Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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HELP!
Took my car to VX a few weeks ago to have it serviced, and since then not needed to take my wheels off.
Tried to take them off today to tidy up my calipers and clean the wheels properly, to discover that the "mechanic" @ VX has kindly rounded off my locking wheel nut tool and wound them all onto the car with an air gun to some unbelieveable torque!
My local tyre monkey has taken a look and can't do anything so told me to go back to VX. Thing is, I'm pretty sure they'll charge me for the privilege of fixing something I can't prove is their fault! 
Any tips for removing them? They're standard Corsa C SXi wheels on SRi rims.
Thanks
[Edited on 06-09-2008 by Rich H]
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sand-eel
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Registered: 15th Mar 07
Location: carluke/braidwood--IRNBRULAND
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is it the 4 hole type or the star type?
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by sand-eel
is it the 4 hole type or the star type?
Star and then to add insult to injury has the rotating outer sleeve which I didn't even know VX ones have!
A quick look on CCUK tells me VX will charge £150 for removing them PLUS £x-amount to put some new ones on 
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Joe
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Registered: 20th Jun 04
Location: Hesketh Bank, Lancashire
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Do you have the key number? If so just order a new one.
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sand-eel
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Registered: 15th Mar 07
Location: carluke/braidwood--IRNBRULAND
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good the star ones are the easy ones to remove, just get a hefty flat head screw driver and hammer it loose, it will wreck the bolt but who cares.
[Edited on 03-09-2008 by sand-eel]
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VegasPhil
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Jan 05
Location: Fareham, Hants Drives: Octavia VRS
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Order a new key Rich. Take the old snapped one to Vaux and you should get it free. Wilson is hopeless and breaks loads of them...
Corsa 2.0 16v Vegas - Sold
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sand-eel
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Registered: 15th Mar 07
Location: carluke/braidwood--IRNBRULAND
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by sand-eel
good the star ones are the easy ones to remove, just get a hefty flat head screw driver and hammer it loose, it will wreck the bolt but who cares.
[Edited on 03-09-2008 by sand-eel]
bolt head i mean
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Rich H
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Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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Cheers all.
Phil & Joe - This is what I think I will probably do 2m. It's not snapped, just rounded off from where the last idiot that serviced my car and did the ABS recall decided to use the air gun to the extreme!
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
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Or try going to vaux and see what they say.
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Rich H
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Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by John
Or try going to vaux and see what they say.
Done that this morning and they claim they didn't even have the wheels off.
Funny how a locking wheel key rounds itself off, the nuts all get a hell of a lot tighter and 2 wheels with distinctive marks swap places on the car!!!
So had to cough up for a new key at my expense
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ali_corsa
Member
Registered: 30th Jun 07
Location: Tamworth Drives: Focus st
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Rich H
quote:
Originally posted by John
Or try going to vaux and see what they say.
Done that this morning and they claim they didn't even have the wheels off.
Funny how a locking wheel key rounds itself off, the nuts all get a hell of a lot tighter and 2 wheels with distinctive marks swap places on the car!!!
So had to cough up for a new key at my expense
Did they service youre car at the same time as the abs recall, a few weeks back? if ive understood this correctly then, if they didnt take the wheels off then they didnt carry out the service correctly so how did they check if the brakes where fine?
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darkgazza
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Registered: 18th Jun 07
Location: Seven Kings, Greater London
User status: Offline
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EASIEST WAY.... get a socket that fits over the top of the locking wheelnut use a hammer and hammer it on this will cause the nut to 'get stuck' in the socket then just use a breaker bar or ratchet air gun ect, to take the nut off as usuall
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alan-g-w
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Registered: 9th Nov 07
Location: Glasgow
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by darkgazza
EASIEST WAY.... get a socket that fits over the top of the locking wheelnut use a hammer and hammer it on this will cause the nut to 'get stuck' in the socket then just use a breaker bar or ratchet air gun ect, to take the nut off as usuall
It's one with a rotating outer sleeve. You'd need a hefty mallet to be able to hammer something over it.
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Lee Wilson
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Registered: 20th Feb 06
Location: Fareham, Hants Drives: XE Corsa
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How much the locknut socket cost?
