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GEM module gone in car

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  • 16-11-2009 11:13am
    #1
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭


    Folks,

    Bought a car 2nd hand 1 month ago. Noticed last week that the wipers were coming on when we werent near the car - posted about it here looking for advice.

    Dropped it into the garage and was told that the GEM module is gone and needs to be replaced which will cost over €350 and also the car had to be coded at a price of €100.

    Now should this be covered under the warranty of the car since the guy we bought it off said if anything went wrong he'd cover it, or is this just something that happens?


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    #2
    ford jedi
    Registered Users Posts: 283 ✭✭ford jedi


    been a gem model i take it is a focus?


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    #3
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    ford jedi wrote: »
    been a gem model i take it is a focus?

    Yep its a 1.6 diesel hatch - 05


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    #4
    Anan1
    Registered Users Posts: 22,818 ✭✭✭✭Anan1


    The warranty document you got when you bought the car will specify what is/isn't covered and for how long.


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    #5
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    Anan1 wrote: »
    The warranty document you got when you bought the car will specify what is/isn't covered and for how long.

    Anan the car was bought 2nd hand and there was no document. It was word of mouth from the seller who was selling the car. I know him pretty well but just wanted to know if this is something that normally goes in the car or should it have been looked at or known to the guy selling it.


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    #6
    Anan1
    Registered Users Posts: 22,818 ✭✭✭✭Anan1


    whitelightrider wrote: »
    Anan the car was bought 2nd hand and there was no document. It was word of mouth from the seller who was selling the car. I know him pretty well but just wanted to know if this is something that normally goes in the car or should it have been looked at or known to the guy selling it.
    Was the car bought privately or from a dealer? It's the kind of thing that could go at any time, so I wouldn't blame the seller for not having predicted it. Without any sort of a written warranty i'd imagine you're at the mercy of the seller's goodwill re repairing it, though.


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    #7
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    Anan1 wrote: »
    Was the car bought privately or from a dealer? It's the kind of thing that could go at any time, so I wouldn't blame the seller for not having predicted it. Without any sort of a written warranty i'd imagine you're at the mercy of the seller's goodwill re repairing it, though.

    Privately. It was brought down from the north.
    Thats grand. To be honest I just wanted to know if its a common thing that goes in them. Im going to ask him if he'll put something towards it and see what he says. All he can say is no!
    Its just a lot to have to fork out seeing as she only has the car 1 month and was told that everything was perfect on it.


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    #8
    Bonito
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,399 ✭✭✭Bonito


    whitelightrider wrote: »
    Folks,

    Bought a car 2nd hand 1 month ago. Noticed last week that the wipers were coming on when we werent near the car - posted about it here looking for advice.

    Dropped it into the garage and was told that the GEM module is gone and needs to be replaced which will cost over €350 and also the car had to be coded at a price of €100.

    Now should this be covered under the warranty of the car since the guy we bought it off said if anything went wrong he'd cover it, or is this just something that happens?
    dont be too hasty about paying that! same thing happened when my sis bought her 04 focus,they said it was the GEM module and it wasnt going to be covered under the 3 month warranty they gave her. She brought it to a local mechanic and he said they were lying through their teeth to rip her off and only her fuse was gone,he replaced the fuse and she's had no problems since then with it :) so if i were you i'd get a second opinion,and if it does turn out to be the GEM module try for a better price somewhere else. Unfortunately regarding your warranty if you've no document i dont think you've any come back. Unless you happen to have a recording of your verbal agreement where he says "anything goes wrong you'll be looked after"

    Hope this helps :)


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    #9
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    Hey Bonito - too late Im afraid. Theyre putting in the module as I type. Actually they just have it in. €440 for the part and labour. He said that the GEM module was corroded and thats what was causing the problem. They replaced the module so all should be working now.

    Fingers crossed this will be the last problem with the car for her.


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    #10
    Bonito
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,399 ✭✭✭Bonito


    whitelightrider wrote: »
    Hey Bonito - too late Im afraid. Theyre putting in the module as I type. Actually they just have it in. €440 for the part and labour. He said that the GEM module was corroded and thats what was causing the problem. They replaced the module so all should be working now.

    Fingers crossed this will be the last problem with the car for her.
    Well if it's corroded tell him you want the broken part back,if it's genuinely corroded and needed replacing he'll have no problem giving you the old part,that way you can decide for yourself whether the work was needed or not,and if you do have further problems with the wipers i'd demand full refund of him changing the GEM module as per it was unnessecary work carried out.

    All the best :)


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    #11
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    Another bloody problem!

    Got the GEM module sorted in the car and its been running fine for the last 2 weeks.

    My wife just called to say the cars broken down. She said the steering wheel got very heavy, the handbrake and ABS light came on the dash board, her indicators wouldnt work. When she pulled over and tried to start the engine again it wouldnt start!

    Dont suppose anyone could hazard a guess as to what might be wrong this time?


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    #12
    Moanin
    Registered Users Posts: 2,133 ✭✭✭Moanin


    Could be the alternator is knackered?


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    #13
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    Moanin wrote: »
    Could be the alternator is knackered?

