Hi,

I'm NEW, female, blonde and not a mechanic so pls be kind :)

I have a 2001 KJ XI Verada owned since new and with about 110,000km genuine.

I have had a HUGE issue with my Verada Platinum Plug / Timing Belt 110,00km service. I mistakenly took it to Bridgestone Auto Select and it has been a NIGHTMARE. I was desperately googling for info and found that Whirlpool have a forum for this as well and I had some great advice from those guys and told to come here for more advice and help. I will post the link here under this post (I hope I'm allowed to do that, as I can't re-type it all again).

Here is the original video. My poor car went in fine and came out in a very bad way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv4ehZjJi7w

Thnx in advance

Here is the Whirlpool link. I am lucky to have got the help and advice I have and I am going to see Mal at Mits-Fix tomorrow and hopefully he can help sort all this mess out for me. Any comments or advice on any/all of this would be greatly appreciated as it's been quite an expensive & draining saga.

Thnx in advance

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2124629

So, erm. What happened exactly? I assume you had the timing belt and platinums replaced and they've botched it by either buggering up the timing or dropping one of the platinum plugs and not rechecking the gap. That happens more than people.realize. Though, there is no doubt that Mel will have it sorted. I guess that's why you don't let a tyre guy touch your engine?

Well, erm, kinda like u mentioned. Guess it's like asking my podiatrist to perform brain surgery.....Guess ur not blonde??? Blondes can rationalize most things ;)

I have spelled out the whole saga in the Whirlpool link if u could indulge me by having a read of that thread.

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2124629

Some of the info scared me but it has leveled out and I think the guys have really helped by sending me to Mal at Mits-Fix. So I meet the legend tomorrow........cue dramatic music sound-over...............

I'll cut and past the thread here if that's OK, I think I just need to stipulate the origin of the info i.e. it will be in the link (whirlpool forum)

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2124629

Mal will sort it out. It'd be great if you could update this thread with the result of tomorrow consultation, that's one nasty noise! Replacing rear plugs and timing belt disturbs (or potentially disturbs) a number of systems, any one of which can cause crappy running if damaged or misadjusted. I guess the advice is to always take your car to a Magna specialist (ie. Mal) but frankly any general mechanic charging for his services should be able to do this sort of stuff without these dramas.

Many thnx Esoniq5. Won't put too much pressure on Mal for tomorrow as he is just ducking in for an hour as he is really busy and I only caught him after hours closing up, so anything is a bonus. Definitely will keep everyone updated bc I don't want anyone else to EVER to go thru the same drama and expense as I have. Hope u have a great night, Pom.

Should make them fix what they stuffed up

Welcome Pom, Bridgies certainly seemed to see you coming what a racket it's making.
Mal is the best so he will no doubt sort it out, I just wish he was closer to me.

Every now and then I swear I leave the blond in too long and it seeps in through the skull ;)

Welcome to the forum! We accept all types here, as long as you drive some sort of Mitsu. lol

I read your Whirlpool thread before I discovered you also posted here. That Whirlpool thread is so full of misinformation it made my head spin!

Anyhow, looks to me you have 2 problems:

(1) Cam belt was not installed correctly, the horrible clatter is the hydraulic tensioner rattling away.
(2) The centre bolt missing from the engine mount: these strip the thread in the lower engine mount, bolt comes off with the alloy thread of the mount adhering to it. Bolt needs cleaning up, lower engine mount needs helicoiling but the Bridgestone cowboys simply "lost" the bolt.

Mal needs to go in there and sort it all out. If he can document what was done incorrectly, you may be able to take things further and recover money spent at Bridgestone.

Mal will sort it out. It'd be great if you could update this thread with the result of tomorrow consultation, that's one nasty noise! Replacing rear plugs and timing belt disturbs (or potentially disturbs) a number of systems, any one of which can cause crappy running if damaged or misadjusted. I guess the advice is to always take your car to a Magna specialist (ie. Mal) but frankly any general mechanic charging for his services should be able to do this sort of stuff without these dramas.

You couldn't have been more spot on Ensoniq5. Mal was as fabulous as everyone told me. Here's my update on whirlpool. Pls understand that my dizziness makes it now really hard for me cognitively so if I have muffed up anything, it will be my muff-up as I could tell Mal really knows his stuff!

Extract from Whirlpool thread:

Well here is my update folks.

Mal from Mits-Fix not only lives up to his amazing reputation, but he is "all that and more". A really lovely honest hard working guy, extremely intelligent, super competent and a highly experienced technician. I also joined the Australian Magna Club Forum and they are great over there as well.

When I saw Mits-Fix did wrecking I expected to find a huge wrecking yard of rusting weathered cars but Mal operates completely differently. Everything is lovingly cared for and removed in his workshop, cataloged and kept safe and clean. It gives pre-loved a new meaning, as his parts are "continually loved and cared for" ;) It's true, I saw it myself!

The Bridgestone boys sure made one hell of a mess of this one and charged me handsomely for the privilege.

He was shocked at what he saw and stunned by what they were trying to charge.

A brief summary of what was wrong. The alternator tensioner belt pulley was loose, as was the power steering tensioner belt, the adjustor bolt was bent and not located correctly, the belt was badly cracked and was immediately replaced for safety reasons, the thrust cap is leaking. Both rocker covers are leaking. The rear has a bad leak which is what dribbled down and the geniuses at Bridgestone apparently can't tell the difference between engine oil and power steering fluid. So that is how they decided the power steering pump was leaking and needed to be replaced! Grrrr..... idiots!!! He suspects the cam seals and timing belt seals were not replaced. The inlet air pipe clamp was not tight, the wiring harness stay was missing. The brake line for the FRH was bent out of shape as well as the vehicle inner guard. The transmission oil had not even been touched and requires flushing. The fuel filter was not changed.

