Monte rear wheels seized on drum.

[DIZZY3]

Noticed the other day my rear drum brakes were going rusty so decided to paint them, but couldn't get the wheels off, seized on solid , used mallet and wood still no joy, thought to myself this is dangerous using only a side jack if I have puncture , so called in to my local Skoda agent Robert Eardley Stoke , explained situation stating it was potentially dangerous and could they just loosen the rear wheels for me, not a warranty issue said they , no I said , you dont expect this from a car just over 12 months old ,, they just said call out Skoda Assist, , what about customer loyalty and goodwill said I , no they said you will have to pay. robbing ########, this garage used to be brilliant , but just found out it has been sold , how a garage can go down in just a few months. last time I go there.

[Gizmo]

It's a common thing on ALL cars fitted with alloy wheels.

Remove the wheel (there are several ways of doing this, one is by undoing each bolt 1 turn then driving the car a couple of feet slowly then braking firmly, this will release the corrosion) then clean the hub and centre of the wheel and apply a thin smear of copper slip on the centre bore as shown below:

They will then come off easily in future.

[Ootohere]

Why i made this post last weekend.

Does not matter really if it is Discs or Drums.

But the hub fit to the alloys with the Disc is really really difficult to get moving when corrosion sets in.

Anyone leaving them till they have been on 3 years might be facing something that will become a major problem/expense..

http://www.briskoda....en-get-them-off

george

[Gizmo]

Perfect photos George to highlight where they corrode and where the copperslip needs to go (as in my photo) you DO NOT need to coat the whole mounting face of the wheel as some people think!

[DIZZY3]

Sorry George did not see your post, great tip Gizmo68 , thanks just tried it , with a bit of persuasion got the wheels off. It was me just having a rant at that garage that as gone from brilliant to c### maybe I am a bit naive thinking they provided customer care. .As I am getting older the less a want to mess with cars.

Edited 7 September, 2012 by DIZZY3

[philhoward]

Remind me not to get my servicing done there then...

[seboni121]

Shouldn't happen this, when the car is build they don't put copper grease on "WHY" skoda know there's a problem with these rear drum set up, all they need to do it do it at build or take a few minutes when doing PDI check, that's why when my fabia went in for first service they charged me and extra £100 for doing the same, robbing baskets :(

[Gizmo]

TBH I don't know of any manufacturer that does do this.

[Ootohere]

Service Managers that are now Replacing vRS dark Chrome wheels need to get them off in the Workshop,

If they are doing work on 2 year old vRS, they now know there is a problem.

Or at least can be a problem on some cars.

Area you live, road salt, previous car history might be different from car to car.

Skoda Assist are Calling out the RAC that are having to get them off.

*It has always been know in the Motor Trade that Wheels and Corrosion can be a problem & what needs doing*

So Basically,

unless Service Managers & Technicians report to Skoda/VAG that some vehicles

& showing a greater problem than previously on other vehicles,

no action will be taken.

(10 minutes extra at the 10,000 mile or 20,000 mile Inspection Service to loosen wheels and check or remove wheels and apply grease.

NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN, THATS UNTILL SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS AND IT IS SHOWN THEY KNEW ON 2 YEAR OLD CARS THAT IT WAS A BECOMING A PROBLEM

Wheels might not be getting taken off for the first time, untill its 3 Years old, getting a Service, Brake Fluid change or Brake Pads changed.

A bit late by then IMO.

Many cars need looked at before another winter passes i think..

I Highly recommend that any 2010 vRS owner that does not know if the wheels, especially the rear wheels have been off,

they do it before this winter.

& get a little 'Copper Slip' or other grease behind the wheel centres.

(The wheels might have been off & tyres changed previously, does not mean they got a Little grease applied back then.)

george

[Norry]

The first job I did on my 2 new Skodas was to remove all the wheels and grease the hub faces (I do grease all the mating surfaces as they will all corrode if left dry). This has been a known problem on alloy wheels for many years. My first experience was on old Jaguars. The trick of loosening the nuts or studs slightly and driving a few feet works very well.

