Sent car in to get timing belt replaced...

John_Mc

Hi,

I sent my Ford Focus (2002 1.4l petrol) into a garage to get the timing belt replaced on it on Friday. The mechanic rang me at 4pm that day to tell me something had gone wrong and he provided me with a replacement car.

I was talking to him yesterday and he said that the timing belt slipped off after it was fitted, and that he has no idea why because everything was as it should have been. He said that one of the valves will need to be replaced, and that it is his problem and he'll fix it over the next day or two.

I am concerned that the engine may be permanently damaged, but he denied this. Is there anything I should be looking\listening out for when I get the car back?

Thanks in advance,
John

giant_midget

John_Mc wrote: »

Hi,

I sent my Ford Focus (2002 1.4l petrol) into a garage to get the timing belt replaced on it on Friday. The mechanic rang me at 4pm that day to tell me something had gone wrong and he provided me with a replacement car.

I was talking to him yesterday and he said that the timing belt slipped off after it was fitted, and that he has no idea why because everything was as it should have been. He said that one of the valves will need to be replaced, and that it is his problem and he'll fix it over the next day or two.

I am concerned that the engine may be permanently damaged, but he denied this. Is there anything I should be looking\listening out for when I get the car back?

Thanks in advance,
John

If anything this will be better for you, Fresh new headgasket set and some new valves..I would kind of be happy if you know what i mean.

mickdw

I wouldnt be happy at all. God knows what damage may have been done. If he only does the minimum to get it running half decent, it will never be right.

Leadership

Its a fairly common problem so I would not be overly worried. Many years ago the same happend to me with a transit van and that van clocked up 240,000 miles after the event on same engine.

lucky-colm

jesusinaglanza wrote: »

If anything this will be better for you, Fresh new headgasket set and some new valves..I would kind of be happy if you know what i mean.

Leadership wrote: »

Its a fairly common problem so I would not be overly worried. Many years ago the same happend to me with a transit van and that van clocked up 240,000 miles after the event on same engine.

i wpould not be happy atall:mad:
i doubt that he got away with bending only one valve:eek:
it also says alot about the level of workmanship.

John_Mc

John_Mc wrote: »

I was talking to him yesterday and he said that the timing belt slipped off after it was fitted, and that he has no idea why because everything was as it should have been.

Very strange, timing belt won't slip off if everything is as it should be. Also unless he already has the head off I can't imagine how he knows only one valve is bent. Still he's going to fix it so that's all he can do, if he is a competent and genuine mechanic it will be fine.

kingbrumak

RoverJames wrote: »

competent and genuine mechanic

I think he's already proven his level of competency! I would kick and scream about this one. Get all new internals by a reputable mechanic and bill him for it, if he refuses to pay, a nice solicitors letter in his hand will be very convincing. Just seems like yet another cowboy to me!

Leadership

Talk about hang him out dry!!!

He admitted his mistake and is going to fix it......Why try and put him out of business for a fairly common incident!

tezzy_v2

kingbrumak wrote: »

I think he's already proven his level of competency! I would kick and scream about this one. Get all new internals by a reputable mechanic and bill him for it, if he refuses to pay, a nice solicitors letter in his hand will be very convincing. Just seems like yet another cowboy to me!

A bit OTT i think. Accidents happen and he's been up front about it. A cowboy would in all likelihood have covered the mistake up by saying there was a delay getting the belt from the auto factors or something, while he cobbled it back together.

Ask him for a 6 month warranty on the engine and guage his reaction. He'll have seen the condition of the internals when he checked the valves so he should be comfortable offering it

shanemc1

From working in and owning a Garage these accidents are common place. Mechanics are only human and it happens the best. I wouldn't be to harsh as what was already said you will be getting alot of new parts.

RoverJames wrote: »

Also unless he already has the head off I can't imagine how he knows only one valve is bent.

He would easily know that one (2 max) valve was bent by putting the belt back on and doing a compression test.

smash

kingbrumak wrote: »

Get all new internals by a reputable mechanic and bill him for it, if he refuses to pay, a nice solicitors letter in his hand will be very convincing.

No it wouldn't, he's agreed it's his problem and he's going to fix it. If you refuse this then you don't have a leg to stand on!

anthony4335

It sounds fine to me, I wouldn't be too happy that it happened, but he has told you what happened and that he is going to repair it, and given you a replacement car, for the period. Not much more he can do. He could have just lied and said that the seals had gone and he opened it up to check and now you have to pay. Just ask him for a guarentee on the work done, and by the sounds of it he will do this.

robtri

i would be annoyed,

but he was honest and up front about it, so as above let him fix and give warranty on the engine and i would be happy....

hope he got you a nice replacement car...

cantdecide

At the end of the day it's an eight year old Focus- it's not a new S500. Assuming he'll do his level best to put you back where you were, what's the worst case scenario, potentially?

