Cost of repairs
Discussion
Hi
I've just put my Chimp into my local main dealer for a 6000 mile service and thay have come back to me saying that the car needs loads of other repairs.
I'm new to these cars and I wondered if anyone out there could tell me if these prices are good/bad or if I could leave some of the repairs for a later date - I can't afford another mortgage!!
The car is 8 years old and has done 24000 miles.
The list is :-
1. Auxilliary belt noisy. Replace belt: £29
2. Differential leaking from backplate. Remove & reseal: £161
3. N/s inner & o/s outer driveshaft gaiters badly cracked. Replace gaiters: £216. Also, n/s outer gaiter not secured properly & grease leaked out. Requires stripping to assess & clean up excess grease but probably just needs new clip: £42
4. Rear springs corroded. Recommend removed & checked for cracks: £155 (check & refit if ok) / £296 (new springs)
5. Both upper wishbones corroded & bushes worn esp on n/s. Replace wishbones inc new bushes & thrust washers: £309 / £200 (re-bush only)
6. O/s/f lower wishbone corroded & bushes wearing. Replace wishbone: £212
7. N/s/f lower wishbone bushes wearing but ok, however recommend replaced if o/s/f lower wishbone & bushes changed: £100
8. PAS fluid leaking from low pressure hose(s) at pump end. Replace hose clips: £43
Oil leaking from sump & possibly rear main oil seal. Recommend excess oil cleaned off & re-assessed after further 100-150 miles: £39 (Note: cost to replace rear main oil seal: £648 inc sump reseal. Sump reseal only: £110)
9. N/s/r tyre scuffed badly on inside edge & now mis-shapen due to camber adjuster loose. Recommend new rear tyres: £261
Additional Notes:
V.slight noise from top end of engine. Suspect rocker arms or camshaft followers. Recommend monitored & if noise increases, will require further investigation. Noise not severe at present
Slight wear on inside edges of front tyres but ok at present
Slight corrosion on chassis & other wishbones. Recommend Dinitrol treatment: £300-350 (if wishbones replaced) / £350-400 (if retaining current wishbones)
Any help would be really appreciated.
Cheers.
I've just put my Chimp into my local main dealer for a 6000 mile service and thay have come back to me saying that the car needs loads of other repairs.
I'm new to these cars and I wondered if anyone out there could tell me if these prices are good/bad or if I could leave some of the repairs for a later date - I can't afford another mortgage!!
The car is 8 years old and has done 24000 miles.
The list is :-
1. Auxilliary belt noisy. Replace belt: £29
2. Differential leaking from backplate. Remove & reseal: £161
3. N/s inner & o/s outer driveshaft gaiters badly cracked. Replace gaiters: £216. Also, n/s outer gaiter not secured properly & grease leaked out. Requires stripping to assess & clean up excess grease but probably just needs new clip: £42
4. Rear springs corroded. Recommend removed & checked for cracks: £155 (check & refit if ok) / £296 (new springs)
5. Both upper wishbones corroded & bushes worn esp on n/s. Replace wishbones inc new bushes & thrust washers: £309 / £200 (re-bush only)
6. O/s/f lower wishbone corroded & bushes wearing. Replace wishbone: £212
7. N/s/f lower wishbone bushes wearing but ok, however recommend replaced if o/s/f lower wishbone & bushes changed: £100
8. PAS fluid leaking from low pressure hose(s) at pump end. Replace hose clips: £43
Oil leaking from sump & possibly rear main oil seal. Recommend excess oil cleaned off & re-assessed after further 100-150 miles: £39 (Note: cost to replace rear main oil seal: £648 inc sump reseal. Sump reseal only: £110)
9. N/s/r tyre scuffed badly on inside edge & now mis-shapen due to camber adjuster loose. Recommend new rear tyres: £261
Additional Notes:
V.slight noise from top end of engine. Suspect rocker arms or camshaft followers. Recommend monitored & if noise increases, will require further investigation. Noise not severe at present
Slight wear on inside edges of front tyres but ok at present
Slight corrosion on chassis & other wishbones. Recommend Dinitrol treatment: £300-350 (if wishbones replaced) / £350-400 (if retaining current wishbones)
Any help would be really appreciated.
Cheers.
Always worth getting a second opinion. As the car is new to you it looks like all issues were put on the list and you need to determine what is critical and what can wait. Oil leaks from the sump gasket are common and wishbones do chip and corrode.
