911 returnd from dealer with molegrips in suspension spring

[pork911]

dudleybloke said:

Did they let you keep the grips?

best not to accept anyway, would count as a modification

[griffter]

Who checked for damage? The original tech? Do you trust his judgement?

[cptsideways]

I'd be wanting to oversee an inspection in person, making sure every bolt is correctly torqued up. That any part of the shock shaft is not damaged. Bearing in mind when the car is on a ramp the clamped part may well have been further down the shaft. Both sides of course.

I'd also be asking to see the qualification level of the person who did it, who was overseeing them etc.


Appalling level of bodgery, you do wonder what else they got wrong. So I'd be checking how the dangling calipers were held up (not by the brake hoses) if anything is cross threaded etc etc.

A bodger will have bodged other stuff too

[richardrsc]

cptsideways said:

I'd be wanting to oversee an inspection in person, making sure every bolt is correctly torqued up. That any part of the shock shaft is not damaged. Bearing in mind when the car is on a ramp the clamped part may well have been further down the shaft. Both sides of course.

I'd also be asking to see the qualification level of the person who did it, who was overseeing them etc.


Appalling level of bodgery, you do wonder what else they got wrong. So I'd be checking how the dangling calipers were held up (not by the brake hoses) if anything is cross threaded etc etc.

A bodger will have bodged other stuff too

My problem is that I know pretty much 0 about mechanics, so spotting anything other than an obviously damaged surface is probably a little beyond me!. That's why I pay an OPC, because I expect them to get it right. I do have a local Bosche garage that I trust though, so I'll probably take it down there and get them to give it a once over.

I appreciate anyone can have a bad day and leave stuff behind, but asking the guy that left his tools in there 'did you fk it up?' and getting a 'no' reply seems to be the level of the investigation as I currently understand it.

[Bennachie]

Not just a bad day leaving tools though is it?

1. Left tool
2. Wrong tool for the job
3. Wrong tool, which will almost certainly have damaged a surface finished component
4. Not a Porsche approved technique/procedure

Yes, I did mean that I would have escalated matters with HQ at Reading.

How much do these people charge per hour for their services?...........

I expect competence from anyone whose services I employ. If they are seen to be incompetent then....

This smacks of incompetence. You DO NOT lock a round surface finished shaft with a serrated jaw, self clamping wrench - whether or not it has a soft jaw. UNLESS it is scrap and being removed. The facility for counter torque whilst fastening is provided (by design by the manufacturer)


Walks off shaking head.........

Next thing you know, aircraft technicians will be using fork lifts to remove and refit turbofan pylons....
and we know what happened there....

[996TT02]

Richie200 said:

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

Yes, just like the spring, the strut, the suspension bolts, and a hundred and one other suspension parts that don't happen to be made of stainless steel and are either bare aluminium or barely coated black on steel. I'm sure they will corrode to dust within half a century or so of being buried in a bog.

Assuming you are not just taking the wee wee...

[With these feet]

Cracks me up how so many report to be disgusted, amazed, outraged at this.
Sure, its not the way the book says do it. Yes there are tools that should be used. Yes a master technician must always work on my car......

The truth is, many times it will be a regular mechanic, not "technician of the year" but a guy just like the one that fits pads in Kwikfit. I've seen apprentices working on £60k cars, wiring alarms and letting cars roll onto walls on pdi inspections. What's to say the tool isn't available, broken or doesn't fit that model? Let's not forget dealers don't necessarily have every available service tool. Most mechanics have their own tools, none, other than essential tools are supplied by the dealer themselves.

It really is out of sight out of mind.

If the grips were not found, or had been removed then this situation would not have surfaced.

The op has every right to be annoyed, but let's see what they offer.

[Hard-Drive]

[dudleybloke]

Hard-Drive said:

Get a grip!

[richardrsc]

Well the outcome seems to be an emailed apology acknowledging the balls-up, the promise of an extra-good clean (needs it), and running the alignment check again.

And it's been double and triple checked to be absolutely, 100% unequivocally, definitely and explicitly not damaged. Though I may have a 3rd party have a quick look if I get the chance, cos I'm a cynical bugger and it was a nasty noise.

I'll give it a good check over for any additional tools, sandwiches, jackets, handbags, keys etc when I get it home and stick them on ebay if present.

Thanks for all the help and advice chaps. Panic over till next time.

[richardrsc]

Off original topic but has anyone else had those weird hybrid Lexus things as loan cars? Not sure of the model but looks a bit like a 5 series.

It's a most curious thing, it seems to have the effect of making you drive like a taxi driver.

[Buster73]

cptsideways said:

I'd be wanting to oversee an inspection in person, making sure every bolt is correctly torqued up. That any part of the shock shaft is not damaged. Bearing in mind when the car is on a ramp the clamped part may well have been further down the shaft. Both sides of course.

I'd also be asking to see the qualification level of the person who did it, who was overseeing them etc.


Appalling level of bodgery, you do wonder what else they got wrong. So I'd be checking how the dangling calipers were held up (not by the brake hoses) if anything is cross threaded etc etc.

A bodger will have bodged other stuff too

They have warning signs outside the workshop to keep loons like you out and rightly so.

Asking to see the qualification of the person who did it ? What exactly will that prove.

I'd be apologising for the mistake made and that's where it ends , all parties to learn from the mistake and move on.

[cptsideways]

Buster73 said:

cptsideways said:

I'd be wanting to oversee an inspection in person, making sure every bolt is correctly torqued up. That any part of the shock shaft is not damaged. Bearing in mind when the car is on a ramp the clamped part may well have been further down the shaft. Both sides of course.

I'd also be asking to see the qualification level of the person who did it, who was overseeing them etc.


