Garage bent my valves during a cambelt change - advice please

I would hope that a good mechanic could rebuild them properly given the right equipment, parts and conditions, trouble is that this does not exist outside the factory IME

The ones that do attempt rebuilds in the average garage are usually just average untrained mechanix with big boots on, that for some reason believe they can carry out work that in the factory is done by men in white coats in dust free and super conditions.

I maintain that all the ones I have ever seen are : leaky, don't run right, have damaged pieces or fasteners, noisy or just 'not quite right' (pick any one you like)

Factory engines are completely different.

Mrcheerful

What 'special equipment' do you need to remove and replace a cylinder head? Of course you need special equipment to overhaul a damaged one - but this is machine shop work, not garage stuff.

Quite possibly - but that just confirms the appalling state of the UK garage trade. It's not a *principle* as you suggest.

Yes - bodgers everywhere. Main dealers being no better.

Very few supply re-cons these days. You'd have to buy new from most.

Got the car back last Thursday after the garge had it for 5 weeks. They told me they had to put a new battery in as the old one had gone dead. The following Wednesday, after filling with pertol, the car would not start and I had to get a jump start. Next day it just about started but I noticed warning lights for service, airbag and antilock brakes(?) were lit. Phoned the garge and they came and took it a way for a look on Friday (today). Phoned me later today to say it needs a new alternator and because it is nothing to do with the original fault I have to pay. So just a coincidence? Noticed whilst getting the jump start a wiring harness holder bolt sheared off on the engine block, covers not replaced and wires not attached to holders. Bear in mind this car has given us 7 years of fault free motoring, regularly serviced etc.

I told the garge I am taking legal advice and will get back to them. What would you do?

This is exactly as I predicted. My advice is the same, out it or burn it.

Mrcheerful

Sounds like they might not have replaced the wires properly. Also sounds like it might not have needed the new battery. I wouldn't let them do any more work. Did you get any costs/compensation for lack of use etc?

First off I'd wonder what a "garge" was. Secondly I'd give them 7 days to fix everything to OE standards and then I'd take it to a main dealer, get them to check everything out and rebuild it properly and sue the original 'garge' for the cost. What you'll actually do is get fobbed off with temporary fixes until you've lost the will to live and write it off to experience. You'll then sell it at a loss and start again with another car. It might make you feel better having a moan on here but only 1 in 100 people actually enforce their rights through the courts because it's too much hassle. You'll just join the ranks of the browbeaten and defeated same as everyone else. What you should have done is have an independent expert supervise the repairs from the start but it's too late for that now.

Sory forr me spilling mistoke. I was not having a moan, I was asking for advice. I have gone through the small claims procedure successfully before. It's not too much hasssle especially when you can do it on-line nowerdays. I may take your advice and send the garge a registered letter asking them to repair the car or I'll take them to small claims.

To adder1969, they gave us a courtesey car whilst they carried out the 'repairs'.

Thank you

I'm not surprised. Very few if any modern cars can be left without running for 5 weeks without the battery going flat - unless it was disconnected. And I'll bet they didn't bother until they got round to doing the job, which is a matter of hours (continuously) rather than weeks.

They want to charge me =A3230 to replace the alternator since they say it is nothing to do with the cambelt problem. To recap, they bent the valves whilst changing the cambelt, the engine and gearbox was removed, new valves, guides, valves reground etc. 5 days after getting the car back I experience difficult starting and need a few jump starts. The car did the same journeys the week before the valve job (early morning, late night, with lights on) with no problems/warning lights.

It may not be possible to give a wholly accurate answer. My opinion would be that the time it spent waiting at the garage caused the battery to fail. The alternator would then have been at full output for most of the time, trying to keep the dying battery charged. This should not have killed the alternator, but if it was near the end of its life it may have been enough to finish it off. The truth is really that you will never know.

Whatever, the one thing I would be sure of is that the garage you have been using should never get another penny of your money!

Chris

If it's them, then it's far more likely they've damaged the loom. If it's the alternator then you may well just be having extreme bad luck.

Maybe they priced the alternator job high purposely hoping you will go elsewhere and so muddy the water when it comes to blame re possible damage to the loom while they sorted the engine.

I don't think you're understanding this, are you? The garage is a crap unqualified garage. You need a dealer or *proper* approved garage to fix the faults, with the current crappy unqualified garage invoiced for the charges. This is why you need more than just an online small claims application!

I am understaning it. We have other quotes from other garages for the alternator, some of which are higher and some lower than the original garage. The original garage will not be doing this work (they are a large Suzuki garage).

I thank you for your reply but please tell me what to say to the magistrate when asked "why I sent the bill for the alternator repair to the original garage" i.e. what is my proof that they caused the alternator to fail? My current reply is: it is a bit conincidental that it suddenly failed whilst in their care: it was working fine the day before they had it: they are incompetent (as proven by their attempt at replacing the cambelt and bending the valves) and so could have caused its failure during the removal of the engine/gearbox: they damaged a loom retaining clip - bolt sheared off: the battery also coincidentally failed.

If I do not use small claims and send the original garage the bill for the alternator I feel they will simply bin it. So if not small claims what else?

Thank you

Can you prove that they damaged the alternator , coincidences do happen so does wear and tear , its not unusaul for a failing component to expire when removed this is not the garages fault .

Just because they bent the valves does not make them incompetent , it means the mechanic or other employee made a mistake which i assume the garage has rectified

Why? What do the mechanics at a dealer or "proper approved garage" have that you can't get elsewhere?

I am suggesting that given the fact they caused a highly damaging event to occur through sheer incompetence, it is safe to nearly wholly assume that the alternator didn't just pack in. The job on the engine they fixed really wont be as perfect as the engine was before more than likely, so they've caused yourself a right royal time attempting to 'sort it out'; only to possibly shaft you again. Some garages just employ monkeys who have very minimal - or no - qualifications.

If you're not willing to get a lawyer or solicitor at this stage, then yes small claims is the way forward. Lawyers do cost a mint at times, so I do empathise with your choice at the current time.

Thank you for the replies and support. When this is resolved I will post teh results and hopefully this will help other people who I know will find themselves in similar situations.

Woke this morning thinking about the problem. When I took the car the to the garage for the cambelt repair I parked it in their car park. They were able to start it ok and drive it into their work bay. They did the repair and were able to start the engine again ok after the cambelt repair; the fact the timing was wrong and the valves were crunched when they started it after the cambelt change is another matter. Somehow whilst in their 'care' it needed a new battery, and then 5 days later it needs a new alternator, as well as some repairs to a sheared off bolt in the engine block (which secures a loom holder).

For others information I will not be paying a solicitor (we have a friend who is a solicitor) because you can not claim for solicitors fees in the small claims procedure - or you can't claim for them to represent you I think). You can claim for time off work, costs in your preparations etc.