am I right or wrong?

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hey guys,

Long story so please bear with me....

On Friday of last week my Mrs started our car after 2 days of it not moving. She drove about 3 miles going to the doctors, nursery and then asda.

As she pulled into asda the car starting making a shrieking noise. She parked it up and went and did the shopping. When she returned she put the kids and shopping in and started the car. It starting making the shrieking noise again and she pulled out of the car parking space, she then found that the power steering didn't work, so she put the car back in it's spot and walked a mile home.

I went down to asda's car park on Saturday morning and started the car myself, it still made the shrieking noise but I noticed that the engine was running well (started first time) so I turned it off (not wanting to do any damage) and looked under the bonnet. I found a belt that was heavily worn so I called the RAC for a tow.

When the RAC arrived I explained the issue and the guy checked the belt and confirmed that it was knackered and told me that it needed a garage to change the belt. he also told me not to start it again as the belt might come off and wrap around the cam belt causing that to come off as well.

He kindly towed me to my local garage where he unhooked me from his van. At this point the mechanic came out (I had previously called and explained that I would be coming) and starting talking to the RAC guy. The RAC guy told him what I have told you and also said 'I wouldn't turn it over if I where you as that belt might come off' at which point the mechanic got in the car turned the engine over, it turned over ok, but didn't start for a second and then started making an out of time noise, like one cylinder was failing.

The mechanic then got out and looked at the RAC bloke and said 'you know what that sound means....'

I then left, asking the garage to call in the next few days to tell me the outcome.

Today, after not hearing form the garage, I called them and was told that the cam belt had come off and the timing was screwed on it. They then said that it was my fault for starting it in the car park. I told them that even the RAC guy told him not to start it and that it was their fault for the the timing being screwed at which point the garage hung up on me.

Now my question,

In your opinion, am I right in guessing that if the garage hadn't tried to start the car and had just looked under the bonnet and seen the damaged belt and changed it first, I wouldn't be this in mess? Or is it likely that when I started the car in asda's car park, the cam belt slipped and damage was caused then? (bearing in mind I noticed no change in the engine's revs, speed or timing)

Oh, the mechanic, is my farther inlaw, who I've always had issues with :(
 
Shreiking will normaly be an auxillary belt rather than cam belt, especialy if it involves the power steering.
I've had 3 cam belts go on me, 2 in vans and one on a tin top, and not one has made a peep before the engine lunched itself.
 
I'd say you're in the right.

If the garage were told it had a dodgy aux belt they shouldn't have turned it on.

If they turned it on after being told not to then surely they were deliberately trying to break it?
 
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[TW]Fox;17951399 said:
I was expressing suprise that his wifes father would be acting like such a douchebag after his own daughter was driving a car which broke down.

I shall get written permission from you in future.

I know, I just felt the need to post the obvious like you. :p

You have my permission to carry on :)
 
update,

I'm at work, my Mrs is at home with our 3year and 4 week old girls.

She's had her mum on the phone banging on about how I was the one that broke it and I shouldn't have spoken to my farther inlaw that way. (by that, she can only mean by blaming him for the damage)

This is causing a HUGE family dispute as me and my wife aren't rich and certainly can't afford to replace the Laguna that imo, he broke.

/at-wits-end
 
That is a nightmare, any compromise with the bloke, go half each or something?
 
Talk to your wife and get her to sort her Father out? He sounds like a grade A ****.


He's is soo unapproachable that she fears speaking to him about this sort of thing. Generally her Mum is ok (bit of a control freak at times) but she'd sided with her husband on this one.
 
hey guys,
In your opinion, am I right in guessing that if the garage hadn't tried to start the car and had just looked under the bonnet and seen the damaged belt and changed it first, I wouldn't be this in mess? Or is it likely that when I started the car in asda's car park, the cam belt slipped and damage was caused then? (bearing in mind I noticed no change in the engine's revs, speed or timing)

Oh, the mechanic, is my farther inlaw, who I've always had issues with :(

According to your account, the RAC inspected under the bonnet and said not to start it as it might cause the cam belt to come off as well. Clearly the cam belt hadn't come off at this point. As it had started to run ok initially when the mechanic turned it on, the cam belt must have been on at this point.

The garage don't have a leg to stand on. Go to trading standards. The mechanic clearly ignored the RAC guy's instruction not to turn over the engine. His actions turned a cheap belt replacement into a catastrophic engine rebuild.

Do you have any details for the RAC guy? He might be able to verify your story.
 
[TW]Fox;17951432 said:
If your wifes Dad is a mechanic surely he'd want to fix his daughters car for free even if it was somebody elses fault :(

tbh, he's never been great at mates-rates. Which I'm not that bothered about. I always just saw it as a garage I could trust even if the pricing wasn't the best.


That is a nightmare, any compromise with the bloke, go half each or something?


Not now no. He's the kinda guy who will hold on to this for a long time. He won't want to help out now as it will show that he's responsible.

This is from the guy who was going to lend us the cash for a deposit (without us asking btw) on a house but decided against it as I posted on facebook that I was trying to convince the Mrs we needed to buy a 3D tv for GT5.
 
This is from the guy who was going to lean us the cash for a deposit on a house but decided against it as posted on facebook that I was trying to convince the Mrs we needed to buy a 3D tv for GT5.

Hehe, that would cheese me too tbh. Like my mate who got married at great expense to his parents, then they found out he bought a £3k watch like a month after.
 
If he absolutely cannot be reasoned with, you have two options.

Morbius' suggested approach, or my personal favourite - the high road.

Tell him, Ok, seeing as you care about your Daughter and Grandchildren so much, and despite you ignoring the advice of the RAC and wrecking our only mode of transport, I'll sort it, arrange for the car to be taken to another garage and fixed, just never step foot near my house or my children again :)

Out of curiosity, what was his response when you mentioned the RAC man telling him not to start it?
 
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According to your account, the RAC inspected under the bonnet and said not to start it as it might cause the cam belt to come off as well. Clearly the cam belt hadn't come off at this point. As it had started to run ok initially when the mechanic turned it on, the cam belt must have been on at this point.

The garage don't have a leg to stand on. Go to trading standards. The mechanic clearly ignored the RAC guy's instruction not to turn over the engine. His actions turned a cheap belt replacement into a catastrophic engine rebuild.

Do you have any details for the RAC guy? He might be able to verify your story.

nearly, I started the car in the car park before the RAC got there, but other wise, yes. And no, I haven't got the details of the guys from RAC :(


OP have you got dad's email address? I might be able to talk some sense into him.

Probably not the best idea for me to give out his details on a public forum. I may issues with the guy, but still. Thanks for the offer thou :)

Hehe, that would cheese me too tbh. Like my mate who got married at great expense to his parents, then they found out he bought a £3k watch like a month after.

context, everything is out of context.
 
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