Means tested dealer prices ?.

[Dave M]

I called at my local Audi dealership this morning and bought two new splashguards that fit behind the front discs. They were £20 for the pair which i thought were quite reasonable. The ones on my car were so degraded that the MOT man pulled them off in rusty bits last week. In view of the price i couldn,t understand why they weren,t replaced by a previous owner - perhaps he thought that they didn,t do much ?.

Just out of interest i asked the service dept how much it would cost to fit the guards knowing full well that their rumoured hourly rate was £150. It would appear i was wrong. The hourly rate is means tested in relation to the age of the vehicle !. I was quoted around £57 - fully fitted, which i didn,t think was too bad and a pleasant surprise.

Ta
Dave

 

[Birchall]

The ones on my car were so degraded that the MOT man pulled them off in rusty bits last week. In view of the price i couldn,t understand why they weren,t replaced by a previous owner - perhaps he thought that they didn,t do much ?

Ta
Dave

It is not surprising that a previous owner was unaware of the condition of these, they are no visible unless you get under the car.

I suppose that previous MOT testers may have spotted the condition so perhaps it should have been shown as an advisory.

Steve B

 

[Dave M]

They are not an MOT failure Steve - i was invited under the car for a look round and he just pointed them out. My OCD kicked in and i wanted some new ones. When you think about it motorbikes don,t have them so are they really needed on a car ?.

Ta
Dave

 

[murdo]

I don't think these are an MOT fail. They do rust to pieces over time and corrode fairly quickly. I'm about to go on to my third set and at less than a tenner each they'll get replaced every time i change the discs. The second set got 2 coats of spray hammerite and are starting to rust after 3 years. I could run them down and repaint but it's less hassle just to change them.


As an aside and testimony to the application of waxoyl when the car was new - I was looking at the original splash guards on Spikes 2001 Y registered car and they are still very fresh. As are the rear hubs.

 

[Birchall]

They are not an MOT failure Steve - i was invited under the car for a look round and he just pointed them out. My OCD kicked in and i wanted some new ones. When you think about it motorbikes don,t have them so are they really needed on a car ?.

Ta
Dave

If they were crumbling and could come off as easily as you say then they definitely are an MOT failure. They don't have to be there and you can't fail an MOT just because they are rusty, but if they are so eaten away that part of it could come away and get in between the disc and the pad then they would be very dangerous and so any MOT tester who is thorough would at least add them as an advisory.

As I say, most owners would never see them.

Steve B

 

[Dave M]

I agree Murdo - i didn,t think they were so cheap and mine will be painted too .

 

[Dave M]

If they were crumbling and could come off as easily as you say then they definitely are an MOT failure. They don't have to be there and you can't fail an MOT just because they are rusty, but if they are so eaten away that part of it could come away and get in between the disc and the pad then they would be very dangerous and so any MOT tester who is thorough would at least add them as an advisory.

As I say, most owners would never see them.



Steve B

I think by the time he,d finished tugging away at all the bits there was basically nothing left.

 

[Dave M]

I don't think these are an MOT fail. They do rust to pieces over time and corrode fairly quickly. I'm about to go on to my third set and at less than a tenner each they'll get replaced every time i change the discs. The second set got 2 coats of spray hammerite and are starting to rust after 3 years. I could run them down and repaint but it's less hassle just to change them.


As an aside and testimony to the application of waxoyl when the car was new - I was looking at the original splash guards on Spikes 2001 Y registered car and they are still very fresh. As are the rear hubs.

Audi Wakefield,s quote for fitting the splash guards came to £77 for one hours work. I took my car in this morning and decided to wait for it. Three and a half hours later the job was done. This simple job is not very simple - the senior technician who did the work informed me that the three nuts on each side had rusted into the old plates and he had to chizel, grind and drill off what was left of the old guard and bolts.

When i asked how much the total bill would be the service lady said that they had quoted me for one hour and that was what i had to pay - very impressed !