I dont know. I have no mechanical skills, but this is the story: Sent my Ducati GT1000 for its yearly service (incl. changing of timing belt). Got it back and drove very little for the next 2 weeks. Then went on a longer trip with "the guys". One of them noticed oil dripping off the oil cooler (oil was coming from the top of the cooler where it is attached to oil line. Went back to the mechanic and he told me the oil cooler was broken and a new one had to be installed. He billed me for the new cooler, 1ltr of oil and 5½ hrs of work £600 (quite pricey!). I asked him how it could happen - and he went all the way back to the italian assembly line... "probably installed it incorrectly". But I am left wondering.....because I am thinking.. is it at all possible to change the timing belt without removing the oil line from the oil cooler - in other words - did it happen during the service? I am feeling kinda violated, however - as I said, I have no mechanical skills and I cannot know for sure - so I am asking you..... did I just get screwed or should I let it go? PS - I live in DK - so if my English is "odd", thats why ;-)
I'm not familiar with the GT1000, but looking at pictures on the web, the arrangement appears similar to other air-cooled models where the oil cooler is attached to the inlet valve cover on the front cylinder (I assume that the valve clearances were checked), as well as having one of its hoses annoyingly tight over the front cyclinder belt cover. Either the oil cooler was detached from the valve cover and pulled down out of the way (I have managed this on my 900) without detaching hoses, or perhaps it was actually removed altogether during the service. It's therefore quite possible that the cooler could have been damaged due to stress on the connection one way or another during the service (I'm going to go and check mine now! I think I was gentle with it). 5.5 hours sounds a long time for an experienced mechanic to spend on replacing the oil cooler.
5.5 hours to change an oil cooler. Seriously? That can't be more than an hours work, tops. I reckon I could have done it half an hour, and that includes wheeling it in, putting it on the ramp, unboxing the new cooler, undoing the two bolts that hold it on, unfastening the two oil lines, then refitting, topping up oil, wheeling it back out and writing out an invoice.
5.5 hours sounds a little rough to me . re the damage unless you can prove it was caused during service then I think your out of luck.personally I would have contacted the dealer and tried to have it fitted with free time. ie pay for the cooler and let them fit it for free . go back and ask politely if they have made an administration error and charged you to many hours. good luck.
I am now convinced that someone screwed up the service and ruined my oil cooler. My usual mechanic (the owner of the shop) wasnt there that day, and I remember it bothered me a bit at the time. But thats just one thing. The time that went into replacing it is another. it seems i got it from both ends this time... . Not much I can do about it now. But I will write him an email - he should at least know why my future business goes somewhere else - depending on his response ofc. This is the second time a service turns into disaster for me. My previous bike went to service somewhere else and someone dropped a piece of a rag into the block causing a total engine failure. They did however repair it at no cost to me - but it was never the same again. Some guys have all the luck!!! ...thanks for giving my little case some attention. Still love my Duc
I would be asking other dealers how long they quote to fit an oil cooler then go into the shop and complain that you have concerns that your original one was damaged during the service and that they should foot the bill. I would at least want the labour aspect refunded then tell them you are not coming back. Name and Shame !
Although naming and shaming a dealer im denmark may not have much impact on here...sounds rip off to me. Oil cooler ismt a big job, even I could do it!
I am very careful not to name and shame until I am absolutely sure.... and then some. Which is also one of the reasons why I go on the UK forum (we have a Danish forum - but very very small) - to be sure that I am not unjustly accusing him of ripping me off - and to give him a chance to explain before I go "Danish" on him I will write him this weekend. Thanks for giving me somthing to go by. Technically "challenged" people like myself are easy prey.....
There are a handful of us over here, so its worth letting us know where "not to go", for sure. Even if its just on private message.
I can't believe that! just been and had a look at my gt1000 and oil cooler mount.It would take longer to get the back wheel in and out of my bike for a tyre change!! he must have had a hard time getting the new oil cooler out of the box...you've been had my friend,good luck getting some money back out of them,and an apology
i'v got no idea how long it takes to change an oil cooler on your bike but sounds like you may have been screwed on the labour, as for breaking it during the service, who can say, who made up the bill for the repair, speak to the owner of the shop and i mean speak, i switch off when someone starts getting aggressive. 5.5hrs is a lot of labour for a pro, cant think of any cooler on a car that i have done that takes that long.
Haha - funny we are known for those movies - the worst... even in their genre ;-) - no, I mean more in the line of a good old huskarl berserker. Nowadays we Danes are very civil and calm and patient. We sent the berserkers to UK 1000 years ago and they never came back. So now we just get it up the .... and say "thank you".
Thank you for your input. This is how it ended. First - I claimed he put 5,5 hrs on the bill - he didnt. It was "only" 4,5. I asked another dealer and he said a change would take 1-1,5hrs I then wrote him a (polite) email and put forward your arguments, as well as some of my own. He answered equally polite and explained himself in a convincing manner: The damage to the oil cooler did not derive from the service. When changing the timing belt the bottom part of the oil line was disconnected, not the one attached to the oil cooler (where the crack was). He said that under normal circumstances the change would take 1-1,5hrs. But because he knew I use the bike for daily transport he did not want to wait for an oil cooler to arrive from Italy. Instead he used a different (also ducati) oil cooler he had in stock and modified it to work equally well on my bike (and I can only say it looks fine and seems to do the job). The modification took some time, and so did cleaning the thick layer of oil off the engine so he could determine the location of the leak and make sure the oil had not seeped into/onto the timing belt. Thats what he told me. He did fail, however, to tell me all these things before the fact - and I did not get to chose whether to wait for an original GT1000 part - or to get another modified part at a higher cost. If he had asked me beforehand - and taken the time to explain, i would have accepted without hesitation - because I really DO need my bike every day. I am fairly happy with his explanation so I will let the matter rest there. PS - Yesterday I found a big nail in my rear tyre. I drove to the nearest MC dealer and had the tyre changed. Later, when I (finally) got home the dealer called me and apologized...they had only changed the tyre and forgotten to change the tube, so had to go back today ..... that puts my total mc cost so far this year up to approx GBP 1250 - and the season only just started. Yes, I really am one unlucky son of a bitch :Inpain: Drive safely - and once again thks for your support!
some say rip off some say where else where you going to get it sorted? i got ripped off by the poxy estate agent and the solicitor when i sold my house.........but captive audience and i couldn't do it myself......unlike an oil cooler leak...its the way of the world....
Theyre still here in the North of England and most of Scotland and the whole of Ireland and some parts of Wales. Basically the Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards or our front line troops for a good many centuries. Thanks. Although the French and Spanish wont thank you for it.
Thanks for filling us in Carsten, it's immaterial now but still think something smells here - did you remember to ask about having the old unit back for examination as I mentioned? I don't know how well he knows you but most people I know would have had a fit if a dealer had taken it upon himself to pursue the modification/extra hours route without so much as mentioning it first.
