JustKampers oil temperature gauge kit quality?

Discussion in 'Mech Tech' started by jasper, Oct 8, 2017.

  1. Been there - done that , got pished off so bought the kit ...

    There are basically 3 types of VDO guages . If you have a sensor to match a guage it`d work . You could always drill the sump plate and weld in a nut to accept the sender :thinking:

    OR

    Just buy the kit :D

    :hattip:
     
    snotty likes this.
  2. earlylatebay likes this.
  3. Me too
     
  4. That is really interesting and at the same time very pleasing as those are the exact ranges my van runs at in the various categories :) I was always concerned when it hit 120 on motorways but now I might relax a bit :)
     
  5. 77 Westy

    77 Westy Supporter

    And CHT gauges are getting hard to find.

    I want one in DegC – does anyone have one they want to sell or swap for a DegF gauge? VDO CHT 0-300C.jpg
     
  6. Dazza

    Dazza Eyebrow not high brow

    I did just that, being the tightwad I am...bought a brand new in packet vdo sump sender off eBay for a couple of quid ( lucky bid) and a random temperature gauge which again I got very cheap... Can't remember what the temperature displays but its way way higher than it should be...I ignore it now...
     
    Sick Boy and Lasty like this.
  7. Aircraft one?
     
  8. 77 Westy

    77 Westy Supporter

    I looked at VDO aircraft gauges but the engines run cooler and the gauge range is too low, typically 50 – 150C.
     
    snotty likes this.
  9. Yep. I got that kit. VDO and works well.
     
  10. Don't do that, it will only cause you pain and sadness.

    Use a proper supplier. I know its all the same VDO gear, but they are awful people.

    I have a VDO gauge with a sump sender, works for me, gives me something to worry about on long journeys.
     
    onion and 77 Westy like this.
  11. Baysearcher

    Baysearcher [secret moderator]

    If I've ever had an issue with stuff I've bought from JK, they've been great in getting it resolved.
    "Awful people" is the opposite of my experience. I assume you've had 1 issue and are letting it cloud your judgement of a company that to be fair, have done a hell of a lot for the VW "scene".
    If its VDO stuff, buy it from whoever is cheapest - quite often JK.
     
  12. You are clearly luckier than me!

    I have used them 4 times over the course of a few years. Each time the part provided was either faulty or such poor quality it didn't fit, or not the advertised quality (was supposed to be a branded part, which was confirmed by them, but a generic Chinese part was supplied instead.) Each time they have removed my review from both trust pilot and from their own website.

    In each instance, it was a genuine fight to get my money back. The final time I used them they supplied a faulty carburetor which ended up depositing the brass accelerator pump delivery tube into cylinder 3, requiring rebuild as piston, barrel and head were knackered. JK never replied to my photos showing fault in carb manufacturing, but instead I received a threatening letter from their lawyers. To date they have refused to even to provide a refund for the carb.

    I am sure that they have many satisfied customers, but in my personal experience I cannot recommend them at all.

    I have used Cool Air, VW Heritage, Machine 7, NLA VW, and GSF and have received a much better customer service from them across the board, although the parts are often equally low quality etc.

    You are right to call me out on this though, in so much as I should make it clearer that this is only my opinion.
     
    mcswiggs likes this.
  13. Baysearcher

    Baysearcher [secret moderator]

    Sounds extremely unlikely that a simple "the carb you supplied me has damaged my engine, what do you intend to do about it?" leads to a threatening letter from lawyers. In my experience it would lead to some dialogue followed by a satisfactory outcome. If you start off threatening to smear their name across various social media platforms (for example) I can see it going the way you claim it did with you.

    Bizarre. They all sell the same crap, but I've genuinely had nothing but great customer service from JK (and having read various forums for about 15 years, that seems to be the consensus).
     
  14. Betty the Bay

    Betty the Bay Supporter

    The only crap quality part I have ever had was from Heritage....no company is perfect....it's the after sales service that counts.
     
  15. Baysearcher

    Baysearcher [secret moderator]

    Which is the part that surprised me!
    You always hear that X, Y or Z has supplied a crap part. I don't think I've ever heard JKs customer service being slated before though.
     
  16. Betty the Bay

    Betty the Bay Supporter

    It was a repro fuel pump for a type 4...it pi**ed out oil....they quickly exchanged for an electric pump and did withdraw them from sale as it seems I wasn't the only one.
    I have no issues with any company I have dealt with.
     
  17. 77 Westy

    77 Westy Supporter

    You are clearly luckier than me too!

    I purchased several thousand pounds worth of parts from JK during the rebuild of my Bus and almost without exception anything exclusive to JK was appalling quality and I either threw it away or modified it for something else.

    Your comment ‘If I've ever had an issue with stuff I've bought from JK, they've been great in getting it resolved’ suggests that you have had some issues but complaints are usually met with ‘we’ve never had a problem before’ or ‘nobody has ever reported a fault’.

    The final straw for me was when they supplied two LH window scrappers instead of the LH and RH ordered. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice their error until several months had passed when I went to fit them but JK refused to exchange the incorrect part. According to their T&Cs I should have notified them earlier.

    These days I will only buy from JK if I’m sure it is a branded part and a brand of satisfactory quality and I can’t buy it from another supplier.
     
    orangefeeling likes this.
  18. Baysearcher

    Baysearcher [secret moderator]

    It doesn't "suggest" anything. I've made it quite clear I've bought crap from them; just as I have from every other supplier.
    As I said, I've always been happy with the outcome. Not that hard to understand surely?
     
  19. If only it was as simple as this.

    I emailed them some photos showing the issue and the resultant damage, along with a request that they refund for the carb and meet the costs (or if easier supply the parts) for the bits that were directly damaged as a result (so the cost of one barrel, one piston, one head and one gasket set to put it all back together with). I also posted a review of the carb on their website, noting factually the fault, and the resultant implication for me. I did not threaten them.

    After a few days with no response I spoke with their customer services, who told me they would reply in due course. The reply I did get came from one Blandy and Blandy LLP (still the best name for a solicitor I have come across), which was very clear - cease and desist stating the carb was at fault, it was my fault. If I was in the motor trade I should have spotted it was faulty and not fitted it, or if I was a private individual I should not have fitted it as I would not be competent (according to them verified apparently by the fact that it failed). As the carb was now missing a part (the ingested accelerator pump delivery tube) JK were legally within their rights to refuse a return. Their best and final offer was a without prejudice gift of goodwill of a £10 voucher (I was around £500 out of pocket).

    Unfortunately it coincided with the birth of my second child, so I didn't have the time or head space to pursue any further, although I often wonder how it would have progressed if I had.

    To me, this was an unprovoked aggressive response, to a perfectly reasonable request for compensation (either in money or parts) to rectify their faulty product. As such, when the opportunity pops up I urge people not to use them.

    I hope you continue to receive great customer service from them, because when it goes wrong it seems to go really wrong.
     
    wingnut1574 likes this.

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