Garage changed clutch on Friday. Gearbox blows up on Tuesday. Not taking liability

RangeR

Looking for some much needed assistance on this one as I just can't accept that the two items are NOT linked. Co-incidences don't happen half as many times as people think they do.

Last week, I booked in my Bravo 1.2 to have the clutch changed as it was continually slipping. Garage [don't want to name them just yet] did the job and picked up the car on Saturday. Didn't use the car much over the weekend. drove to work on Tuesday and the car felt like it was pulling heavily to one side some of the time. not pulling like tracking issue but like a heavy wind.

On my way home on Tuesday night, there were a lot of noises coming from under the bonnet. Like metal rubbing off metal. Drove all the way home, afraid to do more than 40 KPH, hazards in the hard shoulder. You may have seen me on the N7.

Anywho, I nearly made it home to but the car finally gave one last crunch and I lost all drive about 5 minutes from home. Clutch was fully depressed and wouldn't release. The car had just enough forward momentum just to get up on the kerb, out of the way of the traffic. Oil started leaking out from underneath. Not much, maybe about 250 ml. Recovery guy said it smelled like gear fluid when he popped the bonnet.

Vehicle Recovery brought it to same garage the yesterday morning. This morning the garage said that the gearbox is gone and they want €250 for a second hand one or €500 for a new one. They won't charge labour. I told them no. They added a new clutch on Friday and now the car is knackered. Garage wouldn't budge and said that what they did on Friday had nothing to do with the gearbox going.

I'm not a mechanic.I know nothing about cars other than they move to where I tell them to. I don't know if what they told me holds water. I want to get a second and maybe third opinion. If the clutch and gearbox have nothing to do with each other, fine. I'll pay the money. I just really don't think that's the case.

I would really welcome all informed comments.

Berty

Whatever the Garage did or didn't do cannot be overcome by you driving the car with a known issue.

If you took this further, like small claims court you would be slated for perpetuating the problem further by continuing to drive.

I'll let somebody else comment on the engine bits because I also know nothing about it.

DonJose

RangeR wrote: »

Vehicle Recovery brought it to same garage the yesterday morning. This morning the garage said that the gearbox is gone and they want 50 for a second hand one or €500 for a new one. They won't charge labour. I told them no. They added a new clutch on Friday and now the car is knackered. Garage wouldn't budge and said that what they did on Friday had nothing to do with the gearbox going.

So how far did you drive with your car screaming out in pain. I think the garage are being very considerate, not charging labour on a issue that might not have been their fault. €50 to get a gearbox fitted, I'd snap their hand off.

Darsad

Car pulling to one side after a clutch replacement on a Fiat has been known to happen and can be caused by the diff moving out of line during the removal or fitting and can only be cured by fitting a new diff and bearings and setting it up properly . If this is what happened then the question is is it the garages fault hard to say as it probably would have happened no matter who did the clutch. What they are offering sounds pretty fair to me considering the extra damage you probably caused by continuing to drive.

RangeR

DonJose wrote: »

So how far did you drive with your car screaming out in pain. I think the garage are being very considerate, not charging labour on a issue that might not have been their fault. €50 to get a gearbox fitted, I'd snap their hand off.

Sorry. Don't know what I was thinking. It was €250 for a second hand gearbox. I've edited op.

Yawns

Don't think there's too much you can expect them to do as you continued to drive knowing there was something wrong. If they aren't charging labour I'd stump up the cash for the part and let them do it. Put it down to experience tbh. If something is still wrong when a garage fixes it, ring them and bring it back. Then you have a great standing when / if it goes to a small claims court etc.

Driving whilst knowing there is a problem is just silly.

It does sound the garage did something wrong but as said before you drove it disregarding the symptoms until destruction.

TBH 50 is a *very* good price to get all of the work done. If I was you I'd let them do the work.

Edit. Just saw your edit. 250 is quite a bit more alright.

niallb

Sounds to me like the offer of fitting a second hand gearbox for €50 is a good one.
They're not accepting responsibility, but they're sorting you out pretty well at the same time. If you want them to accept responsibility, it'll take time and it'll cost you a lot more.
€50 would be gone pretty quick on transport while the car is off the road anyway!

RangeR

Guys,

Please check again. Offer was €250 for second hand gearbox. Mistake noticed early and changed.

JHMEG

Darsad wrote: »

Car pulling to one side after a clutch replacement on a Fiat has been known to happen and can be caused by the diff moving out of line during the removal or fitting and can only be cured by fitting a new diff and bearings and setting it up properly . If this is what happened then the question is is it the garages fault hard to say as it probably would have happened no matter who did the clutch. What they are offering sounds pretty fair to me considering the extra damage you probably caused by continuing to drive.

Is there anything that can be done after doing a clutch job to verify the differential is still in line? If it's found to be out, can it be rectified?