Garage nightmare advice needed

[Mikecdti]

Hi to you all,

A bit of a nightmare happened to me on Weds il do my best to stay calm .
Took my vectra b (sorry i know its not a c but do have a c aswell) to local garage for a oil and filter change, antifreeze change and new drive belt.
Picked the car up Monday drove home no problems drove car again Weds for 15 miles when car lost all power and stalled (60mph). Checked under bonnet to find drive belt tensioner had collapsed and a strand of the belt had seperated and found its way into bottom cambelt pulley!!! After a few phonecalls got the car back to garage to find it had jumped 3 teeth and causing the valves to introduce themselves to pistons. To cut a long story short after speaking to 6 mechanics 2 of which were vx they all said if the tensioner wasnt changed i should have been advised to have it which on both counts didnt happen. Where do you think I stand? We are still on talking terms just wanted your feedback / thoughts on this?? cheers Mike.

[John LE]

TBH I think it's just a case of bad luck with this one. The garage should have told you if there was anything wrong with the tensioner, leading me to think that the tensioner may have been "ok" at the time of fitting the belt.

As you have to move the tensioner past where it normally sits it may have weakened it which you wouldn't really see.

Tough call really

[Mikecdti]

TBH I think it's just a case of bad luck with this one. The garage should have told you if there was anything wrong with the tensioner, leading me to think that the tensioner may have been "ok" at the time of fitting the belt.

As you have to move the tensioner past where it normally sits it may have weakened it which you wouldn't really see.

Tough call really

Yh i know its a difficult one, Iv used him for years aswell but business is business and just waiting to see what he wants to do about it. Im opened minded but feel that something has to come from him tbh.

[plasma]

could well be the tensioner failed due to having the tension taken off of it and then reapplied? I have some stuff like that its fine while its all powered up and working for years and you turn it off and it just wont work again

[snapsnap]

Do vx/autodata recommend that the tensioner be changed? If so I would have thought that this should be your starting point.

[big tee]

sorry mate but its a tough call....try going down the route of you pay for parts they stand the labour

[bigcarp1953]

they should have advised you to have a complete belt kit fitted which includes tensioners etc. its similar to just replacing a new clutch plate without a new pressure plate and bearings etc. dont know how you stand legally , keep the pressure on them , dont give up, and good luck!

[lesj]

they should have advised you to have a complete belt kit fitted which includes tensioners etc. its similar to just replacing a new clutch plate without a new pressure plate and bearings etc. dont know how you stand legally , keep the pressure on them , dont give up, and good luck!

As a garage like anyone else providing a service and entering in to a contract they must:
Carry out the task with reasonable competence and provide a professional service. As professionals in the field of car maintenance it could be argued that they had an obligation to advise you that the tensioner should be replaced. Obviously if you dont want to follow their advice then thats your risk.
Might be worth a chat with a familly solicitor or the citizens advice.

Good luck

[Keithy]

Lesson to be learned here.

[snapsnap]

they should have advised you to have a complete belt kit fitted..

Only if the mfr/autodata etc, says so. Without a formal recomendation from an offical-(ish) source, there is no way to show that they should have advised you.