If the wishbones are not too far gone they can be cleaned up and recoated for a fraction of the new cost but, you need someone who knows what they are looking at to determine this. Have you compared your wishbones with another similar car??
When using an independent make it clear what work you want done so that you done get any surprise expenses, also get their hourly rate up front as some charge like main dealers.
Regards
George
If the wishbones are not too far gone they can be cleaned up and recoated for a fraction of the new cost but, you need someone who knows what they are looking at to determine this. Have you compared your wishbones with another similar car??
When using an independent make it clear what work you want done so that you done get any surprise expenses, also get their hourly rate up front as some charge like main dealers.
Regards
George
Sounds OTT to me...I have my suspicions about who your local dealer may be - mail me through my profile if you want and I'll be able to pass on one or two stories of similar repair bills and cases of where the dealer is seemingly trying to return 10 year old cars to 'as new', failing to recognise the difference between "worn" and "worn out".
I would suggest you take your car to a trusted independent for a second opinion.
1. The last time I replace a serp belt it cost me £12 inc p&p and 5 minutes work. Not £29.
2. Don't know.
3. Sounds expensive.
4. Don't know.
5. How badly corroded?
6. Ditto.
7. How badly worn?
8. How much?!
9. £75+delivery+fitting - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/225-50ZR16-Toyo
Dinitrol treatment sounds pricey too, and is something you can DIY (although it is a foul job!!!)
Where are you in Berks? There are plenty of good Indies around, and you are not going to devalue your car be going outside the main dealer network - if anything the opposite.
I would suggest you take your car to a trusted independent for a second opinion.
1. The last time I replace a serp belt it cost me £12 inc p&p and 5 minutes work. Not £29.
2. Don't know.
3. Sounds expensive.
4. Don't know.
5. How badly corroded?
6. Ditto.
7. How badly worn?
8. How much?!
9. £75+delivery+fitting - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/225-50ZR16-Toyo
Dinitrol treatment sounds pricey too, and is something you can DIY (although it is a foul job!!!)
Where are you in Berks? There are plenty of good Indies around, and you are not going to devalue your car be going outside the main dealer network - if anything the opposite.
Wow blue fazer they really did have a go at your car dident they,looks like they pulled up everything,maybe they,ve no work .he he.those costs quite frankly are horrific,allways gets me the labour they charge when it comes to anything that involves removing the gearbox or driveshaft work.As the others said try to put the jobs into urgent & non urgent then try to find a good indy,you may not find as much wrong with the car as first thought.that seems like an awful lot of work your car needs.good luck with getting it done.
Morning Blue-Fazer.... I can only add my opinions as a Chimaera owner and time served mechanic. As with all "older" cars there has to be a point where the line is drawn between repairs that are urgent and needed and those which would simply be desirable if money was not an issue. It would be unusual to have a Chym without an engine oil/gearbox oil/rear diff oil leaks... They are old tech and they leak, simple.If its only minor keep an eye on the levels and if it doesnt get worse and you can live with the odd patches when parked leave alone and save your hard earned.
The subject of wishbones and suspension bushes is more complicated. The same can be said for the springs and steering rack boots etc, however, when is the car due an mot test?? If recently carried out they obviously felt the arms were safe at that point in time.( If a reputable mot station that is !!) If the mot was done a while ago why not take the car for an mot test?? It will high light any problems and clarify if all the above is required.
>> Edited by Mad Mitch on Saturday 20th May 09:34
The subject of wishbones and suspension bushes is more complicated. The same can be said for the springs and steering rack boots etc, however, when is the car due an mot test?? If recently carried out they obviously felt the arms were safe at that point in time.( If a reputable mot station that is !!) If the mot was done a while ago why not take the car for an mot test?? It will high light any problems and clarify if all the above is required.
>> Edited by Mad Mitch on Saturday 20th May 09:34
those prices look silly , clearly the garage have nothing better to do and want to have a day off - so they charge you for all that work, takes them a few hours and they go home early but charge you anyway.
Get to your local indie, got to be better than that. If its not too far I can highly recommend the V8 Centre in High wycombe for this kind of stuff. Perrys a top bloke and will probably knock all those jobs over for you double quick - or (as is more likely) tell you that they dont really need doing !
