CAB makes silly statements without checking them out.

[Conniff]

The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) usually advises well, but they do make some really silly errors, this is just one of them, almost like opening your mouth without thinking.

 

 

In there advice on buying a used cars, they say:

If the fault is minor, such as a worn out clutch,...

 

 

I don't think any motorist would class a worn out clutch as a minor fault.

 

 

Draft it up and get it proofread before publication CAB.

[GrumpyToSayTheLeast]

So what would you class as a minor fault?

 

A minor fault to me would be one that does not cause a risk of injury or death to the user.

 

Bulbs? not minor. Its an offence to have a bulb out isn't it so it can't be minor. Obviously because its a safety item so other toad users can see you and see what you are doing.

 

Tyres, obviously not a minor thing.

 

Engine running erratically? No, as it could seize whilst driving and therefore be looked upon as a major fault.

 

Clutch gone? Minor. Means you cant drive and therefore no risk. Simple to replace and cheap to replace. A garage will replace a clutch in 30mins for £150. Thats less that a service.

 

Major would be fault that risks life or limb.

 

 

Minor fault, I.e a fault which is classed as a consumable product like clutch plate, brake pads, disks etc.

 

Not to mention, they specifically state a worn clutch, not a failed clutch. Worn means just that, worn, as in you can feel clutch slip under load.

 

But in essence, yes, I agree....that people should think before opening their mouths.

[Conniff]

They do say worn 'out'. Worn out means the car is useless, undrivable. Not many cars with a clutch that easy. Some cars it's a full engine out job, not just the gearbox.

[Westmead Fan]

Clutch gone? Minor. Means you cant drive and therefore no risk. Simple to replace and cheap to replace. A garage will replace a clutch in 30mins for £150. Thats less that a service.

 

oh is it now?

 

go tell my 3 customers one on a vauxhall zafira dmf with clutch 6hr job just under £900 pound, another 06 renault clio around £500 & the final one peugeot 307 dmf with clutch 7hr book time about £730.

 

even something like an old school punto would be more than that & we can get that done in 1hr but book time is longer

[GrumpyToSayTheLeast]

oh is it now?<br />

 

 

<br />

 

 

go tell my 3 customers one on a vauxhall zafira dmf with clutch 6hr job just under £900 pound, another 06 renault clio around £500 &amp; the final one peugeot 307 dmf with clutch 7hr book time about £730.<br />

 

 

<br />

 

 

even something like an old school punto would be more than that &amp; we can get that done in 1hr but book time is longer

 

 

 

 

 

Thats because that's the dual mass FLYWHEEL not the clutch. You can have a clutch replaced without changing the flywheel.

[Westmead Fan]

 

 

 

 

 

Thats because that's the dual mass FLYWHEEL not the clutch. You can have a clutch replaced without changing the flywheel.

 

it all depends on on the symptoms the 2 out of three cars had dual masses making horrible noises so they will need changing but what you said

 

Clutch gone? Minor. Means you cant drive and therefore no risk. Simple to replace and cheap to replace. A garage will replace a clutch in 30mins for £150. Thats less that a service.

 

statement is nonsense give me an example of this. when clutches go they are not dangerous but in some cases not cost effective to replace.

[GrumpyToSayTheLeast]

Mitsubishi evo 6. Clutch £200. Time two hours.

 

Corsa b. Clutch £55. Time 1 hour.

 

Corsa c. Clutch £55. Time 1.5 hours.

 

Vectra c. Clutch and dual mass £388. Time 3 hours which includes sub frame drop.

 

 

So you have family car, small car and performance car.

 

If you buy a car without researching the costs associated with that type of car, then you have no one to blame but yourself when it costs a lot to repair.

 

Recently seen someone buy a zafira, and then the dmf has failed(or started too). He then moaned about cost but got defensive when asked if he had checked the cars history for a dmf change when he bought it considering it had in excess of 100,000 miles on it. The answer, no, how was I to know I needed to check that.

 

Its called research.

[GrumpyToSayTheLeast]

Those are times by myself. Half the time if its being done by a normal garage(of any decent quality) as two will bodies will be available for heavy lift/awkward move bit.

[heliosuk]

I think the comments made by conniff are perhaps being taken out of context here and perhaps some posters are missing the point.

 

 

I have often commented on the abilities of CAB, even some of the site team.

 

 

The overriding issue is that there is no clear guidance as to what is acceptable wear and tear on a used car and what is not. As regards service times, well that again is dependent on the experience of the mechanic, the design of each individual car involved and the availability of the tools required to do the operation concerned.

 

 

So in some circumstances it is indeed possible to change a clutch in half an hour, I have done so myself on certain marques I am familiar with however some do indeedtake quite considerably longer.

 

 

However the question posed is the ability of CAB to determine what is a major or minor fault and in my book a clutch failure so soon after purchase is a major fault as the result is a an un driveable car. There are always tell tale signs of clutch failure or DMF failure which are easily picked up on inspection but the reality is that CAB are not qualified to determine what is wear and tear or what is a failure.

[Coughdrop]

Perhaps it should be viewed in the context of CAB branches - the quality of advice you get from them, even on the same subject, varies enormously.