6k service then blown head gasket!!!!
6k service then blown head gasket!!!!
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loud n proud

Original Poster:

157 posts

273 months

Wednesday 21st April 2004
quotequote all
A mate of a mate ( no really) took his 2000 Tuscan to the new TVR dealership in Bromsgrove, West Mids, for a routine 6k service.(18k miles, factory rebuild at 6k) All done and dusted, and no apparent problem............


The following day, the engine sounded like it was mis firing on 2-3 cylinders.
The aforementioned dealer was contacted and the sad Tuscan returned to them.

Then the bombshell, errrr that is the head gasket gone, and it'll be £2k to fix it Sir.

Any advice on how anyone would approach this topic would be appreciated.
car was running fine before service, then isn't.

Owner of the Tuscan isn't a fellow PH'er, but will be if he can get some sound advice, I am sure

thanks

LnP

dannylt

1,906 posts

313 months

Wednesday 21st April 2004
quotequote all
Get a second opinion? Why did it go - did it overheat for some reason?

aaandy

764 posts

281 months

Wednesday 21st April 2004
quotequote all
2k for a head gasket!!! I am not mechanic but could it really be that much, especially if it was caught on the first day that it was noticed. They must be taking the pi55.

Especially as a key part of the service schedule is for the garage to take the car for a road test at the end of the service, did they not spot/hear anything?!?

I always thought that the gaskets normally went gradually, not didn't just go pop. If so the garage should have spotted some gunge in the oil when they changed it.

Definitely get a 2nd/3rd opinion.

darreni

4,512 posts

299 months

Wednesday 21st April 2004
quotequote all
I had a similar problem on my 4.2 cerb - 12k service - 4 days later one of the head studs snap, 2k bill for engine out & replace both headgaskets. While this was being done the (main) dealer says he has replaced the front crank seal (wihich are a bastard to do without dropping bits of the old seal into the engine) - less than 4 weeks later the crankshaft snaps at around 5k revs in 3rd - total engine rebuild required.
Pure coincedence? Bad luck? dunno, but it left a bit of a sour taste.

swilly

9,699 posts

303 months

Wednesday 21st April 2004
quotequote all
How can it cost £2k for a head gasket.

I'm not mechanically minded hence the question, but I had both done on a Chim and it cost I think £500 or thereabouts (on warranty).

I can appreciate the SP6 and AJP are different engines but how much more difficult can it be?

Buster4.2

487 posts

276 months

Wednesday 21st April 2004
quotequote all
swilly said:
How can it cost £2k for a head gasket.

I'm not mechanically minded hence the question, but I had both done on a Chim and it cost I think £500 or thereabouts (on warranty).

I can appreciate the SP6 and AJP are different engines but how much more difficult can it be?


Engine out job?

alt

1,879 posts

311 months

Wednesday 21st April 2004
quotequote all
I would have thought that happenning the day after the service then the garage must assume some responsibility even if it can't be proved!
Then again they're a business so why should they?
Because as a business they should care about their customers! But all too many garages don't!
Try appealing to them as human beings rather than a service provider. Speak to the Dealer Principle and see what he offers.
Let us know what happens?
Cheers......

Boosted LS1

21,200 posts

289 months

Wednesday 21st April 2004
quotequote all
Confirm the diagnosis first and see if they will lower the price as a gesture of good will. Maybe everybody won't feel so bad after some diplomacy. The price seems very high though. Half that amount would easily cover it.

N17 TVR

2,937 posts

300 months

Wednesday 21st April 2004
quotequote all
Buster4.2 said:

Engine out job?


....and then cleaned and gold plated before being re-fitted ?

loose cannon

6,056 posts

270 months

Wednesday 21st April 2004
quotequote all
the rv8 is a relatively simple engine to do a head gasket on as it has push rods opening the valves and
the camshaft is on the lower part of the engine ie you dont need to split the timing chain/gear
but the six cylinder engine the timing gear has to all be taken apart lots of labour time,and timing up of the bottom end and cylinder head.
i work at a mercedes garage and head gaskets generally cost well over £2000 to sort thats without problems like head having to be skimmed or worst case scenario cracked.
merc labour times are generally £100.00 an hour
not sure about tvr labour rates though
i would kick up a stink as it has failed the day after a service and no probs found on the service.
get all your facts straight first though

Graham

16,381 posts

313 months

Wednesday 21st April 2004
quotequote all
I think a head gasket job on a masser 3200 is 4k, so 2k although loads of cash might be right...

i'd still have a go about them not spotting somthing...

RUSSELLM

6,002 posts

276 months

Thursday 22nd April 2004
quotequote all
The gasket itself must be worth a tenner (However they can charge you what they like as you have to go to a dealer for it) & we have a local engineering company that would skim the head for about £20, that means they're charging him approx £1970 to remove & replace the head.

The joys of motoring....

yiw1393

23,018 posts

290 months

Thursday 22nd April 2004
quotequote all
RUSSELLM said:
The gasket itself must be worth a tenner (However they can charge you what they like as you have to go to a dealer for it) & we have a local engineering company that would skim the head for about £20, that means they're charging him approx £1970 to remove & replace the head.

The joys of motoring....




Actually, I think they are charging you £1970 for knowing how to change the head gasket properly.

RUSSELLM

6,002 posts

276 months

Thursday 22nd April 2004
quotequote all
True

yiw1393

23,018 posts

290 months

Thursday 22nd April 2004
quotequote all
If only it were as simple as an old Ford X-flow eh?

That is bad luck though, hope the dealer looks on you 'favourably'.

Plotloss

67,280 posts

299 months

Thursday 22nd April 2004
quotequote all
N17 TVR said:

Buster4.2 said:

Engine out job?



....and then cleaned and gold plated before being re-fitted ?


£2K is cheap.

My mate has his Tamora in Coventry and was quoted £4.5K for the head gasket replacement.

Fortunately TVR are doing the decent thing.

trefor

14,778 posts

312 months

Thursday 22nd April 2004
quotequote all
Defintely get a second opinion, and get an independent specialist to fix it for 1/4 of the price. Not sure who's close to Birmingham. TopCats are near Bicester, 'bout the closest I can think of being a soft Southerner these days.

UIL9794

268 posts

277 months

Thursday 22nd April 2004
quotequote all
If your taking it into Street then fairly local to that is Horizon Motorsport in Cradley Heath - run by Mike an ex TVR Tuscan race engineer. His prices are much more reasonable by far.....and from my experience with Street his workmanship will also be worlds apart.

Lee

FlipFlopGriff

7,144 posts

276 months

Thursday 22nd April 2004
quotequote all
Just look at teh advert next to trefors response - fate!!! TVR Power are in Coventry. I'm sure they know a man that can. Dom or Jamie.
FFG

RUSSELLM

6,002 posts

276 months

Thursday 22nd April 2004
quotequote all
Failing that, look at the advert next to boosted's response and get shot of it...

Would agree that Mike at Horizon's a good honest bloke

edited to say, the adverts have all just changed & my reply no longer makes any sense

>> Edited by RUSSELLM on Thursday 22 April 15:43