DEAR SIR
Page 46
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WHAT AN OIL FILTER CAN DO
DURING the afternoon and early evening of July 25, an empty 1977 (Sregistered) Dodge 16-tonner rigid lorry, fitted with a Perkins 6354 turbo engine, was en route from Bolton to York via the M62, to collect a return load back to Norwich.
While travelling at approximately 60mph, the oil-pressure gauge dropped to zero arid a rattling noise came from the engine. The driver stopped immediately and found that not only was his engine completely covered in engine oil but most of his cab and chassis also. He checked his dipstick and found no oil recorded thereon; he put into the engine a gallon of oil he carried for topping up purposes, which brought a marginal response, hut when he started the engine again the lack of oil pressure and engine noise was still prevalent.
I le phoned my office for instructions and we routed an articulated vehicle from Ellesmere Port over the M62 to rendezvous with our broken down lorry and driver and when the second driver arrived he too was mystified as to where the oil had escaped from. He confirmed, though, that in his opinion the big-end had probably gone as well as the crank.
In view of the two experienced drivers' opinions — and by now it was 7pm, and with the weekend in sight — we instructed a recovery firm from Norwich to journey to the M62 location and collect our vehicle.
On its return to Norwich, and after a steam clean, and refill of oil we discovered that the oil was escaping from a small crack in the oil filter canister. The canister was removed and upon examination we could see that the canister was suffering from severe metal fatigue in places. This canister, though, had only been bought and fitted sonic two weeks prior to the breakdown.
The problem with the oil filter was confirmed by Reliance Trucks of Norwich, main Dodge dealer, and also by the Renault/Dodge parts area manager, but this is where the problem now begins.
They agreed that the filter was faulty and they said that they would refund the Cost of a replacement. However, this goes nowhere towards the actual cost incurred by this company, the recovery costs being £450 added to which the steam clean and replacement oil makes a total of i500. I should add at this point with a refill of oil and a replacement filter the engine noise was eradicated and no repairs had to be undertaken and the vehicle went straight back into service following an intensive road test. Going back to the financial loss to this company, one must not forget that as a result of this breakdown, a valuable return load was lost which was clear profit, work already booked for the following Monday was sub-contracted away and with the re-routeing of the articulated vehicle to collect our driver and his wages to be taken into consideration a further .S:500 can be added to the actual cost already incurred.
We have asked Renault/Dodge for reimbursement of our recovery costs, but they have taken a very entrenched view. They said originally that they would pay for only a replacement oil filter, hut after negotiation they said that they would pay for the cost of a service van from the nearest inain agent to the breakdown location, which I have said is still not acceptable, considering that any mechanic would have found difficulty in locating the fault with the amount of oil on the vehicle, and having listened to the engine he would have assumed also that the engine had failed and would have summoned a breakdown truck to recover the lorry.
I think as it is that Renault/Dodge have got away lightly, as if serious damage had occurred to the engine they would be facing a far larger bill, although they have indicated verbally that they would have gone sonic of the way to meeting it. How far one wonders?
This company is awaiting a response from Renault/Dodge Trucks. We phoned and spoke to Roger Chambers and a Paul Webster, senior parts executives with the company, and both promised me a quick response by phone, hut this has not happened. 1 wrote last week stating our claim and advising them that if a satisfactory outcome had not been concluded within seven days then I would be putting the matter into the hands of our company solicitor because I feel we have a justifiable claim under the Trade lkscriptions Act.
I have written at length to demonstrate how an ill-made £3. 50's worth oil filter has lost this company over :..1,000 and also to make your readers aware of the possible risk we run with the fitting of them. We run a small fleet of five Volvo and two Dodge vehicles and it alarms nie to think that several thousand pounds worth of machinery is put at risk on a daily basis through a component which I had always taken for granted.
N. J. E. Jolley 1)irector
N.J. E. P. A. Jolley Transport and Distribution Melton Constable
Norfolk • Jeff Rigby of Renault Truck Industries told CM: "Manufacturers' warranties do not cover consequential loss. In this case we have three main dealers within close distance of the M62 and the Renault Assistance breakdown and recovery programme. open to all owners of Dodge and Renault trucks, would have provided a much quicker and cheaper solution to the breakdown. Indeed through Assistance Plus (annual premium of £87 + VAT) the vehicle would have been fully covered for all roadside assistance and recovery.
"Given the above, we believe recovery from the M62 to Norwich to have been unnecessary and that our offer to reimburse an amount equal to roadside assistance by van, plus the cost of the filter, to be reasonable." — Editor.
JOHN DURANT'S excellent article entitled "Auctions bidding for more sales", (CM, September 21) listed the BCA branches where commercial vehicles are sold but omitted the latest and largest one at Blackbushe, Surrey, where record sales and attendances for both commercial vehicles and plant have been enjoyed since the auction facilities were established last Although the auction halls for cars at Blackbushe are riot yet completed, construction work is well on target (as this photograph shows) for the opening date in the spring of next year.
David Church,
General Manager
RCA Connnerials and Plant
WRONG COUNTY
I WOULD LIKE to bring to your attention that Aleester is not near Manchester. Rockwell's Alcester plant is situated near Redditch in Worcestershire, (CM, October 5).
Incidentally, this magazine is widely distributed in Eire.
Bob Hyde Ballygamboon Castiemaine Co Kerry