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My recently purchased Renault Laguna diesel estate was such a responsive car and a delight to drive until one afternoon it spluttered to a halt. The green flag man told me that it looked like a fuel problem and suggested that he transport my car the forty or so miles back home on the back of his lorry.
Later that week I placed my lifeless Laguna in the safe hands of my local electro diesel specialist garage. I will have it sorted out in a couple of days mate said the mechanic. Great I thought, a couple of days off work would suite me fine.
So I waited a couple of days and then walked over to the garage and I was advised that the problem was actually the heater plugs. No problem I thought, I won't need to re-mortgage the house to pay the bill.
I telephoned the next day to see if I could have my car back and it was around about then that I entered the twilight world of rip-off garages. The mechanic had APPARENTLY found further faults in the following order. The flywheel sensor needed replacing, the MAS air intake sensor needed replacing, the ECU needed repairing, the fuel pump was damaged beyond repair and it will have to be replaced with a new one.
Five weeks later I got a bit miffed with the garage and so I said that I wanted the car back in seven days either working properly or in the same condition that it was when I gave it to them. They told me to collect the invoice and my car on the following Tuesday and that they would telephone me when the car was ready. I did not receive a telephone call and so I went to the garage on the Wednesday, just so that it would absolutely be ready for me to pick up.
When I was shown the invoice for the work carried out I could not believe my eyes. The bill was £1,300.00 and the invoice stated that they could not fix the ECU properly so they were only charging me £309.00 for that! The mechanic said that would not be charging me for removing the security immobilizer from the car! After contemplating telling the mechanic where to stick his bill I though I better check the car first.
When I checked the car I noticed that the fuel pump was a second hand one and that when I started the car the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree with flashing lights. The mechanic said that he could stop the lights flashing by removing the bulbs! When I told the mechanic that I thought the car was not ready to go back on the road, he said that it was my fault because I did not collect it the day before!
I decided to teach the garage a lesson in life and sued their butts off. When they received the County Court letter they advised me that if I don't withdraw my claim they would tell the judge that they found illegal fuel in my fuel tank! I called the H.M Customs and excise to investigate their claim. Within an hour they (customs) called me back to inform that despite a thorough investigation they could not find any illegal fuel in my car!
The garage has since offered to tear up their invoice so long as I don't talk about what they have put me through and to withdraw my legal action. Every meeting that I have had with them has been recorded on my MP3 player including the time he suggested that the best cure for my cars problems would be a match a gallon of petrol and blow it up.
To date they have had my car for FIVE MONTHS.
I was thinking of selling tickets for the court case that will be on the 13 March, but I think I will have more fun writing an account of what happened in court when the day comes.
By: Royboywales
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I would not touch a modern car with a bargepole, cat convertor, sensors, ECU, etc.they are far too complicated, and this "fly by wire" nonsense where the throttle etc is controlled by the ECU is crazy. What's wrong with a cable?
Try running a kit car made from something like a MK2 Escort, compared to modern cars they have the complexity of a knife and fork and you can do your own repairs and servicing if you wish.
I have never in all my life come upon a garage that can be trusted, but there must be some out there.
Kevin (16/04 With engine rebuild issues) Incorrect timing can damage pistons and big ends. Detonation occurs when ignition is too early in the stroke, putting excess stress on the aluminium of the piston, and cracking it. Big ends are the next weak link in the chain, as the con rods are normally heavy grade forged steel, and the bearings are copper or steel coated with white metal. With modern cars relying on the firing of the spark to also control fuel injection also, the resultant fuel wash in the bores would also wear the soft pistons excessively. Please people, do some research before just having a go at mechanics. Just yesterday at the main dealer where I work, I had to look at a car with a number of running faults, and it was decided that the engine noise required the full cam belt, tensioner, and guide rollers, possibly water pump aswell, and the running fault was diagnosed as the main engine ECU. Total bill to be around 1200 quid, with other issues on top of that to sort out. I advised the customer not to have the work done, and source a replacement vehicle, paying us just the blanket diagnosis charge of £59.95 (Not bad for 1.5 hours stripping a fuel tank/cambelt covers etc) So we are not all dishonest you see!
The Service Manager immediately said he would get the body shop to phone me and book it in to be repaired - never heard from him again.
Contacted the Customer Serviced Dept and they phoned me and said that they had spoken to the Service Manager at the Renault Garage in Shirley, Solihull and he was going to phone me - still have not heard anything. It is now approx 30 days since I have the first service on my car and no one has contacted me to repair the damaged they caused. The car is 1 year old and has only done 2,000 miles!
I have now written to the Service Director - we will see if that does the trick- if not looks like solicitors will have to step in. I advise anyone not to go to that Renault Garage to have your car serviced - they are just not interested in your car only your money!
the garage has had my car since 6th March 2008 and still has It to date 16th April 2008, I asked for a reconditioned engine,they claim the Ignition timing is at fault and caused the big ends and pistons to go thus bumping up the price.
I know that ignition timing does not do this and they are trying to buff me off, I suspect it was a problem with the oil pump which will be supplied with the reconditioned engine. I havent paid for the repairs but just wondering if I should under protest, It will be a fight to get the money back.
MikeP
I'm most cases the original poster is quite capable of making himself look stupid without any help from the peanut gallery.
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