What's pi$$ed me off today.........!!

Car wouldn't start........new starter motor.........oh and to top it off, the fly wheel will need replacing too.....THAT is the bit that costs the big dosh. Quote for supplying and fitting starter motor.....£500.....if that isnt big money, WTF is the fly wheel going to cost?!!!!!!

 

Years ago you could PX starter motors cutting the cost. Fitting it didn't used to be much of a job either as I recall...unless things (cars) have changed since. Maybe it depends on the car type/year etc?

 

However, we recently had to pay about £400 for a dealer (to supply only) a new starter motor for an early R1.

 

being stir crazy !!!!!

 

Got a recon starter going on it now, hopefully under 250 squid........lost a days pay too *sob*
Mondeo Tdci 2l on an 03 plate. Needs a few things doing to it. But when running right, it do fly........for an estate!

 

awww how much longer is it for? Annnnnd howzit going?
Write a book, start up a knitting circle, start up a tiddlywink club..........wonder if a thread should be started for suggestions to help you stay unstir crazy?

 

sheeeeeeeyit!

 

Oh and now, the Speed Triple is playing up!
Battery dead as a dodo.......put it on charge........still dead as a dodo. Went to put new battery on today, turned key before changing over battery (as you do!) and it started! Peculiar noises upon turning the key, running lumpy. Fuel low, maybe therein lies partial problem. Hoo nose......will be sorted another day.

 

I don't mean to interfere, but if you will buy an Aston Martin you have to expect to pay such high costs - only joking - my guess is that most of these costs are labour to take the things out and refit. How was the flywheel malfunction diagnosed? They're pretty tough and I would be rather suspicious of such a diagnosis. Les is right: you can get replacement starter motors for most vehicles either outright or as exchanges. Who tested it? What I'm suspicious of is that I fear it sounds like the Service Manager has measured up what he thinks is your credit card limit, and is making up work for the lads to equal the figure he got to.

What make and model of car is it? Do you have a Haynes manual for it? Who made the diagnosis and what evidence was presented to you? The starter motor (if indeed it has failed) will be held on by probably three bolts and a couple of hefty bits of wire. It will be stuck on the front of the flywheel/gearbox in a conventional car and is accessible usually only from beneath.

Changing the flywheel (in the bell housing behind the engine) will need the engine out or at least the gearbox dropping - hence lots of disassembly = large labour bill. I'd be very suspicious of stories like, "The starter motor chipped the flywheel teeth, madame".

I suppose I should ask if you do have a long and trusting relationship with the garage concerned? Is it named Rip Off City: Motors for Reel Gents? It's just that all my alarm bells start to ring when I hear teeth being sucked and large amounts of money being talked about. Do you belong to the AA or RAC? I do believe that for £30, one of their mechanics could call on you and confirm what is wrong and what will be needed to put it right.

 

Only just seen your recent post, Kitten - put up while I was busy typing War & Peace. A Mondeo is a straightforward vehicle - who made the diagnosis for you? £250 is more like it, but I still winced when I heard the amount.

 

Oooookay.......the fly wheel on this model is no longer just a whole piece of metal with teef.....consists of metal plate, rubber ring, THEN a ring of metal, it is supposed to make gear change smoother. They have a tendency to break down, bits of metal get into starter motor, fu**ing it up. This does make sense cos the clutch (which was a new one not all that long ago, according to service history ((and one of the reasons why I bought the damn car)) appears to be "wandering" or not engaging quite right. 500 squid was quoted by a garage that usually is entrusted with the bikes for MOT's and little odds n sods on the cars. It no longer will be......Oakleys of Burwash, were the culprits! However, have since had a word with a friend and whimpered pathetically and have been promised it will be done for under 250 squid. AA diagnosed it and I managed to get the car on a full diagnostics for free n all because of other running issues.
And.....Panel Man, thanks to a couple of garages thinking that a bird with blonde hair and big baps is thick, I learnt to suss stuff out. Very often I source stuff myself....only pulling the dumb blonde act when necessary
Tis a Graphite Mondeo Tdci 2l.

 

Ok - you sound to have things under control. It's just that I get very wound up when I hear about garages taking their customers for ridiculous sums of money just because they happen not to be mechanically-inclined. I've never come across a 'wandering' clutch before, for example! But if the nice man from the AA has had a butcher's, you are probably on the right lines. I'll go and sit down again.

 

The wandering bit was all my own words! *laughing*
Thankyou for your input though......you wanna job? There are other issues to be faced in the new year methinks. Fuel sensor/pressure pump/injectors issue. But the damn error wont show up on diagnostics unless coil light is flashing! Error resets itself when car fired up again. I thought you could pull up error history, but will have to look into this some more.

 

I have an 06 transit and had the same prob they are renowed for it(from 2000 to 2006) it has a dual mass fly wheel it went two weeks ago (whilst at the front of the que at a level crossing) if its the same thing it will need the whole lot clutch, starter & flywheel. If the garage quoting £250 isnt doing the whole job thats no good. Ford released an update kit for the transit maybe the same for a mondeo??

 

Mmmm..big baps.

 

They have just finished putting the starter motor in.....so my next comment is......"OH SHYTE"!!!! Will ask about the update kit.....thanx muchly

 

Sorry just to add my bro runs a courier company that will only run Transits and they are all within the problem years and have all done it between 70 and 90 thousand but as they do huge mileage they all had the conversion kit (one has done 200 thousand since the update) so if you plan to keep it and its the same prob pay the dosh. so ask the garage about the conversion kit

 

Is the 'conversion kit' a new (solid) flywheel? I'm getting to be a really G.O.M. but I would expect Ford to pay for the things to be fitted: if their bright wizards in the design dept come up with a fancy bit o' kit which fails on vehicles at about the same point, it's very cheeky to expect customers to foot the bill to go back to some conventional solution.

 

That is a very good point, and one I was wondering myself. Am going into Ford on the morrow to "discuss" this with them.

 

Is the bike bone standard? What year? If it's anything newer than about '07 then a flat battery for a period of time will most likely cause the ECU to forget it's mapping changes, which could account for the poor running. The noises could be the injectors and throttle bodies realigning themselves (the Striple does it all the time). If the battery had time to go dead (assuming you don't have an alarm with a tilt / knock sensor running) then the fuel could of gone a bit scummy also, not having much in the tank would compound the issue.

If it is an '07 or later you can a '12 minute tune' which will reset the adapative part of the ECU for your set up.

1. Start the motor from cold without touching the throttle.
2. Let it idle until the fan cuts in.
3. Let it idle for a further 12 minutes.
4. Job done.