Get to your local indie, got to be better than that. If its not too far I can highly recommend the V8 Centre in High wycombe for this kind of stuff. Perrys a top bloke and will probably knock all those jobs over for you double quick - or (as is more likely) tell you that they dont really need doing !
1. About £6 from Halfords - you might even talk then into fitting it for you (easy).
2. Not really a problem if it's a 'seep'. But beware - if it's actually dripping and the diff runs low on oil, diff replacement is VERY expensive. Level should be checked at every service.
3. MOT failure. Not really safety critical (although you don't want them to wear to the point of failing). Labour intensive - hence the cost.
4. I'd get a second opinion. All springs have surface corrosion after 8 years. You don't want them to fracture - that could cause a nasty accident - but £200 to inspect and replace? You can get a car set of new springs and dampers for £500 (+ fitting).
5. These are almost consumables on the TVR. Comments as for springs. Don't mess about with anything structurally unsound though. Not worth the risk.
6. As 5.
7. If the others needed doing this will need doing sooner or later.
8. A tenth the cost for the parts. A friendly motor factor might even fit them for you. (I haven't got PAS but it can't be that hard can it?)
Might be worth getting the sump seal done. As for the main seal, what's the worst that can happen? Probably clutch contamination - which would mean a new clutch. I expect the clutch has to come out anyway to do the main seal - with all that labour involved, it might be worth getting the clutch done at the same time. Then again, you could just wait and see if it does contaminate the clutch, then get both jobs done - in other words, I'd wait and see - but DO keep an eye on the oil level in the engine. If you run the engine low on oil you could cause a LOT of damage.
9. No disrespect but it sounds like whoever has been servicing your car hasn't been checking what they should - or it hasn't been serviced often enough.
Stuff like hose clips, chassis corrosion etc can be done by a willing DIYer. This is where 'hands on' owners can run a TVR for a lot less than someone dependent on a professional service to sort anything and everything. It's also the advantage of preventative maintenance. I don't mean that as any sort of criticism - each to their own and all that. I wish I had better things to do than get my hands dirty every weekend!
Good luck - the best advice has to be a second opinion at an independent. Fortunately there's quite a few to choose from in your neck of the woods. Personally, I'd come clean, show them the advisories from the TVR dealer, and see what they say.
2. Not really a problem if it's a 'seep'. But beware - if it's actually dripping and the diff runs low on oil, diff replacement is VERY expensive. Level should be checked at every service.
3. MOT failure. Not really safety critical (although you don't want them to wear to the point of failing). Labour intensive - hence the cost.
4. I'd get a second opinion. All springs have surface corrosion after 8 years. You don't want them to fracture - that could cause a nasty accident - but £200 to inspect and replace? You can get a car set of new springs and dampers for £500 (+ fitting).
5. These are almost consumables on the TVR. Comments as for springs. Don't mess about with anything structurally unsound though. Not worth the risk.
6. As 5.
7. If the others needed doing this will need doing sooner or later.
8. A tenth the cost for the parts. A friendly motor factor might even fit them for you. (I haven't got PAS but it can't be that hard can it?)
Might be worth getting the sump seal done. As for the main seal, what's the worst that can happen? Probably clutch contamination - which would mean a new clutch. I expect the clutch has to come out anyway to do the main seal - with all that labour involved, it might be worth getting the clutch done at the same time. Then again, you could just wait and see if it does contaminate the clutch, then get both jobs done - in other words, I'd wait and see - but DO keep an eye on the oil level in the engine. If you run the engine low on oil you could cause a LOT of damage.
9. No disrespect but it sounds like whoever has been servicing your car hasn't been checking what they should - or it hasn't been serviced often enough.
Stuff like hose clips, chassis corrosion etc can be done by a willing DIYer. This is where 'hands on' owners can run a TVR for a lot less than someone dependent on a professional service to sort anything and everything. It's also the advantage of preventative maintenance. I don't mean that as any sort of criticism - each to their own and all that. I wish I had better things to do than get my hands dirty every weekend!
Good luck - the best advice has to be a second opinion at an independent. Fortunately there's quite a few to choose from in your neck of the woods. Personally, I'd come clean, show them the advisories from the TVR dealer, and see what they say.
There have been some very helpful and detailed replies here as to more realistic costs and what is critical and what is nice to fix. As has also been said, an old car is an old car and there will always be some worn parts. You just don't want to let them become worn out.
