A Plee To All

[robwright]

OK here's a question. Even after putting new handbrake shoes and cables on my car after an MOT how can Kwik Fit recokn tha my PB efficiency is only 11%. Especially when I took it to another garage and it worked out to over 23%? I wouldn't mind but I only took it to them for sheer convenience as it is right next to my work. Do you think it could be anything to do with the fact that I didn't ask them to do the work???? So in total it has cost £45 for MOT, £24 for retest £100 in parts not to mention my labour. Oh and £35 for another test at a non-mainstream MOT garage. I have already had some dialogue with Kwik Fit HQ. I would urge you all never to use these people for anything (I am guessing most of you probably wouldn't anyway). And I mean anything!!! P****d off in Peterborough

 

[robwright]

Like I said fella it was out of pure convenience. I wouldn't even go back to them for a jubilee clip!!!! Maybe I should have asked to see their engineering credentials and see if they in any way stacked up to mine. I seriously doubt it!!!!

 

[sawood12]

Use them for tyres and exhausts and nothing else. Funny that whenever i've used them they always - always tell me I need new brake pads even when I know I don't. Though I did have an Escort as my first car and got an exhaust from them and under their 2yr guarantee got about three exhausts out of them. Not sure if it was crappy exhausts or something wrong with my car, but it saved me some cash in the long run.

I doubt KF would know how to replace the hand brake shoes on a 944 anyway.

 

[robwright]

Scott they wouldn't even know how to evolve given the correct gene pool mate. Well at least by the look of some of the d**kheads in there anyway. The guy I took it to this afternoon was actually pleased to see the car. As if it was a treat for him. He is cheaper and also doesn't charge for retest. Those type of guys you don't mind chucking a bit of minor work at do you?

 

[PSH]

kwik fit are a place to avoid for most things, tyre's are very expensive and knowledge on cars usually leaves something to be desired too. Also handbrakes can vary depending on use, was the 11% reading before the 23%. I always operate the handbrake a few times while driving( very slowly and gently) on the way to the MOT station to loosen then up a bit and thus get a better reading. Remember the MOT test on the rollers puts far more strain on the handbrake than anything else that they would have experienced over the previous 12 months unless you do handbrake turns which on our cars would destroy the handbrakes totally.

sorry to hear of these tales of woe Rob... []


Pete

 

[robwright]

Evening Pete. The 23% was the difference betwen my picking up the car and driving to another garage. Nothing inbetween!!! I know new shoes can be tempremental and need to bed in but please??? The also had my vehicle weight down as too much. Not a great deal in percentages but wrong nevertheless!!! These guys were trying to take me for a fool. But they picked wrong guy. Sorry KF but you will be hearing from me in the morning. Do you ever get the feeling that when you have something nice other people don't like it because they don't? It's a British thing I think lol.

 

[PSH]

The 23% was the difference betwen my picking up the car and driving to another garage. Nothing inbetween!!!

ahhh but there is... the first test would have loosened up the handbrake and given more grip to the shoes due to them being deglazed a little. Same as pulling up handbrake while driving which is basically what they are doing but on the rollers instead of the road...[][]

Oh and evening Rob..[8D]

 

[robwright]

Pete the new shoes have been on for three days mate since I fitted them before I could get a retest booked. They have had plenty of bedding in time. And yes I have been riding the handbrake in the meantime!!

 

[PSH]

oh.. sorry Rob.. I forgot you had replaced the shoes for new...lol... must be me getting old....or to many hours at work...[8|]

 

[Lemon]

They are good for Aircon re gass for cars with 134a.

But then that is plug and play and the machine does all the work.

They will not charge you if there is a leak and will do a free re fill once you have it fixed.

Other than that I would rather let my father having a go at repairing my car and he struggles changing a wheel [][][]

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: robwright

The also had my vehicle weight down as too much. Not a great deal in percentages but wrong nevertheless!!!

This could be the problem. The handbrake efficiency is calculated as a percentage of the vehicle weight. If the vehicle weight is too high then the handbrake efficiency is a lower percentage ...

Totally agree about Quick Fit tho'. My (two) experiences with them, with other cars, was enough to put me off for life.


Oli.

 

[MarkK]

Peterborough is down the road from Leicester,maybe try OPC Leicester they do their own MOTs,the guy that does the MOTs and older car work drives an older Porsche and is very "sympathetic" to an older cars needs,they have a special club rate for older cars,nice bunch too,real people.Just an idea.