Query - Fluid coming from the Koni TA's

[Storm77 0]

This morning I loosened my shocks a notch and a thick, clear oily substance oused from just below the adjuster, also with a quiet pressure release noise which I haven't heard before. Only happened on one side. Has it happened to any of you guys and is this normal?

[Blue_Joe 0]

Eeeeek - Doesn't sound good fella!!! Possibly a seal gone on the damper??

[Storm77 0]

Ah Booger! Anything to do with adjusting them in this cold weather you think?

[Trig 0]

How long have you had them? Not sure what the warrenty is like on them but i'd like to know as i'm using them as well. :?

[Storm77 0]

I had them fitted last april which is a bit sh*t! It's not as if they've been given much stick either - no track days or such like, and only 6k miles!

[Storm77 0]

Just phoned AmD who fitted them - they're giving me a call back in a bit :roll:

[matth76 0]

Are Koni dampers oil filled? I thought they may have been gas filled.

[dinkus 10]

You should get a lifetime guarantee with Konis as long as you're the original owner. They'll supply new inserts for them, but you'll still probably have to stump up the money to get them changed over :(

[dr_mat 0]

They're all oil filled. The ones marked "gas filled" are gas-over-oil. The inert gas pressure helps to prevent the oil from foaming under extreme conditions, so gives you more predictable damping, for longer. Standards will go all floaty when you push them hard.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yeah Konis are oil and if it's leaking out of the top under the adjuster shaft, they're fecked. Quite common that. I had two sets of fronts replaced under warranty because of that. I gave up on them and went with H&R coilovers, which are oversized gas pressure (massive piston rods!), no oil at all, so the damping stays constant all year round and they're miles better, but double the cost unfortunately.

 

You can get the konis replaced FOC, they don't ask any questions, they just replace them. Koni are great on service like that.

 

I think Koni had a bad batch of seals a year or so ago but it's sorted now.

[Storm77 0]

Quick update on the faulty damper, spoke to AmD and they said Koni would replace it no problem, but Dinkus was right, they won't cover the labour cost. I think that's a bit off really - not only will it involve labour to replace but also getting it opti-lined aswell. Kev, did you not try claiming anything for the labour?

 

Seriously thinking bout going back the standard set up - I'll loose handling but gain that silky smoothness again and the lovely 4 x 4 ride height! :lol:

[MoonlightVR 0]

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by how well the Corrado handles on new OE suspension. It's easy to see why the handling was praised so much when driven by the motoring press. I went from H&R coliovers, Eibach ARBs and 17s back to the factory set up and couldn't believe how great the car handled!

The original ride height however is just plain daft....

 

You could always ditch the Konis and buy some Bilstein gas dampers if you're confidence in Koni has been rocked??

[Storm77 0]

MoonlightVR, that's tempted me even more! Did you revert back to standard to help it sell? It looks like I may have to sell in the summer and was wondering if it would be more appealing on brand new OE suspension.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Kev, did you not try claiming anything for the labour?

 

Stealth fitted mine and they replaced them FOC everytime they popped, which was frequently. They claimed the labour back from Koni.

Koni need to get their act together because this has been happening since 2000, for me at least. Oh and Vince replaced the full struts each time, although Koni are w@nkers in that if the pair of dampers have covered less than a few K, they will only replace them singley. F'ck that. They go on as matched pairs or they don't go on at all.

 

TBH I was glad to get shot of them, as much as liked them, I just hated dreading lifting the bonnet and seeing a top mount cap full of damper oil.

 

Seriously thinking bout going back the standard set up - I'll loose handling but gain that silky smoothness again and the lovely 4 x 4 ride height! :lol:

 

Most serial modders will at some point hanker for the OE smoothness again, and I've been there..... but you'll regret it if you do. Just fit a better suspension setup than the Koni/H&Rs, which is better than replacing it all with standard stuff again. And yes, the standard ride height is plain daft..... but there's no way it handles as well as a Rado on the same size wheels with ARBs and decent suspension.

[MoonlightVR 0]

but there's no way it handles as well as a Rado on the same size wheels with ARBs and decent suspension.

 

You'll be surprised how close it gets Kev. Of course it won't be as good, but I'd say it's 75 - 80% as good, which is significant. I was amazed after running mine on a handling biased set up for 3 years.

