Noise from Front that sounds like a blowing exhaust

[Oimsi]

HI

My 2003 Oct estate sdi was recently at a garage for a clutch problem, the master cylndr was changed along with the clutch and the actuator arm. I got got my car back and the clutch is working but there is a noise that sounds like it is a blowing exhaust manifold.

The noise only comes when accelerating, once at cruising speed it stops and when not in gear but reved again the noise is not there. I took the car back to the garage who done the work and they could not find any where on the exhaust that was blowing and have no idea where the noise is coming from!

Anyone got any ideas on what might have been disturbed during the clutch repair that would cause this noise/vibration?

[KenONeill]

I'd suspect either the exhaust alignment, or an issue with the underpan.

[Kandy]

You need to get tough Oimsi - I assume this is a reputable garage - Is it a Skoda Dealer?

If not reputable, cut your losses and find a decent garage. Word of mouth is best.

They have charged you a fortune in unnecessary work because they are incompetent.

(1) Go back to the garage, tell them you are unhappy about all the unnecessary work and you consider you paid under protest. Say you want a refund (whatever you think was the unnecessary work). Say they have left your car with a new fault and you want it rectified, no charge, ASAP. Direct, calm, stay pleasant but firm, negotiate but do not argue - take a large friend with you. If they refuse leave calmly.

(2) Send a letter by recorded delivery (keep a copy) - set out the cost of the work versus what was actually necessary. State the new fault. State your visits and what was said - re. paying under protest/wanting refund & new fault fixed etc. Say that unless the new fault is fixed within 7 working days to your satisfaction you will have the work carried out by another garage and you will be billing them for the full cost of that and the cost of the previous unnecessary work.

(3) Send the bill by recorded delivery (keep copy), give 14days to pay.

(4) If no luck either write it off or sue https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/csmco2/index.jsp

(5) Print off your clutch thread - the posting dates will corroborate your version of events/position and be useful in a small claims court action.

(6) It would probably help if you could get something in writing from a Skoda Dealer about how much the lever part/labour should have been. Rember at 55k, your clutch was about half worn so perhaps seek only 50% of that part of bill - shows you are fair.

[Oimsi]

You need to get tough Oimsi - I assume this is a reputable garage - Is it a Skoda Dealer?

If not reputable, cut your losses and find a decent garage. Word of mouth is best.

They have charged you a fortune in unnecessary work because they are incompetent.

(1) Go back to the garage, tell them you are unhappy about all the unnecessary work and you consider you paid under protest. Say you want a refund (whatever you think was the unnecessary work). Say they have left your car with a new fault and you want it rectified, no charge, ASAP. Direct, calm, stay pleasant but firm, negotiate but do not argue - take a large friend with you. If they refuse leave calmly.

(2) Send a letter by recorded delivery (keep a copy) - set out the cost of the work versus what was actually necessary. State the new fault. State your visits and what was said - re. paying under protest/wanting refund & new fault fixed etc. Say that unless the new fault is fixed within 7 working days to your satisfaction you will have the work carried out by another garage and you will be billing them for the full cost of that and the cost of the previous unnecessary work.

(3) Send the bill by recorded delivery (keep copy), give 14days to pay.

(4) If no luck either write it off or sue https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/csmco2/index.jsp

(5) Print off your clutch thread - the posting dates will corroborate your version of events/position and be useful in a small claims court action.

(6) It would probably help if you could get something in writing from a Skoda Dealer about how much the lever part/labour should have been. Rember at 55k, your clutch was about half worn so perhaps seek only 50% of that part of bill - shows you are fair.

Hi again Kandy

Oh you dont know the half of it :-(

Firstly the garage that done the work was chosen by a friend who had used my car to drop me off at the airport and then the clutch boke on hime whilest I was on holiday.

The garage is a personal friend of his father (I would have personally taken it to a main dealer) but he thought that it would be doing me a facour to have it fixed and ready for me to collect and pay when I got back.

I am always a little bit to soft with these type of things. But given the relationship between the garage and my friends family I am a bit more reluctant to voice my true feelings.

When I collected my car the passenger seat was covered in oil/dirt, I pointed this out to the garage (an elderly fella) who said that no one had sat in the passenger seat. Also after cleaning my car I noticed loads of little scratches on the wing of the drivers side, all going in a vertical direction. I pointed this out to the garage and said that I wasnt happy at all, again they denied any responsibilty saying that the clutch/gearbox is on the other side and they never worked on the drivers side.

I know what I should do, but to be honest I dont want these people near my car again and to be honest dont want the hassel of sueing them.

What I really want is my car back to how it was.

Ken, is it possible for a layman to check the points you raised or will it need to go to a mechanic?

Thankyou both for the feedback.

[KenONeill]

It's easier to do it with a full car lift, and I'd prefer to do this sort of work with the car's weight on the wheels, but it's easy enough.

You're looking for places where the exhaust or undertray have been rubbing on something, or missing fasteners in the undertray.