Front Banana arm bushings worn?

[Pappa583]

Just been for a service 2016 3ltr tdi and the mechanic has highlighted both front banana arm bushings have started to part and should be replaced soon?

Anyone done this job, I've searched online for banana bushings and nothing comes up. Presume it's called something else but can't identify which part it would be? Just to give me an idea of cost if i tackle it. Been quoted just shy of £800 for genuine parts fitted?

 

[Steve Q]

Banana bushings isn't a term I've heard of either 🤔 where on the car are they? 

[Pappa583]

10 hours ago, Steve Q said:

Banana bushings isn't a term I've heard of either 🤔 where on the car are they? 

Says on the report both front banana bushings, I'm presuming it's just a pair of arms on the suspension struts but google doesn't return anything when looking for banana bushings

This looks a bit like a banana 🤔, gonna give them a call tomorrow as £260 for both parts is way off their quoted £800 for the work? Unless genuine audi part is £300+ each for parts.

This is the most expensive on autodoc site

[Magnet]

Hello Paul,

Your ‘Autodoc’ part would seem to explain the term to me, but two things I would do before proceeding to get these changed:- 

Get another garage ( MOT station would  be great), to check these out for the current severity of the issue. Appreciating these are heavy vehicles, but 2016 does seem a bit premature for this issue, unless it has covered a higher than average mileage and/or has been frequently used over rough ground.

Autodoc? Lemforder are good - Autodoc prices?? 
Have you tried Car Parts in Motion? I’ve used these quite a few times (no connection) and found their pricing to be very competitive. I’ve used Febi Bilstein parts to good effect, so these could be an alternative.

Main dealer at discount? You could try Audi Parts Direct at Cardiff. 
Hope some of this might help.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

 

[Pappa583]

54 minutes ago, Magnet said:

Hello Paul,

Your ‘Autodoc’ part would seem to explain the term to me, but two things I would do before proceeding to get these changed:- 

Get another garage ( MOT station would  be great), to check these out for the current severity of the issue. Appreciating these are heavy vehicles, but 2016 does seem a bit premature for this issue, unless it has covered a higher than average mileage and/or has been frequently used over rough ground.

Autodoc? Lemforder are good - Autodoc prices?? 
Have you tried Car Parts in Motion? I’ve used these quite a few times (no connection) and found their pricing to be very competitive. I’ve used Febi Bilstein parts to good effect, so these could be an alternative.

Main dealer at discount? You could try Audi Parts Direct at Cardiff. 
Hope some of this might help.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

 

Cheers Gareth, will definatly get a 2nd opinion. I was quite shocked when they told me both needed changing. Car only has 35k miles so is certainly no high mileage, seller told me he had never had it offroad but suppose I can only take him at his word for that... 🤔

Wouldn't care, I changed the front discs and pads as they were in a poor state presumably due to lack of use? While inside the wheel arch I thought everything looked like new, no signs of any rough use underneath and the side running boards etc have no marks on the underside.

 

[Pappa583]

1 hour ago, Pappa583 said:

Cheers Gareth, will definatly get a 2nd opinion. I was quite shocked when they told me both needed changing. Car only has 35k miles so is certainly no high mileage, seller told me he had never had it offroad but suppose I can only take him at his word for that... 🤔

Wouldn't care, I changed the front discs and pads as they were in a poor state presumably due to lack of use? While inside the wheel arch I thought everything looked like new, no signs of any rough use underneath and the side running boards etc have no marks on the underside.

 

I've had a look and I can't see anything obvious but that's just me, there are a few parts look like a banana 🤭.... wouldve thought it would have a proper name, find out tomorrow....  wondering if its this as its the only thing I can see which is big enough to warrent the cost?

[Stevey Y]

7 hours ago, Pappa583 said:

I've had a look and I can't see anything obvious but that's just me, there are a few parts look like a banana 🤭.... wouldve thought it would have a proper name, find out tomorrow....  wondering if its this as its the only thing I can see which is big enough to warrent the cost?

Hi I think the guy is trying to invent some very profitable work and as suggested I would definitely be seeking a second opinion as its the inner bush that normally goes and from the last picture yours looks MINT, it also looks like someone has sprayed release agent on to the ball joint rubbers so they appear to be leaking, also there are a myriad of poly bush kits available a lot cheaper to cure the problem you don't actually have.

Steve.

[Stevey Y]

Just now, Stevey Y said:

Hi I think the guy is trying to invent some very profitable work and as suggested I would definitely be seeking a second opinion as its the inner bush that normally goes and from the last picture yours looks MINT, it also looks like someone has sprayed release agent on to the ball joint rubbers so they appear to be leaking, also there are a myriad of poly bush kits available a lot cheaper to cure the problem you don't actually have.

