Technical Timing Belt Snapped :-(

[mrHammy]

Bad luck

Point here though is, never mind the mileage, you've passed the interval period of 5 years.

Even on standard servicing it should have been changed sometime last year

you think they would have advised it for me last service , i would have probably done it to if they had said oh by the way ..... shame !

 

[Argonought]

you think they would have advised it for me last service , i would have probably done it to if they had said oh by the way ..... shame !

I agree.

Had you said "Is there anything you think needs doing?" then I'd say they were way out of order not to warn you

 

[mrHammy]

its all over -

spoke with fiat today , few other things that needed doing aswell as this issue with cam belt snap

total cost : £2700

as its a family member who works there they will knock 400 quid off

but aint got that kinda money to have it all done !!

so its gonna be good bye stilo me thinks IM GUTTED !!!

:bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:

 

[dave]

its all over -

spoke with fiat today , few other things that needed doing aswell as this issue with cam belt snap

total cost : £2700

as its a family member who works there they will knock 400 quid off

but aint got that kinda money to have it all done !!

so its gonna be good bye stilo me thinks IM GUTTED !!!

:bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:

get ya spanners out an chuck a new engine in it your self

 

[1.8Stilo]

its all over -

spoke with fiat today , few other things that needed doing aswell as this issue with cam belt snap

total cost : £2700

as its a family member who works there they will knock 400 quid off

but aint got that kinda money to have it all done !!

so its gonna be good bye stilo me thinks IM GUTTED !!!

:bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:

you can buy a new stilo for that... get it back, break it for spares, ebay, etc.. and then scrap it to get some cash back

 

[mrHammy]

you can buy a new stilo for that... get it back, break it for spares, ebay, etc.. and then scrap it to get some cash back

got nowhere to leave it whilst i break it tho !! live on main road so cant start breaking it on my front . thing ill ring round a few mates to see if they wana do it for me

So got some blinds and 7" touch screen dvd going spare 1st lol !

 

[mystify5]

just had my timing belt done on my 1.8. fiat quoted me about 600-700 quid to do but took it to cardoctorpreston (in preston obviously). done same day for about 400 and works very well and no complaints. also been in since to have engine replaced having had the oil pump fail and an eat itself. all done fairly and reasonably and saved me a fortune. highly recommend if u fancy a day trip to preston.

 

[mystify5]

oh just read ur wotsit. i've had pretty much my entire car done for about 1500. have new engine, new cam belt and fan belt, new springs, new engine, new clutch plate, new clutch cylinder, airbag fixed, etc etc. fiat quoted more or less £1000 for the cam belt and springs. Is someone i know so i got a slightly reduced labour but fiat chargin £100 and hour as apposed to £37 which seemed to be pretty much where all the costs came - i'd recommend speakin to them before chuckin everythin away maybe??

 

[dave]

oh just read ur wotsit. i've had pretty much my entire car done for about 1500. have new engine, new cam belt and fan belt, new springs, new engine, new clutch plate, new clutch cylinder, airbag fixed, etc etc. fiat quoted more or less £1000 for the cam belt and springs. Is someone i know so i got a slightly reduced labour but fiat chargin £100 and hour as apposed to £37 which seemed to be pretty much where all the costs came - i'd recommend speakin to them before chuckin everythin away maybe??

why you get 2 new engines

 

[Big Black Stilo]

its all over -

spoke with fiat today , few other things that needed doing aswell as this issue with cam belt snap

total cost : £2700

as its a family member who works there they will knock 400 quid off

but aint got that kinda money to have it all done !!

so its gonna be good bye stilo me thinks IM GUTTED !!!

:bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:

what exactly has broke in it? did you get a list? if so take that list to another dealer, your in St Helens, try Forward Autos on Gaskill Street. If its the same, try a good independant.

As said on here you can buy new stilos for less than that.

They probably hope you sell the car to them for about £500 and buy a new one from them so they get profit on new car, fix yours for as cheap as possible with a few faults, sell it at market value with a warranty, then when it breaks on new owner they claim on warranty and fix it properly for free. The garages wins all round and your the loser.

 

[sixpotman]

As I have posted before as your from the Warrington
area I'll PM you the details. I bought the car in advertised
"Excellent" condition it was only after going through all
the paper work I found the receipt for the repair for
a snapped cam belt. The cars now done 6000 miles
since the repair last August, and he seems to have
done a reasonable job on it. Cars a 16v 1.8 it pulls
very well - in fact I'm used to a 3ltr 24v Senator and
I recon it could give that a fair run for it's money
up to 70-80mph.

