Think yourselves lucky that bikes are cheap

[syl]

Think yourselves lucky that bikes are cheap - to buy and also to repair.

I've been on the bike all week because my (just out of warranty) car is in the garage after going all shitty on me last week. Well, the damage comes to £2980.21 for a new engine (yes, you read the amount right). I could take it elsewhere to get it done a bit cheaper, but then I'd have to pay for the diagnostic work already done, a tow because the engine is in bits and I'd also need a hire car. And it would take a fair bit longer. So I'm going to just have to pay.

All the garages I've spoken to, including my dealer, advised me to speak to Vauxhall Customer Assistance (sic) to try and get a goodwill payment from them towards the cost of repair. Were they interested? Were they f*ck. It took 4 days to get them to call me back.

The car: 52 reg Vauxhall Astra convertible 2.0t (Z20LET)

My advice - if you need a car as well as a bike, don't buy Vauxhall. Clarkson was right about something after all.
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Current bike: Kawasaki Z750S

[Jack_Cheese]

Get onto the car mags, Autocar, Autoexpress, TG, and tell them, they'll help you get a goodwill payment from vauxhall. Go to the journos, it's worth a shot to reduce that bill!

Jack
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www.bikepics.com/members/jackcheese <--- NOW FOR SALE! 51 Plate Cagiva Planet 125
Quacker_boy: "Jack, you really are a dick!"

[moonym20]

lol

you don't wana know about aviation engines then,

a half decent lump from Contenental Motors would set you back a good £15K brand new
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A scientist crossed a skunk with an owl. He's got a bird that smells but doesn't give a hoot

[BorderHooner]

just burn the damn thing and claim on th einsurance.

fecking hairdressers pile of crap anyway, your own fault for buying it and thrashing the arse off it thinking you were in a james bond movie
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Benelli. Happy as a pig in cacky.

[mad4it028]

in fairness why should they pay up?
warenty is over so its just bad luck
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always looking to buy bikes crashed ,unfinished projects,none runners pm me
currently riding kawasaki z1000 only bike ive ever loved

[colin1]

thanks for that, you have cheered me up
i just got my scooter back having payed £440 for repairs. Arguably I could have got another scooter of similar mileage for £500 but at least with all the work done, mine should be good for a few years while a similar mileage one would probably need the same work doing at some point.

I was thinking that although bikes are cheap to insure, they need more servicing and repairs than cars for a given mileage. I was thinking maybe I should have had a car instead.

Thanks for bringing me to my senses and realising that cars can cost a lot more.

seems strange you needed a new engine on such a new car.

funnily enough i had been thinking of getting an old vauxhall omega estate but i dont need one
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[0ddball]

Paying £3K doesn't make economic sense, cut your losses and sell it. You won't get much for it on ebay or autotrader but you might get a bit more on one of the vauxhall forums. For anyone who can do the spanner work themselves it will cost no more than a grand to fix.

[Jack_Cheese]

The manufacturer should pay up out of good will. If i sold my bike to someone "sold as seen" and the bike blew up 100 yards down the road, i'd at least go some way to covering the costs.

Jack
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www.bikepics.com/members/jackcheese <--- NOW FOR SALE! 51 Plate Cagiva Planet 125
Quacker_boy: "Jack, you really are a dick!"

[sagalout]

[Jack_Cheese]

This is actually a good reminder for me. I've yet to buy my first car, but throughout my car searching the one thing i've failed to take into account is customer service. I totally forgot to take it into account, i think it should serve as a reminder to all of us - for bikes aswell as cars

Jack
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www.bikepics.com/members/jackcheese <--- NOW FOR SALE! 51 Plate Cagiva Planet 125
Quacker_boy: "Jack, you really are a dick!"

[syl]

[Davo]

Just out of interest any idea what the cause of the problem was?

[syl]

Cause? No.

The problem was that a warning light on the dash lit up, so they connected it top the computer. That said there was a problem, needs more tests. It failed a compression test on one cylinder, which meant they took it apart to look at it. When they looked at it they found that one of the pistons was damaged. No idea why.

To repair they quoted for:

Exchange head
Piston
Lower gasket kit
Oil pump
Head set
Head bolts

plus 13 hours of labour
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Current bike: Kawasaki Z750S

[numark1]

My mum is paying just over £600 to have a new air conditioning compressor and refilled for her audi a6. the last service was £1400. I thought expensive cars were supposed to last.

[Rookie]

[Teamcalibra]

I had a Vaux where an plastic idler wheel shattered. It was a recall item and when I went to a Vaux dealer for the check they lifted the bonnet and said - yup it's fine. 2 weeks later one mangled block and 8 valves fooked out of the 16. I got on to Vaux Customer services and they didn't want to know...

I kept on at them. I complained like mad and got stroppy raising my voice (hate being like that but it works). They agreed to pay for parts if I paid the labour... Better than nothing.

[Finglonga]

First I would want someone independant to check the engine over. Then find out why Vauxhall engines are only designed to last a few years when others can do 100k miles with no problems.

If you have not serviced it or abused the engine then tough, but under normal circumstances an engine should not fail in such a short time. The words 'not fit for the purpose' spring to mind.

Oh and forget Customer assist, they are nothing! Always go straight to the top bloke at head office, he will notice a complaint. I have done it before with a bike that was 3 years out of warranty and the company paid parts and labour in full.
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Andy Sez....
F.Y.Y.F.F.

[0ddball]

In contrast untill recently i had 3 Vauxhalls. One with a standard 2L 16v which is on 130K and is thrashed everyday of it's life, another with a ~200bhp 2L and one with a 400bhp turbo lump which never missed a beat in 30K and is still going strong in the new owners car. None of them blew up.

It's true that the newer engines are weaker than the early 90's range but they should stand up to normal use.

I guess if you own a fairly flash car like that you have to be prepared for the fairly flash bills. If you are open to getting the work done by someone independant i could put you onto a guy in Portsmouth who knows his stuff and could probably rebuild your lump using a 2nd hand block and have it back in the car and running for a third of the Vauxhall cost.

[extreme3d]

[syl]

[FuTuR?]

When my brother crashed his astra and wrote it off the engine fell clean out of the bottom... Just thort i would say lol.

[krebsy]

I've been quoted 550 quid just to get my rear brakes serviced on my 2000 Renault Laguna. It feels like that's taking the piss, seeing as my bike is 60 quid to overhaul the front brakes, 30 to clean out and free up a seized caliper bolt and one garage even did it for free...

K.
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What's my New Year's resolution?

1280 x 1024.

[John C]

[kawakid]

I blew my engine on my MK2 Mondeo about 3 years back. (my fault).

Cost me £1500 fitted for a new one.

One thing to note, I could have got an engine out of the recked ford for about £500 (fitted). Thats what I would do now.

You need to go on google, and put your details in every part finder web site.

A back street garage will probably charge you about £200-300 to fit.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[syl]

I could only find one second hand engine, that was 30k miles and would cost over £1500 by the time VAT was added. Unfortunately, it's not that common an engine (Astra and Zafira GSi only).

Delivery (and return of mine for reconditioning) was another £100.

Fitting £300.

I would then have to pay £150 for a lowloader to take my car and engine away from the current dealers garage.

I would also have to pay the £400 in labour already diagnosing the problem and stripping the engine that I don't have to pay if I get the new engine from the dealer.

A hire car for a week (or two) £150.

Warranty on the engine would require 6000 mile servicing instead of every year / 20,000 miles. I do 20,000 miles/year. Another £200 down over 12 months.

Total £2800 - so, all in all, second hand at a backstreet garage isn't worth it!
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Current bike: Kawasaki Z750S