Dodgy Brake Job? [Aussie Drivers]

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From: TonyS on 23 May 2010 05:35

Clocky wrote:
> TonyS wrote:
>
> I assume it doesn't have ABS?
>

Nope. It hasn't.

>
> Shoes about $40 a set, cylinders say $40 a side plus $15 fluid... plus
> labour say 2 hours (it shouldn't take that long but you can expect a charge
> time of 2 hours). If ot was done at a dealer it would seem about right, but
> if not it might be a tad on the high side.
>

Not a dealer, just a medium sized workshop.
I got suspicious cause he initially quoted $180. I thought that was a fair
price. Wishful thinking...Maybe a misunderstanding? But there is also no
itemised bill. I wouldn't take my car there.
I hate it when they rip off women.

>
> Well, no, if the rear shoes and cylinders where replaced, adjusted correctly
> (handbrake backed off, adjust shoes and then adjust the handbrake) and fluid
> flushed and bled correctly.
>
>
> What does it stop like?
>

She says it stops alright, just feels soft, different to what it used to be.

> If you have any concerns, your first step would be to take it back to the
> place that did the work and raise your concerns.
>
> What is their explanation?
>

I will tell her to take it back to have it checked out.

I did check the front cylinders and there is a little spilled fluid on the right
hand side bleeder screw, so they must have actually replaced the fluid as
requested. Strangely there is no wet spot on the left hand side though.

Thanks for your help guys. Didn't want to give wrong advice and look stupid:)

Tony

From: Noddy on 23 May 2010 06:07

"TonyS" <scarborofun(a)gmail.nspm.com> wrote in message
news:_62dnYGlLMpKa2XWnZ2dnUVZ_oKdnZ2d(a)westnet.com.au...

> Not a dealer, just a medium sized workshop.
> I got suspicious cause he initially quoted $180. I thought that was a fair
> price. Wishful thinking...Maybe a misunderstanding? But there is also no
> itemised bill. I wouldn't take my car there.
> I hate it when they rip off women.

350 bucks isn't cheap, but I wouldn't exactly say it's ripping her off
either. Sounds like a run of the mill price to me.

> She says it stops alright, just feels soft, different to what it used to
> be.

"Soft" can be one of those pretty subjective comments people use to describe
something, and it may not necessarily mean anything is wrong. By "soft" she
may mean the pedal requires less effort to stop the vehicle than it did
before, but the pedal most certainly shouldn't be "spongy".

--
Regards,
Noddy.

From: TonyS on 23 May 2010 22:26

Noddy wrote:
> "TonyS" <scarborofun(a)gmail.nspm.com> wrote in message
> news:_62dnYGlLMpKa2XWnZ2dnUVZ_oKdnZ2d(a)westnet.com.au...
>
>
> 350 bucks isn't cheap, but I wouldn't exactly say it's ripping her off
> either. Sounds like a run of the mill price to me.
>
I had not much of an idea about the price but to quote $180 first and then
charge about double that seems just not right to me.
>
> "Soft" can be one of those pretty subjective comments people use to describe
> something, and it may not necessarily mean anything is wrong. By "soft" she
> may mean the pedal requires less effort to stop the vehicle than it did
> before, but the pedal most certainly shouldn't be "spongy".
>
I tried it myself and it felt "spongy", like normally you push the pedal and
find a point of resistance. But finding a point of a little resistance first and
then 25% further down the real point of resistance didn't feel right.
> --
> Regards,
> Noddy.
>
>

Now we have another problem. The rear windscreen burst and we found that it
costs around $600 to replace... That's almost a write off !
What's a Pulsar N14 1.6l 91 worth?

Tony

From: Noddy on 23 May 2010 23:52

"TonyS" <scarborofun(a)gmail.nspm.com> wrote in message
news:LumdnXYvsu8mfmTWnZ2dnUVZ_oednZ2d(a)westnet.com.au...

> I tried it myself and it felt "spongy", like normally you push the pedal
> and find a point of resistance. But finding a point of a little resistance
> first and then 25% further down the real point of resistance didn't feel
> right.

Definitely doesn't sound right. I'd be getting it back to them for a look.

> Now we have another problem. The rear windscreen burst and we found that
> it costs around $600 to replace... That's almost a write off !

600 bucks?

You could buy a whole tailgate (including the window) for about a hundred
from a wrecker.

> What's a Pulsar N14 1.6l 91 worth?

From the sounds of this one, about scrap metal value which would be 150
bucks or so.

--
Regards,
Noddy.

From: TonyS on 24 May 2010 05:10

Noddy wrote:
> "TonyS" <scarborofun(a)gmail.nspm.com> wrote in message
> news:LumdnXYvsu8mfmTWnZ2dnUVZ_oednZ2d(a)westnet.com.au...
>
>
> Definitely doesn't sound right. I'd be getting it back to them for a look.
>

Yep, as soon as we fixed the windscreen.

>
> 600 bucks?
>
> You could buy a whole tailgate (including the window) for about a hundred
> from a wrecker.
>

The windscreen people say it's much more expensive than the front one.

Anyway, I got one from the wreckers for $135. Now I think of fitting it myself.
Any tips? I am sure there are a few tricks I should know :-)
Is Sikaflex the right sealant? Where can I buy new trims? Do I have to clean
off all the foamy stuff?

>
> From the sounds of this one, about scrap metal value which would be 150
> bucks or so.
>

True. But a car that works and everything has been fixed (serviced with all
filters and sparks replaced, brakes, exhaust, coolant flushed, new tyres, not a
single bit of rust) is worth hanging on to.

> --
> Regards,
> Noddy.
>
>

Cheers

Tony