[DIZZY3]

Told the Dealer o.k. I will wait until the next service you can do it then, still charge you he said " we don't take wheels off until it is at least 4 years old. Worrying is that.All this for just a couple of minutes work on their ramps, got the feeling they would stretch the job out and try to make a killing.

[fordfan]

Stuck wheels aren't really down to the dealer, it's how the car is made with no grease put on at the factory, the same for the brake pad slides. The servicing schedule doesn't help as to keep the on paper costs down the manufacturer doesn't specify that the wheels need to be removed.

Removing stuck on wheels isn't much easier when on a ramp, it still takes time, so you're maybe looking at 10 minutes per wheel to remove, clean and grease the mating faces and refit, so at 0.66 of an hour for all four the labour charge will still be significant.

[Ootohere]

If done at the 1st year (10.000 mile) service which they charge £85 - £110 for,

it will be 20 minutes max to Remove all 4 wheels & Grease.

So £20 plus vat more to the Customer maybe,

which is lots better than waiting till the 2 year (20,000 mile) service and it being 10 minutes per wheel,

or them taking a Full Hours charge & the Wheels already showing damage.

If it is not done untill 3 or 4 years then we are talking Possible damage and Removal of the Hubs to get the wheels off,

heat will not be getting used on them by the 4 year stage. Too Far Gone by then i think.

The Offer could be made at the 1st (12 month service)

Or the customer can just ask an Independent to do it, or DIY.

Will be interesting to see if Skoda do change the service schedule, or just give advice to customers,

once the 3 years get reached & customers put cars in for Warranty work before the Warranty runs out & a MOT is due.

It will become an issue almost certainly.

36 years since i started to serve my time & about 20 years removing stuck alloys,

never needed to use the force on old scrappers like i needed to on an 7,000 mile 2 year old car.

(the picture is in the earlier post of how bad the back of the alloy was, & they are very tight fits on the centre tapered bore, & need to stay being tight fits on the bore.)

george

[seboni121]

Hi George I was royaly shafted by my dealer went in for 1st service, that will be £230 sir ? For first service, oh yes sir we take the wheels of all vehicles at every service and grease em up, however I phoned several dealers and they said no, 20 k service for that so this clown charges everyone nearly £130 for the job, £42 or there abouts each wheel, one month later I sold both fabias( stupid I know) as one of them was a fully kitted elegance with all the toys I could fit on it, lost loads of dosh and bought a golf, with discs all round

[Ootohere]

The Wheels do not come off @ the 2 year, 20,000 mile service on a VRS.

(so a 20,000/2 year service @ £150, or £177 or what ever they quote, maybe those getting quoted over £230 are getting wheels off, or is that just them and their Oil Flush getting charged for!)

If you do not pay to have the Fluid changed at the 3 year service i doubt they will be coming off then.

I will not be surprised if some of them 'Change the Fluid' & bleed & do it without the wheels coming off.

(does that sound too far fetched, we will see!)

george

[Moist Von Lipwig]

I Highly recommend that any 2010 vRS owner that does not know if the wheels, especially the rear wheels have been off,

they do it before this winter.

& get a little 'Copper Slip' or other grease behind the wheel centres.

(The wheels might have been off & tyres changed previously, does not mean they got a Little grease applied back then.)

george

Not just an issue for 2 year old cars. Mine is not even a year old, the alloys didn't see winter as I had winter wheels and tyres on, yet last month when I had a puncture the wheel would not come off and I needed Skoda Assist to persuade it with a big nylon mallet! Other three came off no problem when I went round them all that evening with copper slip! But they did need a wire brush!

[DIZZY3]

fordfan. I don't buy the excuse that its how the car is made, dealers could use this excuse for anything. There is a potential, could even be dangerous,problem and this should be addressed.

[Jabozuma]

Hi guys. Very interesting thread here.

