Big bill coming my way
Big bill coming my way
Author
Discussion

-JUT-

Original Poster:

2,235 posts

243 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
Just had a call from the place that's got my car in for servicing today - let's just say that I'm hopeful that my aftermarket warranty is worth the paper it's printed on...

Can anyone provide me with suggestions for suppliers and prices of the following parts:

Clutch
Steering rack
Rear Brake caliper
Washer hoses
Both Lambda sensors

The list goes on...

andy-w

1,987 posts

256 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
Clutch £120 ish
Steering rack £TVR Specific
Rear Brake caliper £50
Washer hoses £about 3 for 4 meters from halfords
Both Lambda sensors £90 each

It wont be that bad...but then there is labour!!!
Most of those things are DIY!!!

-JUT-

Original Poster:

2,235 posts

243 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
The rack's the killer - £750 plus VAT and TVR only I think.

There are assorted other smaller faults, suspension bushes etc, 24 faults in total. Labour is the killer!!!

Hughesie II

12,792 posts

312 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
-JUT- said:
The rack's the killer - £750 plus VAT and TVR only I think.


i had mine reconditioned for about £125 + vat - Labours a killer on it though !!

-JUT-

Original Poster:

2,235 posts

243 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
Any idea if there's a London or Herts-based company that does rack recon? You used Western Power Steering didn't you?

andy-w

1,987 posts

256 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
Cant see why the labour would be a killer...there are only a couple of bolts holding it on, steering column (undo one of the UJ's) and then the tie rod ends???
4 post hoist and you could probably get it off without taking the wheels off...how much labour are you talking to remove the steering rack?

Hughesie II

12,792 posts

312 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
-JUT- said:
Any idea if there's a London or Herts-based company that does rack recon? You used Western Power Steering didn't you?


I did, they got it right the second time round, but i think that was because my garage split it the 1st time round

Hughesie II

12,792 posts

312 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
andy-w said:
Cant see why the labour would be a killer...there are only a couple of bolts holding it on, steering column (undo one of the UJ's) and then the tie rod ends???
4 post hoist and you could probably get it off without taking the wheels off...how much labour are you talking to remove the steering rack?


Dunno, mine was about 3 hours as the radiator had to come out - 500 Chim - may be different on 4's and 4.5's

-JUT-

Original Poster:

2,235 posts

243 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
Mine's a 4 litre

andy-w

1,987 posts

256 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
I agree the rad is a bit tight to get out....i am just wondering why they would want to remove that to get at the steering rack?

Dont get me wrong, i am not taking the mick or trying to be insulting, i just think someone has made the job a bit harder / more expensive than it needs to be.

To be honest i would seriously think about getting some more quotes or ask someone in the local tvr community if they would'nt mind comming round and lending a hand.

-JUT-

Original Poster:

2,235 posts

243 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
First things first, got to get the car back from the service. That's going to cost a few quid as it was a 24k service... Plus, I only bought the car in July, and paid extra for an Autoprotect Premium Cover warranty (call me a doubter, but I expected there to be expensive things wrong with the first TVR I've ever owned!!!). This warranty supposedly covers all mechanical and all electrcal faults, up to £2k per claim, unlimited number of claims, so long as the labour rate is £50 or less, and you have the car serviced every 6 months at a VAT registered garage. The garage are then going to quote me on everything that needs fixing, so I can send the quote to the warranty company and see what they say.

If it's all it's cracked up to be, almost all of the faults that have been found will be covered under the warranty and I won't have to pay much at all. If anything's not covered and it is a) expensive and b) evidently faulty before I bought the car from the dealer, then I'll be complaining to them in the first instance, and suing them if they don't fix it. But hopefully it won't come to that if I can find reasonable prices for the parts that need fixing, and the warranty company will approve the repairs.

Edited by -JUT- on Tuesday 19th December 16:06

andy-w

1,987 posts

256 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
well if it is covered by the warranty then that is fair enough...let them foot the bill hehe

-JUT-

Original Poster:

2,235 posts

243 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
Keeping all 20 fingers, thumbs and toes crossed - makes typing extremely difficult... I know the service is going to be expensive though as they spent from about 9am this morning until about half 1 listing the 24 different bits that needed fixing, and they've already phoned me to say the things that need urgent attention are not going to be fixed before tomorrow...

coetzeeh

2,890 posts

266 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
Had a warranty from the same company.

