Here's a query,
I've a 2001 Polo TDi which is having it's first service and the garage just called me to say that the near-side front ball joint is "hanging". I assume this means knackered.
I got the car MOT'd 10k miles ago when I got it (from auction with a full vw history).
It had a clean bill of health "Not a thing wrong with it mate" said the inspector.
So, my question is, can a ball joint go from good to "hanging" in 10k miles or are the garage at it?
They also want to change the anti-roll bar link as well as it runs through the ball joint.
Also, the garage are charging me £11 per litre for oil. This garage used to be good, but I'm not 100% sure any more.
I've asked them not to change it so I can seek a 2nd opinion.
Any thoughts/inputs would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Neil.
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Neil
I'm assuming the car has done rather more than 10k miles (I can't believe it's having its first service at 4 years old), and that 10k represents your ownership. In that case, the ball joint hasn't worn out in 10k miles, it's probably worn out in however many miles the car has covered. Certainly a joint can appear to be OK at one time and then exhibit noticable wear 10k miles later. Some incorporate spring loaded seats, which take up wear. Don't understand the term 'hanging', but I assume it's shorthand for excessively worn.
Anti roll bar links are a fairly common wear item too.
It's a TDi and has probably had synthetic oil which garages do charge at £10/litre or so.
JS
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These Polo ball joints are poor quality (made in E Europe?). I think lots have failed by 10k from new!. Certainly I have seen two 2003 Polos with knocking joints - one had 11k and I think the other was similar mileage. But yes, can certainly go bad in 10k miles.
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Yes, sorry folks, the car has done 10k miles since I got it.
The car doesn't exhibit any knocking or wandering and most of the miles have been on the motorway.
Just a tad concerned that something can go from good to bad in such a relatively short time. My last car was a vectra that went round the clock with no such items needing replaced.
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I can't speak for Polo ball joints, but the Sprinter / LT vans I work on suffer from a similar problem. It's not a problem of exessive wear - more a problem of how much 'lift' in the joint is acceptable. Testers usually evaluate wear in a bottom swivel by levering the tyre and wheel upwards and noting the amount of lift in the joint. Anything much more than ' visible' often means a fail. This works Ok most of the time, but some ball joints are designed to operate with much more lift than ' visible' - and this catches out uninformed testers.
LT's and Sprinters start life with about 1mm of lift and this gradually increases and seems to settle down at about 3mm. It might not seem a lot, but to an inexperienced tester it's a massive amount, with the wheel clonking up and down as the lever is applied - and it looks a lot as well ! Measuring with a dial gauge is the only way to establish wear.
The local VW dealer changes the joints when the lift reaches about 3mm. VOSA, being aware of the 'perception' problem, recommend that the joint should fail at 4mm of lift.
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In my experience virtually any component can go from OK to worn out in 10,000 miles. It doesn't mean it has only lasted 10,000 miles. The wear creeps up, and suddenly it passes the acceptability point.
Couple that with the only natural slight variability of MOT testers as to what may, or may not, be a borderline pass, and your situation is quite explainable.
eg - I recently had to replace a rear wheel bearing. It was fine at the previous MOT, end float well within tolerance. Yet at the last one the float had become excessive. That's what an extra 20,000 miles could do on top of 300,000.
I think also it might be true that wear accelerates once a certain amount has started. The "banging about" effect it might be called technically.
Language point: "hanging" is a perfectly normal expression in common usage. Short for "just hanging on", I suppose. Or may be an allusion to hanging meat that has gone off.
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