MOT : Ouch

[JamieUK]

Just had the car in for an MOT with service booked for afterwards. Service now cancelled...

Got a call to sat the handbrake cables need replacing & the offside suspension ball joint is f&%ed too. Total price for MOT, Service and to fix the issues... £710. Taking the car to another garage later for another opinion / price. I dont think the garage are making the work up - noticed the handbrake thing this morning - set off from traffic lights and there was a slight creek from the back and I've noticed the handling doesn't feel quite right - way of describing it is it kinda feels like the back end of the car moves when turning the steering as though the car is on ice. Does this sound like an issue caused through a dodgy suspension ball joint?

The car is a 56 plate with 85k on the clock - it's the first MOT I've put it through since having it. Was prepared for something to show up but not £500+ worth of stuff! Hoping that a service doesn't flag up any more issues. Thankfully it had cambelt done last year or that'd be another £500.

What a morning :s

 

[Mentalpen]

Bloody hell! How much are you paying for what?

mot should be £30, service £155 tops so the rest is way over priced imo

 

[JamieUK]

Service & MOT : £180
Handbrake Cable : £60.56 & 1.5 hour labour @ £45
Offside Suspension balljoint & hub : £190 + 2.5 hour labour @ £45

The costs of the parts seem legit after having a look on here but I know I can get the handbrake cable down to half the quote via EuroCarParts and avoiding original Renault parts. Unfortunately the suspension is the issue.

 

[Mentalpen]

Can you not just do the joint with a part via R-Sport?

 

[Yiannis197]

Service & MOT : £180
Handbrake Cable : £60.56 & 1.5 hour labour @ £45
Offside Suspension balljoint & hub : £190 + 2.5 hour labour @ £45

The costs of the parts seem legit after having a look on here but I know I can get the handbrake cable down to half the quote via EuroCarParts and avoiding original Renault parts. Unfortunately the suspension is the issue.

So all the above sum up at around £600. Still you can do the ball joint separately without replacing the hub, around £60 from Renault Sport Wimbledon. Service+MOT are on the expensive side, it's only oil/oil filter/pollen filter really, MOT can't be more than £30? I can't comment on the handbrake, I don't know how much work is involved.

 

[trimmtrab]

Service & MOT : £180
Handbrake Cable : £60.56 & 1.5 hour labour @ £45
Offside Suspension balljoint & hub : £190 + 2.5 hour labour @ £45

The costs of the parts seem legit after having a look on here but I know I can get the handbrake cable down to half the quote via EuroCarParts and avoiding original Renault parts. Unfortunately the suspension is the issue.

Just had my handbrake cable changed for MOT,£30.98 + 1.5 LABOUR (£101.38 in total),the one from eurocarparts did not fit right so my garage had to get it from Renault (2days)

 

[JamieUK]

Good to know thanks. This has progressed since my original post...

Got a breakdown of the estimate to put things right. Including VAT they were charging £238 for the new hub - I can get the same part delivered from karl at around £183... The were also charging me for 10 litres of oil on the service at £6.48 per litre - the car only needs 5.4! Having seen the breakdown I've vowed never to return. I've called in at a garage I've been to previously and they are going to sort it out. Plan to have a new MOT done this weekend and then service and fixes in a week's time. From thinking I was going to be paying £710 - I'm now realistically looking at around £350 should I just replace the ball joints or around £450 to replace the entire hub - Will find out for sure when they've had chance to have a proper look.

Just shows - don't always accept what you're told!

 

[Warren]

Good to know thanks. This has progressed since my original post...

Got a breakdown of the estimate to put things right. Including VAT they were charging £238 for the new hub - I can get the same part delivered from karl at around £183... The were also charging me for 10 litres of oil on the service at £6.48 per litre - the car only needs 5.4! Having seen the breakdown I've vowed never to return. I've called in at a garage I've been to previously and they are going to sort it out. Plan to have a new MOT done this weekend and then service and fixes in a week's time. From thinking I was going to be paying £710 - I'm now realistically looking at around £350 should I just replace the ball joints or around £450 to replace the entire hub - Will find out for sure when they've had chance to have a proper look.