The warranty covered mechanical breakdown for the first 6 months & up to £2k claim.

When my rocker assembly & cam shaft was found to be knackered I attempted to claim....wear and tear sir....

Sincerely hope you have a superior policy.

Ricardo Bertone

562 posts

240 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
Most of those items will be down to 'wear and tear' I fear. The clutch will be nearer 500 pounds fitted. You're about to find out how good or bad your warranty really is!!!
Look on the bright side if anyone asks what you want for Christmas you'll not be short of suggestions.
Good luck.

Ricardo

-JUT-

Original Poster:

2,235 posts

243 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
coetzeeh said:
Had a warranty from the same company.

The warranty covered mechanical breakdown for the first 6 months & up to £2k claim.

When my rocker assembly & cam shaft was found to be knackered I attempted to claim....wear and tear sir....

Sincerely hope you have a superior policy.


I paid extra for the "premium" warranty which allegedly does cover items such as the clutch... guess I'm about to find out if the extra premium was worth it, or just adding insult to injury...

-JUT-

Original Poster:

2,235 posts

243 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
Ricardo Bertone said:
Most of those items will be down to 'wear and tear' I fear. The clutch will be nearer 500 pounds fitted. You're about to find out how good or bad your warranty really is!!!
Look on the bright side if anyone asks what you want for Christmas you'll not be short of suggestions.
Good luck.

Ricardo


If the warranty does cover it, and the dealer tries to stiff me, I have an easy cheap source of legal advice and if necessary, representation. There's no way a steering rack can be claimed to have worn out in the 1,000 miles / 5 months since I bought the car unless it was already defective at time of purchase, and the same goes for the front upper ball joints, lambda sensors and lots of the other bits that need replacing.

Hell, it's only £30 to sue somebody with MCOL these days...

Ricardo Bertone

562 posts

240 months

Tuesday 19th December 2006
quotequote all
Let us know if this super duper warranty stands up.
I wish you luck if you have to sue the dealer after five months ownership - something can be 50% worn and perfectly serviceable but five months later can be 100% worn and not serviceable.
Mechanical things like ball joints, steering racks, etc. usually wear out gradually not suddenly.
If the dealer honestly represented the car to you at time of purchase he can't be liable, after all it took you five months to decide it had faults. Complaints after five days might be reasonable but after five months I doubt it. Looking at your profile it was a very cheap Chimaera at 8750 pounds.
Pity you didn't invest in the check over you have had done now before you bought it.
Sorry to be negative but you have to be realistic.
Good luck.

Ricardo

Edited by Ricardo Bertone on Tuesday 19th December 22:09

-JUT-

Original Poster:

2,235 posts

243 months

Wednesday 20th December 2006
quotequote all
To be honest I don't expect the warranty company to cover a lot of it. I've spoken to the dealership today and in many respects they have been dismissive and given limp promises of "possible contributions" and talked about "reasonable expectations" - basically they think I'll lump it like a chump and pay a few grand out of my own pocket to sort it out, or sell it on to some other poor sod.

Fortunately for me I have a free and abundant source of expert legal advice, and due to the terms of their contract of sale, and what they have admitted to me in writing about the condition of the vehicle at the time of sale, I am within my legal rights to reject the vehicle and demand my money back, and further claim the consequential losses of the money I've spent on repairs and maintenance so far as a result of their breach of contract... bit of shame if I have to do that though, I like the car and if it came to that it would put me off buying another one.

-JUT-

Original Poster:

2,235 posts

243 months

Wednesday 20th December 2006
quotequote all
And about being cheap at the purchase price - all this in perspective - that does not include the obligatory warranty that they include in the total purchase price, plus the additional warranty I paid on top of that for the "premium" cover - all in, it was about £9.5k - still a reasonable price for a fairly low mileage '96 Chim, but not if it needs £3k of repairs.