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Thread: Bad batches of car parts rant.

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    DILLIGAF GoNz0's Avatar
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    Bad batches of car parts rant.

    Don't know how many of you buy as close to original quality if possible.
    In my case I needed to replace the gearbox heat exchanger on my BMW 535d as the thermostat was failed open causing the engine to overcool. In turn this stops DPF regenerations, overfueling as part of the warm up cycle resulting in crap MPG on top of the other issues.

    I had already put BMW main and EGR thermostats in and had to resign myself to do this fiddly skin removing job laying on my drive.

    I ended up buying a Hella made by Behr one from Euro's as you could see on the pictures this was what looked to be a BMW part with the label removed and a bit of dremel work to remove any BMW traces, £130 instead of £210 so I went for it. Everything seemed fine but 5 weeks later the temps dropped. I clamped off the pipe and went for a drive, temps back up again!

    I was told due to the time fitted it had to go back to Hella for testing before they could refund me, so I bought another.

    This lasted 48 hours and the same problem.
    this time I phone Hella hella and get through to the product manager for the UK who was quite good to be fair, asked me the obvious questions, how are my other thermostats, have I changed the coolant, what are my temps like etc. He couldn't help so he asked Hella in Germany who asked for the batch number and production date then it all fell quiet.

    I decided to arrange an exchange as it was under a week and they agreed, picked up and fitted the new one, drove the car to euro's and the temps were back, return leg, temps were fine.
    Decided to go out that night for a drive (play) with the gearbox and engine oil temps up on the laptop, hidden menu on the dash to show coolant.

    Everything was going fine, a perfect 87-89 degrees. I give it a bit of stick in 3rd from 30-60 amusing myself at the electrically limited 560nm of torque displayed on the laptop from 1500rpm and call it a day, do a driving miss daisy back in the 50mph zone for 3 miles and happen to look down and the temps 84, then 80, then 79. At this point I feel like driving it into a bridge but instead head back to the bypass and snot it up the slip road, temps climb to 87 then as soon as I hit cruise at 75 then drop off again.

    3 heat exchanges with production dates spanning 6 months!

    Next day when the engines stone cold (0c outside) I clamp off both coolant lines, unplug the one thermostat side and slowly release the clamp on the connected side and sure enough coolant runs out of what should be a closed thermostat (new ones are closed, so are working ones when the gearbox is cold!)

    So here I am again, waiting on BMW to get back to me with a better price so I can go the BMW route in the hope they have a better thermostat inside but who knows, Hella say it is the same one, I say they have a huge problem that no one has spotted up until now as the cars they fit do not have a temp gauge so the average BMW driver will not have a clue, neither will BMW as they do not look for this issue, just the forums I frequent trying to get fuel economy back due to bad thermostats.

    Hella have gone quiet on me, I think they know I am right and the current line of thermostats are unable to retract against the failsafe spring.

    Yesterday I went to my indy do get the gearbox topped up as I managed in my infinite wisdom to use a TX50 instead of a 8mm bit to try and undo the fill plug, it was a dodgy angle and it looked like a frigging TX50, it fitted so well but then stripped the plug, luckily he is a great mechanic and with my help as he was on his own dropped the exhaust to get access and managed to tap a 8mm in and crack it free, not before giving me the same look my wife gives me when I fiddle with something that was working fine and no longer does!

    So I now face another £50 bill from him to top off again when this one fits

    Grrrrrrrrr

    /rant over.

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  3. #2
    HEXUS.timelord. Zak33's Avatar
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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    rant Approval /ON

    rant fully justified and delivered with dignity

    I utterly fee your pain. Long agi while building the Astra rally car (HEXUS logos and all) I swapped out the cam for a better one.
    it melted in a matter of miles. Well..it didn't melt but it lost it's lobes entirely.

    That occured TWICE to two cams from the same, well know brand. It was as though they hadn't been made of the correct steel and not harded.

    Similar issue with a set of brake pads on a used car I part exchanged, and had thge proper work shop inspection on, and retailed. It was back in weeks for a grinding brake noise... all 4 recently changed pads in the front were at utterly different thicknesses. I called the previous owner, a sensible chap who just said he had them done a few weeks before choosing to part ex it and he still had the receipt. Tracked down thew workshop that did it and they'd literealyl been snowed under with compaints on that batch of pads they'd got. Every pad, in every box, wore out at a diff speed.

    Etc etc

    So.. this Hella issue.. it might be they have a grea trad and a crap batch of thermo's I guess.

    The weakest link of a chain is the part that lets you down isn't it?

    Maybe BMW have the same issue? Any sign of it online?

    Quote Originally Posted by Advice Trinity by Knoxville
    "The second you aren't paying attention to the tool you're using, it will take your fingers from you. It does not know sympathy." |
    "If you don't gaffer it, it will gaffer you" | "Belt and braces"

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    DILLIGAF GoNz0's Avatar
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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    Quote Originally Posted by Zak33 View Post
    rant Approval /ON



    So.. this Hella issue.. it might be they have a grea trad and a crap batch of thermo's I guess.

    The weakest link of a chain is the part that lets you down isn't it?

    Maybe BMW have the same issue? Any sign of it online?
    No sign at all, you can find a few unrelated posts from the BMW forums where people have done the usual main and EGR thermostats then found they still have low temps via the hidden menu that shows coolant temp. I haven't seen a single post about fitting one that failed so soon.

    Hella have not got back to me so I will be chasing the product manager up as he is taking the pee.

    Anyway, Friday I went to BMW to pickup a genuine one, as predicted it is the same part but has all of the sticker and no dremel work to deface the BMW logo and part number.