Just shows - don't always accept what you're told!

In todays market/economy I always get 2 opinions. My last car (1.6L Megane) went in for a service + MOT and I was told I needed about the same as you done value wise on various areas of the car. Went somewhere else and it cost me about 1/3rd and he said there was nothing wrong with the offending parts I mentioned. It's crazy what people fall for and do for the extra money!

 

[JamieUK]

Definitely. A lot of places think they have you over a barrel and you'll just say yes whilst they've got the car n the ramp. I mentioned the rear brakes binding issue to one of the lads at my usual garage and he said not to worry about it.

Can't remember where I read it but the similarity to a hairdressers and garages is there - once you find one you know does a decent job, stick with them...!

 

[deadmau5]

If your handbrake cables are on their way out, be careful in Winter when it goes below freezing because your handbrake can freeze on. I think it's about £50 for new ones.

PM 930_Tec, he knows somewhere where you can get ball joints for about £30 each. You almost certainly don't need a new hub, although it's quite a big job to change the ball joints as the strut assembly needs to be removed from the car (I think). Worst case, call r.sport cars in Wimbledon and they can supply for about £60 each.

 

[JamieUK]

More excellent advice thanks...!

I've already been on to R Sport - It's the lower joint that has gone and they quoted me £39.98 + VAT + £12 per delivery. The garage have said it's worth replacing both sides when it comes to suspension so am looking at £108ish. They have ball joints listed on micksgarage : http://www.micksgarage.com/steering...lio/clio-iii/2005-onwards/2.0-16v-sport/19355 cheaper but I've no idea which is the correct bit.

 

[deadmau5]

Yeah that's about the right price. There's probably a good chance the top ball joints are on their way out so you might as well replace them whilst you've got the hub in pieces . There will be hardly any additional labour if you change them all at the same time, but if one of the top ones goes soon you'll have to go through the same process again.

 

[JamieUK]

Don't say that - that'd be another £60+VAT each side!

Over the last week I've shelled out :

£50 for original MOT
£50 for 6L of Fuchs Race Pro Engine Oil
£30 for some new gearbox oil

I also need to order these replacement ball joints at £108 + £200 approx for labour, service and new MOT. That's £440! :s In addition I've recently upgraded all my bulbs, had new spark plugs fitted, a new 64MM Throttle Body and various other bits. I dread to think how much it all adds up to. Still, slowly the car is getting to a level that it should be.

 

[Warren]

£50 for an MOT that doesn't come with a retest?! Mine cost me £27 :$

I'd definitely agree with replacing the top balljoints while the assembly is out. Would save you shelling out another £200 to take it all apart again if they go.

 

[luke3]

These issues you've had seem a common problem on the older cars now, mine had exactly the same problems and I've seen a lot of other peoples fail on the same issues, I got my cables off Karl as you require two so may as well replace both, ball joints mine were defo gone but I got rid of mine before my next mot, but as said you can get them off of renault sport in Wimbledon, I used to get all my service parts off Karl and then just pay the labour.

oh and as said with ball joints I'd do both sides as they have a habit of failing.

 

[Roy]

I have had ball joint problem for 4yr never been failed on them though there's just been a little play in them.How much play you had in them then ???

 

[JamieUK]

£50 for an MOT that doesn't come with a retest?! Mine cost me £27 :$

I'd definitely agree with replacing the top balljoints while the assembly is out. Would save you shelling out another £200 to take it all apart again if they go.

Re-test at the original garage is free but I don't want to have any further dealings with the w$%$£s!

I have had ball joint problem for 4yr never been failed on them though there's just been a little play in them.How much play you had in them then ???

No idea - the handling doesn't feel right tho - it's weird, feels like the back is ready to slide as though the car is on ice / doing a handbrake turn. Hopefully should be sorted this time next week.