    At this stage I think she is going to hand back the car and get her money back for it. Its cost her almost €500 already and she cant trust it at this stage.


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    #14
    mickdw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,266 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    Could simply be the alternator belt. Thats not something to go handing a car back over.


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    #15
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    Sounds like the alternator or at least an electrical problem.


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    #16
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    mickdw wrote: »
    Could simply be the alternator belt. Thats not something to go handing a car back over.

    Mickdw, first week she had the car the tracking was all off. She paid out to get that fixed. Then the GEM module went. She forked out almost €500 to get that sorted. She was told if there was any issues to get on to the guy that sold it to her and he's sort it out. Now the car is after breaking down on the road to Ballinasloe and we couldnt get through to the mechanic. Sorry but I think in the few weeks she's had the car, with all these problems, she's entitled to not trust that its not going to keel over again.


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    #17
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    Confab wrote: »
    Sounds like the alternator or at least an electrical problem.

    Hiya Confab. The car was in Motorpark 2 weeks ago and had a diagnostic test run on it before the GEM module was replaced. They said nothing else came up on the diagnostic test bas the GEM module issue.


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    #18
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    whitelightrider wrote: »
    Mickdw, first week she had the car the tracking was all off. She paid out to get that fixed. Then the GEM module went. She forked out almost €500 to get that sorted. She was told if there was any issues to get on to the guy that sold it to her and he's sort it out. Now the car is after breaking down on the road to Ballinasloe and we couldnt get through to the mechanic. Sorry but I think in the few weeks she's had the car, with all these problems, she's entitled to not trust that its not going to keel over again.

    Did you buy it with the tracking not set right?


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    #19
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    Confab wrote: »
    Did you buy it with the tracking not set right?

    No. When we test drove the car it was perfect. Drove in a straight line and was perfect. When the car was delivered and she drove it during the week, it pulled to the left, and when you hit the brakes it pulled to the left alot.


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    #20
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    And here's the latest - The mechanic is saying that because Motorpark changed the GEM module - they caused this problem and its down to them to fix it :eek:

    What a load of crap.


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    #21
    mickdw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,266 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    What happened when you contacted the seller to get him to cover some of the cost of GEM unit? Did he give anything?
    If this is another electrical module, I would be getting worried. If its a belt or even the alternator, well its all money but can happen.
    What age is the car? Did the tracking cure the pulling problem?
    I hope the car didnt take a swim at any stage.


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    #22
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    OP if you bought the car privately AFAIK you have no comeback to the seller. Funny though, the car tracking left AND pulling to the left on braking, electrical problems, module corrosion... the car taking a swim might not be too far off the mark as mickdw mentioned.


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    #23
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    mickdw wrote: »
    What happened when you contacted the seller to get him to cover some of the cost of GEM unit? Did he give anything?
    If this is another electrical module, I would be getting worried. If its a belt or even the alternator, well its all money but can happen.
    What age is the car? Did the tracking cure the pulling problem?
    I hope the car didnt take a swim at any stage.

    Hiya Mick,

    Nope, no swimming. One of the good points of living near the top of a hill!
    Nope, never got back to us about covering any of the costs of the GEM module.
    Ive contacted Motorpark to see if they can shed any light on what the problem may be so am waiting on them to get back to me.
    I know things can go wrong in a car but its just strange that theyve gone wrong in the length of time she has it.


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    #24
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    Confab wrote: »
    OP if you bought the car privately AFAIK you have no comeback to the seller. Funny though, the car tracking left AND pulling to the left on braking, electrical problems, module corrosion... the car taking a swim might not be too far off the mark as mickdw mentioned.

    Surely there has to be some rights for the buyer?
    Once the tracking was sorted the car drove perfectly until the GEM module issue. Then that got fixed and all of a sudden this problem.


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    #25
    Nonoperational
    Registered Users Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭Nonoperational


    Not the slightest chance that the seller will take the car back and there is really very little you can do about it. Hopefully the problem is related to the GEM and the garage will fix it free.


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    #26
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    It would seriously make you think about buying a 2nd hand car privately. At least with a garage you have some kind of warranty with it.


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    #27
    jetfiremuck
    Registered Users Posts: 3,466 ✭✭✭jetfiremuck


    The Gem module may be unrelated to the current issue. Time to get back to basics. Have the battery load tested, then the alternator. Then check battery cables and connections that they are tight. Then proceed to other tests It will save money in the long run.


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    #28
    slimjimmc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,787 ✭✭✭slimjimmc


    whitelightrider wrote: »
    Surely there has to be some rights for the buyer?
    Once the tracking was sorted the car drove perfectly until the GEM module issue. Then that got fixed and all of a sudden this problem.

    The only consumer rights you have with a private seller are that the car must not be dangerous when sold and that it must be as described.

    If the seller doesn't mention an non-dangerous defect and you don't ask then tough, caveat emptor.


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    #29
    mickdw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,266 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    whitelightrider wrote: »
    Hiya Mick,

    Nope, no swimming. One of the good points of living near the top of a hill!

    I meant that it might have been flooded when previous owner had it!

    It would be a long shot at this stage but if it is a case that you start to find a few different electronic units having undue corrosion, well then it would be a possibility.


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