Cheap car parts....Not anymore - Its just not worth it....
Discussion
I have been using the same Motor Factors for the majority of my parts for quite a few years now... They are local, have a massive and varied stock and have always been very good. Its run by a couple of Asian guys and I like going in there as they are friendly and we always have a bit of banter. If ever there is a question on pars suitability, he just gives me both parts and I return and pay for the one I use. Over the last few years though there has been a change in what they stock and sell in terms of quality.
last year I put a clutch in a Corolla... I went in and they had a 3 piece clutch on the shelf for it. He plonked it on the counter and I took it out of the box to match it up with the old one. First thing I notice is the box. Cheap and flimsy, poorly printed. Then I looked at the clutch cover, and promptly cut my finger on the razor sharp edges of the cover pressing, then I noticed the poor machining and rough surface to the friction surface... I put it back in the box and asked for an LUK or Valeo one to be ordered...
Last month I did a cam belt and water pump on a Renault. I insisted on a Gates belt kit, but he gave me a water pump from stock. When I fitted it, one of the studs pulled out of the alloy and I had to take it back. I didn't over tighten it, the thread was poor in the casting.
The straw that broke the camels back was yesterday. I went in for some service items for my own car. He no longer stocks any makes of oil I recognise. Then he put an air filter on the counter in a make I didn't recognise. I opened the box (cheap and thin)and looked... It was poorly made, the outer rim was irregular with pieces of flashing hanging off. The oil filter was branded Mahle, but the box was flimsy, the printing very poor, and the stuck on cork ring on the top and bottom of the filter was off centre. Don't start me on the unbranded wiper blades...
I declined the lot, and as it was the owners serving me I told him I would not be back. we had a frank discussion about it and he said he sells what people want, and that's cheap parts. He said for a while he tried to stock branded and cheap stuff, but the stock turn on branded was not sufficient to warrant stocking it, so he moved over to cheap parts...
So off to another factors which is quite a bit further. Totally different. Every item he put on the counter was branded. I had a choice of oils and prices, and I knew every name. Interestingly, he gave me a Mahle oil filter and it was totally different in packaging and quality to the other place, so they were probably selling counterfeit parts.
Anyone else noticed this trend with their suppliers?
last year I put a clutch in a Corolla... I went in and they had a 3 piece clutch on the shelf for it. He plonked it on the counter and I took it out of the box to match it up with the old one. First thing I notice is the box. Cheap and flimsy, poorly printed. Then I looked at the clutch cover, and promptly cut my finger on the razor sharp edges of the cover pressing, then I noticed the poor machining and rough surface to the friction surface... I put it back in the box and asked for an LUK or Valeo one to be ordered...
Last month I did a cam belt and water pump on a Renault. I insisted on a Gates belt kit, but he gave me a water pump from stock. When I fitted it, one of the studs pulled out of the alloy and I had to take it back. I didn't over tighten it, the thread was poor in the casting.
The straw that broke the camels back was yesterday. I went in for some service items for my own car. He no longer stocks any makes of oil I recognise. Then he put an air filter on the counter in a make I didn't recognise. I opened the box (cheap and thin)and looked... It was poorly made, the outer rim was irregular with pieces of flashing hanging off. The oil filter was branded Mahle, but the box was flimsy, the printing very poor, and the stuck on cork ring on the top and bottom of the filter was off centre. Don't start me on the unbranded wiper blades...
I declined the lot, and as it was the owners serving me I told him I would not be back. we had a frank discussion about it and he said he sells what people want, and that's cheap parts. He said for a while he tried to stock branded and cheap stuff, but the stock turn on branded was not sufficient to warrant stocking it, so he moved over to cheap parts...
So off to another factors which is quite a bit further. Totally different. Every item he put on the counter was branded. I had a choice of oils and prices, and I knew every name. Interestingly, he gave me a Mahle oil filter and it was totally different in packaging and quality to the other place, so they were probably selling counterfeit parts.
Anyone else noticed this trend with their suppliers?
I buy lots of genuine parts from Volkswagen's TPS sites and they're equally guilty of corner cutting.
I bought a water pump for a Scirocco and it was £14 exchange. The pump given to me had one half of the housing made in Mexico, the other in Canada. The impeller was from Brazil. I fitted it (against my better judgement) and added coolant. It leaked before the engine even started! Tightening the bolts made it leak free but about 18 months later, one of the bolts slackened and the timing belt snapped the head off it (luckily without damaging the belt. What's the point in making a s
te water pump for £14 when they could have made a great one for £20?
A lot of their filters are no longer made in Germany. Again, I bought an oil and fuel filter from Volkswagen. Bosnia and China respectively. Also bought a head gasket from Brazil. Only 5 years or so ago all this would have been German.
They're trying very hard with their TPS sites to compete with Euro and GSF. Perhaps they're trying too hard?
I bought a water pump for a Scirocco and it was £14 exchange. The pump given to me had one half of the housing made in Mexico, the other in Canada. The impeller was from Brazil. I fitted it (against my better judgement) and added coolant. It leaked before the engine even started! Tightening the bolts made it leak free but about 18 months later, one of the bolts slackened and the timing belt snapped the head off it (luckily without damaging the belt. What's the point in making a s
te water pump for £14 when they could have made a great one for £20? A lot of their filters are no longer made in Germany. Again, I bought an oil and fuel filter from Volkswagen. Bosnia and China respectively. Also bought a head gasket from Brazil. Only 5 years or so ago all this would have been German.
