My mates vectraC 2.0td made a big bang noise yesterday and the EML came on.
So this morning he took it to vx dealer, apparently harmony wheel (whatever one of them is, something to stop vibration) had disentigrated......so vx dealer attempt to change it......they have problems trying to undo a bolt....1st airgun isnt undoing it.......so they try a bigger airgun......still wont undo. So next they try different ypes of levers on it........they succeed......hooray!

The unbelieveable bit is they stick on the bill £50 for breaking two tools trying to undo it!!!
He argues about paying for them breaking the tools.....gets told unless you do we wont release the car back to you!! So he pays.......not happy!  >:( He's taking this further........who ever heard of that one before!!

Never heard of charging tools as "Consumerbles"

All the time my dad had his dealership he never charged a customer for us having to buy a "special" tool, it was just part of the job, if you took it on

he shouldnt have paid, he should have asked for a head office number on the spot

never heard of that before .Someone should be looking for a new job, me thinks

Did he get to keep the broken tools that he paid for? :o

I've heard it all now. You break tools by using the wrong one for the job, not the customer's fault!  :o

How can a main dealer not have the right tools to do a job?

Kevin

Taxi Driver wrote on 14. Mar 2008 at 15:56:

My mates vectraC 2.0td made a big bang noise yesterday and the EML came on. So this morning he took it to vx dealer, apparently harmony wheel (whatever one of them is, something to stop vibration) had disentigrated......so vx dealer attempt to change it......they have problems trying to undo a bolt....1st airgun isnt undoing it.......so they try a bigger airgun......still wont undo. So next they try different ypes of levers on it........they succeed......hooray! The unbelieveable bit is they stick on the bill £50 for breaking two tools trying to undo it!!! He argues about paying for them breaking the tools.....gets told unless you do we wont release the car back to you!! So he pays.......not happy!  >:( He's taking this further........who ever heard of that one before!!

most decent professional tools come with a lifetime guarantee

Quote:

most decent professional tools come with a lifetime guarantee

Good point. And it they're using cheap sh!t that doesn't why should the customer pay?

Then again, does a lifetime guarantee cover tools "extended" with a 6' scaffold pole with a Wookie hanging off the end?

Kevin

Kevin Wood wrote on 14. Mar 2008 at 16:35:

Quote: most decent professional tools come with a lifetime guarantee Good point. And it they're using cheap sh!t that doesn't why should the customer pay? Then again, does a lifetime guarantee cover tools "extended" with a 6' scaffold pole with a Wookie hanging off the end? Kevin

only use scaff poles when you run out of penetrating oil

But what is the life expectancy of a wookie ?

JonArgraig wrote on 14. Mar 2008 at 16:39:

But what is the life expectancy of a wookie ?

Dunno. They're 'kin heavy even when dead but you have to cable tie them to the scaffold pole. ;D

Kevin

Danny wrote on 14. Mar 2008 at 15:59:

he shouldnt have paid, he should have asked for a head office number on the spot

Agreed, and made the call in front of them...

They shouldn't be using a bloody airtool on the crank in the first place!

Bunch of fecking monkeys.

I heard earlier my mate went into another vx branch (owned by same dealership).......told the service manager what had happened and who should he complain to.....

That service manager went off his head, at my m8 getting charged for the other garage breaking tools........the service manager then phoned the other branch....spoke to the service manager there.........and apparently the conversation went.......

What the feck are you playing at......charging customers coz you break tools doing a job.......you carnt go ripping customers off........get your fecking act together.......

And yes apparently he did swear at the other service manager, not very professional in front of a customer, but highly amusing!!  ;D

Then he told my m8......not to worry about it.....he'd get the area manager involved to get him a refund  :y

Taxi Driver wrote on 14. Mar 2008 at 22:41:

I heard earlier my mate went into another vx branch (owned by same dealership).......told the service manager what had happened and who should he complain to..... That service manager went off his head, at my m8 getting charged for the other garage breaking tools........the service manager then phoned the other branch....spoke to the service manager there.........and apparently the conversation went....... What the feck are you playing at......charging customers coz you break tools doing a job.......you carnt go ripping customers off........get your fecking act together....... And yes apparently he did swear at the other service manager, not very professional in front of a customer, but highly amusing!!  ;D Then he told my m8......not to worry about it.....he'd get the area manager involved to get him a refund  :y

I suggest your mate re-visits the original garage, on the off chance that the phone might not have even been answered at the other end

Marks DTM Calib wrote on 14. Mar 2008 at 18:26:

They shouldn't be using a bloody airtool on the crank in the first place! Bunch of fecking monkeys.

BTW Mark........what is a 'harmony wheel', I heard its summat to stop vibration? .......is this just on diesels? If so do all diesels have them?

And would you expect one to disentigrate on a 53 plate vectraC 106k miles on it??  :-/

Not a harmonic damper, was it? (AKA crank pulley)

Kevin

Kevin Wood wrote on 15. Mar 2008 at 01:23:

Not a harmonic damper, was it? (AKA crank pulley) Kevin

Dunno......my m8 said vx called it a harmony wheel......ive never heard of anything like that.....so could be anything.......dont think if crank pulley broke youd still be able to drive it......which he could. :-/

A harmony (as in hairspray, was it a bird?) damper is a description by somebody who doesn't know what the hell they are talking about, a harmonic damper I could of accepted. The correct title is crankshaft ribbed V belt pulley which is part of the auxiliary aggregate drive


Here is the TIS extract for removal:

Rotate engine 90°

52.   Release crankshaft ribbed V-belt pulley (1)
Note:   2nd mechanic is required
•   Use KM-977-1 or KM-6619 (2) together with KM-956-1

KM-977-1 up to MY 2003 and engine number 17K44148
KM-6619 from MY 2003 and engine number 17K44149 onwards

•   Loosen bolt

•   Remove KM-977-1 or KM-6619 and KM-956-1


You will note the requirement for two mechanics and no mention of any airtools. The two special tools mentioned are two bloody great big levers, one that holds the pulley and the other that connects to the crank bolt.

So the bottom line is, they have tried to cut a corner, failed, buggered some tools up, charged him for it and then done it by the book. I suspect the grease gibbon has bunged it in gear and bunged an air hammer on bolt......and you shouldn;t do that to the likes of cranks which have end float settings and spacers/bearings

Interestingly, I would expect the pulley bolt to round long before any decent quality tool was damaged.