Youngest asked for help with his car which was squealing at the rear on braking, turns out his rear pads are fekked.

So we ring a local motor factor, who asks for the Reg No. as they do.....

Then we go in to collect the pads, strip it down, and...yep...wrong pads, NOWHERE NEAR a fit

What the hell is the game of asking for a reg number and STILL selling us the wrong pads????

Now he'll have to go to work in mine tomorrow, since the factors was closed by the time we realised.

So that's an extra £100 to put him on my insurance too.

All because some tw@ can't do his job right.

 

Euro car parts done the same with me. Reg number provided, picked up the rear brake shoes, stripped everything down and it was the wrong ones Grrrr. Luckily I had another car as they never had the correct ones in stock!
No apology what so ever.

 

Computer says NO.

 

I would be able to accept a simple mistake, without that they can't hardly sell ANYTHING without the reg no.

What is it for?????????

 

Sounds simple stock picking error. Computer gives correct code but either the pads were labelled up wrong in the stores or the guy that picked them from the shelf just picked the wrong ones.

 

Best thing to do in the future is put the reg into euro car parts website and match the pads with your own, or take them with you.

It could be a packing error, picking error, counter staff error due to them not selecting the right option (if more than one) or maybe even your vehicle may have had rear brakes from a newer model fitted in the past?

Only vehicles I have trouble with are VW group for brakes. For some reason the caddy vans have 3 different options for discs and pads, front and rear! Even on the same years with the same engine. It makes you wonder how it's cost effective to use differing parts for the manufacturers in the first place on the same vehicle.

 

That's the game for you...

Sometimes its the DVLA's fault, I've had instances where the reg number brings up the wrong car, or the wrong model/variant.

Chassis numbers don't always work and of course you could say "allo mate I want some pads for a MY07 Audi Q5"....only to find there are 4 different pads for the exact same make and model. You'll have to take a lucky guess, unless you have the originals in your hand and can read the part numbers to cross-ref it with or can compare the template diagrams

It costs in labour too...Just Last week Renault scenic..alternator. It fits...does it work no? Body control unit (UPC) doesn't likey and says "no".

Turns out the UPC unit needs to be coded for different alternators. There's about ten differing models of alternator for the Megane/Scenic,using 3 differing charging/communication options and our diagnostic equipment won't re-code it. There is no way to identify which one is which. The ideal way around this is to fit like-for like, problem is it wasn't the original alternator and had no recognisable part number.

Reg number was useless as the DVLA records don't even have correct model let alone the engine size (It just says its a Renault! ) Couldn't order a identical alternator as the broken one already was a replacement recon, so the part numbers didn't match up. In the end it was a blind guess: Took three alternators before we found one that would work without the UPC having a spazzy fit. On the plus side the apprentice can swap one in his sleep now.

None of this is the motor factor's fault I may add, but mainly Renault for using different charging systems on the same sodding car. Only Renault could do this.....

Talking of Renaults....the Megane II also has front lower arms with two different sizes of ball joint pins. To look at they are identical. Until you measure them or try to fit them...the taper is about 2mm different.Again motor factor can't be any help....as even Renault themselves don't know which Megane has which lower arm - you have to split the existing balljoint to measure it.



Now what IS the motor factors fault is them re-stocking returned faulty parts and parts unfit for purpose, I happened to have a spate of Minis with duff wheel speed sensors. One was delivered faulty. Sent it back, never thought anything of it until the next Mini came needing a wheel speed sensor. Low and behold the replacement is faulty.....its only the same fecking sensor I sent back a few weeks earlier.

I've also wasted hours on a E36 BMW camshaft sensor. Replacement is a Delphi. Its a good brand, its a quick and simple swap (if you have small double jointed hands). However, it works of sorts, but the ECU doesn't like it (weird waveform on the scope). Why? **** knows. The original sensor was clearly broken though (no signal whatsoever). Ordered a original part from BMW, hopefully when I come to fit it, it'll be OK as otherwise it will be a £80 mistake (Delphi part is returnable with no quibble, so no cost...BMW part is non-returnable). If even if it does work, the job is a loss-maker.

 

I honestly don't know why VAG do this. They platform share, share engines, boxes etc. Lots of their makes share parts. That bit makes sense.

But take the steering colum controller on a Golf...shared amonst other VAGs on the same platform (A3, Leon, Octavia etc)...there is loads of them! ( see here: http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index...odule_Versions ) all of slightly differing types. WHY? All those do is control the horn/indicators/wipers/trip/cruise, steering angle, airbag and steering wheel buttons. All VAGs have these, bar the steering wheel buttons, cruise and trip. So to me, all they need to make is three...one high spec, one mid and one low spec...so whats the other lot for?

And the door window switches? My Golf doesn't have one touch closing on the passenger window (from the driver's side - its only one touch to open). It drives me nuts...as almost every other Golf I've driven has one touch on opening AND closing - even poverty spec ones with manual rear windows. Why make two different types of window switch? (an no it does not need resetting/re-learning...the switch is physically different)

 

Had the same issue recently a few weeks ago - wanted a set of wipers for the accord. First he asked if I wanted the cheap option or the recommended option for my car. Told him I dont do cheap as it means paying twice, but for a bit of conversation asked about the price differential, which was about £3 for the two wipers. I paid £13 for 2 Valeo wipers. When I fitted them the passenger side didn't fit. I thought fair enough, my car is the last of a generation accord although it is registed a year after production stopped, so thought this may have been the problem. Got the wiper changed and didn't fit it there and then as it was raining heavily. I tried to change it yesterday and it is still about 15mm too long!!!

I saw some wipers for sale in Lidl last week and bought a set for my car and a set for the wife's legacy, these were £4.99 for a pair. No need for VRM, just, make, model and year as shown on the box - I fitted these yesterday and they both fit perfectly, they are quiet and smooth in operation. I think I know where I will be shopping for wipers in future!

 

You do cheap other wise you would have been at Honda buying them.

 

This was a Megane Sport R26 on an 07 plate.

The box listed it.

But the pads were wildly different to what's there.

Since the lad has gone to work in my Corsa Diesel today, and the Scoob is SORN, I'm not mobile, so a neighbour who works near the factor is sorting it.

Seems to be a french car thing, My Xantia was the same, choice of three front and two rear calipers. Pot luck what's on.
The Megane has Brembos front, but not rear.

 

Update: Fitted genuine BMW M52 cam sensor an hour ago. Problem solved.

I suspect the Delphi manufactured sensor is a hall-effect sensor. Which is whats also used on later M54 engine (with a different connector, so you can't mix them up).

The M52 engine has a AC-voltage excited sensor.

It would explain the bizzare output waveform from teh sensor on the oscilloscope ....half AC and half binary..ish