Am I being fobbed off???

Mankyspuds

I am looking for some advice. I am wondering if I am being fobbed off.

I 'had' a problem with my car,

Honda Accord 1.8LS
87,000 miles
Petrol
2000
current owner since July 2007

it failed its NCT last November, the report back said it was the handbrake on the drivers side. I brought it to a very reputable Honda Dealership on the Southside of Dublin. I was told that both the calipers needed to be replaced (as you need both replaced if one goes wrong apparantly). It was quite expensive so I had to wait a couple of months to save the money up. Four weeks ago I then had a problem with my 'clicker' for my alarm couldnt get into the car as the driver lock was interfered with and the 'deadlock' was on from when I locked it previously, I had the money by then so I brought it down to Honda for the work that needed to be done

Rear driverside caliper seized

Handbrake calipers to be replaced
Re code clicker and new battery replaced
full service

bill €746.00

the next day the handbrake was very loose and brought it back to them which the duly tightened. I was told that it will take 150km for the handbrake to come back to normal. 400 miles later and nothing, the handbrake is only holding on the passenger side. Today!! the exact same problem with the clicker, AA called out and various fuses pulled to stop the bloody alarm going off.

I know its an old car, but the engine is bulletproof and it has never let me down. I have the NCT booked in 10 days and the thing hasnt a fúckin hope of getting through with the handbrake non existant on one side, if it doesnt I might beg/borrow/steal and use it in for scrappage. Any advice/condolences much appreciated.

Anan1

1. Bring it back to the garage now, and don't let go until they've done the work that you paid for.

2. Stay away from main dealers in future, most charge too much for poor quality work.

Mankyspuds

Anan1 wrote: »

1. Bring it back to the garage now, and don't let go until they've done the work that you paid for.

2. Stay away from main dealers in future, most charge too much for poor quality work.

Rang dealer

I was told that there was a good chance of the new caliper doing nothing for the handbrake and that I was made aware about this a month ago after they fitted the part and I paid in full up front for said part. I have very little recolection of that conversation and it is possible that it was said to me. :(:mad::mad:

coolbeans

Never, ever bring a ten year old car to a main dealer. Ever!!! It's too late now I know so I'd just plague them till I get satisfaction. The handbrake really should be a relatively simple job so it's really unacceptable that they haven't sorted it.

Anan1

Mankyspuds wrote: »

Rang dealer

I was told that there was a good chance of the new caliper doing nothing for the handbrake and that I was made aware about this a month ago after they fitted the part and I paid in full up front for said part. I have very little recolection of that conversation and it is possible that it was said to me. :(:mad::mad:

You really need to get completely clear on what exactly what was agreed and paid for before anyone can help you at all here.

Mankyspuds

Mankyspuds wrote: »

Rang dealer

I was told that there was a good chance of the new caliper doing nothing for the handbrake and that I was made aware about this a month ago after they fitted the part and I paid in full up front for said part. I have very little recolection of that conversation and it is possible that it was said to me. :(:mad::mad:

Did they inspect the car prior to ordering the caliper ?

If the service brake passed the NCT I don't see how the caliper is/was at fault for the handbrake failing. Can you remember did the service brake pass the rear axle test? That test is independent of the handbrake test and would show if the caliper was ok or not. If the rear axle passed the service brake test and the garage suggested the caliper was at fault for the handbrake failing they are complete and utter f**ktards unless I am missing something here.

Do you have the NCT report for the original test?

Does the light on the fob work?

JimmyCrackCorn

If the rear axle passed the service brake test and the garage suggested the caliper was at fault for the handbrake failing they are complete and utter f**ktards

If the above is true its scary and id be having a sharp conversation



I replaced rear callipers on a civic 3 months back with a refurbished unit for 120 Euro a calliper plus a set of pads (60-70 euro at most I don't remember)

I had it done in an hour as an amateur on my driveway.

750 seems like madness to me. (new units from Honda could explain it)
Recoding a key should not be necessary during a battery change.

You need to find a reliable independent mechanic and plague the dealership to rectify the issue.

