her sister).
5. The dealer principle to apologise on national radio, on the hour, every hour for time immemorial.
6. Free coffee and as many of those rather nice caramel biscuits (which are a tw*t to unwrap (especially without breaking them or getting crumbs down your front) for life.

N.B (1 needs to be either a Cayman GT4 or a 991 GT3 RS, you should also have the right to order either car in a PTS colour for delivery immediately)

There can be no negotiation on the above, and any attempt to get you to settle for anything less, I'd really stamp my feet bally hard.

On a more serious note, I very much doubt if the grips being left on the damper have influenced the geometry set up, as the grips don't appear to be trapped by the spring. What is rather worrying is the grips look to be located within the working stroke of the damper.
If you've little or no faith in the OPC which carried out the work (which wouldn't be a surprise) I'd take the car to a garage or Porsche indy you trust implicitly and get them to inspect that damper rod with you present, if you could show them the image you've posted on here, they'll be able go straight to the point where the grips were located and check for damage.

[dudleybloke]

Did they let you keep the grips?