Query re routine maintenance

[Stitch]

Just booked by S2 Elise in for a B service with an independent specialist.

They have recommended that in addition to the items on the Lotus service sheet taht I also have the rear brakes stripped and re fitted as "tehy are prone to seize"

Anyone ever heard of this or had a similar recommendation?

[MJK 24]

Haven't heard of it or had it recommended to me to be honest.

Who is the garage?

[scott.birrell]

The complete caliper should never be dismantled. Brembo recommend a complete replacement if there are any signs of malfunction.

[jondude]

Up to you of course, but I would NEVER use this type of garage.

They are telling you work is necessary before even inspecting your brakes. Prone to seizure is not the same as seized, and brakes which work well should be damn well left alone. Tyres are prone to wear out, too....do we change them when they have tons of tread left?

This attitude will practically guarantee more ' for your safety and convenience ' work.

[hbaumhardt]

folks have had the rear caliper serviced - there is infact a seals & service kit available, or you can buy reconditioned exchange units.

Edit: D-oh but to the original question, rebuilding or replacing the rear calipers on a 2003 S2 really is a bit much.

>> Edited by hbaumhardt on Tuesday 23 May 19:51

[dunxs1]

Have a look at,
http://forum.nyloc.org/

for advice on service oop north.

www.fouldsmotors.co.uk/
Is where I take mine- as do lots of Yorks Elise owners, if he says it needs doing- it needs doing. Probably just talking about stripping the pads out and copperslipping the sliders.
Dunx.

>> Edited by dunxs1 on Tuesday 23 May 20:04

[Stitch]

Dunxs1

It is Foulds who recommended this. Cost is £45 + VAT - so can't be a massive job.

Foulds seems a better option than JCT600 who's quote for a B Service range from £380 to £500+ (depending on who you talk to) - Think they must have been looking at the Ferrari price list by mistake!!!!

Do you go along to the NYLOC events at the Buckles Inn? - Any good?

[Sam_68]

Stitch said:

It is Foulds who recommended this.

I am conscious of Pistonhead's 'naming and shaming' policy, but I don't think the following bare facts would be deemed to be an allegation of malpractice, fraud or a criminal or civil offence, just less-than-perfect customer service:

1) I have used the company only once, for some minor work on a 1968 Lotus Elan I used to own.
2) I booked the car in, well in advance, with instructions to deal with certain items, including replacement of rear discs and pads.
3) I handed over the car with clear (written) instructions to attend to these items and to investigate a noise/vibration from the diff. area. Cost should have been around about £150.
4) When I collected the car, Foulds announced that they had attended to a number of other items that they had discovered (some of which I had been aware of and had intended to deal with myself), and presented me with a bill for over £400.
5) They had been unable to determine the source of the diff. vibration. I later determined myself that it was due to a combination of worn bushed on the diff torque rods and the diff touching the chassis where the previous owner had jacked the car incorrectly, causing distortion of the Elan's flimsy pressed steel backbone chassis. This was reasonably easy to spot, once you had the car up on a lift and the factory workshop manual clearly quotes the normal (admittedly fairly small) clearance between diff and chassis.
5)They stated that they had not replaced the rear discs, beacuse they were out of stock on this component, but had replaced the rear pads. Since the reason I had requested the discs be replaced was severe pitting and corrosion due to lack of use, replacing the pads in isolation was, I felt, bad practice, since rapid wear of the new pads would result.

I was pretty pi55ed off that:
a) They had not completed the work for which the car had been booked in.
b) They had undertaken a bunch of other work unauthorised and,
c) Part of the instructed work (replacement of the pads) was inadvisable unless the other part of the work instructed (replacement of the discs) had also been undertaken.

Since the additional work done was admittedly required, I couldn't be bothered to get into an argument over the bill, so I simply paid up and left vowing never to return.

For the sake of balance, I ought to state that this was a number of years ago and their approach to customer service may have changed in the meanwhile. Also, I should add that they are a well established and well respected classic Lotus specialist and that the unauthorised work was of a valid nature and was probably undertaken with the best of intentions - they weren't to know that I was already aware of most of it and was perfectly willing and capable of dealing with it myself - it would have just been nice to be asked!

>> Edited by Sam_68 on Wednesday 24th May 19:02

[dunxs1]

Sam, it sounds like you had a bad experience, I don't think there is anything wrong with posting about problems customers have had with dealers-- it's the nature of the internet.

I've not had any bad experiences with the service and have not heard anyone at Nyloc say any bad word,that doesn't mean there aren't any though. Plenty of members do use his services.
The other option is JCB and I have heard of plenty of moans -and have had cause to complain myself of their workmanship. I would give them the widest bearth possible.

Stitch,
I've never been to an official Buckles meet as i work nightshifts,(there was a meeting two days ago) I go on plenty of runs out at the weekend with other members, nice bunch, good banter and sound advice. We also get a service discount at JCB but I don't think anyone uses it!
If you log onto the website you will see the forum- unfortunatley the forum is being closed to non members in the near future for various reasons. so you would have to attend the next meeting to become a member, I think it's worth it at £15.00
Lots of members, organised runs, bulk buy discounts- Larini exhausts to name one. Track days ect.
Duncan.