75ZT Community

What's with the travelling back time cost? how does that work, yes for fuel to return maybe but travelling back he's got to go back anyways where ever he comes from? this does not sound like Andy to me.

ARCTIC.
I lost my previous reply, doing again ....

It is Dan at Beech Hill Garage who is coordinating Andy. He's spoken to Andy who also thinks it's the O2 sensor. I can only guess that he is working thru the garage as self-employed. The HMRC-approved charge for using one's own vehicle is 55p a mile - for fuel and depreciation. It used to be 45p/mile. Andy wants his hourly rate of £100.40 to be his travelling time. On top of that, he can apply VAT.

It is 40 miles from my home to Reading. Years ago I used to commute by car to Bracknell in Berks, but as I was an employee no one paid for my travelling time!

Andy wants £100.40 + £19.36 Fuel (£119.76) + VAT = £146.71 ONE WAY. £293.42

I know of only one tradesperson who is gouging the price, and that's a CH boiler man, who knows all the brands and is expert in 'obsolete' boilers that are in good working order.

What do you think I should say in my reply to Dan?

Duncan wrote:

Lida wrote:If the eroded wire is not in the usual location - rear downpipe - where else could it be?

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It could be the front sensor, and as you have a later car could be the third sensor, after the catalyst underneath the car.

Duncan - What is the name of the front sensor, and where exactly is it situated?
Also what is the name of the 3rd sensor, after catalyst?

Hi Lida.
It's one those you need to get it sorted, so do you go with Andy, or find out for sure which sensor it is and buy one and get a local garage to fit it, trouble nowadays good trustworthy garages are few, so maybe best to stick with Andy, it's a shame you could not talk to him in person he may have a different take on it ?

Arctic wrote:Hi Lida.
It's one those you need to get it sorted, so do you go with Andy, or find out for sure which sensor it is and buy one and get a local garage to fit it, trouble nowadays good trustworthy garages are few, so maybe best to stick with Andy, it's a shame you could not talk to him in person he may have a different take on it ?

The trouble with going with Andy Squire is that if sharp practice is what he dips into, I can envisage a scenario in which he bumps up the bill even more. For example, fitting an OEM part, but charging me for an original. Every opportunity to soak a customer is taken by some people.

I do know someone who is a good mechanic, I've used him once and he will come to the house, but he has said that he is no good with WIRING. I presume there is wiring to be done with the oxygen sensor?

Your mechanic is who I would be inclined to go with if you think that getting under the car for a look is beyond you. Electrical expertise may not be required if it transpires that an O2 lead is visibly damaged and is shorting to blow a fuse. If any damage is slight and confined to the insulation a simple in-situ repair might well be possible. If replacement of the sensor is required the consensus in the MGR communities is to avoid the cheap and the universal type, they are known to be unreliable and to cause MOT failure on emissions - and that is if they last until the next MOT. I've yet to see any mention of a price for another sensor, it will most certainly be added on to any bill as all parts are and the price varies quite markedly depending on what is used. For instance, at Rimmers OEM MGR ~ £124+ is listed, DMGRS is listing one at ~ £49+. However looking on Ebay a moment ago I saw a listing for 3 used ones for ~ £19+ which are apparently serviceable and were removed when a bespoke exhaust was fitted.

A damaged sensor lead looks promising and should be easy to spot from under the car and should be eliminated or confirmed first. Your circumstances and the urgency of your requirement are known only to you but if the possible cause of the problem checks out to be OK then I would, armed with a couple of spare fuses and breakdown relay coverage for backup, drive the car further afield to a trusted enthusiast with a T4 (Testbook version 4.Computer Diagnostic System). In addition to the Nano crew you might also consider Terry at TS Autos in Stourbridge.

WillyHeckaslike wrote:Your mechanic is who I would be inclined to go with if you think that getting under the car for a look is beyond you. Electrical expertise may not be required if it transpires that an O2 lead is visibly damaged and is shorting to blow a fuse.

Are you saying that no rewiring is necessary if the lead is damaged?
Actually the Rimmer sensor at £124 is a genuine Rover, the OEM is £67.
I was looking at this yesterday. So this multipoint injection sensor is correct for me - MHK 100728?

Assuming that a short due to damaged insulation is the problem, and it may or may not be, then given that the car will start and run after the fuse is replaced it may well be possible to repair the insulation in situ. If it is decided after inspection that a replacement sensor would be best be sure to avoid any that does not come complete with a connector. Many of the cheap universal type do not and for them you will have to chop off the old connector and splice it on to the lead of the new sensor. That is another reason to avoid them in addition to those already mentioned.

WillyHeckaslike wrote:Assuming that a short due to damaged insulation is the problem, and it may or may not be, then given that the car will start and run after the fuse is replaced it may well be possible to repair the insulation in situ. If it is decided after inspection that a replacement sensor would be best be sure to avoid any that does not come complete with a connector. Many of the cheap universal type do not and for them you will have to chop off the old connector and splice it on to the lead of the new sensor. That is another reason to avoid them in addition to those already mentioned.

Thanks. Rimmer MHK 100728 looks like it has a connector. I will speak to them. Thank you again.

I don't advise paying top dollar for something that may or may not be needed. If your mechanic is trusted I would get him to look at the car for the potential cause of the problem that some have mentioned on this thread. If you don't feel confident to travel further afield then given your location London rates of charging may well be applied by whichever local option you choose. I have seen on another MGR forum recommendations for both garage and mobile services in the London area, they date back some years so current availability remains to be determined. I cannot recommend them personally having no experience of them but it could be an option to try if all else fails. I will hold off mentioning them for now as they may not be needed and can be considered as a last resort.

Re your mention of OEM and MGR parts, my understanding is that they should be the same item with one boxed as MGR for distribution via its own outlets. However since Rover's demise the area between the two has become blurred and some feel deliberately so to facilitate the selling of mutton dressed as lamb by some parts suppliers who should know better. I have seen doubt cast on the providence of the occasional part by some who have knowledge of an original supplier, knowledge gained in some cases by former MGR employees who frequent the forums. For me the best approach for quality would be to look for a good known brand such as items from Denso, Bosch and NGK etc.. Personal recommendations from trusted enthusiasts could also be considered. If you go to a garage you may not get to choose, many have their own deals with their preferred suppliers and they make a bit of money by buying at trade price and charging at retail to a customer. But try to stick to being methodical and getting the cause of the problem confirmed before spending on any part that may not be needed.