REALITY OF T350 SPEED 6 ENGINES, 9000 MILES AND BLOWN UP..
Discussion
MY STORY:
How TVR, and my main Dealer, have absolutley no interest at all in looking after TVR customers when things go very wrong. The ONLY people who have helped fight my loosing battle have been DOM @ TVR POWER.
I have a T350 Red Rose 2005 model, serviced only by TVR Main Dealers from new and alway done on the monthly intervals not mileage as its very low.
Engine run in from new as per main dealers advice.
12000 mile report from my main dealer in JULY 2007 (at 8000 miles!)
Completed/In progress:
12000 mile service and tappet adjustment: £965
Investigated misfire. Appears to have faulty plug in no.6 cylinder - fault gone when plugs changed: No Additional charge (part of service) Also spark plug cover very poorly sealed and evidence of water ingress under plug cover. Cleaned up and resealed - No Additional charge (part of service)
Checked for coolant leaks. Several hoses leaking as clips loose. Tightened & re-tested - no evidence of leaks now
Drilled new mount hole for rear hatch trim & refitted: £10
Further repairs required:
Clutch starting to drag and evidence of slight fluid leak from clutch slave cylinder area. Will require gearbox off/bellhousing out to confirm. Replace clutch: £1075 / replace slave cylinder complete (with clutch repair): £389 / replace clutch slave cylinder seals only: £284 (with clutch repair) Unfortunately, we won't know the extent of the required repairs until we remove the gearbox etc.
N/s headlight perspex badly misted up as lens loose. Remove & reseal cover: £205 (nb: lens may break when trying to remove. Additional £64 if new lens required) Also, hole drilled in bottom of light aperture. Can either be silicon sealed (FOC once lens off) or body repaired: £125 with lens off
ECU coolant temperature sender & terminals corroded. Replace sensor & terminals: £61
Dash coolant temperature sender faulty (ref fault code:128). Replace sensor: £69
Alternator fusible link not standard (has had temporary repair carried out) Replace with correct fuse: £25
Fuel leak from throttle bodies. Remove throttles, reseal & refit: £197
Rear exhaust mounts failed. Replace exhaust mounts: £46 (with clutch repair as exhaust off)
Exhaust come loose from catalytic converters. Refit: FOC (with clutch repairs as exhaust off)
Catalytic converter heatshield welds cracked. Remove cats & repair: £142 (pair) Also check condition of cats following misfire and advise...
N/s engine mount failed & engine dropped and o/s starting to split. Replace both engine mounts: £220 (n/s) / £103 (o/s)
Heavy oil leak from oil pressure sender. Replace sender: £145
Handbrake cable rubbing on front-to-rear brake pipe (potential MOT failure) Re-position & sleeve cable/pipes: £35
O/s/r upper wishbone bush worn/moved. Rebush wishbone: £121 (recommend both sides done at same time to maintain balance but not essential)
Anderson socket (jump start socket) corroded & +ve terminal pushed back & cover missing. Recommend new: £161
Play in n/s/f droplink (top rubber split) Replace droplink: £75
Rear brake pads breaking up & pitted. Replace brake pads: £100
Front brake pads starting to pit. Replace brake pads: £108
Oil leak from oil tank gasket. Replace gasket: £49
Windows operation slow & no guide rubbers fitted in roof line. Also inner tape coming adrift. Fit rubbers & replace inner tape: £94 (both sides) Also both doors not popping open well. May be possible to re-align slightly to improve: £47-71/door (this may also reduce the windnoise around the o/s door)
Additional Notes:
Rear diffuser damaged by exhaust. Bodyshop repair - awaiting quote
Front no.plate starting to come adrift (non-standard fitment)
Slight buckle to inside of o/s/f wheel rim
Both n/s & o/s/f wheels kerbed
Lower oil pipe chafed on undertray due to failed engine mount on n/s
Some swarf found on both engine oil drain plugs. Most camshaft lobes & associated cam followers marked/scored. May suffer from engine problems in future but ok at present. Recommend re-checked again next service
THIS IS A CAR THAT HAS DONE 8K AND 2 YEARS OLD!! less than 1000 miles after having most, if not all of this done as per main dealers notes, the engine blew up and i have been advised i need a complete new engine.
My main dealer was not intersted. TVR not interested. Dom at TVR power has really been the only help to try and get some good will out of TVR, who to date, decline to respond.
I would love to hear anyone elses story..
How TVR, and my main Dealer, have absolutley no interest at all in looking after TVR customers when things go very wrong. The ONLY people who have helped fight my loosing battle have been DOM @ TVR POWER.
I have a T350 Red Rose 2005 model, serviced only by TVR Main Dealers from new and alway done on the monthly intervals not mileage as its very low.
Engine run in from new as per main dealers advice.
12000 mile report from my main dealer in JULY 2007 (at 8000 miles!)
