Terrible Experience wit 034 Motor Sports....SMH

[Dsm_John]

Well Ladies & Gents

Unfortunately I hate talking bad about a Vendor but what has happened to me is BS....
Issue :
In DEC/JAN. Time came around for a clutch job (this is where 034 comes in)

I ordered an: RS4 Pressure Plate + Feramic Disk + Solid Tranny & Motor Mounts+ Special Flywheel bolts + a few other small dollar items..... NOW I wanted to order the Fidanza LWFW but they REFUSED to match the price I found it $160 cheaper elsewhere .......(we are off to a great start here fellas) Anywho

Had an VW & Audi Shop do the clutch ****I let them know that it was an OEM RS4 PP....so they asked what was the deal with the SAC mechanism ? This being my 1st Audi I replied "I dont know" they suggested I call the Vendor....As I,m standing at the shop I call 034 up and sumone kindly answers the phone...I explain the situation and I was told to just put it in and that it would adjust on its own.??? The shop said it was unual but we folled instruction of 034......

1400 miles later of baby miles the car always shifted funny with a pause (Clutch dragging)

Tried everything to remedy the issue Bleeding , power bleeding , tranny fluid change , proper shifter alignment with magnetic tool ect ect

***Shorty after this I find out I was suppose to have the SAC mechanism on the PP adjusted prior to install !

So I call 034 very upset over the situation because now the tranny needs to come off again ! They try to blame the shop ect ect want to take no part in the matter they eventually talk to the shop and ask them to give me a break. WTF it was not the shops fault to begin with ( the shop followed their instruction)

After several days of phone discussions I,m told that they are sorry and that to make it right they will offer me a really good deal if I needed other parts. I end up paying AGAIN for a Clutch job $1,100 to have the same shop drop the tranny !

Then I finally put a list together of a fueling kit minus ECU (nothing crazy) and these pieces of work send me a whopping discount of $166 OFF an order of $800ish order SMH...like seriously? I have to spend an extra $1100 because someone there instructed me INCORRECTLY in regards to my clutch install question? and these guys think a discount of 166 bucks will make it cool ? Holy shit

So once again I find the quoted items cheaper elsewhere even with the BIG discount It would be cheaper elsewhere and now they REFUSE to match the vendor with the same product that sells it at a lower price..


Fellas think twice before tossing your Hard earned money their way..........

[TighTT]

Well Ladies & Gents

Unfortunately I hate talking bad about a Vendor but what has happened to me is BS....
Issue :
In DEC/JAN. Time came around for a clutch job (this is where 034 comes in)

I ordered an: RS4 Pressure Plate + Feramic Disk + Solid Tranny & Motor Mounts+ Special Flywheel bolts + a few other small dollar items..... NOW I wanted to order the Fidanza LWFW but they REFUSED to match the price I found it $160 cheaper elsewhere .......(we are off to a great start here fellas) Anywho

Had an VW & Audi Shop do the clutch ****I let them know that it was an OEM RS4 PP....so they asked what was the deal with the SAC mechanism ? This being my 1st Audi I replied "I dont know" they suggested I call the Vendor....As I,m standing at the shop I call 034 up and sumone kindly answers the phone...I explain the situation and I was told to just put it in and that it would adjust on its own.??? The shop said it was unual but we folled instruction of 034......

1400 miles later of baby miles the car always shifted funny with a pause (Clutch dragging)

Tried everything to remedy the issue Bleeding , power bleeding , tranny fluid change , proper shifter alignment with magnetic tool ect ect

***Shorty after this I find out I was suppose to have the SAC mechanism on the PP adjusted prior to install !

So I call 034 very upset over the situation because now the tranny needs to come off again ! They try to blame the shop ect ect want to take no part in the matter they eventually talk to the shop and ask them to give me a break. WTF it was not the shops fault to begin with ( the shop followed their instruction)

After several days of phone discussions I,m told that they are sorry and that to make it right they will offer me a really good deal if I needed other parts. I end up paying AGAIN for a Clutch job $1,100 to have the same shop drop the tranny !

Then I finally put a list together of a fueling kit minus ECU (nothing crazy) and these pieces of work send me a whopping discount of $166 OFF an order of $800ish order SMH...like seriously? I have to spend an extra $1100 because someone there instructed me INCORRECTLY in regards to my clutch install question? and these guys think a discount of 166 bucks will make it cool ? Holy shit

So once again I find the quoted items cheaper elsewhere even with the BIG discount It would be cheaper elsewhere and now they REFUSE to match the vendor with the same product that sells it at a lower price..


