Driving back from the midlands over the weekend, got off the dual carriageway and a really strong smell of diesel.

pulled over and the pipe with a tie wrap on was off and there was fuel everywhere.

 

Car has been in for service and then had a gearbox oil change, the pipe clamp was missing and the pipe worked it’s way off.

 

Tie wrap was temp fix by local garage who came out for green flag.

 

I know it’s my responsibility to check the car, but can’t really think why this pipe would have been removed ?

 

any suggestions 

49 minutes ago, General-Melchett said:

can’t really think why this pipe would have been removed

Will removing it give better access for the gear oil change (good call outsourcing that BTW; used gear oil stinks to high heaven)? If so, then push and hope or that way oversize tie-wrap were easier than trying to fit a right size clip on the pipe.

Its obscured by the tywrap tail which should have been cut off but it looks like a metal crimped retainer on the other pipe behind it, if so then it must have taken a hacksaw or grinder to remove the old one and a new one will not be available.

 

Its my pet hate seeing tywraps left like that, my tool cuts the end off as they are tensioned but even when I do them by hand I have to trim them.

17 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Will removing it give better access for the gear oil change (good call outsourcing that BTW; used gear oil stinks to high heaven)? If so, then push and hope or that way oversize tie-wrap were easier than trying to fit a right size clip on the pipe.

There was no clip on the pipe that now has a cable tie, that was put there by the Green Flag mechanic. The normal pipe clip is a pair of pliers and pull the pipe off so it was removed for some reason and not replaced.  I’m just trying to see if it’s normal to remove for service (fuel filter) or replace DSG auto box fluid.

4 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Its my pet hate seeing tywraps left like that, my tool cuts the end off as they are tensioned but even when I do them by hand I have to trim them.

The tail was left on as it’s a temporary repair and the metal one that would have been on is a pair of pliers to remove. The pipe next to it is fine and not rusty

They lost the clip then and didn't even have the nouse to put on a Jubilee clip, even a tywrap would have been better than nothing.

 

Its criminal to send out a vehicle like that with a fuel line pushed on with no means of retention, worse even than me cutting your brake lines because at least with that you might find out after reversing before moving forward or braking at the end of your driveway before joining the road.

I can see the logic now of not trimming the tywrap, if done an owner might have not bothered getting it fixed or forgotten, like that its a big flag to anyone experienced looking under the bonnet.

9 hours ago, General-Melchett said:

...

 

Car has been in for service and then had a gearbox oil change... but can’t really think why this pipe would have been removed ?

 

any suggestions 

 

 

Ask the place that did the service.

 

Was any fuel treatment included on the invoice?

I can see the logic in this , but the service and gearbox service were both done a few months ago. I can see me asking if they left a pipe clip off a fuel pipe on a car they worked on a few months ago would be answered....

 

Its really to make sure I know that when it goes for next service to look at the same pipe. I wont be going back to Arnold Clark in Manchester as I am not in the area any more, but have one more service with the group paid for on a plan.

 

No fuel treatment on the invoice.

Oh, for some reason I'd got the idea it had just had this service very recently. 

 

If they serviced the fuel filter,  I would think maybe a trainee (hopefully not an experienced tech) removed the clip, got stuck and forgot about it when going to get help.

 

The other option is that clips can break, albeit it would be extremely rare. For example if a lug opened up. That or it’s just hanging on the lower end of the pipe.

You cannot trust any dealer to do the right thing. I had a car serviced at Bristol Street (My old Ford not Skoda). The weather was crap when I picked up the car so I didn't bother looking under the bonnet. When I got the car home and took a look the whole engine cover was missing. I went back the following day and asked why the cover had been left off. The answer was that they broke it and couldn't get it to fit. Absolutely no mention of this when I picked up the car. OK it was eventually replaced, but the fact remains that things happen and we are not informed accordingly.

13 hours ago, J.R. said:

They lost the clip then and didn't even have the nouse to put on a Jubilee clip, even a tywrap would have been better than nothing.

 

 

3 hours ago, cheezemonkhai said:

The other option is that clips can break, albeit it would be extremely rare. For example if a lug opened up. That or it’s just hanging on the lower end of the pipe.

 

breaking fuel filter clips while removing them is/was a running joke in the mk1 Octy sub as so many people posted about cracking them while opening up to replace the filter. 

this probably happened during the service and the pipe was just shoved back on - say nothin, the owner wont notice.... clearly it lasted a while at least before it worked it way off, or maybe it had just cracked and it failed just before when you noticed the smell. 

Good to know, my fuel filter only got changed once in 325000 miles & the old one was fine, it wasn't for want of trying to change it but Eurocarparts did their usual!