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And the moral of the story....... Stay away from the big boys
I really don't know how they sleep at night ripping off the elderly or anyone for that matter...
Great outcome Gerrard.
Tony.
I may be forced to my rip off Volvo dealer because of an ECU for the air bags and SRS going on the blink. Got a replacement, the part number shown as the one for my cars chassis etc by my mates Volvo program called VIDOR after plugging it in to find the fault. It should be plug and play but when we got the original out, which needed stripping out the entertainment system and center consul, it was a different part no. Any way we put it in. VIDOR says it works and all OK air bags will go off. But the dash readout says there's an error and urgent SRS service needed. So MOT fail. It would not clear so rechecked with the VIDOR. Its a software configuration issue, the ECU that drives the read out will not talk to the new ECU. Cost for a dealer to re configure it starts at £600.00. I am advised its apparently a cheap down load to them and a 30 min job. So the old air bag ECU has gone off to a company who say they can fix it, came back Sat, cost £35.00. Fitting it tomorrow so will find out if it works.
The problem is caused by low voltage when a battery discharges or is faulty or alternator faulty and the voltage goes below a certain figure I think 10.5V. The VIDOR even warns operators to be aware of this when doing checks that may drain the battery. Recently it had a new battery which was faulty and would not keep its charge. It was replaced under guarantee, with a different better make but the supplier will have nothing to do with the fault it caused.
One of the worst recent main dealer rip offs recently was with my neighbors Peugeot. His wipers stopped working so he got a new motor. I asked him if he had checked it was defo that and he said it will be. It wasn't. they still didn't work. So he went to a local garage who said it was the control ECU that works all the gauges and switches thats bust. He will need to replace the engine ECU, the dash control ECU, immobilizer etc. with a second hand one. That didn't work, said it was because he had auto lights. So off to the main dealer, I went with him. £695.00 + VAT to replace the ECU that controls all the switches and dash. But as they now only supplied one unit for all models they would not guarantee it unless he had the car checked out first. If they fitted it without this pre inspection to check its suitability then they would not remove it or give him his money back if it did not work. So he paid the £49.95 + VAT. The report was that all would be OK.
Took the car in to get it fixed. The receptionist said that they would fit the ECU but would not guarantee it or remove it if it did not work. The same one who told him that to guarantee the work he needed the check. I stepped in and asked to see a manager reminding her of her earlier statements. She went off but the manager would not come out and they insisted on the conditions. I said OK we are now going to Trading Standards, that worked. They agreed to the original deal.
We went to pick the car up and they said its done and all working. However there is a wiring fault and it needs a part loom fitting. No it doesn't said I. Yes it does the electrician says that hes tested it all out and the rear fog light is out and its a wiring short. No its not its the bulb gone. How much. £275.00 for the loom plus labour at £95.00/ hr. plus VAT. Well how long will it take? We cannot quote that because it depends how long it takes to find the short. You've just quoted for the part loom so you know where it is. Well no that's what the electrician says. We will leave it thanks.
On the way home we got a bulb and put it in. Still works.
Up date the old reprogrammed ECU works and the message center accepts it so no expensive visit to the main dealer needed.
And the difference to a small trader he said no labour charges. I know he's an old Friend but I thought that was too much of a hit to him. It wasn't his fault the Volvo software gave him the wrong part number, I saw the readout, so he said 20.00, I gave him 40.00 in the end which he was reluctant to accept. That's service.