Bust locking wheel nuts saga continues...

[rt172]

Ive had the car into a garage today who can chisel stuck bolts out. They took one look and said it cant be done without seriously damaging the wheels .

So, I phoned up my local Trading Standards department and explained that Id only had the car for less than 2 weeks when I discovered the problem and that the trader has refused to sort it out. The helpful chap on the phone says that a car that cannot have the wheels remove come under "good in unsatisfactory condition" and that both the trader AND the finance company are jointly liable and that I do have a case.

Im going to phone the finance company when I get back from work and make a very big fuss and complaint about this. Its really not on that I have to shell out for 4 new wheels, new locking nuts, labour charges, a new catalytic converter and a new backbox all within three weeks of buying a car that was sold to me under condition of all this work being carried out before I picked it up.

Im quite pissed off now

 

[SoLow]

refuse the car?

 

[Ben H]

The nut must be really bad as you can usually sort it out with only medium hassle. I used to have locking wheel nuts on any car I had, but theyre such shocking quality that I just dont use them now. Ive had many go wrong, mainly due to overtightening at a garage using a gun to tighten the wheels and then the key snapping when I come to take the bolt off manually. Usually though you can whack a 17mm bit onto the offending wheelnut and then use a really, really long bar to get it off. Why cant they drill the thread out???

 

[Paul Freemantle]

i would of said that the easyest way is to drill the bolts out - this will require a very powerfull drill and a strong drill bit or two

 

[Robby]

ive had 3 sets removed (bought cars and months later found no locking key). I took the cars to a kwik fit type garage who hammered a socket on (impact type - stronger than ordinary), they then use an air gun which gets them off no problem.

If you have got your car on finance then ring them at once, you should tell them the car is unroadworthy and the supplier is unwilling to rectify the probs. You should tell the finance company that untill the probs are sorted you will not be paying your payments. The finance company cannot take action against you for this under the sale of goods act but will fight on your behalf with the garage.

You must put this in writing as well

if the situation is not resolved in adequate time you can return the car to the dealer and walk away

Until you make the final payment on the agreement it is the finance company that owns your car so it is in their intrest the matter be dealt with

it isnt until you make your 3rd or 4th payment that the garage gets its finance commision from the finance company (usually £700ish)

I had this prob a few years ago and found all this out as i kicked up such a fuss, got all my probs sorted within 2 months then took out a personal loan to settle the finance before the dealer got his commision - he lost £750

 

[Robby]

Name and shame the dealer as well

Could get in touch with watchdog .............

 

[Padso]

Can you not hammer some metal taps into the nut and turn it with a bar?

Or use a chisel to turn the nut?

I had to get this done to my car due to the lock key breaking and used a combination of both mehods and not even a scratch to the wheels

 

[rt172]

The bolts are so far in and the nuts are so fecked up that it is near impossible to chisel or hammer anything onto it. I tried hammering on a 21mm socket, but the problem has occurred in two ways. The locking nut "keys" are damaged beyond repair and the bolts have been seriously over-tightened. The socket just kept slipping off, even with pressure being applied against the nut.

After this I will never use locking wheel nuts again. The hassle it is causing is incredible, and I cant even use the car for fear of getting a puncture.

Oh yeah, the dealer is Baytree Motor Works, Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield (http://www.baytreemotorworks.comwww.baytreemotorworks.com), and the proprietor is Gary Shepherd. They specialise in 2nd hand sports and prestige cars. Based on my experiences, Id advise you all to steer well clear!

I really dont want to refuse the car as it is brilliant, but its starting to look like I have no choice. Bloody finance company shut at 5pm, so Ill be calling them 1st thing tomorrow and posting an update afterwards!

Rhys

 

[Cheeky_Chappie]

It seems to me that the Locking wheel nuts are a problem..

Whatabout tightening the 3 normal nuts as tight as you can ie.. use air gun and then tighten the locking wheel nut by hand.. ie not as tight? but still tightish..

 

[GR7]

Send an e-mail to the Watchdog trouble shooter at Auto Express, explain everything to him and he will sort it in minutes for you! Do it now so that no time is wasted, it doesnt cost you anything.

<A class=aolmailheader title=mailto:james_baggott@dennis.co.uk href= "mailto:james_baggott@dennis.co.uk">U james_baggott@dennis.co.uk/U

That should get your wheel problem sorted.

 

[adiclio16v]

you only need to drill so far with decent size bit so you can snap the head off then ull be able to get the wheel off an the rest should come out quite easily when the pressure of the wheel is off

 

[Robby]

Always use a bit of copperslip on bolt threads - stops them seizing in

umm reminder - apply copperslip to mine this weekend

 

[telford_mike]

Bloody Hell Rhys that sounds like a nightmare mate - I have the same problem but only with my valve caps! Hope it gets sorted soon. Like you say, shame to let the car go just because of this.

 

[paddymph]

what a ballache! Nothing worse than stuff like this happening to your motor...

 

[GR7]

Quote: Originally posted by telford_mike on 11 February 2003

Bloody Hell Rhys that sounds like a nightmare mate - I have the same problem but only with my valve caps! Hope it gets sorted soon. Like you say, shame to let the car go just because of this.

Mike

Presumably your valve caps are metal. If so, maybe you can heat them with a hairdryer so that they will expand slightly, then grab them quickly, when they arent expecting it!

 

[rt172]

The finance company have asked me to put it all in writing to them and then theyll investigate. The saga goes on......

 

[Robby]

hope you dont get a puncture in the meantime

"then grab them quickly, when they arent expecting it!"

blimey girlracer, you sound just like my ex

 

[GR7]

Is that why she is your ex?