The thing I think is important to keep in mind, though, is that you are playing with a vehicle with supercar performance, and Toy's R us levels of crash protection. You simply can't afford to skimp on anything that is likely to affect road holding -- tyres, suspension components and that kind of thing. If something fails and throws you off the road, the chances of surving are considerably lower than if the same thing happened in the Euro box you drive to work in each day!
Secondly, anything that is likely to result in terminal engine, diff or gearbox failure should be sorted long before it gets to be a likely event. £30 quid for a fanbelt is steep, but nothing compare to the cost of an engine rebuild.
With cars like this, I always think that if you can't afford to keep it in good condition, you shouldn't run it at all. It's simply not worth the risk.
And find a good independent that is a) recommended, b) you get on with, c) charges sensible hourly rates, and d) knows his way sround these cars.
hugh
The thing I think is important to keep in mind, though, is that you are playing with a vehicle with supercar performance, and Toy's R us levels of crash protection. You simply can't afford to skimp on anything that is likely to affect road holding -- tyres, suspension components and that kind of thing. If something fails and throws you off the road, the chances of surving are considerably lower than if the same thing happened in the Euro box you drive to work in each day!
Secondly, anything that is likely to result in terminal engine, diff or gearbox failure should be sorted long before it gets to be a likely event. £30 quid for a fanbelt is steep, but nothing compare to the cost of an engine rebuild.
With cars like this, I always think that if you can't afford to keep it in good condition, you shouldn't run it at all. It's simply not worth the risk.
And find a good independent that is a) recommended, b) you get on with, c) charges sensible hourly rates, and d) knows his way sround these cars.
hugh
I've just got home and there are 8 replies to my post. Fantastic - I can't believe the response!
Thank you all very much.
To answer some of the questions and comments, here is some further information.
I actually bought the car last year and put it through an MOT in July - it passed without having to have any work done. Due to various reasons, including starting up a new business, the car has only was only used 3 or 4 times since then and has only done 300 dry miles since the MOT.
The last service, the 12000 mile one, was done by TVR power and there is nothing on their service sheet and report to suggest any problems. It has only done 1000 miles since then.
As in the replies, it looks as though I need a second opinion from an Indy. Any suggestions?
And I will email you UpTheIron, but as I have only just registered I have to wait 24 hours!
Thanks again to everyone.
Thank you all very much.
To answer some of the questions and comments, here is some further information.
I actually bought the car last year and put it through an MOT in July - it passed without having to have any work done. Due to various reasons, including starting up a new business, the car has only was only used 3 or 4 times since then and has only done 300 dry miles since the MOT.
The last service, the 12000 mile one, was done by TVR power and there is nothing on their service sheet and report to suggest any problems. It has only done 1000 miles since then.
As in the replies, it looks as though I need a second opinion from an Indy. Any suggestions?
And I will email you UpTheIron, but as I have only just registered I have to wait 24 hours!
Thanks again to everyone.
I'd get a 2nd opinion from a well respected indy and you seem to have been given some good advice there. You've already found out that this forum is full of very knowledgable people who are always willing to help.
I'd get the critical jobs done immediately and prioritise the rest. Things like rusty wishbones and chassis don't seem critcial to me unless they are that bad. The top ones usually get more of a hammering and maybe cracked. I would imagine the outcome that you do need to spend some money now but many of these jobs can be done over a longer period of time enabling you to budget for them. If it's not that long since Power had it then I would imagine many of these items don't need to be done now.
It really gets my back up when certain people get treated badly when there are not that many options for us to get a decent service - assuming original suspicions are solid - and that this sort of treatment isn't going to do TVR any favours in the long term.
Good luck and hope it's not too expensive.
FFG
I'd get the critical jobs done immediately and prioritise the rest. Things like rusty wishbones and chassis don't seem critcial to me unless they are that bad. The top ones usually get more of a hammering and maybe cracked. I would imagine the outcome that you do need to spend some money now but many of these jobs can be done over a longer period of time enabling you to budget for them. If it's not that long since Power had it then I would imagine many of these items don't need to be done now.
It really gets my back up when certain people get treated badly when there are not that many options for us to get a decent service - assuming original suspicions are solid - and that this sort of treatment isn't going to do TVR any favours in the long term.
Good luck and hope it's not too expensive.
FFG
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