Technical MOT failure Track Rod - need new steering rack?!
- Thread starter BrianMcL
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Technical MOT failure Track Rod - need new steering rack?!
It beggers belief how little garages know about the Croma, and I include Fiat dealers in that list.
Others on this forum know that I recently had a dealer try to relieve me of £980 for a new front downpipe because they claimed it was integral with the catalytic converter. It isn't and I managed to source the downpipe seperately for around £50.
Others on this forum know that I recently had a dealer try to relieve me of £980 for a new front downpipe because they claimed it was integral with the catalytic converter. It isn't and I managed to source the downpipe seperately for around £50.
bobbyblue
New member
Radlet, that is a fantastic post and will be of great help to others. I expect Brian will get out of jail with this info. One thing I have found with this forum is the lengths that people will go to to help fellow owners. 
This forum's saved me no end of trouble already. About 18 months ago the dealer was ready to condemn the car because they couldn't get to the bottom of a chronic lack of power and the constant dpf warning limp home. Turned out that £300 odd was wasted on pointless tests, oil changes and so on when the problem was an egr failure! £100 to Piersburg for a new one, 30 mins to change them over and hey presto, car transformed and problem solved.
Sometimes it does feel a bit like a support group though
Sometimes it does feel a bit like a support group though
No probs. Quite enjoyed the challenge and it boils my p*ss when garages expect the customer to pay for their ineptitude.
Just as an aside I am finding Germany quite a good source for some of the hard to source parts. Their pricing is competitive and there is a greater range of parts available. The ones I have dealt with have offered good service and generally have the parts to me within a couple of days.
Most have an English version of the website, if not Google Chrome will translate them very well. Also the german version of ebay www.ebay.de is a good place to go too.
Just as an aside I am finding Germany quite a good source for some of the hard to source parts. Their pricing is competitive and there is a greater range of parts available. The ones I have dealt with have offered good service and generally have the parts to me within a couple of days.
Most have an English version of the website, if not Google Chrome will translate them very well. Also the german version of ebay www.ebay.de is a good place to go too.
This post contains affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Mechanic ordered replacement track rod but had to order one for a Vectra as he couldn't get a Croma one in time. Still didn't get it delivered in time to fit it today but expects to get it done tomorrow morning. Once that's done it's back for the retest, fingers crossed that goes OK.
Hi Brian
Get him to be absolutely sure it is the right one. Vauxhall used a vast array of different steering racks on the Vectra - like I say I can not be sure which is the one Fiat used in the Croma as I have been unable to cross reference the FIAT and GM part numbers.
If your mechanic has, do you think he might impart that info for the benefit of the forum? Cheeky I know, but as they say ooop north - shy bairns get nowt.
Get him to be absolutely sure it is the right one. Vauxhall used a vast array of different steering racks on the Vectra - like I say I can not be sure which is the one Fiat used in the Croma as I have been unable to cross reference the FIAT and GM part numbers.
If your mechanic has, do you think he might impart that info for the benefit of the forum? Cheeky I know, but as they say ooop north - shy bairns get nowt.
Will do.
He knows the situation and that once the car's roadworthy again I'm likely to take it further so I've asked him to keep all the bits.
To add insult to (nearly) injury he said that in his opinion it was borderline and he'd take it somewhere else if I wanted.
He knows the situation and that once the car's roadworthy again I'm likely to take it further so I've asked him to keep all the bits.
To add insult to (nearly) injury he said that in his opinion it was borderline and he'd take it somewhere else if I wanted.
Will do.
He knows the situation and that once the car's roadworthy again I'm likely to take it further so I've asked him to keep all the bits.
To add insult to (nearly) injury he said that in his opinion it was borderline and he'd take it somewhere else if I wanted.
He knows the situation and that once the car's roadworthy again I'm likely to take it further so I've asked him to keep all the bits.
To add insult to (nearly) injury he said that in his opinion it was borderline and he'd take it somewhere else if I wanted.
Just got the car back from the garage. Turns out it was just the arm and the end was fine. Mechanic changed the part in 40 mins for £60. Fair old difference from £973!
I asked him how he knew which one to order and he said he took an educated guess!
Goes for a retest on Monday at the same place that tried to rip me off / made a genuine, albeit fairly inexplicable, mistake (to be deleted as appropriate, the approach of the dealership manager will be a good guide). Might be interesting.
I asked him how he knew which one to order and he said he took an educated guess!
