Post Gearbox change - this will shock you!

[JamesT5]

Ok so I've hopped back on to VPC earlier than anticipated but really I think this is important that you all read this and see the photos, some of you already have because you've been following my facebook feeds.

For those of you who are completely unaware of the recent chain of events, I took the car in to a company called French Auto Solutions (FAS) in Pontypool (Gwent), for the work on the T5. They advertise themselves as "South Wales' leading Peugeot, Renault, Citroen and Volvo Specialists" although to be honest after getting the car back from them I would dispute this 100%. It also goes to show that some of these so-called 'Specialists' aren't Specialists at all because a true Specialist would not hand me back a car in the condition in which I'm about to tell you about. I know we have true Specialists on this forum so I'd be interested to hear their feedback on this because I was gob smacked at the results.

Firstly, I need to tell you what I asked FAS to do for me, considering as well that they had the car for 2 whole days! This is a list of the work I asked them to carry out;

• Change Gearbox, DMF, Clutch, Slave Cylinder and fill with appropriate fluids

• Polybush Anti-roll bar

• Change Fuel Sender unit (my gauge is showing a false reading)

• Fit new genuine Volvo Boost Control Solenoid/TCV (whilst the car was in I got them to do it - might as well I thought).

Ok, so would you not agree that for someone claiming to be a Volvo Specialist (a leading one at that), would find this sort of task relatively straight forward? I think you would agree. So, now on with the results (sorry, this might seem a little like a crown court statement but I need to tell you all the whole story).......

They informed me that the fuel sender I supplied was faulty so I asked them to put the unit that was on the car when I brought it in, back on and I know they did this because the replacement unit was marked up on top. This was right at the end of the day and what concerned me was the 'bang, bang, bang, bang' I heard coming from the workshop. It turns out the guy was using a hammer and chisel instead of the official Volvo tool (which you can get online btw).

When I got the car back the steering column was squeaking and there was a knocking sound when I went over a bump in the car park, OMG I thought, so I got the owner to take the car back in to the workshop and give it a full suspension, steering and underside inspection and to fix the squeak. He claimed there was a rubber seal that had come loose and it needed popping back in to place and credit where it's due he did sort the squeak out.

He claims however, that the knocking sound was the new Polyurethane ARB bushes settling down. Just to note at this point as well, I did notice the car wouldn't start properly when he took it back from the car park to the workshop and it took a while to fire up. I also asked him specifically whether the 'O' ring that holds the fuel sender down had been properly tightened to prevent a fuel leak and he said, "Yes, that's all nice and tight".

So I drove the car away and heard this horrible squeak coming from under the car, I had my suspicions that the ARB bushes hadn't been greased and this later turned out to be correct. I also noticed that my tracking was now way out and the car pulls to the left although in a conversation today the owner basically denied this was anything to do with him, I thought "you liar" knowing I'd had this perfectly aligned by ATS around 6 weeks beforehand. I put it to him that when they disconnected the inner tie-rods to drop the subframe down they would have knocked the tracking out when they reconnected them. He denied this was possible which even I know is a total load of rubbish because touching anything steering related on the car is likely to throw out the tracking and wheel alignment.

Anyway, going back to the chain of events after picking the car up.... I went to a Shell garage and put in 42 litres of V-Power Nitro + and then drove to the local Asda supermarket because the other half wanted to buy herself some new shoes and a pair of trousers. So we went there and got that plus some food, hoping there would be no more engine issues with the car and it was just the ECU learning new parameters after fitting the new TCV etc.

When we got back to the car, I went to fire it up and it just turned over and over and over, the rev meter spiked briefly at around 3000 - 4000 rpm but it wouldn't turn over properly. So I gave it a bit more and it fired up but I put my foot on the throttle and there was no throttle response at all, the engine didn't rev. At this point I noticed a really strong smell of petrol, and recognised the smell from the first time I had a fuel leak. It came as no surprise to me therefore, that the cowboy at the garage hadn't in fact tightened that 'O' ring down correctly as stated and I had petrol coming up over the top of the sender and dribbling down the side of the fuel tank (see photo of fuel leak on top of the sender), leaving a strong petrol vapour smell in the car - very dangerous. I was and still am absolutely seething!



Now, sensibly I've armed myself to the teeth with AA cover and gone for the full monty apart from European Cover, so I got on the phone and called the AA and about 90 minutes later the guy turns up. The AA patrol man who was very helpful and even organised me a loan car through my policy, told me that had I brimmed the tank then the fuel would have been 'gushing' over the top of the sender and it would have been alot worse.

When I started the car up for him, it did actually fire up first time but when we took a detailed look under the bonnet we discovered that a vacuum hose had been disconnected down where it connects, I believe, to the air intake hose (correct me if I'm wrong). In a later conversation (today) with the garage owner, when I asked him about why it had been pulled off at that end he stated it must have been removed during the gearbox change. The picture below shows the hose and location in question.......



Also, I noticed the garage had snapped/broken one of the piece of mounting points on the top boost hose and lost the Torx 25 screws holding the boost pipe on. They had taken a 10mm bolt from my Rad fan housing and another from somewhere else (can't find where yet), and used them to screw the boost pipe and I think it's a fuel line in to place. The owner denied taking the bolt from the Rad fan housing claiming it was flapping around loose when I took the car in, this made me angry given the fact that I personally tightened these bolts up myself when Leeds_Finest (Ed) and myself were swapping bits over on our cars a few weeks ago! The guy is telling me a pack of lies!

Here's some photos, the wrong bolts/screws is taking the piss, the broken mount in the boost pipe is really upsetting......







