Kwikfit installed exhaust badly & are blaming engine mou

[mrtEE]

Despite various reservations about their competence I had an exhaust mid section and catalytic converter fitted to my Xsara VTS by Kwik Fit as they were able to do it before xmas and at a reasonable price (well, competitive only after mucho haggling).

However unfortunately this has been a nightmare. When my girlfriend went to collect the car the exhaust was knocking against the underneath of the car at the front under acceleration. They took the car back in for adjustment and were unable to stop the exhaust doing this.

They told her that this was happening because one or more of the engine mounts were knackered causing too much movement.

I have since had a couple of mates (not trained mechanics but long term modifiers of cars) look at the engine whilst revving it and they reckon there is hardly any play in the mounts. THe car has only done 75k and I have not previously had any problems with an exhaust hitting the car under acceleration and no issues that you would normally associate with worn engine mounts.

The car has since been back a couple more times and still they are unable to resolve the issue and are insisting I need new mounts.

Do you think a Citroen dealership would be likely to tell the truth about if the mounts are OK and write me a letter saying this? Or would they also rip me off and tell me they need replacing in the hope of getting money from me?

Anything else I can do such as get head office involved?

Ta.

[SlimRick]

They may well be on their way out, but if it wasn't knocking before they fitted the new exhaust, it shouldn't after they've fitted it - surely the old exhaust would've made the noise too if it was the mounts.

[Flip]

My brother got a Milltek system fitted to his Focus by Demon Tweeks. It rattled etc, they looked at it again. Same problem. Possibly three times actually and not fixed. He rang Milltek and they sorted it for him (although he had to drive all the way up there to get their tech to fit it properly).

I don't suppose it's a Milltek? Could be worth ringing the manufacturer if it's not a cheap one.

[mrtEE]

Its not a performance exhaust, just an OEM replacement.

THere were no symptoms when the old exhaust was fitted and no rattling at all which makes me think the mounts are ok.

The 2 people that have looked at it said the play in the mounts looked normal.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Revving the engine in neutral won't put much strain on the engine mounts. Only likely to see any real movement when the car is in gear and pushing against the road.

However, are you in the AA, RAC or the like? If so give them a ring and see if they can provide an official opinion for you.

All the best

Keith
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[D O G]

Sometimes the pattern exhausts aren't exactly the same. The pattern exhaust I fitted to our Honda had a cylindrical central silencer - which occassionally taps the heat shield, when the OE one was bullet shaped, and had enough clearance.

That may contribute to the issue - but since you don't have the parts to compare you may have bother - unless you can compare a std one to the pattern one you have on.

Engine mount may contribute to the problem - my Clio has this problem with exhaust hitting the heat sheild caused by one of the mounts deteriorating. Note that the engine doesn't move lots in the bay - it just sits in the wrong place.

[mrtEE]

One of the people that inspected the car did so in neutral, the other one was with the bonnet open, me driving forwards towards them whilst they inspected the engine.

I do have some breakdown cover that came with my car insurance, but are they likely to come out on a call out to inspect a potentially worn component?

Ta.

[Hetzer]

Good old Kwik-Fit, it's never ever ever their fault. There's a reason they have chimps working for them, it's because they pay peanuts.
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"There's the horizon! Ride hard, ride fast and cut down all who stand in your way!"

[Fisty]

Take it to quick fit and block the entrance with your car untill the agree to fix it.
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[mistergixer]

If you went to Kwik-Shit, i'd expect you also need 4 new tyres, new pads and disks and a new battery too.
Almost every car on the road is a rolling death-trap it would appear.


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Don Eladio is dead. His capos are dead. You have no one left to fight for. Fill your pockets and leave in peace. Or fight me and die!
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[Tonka]

They did exactly (I mean exactly) the same with mine. It's a Freelander, but without the propshaft (it was taken off deliberately) and they insisted that the knocking noise was the engine mounts and as a result of the missing propshaft. They quoted me some stupid prices and had taken the car to bits and wouldn't put it back together! I had a small tantrum and they threw it back together and I limped 5 minutes up the road to another garage.

Luckily I had a contact through the bike who had just employed a new car mechanic, so I got them to look at it and it turned out that KF hadn't fitted the exhaust properly. I'm not certain (it's about 2.5 years ago now and I am seriously stupid when it comes to cars! ) but is there a catalytic manifold or something like that? If there is that is where my exhaust system had not been fixed correctly . He took one look, twiddled a few bits and hey presto all sorted.

They really are very bad and can't be trusted.
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[swanny]

[Hetzer]

[Chalky.]

Kick up a shit storm. Although it is possible that the mounts were on their last legs, and fitting the exhaust was the final straw for them.

[Ed Case]

I used Kwik-Fit once in Stafford, crap job, bolted the tail-pipe solidly to the car, loud as Hell in the motor then the bracket snapped. Bunch of tossers.

[D O G]

[Chalky.]

[Kickstart]

[Hetzer]

[69.9mph]

I've been in the motor trade for a long time.

Don't ever go to Kwik-Fit.

This advice has cost you nothing.

[Chalky.]

[Hetzer]

[Chalky.]

Was was that phrase of yours... hmmm....

Oh yes!

Its button has been pressed!



Perhaps some of the people with lots of stuff being paid lots work harder than others with less. But lets just group them all together anyway.

[Bru]

I 'third' the pattern-part possibility, that a differently-shaped pipe/box could be contacting the underside of the vehicle. There is far more flex in the exhaust system than in the engine mounts.

You could get under the vehicle and take a photo, then (try and) compare the shape with that of the original; go to a good motor factors, if not the dealer, who should have a microfiche image of the correct exhaust component.

I have the same issue with my car, because I purchased (and fitted) a non-standard catalytic replacement from a motor factors. I also have a part-severed rear engine mount, but it is plain that the fault lies with the new exhaust component, as it lies against part of the heat shield, whereas the original (OEM) part sat pretty much in the middle of the exhaust channel.

If the exhaust is rattling, then you should be able to spot where it is closest to the body. Confirm also that you received an OEM part.

[T0MMY]