Mot Failed List - Shock/strut Front Dust Boot Or No Boot

[grandad corilla]

:( MOT failed on:

offside rear coil spring fractured

offside front shock serious fluid leak

emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive

carbon monoxide after 2nd fast idle excessive

lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits

E11 1997 1.3 auto 3 door hatch Jap version, now the rear shocks and springs were replaced 2 months ago so I was suspicious that there was a fractured spring as the car only covers 3000 miles a year, when I explained that the chap said he would need to re-check (I thought an mot was a proper check)

the front shock O/S shock I arranged for a replacement to be delivered to the garage a BOGE strut at £48, they called back and advised sorry the spring is damaged too.

So I order a spring at £50 (expensive). Now last year there was an issue with emissions and they charged £20 after saying they dropped some additives in and that cleared everything up, this time when I picked up the car they handed me the pass certificate and the fail sheet, but only charged me £35 for mot and £40 labour and nothing more.

They seemed to have either overlooked the emissions and rear fractured spring or realised that this corolla customer can string a few words together to say "what the fook's happened here" and not be intimidated by big greasy hands and coubik coughing (although Lucas red n tacky 2 is my best bud).

Having got the car home I checked the front shock and realised that there was no dust cover over the shock/strut, I guess everyones to blame the car parts shop for not advising me if I needed a dust boot kit, the garage for not informing me that there wasn't one and the old one couldn't be re-used wouldn't have taken more than 15 mins to get one from the parts shop and drop of and me for not realising I forgot the dust boot kit as I got it for the rears.

Now I don't know if I should have done this but I decided to spray Boeshield T9 on the strut to protect it for now, is there any way I can fit if nothing more a dust boot to protect the strut without taking it all apart or would you say I have nothing to worry about and just to clean the strut every so often when crap builds up on it, and should I worry if I cant get the same shock and spring for the passenger side front if that goes bust.

Thanks for listening...

[Mooly]

Many years ago and I had a problem with rear covers disintegrating (Audi A4). I fitted some old Vauxhall Cavalier steering rack gaiters over the struts by simply slitting them end to end with a knife, wrapping it around the strut and securing at the top with a cable tie. 5 minutes works, looked every inch as though they could have been original fitment and were so tough they would have outlasted the car. Maybe you could do similar to the fronts.

[oldcodger]

You could try something like Mooly has just said as the rubber cover is also part of the top mount assembly and its not possible to replace without stripping the whole spring out.

(Do wonder that without that rubber if it will cause any metal to metal knocking over rought ground ?)

Would be very cautious about spraying anything onto the damper piston/rod as it might affect the internal seals of the damper.

Sounds like you should find a better garage, the rubber cover , as far as I know is not part of the replacement damper or even the spring, and it should have been transfered over from the old assembly, in my book,thats the garages error - and as I know from personal experience - some garages do make mega ***** ups.

One thing that always makes me wonder when reading posts like yours, is that why did you have to order the part for the garage to fit ??

Garages have loads of motor factors / suppliers they can buy from, plus thats where they make some of their profit - I just wonder if they let folk supply their own parts, they do so begrudgingly and so do not make a decent job of fitting them ??

Would also suggest you take you car to your local councils mot centre, (where all the local taxis etc have to be tested)

They have to give you a proper unbiased test, they cannot do any work on your car or recommend any garage.

Used them for many years and though you have to pay the full price of a test, ( about £54) have found its saved me loads of money and time by not being ripped off by such garages like you have unfortunately used.

[grandad corilla]

The garage advised they couldn't get the part from their supplier it would take 48 hrs, and I offered to get it and did so the same day they were quoting £55+vat for shock and £62+vat for spring, the spring bumper may have been transferred as I took it off a few kerbs to check and rough roads and no thuds or clunks, it's only a matter of time now before the left side goes, I remember I owned a 2001 mondeo and started the car turned the steering to the right to drop off kerb and all I heard was hisssssss, coil ripped straight into almost new tyre then couple of weeks later the same happened to left side. Should I get a steering rack gaiter or the dust boot for the strut and split down middle and attach or would I definitely need to secure it to the top and bottom with steel tie grips.

Thanks for replying..

[grandad corilla]

Should I use a longer dust boot or get the one for the shock, as you say you used a steering rack gaiter would I get away with using the corolla steering gaiter, could not believe how much more expensive the front spring and shock was compared to what I paid for the rears £112 for both rear shock/springs and dust boot kits including rubber bump stop thingy. Another thing is I don't even know if the cambelt was changed at the recommended interval by last owner I bough it in 2011 with 72k and it now sits at 93k.

Thanks for replying..

[Mooly]

You would have to measure the diameter and length needed for the gaiters and then see what was available. Its just an idea that might be suitable for you remember, although for me it worked an absolute treat taking just a few minutes to fit secure.

I'm assuming the gaiter is secured only at the top and that the strut slides freely up and down in the internal space.

[oldcodger]

If you can get a proper dust boot why not go down to one of the drive in tyre type of places who generally also do dampers, and ask how much they would charge for putting one on properly.

(expect your local toyota dealer will sell the dust cover as a separate part )

Also like tyres and brakes it always best to replace dampers and springs in axle pairs otherwise things are going to be unbalanced, perhaps not a problem when driving normally, but in an emergency things might not work as you hoped.

Timing belts, typically changed at 60k miles or 4-6 years, whichever comes first.

A broken belt would be costly is terms of down time and recovery charges if failing while out, though I think your engine is the Non Interference type, meaning that if the belt breaks you should not bend the valves or break the pistons etc like you can on some cars.

Belt replacement is a long and expensive job at a garage but more so if it breaks