 

Storm77, I reverted back to standard as in my opinion more people would be interested in buying a car on (new) standard suspension than on coilovers. While coilovers are great, they are definitely handling biased, and not everyone wants a firm ride.....

[Storm77 0]

I guess the change from 17s to 15s makes a difference in the ride too!

 

If that's true what you said Kev bout Stealth claiming back the labour then I'll get onto AmD again then cos they should be doing the same. Not happy bout them only replacing the one - i agree things should always go on in pairs.

 

So choices choices - smooth and soft ride, daft ride height, better for selling and lower insurance verses cooler looks, better handling and no fillings left! :?

[Storm77 0]

Just got details/quote back from AmD to sort out the faulty damper (I asked to have both front ones replaced) and it's £250 for the dampers and £192 for the labour! :shock: Course AmD's hourly rate is approaching stealer prices anyway.

 

What I need to do is get hold of Koni UK to get them to stump up the labour and AmD won't do it on my behalf. I told them Stealth would claim it back themselves and their response was "well that's Stealth" !!!!

 

Looked on the Koni website and their customer services is through a company called POTN.com which seems a bit odd. Anybody got any suggestions as to what I should do now? :?:

[MoonlightVR 0]

Goes to show what AmD's priority is these days doesn't it? They're not interested in Corrados anymore as they're too old! It's all about the $$$ now...

Thank goodness places like Stealth exist. But this doesn't help you now.

I think you have 2 options - ask Stealth if they can do the job for you and claim back from Koni, or change the dampers yourself and get the alignment done at Micheldever (as good as any VW specialist, only less than half the price).

You have my sympathy's mate, it's not an ideal situation by any means.

[Jim 2]

Sheesh.. AmD just continue to fall in my estimation. Enormous labour rate and total lack of interest in what the competition can offer. I guess they'd rather stick to chipping modern cars, etc than dealing with the old school enthuasiasts. I guess we don't bring em enough money, ergo we're not worth wasting their time on.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

What a bummer. That is very poor of AmD to profit from your predicament like that.

 

I'm sorry to say, but if you'd taken it to stealth to begin with (and they're not far from eachother), they'd have been replaced no questions asked.

 

Stealth have a different approach to customer service than AmD's, quite clearly.

 

As for the solution..... try badgering Koni direct and tell them you're not getting anywhere with the garage that fitted them. They're usually helpful and obliging.

[Storm77 0]

Cheers guys. I'll write to Koni first and try and claim without touching AmD and if that gets me nowhere I'll speak to Vince at Stealth and see if he can help me out!

 

Considering my bill last year was £3k, you'd have thought AmD would have been a bit more helpful! I only went to them cos I heard good things, but I'm taking all my business to Stealth in future.

[dr_mat 0]

Hang on, who supplied the parts?

 

If AMD supplied and fitted, then you tell them they are replacing them under warranty, or you're going to trading standards. (Damper failure inside 12 months is definitely "not of merchantable quality", and since they are the people you bought them from they are the people who honour the warranty....)

 

If you supplied them yourself you've no leg (or strut) to stand on, as it were...

[Storm77 0]

Yep AmD supplied and fitted last April. Hmmm. Letter to AmD first then?

[dr_mat 0]

Check the documentation you got from the service. If it mentions "lifetime warranty" anywhere then tell AmD they should honour it. If it explicitly excludes labour then you might need to threaten trading standards...

 

Obviously you'd probably be better off not being too threatening at first. See if they'll just offer something in response to a letter.

 

[best not to mention Stealth again though ... it's the best way to put someone's back up is mentioning what the competition will do .. :) ]

 

I'd just write a letter to AmD stating that clearly the goods were not of merchantable quality, and that you are entitled to a replacement product, free of charge. Remind them that since AmD supplied and fitted the parts, your warranty contract is with them, not with their supplier.

[Storm77 0]

Another update on the faulty damper, sent a letter to AmD nearly 2 weeks ago and still no response :roll: They really couldn't give a sh*t!

 

Have now written to Koni to see if I can sort something out directly and get my local garage to do the work - AmD are getting no more dollar out of me.

 

Spoke to Vince at Stealth today and he said that he doesn't claim back labour but does the work himself as a gesture of good will - something known as good customer service!

 

Still tempted with new OEM shocks and springs but they're over 500 smackers from the stealers! How much do ya reckon I could sell my Koni/Eibachs for? (they've only done just under 7k mile and one of which will be new!)