Fellas think twice before tossing your Hard earned money their way..........

Who at 034 told you to "just put it in and it will adjust on its own"??

[LowA4]

Sac, Self Adjusting Clutch mechanism. I never adjuated mine. It adjusts as you push the clutch in the 1st few times. My guess is they disn't do this. Before driving you have to push the clutch to the floor a few times and you can hear it clicking. It stops once it's fully adjusted.

[SEXICÄN]

I hate to say, but I get all info via email. Why? so EVERYTHING is documented.

Not saying anything bad towards 034 (as I think theya re great and have helped me with even just random questions i might have had).

Are their instructions listed out somewhere, or were you just going off what someone "said" to you?

[LowA4]

Here is a write up on adjusting before install though

http://www.audiworld.com/tech/eng86.shtml

[Dsm_John]

I hear ya on the I should of had everything on EMAIL as proof but the way it happened was just too quick..I was at the shop and called from the shop and also I didnt get the persons name who told me just to put it in.
FWIW NO Instruction came with the clutch set-up . No even a simple piece of paper that says "caution PP must be re-set prior to install" or anything along those lines

[JWatson]

I really don't see how 034 was at fault for anything here. Your shop should have known how the SACs works I would think. And for all of the "SMH" not everyone can price match everything, if you want it cheaper then go to the cheaper place.

[LowA4]

I didn't get any instructions from Vast when i ordered my clutch either. A shop who takes on a job on a certain car should know exactly how to do the job before even excepting the job.

[exogen]

Not sure why 034 is to blame... you ordered parts from this vendor... then the shop you take it to installs it, works fine for 1400 miles? sounds like an install issue which wouldnt be the vendors problem. I would direct this thread to your shop that did the install. if they are unsure of how it works they should contact 034 or the vendor before just guessing/asking you who didn't know either.

[AudiForeman]

Sorry to hear about you luck, seems like a combo of issues at hand, should of had everything in e-mail to document, and maybe a little more research/asking questions prior to buying ( maybe you did, im just sayin). I have spend over 8k dollars with 034 in the past 3 months and i have nothin but wonderful things to say about them. I email Max about 2-3 times a week and he always responds in 30 min or so, always throwing me free stuff and discounts. Next time you call a shop ask to talk with a tech, to ensure proper instructions next time. Hopefully you enjoy your car, sounds like shes getting some fun goodies

[Dsm_John]

To answer some Q's I never said anything worked fine for 1400 miles..i said i put 1400 baby miles on it meaning i drove the car super super slow and never tried to give it some or shift fast...... I agree with the whole " the shop should of known " comments but I called 034 from the shop to double check and we followed their instruction

[jibberjive]

After several days of phone discussions I,m told that they are sorry and that to make it right they will offer me a really good deal if I needed other parts....

So once again I find the quoted items cheaper elsewhere even with the BIG discount It would be cheaper elsewhere and now they REFUSE to match the vendor with the same product that sells it at a lower price..


Fellas think twice before tossing your Hard earned money their way..........

This seems to be the modus operandi of far too many shops. "We won't necessarily make it right, but if you spend more money with us, we'll take some off the price when you benefit us again." The logic makes no sense, why would someone want to spend more money with someone they are having hardware and customer service issues with to begin with (my experiences are a little more blatantly the shops' fault than the OP though)? Sorry you bit and used the same shop you were having trouble with to order even more parts. There are a couple of shops that I now avoid buying anything from that isn't proprietary to them.

[SEXICÄN]

I bought an FX400 without any instruction. My shop (aka my dealership) where competent enough to install it!

Souds like you need a better and more competent installer...

[sherbet]

lol I think I heard about this...I do, however, fail to see how it is their fault.

[jibberjive]

I bought an FX400 without any instruction. My shop (aka my dealership) where competent enough to install it!

Souds like you need a better and more competent installer...

FX400 doesn't have SAC mechanism...

[papuc14369]

Sorry to hear about your experience but I think the blame falls onto the shop without the proper knowledge to install the clutch.

[infinkc]

Sorry to hear about your experience but I think the blame falls onto the shop without the proper knowledge to install the clutch.

2nd, really shows the shop you took it to doesn't work on audis.

The rs4 pp comes set from the factory and doesn't require any initial adjusting, but in transit it can become unset, so it should have been checked by the shop befor they installed it.