It went on and on and Mal showed me everything and explained in great detail about everything. He checked the timing belt alignment and it was not too bad. He said these are hard to get perfect. Obviously it was a hell of a way from perfect when the car was originally given back to me but u would expect on their second go and with the help of two independent mechanics they would get something "almost" right. The running on appears to be the engine fan (passenger fan I think he said) which he said needs replacing. This was the one I was calling the air con or condenser fan. The one I thought was the raditaor fan was the other way around and did kick in when the air con was on. So it will go back to have the rocker cover gaskets done, check all plugs and leads, a trans service, distributor seal and thrust cap, replace fan and a few more things I can't remember.

He checked everything and did as much as he could (considering I lobbed on him at the last moment and he took the time to fit me in), there were all sorts of things he told me and showed me but my brain is pretty foggy today bc of the stress I get extra dizzy and my memory just can't cope.

I know my Verada could not be in better hands and it's all booked in for all the work to be done a week Wednesday.

I can't tell u how furious I am with Bridgestone and I will have to get my head around what to do next with them. I will perhaps ring Consumer Affairs Monday and ask for their updated advice.

What I feel like doing is to get Mal to do the whole thing again and double check everything through each step. Have him quote and replace the parts needed (he is not into gouging people with ridiculous charges).

I will have Bridgestone present me with my old parts and I will happily return their new parts. Anything they can't provide me with, I won't be paying for. I specifically asked them to keep everything to show me as I was very suspicious about the power steering pump (rightly so) and I also told them immediately that their invoicing was wrong and that we needed to address that as well as the major problem with the car at that time.

The car is running far better now after Mal worked on it. He said them playing with the screwdriver to increase the revs to 900+ rpm was not to be done bc the car has a computer that will then kick in and try to correct the idling speed. There are a few things that could be still affecting the idling but he'll look at that when it comes in for service. He did say they can be buggar to figure out sometimes but I know my poor old Verada was idling perfect before the Brigestone idiots got their hands on it. I'm hopeful it will get resolved (god only knows what they could have messed with, with their inexperience and complete disregard / ignorance for doing things properly). I'm sooo relieved to just know that the car is NOW in good hands. THANKS to you all! :)

Please forgive me if anything doesn't sound right bc it was hard to take in all the information Mal provided and to relay it again is hard for me given my constantly dizzy head.

The incident where the throttle locked on and could have killed me, he explained how it could happen from things they might have done) but I forget. He cleaned it all out and gee there was some stuff came out of there. It just shows you that you really need to be careful who works on your car. There is sooo much that the ordinary person just does not know the consequences of, if the car is placed in the wrong hands.

Bridgestone also remedied their filling the power steering fluid to the top of the cap (way past the max level) by telling me they had taken some out for me (like a gesture of good will) and they sucked it out way down past the min level! Just nuffies! It had to be topped up again immediately.

I'm not sure what to do with Bridgestone??? Even the new Turanza tyres that have a big recess to throw out water, have an edge that keeps the water trapped??? These are not the same as my original ER 30's but are supposed to be an upgraded up-to-date version???

Any advice about what to do from here on out with Bridgestone would be appreciated. I'd say this is going to have to end up in VCAT. Bridgestone want the other partner (supposedly a qualified mechanic) who is back from holidays on Monday to have a look at the car, but after what I have been thru I really don't want to let them touch it at all.

I really don't trust anyone now but Mal! I have given Bridgestone reasonable time and they even had their opportunity to get two independent mechanics (by their own admission) to look at it but still didn't know what was wrong. They thought it was all ok! They really have no clue about what they are doing!

Open to advice please?

P.S. I told Mal "hi" from you Dave and he knew Kempe as well.

AND.....

Just re-reading my post and I wonder if when the timing belt was misaligned and the other belts were loose and there were all the other issues occurring simultaneously, could that have done something to the engine pressure to blow the rocker cover gaskets??? I'm guessing they would most probably be leaking from age? Never thought to ask Mal as it just occurred to me now. I also forgot to ask if he thought that any damage could have been done to the pistons and cylinders?

Should make them fix what they stuffed up

Yep, that would have been great but they are clearly out of their depth which is why they stuffed things in the 1st place.

Welcome Pom, Bridgies certainly seemed to see you coming what a racket it's making.
Mal is the best so he will no doubt sort it out, I just wish he was closer to me.

Every now and then I swear I leave the blond in too long and it seeps in through the skull ;)

LOL prowler, I might pinch that blonde quote! :) I also love your dreams of equality for chickens, something I am also passionate about ;)

Yep, Mals a gem, no doubt about that. He's a bit away from me as well but really worth the extra travel. He has existing customers that come from Adelaide, Perth and NSW just to have him work on their cars. That says it all I think.

I have to deal with VCAT yearly for a person I am responsible for and I can honestly say the VCAT set up is nothing to be afraid of.

LOL prowler, I might pinch that blonde quote! :) I also love your dreams of equality for chickens, something I am also passionate about ;)

Yep, Mals a gem, no doubt about that. He's a bit away from me as well but really worth the extra travel. He has existing customers that come from Adelaide, Perth and NSW just to have him work on their cars. That says it all I think.

wow from what i have read trouble is there are too many like them out there , Mal is great .
i do the same as mal , and no i am not trying to get work from mal , lol unless he is way to busy
as he knows i work on mits cars all day , as i work for mits , glad all has worked out great now
cheers liam

Thanks for the update, good to know there's no serious damage (or Mal would have said) and it's all fixable. Astonished at some of these faults, really basic stuff. I'm no mechanic but I can swap the belts without stuffing up the tensioners and I reckon I could tell the difference between engine oil and power steering fluid! The rocker cover leak is most likely just age, there's no pressure in there under normal circumstances to blow anything out. The rear rocker cover is a bit hard to get at and tends to be ignored in normal services.