John

 

[Hellcat]

Get a head or engine from a scrap yard, get a local garage to put the two together. Sell the old engine/head to someone to recondition.

 

[mrHammy]

Ive arranged for my car to be picked up yesterday from fiat , however they demanded a £250 payment for me to have the car back , the charge was for them looking at what needed doing .

My guy was on his way to collect it and he would have had problems when he got there as they wouldnt give him the key.

so after arguing for a while they accepted £130

they have said they have spent 6 hours work on it ? and they have stripped the top of the engine down

So now ive got the car back they have only removed the damaged cam belt , no way at all they have spent so long looking at it so i am fuming !!

im peed that they didnt advised before they started of possible charges !!

 

[sixpotman]

The fiat garage should have issued you with a reciept and an
itemised list of the work they did prior to the car being removed
which should tally to any work done.
Either way I'd lodge a formal complaint with trading standards
over the way they delt with the situation. Also lodge a complaint
with the chairman's office of Fiat UK over their conduct.

If they recovered the vehicle ok they could charge for recovery
and storage but they should have informed you and agreed any
charges prior to touching the car.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/legal-advice/additional-garage-work.html

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/legal-advice/dealing-with-a-garage.html

John

 

[sixpotman]

As an after thought when they gave you an estimate
for £2700 was it verbal or written. If not written request
a written estimate for the £2700 you have paid £130 for that.

Then how can they estimate that sort of cost unless they
removed the cylinder head anyway.
They can't - sounds a really fishy Fiat Garage to me.
Log the events in order writting what was said and pass the
written list of events onto trading standards with the complaint.

http://www.tswarrington.co.uk/ you can even do it on line

John

 

[Fvet]

Just out of interest, I had my belt go a couple of weeks ago - completely thrashed the engine.

Repair included completely refit with valves etc., exhaust attachments re fitted, oil filters etc. changed, whole thing skimmed and lapped, of course new belt fitted and so on. From what they said, everything that could have been damaged was damaged.

Total charge £1350 which seems fairly reasonable - especially since it's an abarth so 20 valves to replace - and also included a service (which basically amounted to changing the spark plugs as everything else was getting done already).

So £2700 seems an absolute rip off.

Although to be fair when I originally took mine in, they did say they would have to completely strip it to check the extent of the damage and that it would take a fair bit of time in itself and cost a bit even if I didn't go ahead with the repair. So I'm not surprised they have charged you labour costs to inspect it.

 

[sixpotman]

Although to be fair when I originally took mine in, they did say they would have to completely strip it to check the extent of the damage and that it would take a fair bit of time in itself and cost a bit even if I didn't go ahead with the repair. So I'm not surprised they have charged you labour costs to inspect it.

If you check Mr Hammy's post they have only removed the cambelt
which means removing a couple of plastic covers they didn't
remove the cylinder head. They also needed to inform the fact
an estimate would be charged for prior to doing any work. If they didn't
then it should be their loss not Mr Hammy's. They have held the car for
ransom because they lost the repair work on cost.

John

John

 

[mrHammy]

I have argued my point again with warrington motors , but they aint intrested , so ive raised a complaint online, cheers for that link !!

Ive got another guy looking at it for me now , who has said he has picked a few up from warrington motors lately from some unhappy, overcharged customers.

 

[Fvet]

If you check Mr Hammy's post they have only removed the cambelt
which means removing a couple of plastic covers they didn't
remove the cylinder head. They also needed to inform the fact
an estimate would be charged for prior to doing any work. If they didn't
then it should be their loss not Mr Hammy's. They have held the car for
ransom because they lost the repair work on cost.

John

John

Fair enough, I agree if they didn't give him a quote it isn't fair, and they can't charge several hours labour if they didn't take head off.

As far as I was told though, it is impossible to know the extent of the damage and provide an accurate quote without doing this, and the fact they have charged so much suggests they did more than take a couple of covers off.
Is it possible they did take it apart then put it back together when you decided not to get the repair work done?

 

[mrHammy]

Fair enough, I agree if they didn't give him a quote it isn't fair, and they can't charge several hours labour if they didn't take head off.

As far as I was told though, it is impossible to know the extent of the damage and provide an accurate quote without doing this, and the fact they have charged so much suggests they did more than take a couple of covers off.
Is it possible they did take it apart then put it back together when you decided not to get the repair work done?

i only told them to leave it the moment the other guy was going to pick it up for me , so they couldnt have put it back on .