[Monty23]

Why is the shop not taking responsibility for incorrectly installing your clutch? You need a new shop! It is not 034's fault that the shop you choose does not understand how to check the SAC mechanism, any reputable Audi shop would have known to do this.... It's sad your out that $1100, but it's your shops fault, not 034's.

[lidoautogroup]

Very unfortunate to hear, however 034 did not sell you an improper functioning part. As almost all aftermarket and OEM parts are labeled, they are not warrantied unless installed by a professional shop. 99% of the parts that I have ordered, whether it is from 034 or other companies, do not come with instructions. I would never hold the seller responsible for my lack of installation knowledge.

[DannyDeez]

As stated already, there is no fault from 034. If you bring your car to a supposed "vw/audi shop" then there is absolutely NO reason why you should have to call the vendor(034) and ask them for instructions. Take your car to another shop because obviously those guys dont know how to work on it. Oh and dont complain about price matching, if they wont match the price then just buy it from the other place that was cheaper. Its real simple.

EDIT: I just re-read your OP and realized that 034 actually called the shop up and asked them to give you a break. You actually have the nerve to complain about them? Seriously? What vendor is going to call up an incompetent shop to try and help their retail customer out? Once the item leaves 034 and arrives to you undamaged/in perfect working order, their job is done, period. AND they even offered you a discount if you wanted to buy other parts? They didnt have to do that. They sold you a brand new part and YOUR SHOP f*cked it up. 034 could have and should have just hung up on you. Yet again you complain about price matching. No one said you had to buy from 034, but they give you a discount on your fueling parts for no good reason because your shop is the one to blame from the beginning. You should be praising them for their outstanding customer service. Stop whining about 034 and post up who this crappy shop is so no one goes there anymore. OEM RS4 PP have been getting installed in these cars for over 10 years now, it should pretty much be basic knowledge for a vw/audi shop.

[julex]

I feel your pain, SSAC plates are known to fail "for no reason" although very rarely. SSAC mechanism is self adjusting. There is nothing you have to do prior to install except CHECKING that the SSAC is in its starting position setting. This setting could change during transport so it is imperative to check it.

I find it very strange that the shop you're using can't spend 10 minutes consulting their shop manuals for audi clutch install. Show that either the tech is lazy, illiterate or just too busy to find proper instructions for clutch install and just slapped it in without checking anything out.

Even silly bentley (not by far the best manual out there) has a whole section on how to check and service SSAC. Check it out here:

http://www.socals4.com/repair/AudiB5Manual.rar

[Scotty@Advanced]

EDIT: I just re-read your OP and realized that 034 actually called the shop up and asked them to give you a break. You actually have the nerve to complain about them? Seriously? What vendor is going to call up an incompetent shop to try and help their retail customer out? Once the item leaves 034 and arrives to you undamaged/in perfect working order, their job is done, period. AND they even offered you a discount if you wanted to buy other parts? They didnt have to do that. They sold you a brand new part and YOUR SHOP f*cked it up. 034 could have and should have just hung up on you. Yet again you complain about price matching. No one said you had to buy from 034, but they give you a discount on your fueling parts for no good reason because your shop is the one to blame from the beginning. You should be praising them for their outstanding customer service. Stop whining about 034 and post up who this crappy shop is so no one goes there anymore. OEM RS4 PP have been getting installed in these cars for over 10 years now, it should pretty much be basic knowledge for a vw/audi shop.

Having worked with shops installing our transmissions I can tell you that it's never the shop's fault they didn't put enough oil in one of my transmissions, and it's never their fault they didn't adjust the shifter after install. In the customer's eyes and the shop's it's always the supplier of the parts, and thus the supplier is always expected to do some sort of magic to cover up for the stupidity of others.

From what the OP said 034 has no fault in any of this and they went above and beyond what a parts supplier would do.

[spearson]

After reading all of this, I only have one question. What the hell does SMH mean?

[DannyDeez]

After reading all of this, I only have one question. What the hell does SMH mean?

"shaking my head"

[034Motorsport]

Well Ladies & Gents

Unfortunately I hate talking bad about a Vendor but what has happened to me is BS....
Issue :
In DEC/JAN. Time came around for a clutch job (this is where 034 comes in)

I ordered an: RS4 Pressure Plate + Feramic Disk + Solid Tranny & Motor Mounts+ Special Flywheel bolts + a few other small dollar items..... NOW I wanted to order the Fidanza LWFW but they REFUSED to match the price I found it $160 cheaper elsewhere .......(we are off to a great start here fellas) Anywho

Had an VW & Audi Shop do the clutch ****I let them know that it was an OEM RS4 PP....so they asked what was the deal with the SAC mechanism ? This being my 1st Audi I replied "I dont know" they suggested I call the Vendor....As I,m standing at the shop I call 034 up and sumone kindly answers the phone...I explain the situation and I was told to just put it in and that it would adjust on its own.??? The shop said it was unual but we folled instruction of 034......