Regarding what to do about Bridgestone, I'd do as you said and chat with Consumer Affairs again to see what they say before making any decisions. I think Bridgestone have been given ample opportunity to fix the car properly, my inclination would be to not let them anywhere near your car again. They have clearly demonstrated that they don't have the first clue about Magnas and their attitude regarding correcting the problems is pretty rotten. Of course, it's easy to give advice when it doesn't personally affect you and I wouldn't want to advise anything that reduced your chances with VCAT. Maybe the best advice is to take a breath and let the rage subside before deciding.

Welcome to the forum! We accept all types here, as long as you drive some sort of Mitsu. lol

I read your Whirlpool thread before I discovered you also posted here. That Whirlpool thread is so full of misinformation it made my head spin!

Anyhow, looks to me you have 2 problems:

(1) Cam belt was not installed correctly, the horrible clatter is the hydraulic tensioner rattling away.
(2) The centre bolt missing from the engine mount: these strip the thread in the lower engine mount, bolt comes off with the alloy thread of the mount adhering to it. Bolt needs cleaning up, lower engine mount needs helicoiling but the Bridgestone cowboys simply "lost" the bolt.

Mal needs to go in there and sort it all out. If he can document what was done incorrectly, you may be able to take things further and recover money spent at Bridgestone.

Hi Madamx,

Thnx for the warm welcome :)

My love of Mitsubishi Magan's goes way back. My first Company car was a Magna back in the good old days. It was the best company car I think I ever had. My friends and I danced on the bonnet to Bryan Adams, at midnight, one New Years Eve, by the ocean moonlight with firecrackers.......ahhh, those were the days ;) ......Yep, u can guess I was in my very early 20's and clearly the brain had not completed growing! Sorry if that offends any Magna lovers but the car was happy to comply and not a dent to be found :)

Anyway, way down the road I took a career change and decided to buy a new car (I got a car allowance rather than a company car) and that's where I fell in love with my Verada. I had major fleet discount on all the majors eg. Ford, Holden, Toyota etc but once I sat in that Verada I fell in love. Nothing came close and even this week having to hire a car, I received a free upgrade to the latest top of the line Commodore, leather seats and the works. I was so relieved to get my Verada back and I can tell u that even after 12 years it still kicks serious butt with the competitors.

I had ended up going back into engineering and the poor Verada sat in the driveway for numerous years bc I again was given a company car. It was always kept immaculate and serviced regularly until my work accident. I almost died and have sustained serious permanent damage, so given the circumstances, financial difficulties occurred and my poor Verada hung in there until I could scrape together for this major service and then everything went to hell.

It's one more nightmare I can do without but I am so lucky to find these forums and get some much needed help and advice.

I was grateful for all input from Whirlpool but was very distressed by some of the comments about what could have been wrong. I have dizziness 24/7 so u can imagine my head spins reading some of that :( Cue the "head exploding" smiley face!

You were spot on with your diagnosis. I'm completely confident that Mal can get it all sorted for me. Once the mechanical is done I was going to aim to fix some of the aesthetical issues that have been caused by neglect (and my dogs) since my illness/injury. The poor Verada needs to be revived and returned to it's former glory.

Anyway, it's nice to find some other Mitsubishi fans and I can desperately do with some DIY advice on a couple of things I would like to fix (aesthetics - definitely leaving the mechanical to Mal).

Thnx Pom

I should also mention, there are plenty of good general mechanics out there, along with the small number of idiots. Before I knew about Mits-Fix I had my TJ serviced at Scorpion Automotive in Clayton purely because they were 30 metres from my work at the time, not a Magna/Mitsu bloke but great attention to detail and he researched details about the car and the task before doing anything. Always checked everything and rang if he found anything else wrong, before doing the work. I just felt it was important to plug the good guys in light of the subject of this thread.

I have to deal with VCAT yearly for a person I am responsible for and I can honestly say the VCAT set up is nothing to be afraid of.

Thnx Prowler, I'll keep that in mind. All I wanted was a safe, reliable car and at a fair, reasonable price. I keep beating myself up for trying to save a few $$$ and using these idiots. I feel like the BIGGEST idiot!

I was grateful for all input from Whirlpool but was very distressed by some of the comments about what could have been wrong.

The downside of being on the forum! Before joining I was blissfully unaware of the self-destructing 'wavespring' thing and the leaky heater o-rings, requiring a dash-out repair! My car is well overdue for both :( Kinda preferred not knowing! Not really, this is a great resource and everyone's here to help.

wow from what i have read trouble is there are too many like them out there , Mal is great .
i do the same as mal , and no i am not trying to get work from mal , lol unless he is way to busy
as he knows i work on mits cars all day , as i work for mits , glad all has worked out great now
cheers liam
Thnx Liam. I'm sure we all would love to have more people like Mal around, perhaps u can let people know what suburb u are in. Mal is definitely in demand, understandably. So knowing there are other experienced mechanics around is great news. I'm really disappointed at my local Mitsubishi dealer although I can understand their conflict and reluctance to get involved under these circumstances. I'm sure there would be some reciprocal business with Bridgestone as well.

Mechanics learn from their mistakes. Most mistakes are made the first time they do an unfamiliar job. Too bad they practise on your car and still expect payment for a multi-tiered botch up.

A good question to ask a mechanic you haven't dealt with before is "Have you done this job (insert details) before?"
If they mutter something and look shifty, drive away quickly.