Make sure you tell him you want to get the work independently inspected and that you will require him to stand over the engine for at least 12 months. That would be my suggestion.

dr.fuzzenstein

kingbrumak wrote: »

I think he's already proven his level of competency! I would kick and scream about this one. Get all new internals by a reputable mechanic and bill him for it, if he refuses to pay, a nice solicitors letter in his hand will be very convincing. Just seems like yet another cowboy to me!

You are the kind of customer who screams his head off everywhere he goes and receives worse service for it.
You think "I know how to deal with those types, watch this!" and you are surprised why everywhere you go you see (seemingly innocent but quite wilful and deliberate) incompetence.
They're only hoping that if you think they're all useless you may go away and bother someone else.
By "knowing your rights" and "putting the foot down" and "thumping the table" and otherwise puffing your chest and stamping your foot you will be surprised how even the most competent person will suddenly be mysteriously stupid, sullen and that everything goes badly wrong, the wrong thing ordered, things breaking, getting lost, delayed, etc...
In my old job as an office technician I would make sure that the louder and more crimson the other person got the stupider I got, parts where not available, the wrong ones ordered, getting delayed, not fixing the problem.
If you find an awful lot of that going on in your life, just imagine what is in the food you order if you treat restaurant staff the same way...

the_syco

John_Mc wrote: »

I was talking to him yesterday and he said that the timing belt slipped off after it was fitted, and that he has no idea why because everything was as it should have been. He said that one of the valves will need to be replaced, and that it is his problem and he'll fix it over the next day or two.

If he told you that he f**ked up your engine, you'd have lost it. So he told you that one had been broken, and that he'll fix it. If you have any doubts, et another mechanic to do a once over once the current mech has fixed it.

A cowboy would have said nothing, and let you drive away with a f**ked car.

dr.fuzzenstein

the_syco wrote: »

If he told you that he f**ked up your engine, you'd have lost it. So he told you that one had been broken, and that he'll fix it. If you have any doubts, et another mechanic to do a once over once the current mech has fixed it.

A cowboy would have said nothing, and let you drive away with a f**ked car.

Very hard to check out if all the valves and valve trains are fixed.
The only way would be to take it apart and check everything and that would hardly be worth it.
He broke it, let him fix it and make sure that you can bring it back within a certain timeframe if there are any further problems with the engine, but if it runs well enough don't go cracking it open again to see if everything is really ok, that's just asking for trouble.
If he fixes it improperly, problems should arise fairly soon.
Give the car a good run on a motorway and give it some stick, if it holds together don't go poking things you don't want to go "gloing" in your engine...;)

John_Mc

OP here, thanks very much to everyone for their replies. I do get the impression that he's being straight up about everything with me, so hopefully he'll get things back as they were.

cantdecide wrote: »

At the end of the day it's an eight year old Focus- it's not a new S500. Assuming he'll do his level best to put you back where you were, what's the worst case scenario, potentially?

I'm not sure what the age of the car, or make and model has to do with it? I dropped it into him in p.w.o order and I expect it back in same. The worst case scenario for me is that it's not working 100% and I'm dealing with more problems over the coming months.

Many replies are recommending that I ask him to stand over the repairs for a time. Should I ask for 6 months or 12 months? The latter seems excessive. If things weren't done properly, I'd imagine they would be apparant well within 6 months?

Also, I take it that I should get this guarantee in writing from him?

robtri

John_Mc wrote: »

OP here, thanks very much to everyone for their replies. I do get the impression that he's being straight up about everything with me, so hopefully he'll get things back as they were.



I'm not sure what the age of the car, or make and model has to do with it? I dropped it into him in p.w.o order and I expect it back in same. The worst case scenario for me is that it's not working 100% and I'm dealing with more problems over the coming months.

Many replies are recommending that I ask him to stand over the repairs for a time. Should I ask for 6 months or 12 months? The latter seems excessive. If things weren't done properly, I'd imagine they would be apparant well within 6 months?

Also, I take it that I should get this guarantee in writing from him?

yeah the age or make of your car does not matter......

i would say 6 months should be long enough and get it in writing...