Appalling level of bodgery, you do wonder what else they got wrong. So I'd be checking how the dangling calipers were held up (not by the brake hoses) if anything is cross threaded etc etc.

A bodger will have bodged other stuff too

They have warning signs outside the workshop to keep loons like you out and rightly so.

Asking to see the qualification of the person who did it ? What exactly will that prove.

I'd be apologising for the mistake made and that's where it ends , all parties to learn from the mistake and move on.

You might be surprised as to just how unqualified some "technicians" may be, yes newbies do work on all sorts of cars, yet their work should be overseen by someone senior. That is what you are paying £160 an hour for

However the level of professionalism by this outfit is blindingly obviously NOT right. You should wonder what other cars this person has worked on & what they might have done wrong, maybe leaving cars in dangerous states. If I were the MD of this outfit & would be quite concerned about the possibilities. If not they bloody well should be.

Call me a loon but I've wielded many a spanner in my time, a bodge & a shortcut are two very different things.

[Ilovejapcrap]

tools left on the job.

I found a snap on ratchet screwdriver I'd lost a year earlier under a floor at me dads, it was like a little lottery win

[Ilovejapcrap]

tools left on the job.

I found a snap on ratchet screwdriver I'd lost a year earlier under a floor at me dads, it was like a little lottery win

[Buster73]

cptsideways said:

You might be surprised as to just how unqualified some "technicians" may be, yes newbies do work on all sorts of cars, yet their work should be overseen by someone senior. That is what you are paying £160 an hour for

However the level of professionalism by this outfit is blindingly obviously NOT right. You should wonder what other cars this person has worked on & what they might have done wrong, maybe leaving cars in dangerous states. If I were the MD of this outfit & would be quite concerned about the possibilities. If not they bloody well should be.

Call me a loon but I've wielded many a spanner in my time, a bodge & a shortcut are two very different things.

I served my time as a motor vehicle technician many moons ago so I've got a good enough memory to remember some of the " shortcuts" taken ,

However your demands to oversee the torquing of bolts and demands to see the qualifications of both the tech and his gaffer are just a tad unreasonable and unrealistic to say the least.

A mistake has been made , accept the apology and everyone move on , life's to short man.

Some on here would have him hanging from the rafters , the same people who've made it through life without making a mistake.

[Jim1556]

With these feet said:

The truth is, many times it will be a regular mechanic, not "technician of the year" but a guy just like the one that fits pads in Kwikfit.

Of course, you are correct, but, when I began my career as an Aircraft Technician, one of the first things they taught me was a healthy respect for tool control - as is required by aviation law! Pretty much everything I did back then was supervised by someone with years of experience!

Many years later, I still carry lessons learned during that time, if I carry out some work on my aircraft (currently 2 x Search & Rescue helicopters in Holland), I'm always happy to fly in it and the last thing I do before certifying one to fly is a 100% tool check, a loose article check and all cowlings and fasteners are closed! I also try to instill this ethos trainees I supervise.

Granted, a helicopter isn't a 911, but, engineering principles don't change. Before signing for the work, they SHOULD be making sure it's carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and properly finished. Including a tool check!

I wouldn't expect Kwik Fit to be as diligent, but they don't charge £150p/h...

[CraigJ]

There is no need to grip the piston as there is a special tool used to hold the piston still. If you look at the top of the top mount you will see a large round washer that goes around the top mount nut. This is slotted and locks the piston rod when held with a C spanner or special tooling.

There is no reason an OPC should be using mole grips to do this job.

[Slippydiff]

Buster73 said:

They have warning signs outside the workshop to keep loons like you out and rightly so.

Asking to see the qualification of the person who did it ? What exactly will that prove.

I'd be apologising for the mistake made and that's where it ends , all parties to learn from the mistake and move on.

Way, way, way too pragmatic for PH

I too rattled spanners for a living many, many moons ago. What you've said is spot on. We drove several trucks down the pit, tore off the overhead workshop ventilation ducting with box vans, blew engines up after after the tappets had been set too tight and the assistant foreman revved the t*ts of it trying to "fix" the resultant misfire and I torqued up a very expensive exhaust manifold without checking to make sure its locating lugs were correctly located. It went with a hell of bang when it cracked........ and host of other similarly outlandish f*ck ups. Sh*t happens (and the workshop foreman went mental when it did)

When the company lost the Bedford franchise (by which time I was a service receptionist/reception engineer) I was transferred over to the Vauxhall service department to do the same job. Suffice to say I quit after a week...........

[Buster73]

Slippydiff said:

Way, way, way too pragmatic for PH

I too rattled spanners for a living many, many moons ago. What you've said is spot on. We drove several trucks down the pit, tore off the overhead workshop ventilation ducting with box vans, blew engines up after after the tappets had been set too tight and the assistant foreman revved the t*ts of it trying to "fix" the resultant misfire and I torqued up a very expensive exhaust manifold without checking to make sure its locating lugs were correctly located. It went with a hell of bang when it cracked........ and host of other similarly outlandish f*ck ups. Sh*t happens (and the workshop foreman went mental when it did)

When the company lost the Bedford franchise (by which time I was a service receptionist/reception engineer) I was transferred over to the Vauxhall service department to do the same job. Suffice to say I quit after a week...........

Checking an exhaust for leaks on the ramp after the oil and filter had been dropped and not replaced, the engine ran for over a minute before the tech remembered.

A mini driven into the workshop bench by accident , repaired fully including paintwork before the customer collected at 5pm.

The apprentice.emptying the oil drainer into the tank incorrectly resulting in three cars being covered in waste oil , not one customer even knew what happened.

The list is endless , but nothing I can remember as serious as leaving a pair of moleys on a job.