I must admit my local Bridgestone crew are getting better. Bought new tyres recently, and they actually used a torque wrench to do up the wheel nuts! In the past they used a rattle gun, first thing I would do when I got home was to back off the wheel nuts and set them to the right torque. It's progress for them I suppose. lol

Thanks for the update, good to know there's no serious damage (or Mal would have said) and it's all fixable.

Regarding what to do about Bridgestone, I'd do as you said and chat with Consumer Affairs again to see what they say before making any decisions.

Of course, it's easy to give advice when it doesn't personally affect you and I wouldn't want to advise anything that reduced your chances with VCAT. Maybe the best advice is to take a breath and let the rage subside before deciding.

Thnx for the reassurance Ensoniq5.

You're right and I'm sure Mal would have jumped on anything like that, as he did with the belt. He said that was ready to snap and if it did it could wreck the engine (apologize if I got that wrong bc there was lots of info to take in and my head was crazy dizzy today).

I feel much better about things now I have some support, advice and a trustworthy, experienced mechanic.

I'll take a deep breath, get some much needed sleep and call Consumer Affairs Monday morning. I have done what they suggested last week and regardless of the outcome, Bridgies have had "reasonable time". If forced to let them still be involved, there will be a strict "look but no touching policy" and they can put their observations and advice in writing and I will supply it to Mal for his opinion. I really don't think I'll let them even look at it anymore as they are just so incompetent and it could have cost me my life with the accelerator incident and if they continued to let the car run with all those timing and belt issues, fluid problems etc....they were creating a ticking time bomb with serious consequential permanent damage to the car.

There needs to be a "full stop" and line drawn with them. Enough wasted time, money and far too much stress and drama.

I'll think about putting something in writing to them when I cool down some more. Apparently that was also mentioned by Consumer Affairs but until today and having Mal inspect it, I could not properly articulate any of the issues bc I lacked the knowledge. Mal is wonderful bc he not only shows you, he also explains everything in detail. I also think there is a Conciliation process with Consumer Affairs before the VCAT dispute is lodged.

I also need to think about whether I contact Bridgestone Head Office bc I had a friend mention that they would be pretty unhappy with one of their franchises manipulating the system like these guys are. eg. the discount card that they don't honour bc they hide the labour in the parts pricing and keep the discount card and then invoice under a different business name. I'm also sure that Bridgestone HQ would not like them selling the cheap imported tyres exclusive to them and fitting them even though a fairly premium Bridgestone tyre was requested. Then there is all of the rookie errors that went on and then the failure to address things in a timely and responsible manner. I can also bet that Bridgestone won't be able to supply me with my old parts as requested bc they would want to get rid of the evidence (or they are just clueless). Like the job card he conveniently couldn't find that was where they supposedly made notes about things that needed further attention.

Time for bed as I'm just getting myself worked up talking about them.

I really hate dishonest people and especially the kind that prey on vulnerable trusting people.

Many thnx for your advice,

Pom

I should also mention, there are plenty of good general mechanics out there, along with the small number of idiots. Before I knew about Mits-Fix I had my TJ serviced at Scorpion Automotive in Clayton purely because they were 30 metres from my work at the time, not a Magna/Mitsu bloke but great attention to detail and he researched details about the car and the task before doing anything. Always checked everything and rang if he found anything else wrong, before doing the work. I just felt it was important to plug the good guys in light of the subject of this thread.

Thnx, that is good to know there are some really good ones out there as well.

The downside of being on the forum! Before joining I was blissfully unaware of the self-destructing 'wavespring' thing and the leaky heater o-rings, requiring a dash-out repair! My car is well overdue for both :( Kinda preferred not knowing! Not really, this is a great resource and everyone's here to help.

Yes, forums are a great resource for us all. My illness forum was a lifesaver and now it gives me such a great feeling to be a moderator and be able to help others and to "give back". I'll have to remember to get mal to check those on my car as well.

Mechanics learn from their mistakes. Most mistakes are made the first time they do an unfamiliar job. Too bad they practise on your car and still expect payment for a multi-tiered botch up.

A good question to ask a mechanic you haven't dealt with before is "Have you done this job (insert details) before?"
If they mutter something and look shifty, drive away quickly.

I must admit my local Bridgestone crew are getting better. Bought new tyres recently, and they actually used a torque wrench to do up the wheel nuts! In the past they used a rattle gun, first thing I would do when I got home was to back off the wheel nuts and set them to the right torque. It's progress for them I suppose. lol

Madmax, that is great advice. That question needs to be asked of these guys if it should look like heading to VCAT. The downside is I doubt these guys have passed the rattle gun scenario, so that's another thing I need to worry about. When they were fitting the new exhaust there were rattle guns going off everywhere. Ohhhhh, whyyyyyy meeeeee.............. :(

This & other horror stories relating to timing belt changes make me think my next car will have a timing chain.

This & other horror stories relating to timing belt changes make me think my next car will have a timing chain.

And then you will read horror stories about timing chains and wish for the opposite. lol Chains are becoming more common in new cars though, so you may get your wish.

I'd rather do cam belts every 100,000 km than listening to chains rattling away and wondering how much longer the car will last. Once you have the process down solid (or have found a mechanic who knows his stuff) it's a no brainer.

Hi guys,

I also forgot they sheared one of the pulley nuts by using the wrong tools and broke the timing belt cover (although Mal said this was common) and I'd say there will be more. He also said when they removed the engine mount they would not have supported the engine and it would have collapsed down on the other ones causing the rubber to be permanently squished??? I can't remember exactly. That passenger fan is starting to sound like a 747 taking off. The car is still not idling properly and chewing thru fuel. I asked Mal if it could be the gap in the plugs. With Platinum this gap doesn't have to be set and he said the only time it might happen was if a plugs was dropped BUT he said if that happens the plug would be thrown away. NOT with Bridgies, I'm sure from the quality of their work that they would not hesitate to put the plug in anyway. In fact, I think a few of them may have been dropped on their heads at birth and then just put back in the cradle (sorry I know that's mean, but I'm really upset about the whole saga). The stress has made me physically ill and I have a horrible migraine bc I couldn't sleep.

