Carter

Uno problemo

Well 2 problems actually. I was expecting to be collecting my GT with new shocks and front pads on Monday but Stuart McLennan phoned to tell me some bad news. Firstly, one of the Koni dampers (n/s front) had discharged all of its fluid as soon as they had set the car down on the ground. Stuart took down the details of the supplier (Awesome GTi) from me and took it upon himself to arrange for a replacement damper to be sent out. Unfortunately it looks likely to be a 2-3 week for the new front pair (they only send them out in pairs) to arrive. So it looks like I will have to wait a little longer to see if the FSD dampers are any good. This is quite worrying that a brand new Koni damper should fail like that so I will be keeping an eye on them to check for any further leaks.

I would like to take this opportunely to say how superb McLennan’s Garage have been over this. They have had to re-fit the original front dampers so the car isn't off the road until the replacement dampers arrive. Stuart has also offered to fit the new front dampers free of charge when they arrive! This has helped turn a potentially disastrous (and expensive) situation into just an inconvenient one, thanks to what I consider to be the perfect Alfa garage with the kind of customer service you would never even come close to with your average main dealer.

Well that was problem number one.

Problem number two: I had asked McLennan’s Garage to give me a second opinion on a knocking noise coming from the n/s front particularly when maneuvering at low speed while they had the car up on the ramps. Arnold Clark the main (and only) Alfa dealer in Edinburgh had dismissed this as just a very slightly worn lower wishbone ball joint that may be making this noise but wasn't actually a problem and would keep an eye on it as it wasn't deemed bad enough to be replaced. But McLennan's Garage came up with a totally different explanation, and one that anyone with a pair of eyes should have spotted. Where the trackrod end hooks onto the steering arm, the nut underneath that holds everything in place was at the point where a few more turns and it would have dropped off! This meant that the knocking noise was the trackrod end moving around in the steering arm and inevitably would have come free when the nut eventually dropped off, leaving me with front wheels pointing in opposite directions, maybe even causing a serious accident!

I cannot believe that Arnold Clark has missed this obvious and very dangerous problem. This has also caused the inside tread of the tyre to wear almost to the point of being illegal. The GT is going into Arnold Clark for a new trackrod end tomorrow and I will be writing a letter to them to highlight their incompetence.

Fortunately, I can report that the Tarox pads have greatly improved the bite of the brakes and is now a linear action, the harder I press the pedal the quicker the car the car stops, where as before the bite of the standard pads didn't seem to improve that harder I pressed the pedal. I haven't had a chance to put them fully to the test yet, because until the steering is 100% I am taking it easy.

I will keep you informed of Arnold Clarks response to my letter of complaint I will be sending out.