Hi,
Wonder if anyone can help.
My car (Renault Scenic) broke down 2 weeks ago .. got it recovered and it went to my local Renault dealer who told me that the clutch (and concentic slave?) needed replacing - at a quote of £1,100.
Car 5 years old so a garage was recommended to me by someone at work. Called, got a quote of £490. Got them to pick the car up. Had a call later to tell me that the dual mass flywheel needed replacing so bumped cost up to £1,000. Told them to go ahead and asked them to check there were no other problems.
Got train to go and collect the car, as agreed. Called them at 4.00pm to say just walking from the station, they told me they weren't quite ready - still bleeding it and needed another hour. Got a call back 15 mins later to say they couldn't get a pedal and car would not be ready as they would have to strip the gearbox down again and it was a difficult job.
Car ready two days later .. got the train over (on a Saturday) again ... arrived, paid for the work, got in the car, went to drive off and the clutch was sticking. Called them to my car, they took it back into workshop, they said they needed to bleed it some more. An hour later, they seemed to be not doing much and they then told me it's a self adjusting clutch so needs time to self adjust. I went home .. car had developed a vibration and a clonk. Refused to drive the car .. contacted the garage - the owner called me who was concerned (and apparently was not around at the time of the repairs) and he offered to come and pick the car up and take it back into the workshop.
In the meantime, I took the car into Renault for them to visually inspect the work. They called me in last night to say:
1) gearbox drive shaft seals are leaking - these should have been replaced, especially when paying over £1,000;
2) metal bracket has been bent and is not fitted correctly - I could see that without my mechanical background
3) grey plastic/metal repair adhesive applied to Gearbox casing
4) clutch pedal sticking and not returning correctly
The car has gone back to the garage this morning (clutch garage) and I am trying to get an answer out of them - I gave them the above report. I have no doubt that they will not agree that they did the gearbox damage but I am in no doubt that they did:
I have had the car for 3 years .. all work has been done by Renault and I have had no work at all done on the clutch or gearbox area. The clutch taken out was the original Renault one. Renault said the adhesive looks new. Plus, when the car went to Renault after breaking down they looked the car over fully and gave me a quote - the concentive slave/clutch were mentioned but the gearbox was not mentioned. When I took it to the clutch centre, they mentioned no existing damage to the gearbox .. surely they would have seen it - I had specifically asked them to check the car over fully before ringing me. I stood under the car and underneath the leaking seals and the bent bracket it's a big blob of adhesive and impossible to miss.
Problem is .. they will no doubt say it's nothing to do with them and I am stuck without a car. I live 25 miles from work, we have one car only and no money to be able to replace a gear box (have paid £2,000 for the clutch, brakes etc. in the last few months).
Can anyone give me some guidance on what to do ... I am waiting for the garage to call me back but am feeling quite sick with worry.
Many thanks,
Wonder if anyone can help.
My car (Renault Scenic) broke down 2 weeks ago .. got it recovered and it went to my local Renault dealer who told me that the clutch (and concentic slave?) needed replacing - at a quote of £1,100.
Car 5 years old so a garage was recommended to me by someone at work. Called, got a quote of £490. Got them to pick the car up. Had a call later to tell me that the dual mass flywheel needed replacing so bumped cost up to £1,000. Told them to go ahead and asked them to check there were no other problems.
Got train to go and collect the car, as agreed. Called them at 4.00pm to say just walking from the station, they told me they weren't quite ready - still bleeding it and needed another hour. Got a call back 15 mins later to say they couldn't get a pedal and car would not be ready as they would have to strip the gearbox down again and it was a difficult job.
Car ready two days later .. got the train over (on a Saturday) again ... arrived, paid for the work, got in the car, went to drive off and the clutch was sticking. Called them to my car, they took it back into workshop, they said they needed to bleed it some more. An hour later, they seemed to be not doing much and they then told me it's a self adjusting clutch so needs time to self adjust. I went home .. car had developed a vibration and a clonk. Refused to drive the car .. contacted the garage - the owner called me who was concerned (and apparently was not around at the time of the repairs) and he offered to come and pick the car up and take it back into the workshop.
In the meantime, I took the car into Renault for them to visually inspect the work. They called me in last night to say:
1) gearbox drive shaft seals are leaking - these should have been replaced, especially when paying over £1,000;
2) metal bracket has been bent and is not fitted correctly - I could see that without my mechanical background
3) grey plastic/metal repair adhesive applied to Gearbox casing
4) clutch pedal sticking and not returning correctly
The car has gone back to the garage this morning (clutch garage) and I am trying to get an answer out of them - I gave them the above report. I have no doubt that they will not agree that they did the gearbox damage but I am in no doubt that they did:
I have had the car for 3 years .. all work has been done by Renault and I have had no work at all done on the clutch or gearbox area. The clutch taken out was the original Renault one. Renault said the adhesive looks new. Plus, when the car went to Renault after breaking down they looked the car over fully and gave me a quote - the concentive slave/clutch were mentioned but the gearbox was not mentioned. When I took it to the clutch centre, they mentioned no existing damage to the gearbox .. surely they would have seen it - I had specifically asked them to check the car over fully before ringing me. I stood under the car and underneath the leaking seals and the bent bracket it's a big blob of adhesive and impossible to miss.
Problem is .. they will no doubt say it's nothing to do with them and I am stuck without a car. I live 25 miles from work, we have one car only and no money to be able to replace a gear box (have paid £2,000 for the clutch, brakes etc. in the last few months).
Can anyone give me some guidance on what to do ... I am waiting for the garage to call me back but am feeling quite sick with worry.
Many thanks,