I'm about to call Consumer Affairs now. Oh what an expensive mess!!!

P.S. I don't think Mitsubishi did decline to get involved purely bc this is a trade customer. I bet it was bc they had their chief mechanic take one look at it and what he saw was one big beeping botched up mess! Hence their Manager seeing that this was undoubtedly going to end up in VCAT!

Update:

OMG – head explode!!!!

Consumer Affairs just told me I now need to give them written advice that I need them to fix the car or I will to take it to another repairer and have the problems fixed and will be providing them with the charges and seeking reimbursement/compensation and give them 7 days notice to respond.

This is beeping ridiculous. The only "out" is if I have Mitsubishi provide written advice that the car was dangerous and urgent repairs are required. Well, I will need to do that now as Mal had to replace that belt that was about to snap and do some other things so that the car was safe until he can book it in to fix the rest of it properly.

Apparently if u take it elsewhere and have someone do stuff to it then it voids the 1st repairers work and subsequently their ability and/or responsibility to remedy the situation or provide any compensation.

Don't quote me on my wording as my head is spinning but that is the gist of it. I don't know what to do now???

I might write something and cc. it to the Corporate Head Office. Any thoughts any one? I really need some help here.

And then you will read horror stories about timing chains and wish for the opposite. lol Chains are becoming more common in new cars though, so you may get your wish.

I'd rather do cam belts every 100,000 km than listening to chains rattling away and wondering how much longer the car will last. Once you have the process down solid (or have found a mechanic who knows his stuff) it's a no brainer.

Are these timing belts & platinum plugs a Mitsubishi type issue or are they common on other cars? I guess my point is (like u pointed out earlier Max) how many of these have they done???

Also if anyone is a VACC member could u let me know as I would like to get a copy of their "major service checklist worksheet" (Mal showed me one).

Are these timing belts & platinum plugs a Mitsubishi type issue or are they common on other cars?

Most cars with cam belts and long life spark plugs will specify a service interval for changing those bits, but they may not be the same as the Mitsu 100,000 km. I've seen numbers quoted for belt changes from about 60,000 km all the way up to 100,000 miles (= 160,000 km). And a lot of modern cars are front wheel drive V6s, where changing the plugs is not a simple matter.

Thnx Max. I called them today bc their other owner (the mechanic) was supposed to call me back and arrange to look at the car. I told them that I had been concerned about the car and taken it to an Independent Mitsubishi Specialist and that he found numerous things that were wrong. He asked me who it was and I didn't say bc it's not going to keep things independent. Mal didn't see their invoice so he worked only from looking at the car. They asked me to detail things in writing. So I'm sitting here stressing about it all.

I checked quickly with Mal about the power steering belt that was changed and I saw everything that Mal did to the car as he explained everything as he went along. I asked if either of the independent mechanics they got an opinion from were from Mitsubishi and they said one was. How the Mitsubishi guy missed all the other stuff and overlooked the idling problem beats me. I think they were just focused on getting the timing belt aligned. Mal thinks it's as close as they would be able to get it so the underlying idling problem is still a bit of a mystery and he would need to investigate more (as Mitsubishi's can be notorious for these kinds of issues).

I can't articulate all the mechanical issues but I know the car is "not right". I was driving home tonight and heard a noise so I turned off the radio and there is some noise now coming from the RHF wheel :eek2:

I'm soooo stressed about this whole issue and I just don't trust that they are competent or even honest now. I told him we still need to go thru the invoice and I want labour and parts itemized and what discounts were applied, as well as what brand and part no etc and that I want to collect the parts now to have those inspected as well. There was nothing wrong with the power steering pump. They have really messed this whole thing up.

Anyway, I should probably not waffle on anymore bc I'm probably sounding neurotic. It's just such a huge issue for me bc I really rely on my car so that I can get medical treatment daily.

Thnx again for your advice, it's greatly appreciated.

I might write something and cc. it to the Corporate Head Office. Any thoughts any one? I really need some help here.

Do this maybe with a suggestion your next email will CC Today Tonight and ACA.

They will no doubt put you off over and over again, I'd suggest put your power woman attitude into gear and be prepared for a long drawn out fight.

Thnx Prowler, I luv ur spirit. I need to whip out my old "wonder woman" outfit and fix these coyboys......oh, if only I had my old figure back :(

Thnx for the inspiration as it gave me some of the confidence I needed today to just address the issue with them.

I just now received a call from the State Franchise Manager and also the other boss (who is supposedly a qualified mechanic). They both want to organise for the car to come back in to be fixed. I emailed earlier today telling them I wanted to collect my parts that I had said to be held for inspection and u can bet they have not kept them. I also asked for a detailed invoice showing labour and parts and specifying the brand and part no of each part and any relevant warranties. I bet they only got the timing belt and didn't get the timing belt kit bc they sheared the top RHS pulley nut.
I sent them this email tonight:

I have been waiting here since 12.15 for #### to call at 1.30. Like yesterday he didn’t call nor come to inspect the vehicle. I now missed the critical medical appointment this afternoon and as I explained earlier I also have the legal one tomorrow and am unsure what the hell is going on with my car and feel it’s unsafe. As advised, I’m reluctant to drive it bc of safety/roadworthy issues or risk or further serious damage to the car. I did not receive a response about my parts or the details of the invoicing as requested.

