Advice anyone?

[red_baron 0]

My car's just been in with a very reputable VW specialist here in the North to have a new clutch and new timing chains fitted... at the same time I've had new oil seals, gaskets & a new auxiliary water pump fitted.

 

Its been in since Tuesday and I finally had the call today to go and pick it up. Made the trip over there, saw the car parked up and very promptly (after asking if everything was ok now) handed over over a grand for the work done.

 

Got in the car... no tax disc, even no tax disc holder. There's a mark on the windscreen where it used to be, but no evidence of either in the car at all. Then there's the windscreen wipers... they have obviously been removed and refitted in a different position (I refitted them myself last weekend and made sure they were in the right place).

 

Opened the bonnet - the black plastic moulding holding the ignition leads in place is not seated properly, and the silver/grey plastic moulding on the top of the engine (the one with the cut out for the oil filler cap) has a massive crack in it.

 

I confronted the guys in the garage and they didn't seem to care in all honesty, first saying that they've not removed the tax disc and therefore I must have left it with them last tuesday with no tax disc or holder (I can assure everyone I didn't) - then they said I'd be ok driving it home as the car's taxed anyway... even without a tax disc!

 

I'm a bit p!ssed off that I paid them without looking over the car first, but when a company has so much publicity as this one does, I just assumed everything would be ok.

 

I left the car with them cos I want everything sorted. The boss isn't in till Monday morning so I have to wait until he calls me to get things sorted out.

 

I'm going to fax them tomorrow outlining all the issues, but I can see it being a battle on Monday to get them to admit to anything... let alone resolving anything... anyone got any suggestions?

 

Cheers,

ian

[Jim 2]

See what happens on Monday.. if there is no progress, I think we need a name and shame!

 

I hope you manage to get it resolved amicably!

[Goldie 2]

I hate it when stuff like this happens!!

 

Play it cool would be my advice and stand your ground.

 

I hope it gets sorted.

[martyjmcfly 0]

Hey red-baron - please can you give me the name of this garage that you used just in case as my brother lives up north (pm me if you're worried about being to vocal).

 

Even the most praised garages make errors (speaking from experience) which is unfortunate but snapping the vr6 cover!!! Thats painful

 

The unhelpful gits you spoke to will have a storey ready for the boss so stand your ground and don't get fobbed off. Good luck

 

Good luck

[stevef182 0]

not on at all..just hope they do something about it come monday! if not i'd go with jims suggestion!

[craigowl 0]

As a customer who has handed over a great deal of cash, stand your ground red_baron.

 

Bloody appalling, this kind of thing - sounds like your tax disc may have been nicked whilst car was in their "care".

 

Be cool and courteous at all times as you explain the problems to the manager. If he is reasonable he will see you get satisfaction.

 

If not, and he supports the to$$ers who "work" for him "serving" paying customers.....well, I expect some of the guys on here will have plenty of helpful suggestions.

 

Good luck.

[Yandards 0]

This is just one more reason why I avoid garages like the plague.

 

Fortunately I am in a position to do the work myself but on the odd occasion I need specialist work carried out then I try to get pictures of the car before it goes in just to cover myself.

 

Hope this all goes your way and make sure you let the manager know that if he does not admit liability then you will name the company on here.

[red_baron 0]

Thanks for all your support everyone... martyjmcfly, I'll let you tomorrow if that's ok as I want to give them a chance to sort things. Normally I do everything myself and I take pride in doing things properly (my Dad drilled this into me from a young age). With it being something as involved as the timing chains / clutch, I thought I'd let the experts do it... what a mistake to make!

 

I've faxed the garage this afternoon (broke the golden rule and went into work on a Sunday to do it!), so we'll see what happens. If the tax disc doesn't turn up I'm going to get the Police involved anyway - its just a joke.

[red_baron 0]

Well... had a phone call off the manager this afternoon. Apparently, my tax disc, in its holder, had fallen off the windscreen and ended up behind the dashboard. In his words "it looked like it had been there for a long time" (well, stone me I must have been driving around illegally for ages in that case).

 

Alternatively, it must just have been sheer coincidence that the tax disc and holder chose this week to fall off the windscreen and down the tiniest of gaps to end up behind the dashboard. One of his lads apparently spent 2 whole hours fishing it out with a piece of wire - they even managed to find one of the old tax discs down there too (maybe that's because the last 5 discs were in the holder too!)

 

As for the engine cover, he's put a replacement one on. I'm imagining that this has come from another C in the garage, as he's got three in at the moment and won't have had time to get one from VW. Either that or its still broken but seated properly so that the crack doesn't show (won't get to see the car until tomorrow evening - my Dad's collecting it tomorrow day under strict insructions to leave the car with them again if anything's still wrong).

 

As for the windscreen wipers it remains a mystery... I'll be scrutinising it tomorrow night when (or if) it comes back. Fingers crossed.

[martyjmcfly 0]

new clutch and new timing chains fitted... at the same time I've had new oil seals, gaskets & a new auxiliary water pump fitted.

 

if the chains have been changed etc and all to a high standard then you've got to be chuffed. Thats the main hurdle passed yippeeeee!!!!!!!!

[Supercharged 2]

I wonder if they broke the screen and fitted a new one?

[Jim 2]

It does worry you though.. if they're willing to give you such a hard time on the customer services front and, basically, lie to you whether they've done the mechanical work properly.

 

I mean if the stuff that you CAN see hasn't be done right... I dunno... hopefully its all kosher mechanically.

[craigowl 0]

Good luck again red_baron.

And please invest in a proper tax disc holder. :wink:

[red_baron 0]

At last I've driven it!! Had a slight problem as the dust guard on the passenger side front wheel had mysteriously bent itself so that it was touching the inside of the disc. A quick adjustment (not - it was p!ssing it down and really dark :lol: ) and everything seems to be fine.

 

As for the repairs - the black ignition lead holder is now seated where it should be - the engine cover looks ok, but its a bit yellow. I've just been and rubbed it with white spirit to see if it cleans up (it smells a bit oily), but as its dark, I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what colour it now is (my money's still on yellow!)

 

There's a wiring loom that appears to be floating where it shouldn't be between the block and the fans - I might post some piccies to see if anyone can tell me where it should go - failing that I'll just ignore it for the time being!

 

I seem to have an issue with the oil temperature readout though :( . All the other info appears ok (mpg, average mph, outside temp etc.) but there's no oil temperature reading, I just get ---. I'm thinking that the obvious problem is that the sensor has either broken or hasn't been refitted properly. Can anyone tell me where it is?

 

Other than that, to prevent any future issues with the tax disc and holder falling behind the dashboard I have indeed invested in a brand-new top of the range holder. I've even positioned it at the top of the screen so that when it falls off again it'll simply fall onto the floor!

 

At least the rattly chains have disappeared - it sounds sweet :D (and it doesn't crunch into 3rd gear any more).