HWCS
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I was told all vehicles are female because they carry.Sorry to say this, you've been duped! The vans a guy not a girl ?
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dmw
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I named my old van Startyerbastad..for the obvious reasons....
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dazmond
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why does anyone buy vivaro,primastar,trafic vans?any mechanic will tell you they are one of the worst,unreliable vans on the road with well known gearbox and injector problems......
HWCS
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They've all got dramas in one form or another. Some worse than others. A good van today could change to a bad van tomorrow. Some of those changes can be due to external forces such as emissions regulations or an internal change of direction.
When Ford introduced the Transit Connect in 2003 it was soon voted van of the year. But very soon it became evident that the Tddi engine they used was very dated (the Tdci only became an option later in the T230) and they didn't have much rust protection. In our part of the world we really see a 53/04/54 plate Transit Connect where their are still dozens of 02/52/03/53/04 plate Berlingo/Partner vans because they were galvanized dipped where Connects weren't.
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A mate of mine bought a 3 year old vivaro over 10 years ago and still has it as his daily workhorse never had any major issues that he couldn't fix himself, be he is like a mechanic anyway as he is car mad
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In the early days you either got a good one or a bad one. If you got a bad one it was a nightmare.
A fellow Windie locally had had 2. The first was an 04 plate. He had no problems with it at all. It was hit by a foreign driver and written off. He replaced it with a 57 plate and again no issues.
His dad bought an 06 plate and it cost him a fortune. I think it ended up having 2 reconditioned gearboxes. The serpentine belt broke and in the process smashed the cam belt cover and snapped the cambelt. He again opted for a reconditioned engine. That later developed another fault so he scrapped the van. I'm not sure how much of his financial loss was dealing with the wrong repairers. The garage he used for servicing should have checked the belt and replaced it on it last service.
The trouble is that you also need to check up on the service work a garage has done. You just can't presume they do a thorough job.
scottish cleaning service
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They had a problem with water getting into the glow plugs I think and they couldn't be extracted when broke. The engine slowly died. You have to remember that without a van you don't have a business thus no money coming in. An old guy yesterday said is that a new van you have. I said its 12yrs old but I got it resprayed and he found it hard to believe but I look after my vehicles. My next van will be nearly new so I have the manufacturers warranty.
Daveyboy001
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i have 2 vivaros my last vivaro was great died at 180.000 it was worked hard bless but only big job done was a gear box the rest was run of the mill stuff.track rod ends brakes brake pipes ball joints all to do with the loads we carry every day i may add that was a 03 plate i know have a 08 plate which is great too .
bought another round last year needed another van so bought a 60 plate OMG i used to be a mechanic for 10 years so pretty much know myself around a van the newer vivaros have a massive problem with water getting in the injectors i knew this ?? what a DOG this van has been from day 1 got told had 4 new injectors my **** but who takes all the covers off to check its not a 2 min job from experience i think the transits rot with the water always finds away some how and vauxhall you either get a good one or a bad one ive had 2 good out of 3 ??.
just try get some warranty thats the best way
good luck
bought another round last year needed another van so bought a 60 plate OMG i used to be a mechanic for 10 years so pretty much know myself around a van the newer vivaros have a massive problem with water getting in the injectors i knew this ?? what a DOG this van has been from day 1 got told had 4 new injectors my **** but who takes all the covers off to check its not a 2 min job from experience i think the transits rot with the water always finds away some how and vauxhall you either get a good one or a bad one ive had 2 good out of 3 ??.
just try get some warranty thats the best way
good luck
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HWCS
Well-known member
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Your not wrong, i was advised to go to a local garage by a very very good family friend, first oil leak £150, a week later was still leaking, took it back "its not same leak jon, we'll fix this one" another £95. 2 weeks later still p1ss1ng oil out, went to another garage and they laughed when i told them where id taken it. They fixed it, cleaned the engine £250 no more oil leak.
Fuming didnt even come close
G
Guest
That’s the thing with a lot of industries, the cowboys leave a sour taste in your mouth and it’s so difficult to find someone consistent and reliable ?
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The problem all started in the motor industry when the industry started to adopt performance related bonuses. They have a manual that tells them how long a job is supposed to take. They charge a customer according to that rate and a bit more if they can get away with it. But if a mechanic takes shortcuts he can do the job quicker but not necessarily up to standard.