It has now been approximately six weeks, Bridgestone have had 3 attempts at fixing the car as well as reasonable time to also seek the advice of two other independent mechanics. This situation is becoming untenable. I have booked the car for the full independent report and assessment with the Mitsubishi Specialist on the 24th allowing Brigestone 7 days to respond and resolve this issue. I will be seeking reimbursement/compensation for the unresolved issues and any costs involved.

One of the bosses called me earlier and said he wanted to bring the car back to try a couple of more things. I told him I was not going to let them play with it like they did with the screwdriver and the throttle and that I wanted to know in advance what they were wanting to do and run it past the independent Mitsubishi guy. I also told him I would no longer leave the car with them & that if it went in to have things done then I want to be there with it the whole time. I will have my phone camera and intend to video whatever they do. Bet they won't be happy with that but I'm getting past the point of caring. If they cannot supply my old parts back I think I may reverse the credit card charge and file a legal dispute with Consumer Affairs and VCAT.

I think all trust and hope for this to work out well is now out the window. My car did NOT have any serious problems or noises or other issues and now sounds and runs like a heap of poop!

I also told the Brigestone State manager that i was formalizing paperwork to lodge the complaint with Consumer Affairs. I also think they have done what used to be called "bait and switch" where they have offered this discount card and baited me in then switched the charge over to be hidden as parts. I have had several people give feedback on what the prices should be. At the end of the day that is at least "false and misleading behaviour" or something......but I know it's WRONG!

Thnx again for your support & advice. I really appreciate it. I'll keep the media threat up my sleeve and another guy from Whirlpool suggested that I let them know I will go public on the major forums and internet social networking sites.

I'm going to keep posting updates so that other people won't ever have to go thru this nightmare!

Something I've noticed over the last couple of years . . . . a lot of tyre places want to sell you mechanical work, I guess there isn't much money in just tyres. I bought new front tyres at one place, after they were installed the bloke who drove it out of the bay started to pull some high speed circles in my car. Asked him what he was doing, he said he was checking the drive shafts. He looked disappointed and I didn't bother to tell him the drive shafts had been rebuilt recently. Another time I got a wheel alignment, and the bloke took off and did a lap of the block. Came back and said my steering rack mounting bushes were rooted. I told him I'd look into it. Both were obvious instances of an attempted "upsell" to some mechanical work, annoyed me a lot because it was unasked for.

I don't mind any tyre place trying to get into the field of general mechanical work, in order to swell their income, but they better make sure they have all the details sorted. You know, the details that come in between suggesting what work need doing, and taking your money. They had better get serious about employing a competent mechanic, not leave it up to the junior tyre monkey.

TBet they won't be happy with that but I'm getting past the point of caring. If they cannot supply my old parts back I think I may reverse the credit card charge and file a legal dispute with Consumer Affairs and VCAT.


Bingo .... I'd do this and make them do all the chasing if they want to be paid.

Reverse the head*uck.

Bingo .... I'd do this and make them do all the chasing if they want to be paid.

Reverse the head*uck.

LOL, ur sooo funny. I luv it!

Something I've noticed over the last couple of years . . . . a lot of tyre places want to sell you mechanical work, I guess there isn't much money in just tyres. I bought new front tyres at one place, after they were installed the bloke who drove it out of the bay started to pull some high speed circles in my car. Asked him what he was doing, he said he was checking the drive shafts. He looked disappointed and I didn't bother to tell him the drive shafts had been rebuilt recently. Another time I got a wheel alignment, and the bloke took off and did a lap of the block. Came back and said my steering rack mounting bushes were rooted. I told him I'd look into it. Both were obvious instances of an attempted "upsell" to some mechanical work, annoyed me a lot because it was unasked for.

I don't mind any tyre place trying to get into the field of general mechanical work, in order to swell their income, but they better make sure they have all the details sorted. You know, the details that come in between suggesting what work need doing, and taking your money. They had better get serious about employing a competent mechanic, not leave it up to the junior tyre monkey.

There's some new noise coming from the RHF wheel area. Been trying to get it on video but the wind messes up the microphone. I just fueled up and had a look under their lights in case I could see something and what I saw was the supposedly new discs all rusted. The back ones look old and unchanged. WTF is going on with new disc rotors already showing lots of surface rust???

My head is gonna explode with all this!

Get Mal to look at the discs, they may have "forgotten" to put new ones on.

Cheaper brands of rotors come unpainted and will rust where the pads don't rub.

Get Mal to look at the discs, they may have "forgotten" to put new ones on. Yep I had that suspicion as well. Poor Mal, what a mess he is going to have to clean up. If they put cheapies on then I want the cheapies price - they are on ebay for $60 a pair delivered free from QLD.

Cheaper brands of rotors come unpainted and will rust where the pads don't rub.

Yep that's where the rust is. Will this do anything bad in the long run??? Or is it just cosmetic and won't affect anything?

Nearly all rotors come unpainted

Thnx, so does that mean they "need" to be painted or will they be ok?

Update on mechanical drama saga:

The other owner (the mechanic) finally looked at it today and all they can think of is to flush the injectors to try to fix the idling issue. He took it for a drive and then I got him to put it on a hoist and showed him the oil leaks. After their 3rd attempt and with 2 independents of their own they missed the badly leaking rocker covers (even after they cleaned the engine this last time). I haven't told them about the rest as I suspect they only bought a timing belt and did not get the full timing kit and I have the power steering belt that Mits changed as evidence. I have made it clear I want that invoice fixed with detailed pricing and brand and part no's and labour. He admitted tonight that he thinks they have thrown the parts away. I'm mostly peeved bc the power steering pump was fine and the oil was from the rear rocker cover gasket leaking. If they had bothered to look properly or clean the engine then that would be obvious. He went a bit quiet after he saw that. He also didn't even notice the engine running on sound which is the passenger fan and I think there is another noise. I pointed out the fan, he didn't say anything. He wants it back in but is going to call some people to get some advice. I told him I don't want them doing anything Unless I run it past Mal.