1400 miles later of baby miles the car always shifted funny with a pause (Clutch dragging)

Tried everything to remedy the issue Bleeding , power bleeding , tranny fluid change , proper shifter alignment with magnetic tool ect ect

***Shorty after this I find out I was suppose to have the SAC mechanism on the PP adjusted prior to install !

So I call 034 very upset over the situation because now the tranny needs to come off again ! They try to blame the shop ect ect want to take no part in the matter they eventually talk to the shop and ask them to give me a break. WTF it was not the shops fault to begin with ( the shop followed their instruction)

After several days of phone discussions I,m told that they are sorry and that to make it right they will offer me a really good deal if I needed other parts. I end up paying AGAIN for a Clutch job $1,100 to have the same shop drop the tranny !

Then I finally put a list together of a fueling kit minus ECU (nothing crazy) and these pieces of work send me a whopping discount of $166 OFF an order of $800ish order SMH...like seriously? I have to spend an extra $1100 because someone there instructed me INCORRECTLY in regards to my clutch install question? and these guys think a discount of 166 bucks will make it cool ? Holy shit

So once again I find the quoted items cheaper elsewhere even with the BIG discount It would be cheaper elsewhere and now they REFUSE to match the vendor with the same product that sells it at a lower price..


Fellas think twice before tossing your Hard earned money their way..........

Hi DSM_John. I do not know you, nor have I dealt with you before. But I am a representative of 034 here on the forums and I wanted to take a minute to address your accusations.

First and foremost, I would like everyone to be aware that we have gone above and beyond to help you with your situation, despite it not having anything to do with 034Motorsport. Since you have felt it necessary to try to publicly slander our company rather then dealing with this in a mature and private fashion, I feel it is fair for us to defend ourselves, although it seems that has been done already for the most part.

Now, we can put this whole conversation to rest right now for everyone else, by stating with full confidence that no one at 034Motorsport would ever tell you to simply throw the clutch into your car. In fact, we only have a record of your shop calling us, where they admitted fault to the situation. No record of you calling us and you never could tell us who you spoke to, despite everyone here stating their name during calls. It is irrelevant anyways since, A:) no one here would say that, and B:) its not our responsibility, we didn't do the install, nor did we provide instructions.

More specifically though, it is common knowledge that an SAC mechanism is just that; a Self Adjusting Clutch mechanism. That being said, as was mentioned by many forum members already in our defense, it is common practice to ensure the SAC mechanism has remained in its neutral position after transportation. We ensure the clutch leaves our location in the proper neutral position.

It is very disappointing that you feel it is necessary to accuse us of being unfair and that other people should not spend money with us. Why shouldn't other people spend money with us? We sold you a great product that you installed incorrectly. Even then, we offered you a great deal on a replacement clutch, even though we had absolutely no obligation to help you out since we had fulfilled our side of the transaction. If you had 034Motorsport install your clutch improperly (which would never happen since any competent shop knows to check an SAC mechanism), we would of course cover the costs of making the situation right, which your shop will not. It appears you are angry at the shop, but unjustly trying to push this on us.

However, what makes this even more disappointing to all of us here at 03Motorsport is that you have decided to post on the internet how terrible a company we are, and yet you are still in contact with our sales team, demanding us to price match eBay prices. This is not how business works. We've gone above and beyond to help both you, and your shop.

You are more then welcome to contact me directly as well.

-Max

[AudiHolicS4]

Yea im sorry to the OP but this is a "VW & Audi" shop and they have never installed a clutch with a SAC mechanism? From what i can tell u took ur car to the wrong shop and they are at fault for the install error not 034Motorsport.

[somebody5788]

Yea im sorry to the OP but this is a "VW & Audi" shop and they have never installed a clutch with a SAC mechanism? From what i can tell u took ur car to the wrong shop and they are at fault for the install error not 034Motorsport.

x2, Almost all VW/Audi's have been using this for over 10 years.

[DanS4]

I would go start a website like flyboy. j/k

I had some problems with 034 myself, shit happens and we move on.

[BITRBO]

What Max said + this...

