[AdamHarvey7]

I brought my 159 ti with "full service" history from manchester, from a reputable dealer, it had 80k on the clock was bearly a mark on the paint work and no curbing to my lovely wheels.Had been an ex fleet car and I paid £8500 and was happy with my purchase.

I live in norwich so it was a 275 mile drive home after collecting it on the train only to get 10 miles from norwich and something started whining and screeching !

blah blah blah ... phone calls to dealer , warranty covers, no problem adam we'll get it sorted, desira main dealer, diagnosis £101, new water pump £391 .. why has this happened ?

I decided to call back through the cars service history and check it all only to find that did the full cambelt service on it at 75K, So the water pump seals and bearings had lasted 5000 miles ? ? ! ! ! This is when they proceeded to tell me they did the service without replacing it because ... "it looked ok at the time" !

These corner cutting idiots have caused me problems with a car ive had 4 hours and the dealer 000s of pounds to put the servicing right under warranty and terms and conditions of sale.

When fools like this stamp there business name to a service book they should be liable to its service to manufacture spec in its entirety ... you have to wonder if they even replaced tensioners or just put a belt on because it was a fleet car at the time for a quick few quid.

I actually feel sorry for the dealer who has to put it right as he was my point of sale ....Though perhaps we were both at fault for not going through the history inside out before we both made our purchase :/

anyhow ..... basically F****** W*****s.

 

[bobda]

Please don't name and shame like this - especially since you weren't even in possession of the car when the work was done. I've edited the name of the garage out.
A cambelt service is just that - a cambelt service. Water pumps aren't part of it, and even main dealers don't change the pump as a matter of course - it's an option.

 

[symon]

Even if the waterpump isn't part of the service, experience in the field should mean that they change it as a matter of course.

1.9 waterpump issues are hardly a secret, they have been know to fail from about 50,000 miles onwards for some time...

 

[Guest]

I don't know of a dealer who changes the waterpump as par for course. The specialist I use will do but specialists always seem to know more/care more!!

 

[AdamHarvey7]

Appologies .. i felt they should be, its not as if they didnt know about the water pump failure issue/or not part of the service... it was the reply i got.

" it looked o.k at the time" so it wasnt replaced .. what does a good water pump look like from the outside ? lol

If there not 100% on giving the correct guidance and service information shouldnt they have left well alone and/or stuck to servicing cars they were educated about? I doubt the female accountant who owned the vehicle during this period was clued up on alfa servicing and would have expected reliable advice.

Perhaps its just my biast opinion as i have the broken car ... but when you go to a garage for servicing its under contract basis and by law they have to carry out all work with reasonable care, knowledge and skill and that stands despite whats written in the service manual.

Anyhow main dealer from now on ...

 

[Guest]

I don't know of a dealer who changes the waterpump as par for course. The specialist I use will do but specialists always seem to know more/care more!!

Even some specialists don't. Mine is just in for its second cambelt change, and I know for a fact that the waterpump wasn't changed when it was first done as well as the fact that the locking tools were not used from the red paint marks on the cam cover

Needless to say that was the first and only time I used that specialist.

 

[Guest]

Even some specialists don't. Mine is just in for its second cambelt change, and I know for a fact that the waterpump wasn't changed when it was first done as well as the fact that the locking tools were not used from the red paint marks on the cam cover

Needless to say that was the first and only time I used that specialist.

It's definitely a minefield. So lucky to have two brilliant ones up this way

 

[AdamHarvey7]

Anyhow as it stands .... full cambelt service including water pump ....

Dealer has to pay £391 for pump and labour under warranty - I have to pay £ 141 cambelt kit, Desira Alfa Maindealer price £532 parts and labour.

Booked in tomorrow morning, at least ill have the knowledge of a fresh cambelt service + pump for £141.

 

[Guest]

Can understand you wanting to name and shame if you felt you have had bad service, but you should always be balanced in what you post and try to stick to the facts rather than post emotive langauge. Sites like this could face prosecution from libellous or defamatory statements.

The real issue here is if the water pump change is a required part of the cambelt service. If it is, then they are at fault. If it isn't, they have done nothing wrong even IMO if they knew it is an area of potential failure. A quick scan of the threads on here shows that there are known issues with water pump failure and most people recommend getting that fixed and the cambelt changed before 90K on the earlier models. But if it is not specified by Alfa as a required change then you cannot blame the servicing company - you should have checked before you bought. I faced a similar situation on my 156 GTA - the water pumps on those are known to fail because the plastic impeller breaks and stops working effectively. However, despite this known fault it will never be replaced as part of a routine service, you have to choose to do it yourself or risk it failing, and it's one of the things folks on here recommend that potential buyers check (to see if it has been done).