To me and im no expert it sounds like you need hand break cables also.

Mankyspuds

Mankyspuds wrote: »

Rang dealer

I was told that there was a good chance of the new caliper doing nothing for the handbrake and that I was made aware about this a month ago after they fitted the part and I paid in full up front for said part. ..............

JimmyCrackCorn wrote: »

If the above is true its scary and id be having a sharp conversation.................

It's a strange one, the garage are correct in so far as a new caliper will do sfa for a handbrake.

Anyway OP, if that's all that is wrong with the car whichever way the wind blows it should be sorted soon, scrappage seems looney to me, a 00 Accord is a very decent car.

Gary ITR

Christ on a bike I had both rear calipers rebuilt on my Honda (rebuild kits easily available from a main dealer at roughly €40 a side) for in around the €300 mark

Onkle

Onkle wrote: »

Christ on a bike I had both rear calipers rebuilt on my Honda (rebuild kits easily available from a main dealer at roughly €40 a side) for in around the €300 mark

......... add in a full service at main dealer rates, a battery (that a main dealer will be expensive for) and a fob recode and you have the guts of €750

Gary ITR

RoverJames wrote: »

......... add in a full service at main dealer rates, a battery (that a main dealer will be expensive for) and a fob recode and you have the guts of €750

Sorry I meant to add pads and discs on there too

neiphin

price around a few local repair men , for the exact same, they are probably screwing you for the key, but there is no excuse for the breaks and calipers not working
if the car is pulling , it is dangerous and should not be driven at all
have you a receipt ?
treaten small claims court and joe duffy and name dealer

Mankyspuds

neiphin wrote: »

price around a few local repair men , for the exact same, they are probably screwing you for the key, but there is no excuse for the breaks and calipers not working
if the car is pulling , it is dangerous and should not be driven at all
have you a receipt ?
treaten small claims court and joe duffy and name dealer

I will, thanks for your advice:)

RoverJames wrote: »

It's a strange one, the garage are correct in so far as a new caliper will do sfa for a handbrake.

Anyway OP, if that's all that is wrong with the car whichever way the wind blows it should be sorted soon, scrappage seems looney to me, a 00 Accord is a very decent car.

I am considering the scrappage, you are right it is a decent car and the engine is really quite good.

Onkle wrote: »

Christ on a bike I had both rear calipers rebuilt on my Honda (rebuild kits easily available from a main dealer at roughly €40 a side) for in around the €300 mark

I was told that the part is only available from them The caliper seized on the drivers side. As far as I am aware there is no brakepads on this model of Accord and it is the Caliper that does the job.


Thanks again for your advice to a complete novice. I will be heading down tomorrow afternoon. I am getting quite cranky over it and I am prepared to give them both barrels.

langdang

Mankyspuds wrote: »

I was told that the part is only available from them The caliper seized on the drivers side.

Any good mechanic would probably have been able to refurbish the ones you had, but a main dealer will always replace with brand new branded parts.

Mankyspuds wrote: »

As far as I am aware there is no brakepads on this model of Accord and it is the Caliper that does the job.

The calipers push pads onto the disc. You are thinking of drum brakes maybe. Many cars used to (still do) have discs on the front and drum brakes on the back. Sounds like your accord might have discs back and front, and therefore plenty of brake pads!

My father has at least twice that mileage on his Accord, I'm sure it's the same model... (dunno if it's discs all round or discs + drums)

According to this the handbrake is caliper operated on the 00 Accord.
http://www.hondaoriginalparts.com/honda_car_parts_selection_pfk.php?block_01=17S1A11&block_02=B__2600&block_03=2235
Once again OP, did the service brake pass the NCT?

Nissan doctor

Mankyspuds wrote: »

I was told that the part is only available from them The caliper seized on the drivers side. As far as I am aware there is no brakepads on this model of Accord and it is the Caliper that does the job.

Every car with calipers has brake pads.

Just to clarify...

Did the honda garage check the car and diagnose the caliper as the problem, or did the nct guy or someone tell you it should be the caliper and you told the honda garage you wanted the calipers fitted?