Galvanic corrosion will always be a problem, no matter discs or drums if alloy wheels are used. Some wheels have "ribbed" surface (my Lupo and 5-series) which reduces contact surface and makes it easier to remove. The only bomb proof solution is to use copper grease-I use one in spray can, quicker and no mess.

As far as dealers telling you to pay for anything you did not specifically tell them to do and confirm that their charge is fine with you... I tell ten to shove it and drive off ad never use again with a storm of letters to the manufacturer asking them to revoke their franchise license. If you think about it they could change anything they want on your car without getting your approval for the works and charge you a fortune. On the other hand if you agreed to this brig done then...

After a friend of mine told me about a trick With servicing at dealers (independent garages have a reputation to maintain so they less likely to do it) I was also rather trusty... Simply mark your parts with UV paint before you take your car for a big service requiring parts to be changed, like filters, pads, disc etc. the only problem is with engine oil ( brake fluid can be very quickly tested ) . Reason for that is they tell you they changed it all but actually didn't even look there. If you ask for the old parts they have bins of the crap to choose from . When I was buying my vRS I told them not **** with me first thing to save everybody aggro lol. Bloke was pretending to be really upset by the insinuations at first but then decided better about play acting and we made a deal.

Sorry for the rant, hope it helps a bit.

P.S. I always change the oil myself

[Moist Von Lipwig]

fordfan. I don't buy the excuse that its how the car is made, dealers could use this excuse for anything. There is a potential, could even be dangerous,problem and this should be addressed.

I agree, if it is difficult to get the wheel off and you are stuck in a hazardous situation (side of road or motorway hardshoulder) the last thing you want is to extend the time you are at risk.

If Skoda Assist will respond to it then why can the dealer not rectify it for no charge?

[Jabozuma]

If you do not pay to have the Fluid changed at the 3 year service i doubt they will be coming off then.

I will not be surprised if some of them 'Change the Fluid' & bleed & do it without the wheels coming off.

(does that sound too far fetched, we will see!)

george

Erm, I thought it was legal requirement to change brake fluid every two years...

[Jabozuma]

If Skoda Assist will respond to it then why can the dealer not rectify it for no charge?

The oldest reason of them all. Skids Assist is financed by Skoda, dealer is a franchise and margins are getting lower as costs go up in various ways...

[Ootohere]

It is not a legal requirement to change brake fluid ever.

You brakes need to work and from decades ago it was advised to change it every 2 years.

The Recommended Interval now on a vRS & others is at 3 years & then every 2 years.

You can just test the fluid for H20 content or change,

Or like the vast majority of cars on the road, a brake pipe gets or needs changed, the first time then the nipples have ever been opened.

There are 50 year old cars on the road that will have had Brake Fluid topped up & never changed.

'Skoda Assist' response is the 'RAC' coming out to you.

george

[Jabozuma]

Ok, I am not 100% on this one but I seem to have it in my head that in case of an accident deemed to be your fault and opposite side's legal team can prove that your brake fluid was changed more than 2 years ago then you are screwed... But then again, if you were following manufacturer's recommendations then...

[Ootohere]

Same with any accident really.

But your required to drive a safe vehicle.

The car should always be safe, but we buy new or used and trust the manufacturer or dealer often.

For 3 years you get a service and then a MOT.

That might the first time a Test on the Brakes is done to see if the meet, 'The Minimum Standard'.

You Old style green MOT certificate said on the Reverse side untill last year,

(paraphrase) 'Your vehicle met the 'Minimum Legal standard' & you need to keep it at least to that standard'.

THat is till the next Brake test in the MOT the next year.

Unless you are a Taxi. maybe tested 6 monthly.

Not very safe really if you put your trust in a Garage & the Brakes never get checked.

Worth Going to DIY car classes at the very least & checking yourself even if not doing the work yourself.

*Thats the same story that would come out in any court, Accused or Defence.

After all very few QC's Prosecutors or Judges Service their own cars i would imagine.*

george

[Jabozuma]

Ha ha ha, I bet they wouldn't even know where wheels nuts are