I'm starting to think that if this goes to VCAT then I could also be asked why did I let them keep doing stuff when it was already clear they had made so many errors, so many times.

Arrrrgggghhhh :nuts:

Update:

Well they have finally responded. They refuse to provide an itemized invoice detailing parts, labour and discounts applied and got really nasty with me for continuing to ask and had all sorts off responses about their computer system and blah blah. they are actually trying to justify $52 for wiper blades, wtf!

VALVOLINE ENGINE OIL 10W30 4.7 LITRES
RYCO OIL FILTER Z456
NGK BKR5E-11 SPARK PLUGS X 3
NGK PFR5G-11 SPARK PLUGS PLAT X 3
RYCO AIR FILTER A1359
BOSCH PREMIUM WIPER ASSEMBLY BBE550
BOSCH PREMIUM WIPER ASSEMBLY BBE500
DAYCO TIMING BELT 94807
POWER STEERING PUMP 1888
ALTERNATOR / AIR CON BELT DAYCO 6PK1215
FRONT DISC ROTORS RDA425 X 2
BENDIX FRONT DISC PADS DB1203

Your VIP card has given you a saving on this visit of
$49 off the Front Wheel Alignment
$132 off the Service

They have (conveniently) thrown out my old parts disregarding my specific request for them to be held.

Their lack of honesty, transparency and continued incompetence has now really got my back up.

Any feedback about what is listed would be greatly appreciated.

As I suspected there is a timing belt and nothing else in the timing belt kit. Hence, the inspection and advice by Mits was spot on! They are not getting anymore chances with their guess work and dishonesty. I can cope if people make genuine mistakes and then will admit it and genuinely fix the problems. This sort of rubbish I just don't swallow!

I have no respect nor trust in them and they have done their dash with me now.

I'll wait for feedback from you all and then make my decision about how to handle this tomorrow.

All advice is greatly appreciated,

many thnx.

I'd still go with speaking to your Bank about reversing the Credit Card Charges.

Thnx Prowler. I know u said u go to VCAT annually for someone you are helping. I'm writing Bridgies a letter now and I'm NOT happy and letting them know it. I wonder if u could give it a look over and tell me ur thoughts bearing in mind ur VCAT experience pls? This moron of a boss is calling some mechanic buddy and getting advice about what that guy did to his daughters Magna. Come on, where is the Bridgestone Technical Expertise Back-up for their service centres. Their Head Office guy wrote me a nice "howdy" letter telling me he has no mechanical knowledge. The Head Office woman in charge of complaints for the Franchise companies could not even find their Cheltenham Franchise and called twice to ask me again where it was??? And these clowns want to have a go at trying to fix the car again. His mate told him the platinum chamber gasket could be causing some vac leaks and he almost slipped out that they could have "damaged" it when they were doing the service but he pulled himself up and said they would be prepared to change it anyway. I'm happy to post it on here but I'm getting the feeling people might be sick of my whinging.

That parts list looks to be all genuine quality parts to me, no cheap Chinese knock-offs.
But they probably charged you a hefty mark-up.
Mal can check if you got what you paid for.

Thnx TreeAdey. "Hefty" doesn't begin to describe what they charged. Do u know what the power steering pump brand might be...1888 (no brand) looks dodgy to me esp when there was nothing wrong with mine.

Rang consumer affairs again, gotta be kidding, let them at it again is the advice. No beeping way. I just rang their National Bridgestone Manager as I'm not dealing with these clown anymore. Unless they want to pay the local Mitsubishi Dealer or Mits to fix it properly, I'm not interested. Let's see what he comes up with. He going to ring them now.

Let an incompetent person do a job and watch him stuff up . . . shame on them.

Let them have a second go at doing a job and watch the stuff up again . . . shame on you.

Just take the financial hit, and get the car fixed by Mal. You could consider a Small Claims Court approach to get back some money. Would inconvenience them mightily.
There are some TV programs that are interested in this sort of story - you know, hard done battler (or little old pensioner lady) ripped off by heartless shonks.

Hey Max, watch it with the "old" bit, that's a sensitive issue for a female ;)

Yep I totally agree, but I'm not wearing a $3000 stuff-up. I worked in Industrial Engineering for about 15 yrs and 5 in automotive when I was young. I also know the way the large Corporates work and how they handle their franchises. I dropped a few names today and pushed a few buttons and I am not letting this get washed under the bridge. Now I'll either get a genuine attempt to resolve this or they will call in the Corporate Lawyers. Either way i have alerted them to this Franchise getting things in the Bridgestone front door and sending them out the back door under another business name. Also happily told him about asking for Bridgestone Turanza's and them putting their cheap crappy imported ones on. Bet there was a few "pls explains" going around this arvo. Corporates HATE it when franchises abuse the system and in this case Bridgestone are looking like they are working damn hard to put a professional and unified frontage on their new AutoSelect mechanical services. Won't be too happy about coyboys abusing the system. Also told him I haven't accused anyone about the discount card being a scam by getting people to buy them and then hiding the labour in the parts. It's also an offense for them not to provide detailed invoices.

