My very unpleasant $2,004.00 experience with vTuner Vermont Tuning

[Maddmatts]

Not knowing what turbine clipping was, I did some searching. It seems Garret is strongly opposed to the idea. Seems shady to see something like that coming from an authorized service center.

 

[ranvette]

GM would cover all of the expense for the customer.Gm is not interested in voiding peoples warranty.They look at failures very carefully with there venders.(Garret).If its a vendor problem than GM looks for $$$$$$$$$ from them.In this case GM would have to assume something hit it.They may want the exhaust system looked at to by the dealer to see if a object is in it.Basically if the car looks completely stock they are just going to straight up warranty it.

 

[KartRacer]

While not an expert, my question is where would the foreign object come from?
Having a similar experience with a hobby charger manufacture. No repair available but they will sell me a replacement exchange for 40% off list. I told them no thanks as well. They lost a customer for good.
If on the other hand there is definitive proof that there was an installation error, so be it . But don't push BS if that is the case.

I would avoid this vendor at this point.

 

[Sonic]

The old saying "You treat one customer wrong, and that customer tells 10 people, who tell 10 people, who tell 10 people....." and so on, is what comes back to bite companies who fall short of proper customer service in the rear end, regardless of industry. Is it worth saving a few hundred bucks by not working with a customer to solve his issue with your product to potentially lose thousands in future business? I guess we will see.

 

[SONIC1.4]

I've always been interested in trying Vtuner. But if they are that quick to say no and not even offer a solution, they just lost business right here. I work in a customer service based company, and this is poor service. I do anything to make the customer happy and keep them my customer, because even if I lose money in the beginning, in the end ill be gaining more due to having a great reputation and that will spread. Therefore I gain more customers which equals more money. Same situation here, except Vtuner is doing it wrong.

 

[Gsrdude]

Foreign Object damage to the turbine wheel. Is that really what they are sticking with?

I'm calling BS. Someone F'ed up here PERIOD, Unless OP dropped something into the turbine hosing on installation

OP does your engine still run well? If so well the object didn't come from inside the engine.

Not sure how a foreign object would make it back up the exhaust as I said earlier as well, VT needs to step up and make this right common sense here people.

Turbo warranties have always been a joke IME. Countless threads on countless forums about FP, Precision pulling the same crap.

 

[Scot]

Garrets is saying that the failure was caused by a foreign object impact, not by imbalance, although they are also saying that once damaged the resulting imbalance would then proceed to further destroy the turbo if not already done for. But they aren't saying that the failure was caused by an imbalance.

The source of the imbalance is what is at question: They claim a foreign object impact, as it relieves them of responsibility.

What I am asking is - How much of an imbalance is needed to cause this kind of failure - AND COULD THE SOURCE OF THAT IMBALANCE BE FROM IMPROPER MACHINING / CLIPPING?

 

[Preloader]

If they just sold the entire assembly with the exhaust manifold included, the grey area of "installer error" would be virtually removed.

 

[Scot]

BTW, I answered "Yes" in the poll - I would consider buying from Vtuner - just not the modified turbo.

 

[Scot]

If they just sold the entire assembly with the exhaust manifold included, the grey area of "installer error" would be virtually removed.

Really? They don't require the entire assembly? Whoa. That could be a DIY-disaster.

 

[Blue hedgehog]

If they just sold the entire assembly with the exhaust manifold included, the grey area of "installer error" would be virtually removed.

I think it's less likely that foreign object damage would occur without the manifold. A foreign object being some sort of hardware falling in. But damage to the compressor wheel from impact with a foreign object like the manifold or ground would be less likely.

Either way vtuner should make good on it. Like someone els said. They had a problem with a product and were only offered a % off. That isn't good business. I've had that happen to me and won't buy any products from that company ever again. At my job we are currently replacing a $32,000 part on a machine that the factory claims is customer abuse. My company is eating the $50,000+ repair just to make the customer happy.

 

[Preloader]

I think it's VERY UNLIKELY foreign matter would get in either way. Remember we are talking about the turbine, not the compressor. The compressor is another story, people get stuff sucked down in those all the time through their own negligence.

But getting something in the turbine doesn't seem like a natural occurrence; mistake or not. And certainly wouldn't hang around for 100+ miles before causing damage.

I'm more inclined to think that maybe a turbine blade got bent during shipping, or install. And that could/would cause a improper balance, and demise.

Ship the upgrade as a complete turbo (exhaust included, because the turbine housing is part of any turbo IMO), and remove the chance for turbine damage.

 

[Stew]

After only 128 miles of use, the propeller shaft in the turbo broke behind the turbine causing catastrophic turbo failure. Oil dumped into the exhaust causing an epic smoke screen that halted 4 lanes of freeway traffic and summoned the highway patrol to the scene.

I'm not finding humor in your bad situation, but this paragraph made me chuckle a little, excellent description which seems to have a little dry humor sprinkled in there. I can only imagine the look of horror on your face as time slowed to a crawl as you quickly realized the gravity of what was unfolding before your eyes. And no one wants to be that guy who shuts down a freeway and causes a police response, sorry to hear about your trouble.

 

[ranvette]

Some of you guys must be blind? You can clearly see in the pic something hit it.I am sure if Garret warrantyed it Vtuner would have given him a Turbo.Why should Vtuner eat the turbo? Did he do the install? I dont even work for Garret and i can tell something hit it.If i did the install for a customer i certainly would have to make good on it.I totally trust the garret service center judgement on this matter.If the shaft just broke as they stated it free wheels in the case.Than ask yourself how would it look to have been hit with something?

 

[Scot]

Some of you guys must be blind?

No. Some of us do failure analysis for a living.

How can you tell the damage is from an impact vs. the turbine breaking off the shaft and coming in contact with the housing.

Kinetic energy: The square on the velocity term fux you every time.

 

[Preloader]

What do you then suggest hit it?

I've swapped the CHRA on our turbo. Unless you intentionally threw an uninvited object in there, how the hell would something get in?

 

[Gsrdude]

Again how does something hit the turbine wheel of a turbo after 128 miles. Compressor wheel ok I've seen it. Turbine wheel isn't happening sorry.

1. Through the engine. Nope it still runs
2. Made it's way all the way up the ehaust system from the rear of the car. Ummm no

3. Something was dropped in there on assembly. Not likely as when the OP started the car it would have been over with then


That turbo was not put together properly, or with a bad part/s and the turbine wheel ate itself against the housing. Think folks think.


Also do failure analysis as part of my job.

 

[ranvette]

well you fellows should apply for a job at Garret.The shaft is a clean break.A part of the shaft hitting it is very unlikely.I have as much chance playing the lottery and winning tonight.I suggest you look at a exploited view of just how this unit is put together

 

[ranvette]

Let me ask this? Lets say the shaft was not broken in half.You do a visual inspection of the unit and it has hacked up fins.Tell me what happen to it?

 

[Sonic]

Ok, we are about done here. It's apparent that nothing will be done for the OP by VTuner, regardless of the poll results and the members that have stated they will no longer consider doing business with VTuner as a result of this situation. All this thread is going to be is bickering between the VTuner apologist Ranvette, and the rest of the forum. Any last thoughts before I lock it? I'll give it 15 minutes.