How is it possible for a mechanic to work for 8 hours and book in 12 hours of labour?
We had one that an observant customer caught out. The customer noticed the Picasso was parked in the same spot as he had left it in the morning. He was billed for a complete service including oil and filter change when the car hadn't been touched. He got caught doing the same thing with another car a couple of weeks later by our workshop manager. He was the mechanic who had been singled out as an example for other mechanics to follow by the dealerships service director previously.
None of them would spend time trying to identify an intermittent fault. They couldn't charge for it and looking would cost them valuable bonuses. When a mechanic says they looked but couldn't find a fault then the chances are he didn't bother.
The world has changed. At one time the industry comprised of mechanics who really did care. They had a love of cars and engines. Many could tune a car's engine by ear. Nowadays that love, commitment and care have gone.
scottish cleaning service
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Its all in a laptop now. The first thing they do is plug in the laptop and charge you for the pleasure because manufacturers charge them for the software. Manufacturers have got to make money continually so it must come from service and breakdowns.
They won't be making much from new cars now.
They won't be making much from new cars now.
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I used to own a Suzuki Carry van 1.3. After a while driving the engine management light would come on.
So I took out down to the agents who put it onto the computer and identified a faulty camshaft timing sensor. They had to order the sensor. Putting it on the computer took them 5 minutes and my bill was £65 + vat.
They dually ordered the sensor and I booked it in for replacement. As agreed with them I waited there as the dealership was 12 miles away. I waited in the waiting room for an hour and a half. I sat in the mot waiting room where I had full view of my van in the workshop. Over an hour and a quarter went past before a mechanic started work on my van. He was finished in 10 minutes.
I got a bill of £40 for the sensor, £80 for fitting and another £65 to clear the fault code. I never saw the laptop taken to the van after the sensor has been replaced.
The engine management light never came on again so they identified the fault correctly.
In the process I identified them as a bunch of bandits and the van never went back to them again.
scottish cleaning service
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Maybe they unticked the engine management box so the light wouldn't come on again. I was getting my van alarm fixed and the car electrician was showing me the laptop. The van alarm activation was unticked so he had to tick the box so it would work. He was also telling me that the manufacturers will not release the software because the Chinese were cloning it and handing it out for free. They now have to set up a link to Germany and let their mechanics fix it. I believe everyone has to make money or the industry will collapse, its when we witness how they make money that we don't like it. If you didn't get the sensor replaced your van would probably still run fine. I like the Picasso story in the Paris cafe. He took a minute to draw a woman sitting near him and she asked to buy it. He quoted a thousand francs and she laughed and said it only took him a minute he replied it took me 55 years and then I think he ripped it up. I hope you don't need a lawyer or a private doctor because you will die when you see what they actually do for the price they charge. ?
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I agree. My mother died 11 years ago and I asked our local solicitor to cancel my Enduring Power of Attorney with the Court of Protection I had on her Estate. I had heard all sorts of horror stories with everyday commoners like me doing it themselves. I still had to fill out the forms but the solicitor signed it, stamped it and sent it off with a short covering letter on their letter head. £247 + VAT. I'd hate to think what the price is now. (Funnily enough this solicitor lives in an old Victorian semi that doesn't stand out from the rest of the properties around him. He drives an old car he doesn't advertise his occupation.) If memory serves me it costs a further £120 for the Court of Protection to cancel the registration.
The Suzuki agents didn't untick a box for that sensor as the management light reappeared on the way home. As the warning light never reappeared after they did the job I concluded they had identified the fault. I am also aware that sometimes a sensor 'fails' due to corrosion on the sensors thread with the alloy head that interferes with the path to earth. This can be corrected by removing the sensor, cleaning the threads up and lubricating it with an anti seize compound. But this senor had 2 wires connecting it up.
The very fact that they didn't put the computer back on after they replaced the sensor tells me they left the fault code stored in the ECU. I don't know how those early systems were programmed and if that fault code remained for the rest of the van's life.
For example, Webasto diesel heaters hold a starting fault that is automatically cleared after 3 successful restarts after the fault code has been triggered. Maybe the Suzuki ECU did the same thing.
