Archive for NEEPS North East Eco-friendly People's Site
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PurpleDragon
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Bloody Cars!Anyone remember that I have a Toyota Estima Lucida import?
And that said TELi broke down a few months ago?
What happened was - I was driving down the road and the engine management light came on, and the engine started losing power. Nipped into the local garage who had a wee look-see and changed something. Drove about 20feet, and on came the wee light again. The garage said to take it back to the folk I bought it from, as they couldn't fix it.
Their problem had been that, as it was an import, they couldn't plug it into their computer - wrong plug.
Took it back to the bloke I bought it from, who also has no plug, and he took it away for a couple of weeks. He changed something, brought it back, it lasted a day or maybe two, then on came the light again.
Toyota in Aberdeen don't have the right connection, and don't want to buy it.
Husband asked around down the road and a mechanic he knows offered to take a look. He reckoned he knew a man with the right connection. Husband drove it down the road, and it sits at his Dad's for a few weeks. Eventually, the man with the connection decided he actually didn't have the connection after all, so mechanic takes it to a proper Toyota garage.
Proper Toyota garage charges us three figures to plug it into their machine to diagnose the fault.
A couple of days ago, they told us what they (think) is wrong with it, which they will replace, for substantial amounts of dosh, and hope that it works. In the meantime, my tax and MOT have run out.
Mechanic goes along today to take car to MOT centre. Gets into car, starts it up, drives 5 feet and is sprayed liberally with oil from something they have omitted to replae in the engine when they were looking at it.
The car is now totally undriveable, the interior is covered in oil, the mechanic is royally pi**ed off, I am substantially out of pocket, and my fricking car is still in the frickin garage 200 miles away.
I'm not a happy bunny.
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Smooth Hound
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thats the problem with imports, i know someone else with the same problem, i presume you got it cheaper that way, now you know why, theres no after service, guarantee or anything, take it to a decent garage, that one in new byth is good, your guarentee and service es arent worth a jot with an import 
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IainC
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Re: Bloody Cars! | PurpleDragon wrote: | Mechanic goes along today to take car to MOT centre. Gets into car, starts it up, drives 5 feet and is sprayed liberally with oil from something they have omitted to replae in the engine when they were looking at it.
The car is now totally undriveable, the interior is covered in oil, the mechanic is royally pi**ed off, I am substantially out of pocket, and my fricking car is still in the frickin garage 200 miles away.
I'm not a happy bunny. |
The car wasn't covered in oil when you dropped it off with them... I'd have said it's their fault/responsibility to get it cleaned, etc without further cost to yourself. You took it to them 'cos it wasn't working properly and they have swapped stuff about, etc and it's now p*ssing oil.
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PurpleDragon
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No, actually SH, we didn't get it cheaper. I have subsequently seen the same age of car, in better condition, for sale substantially cheaper. :?
IainC - Oh, don't worry - I shan't be paying for the balls up they have made. Our mechanic bloke down there knows what it was like when it went in, and he will not take any nonsense. He's actually someone you wouldn't mess with, which is handy coz he's on our side!
I'm just a bit fed up that this car seems to be flippin jinxed.
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PurpleDragon
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Well, Himself collected the car yesterday and it seems to be working. Hr drove it down to Galashiels yesterday and back again and the light didn't come on. Apparently it goes link stink as well. 
I get it back on Friday night. Can't wait!
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monkey nuts
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I used to love my Lucida but they are a b*gger to get fixed. I needed a tow bar fitted to mine as we had a caravan at the time and the only way we could get one was to have a guy measure the car and build/weld one from scratch. He did do a fantstic job however I will keep my fingers crossed for you hope all stays well.
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