So I'm now left with a fuel leak when the tank is filled high, a car that still doesn't start properly (I've a video of that to upload later), tracking that's out by miles and a load of botched stuff under the bonnec. Also, here's a picture of the new Polyurethane ARB bushes which should be copper greased, something the garage also deny, claiming they shouldn't be greased at all. I told them they should be greased up to prevent premature deterioration of the polyurethane, the reply I got was "well there was no copper grease with them". I said to that, that they were a garage and would have had some in the workshop!





And what better way to attach the TCV/BCS but with a cable tie instead of the clip on the side......



Copy of the AA report......



On a foot note, I asked the garage whether they had topped up the PAS fluid because to me it looks rather overfilled, they deny touching this.....



Now it's a case of where I go from here. The garage have claimed they'll put stuff right for me but can I trust them? Probably not. I'm so tempted to do what a lot of you do on here and visit GRN although that's a long way for me to go, particularly in a car that's dodgy although I'm sure Chad would put the car right at some more cost obviously.

I'm thinking of writing back the the garage after I've spoken to Consumer Direct and ask formally for a refund to cover my costs for rectification work. I've only got the hire car until Tuesday morning and I'm working Monday and Tuesday night. What a headache!

Ok, so let's see what your reactions are to this first of all and I'd be particularly interested to read reactions from well respected Volvo specialists who may be reading this also.

James

[LiamT4]

Nothing worse than taking your car somewhere to get things fixed and having it come back worse than before.

I always give people a second chance to put things right though, hopefully they will do better 2nd time around........then i'd find somewhere else to go.

[Biff]

What a mare! Hope you get it sorted soon. You must've had a belly full by now.

[silverhorse]

[claymore]

Lol, and so it continues.

[JamesT5]

What a mare! Hope you get it sorted soon. You must've had a belly full by now.

This time it's not so much the car, it's the people!

[JamesT5]

Nothing worse than taking your car somewhere to get things fixed and having it come back worse than before.

I always give people a second chance to put things right though, hopefully they will do better 2nd time around........then i'd find somewhere else to go.

That's what I was thinking. I've managed to scratch around for some Torx 25 screws and changed them for the 10mm bolts they'd shoved in the screw holes. I've managed to rebolt the rad fan housing back in to place now so at least the screw side is sorted. Now how hard was that? Perhaps I should set myself up as a Volvo Specialist...... no hang on, on second thoughts...

[theflyingbrick]

when people ask me why I do all the work myself I find myself telling them a story like this!! id go back in to the garage demand it put right and ask for a full tank of fuel to compensate for what you've lost through the leak.

[stephenevans99]

Firstly, good to see you back James

I know the correct thing to do would give the 'Specialist' the opportunity to put things right, BUT I certainly wouldn't want my car anywhere near that garage again if it were mine. Not sure how realistic it would be to expect the 'Specialist' garage to refund the cost of another garage rectifying the faults - although this would be my preferred way forward.

It's a cr@p situation to be in & I feel sorry for you, but I wouldn't be taking my car back - I'd be seeking a partial refund.

[jdavis]

Firstly - welcome back

Thats shocking workmanship mate. Definately go back and seevthem. Write everything down that you are not happy with and get them to rectify it. Horror stories like these are why I try and do as much as I can myself.

[MoleT-5R]

There's a lot to be said for taking your so called specialist, if I did, I'd want recommendations from over similar vehicle owners, glad I have the facilities to carry out the work for myself, only one person to blame if it all goes tits up

[Wobbly Dave]

you have to give the trader a fair chance to fix the issues.

[MoleT-5R]

you have to give the trader a fair chance to fix the issues.

and you would have to notify him if you where still unhappy with the work carried out and where going to get another garage to fix there problems and be looking for repayment from them to cover the cost of correcting the repairs, it is likely to be a long and uncertain affair

[stephenevans99]

I think the important factor here also is that payment was made in cash....ouch. Credit Cards EVERY time !! At least you have some extra protection in form of opening a dispute.

[JUDGENINJA]

That is bad... I can sometimes understand a bolt missing, as we've all finished something with that one extra bolt! But to actually damage it or not do things up fully. That is just wrong!

Unfortunately I believe for any claim you make to the small claims court would arbitrate that you must give the garage the opportunity to put things right. Take a concise list if each item you've found to be clear in what you expect from them, including a list of parts.

[LeeT5]

I agree with Ninja ^^^^.

For a garage to be 'Specialist' in a particular make, then they need to have first hand, knowledge and lots of experience working on that particular make and more over, a technician that came from a Dealer as a master tech. Sounds to me like you had the Citroen specialist work on your car because the Volvo specialist was on holiday!

Bad luck dude. You must allow the garage to put things right AND i would seek compensation, else take him to court. You already have the evidence.

[M-R-P]

Unbelievable!

How can a business do work like that and expect to get away with it?

There's nothing I can add that's not already been added mate.

I have spare screws for most of the engine fittings, so if you need anything just let me know and I'll get it in the post asap.

[oblark]

The condition your came back in doesn`t surprice me as garage these days are just interested in get cars in and out as some as possible.

Don`t get me wrong they are some good garages out there, you just need to find one.

Me personally would do the work myself as my car has never been in a garage.

[smithy]

This is why I do all my work myself because I cannot trust garages to do the work to my standard .sorry most garages that is .

[graemewelch]

http://www.vpcuk.org/forums/showthre...t-huddersfield

i used these guys when i got my clutch sorted. only a small outfit with two very knoldgeable guys. very resonably priced. good crack to. you know they have nothing to hide when you can sit in there work shop and watch them at work. for me a specialest only works on one make of car. like the volvo specialist only works on volvos. i wouldnt hesatate to use these guys again, mabe next time ill introduce the two bucket method