Steve.

BTW they are called a lower control arm.

[Pappa583]

13 hours ago, Stevey Y said:

BTW they are called a lower control arm.

Just spoken to garage and it's not the lower control arm that's got the fault it's one of the upper arms, they just noticed its started to "part"? 

When I changed the discs i smothered everything with grease and was hoping that could have been it but no, they did notice I'd greased the rubbers but also identified this upper (banana) arm on both sides.... 😳.  

[Magnet]

So you need to get the upper wishbone bushes independently checked now, to see how bad they are -? 
Kind regards, 
Gareth. 

[Pappa583]

2 hours ago, Magnet said:

So you need to get the upper wishbone bushes independently checked now, to see how bad they are -? 
Kind regards, 
Gareth. 

Had these checked and can't see any issues, 2 top control arms on each side.... one funnily enough shaped like a banana 

[Magnet]

So I guess you are going to avoid like the plague, the garage who carried your service -? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Pappa583]

53 minutes ago, Magnet said:

So I guess you are going to avoid like the plague, the garage who carried your service -? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Yep, honestly I'm shocked.... excellent reviews and ratings, certainly not what I'd have expected! 

[Stevey Y]

1 hour ago, Pappa583 said:

Yep, honestly I'm shocked.... excellent reviews and ratings, certainly not what I'd have expected! 

Hi if you know sweet FA about cars these places get rave reviews, I have one near me that I used for my first cab until he charged me £18 for a piece of water pipe about a foot long on the bypass side of the coolant tank, he said it was special pipe that was expensive, it went again six months later so I bought three metres of pipe with eight jubilee clips for £8 from the local motor factors and again replaced it myself, funny part is the motor factors non special pipe never ever went again, thats why I use another garage which the first guy used to call the Barn as thats what it looks like, their breathtaking honesty and efficiency has been the benchmark of me using them for the last eighteen years, meanwhile the car repair palace has now got the owner insisting that his four mechanics take their gloves they use home to wash them every week as the gloves are the rubber palmed type with cotton backs and are expensive, the guy I use has boxes of them in the office which the mechanics use as they wish, the majority of these places are still trying to recover monies lost during the lockdown.

Steve.

[Pappa583]

Had the car checked by another mechanic friend of mine and these were not identified as having any issues? How would that now affect the warrenty if there was to be an issue arrise and the warrenty company contacted the last place it was serviced.

To the warrenty company looks like I've left the car with an outstanding issue that didn't actually exist?

Or just wait till next mot due in January to see it gets a clean bill of health with no advisories?

[RoyC]

 Just wait till next mot due in January to see it gets a clean bill of health with no advisories?

[Pappa583]

MOT just been done and guess what.... no issues identified! I even told the tester about the garages findings 6 months ago and their advice to change soon as!! Anyone else and that would've been quite a nice 700+ bill! 

In minds whether to call them back and ask the manager to explain his approach to buisness...

Quite shocked to be honest, had this expensive repair bill on my mind since and for something that was explained to me as pretty bad and needed doing quickly to now not even being highlighted on an mot even after I suggested he check them is Infuriating really. Wonder how many people have been conned by this almost 5 star rated vag specialist... 

Speak to the manager then give the honest review on every site I can find! No wonder their premises are so expensive looking ffs

[Stevey Y]

2 hours ago, Pappa583 said:

MOT just been done and guess what.... no issues identified! I even told the tester about the garages findings 6 months ago and their advice to change soon as!! Anyone else and that would've been quite a nice 700+ bill! 

In minds whether to call them back and ask the manager to explain his approach to buisness...

Quite shocked to be honest, had this expensive repair bill on my mind since and for something that was explained to me as pretty bad and needed doing quickly to now not even being highlighted on an mot even after I suggested he check them is Infuriating really. Wonder how many people have been conned by this almost 5 star rated vag specialist... 

Speak to the manager then give the honest review on every site I can find! No wonder their premises are so expensive looking ffs

Hi I wouldn't bother, you won't stop them from doing this to anyone, its their prime directive to skin any unsuspecting soul, why do you think their workshops are like palaces, I would concur with slagging them online as they deserve as much bad publicity as possible thats why I use one garage out of the five in my area, two are manned by idiots and have no real specialist equipment and the other two have all the kit and wallet hooks, find a good independent with a greasy workshop and people queuing to get an appointment, the revues the palaces get are based on brainwashing of customers that they have had a super job done at a far cheaper price than Audi would charge and lets face it there are very few that want to pay Audis psychotic prices.

Steve.