£800 for 5 bushes????

krisby

Custom user title
Nov 17, 2010
237
0
Sipson
Sorry to raise another thread, this car is turning out to be a headache.
Autopool in Iver have quoted me £800 to replace to rear arm bushes, 2 front suspension bushes and 1 steering rack bush. Seems a bit rich to me, at approx £20 a bush, then £700 in labour and VAT.

So I might try kwikfit or the like in the hope their hourly rate is substantially less.

Pissed off with Autopool anyway, the car is gutless so I asked for oil service, fuel filter and find out why so gutless, also asked for glo plugs, which I don't think they did.
I had a look around the engine on the weekend and found the air intake pipe (near the battery) was not connected to the intake from the front bumper. Also the EGR was filthy still, so I cleaned it, and have also run a 10k boost through the turbo (still gutless and limping after MAF replacement too).

Now my VAG405 (2.8) won't connect either, I know the radio can cause problems, but I do have an original, though it is faulty, could that cause problems? So anyway, I can't connect to clear codes as I was still getting MAF errors after replacing it.

So I'm pretty stumped at the moment and reluctant to keep spending money, as I simply don't trust any garages now either.
 
Feb 26, 2009
5,275
1
Wolverhampton
£800? Find another garage!

The rear arm bushes are a pig to replace, £100 labour is about the best I've found. Maybe another £100 for the other three, and yes if you're paying £20 a bush then you've got decent ones. That gets the figure to £300, not £800!!

Although I don't know which Toledo you have, I'm basing mine off the Mark 2 but I wouldn't expect the Mark 3 to be much different in terms of labour. I've certainly not known any Mark 2 Leon owners complaining about expensive bushes, and I think the floorpan is similar?
 

Dox1966

Active Member
Jul 13, 2007
243
1
The front wishbone bushes are easy enough to do if you can weald a spanner?

Rear axle bushes are a tight squeeze but not impossible - presuming its the same as a MK4 Golf the car is based on.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Front-Wishbone-Rear-Bushes-Upgrade-Set-Vw-Golf-Mk4-A3-/250781110815?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3a63b8121f

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GOLF-MK4-AUDI-A3-TT-REAR-AXLE-BUSH-MODIFIED-ALUMINIUMx2-/300533138556?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item45f92bc47c

Both of the above are uprated bushes without the voids that the standard cars have.
 

krisby

Custom user title
Nov 17, 2010
237
0
Sipson
£800? Find another garage!

The rear arm bushes are a pig to replace, £100 labour is about the best I've found. Maybe another £100 for the other three, and yes if you're paying £20 a bush then you've got decent ones. That gets the figure to £300, not £800!!

Although I don't know which Toledo you have, I'm basing mine off the Mark 2 but I wouldn't expect the Mark 3 to be much different in terms of labour. I've certainly not known any Mark 2 Leon owners complaining about expensive bushes, and I think the floorpan is similar?
That's what I thought, I knew the parts are cheap, but they reckon the whole of the front and rear suspension need to come out to replace all of the bushes, hence the £700 in labour. I told them it was way too steep, but I wonder if its more a case they can't be bothered so priced themselves out of it.
Shame for them, cos my boss was going to use them for servicing his VAG cars and our work vans, but not now.
 

Dox1966

Active Member
Jul 13, 2007
243
1
The front are easy enough, 13,17,18,19mm spanners, a hammer, a wire brush to clean the bolt threads off and a hacksaw to cut the old bushes out.

Trolley jack, axle stands and penetrating oil for the bolts, a vice would help once the wishbone is off.
An hour per side if you've never done it before

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GOLF-MK4-AUDI-A3-LOEN-BORA-REAR-AXLE-BUSH-REMOVAL-TOOL-/220467020714?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3354dbc3aa

More difficult but doable on the car with the same tools and the above press.

Can you find a local mobile mechanic?
 

krisby

Custom user title
Nov 17, 2010
237
0
Sipson
I've got all the tools, except for a vice, but I'm not sure I would trust myself anyway, I would hear one little knock and question whether I'd put it back on properly.
I'll try and find a cheaper garage or mobile mechanic to give it a go methinks.
 

Dox1966

Active Member
Jul 13, 2007
243
1
I've got all the tools, except for a vice, but I'm not sure I would trust myself anyway, I would hear one little knock and question whether I'd put it back on properly.
I'll try and find a cheaper garage or mobile mechanic to give it a go methinks.

G clamp the wishbone to a bench then.

Do you trust yourself to change a wheel?
 

MJ

Public transport abuser
Apr 22, 2008
5,508
13
Manchester
m.facebook.com
We fitted a full poly-bush kit to an ibiza including an anti roll bar (£75) not long since and that only eneded up being around £650 all in so where £800 comes from for standard is a joke!

the ibiza is not that far different from the toledo/leon chassis.
 

krisby

Custom user title
Nov 17, 2010
237
0
Sipson
How far are you from heathrow? I know a mobile VW specialist near there

I'm in Harmondsworth Village, right at the end western end of the northern runway, so perhaps your guy could be worth a shot, what's his detail?
 

krisby

Custom user title
Nov 17, 2010
237
0
Sipson
We fitted a full poly-bush kit to an ibiza including an anti roll bar (£75) not long since and that only eneded up being around £650 all in so where £800 comes from for standard is a joke!

the ibiza is not that far different from the toledo/leon chassis.

Yeah, I reckon he just doesn't want the work so priced himself out of it.
 

Seatmann

Rough around the edges
Sep 16, 2010
5,568
9
Scotlanda
What age of Toledo is it and what engine is it, 1.9tdi, non pd or pd?

£800 uck that! The front wishbones are a piece of piss but the rears like people say are a bit tougher but it's just physical and a little bit of common sense.:)
 

Dox1966

Active Member
Jul 13, 2007
243
1
I'm in Harmondsworth Village, right at the end western end of the northern runway, so perhaps your guy could be worth a shot, what's his detail?

I've no idea where that is, I'm from near Crewe, the guy I mention is a long standing member of another forum I go on, he's a self employed mobile tech.

I'll get his number for you, I know he has the press to do the rear bushes as he advised me when I did my own.

This is my home made press that did the job, the last 15mm or so took a little improvisation with packing pieces to get the bushes fully home.

]
IMGP0455.jpg
 

krisby

Custom user title
Nov 17, 2010
237
0
Sipson
What age of Toledo is it and what engine is it, 1.9tdi, non pd or pd?

£800 uck that! The front wishbones are a piece of piss but the rears like people say are a bit tougher but it's just physical and a little bit of common sense.:)

Its a 2000 Tdi, I thought it was a PD, but I would have to check to make sure.