How I spent R8500.

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upup

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At about 155000 kilo on the clock, my car started jerking. The local dealer tested, and only later in the day the yellow engine light came on. I took the car to them, and the computer tells them it is spark plug number 3. They replace it with a spare old one and told me they only needs replacement at the 180000 service. At 173000, the car started to jerk again, very same condition. It started to yerk on the Thursday. As I needed to drive far the next Tuesday, I decided to buy new plugs and replace them on the Saturday. I have replace spark plugs on previous cars at least 20 times before. I bought the 4 at R1200, and a 14mm socket. On Saturday, I replace the first one, and the second one broke off inside it's position. I then had to pull the car in to a local workshop, they remove the head, remove the plug, a second plug also broke off. They replace the top gasket kit, fit the new plugs, with copper compound, and I paid R8500 for this.
I was wondering, did I learn a lesson here, tried to save money. The car is / was still under guarantee [till 200 000km]. I was also wondering, if the dealer broke the plug, who would have pay for this ordeal.
 
Daruk said:
Ouch. Sorry for your pain. It sucks to realise you could have got it done under warranty. I think the dealer should have paid, but I also know "warranty" is a mystery. It sounds good when you buy the car, but so often lets you down when you need it. At least it was R8.5k and not R85k.... still, what the heck car was it that it cost R8.5k to change a tappet cover gasket? Or is it the head gasket?
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Spark plugs goes beyond the tappet cover, it is the head that must come off.
 
I got a quote from a back yard mechanic for R6500. But decided to use a garage for maybe come backs. The guy told me he did torgue the engine as should be, but ask me to bring it back after 10 000 km for a check up and that I should for now check the water and oil daily.
 
upup said:
I got a quote from a back yard mechanic for R6500. But decided to use a garage for maybe come backs. The guy told me he did torgue the engine as should be, but ask me to bring it back after 10 000 km for a check up and that I should for now check the water and oil daily.
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What car is it?
 
8500 is a bit much actually to remove and fit a head, its at most four hours of work with only a gasket and coolant that needs replacement
 
saturnz said:
8500 is a bit much actually to remove and fit a head, its at most four hours of work with only a gasket and coolant that needs replacement
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Was thinking the same thing, I would understand if there extensive work needed on yhr head, broken spark plug is a pretty straight forward job
 
How do you break a plug so badly that you can,t get it out of the head. Normally it's just the ceramic part that breaks off.
 
chromedome said:
How do you break a plug so badly that you can,t get it out of the head. Normally it's just the ceramic part that breaks off.
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Some times the stud breaks in the thread, only option is drilling and retapping
 
WesleyDB said:
That or cross threading.
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Yup seen both. On a slightly different tack, when my bakkie was new I was forced to get it serviced at the agents, when it got round for me to take over the servicing I found the sump plug was so tight I had to cut it off with an angle grinder. I spoke to the work shop foreman and he reckoned one of the appy's must have used a power bar on it.
 
plug break and you pull the inside of the plug out. leaving the screwy part in. Then you get that negative head thingy. Where it runs in the opposite way. So it screws into the remainder of the sparkplug in a lefty way, Once it bites into the remainder of the spark plug it only tightens it grip while you are turning in a loosening direction. Plop, out comes the remainder of the plug.
Have no idea what that thing is called, looks like a screw, but the wrong way around. Had it done a few times in my life when i overtighten a plug.

And if you could understand my meaning here, you get brownie points.:ROFL:o_O
 
Flarsiep said:
plug break and you pull the inside of the plug out. leaving the screwy part in. Then you get that negative head thingy. Where it runs in the opposite way. So it screws into the remainder of the sparkplug in a lefty way, Once it bites into the remainder of the spark plug it only tightens it grip while you are turning in a loosening direction. Plop, out comes the remainder of the plug.
Have no idea what that thing is called, looks like a screw, but the wrong way around. Had it done a few times in my life when i overtighten a plug.

And if you could understand my meaning here, you get brownie points.:ROFL:o_O
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Stud extractor. Doing it with the head in place is dangerous as metal shavings get into the cylinder. If you have a turbo charged car those shavings will destroy your turbo.
 
Flarsiep said:
plug break and you pull the inside of the plug out. leaving the screwy part in. Then you get that negative head thingy. Where it runs in the opposite way. So it screws into the remainder of the sparkplug in a lefty way, Once it bites into the remainder of the spark plug it only tightens it grip while you are turning in a loosening direction. Plop, out comes the remainder of the plug.
Have no idea what that thing is called, looks like a screw, but the wrong way around. Had it done a few times in my life when i overtighten a plug.

And if you could understand my meaning here, you get brownie points.:ROFL:o_O
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It's called an "Easyout"
 
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