They're trying very hard with their TPS sites to compete with Euro and GSF. Perhaps they're trying too hard?
Our local has probably two or three choices. I dont mind putting in cheap oil, as long as it's 10/40 semi I dont care who makes it.
The missus Ka did the old Ford trick of eating it's heater valve and I made the same mistake you did with cheap parts to start with. The good thing was I took the snapped cheap one back to order the more expensive one and he credited me back for the old broken one, no questions
The missus Ka did the old Ford trick of eating it's heater valve and I made the same mistake you did with cheap parts to start with. The good thing was I took the snapped cheap one back to order the more expensive one and he credited me back for the old broken one, no questions
I fitted a timing belt kit to my A6 a couple of years ago - consisted of a dayco belt and a random selection of tensioners and pulleys from varying sources.
20K later and there's an ominous rattle coming from the tensioner
I think a lot of the problem is the perception that older car owners who do their own maintenance are happy to fit cheap, inferior quality parts, as the vehicle is of low value anyway. As long as the part is good enough to get it through next months MOT then that's fine it seems.
I've noticed a steady deterioration in the quality of parts from both ECP and GSF over the 10-15 years of my own spannering, notably in the past 5 years.
I'd love to find a source of quality parts which I can rely on, however I have a feeling I'm going to have to go direct to the dealers for a lot more stuff now, if only for peace of mind.
20K later and there's an ominous rattle coming from the tensioner
I think a lot of the problem is the perception that older car owners who do their own maintenance are happy to fit cheap, inferior quality parts, as the vehicle is of low value anyway. As long as the part is good enough to get it through next months MOT then that's fine it seems.
I've noticed a steady deterioration in the quality of parts from both ECP and GSF over the 10-15 years of my own spannering, notably in the past 5 years.
I'd love to find a source of quality parts which I can rely on, however I have a feeling I'm going to have to go direct to the dealers for a lot more stuff now, if only for peace of mind.
For me, it depends on the exact part in question - how much the difference in price is, how easy it is to replace, how much damage it could cause if it failed, etc.
Of course cheap(er) non-OEM parts are often higher quality than the originals, especially on brands where there is a particularly large manufacturer mark-up.
Of course cheap(er) non-OEM parts are often higher quality than the originals, especially on brands where there is a particularly large manufacturer mark-up.
Been off work this week so have been `wintering` the cars,oils,filter,wipers etc, went to our local motor factors and the bloke behind the counter said, and always has, `do you want the more expensive stuff of the cheaper then come back for the expensive in a month or so`. Cannot understand why people put cheap nasty stuff on cars, it`s the second most expensive purchase most people make.
buzzer said:
The oil filter was branded Mahle, but the box was flimsy, the printing very poor, and the stuck on cork ring on the top and bottom of the filter was off centre.
Mahle is a massive German company.I've used a few of their oil filters and the gasket has always been rubber / plastic not cork. Quality seemed pretty good to me. Maybe he is selling knock offs.
OPIE oils (of this very forum) stock a lot of Mahle stuff - doubt they would still be doing so if the quality off.
I think there are a lot of fake branded parts around; especially the relatively simple, mass-produced consumables like filters, belts, spark plugs, sensors, etc.trickywoo said:
buzzer said:
The oil filter was branded Mahle, but the box was flimsy, the printing very poor, and the stuck on cork ring on the top and bottom of the filter was off centre.
Mahle is a massive German company.I've used a few of their oil filters and the gasket has always been rubber / plastic not cork. Quality seemed pretty good to me. Maybe he is selling knock offs.
OPIE oils (of this very forum) stock a lot of Mahle stuff - doubt they would still be doing so if the quality off.
Worst thing I've ever bought was a rocker cover gasket from GSF that was the only one they stocked but was leakier than the old one!
Normally buy cheap stuff from ECP and have no issues with it but then I'm not planning on keeping the car long enough to find out how good the parts are.
Was shocked to find the timing belt I had changed for £90 including labour at a dodgy back street garage is a Gates belt!
Normally buy cheap stuff from ECP and have no issues with it but then I'm not planning on keeping the car long enough to find out how good the parts are.
Was shocked to find the timing belt I had changed for £90 including labour at a dodgy back street garage is a Gates belt!
Toaster Pilot said:
Worst thing I've ever bought was a rocker cover gasket from GSF that was the only one they stocked but was leakier than the old one!
Normally buy cheap stuff from ECP and have no issues with it but then I'm not planning on keeping the car long enough to find out how good the parts are.
Was shocked to find the timing belt I had changed for £90 including labour at a dodgy back street garage is a Gates belt!
gates belt kits are cheap if you use the right suppliers! belts themselves are all of £10-15, its tensioners etc that cost.Normally buy cheap stuff from ECP and have no issues with it but then I'm not planning on keeping the car long enough to find out how good the parts are.
Was shocked to find the timing belt I had changed for £90 including labour at a dodgy back street garage is a Gates belt!
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