Completed/In progress:
12000 mile service and tappet adjustment: £965
Investigated misfire. Appears to have faulty plug in no.6 cylinder - fault gone when plugs changed: No Additional charge (part of service) Also spark plug cover very poorly sealed and evidence of water ingress under plug cover. Cleaned up and resealed - No Additional charge (part of service)
Checked for coolant leaks. Several hoses leaking as clips loose. Tightened & re-tested - no evidence of leaks now
Drilled new mount hole for rear hatch trim & refitted: £10
Further repairs required:
Clutch starting to drag and evidence of slight fluid leak from clutch slave cylinder area. Will require gearbox off/bellhousing out to confirm. Replace clutch: £1075 / replace slave cylinder complete (with clutch repair): £389 / replace clutch slave cylinder seals only: £284 (with clutch repair) Unfortunately, we won't know the extent of the required repairs until we remove the gearbox etc.
N/s headlight perspex badly misted up as lens loose. Remove & reseal cover: £205 (nb: lens may break when trying to remove. Additional £64 if new lens required) Also, hole drilled in bottom of light aperture. Can either be silicon sealed (FOC once lens off) or body repaired: £125 with lens off
ECU coolant temperature sender & terminals corroded. Replace sensor & terminals: £61
Dash coolant temperature sender faulty (ref fault code:128). Replace sensor: £69
Alternator fusible link not standard (has had temporary repair carried out) Replace with correct fuse: £25
Fuel leak from throttle bodies. Remove throttles, reseal & refit: £197
Rear exhaust mounts failed. Replace exhaust mounts: £46 (with clutch repair as exhaust off)
Exhaust come loose from catalytic converters. Refit: FOC (with clutch repairs as exhaust off)
Catalytic converter heatshield welds cracked. Remove cats & repair: £142 (pair) Also check condition of cats following misfire and advise...
N/s engine mount failed & engine dropped and o/s starting to split. Replace both engine mounts: £220 (n/s) / £103 (o/s)
Heavy oil leak from oil pressure sender. Replace sender: £145
Handbrake cable rubbing on front-to-rear brake pipe (potential MOT failure) Re-position & sleeve cable/pipes: £35
O/s/r upper wishbone bush worn/moved. Rebush wishbone: £121 (recommend both sides done at same time to maintain balance but not essential)
Anderson socket (jump start socket) corroded & +ve terminal pushed back & cover missing. Recommend new: £161
Play in n/s/f droplink (top rubber split) Replace droplink: £75
Rear brake pads breaking up & pitted. Replace brake pads: £100
Front brake pads starting to pit. Replace brake pads: £108
Oil leak from oil tank gasket. Replace gasket: £49
Windows operation slow & no guide rubbers fitted in roof line. Also inner tape coming adrift. Fit rubbers & replace inner tape: £94 (both sides) Also both doors not popping open well. May be possible to re-align slightly to improve: £47-71/door (this may also reduce the windnoise around the o/s door)
Additional Notes:
Rear diffuser damaged by exhaust. Bodyshop repair - awaiting quote
Front no.plate starting to come adrift (non-standard fitment)
Slight buckle to inside of o/s/f wheel rim
Both n/s & o/s/f wheels kerbed
Lower oil pipe chafed on undertray due to failed engine mount on n/s
Some swarf found on both engine oil drain plugs. Most camshaft lobes & associated cam followers marked/scored. May suffer from engine problems in future but ok at present. Recommend re-checked again next service
THIS IS A CAR THAT HAS DONE 8K AND 2 YEARS OLD!! less than 1000 miles after having most, if not all of this done as per main dealers notes, the engine blew up and i have been advised i need a complete new engine.
My main dealer was not intersted. TVR not interested. Dom at TVR power has really been the only help to try and get some good will out of TVR, who to date, decline to respond.
I would love to hear anyone elses story..
That is really sickening. It is an unfortunate reality that some dealers do not know what they are doing with these cars! Fact.
I personally would only take my car to one of four places. Torqeflyte Ballygowan, X-works Blackpool, Hexham HC, or Power. That does not mean there are not other good dealers/ service centres, but these are the ones I know, trust and on that basis is why I would use them.
I know of a car recently sold at a dealers that passed its full warranty check with broken engine mounts so that really inspires people.
It is the fast buck merchants and those that know jack diddly about the things that give me the hump.
Its not just TVR. I recently purchased a RR Sport through a Landrover main dealer that has worn anti roll bar bushes and that has allegedly gone through a PDI.
Having said all this I would suspect that on an 05 car that oil changes, filters etc have not been done when supposed to and that potentially the warm up period has not been adhered to. It may of course be pure bad luck as this is rare being an 05 going pop.
I personally would only take my car to one of four places. Torqeflyte Ballygowan, X-works Blackpool, Hexham HC, or Power. That does not mean there are not other good dealers/ service centres, but these are the ones I know, trust and on that basis is why I would use them.
I know of a car recently sold at a dealers that passed its full warranty check with broken engine mounts so that really inspires people.
It is the fast buck merchants and those that know jack diddly about the things that give me the hump.
Its not just TVR. I recently purchased a RR Sport through a Landrover main dealer that has worn anti roll bar bushes and that has allegedly gone through a PDI.
Having said all this I would suspect that on an 05 car that oil changes, filters etc have not been done when supposed to and that potentially the warm up period has not been adhered to. It may of course be pure bad luck as this is rare being an 05 going pop.
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