Toyota Dealer S**te

[Paul]

Hi,
^ ^am I pi55ed off!......... After putting on a thread last week about my UK spec developing an oil leak around the diff cooler area, I explained how I had the car transported to my local Toyota dealer by the RAC and left it there for 1 1/2 days for them to check out. They gave it the full monty and said there was no problem and the hoses and cooler were fine.
^Well, after finding more oil under the car this week, I decided to check it myself, removing both plastic guards that cover the pipes. These guards have never been removed as I found lots of muck accumilated on the inside and the hoses were covered in muck off the road and had therefore never been inspected!!
^On squeezing one of ^the pipes, oil came out of the top where it joins the cooler, so this is obviously the problem, a bit too much for the'Trained toyota' mechanic to get his head round :biggrin:
^ I got hold of the Service Manager this afternoon and told him what a bunch of arseholes he had working for him as I have driven all week still with oil leaking from the diff, he had no answer, well what could he say? I've got to take it over in the morning and will watch all they do, change the pipe and clips, but I will also ask them to drain the diff oil and replace as this leak could also have sucked in grit as it is in the wheel arch area.

^ ^Also I have told him that I hold them responsible for any diff damage, don't know how much oil left in it? as I took it over at the first sign and they checked bugger all!
^ How will I know if the diff is damaged? a humming noise?
^ Is it wise to get them to drain and refill the diff/ what about flushing it?
You think that Main dealers are on the ball with all the Training certs on the wall, when infact, if the guy doing the job doesn't give a s**t then you are better of doing it yourself !

Thanks, ^ ^ Paul
Any advice on the above appreciated quick as I am going over in the morning.

^ ^

[Alex]

Don;t know about the damage side but see if you can get them to sign an official letter to say they will replace the diff if it is damaged...

If you haven't been tearing about in it you should be lucky and get away with it. If there is no evidence of previous leakage on your driveway then chances are it only became damaged/loose recently.

Fingures crossed but I think you'll be fine. Is the pipe leaking mounted at the top of the diff??? If it is it could only really loose a little oil whilst stationary which would mean it still had quite a bit in it!!

[Martin F]

Commiserations Paul, it seems you are the victim of yet another incompetent garage. You would think that a main dealer would not suffer from the bullsh*t\bone idleness factor, but from peoples experiences (my own included) it would seem that it can occur at nearly any garage.

You need to either hunt around and find a good garage\mechanic or start working on the beast yourself.

Whereabouts in the country are you again, maybe somebody on list can reccomend a decent garage close to you.

I think as Alex said that as long as you haven't been doing masses of miles or wheelspinning it away from every set of lights, chances are your diff will be OK.

To feel confident you may want to double check the remaining oil level in your diff yourself when they have it up on the ramps. You should be able to stick your finger in the fill hole and the oil should be no more than 5mm below the hole. If you can still feel it with your finger, albeit lower than 5mm then i would be re-assured things are OK. It's so hard knowing how much may of leaked out whilst the system was pressurised.

Defenitely insist that they drain and refill your diff (you are the inconvenienced party here) but please make sure they use the correct fluid in the diff. The good book says Hypoid Gear oil API GL-5  with a viscosity of SAE 90.

Need to watch them like a hawk all the time as well. ;)

[Phil Wall]

If the system is only leaking under pressure then you should be OK ^regarding ^muck in the system, as the hose will have self sealed and ^kept the muck out when pressure is normalised.

(Edited by Phil Wall at 9:29 pm on Feb. 15, 2002)

[Paul]

Martin,
^ ^ ^ ^ ^Thanks, for info, I live in Herts and will go to Leon in future. One thing that is worth saying is that I've just realised that the garage in question is listed on this site for maintenance!!
^ After this is sorted, I wouldn't let ^them wash my motor let alone service it !!
^This is the second crap incident I've had with them with the Supra and bearing in mind they had 'Lexus' status removed a while back are they up to the job?
^Thanks all for the advice, I'll see how I get on.

^ Cheers, Paul. ^

[Paul]

The saga continues......................
^Took the Supra over this morning, watched while they put on one piece of new pipe, too big, oil still leaked at the bottom joint.
They then sent some bloke out to get thr correct pipe! he returned complete with new clips and they fitted it, checked the diff level (hadn't lost much) the only thing was that the new clips didn't fit the pipe the old git got. They looked in their huge stock of sweet f*ck all and low and behold had none, after all they can't afford to stock such expensive items :biggrin:
^So, they used the old clips?????????? Well I just got in and what do I find? The oil leak has returned!!!!!!!!!!!!
T*ssers, W*nkers, we ain't talking rocket science here, I spent two and a half hours waiting for them to fit a bloody 3" length of hose and it still f*cking leaks.
^ ^I think I'll make a new rear window sticker 'THE CAR INFRONT IS SERVICED BY DICKHEADS'.

^Now I've got to wait till Monday to blast their b*llocks off again.
Would I be right in thinking that using the old spring type clips (complete with rust) wasn't a good idea??

^ Paul

[Martin F]

Jesus.........This is a saga and a half.

Paul i think if i was in your position i would just give up and take it to Leon. May be worth later on writing a letter of complaint to Toyota HQ.

I think you are OK using those spring clips again, but personally i prefer to use normal jubilee clips as they are easier to work with.

I wonder if there is a blockage in the cooler or somewhere along the diff to cooler to diff path.

[Paul]

Martin,
^ ^ ^ ^ ^that crossed my mind about a blockage but I think the clips issue needs sorting first to eliminate the pipe connections as a problem.
^ ^I also agree with you about Leon but I think I will stick with the garage for a while longer not only because I hate them and will get a kick out of telling the Service Manager what a bunch of knobs they are and they got it wrong AGAIN, but also if there is a more serious problem then I still have some leverage with them because of the lack of finding it up to now.
^
Cheers, Paul.

PS anyone know who to complain to ^Toyota HQ ( lets hope they don't send me a voucher for a free service at a Toyota dealer)

(Edited by Paul at 10:55 pm on Feb. 16, 2002)


(Edited by Paul at 10:35 am on Feb. 17, 2002)

[Rob]

Given what happened on that U.S. Volkswagon forum, You'll probably get threatened with legal action now, for daring to speak the truth.

I had a Toyota dealer twat about with my brakes and the rear offside started to spray Castrol SRF all over the wheel.

If I wasn't so busy at work I would use Leon for servicing now.

[Paul]

Rob,
      good point mate, now I've calmed down a bit, you can see I've edited out the name. Not because I'm a whimp (honest) but having just been made redundant, the last thing I need is some stuck up lawyer having a go!.
Cheers for reminding me about the VW thing.

  Paul.