How the hell would they remember if they took the wheels off or not on a car that was in weeks ago  There's probably been another 50 corsa's in since yours 
If they claim they diddn't take the wheels off I'd be enquiring why they diddn't do a proper service.
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Rich H
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Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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They reckon it was an intermittant service which didn't require the wheels to be taken off... He then went on to take great pleasure in telling me that "in effect it's just a glorified oil and filter change" - nice to know they only do that and then charge me £165 for that too! I nearly lost my temper at that comment
So I questioned why 2 wheels with different kerb marks had moved around the car (and a front wheel was at the back with a lot more brake dust on it) and how a Technician's comment on my invoice of "5,000 miles left on brake pads" can be justified if they haven't had the wheels off, at which he said "Look it wasn't use, with an intermittant service we don't have the wheels off, that's all I can say, now if you want to order something to get them off, Parts is over there"
Gotta love Vauxhall hey?!
Lee - New locking wheel nut key was £21 + VAT (so £25ish)
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Joe
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Registered: 20th Jun 04
Location: Hesketh Bank, Lancashire
User status: Offline
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Don't take it to Vauxhall for servicing would also be my advice.
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Minty_Fresh
Member
Registered: 1st May 08
Location: westmidlands
User status: Offline
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hammer a smaller socket onto it, just need a new set of locking wheel nuts after..
had to do it on my old rs turbo
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Joe
Don't take it to Vauxhall for servicing would also be my advice.
That's my feeling too now. I've always tried to so I can maintain full Vauxhall service history and also stupidly though they would pay more attention and know what they were doing, have the right diagnostic tools, use genuine parts etc etc etc
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Joe
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Registered: 20th Jun 04
Location: Hesketh Bank, Lancashire
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Thats a mugs game though, a normal garage can use genuine parts, a normal garage probably would take your wheels off and at least admit to it. Plus no-one cars about Vauxhall history on a 4 year old Corsa. I can't believe people still use main dealers to be fair.
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ali_corsa
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Registered: 30th Jun 07
Location: Tamworth Drives: Focus st
User status: Offline
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how can they tell you though theres 5,000 miles left on brake pads, you know what i would do demand to speak to the service manager and tell him to walk through the service sheet with you, and if anywhere on that service sheet that it says brake pad and disc measurements and the technician has wrote it down tell him how does he know if they are correct if the wheels havent come off,and then argue the case that they havent carryed the service out correctly
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darkgazza
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Registered: 18th Jun 07
Location: Seven Kings, Greater London
User status: Offline
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if its got a rotating locking sleeve.... tryed using a hacksaw blade or file to get that off 1st?
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Doldy
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Registered: 13th Mar 08
Location: Norwich
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Get a smaller socket and hammer it on, use a big bar for leverage.
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alan-g-w
Member
Registered: 9th Nov 07
Location: Glasgow
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by alan-g-w
It's one with a rotating outer sleeve. You'd need a hefty mallet to be able to hammer something over it.
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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Right slight update - Hopefully going to get my own way with Vauxhall now for this:
After ordering the new key, I checked through my folder of car bits and found some more paperwork relative to the service, it's basically a check sheet of what they have done, of which one option ticked is: "Remove all wheel nuts and refasten at correct torque - 110nm"
Yesterday I got a call to say my key is in for collection. I was working though so sent my old man down to collect it armed with the paperwork - he had a bit of an argument with the service manager and gets the key F.O.C 
Try it on my wheels today, and still no luck - bastard things won't shift and it's rounded off the new key trying to get them off. Tried to undo with torque wrench set to 200nm and they still aren't shifting - so back down to Vauxhall next week armed with torque wrench, paperwork and both fooked keys
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ali_corsa
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Registered: 30th Jun 07
Location: Tamworth Drives: Focus st
User status: Offline
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they will just say the torque wrench hasnt been calibrated so it might not be accurate, like i said if you have ago at the service manager they will do something, just go to him i want my locking nut's removed and new set put on and torqued correctly or i will be taking this matter futher as i was told that this is a minor service and the wheels havent been taking off when clearly they have
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