Worst case scenario is that I will go and buy all of the parts on the invoice, replace the tyres with another brand and drop everything back to them and once they are received I will reverse the credit card payment. Consumer Affairs said if I reverse it and they have provided me things then they can call in a debt collection agency and wreck my credit rating. They cannot try to collect a debt where they have refused to detail anything on the invoice except parts and if the parts are returned then they have no claim on me. But I still have a claim on them bc he has advised the discounted labour in an email. Anyway, it's a big mess.

It sounds like the plenum chamber gasket could be causing vac problems that is affecting the idling and revving. Sthn Mitsubishi recommend replacement but Bridgies didn't and they could have damaged or moved it or something.

I'm worried about cylinder damage but Mal will do a compression test after he changes the rocker cover gaskets.

The car is sounding worse so I'm hanging out for Wednesday.....

P.S. Max what are ur thoughts on a good tyre (it's in the other thread) I'm so confused about everything now :(

P.S. Max what are ur thoughts on a good tyre (it's in the other thread) I'm so confused about everything now :(

Don't worry about the "old" bit, I did say "hard done by battler (or little old pensioner lady)". I should have added "delete which ever does not apply."

I'm probably a lot older than you anyway. lol

As for tyres, I just buy whatever my local Bridgestone dealer deigns to provide. lol But I do know one of the guys there, and he generally does right by me.

If your going to reverse charges on the credit card I think you only have about 60 days to do it.

Don't worry about the "old" bit, I did say "hard done by battler (or little old pensioner lady)". I should have added "delete which ever does not apply."

I'm probably a lot older than you anyway. lol

As for tyres, I just buy whatever my local Bridgestone dealer deigns to provide. lol But I do know one of the guys there, and he generally does right by me.

I'll go for Aussie battler ;)

So here's a go at some car talk that I'm learning......."so what's ur ride"??? :)

Is that "techno" for what type of car u drive? So what tyres do u have atm?

If your going to reverse charges on the credit card I think you only have about 60 days to do it.

Oh poo, I better call them now. Thnx for that.

If your going to reverse charges on the credit card I think you only have about 60 days to do it.

Phew, luckily it's 90 days with my particular bank. I won't lodge one until I return the goods though, that's only fair (not that they have been fair with me).

Update:

The National Manager of Bridgestone was polite and did at least try to investigate but given this is a franchise store i.e. one not owned by Bridgestone he said the owner insisted that the car should be returned so that they can fix it.

Hmmm.....that would be nice if they:
1. knew what was wrong with it
2. hadn't beeped it up in the 1st place
3. have already had 7weeks, three attempts and the advice of 2 independent mechanics still only to be clueless
4. had the necessary skill, experience and expertise to be ABLE to fix it
AND
5. not do any further damage!

I told him unless they were prepared to pay for a Mitsubishi Specialist to fix it, then it would be just plain irresponsible & idiotic of me to let them touch it again.

He said that he cannot help me any further.

I'm pretty damn angry and I'm thinking of writing a letter to their MD (an MD being personally responsible for the operations of a Company).

Any thoughts anyone? Or should I just return the parts and reverse the credit card charge???

I could have saved myself the trouble and just bought a new car: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/mitsubishi-verada-2001-/111124309799?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item19df866727

Ok, you can have the credit card back charged but VCAT would be the way to go.
From my understanding you have given them a second go and they couldn't get it right so they have failed. You are now entitled to a full refund and costs if they have damaged your vehicle in the process.

Consumer affairs will just slow you down as I have a friend that works in there, so go straight to VCAT. Obviously just before that, send Bridgestone their original invoice back, demanding your money back or you will draw up the necessary paperwork for a VCAT hearing and expose them in court of their lack of knowledge in servicing cars. I would write them so as to leave them in no uncertain terms as to where they stand.
Send them back their parts if you wish but it isn't necessary. Get a report from Mits to use as evidence.

Let me know if you need more advice, having been in VCAT myself and won everytime against idiots.

Regards

Oh Strav, u are a heaven send. So do u think it will go against me if I return their parts and reverse the credit card in the interim. Times are tough for me and I will have to pay for the whole thing to be done again and I'm scared there is going to be valve damage. Due to a work accident that nearly killed me I struggle to survive and am only just hanging on to the house for the moment. Something like this could sink me and I'm just not well enough to cope with all of this drama. It's just so hard not to want to reverse the payment and return their bits bc I need the money and I can just pursue them over reimbursement and compensation, although I'm worried that it will get really messy with a reversal thrown in. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, many thnx Pom

I'm told that VCAT can take up to 6mths to be heard and there is never a guarantee of a win no matter how right I think I am???

Well, you've given them three chances, which is one more than necessary so you are well within your rights to claim a charge back on your credit card but I would still send a letter to Bridgstone outlining what you have done. I would go as far as saying to them in a seperate letter with the heading Without Prejudice and tell them that if they choose not to stop the charge back and walk away, no legal action will be taken.

Its getting what you want an at the same time showing them a way out peacefully.

VCAT takes 6 weeks to hear cases these days so dont sweat it. You have it all, they have nothing.

Nothing is a guarantee but you need to know how to set up the case for it to be guaranteed

Hi Strav, thnx I will do that. I am still out of pocket around $6-700 for a hire car whilst mine sat on a hoist in the workshop for a week and a half while they figured out how to align the timing belt. I am also worried about any further damage they have done i.e. valve damage. I at least got him to email that they did discount some labour so there is still a legal argument to be had about that (I paid for the discount card - this wasn't any freebie) but they hid the labour in the parts. Can I talk to u tomorrow after Mits-Fix have had a chance to look at the car and get ur advice on it from there please. I would really , really appreciate it. Thnx Pom.

Most certainly, I'll lay down everything on how this should be tackled. Rest assured, VCAT are very good and they take a dim view on anyone trying to rip anyone off. I'll give you a few pointers on how to act infront of the VCAT Member (judge).