    Lets hope this lasts the course, it has a 2 year warranty instead of one so I can almost suck up the £130 vs £197, even more so if what the parts guy said is true, he said if this part packs up they will replace it by taking in the car and doing all the work. Lets hope this is true!

    I still think it is a big problem but as they cars leave the workshop fixed the owners that are not in the know will be oblivious!

    Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack
    off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse.

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    The late but legendary peterb - Onward and Upward peterb's Avatar
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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    Aren't Hella OEM for some of the car makers, just branded with the mfr name?

    I remember reading that a few years ago BMW batteries were manufactured in China and, surprise surprise, knock off copies started appearing at reduced cost and significantly poorer performance.
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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    Quote Originally Posted by peterb View Post
    Aren't Hella OEM for some of the car makers, just branded with the mfr name?

    I remember reading that a few years ago BMW batteries were manufactured in China and, surprise surprise, knock off copies started appearing at reduced cost and significantly poorer performance.
    Behr make this part for BMW, Hella list it as made by Behr. It's the identical part with the half of the sticker with BMW on it cut off and they ground off the bits on the plastic case work logo and party number. Hella's product manager also backed this up on the phone. This is why I bought it as it's the same part but £70 less. ECP are out of stock so I had little option but the main dealer.

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    Senior Member MaddAussie's Avatar
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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    I'm makes me wonder if Hella are getting the one from Behr that fail quality control?


    Isn't salad what food eats??

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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    Quote Originally Posted by MaddAussie View Post
    I'm makes me wonder if Hella are getting the one from Behr that fail quality control?
    You're not the 1st to suggest something along those lines!

    Seems the issue is the stat is unable to retract against the failsafe spring once it opens.

    I have a decent trip planned in 3 weeks, 130 miles each way so this should test it as the gearbox will get up to temp.

    Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack
    off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse.

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    HEXUS.timelord. Zak33's Avatar
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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    if I may suggest something that won't help but it plausible.

    When making a genuinely crap quality fake item, it's quite normal to add then remove the logo to make it look like it's a Real one covered up.

    The web is full of the equivalent of that via phishing email and in a few cases they won't take all they could from you.....

    good quality scams are clever.

    I once saw car rear tv screen in headreasts --- with a logo that was not a real Sony logo.. it was ynoS and was then ground down pre selling

    Quote Originally Posted by Advice Trinity by Knoxville
    "The second you aren't paying attention to the tool you're using, it will take your fingers from you. It does not know sympathy." |
    "If you don't gaffer it, it will gaffer you" | "Belt and braces"

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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    /drum roll

    a first is imminent

    I am about to post something... from Arsebook

    https://www.facebook.com/ebaycounterfeitretailers/

    Quote Originally Posted by Advice Trinity by Knoxville
    "The second you aren't paying attention to the tool you're using, it will take your fingers from you. It does not know sympathy." |
    "If you don't gaffer it, it will gaffer you" | "Belt and braces"

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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    Happens a lot with Beemer parts and one of many reasons I won't ever buy a BMW.
    That and things not being made for those with 'mars bar fingers', or anyone who generally likes keeping their skin on, apparently.

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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ttaskmaster View Post
    Happens a lot with Beemer parts and one of many reasons I won't ever buy a BMW.
    thats no reason to not buy a certain brand of car though.

    Quote Originally Posted by Advice Trinity by Knoxville
    "The second you aren't paying attention to the tool you're using, it will take your fingers from you. It does not know sympathy." |
    "If you don't gaffer it, it will gaffer you" | "Belt and braces"

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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    Quote Originally Posted by Zak33 View Post
    thats no reason to not buy a certain brand of car though.
    I work with professional mechanics.
    Frequency of failure, cost of repairs and general reliability are three of THE biggest drivers behind every vehicular choice I have ever made... and so far every choice has been stunningly reliable.

    Guess what brand of car always has at least one model in their workshop at any given time?

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    HEXUS.timelord. Zak33's Avatar
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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ttaskmaster View Post
    I work with professional mechanics.
    Frequency of failure, cost of repairs and general reliability are three of THE biggest drivers behind every vehicular choice I have ever made... and so far every choice has been stunningly reliable.

    Guess what brand of car always has at least one model in their workshop at any given time?
    anything European tbh

    Quote Originally Posted by Advice Trinity by Knoxville
    "The second you aren't paying attention to the tool you're using, it will take your fingers from you. It does not know sympathy." |
    "If you don't gaffer it, it will gaffer you" | "Belt and braces"

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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    Quote Originally Posted by Zak33 View Post
    anything European tbh
    Surprisingly, no.
    Škoda have proven to be pretty decent, as have some Audi models. SEAT the same.

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    DILLIGAF GoNz0's Avatar
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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    Quote Originally Posted by Zak33 View Post
    if I may suggest something that won't help but it plausible.

    When making a genuinely crap quality fake item, it's quite normal to add then remove the logo to make it look like it's a Real one covered up.

    The web is full of the equivalent of that via phishing email and in a few cases they won't take all they could from you.....

    good quality scams are clever.

    I once saw car rear tv screen in headreasts --- with a logo that was not a real Sony logo.. it was ynoS and was then ground down pre selling
    If I had bought it off some dodgy ebay seller or little one man car parts shop I could believe it but this is Carparts4Less, aka Euro car parts & Mr Hella UK was the one who told me what they do to the genuine parts before selling to the trade, I did side by side the new and old (forgot to take a pic of the BMW branded one) and they were identical minus the Hella Service sticker and a full sticker on the right.


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    DILLIGAF GoNz0's Avatar
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    Re: Bad batches of car parts rant.

    Last night on the arsebook group I'm in a guy posted up the exact same story I had told but he has had 2 fail so far, one in 20 minutes flat. I have passed on the guy at Hella's number after we had a good chat.

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