If they incorrectly diagnosed the problem, they are at fault.

If they just replaced what you asked for then they are technically not at fault. Having said that any honest garage should have made it clear if they saw that what you asked for wasn't going to fix the problem.

Mankyspuds

RoverJames wrote: »

According to this the handbrake is caliper operated on the 00 Accord.
http://www.hondaoriginalparts.com/honda_car_parts_selection_pfk.php?block_01=17S1A11&block_02=B__2600&block_03=2235
Once again OP, did the service brake pass the NCT?

The car failed the NCT test last November on Rear drivers side handbrake, it wasnt holding at all.

Mankyspuds

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Every car with calipers has brake pads.

Just to clarify...

Did the honda garage check the car and diagnose the caliper as the problem, or did the nct guy or someone tell you it should be the caliper and you told the honda garage you wanted the calipers fitted?


If they incorrectly diagnosed the problem, they are at fault.

If they just replaced what you asked for then they are technically not at fault. Having said that any honest garage should have made it clear if they saw that what you asked for wasn't going to fix the problem.

Yes, they plugged it in and diagnosed it as the caliper had completely seized in November. I went to them again mid April and new calipers were ordered and fitted in late April. I was told that by dealer that it will take 150km for them to bed in.

langdang

Mankyspuds wrote: »

Yes, they plugged it in and diagnosed it as the caliper had completely seized in November.

You've either misinterpreted the sequence of events or they are taking you for a ride. There's no facility in a 00 accord to flag a seized caliper in software diagnostics! The diagnostics were probably to find out the fault with the deadlocks/plipper. A new plipper can be programmed without any dealer software but they probably did need to figure out if the module in the car had gone bonkers.

RoverJames

RoverJames wrote: »

According to this the handbrake is caliper operated on the 00 Accord.
http://www.hondaoriginalparts.com/honda_car_parts_selection_pfk.php?block_01=17S1A11&block_02=B__2600&block_03=2235
Once again OP, did the service brake pass the NCT?

Mankyspuds wrote: »

The car failed the NCT test last November on Rear drivers side handbrake, it wasnt holding at all.

So it passed the other brake tests?

Anan1

RoverJames wrote: »

If the service brake passed the NCT I don't see how the caliper is/was at fault for the handbrake failing. Can you remember did the service brake pass the rear axle test? That test is independent of the handbrake test and would show if the caliper was ok or not. If the rear axle passed the service brake test and the garage suggested the caliper was at fault for the handbrake failing they are complete and utter f**ktards unless I am missing something here.

It can happen that the caliper can be damaged in such a way as to work fine for the service brake but not for the handbrake, but it wouldn't be seized?

Mankyspuds

RoverJames wrote: »

So it passed the other brake tests?

Yes, the rest of the brakes were fine

Nissan doctor

Mankyspuds wrote: »

Yes, they plugged it in and diagnosed it as the caliper had completely seized in November. I went to them again mid April and new calipers were ordered and fitted in late April. I was told that by dealer that it will take 150km for them to bed in.

The mechanical brake parts on your car cannot be diagnosed or checked in any way using electronic diagnostics.

RoverJames wrote: »

So it passed the other brake tests?

Cars that operate the handbrake off the rear calipers have two systems built into the caliper, the normal hydraulic system(same as any normal caliper) is operated by the brake pedal and a cable operated lever on the rear of the caliper operates the hand brake.

The handbrake lever on the caliper will often seize meaning the handbrake will not operate correctly but the foot brake will.
If however the caliper piston or slider is seized, then the foot brake and handbrake will both be effected.

Nissan doctor

Nissan doctor wrote: »

If however the caliper piston or slider is seized, then the foot brake and handbrake will both be effected.

Yeah I know, that's why I asked about 3 or 4 times did the car pass the rear axle service brake test as the OP mentioned the garage claimed one caliper was seized.

Also I would still be interested to know did they actually inspect the caliper prior to ordering the parts after they "diagnosed" the issue.