Exhaust Heat Shield Rattling

[malfunction]

Hi folks,

Just a quick one - my exhaust heat shield is loose again, after having it re-fitted at the end of November. I was cleaning the car out today and had the spare wheel out (as crap collects in the wheel well and I'm a bit OCD) and I saw how the garage had 're-fitted' the heat shield - they've simply stuck two self tapping screws into the bodywork and they haven't even ground the screws down so I have two sharp points within about 5mm of my spare wheel. I'm going to call them shortly but I wanted to know if 're-fitting' using screws is as much of a bodge as it seems, regardless of the fact that they have left sharp points within a short distance of my spare wheel which is bloody stupid. I was never called at the time to ask if I wanted it fixing properly or with a bodge, and they charged me half an hour's labour to stick a couple of screws in.

Thoughts?

(thanks in advance)

[GoNz0]

that is not a fix it is a bodge, can you see anti rust treatment around the screws ?

i would royally kick off and demand the money back as you now have to get the holes filled and treated along with replacing the bodged heat shield.

they should have fitted oversized washers where it had pulled through not tapped a few screws into the body.

basically they have voided any manufacturer bodywork warranty if you have one.

[malfunction]

Thanks. I can't see clearly under the car but there's no sign of any rust treatment from inside the wheel well - there's just 2 self tapping screws sticking in through the wheel well. I've phoned the garage who have apologised, are going to look at who did the work and have asked me to bring the car in so they can get it up on a ramp and sort it out properly, including any rust treatment, and I'm going to go through the how and why with them when I drop the car off. The car is 10 years old next month - just digging out the paperwork so I can see if the bodywork warranty still applies (I think it was only 7 years though).

[GoNz0]

well 10 years will be well outa warranty

either way it's your car and you don;t want any old cowboy drilling holes where they shouldn't be.

the standard fix is an oversized washer when the shield rips out due to age. the least they can do is remove the screws as they go into the wheel well, make good the metalwork with a bit of rust treatment then ensure under-seal is put on to seal the area.

[technodean]

Heat shields are a pain. took mine off years ago. There are 2 common faults with them. 1st they are made of aluminium and after a while the screw holes tend to get to the size of a 10p coin or just split from the vibration of the exhaust. So with that all you can do is use a big washer. 2nd is the nuts and bolts rust, they are usually only an 8 or 10mm and with a car of 10 years, just by putting a spanner on it usually snaps them. I guaranty that 95% of garages will just put a self tapper in as customers will not pay to have new bolts welded to the car.

[malfunction]

It just seems bloody daft to leave sharp points so near the spare wheel and to introduce an easier way for rust to get in the car. Wish they'd bloody asked before they did it, and while I know structural welding and repairs are expensive does it really cost that much to tack on a couple of bolts?