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Unbelievable


Hicardo
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So today I take my perfectly reliable auris hsd 64 reg to have its third service at Mr T. 

Get a call saying they've broken 3,valves trying to take off the valve caps..at a cost to replace of 57 quid each . As they contain a tpms sensor.  

The valve caps were metal..I'd replaced them shortly after the car was new when I'd lost a plastic one

An internet search tells me this is a common problem

😭😭

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So is the dealer paying for the replacement valves?

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I doubt it!  if they were replacing them FOC why ring and tell customer of breakage and cost?  Just hope I'm wrong as that is an expensive 'mishap' good luck with getting it sorted, keep us posted as to how it goes.

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Two common problems with metal tyre valve caps:

1. they tend to become stuck on the valves unless the thread is greased lightly

2. they are easy to nick, and get nicked.

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I've seen the valves they broke and I'm thinking they were fused solid. It seemed like as soon as they realized they were aftermarket parts they didn't take any care...but I may be wrong

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 In my opinion having broken the first one they shouldn't have continued to use any force on the other two without first contacting you to let you know there is a problem and a risk of breakage.

 I'd be holding them liable for replacement of the subsequent two they broke as they knew there was a high risk of damage having already had the same problem on the first. If you can show they used excessive force on the first I'd get them to pay for that one as well.

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Just picked up the car, and have been charged 240 pounds on top of the service cost for this "mishap".  I have contacted toyota customer services and await a response.  This problem and the explanation seems outrageous to me.  I was told by the service manager its my fault for fitting an aftermarket part, even if it was a 5 pounds set of metal valve caps!  I asked if he'd contacted Toyota CS, and he said no, as it was an aftermarket part.  

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I have found out that "modern" tpms valves use a detachable (from the sensor) valve for exactly this reason, that can be cheaply and easily replaced.  

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Such valves are not (obviously) fitted to my car

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Sorry, what was the extra £240 for???

But this can't be okay... just because it's an aftermarket part doesn't mean they can just break it and are absolved of any responsibility!

I mean, if you had aftermarket alloys on and they broke one they can't just say it's not their responsibility because it's an aftermarket part surely!?


 

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 As I said previously, a common issue with metal tyre valve caps is that they can become stuck on the valves (unless the threads are lightly greased) due to corrosion between the alloy or steel cap and the brass of the valve.

Suppose the best Toyota may do is to make a goodwill contribution, but as the issue appears to have been caused by third party products, I think in reality the answer may be in the negative.

If the dealer hadn't tried to get the caps off, you would probably have been left with the issue of how to remove the corroded caps yourself.

Think it may be a no win situation.

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Thanks for the replies

Guess ultimately I fitted non Toyota valve caps, and therefore it's my responsibility. I accept that, but

a) I was never told this was a problem at 2 previous services where the metal items were already on the car. Do people really go back to Toyota to buy replacement valve caps? I'm sure they don't. I didn't, and look where it got me!

b) surely it's bad design...I mean if you can buy (now) a new valve and fit it to a tpms sensor, rather than my 1 single component issue costing me 70 odd quid a pop when the valve needs replacing, surely mr t should accept its a really poor design to design the valve and sensor as an inseparable single component 

its sad that a 5 quid set of valve caps, because I'd lost one of the plassy originals, ends up costing me 240 quid

 

 

 

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240 was made up of, sensor valve unit x3, 3 X fitting kits, + vat

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14 minutes ago, Hicardo said:

Thanks for the replies

Guess ultimately I fitted non Toyota valve caps, and therefore it's my responsibility. I accept that, but

a) I was never told this was a problem at 2 previous services where the metal items were already on the car. Do people really go back to Toyota to buy replacement valve caps? I'm sure they don't. I didn't, and look where it got me!

b) surely it's bad design...I mean if you can buy (now) a new valve and fit it to a tpms sensor, rather than my 1 single component issue costing me 70 odd quid a pop when the valve needs replacing, surely mr t should accept its a really poor design to design the valve and sensor as an inseparable single component 

its sad that a 5 quid set of valve caps, because I'd lost one of the plassy originals, ends up costing me 240 quid

Suppose one could say that the valves are designed for plastic caps, which is what they were supplied with.

Doesn't matter who the vehicle manufacturer is, fitting metal valve caps may cause corrosion with the valve, and the same applies to tpms sensors as well as to non-tpms valves. As regards the first two services, presumably the caps/valves were free of corrosion, so nothing to report. And we have just been through winter ..... wet weather, etc.

People don't usually return to a franchised dealer to buy caps - I buy my plastic caps from Amazon. Twenty red plastic caps for £2.99 (also available in green and blue). The red matches the car colour, and when one takes the cap off to check pressures, the red stands out from tarmac. Plus plenty of spares ......

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when i had my ct it had metal chromed caps fitted from the factory i had this issue when i had a flat tyre

i tried to remove the cap to blow the tyre back up  and found it had become seized i carefully used a

hacksaw blade and cut a slot in the cap it then came off easily with no damage to the valve stem.

on my IS i had plastic caps but they where stolen

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if the dealer found the caps where seized on why did they try to force them to the point of destruction,

if they where going to check the tyre pressures they should of told you they couldn't check the tyre pressures

due to them caps being seized on and let you deal with it, did they ask you for consent to replace them

or did you find they where fitted when the bill was handed to you, they should of asked you for consent

before changing any parts for all they know you may of had a set of tpms valves at home on a set of winter rims

so the purchase of a new set wouldn't of been needed.

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