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[chesterdraws]

Hi folkes , just on my 3rd Whiskey after a bad day at the Omega office!
Well i  took her to Garage to have an engine flush and oil change, then couldn't start her !! Was turning over but no fuel was getting through! Of course the young lad at the garage held his hands up and said ' I'ts nothing i've done' . Just found it a wild stroke of bad luck that it broke down on me just after having the flush and oil change. Well got it to my Vauxhall dealer  and they said it was the crankshaft sensor, had it done at a cost of £140 and now she starts ok. I notice that the sensor is right near the oil filter......... what do you think guys?
Jason.

 :-/

[Crazydad]

Now i would`nt like to point the finger but it could of been a mistake by the fitter

[Andy B]

..................
 I notice that the sensor is right near the oil filter......... what do you think guys?
Jason.

 :-/

It does seem a remarkable coincidence. I'd be inclined to blame the clumsy oppser at the garage ...... even if it wasn't actually his fault!!!!!!!!  

[chesterdraws]

My thoughts precisely chaps, the lad was walking round the place like he'd just got up, so that didn't inspire me in the first place. Problem is how can I prove it? This babe never fails to start, and then packs up at the garage after a simple engine flush and oil change!! It's the fact that the crank sensor is right next to the oil filter thats too much of a coincidence for me...

[Crazydad]

..................
 I notice that the sensor is right near the oil filter......... what do you think guys?
Jason.

 :-/

It does seem a remarkable coincidence. I'd be inclined to blame the clumsy oppser at the garage ...... even if it wasn't actually his fault!!!!!!!!  

It`s worth a go, although i don`t think that they will take much notice, maybe you could get Mr.McB to

 give them a verbal going over :-/ :-/

[chesterdraws]

Good idea!!  

[Paul M]

Crank sensors are notorious for failure, and usually with no warning at all. Could have been a coincidence.

[Kevin Wood]

Did the old sensor show any physical signs of damage?

The normal failure mode (assuming it was the original sensor) is due to the wire getting too hot as it passes around the exhaust manifold and is routed next to the oil pipes. Could be that the insulation in the wire was starting to break down due to heat, and it was moved slightly during the oil change, causing it to fail totally. If it wasn't obviously damaged during the oil change I'd say it would have happened sooner or later anyway.

Kevin

[Essex_Andy]

Ask for the return of the faulty part.

Have it checked to see why it isnt working...

I'd be prepared to spend £30 and take them to a small claims court.

So far worked for me every time and you get the £30 costs back AND you can claim a reasonable amount for your time and costs

[chesterdraws]

Cheers bud, will get the faulty part back tomoz. It's all too much of a coincidence for me that after 7 years it goes at the garage after an oil change!

[Essex_Andy]

https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/csmco2/index.jsp

Call office of fair trading first and make sure you have a case

Everything was 100% goes to garage and then busted

[Admin]

It is entirely possible that the crank sensor failed just then.

There is nothing you could really do down there that would damage it unless you were poking about with a screwdriver or wire cutters.

The points I would be concerned about are:

What route did they use to fit it? Incorrect route will cause premature failure.

£140!!! I won't say how much I could have got it for, suffice to say it is a lot less and I live in Derby and have trade club (useful for future purchases )
 

[paul.c]

crank sensor was probably on its way out anyway. i would recommend changing one anyway as part of a proventative maintinance prosedure.

[ians]

Some people remove oil filters by driving a big screwdriver through them .  Could easily have hit it with the driver or the sammy he missed it with... :-?

[JamesV6CDX]

A few points I guess.

It IS a co-incidence that the sensor failed at the time the oil filter was being changed. but I very much doubt you can determine / prove anything either way.

If the crank sensor you had on the car lasted 7 years, then it has done bl**dy well!

I strongly suspect that after that much time it was fragile anyway, and maybe when the filter was changed the cable got distrubed, and finished it off.

Even if you were to get the old part back, and find a bit of damage - you'd have no way of proving the oil changer did it.

I personally think you have no recourse at all, against the garage. Just put it down as a learning experience.

I don't mean to piddle on your bonfire, but I must tell you for your future benefit - £140 for a crank sensor is obscenely high

On Trade club (which you personally can get via Autobahnstormers) a new crank sensor is £35 from memory, and no more than 15 minutes to make a good job of fitting it.

Have you considered doing a bit of DIY servicing and repairs? This would save you the worries of visiting ham handed-mechanics, and anyone able bodied can do it. Most common jobs here have a guide, including fault code reading, crank sensor replacement, and oil and filter change. Plenty of advice in the help section, and in the worst case, some members in Derby near you