EDIT: I just re-read your OP and realized that 034 actually called the shop up and asked them to give you a break. You actually have the nerve to complain about them? Seriously? What vendor is going to call up an incompetent shop to try and help their retail customer out? Once the item leaves 034 and arrives to you undamaged/in perfect working order, their job is done, period. AND they even offered you a discount if you wanted to buy other parts? They didnt have to do that. They sold you a brand new part and YOUR SHOP f*cked it up. 034 could have and should have just hung up on you. Yet again you complain about price matching. No one said you had to buy from 034, but they give you a discount on your fueling parts for no good reason because your shop is the one to blame from the beginning. You should be praising them for their outstanding customer service. Stop whining about 034 and post up who this crappy shop is so no one goes there anymore. OEM RS4 PP have been getting installed in these cars for over 10 years now, it should pretty much be basic knowledge for a vw/audi shop.

I've had nothing but great experiences with Max and 034, and I will continue to buy from them. LOL - I can't believe you asked them to match an eBay price OP

[FlyboyS4]

I would go start a website like flyboy. j/k

Hey now, it's a couple of web "pages", I didn't purchase vast-sucks.com, though it appears to still be available.

[KMEL65STANG]

X1000- u should take it back to the shop n give them hell! Seriously! Dan helped me at 034 for a tranny/clutch replacement aswell! Never had to go back! So happy that he had me added 034 engine/tranny mounts n shifter while it was getting fixed! Best think ever! Have a performance shop install performance products! (on my 1st Audi)

As for max- he answers my questions before I even ask him! Yes! THAT GOOD! (not being sarcastic!)

As a consumer, I can understand your frustration, but u do need to take the proper steps! U posted ur message, u know ur going to get responses and it majority looks like u honestly need to go to the shop u had it installed! Most trans/mech shop have warranties for atleasr 10-12k miles or 1yr warranty!

Just saying!

[Dutchsider]

OP is butthurt at the wrong people. I don't understand your logic in blaming 034 which also causes me to judge your intelligence.

As already stated, if a VW/Audi shop didn't know how to install a SAC then they are a crappy shop.

034 had nothing to do with this.

[ModBargains II]

Sorry, just had to chime in, I understand your frustration OP, as I have been through something similar with a different part. But after being in this business for the *limited* amount of time, just now I am starting to realize it is not always the suppliers fault.

With regards to 034, I can only say my experience with them is positive

[S4 00 2.7]

If you order parts and they arrive undamaged, the vendor has done their part.

If, for example, I install something wrong- that is MY fault.

Big difference between the two.

I hope the shop can help you with this because THEY installed something incorrectly.

[sjmelling]

All of my dealings with 034 have been positive. I just got off the phone with Sam a few minutes ago. I know how much it sucks for things not to work out in relation to your S4. A lot of us here have had crap not work out the first time around, but you don't need to be pushing blame where it isn't deserved. Go back to your "reputable shop", and try to work the issue out there. Keep your head down and your wrenches turning, it'll work out.

[PovGRide742]

All of my dealings with 034 have been positive. I just got off the phone with Sam a few minutes ago. I know how much it sucks for things not to work out in relation to your S4. A lot of us here have had crap not work out the first time around, but you don't need to be pushing blame where it isn't deserved. Go back to your "reputable shop", and try to work the issue out there. Keep your head down and your wrenches turning, it'll work out.

Phew... reading this thread makes me glad my VAST Stage IV clutch is working as designed, as I installed it myself and had NO idea that there was a manual adjustment in the SAC.

[americanthunder]

lol this is like installing a turbo without priming it first and then blaming the company you bought it from when it shits out in 1000 miles. I would take it up with the shop who installed it.

[AudiNFS]

I'm sick of seeing SMH in most everything I read.

Anyway, I'v ehad nothing but positive dealings with 034 as well. Max has always been there to talk to me about products/install when I have asked him for help on anything. Also he always goes above and beyond to get me the best deal he can when it comes to shipping and pricing. Having sat back and watched this develop, as others have said you should take it back to your shop that did the work and take it up with them.

[Eurotuned_A4]

Personally, 034 and MAx in particular have been great. Max has been a huge help to me and has answered a lot of questions that he didnt even need to address. Ill continue to purchase from 034 in the future.

As far as price matching, 034 doesnt need to price match anything. If you found stuff cheaper and they dont want to price match, buy it at the cheaper place. Plain and simple.....

[Evilevo]

This thread is full of win.

034 FTMFW.

That is all.