Goes for a retest on Monday at the same place that tried to rip me off / made a genuine, albeit fairly inexplicable, mistake (to be deleted as appropriate, the approach of the dealership manager will be a good guide). Might be interesting.
Interesting to see a dealer again trying to sell an expensive part instead of a cheap alternative.
Was this a FIAT dealer? I ask simply because of my experience with the down pipe 6 months ago where something similar happened.
Glad you are back on the road again for less than 10% of what you thought you would have to pay. Definite result.
Was this a FIAT dealer? I ask simply because of my experience with the down pipe 6 months ago where something similar happened.
Glad you are back on the road again for less than 10% of what you thought you would have to pay. Definite result.
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No, in their defence they're not a FIAT dealer and the FIAT dealer if anything is even worse.
However, having seen what was involved in the track rod changeover I can't really see any reputable mechanic making that sort of error without good reason. Maybe he called FIAT and that's what they told him. Anyway, next installment on Monday when I go back to the scene of the "crime".
Stay tuned!
However, having seen what was involved in the track rod changeover I can't really see any reputable mechanic making that sort of error without good reason. Maybe he called FIAT and that's what they told him. Anyway, next installment on Monday when I go back to the scene of the "crime".
Stay tuned!
Just heard back from the garage and car has passed its MOT with the VX track rod fitted. When I dropped the car off they asked what had been done and I explained that it was a 30 minute job to swap them over.
They are blaming the main dealer who told them that the rod arms aren't available separately and have to be bought with the steering rack. i spoke with them myself and they told me the same story.
I've explained to all concerned that I'll be involving trading standards in this and I've also emailed Fiat customer service to ask what on earth is going on. Not holding my breath for a response on that though.
Can anyone support the view that the steering rack comes with the arms already fitted? Any of the ones I've looked at don't seem to.
They are blaming the main dealer who told them that the rod arms aren't available separately and have to be bought with the steering rack. i spoke with them myself and they told me the same story.
I've explained to all concerned that I'll be involving trading standards in this and I've also emailed Fiat customer service to ask what on earth is going on. Not holding my breath for a response on that though.
Can anyone support the view that the steering rack comes with the arms already fitted? Any of the ones I've looked at don't seem to.
Got the car back and it's absolutely fine.The non Fiat dealer (Macklin Motors, Linwood) are placing the blame firmly on Arnold Clark Fiat, Renfrew Road, Paisley (and I've spoken to David in Arnold Clark Paisley's parts department who confirmed to me that it was impossible to get the separate tie arm) so I believe Macklin.Would anyone know if this TRW part is the correct one? From the description it seems to be and the Croma is listed as one of the recipients of this part.http://seekpart24.com/trw/axial-joint-tie-rod-jar958?c=100198&at=14872Thanks Once again everyone for all of your help.
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bobbyblue
New member
Glad you got it sorted Brian, as I said in my previous post I suspected the inner ball joints, these are not normally available in Rip Off Britain so you have to replace the whole rack. I confirm that if you did buy a new rack these inner ball joints (Track arms) come would come as part of it, but you don't usually get the tie rod ends. The Seekpart website you showed looks to be a good source of parts, I have bookmarked it for future reference.
Yes that's the one. TRW part No. JAR 958 is the one for the 1.8 petrol and the 1.9 diesel; JAR 959 is the one for the 2.4. Glad you are back on the road for little money (relatively speaking anyway).
Hi Bobby,All it needed was the tie rod changing. £30 for the part and same again for the labour. I'll need to get the wheels aligned but the mechanic, JR Volkswagen in Paisley, lined them up by eye and did a cracking job of it.I've got the VX parts box and I'll post the part details later this evening.Looking at the seekpart website it would indicate that this is the correct part and that it does all of the Cromas as well as the Saab 9-3 and Vectra as you would expect.
Because there are more Cromas in Germany than the UK, and because the Germans won't take any BS (which means that garages and factors have to get their act together) there seems to be a more plentiful supply of parts available and a damned site more information available re part numbers and fit (if you are abroad and want to know the best places to eat - go where the Germans are). I have also found them helpful and quick to respond to emails.
Another good place is ebay's German site www.ebay.de . If you use Google Chrome it will translate it for you.
This post contains affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
I also nominate myself for berk of the year. Whilst I was doing the research on this I also started to compare the cost of steering racks from Germany. I was on it for 10 minutes before I realised the one small flaw in my plan. :doh:
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