At least you got it sorted under warranty without a quibble and seem to be happy with your local dealer. That's a good outcome from a purchase that didn't start well. It would be really bad if you had to fight over the warranty claim as well.

Cheers,

Nigel

 

[AdamHarvey7]

To be honest i was more angry with the casual "it looked ok at the time" so it wasnt replaced attitude - knowing they had issues ... hardly proffesional !

If they had said its not stated in the service manual by alfa to be undertaken and the lease company didnt want it done for cost reasons .... then it would have been a much more sufficient answer.

Luckily its been nipped in the bud before its thrown the cambelt and caused major internal damage

 

[In_The_Pass]

I am not sure how many companies or their Fleet Managers care about the likelihood of possible failures if it's likely to occur once they've disposed of it and it's someone else's problem.

It's not as though the company will get any more for the car when it's sold if it has had the pump changed.

It has spoilt your buying experience and taken a bit of the shine off of your new to you Alfa, but as you say you now know it's all been done properly for an extra £141. It almost has a happy ending.

It's a reminder for people to check whether the waterpump was done when they check through service histories.

 

[Guest]

I am not sure how many companies or their Fleet Managers care about the likelihood of possible failures if it's likely to occur once they've disposed of it and it's someone else's problem.

Not just fleet managers......

I couldn't give a monkey's about either of my old ALFAs once the dealer
had taken them off my hands. They serviced 'em so it's their problem if
there are any issues.

 

[Mitch916]

Please don't name and shame like this - especially since you weren't even in possession of the car when the work was done. I've edited the name of the garage out.
A cambelt service is just that - a cambelt service. Water pumps aren't part of it, and even main dealers don't change the pump as a matter of course - it's an option.

Spot on Bobda, sorry OP, thats a poor post. No one has done anything wrong IMO.

Even if the waterpump isn't part of the service, experience in the field should mean that they change it as a matter of course.

1.9 waterpump issues are hardly a secret, they have been know to fail from about 50,000 miles onwards for some time...

Not how the average main dealer works. Not many will use AO and so don't get to hear of the nationwide picture. Not fair to judge them on this,

I don't know of a dealer who changes the waterpump as par for course. The specialist I use will do but specialists always seem to know more/care more!!

Agreed, although even some good indies don't do it, we can all be smug with our knowledge because we trawl the internet, so many don't though. I think it's one of the reasons why Autolusso do so well here, they have the "inside" knowledge,

 

[Mitch916]

Luckily its been nipped in the bud before its thrown the cambelt and caused major internal damage

That would have been covered under warrenty. I don't understand your anger.

 

[symon]

Not how the average main dealer works. Not many will use AO and so don't get to hear of the nationwide picture. Not fair to judge them on this,

But due to the cars they sell, service and repair you would think that they would get to see all of these failures and come up with a solution, before we even discuss it on here.

 

[bobda]

That would have been covered under warrenty. I don't understand your anger.

I wouldn't bank on the consequential damages being covered under a used car warranty. Generally (and unfortunately) the only parts that are covered are the ones that have failed.

 

[AdamHarvey7]

Of course I'm a tad angry .... Not for me. But the expense the dealers business has to incure to put this right.

Maybe nothing illegal or untoward took place, and I'm getting a cambelt water pump service for under 150 quid ... Happy days.

... But its still not moral in my eyes that a big corner was cut to save a few quid, while you have cambelt ect off it makes no sence to miss it out. Especially knowing it could cause an issue...

Another small business is now footing the cost . I'm just looking further than my own back pocket.

 

[zulu ferret]

I'd much prefer the older type water impeller to be re-introduced as a replacement for the current type. You know the sort, a nice carbon seal and a big fat grease nipple for some WPG to be injected regularly. Very infrequently did those ancient types fail? Lowest form of wit I know, but you follow my way of thinking? :

 

[steveisfrowning]

To be fair to the OP, it's easy to lose your rag when something like this happens.

 

[Guest]

I'd much prefer the older type water impeller to be re-introduced as a replacement for the current type. You know the sort, a nice carbon seal and a big fat grease nipple for some WPG to be injected regularly. Very infrequently did those ancient types fail? Lowest form of wit I know, but you follow my way of thinking? :

Ah but Zed, you and I would grease it, but no other bugger would. Come to think of it, I think I gave my grease gun to the young lad who bought my Mini.