MFactory Carbon Driveshaft Issues

[Audi5000s]

Originally Posted by MFactory

As explained to the customer (along with images showing him clearly what the issue was), there were markings/indents on the flange itself where the guibo/bolts were not correctly installed/bolted onto the flange. The issues/damage that we found on the flange was caused by installation error as there is no other way for this damage to happen if the flange/guibo were bolted together correctly and, as mentioned, this is the cause of the imbalance/vibration.

Because of this installation error (which customer is denying happened), over time, it has caused the markings/indents to get worse due to movement between the flange and guibo/bolts. This is regardless of any subsequent "test report", of which they did not even mention the damage on the flange which should have been very obvious to them if they bothered to actually check

FYI: Although customer paid for his "independent test report", we supplied him with a return shipping label afterwards out of goodwill so that we could check the driveshaft on our end (customer did not have to pay for shipping)

This above result, coupled with the fact his driveshaft was actually out of warranty (yet we still entertained his request under goodwill), was why we denied his warranty claim.

Correct, you paid for shipping. Thank you for that. I know that when I did have it installed, there were issues and I took it back to the shop for them to double check everything at the time. I have the email exchange with you regarding this.

I do know that the driveshaft place that I took it to says it's not a matter of improper installation, but a defective driveshaft. They only work on driveshafts, including carbon driveshafts and found issues with the one that I brought in.

This whole process has been a tremendous headache. Communication with you has been spotty at best. I will admit that you are very responsive on this forum though.

[Audi5000s]

Originally Posted by MFactory

You are putting 100% faith in your original installer/shop (which is fine, otherwise you wouldn't have went to them in the first place), so if there is an issue caused by them, either they are going to admit to it or they won't.

Were you there to watch them completely remove the driveshaft and re-install it? If not, then high chance they did not do that (which means they did not check the flange/guibo/bolts) as it would have cost them the same number of hours it took to install the driveshaft in the first place. I don't know any shop that would do that unless you were specifically looking over their shoulder to make sure that they do. Mis-alignment, debris and/or incorrectly torqued bolts can cause the damage that happened to your flange

And an incorrectly installed driveshaft can cause the issues reported by the driveshaft place (especially over time). However, the reverse would not happen. As mentioned, the only way for the damage to happen to your flange in the way it did is if the flange/guibo/bolts were not installed correctly.

From our experience though, the mechanics are never wrong (especially if they are a "specialist") and it is always the fault of the part/manufacturer

The driveshaft place is separate from the mechanic who installed and the mechanic who removed the driveshaft. Bill's does not have a reason to lie. They gave an independent assessment of the driveshaft and said it was not an install issue, but that it's a bad driveshaft. They said it should not have left your shop in that condition.

If it was something I did wrong, then I would own that, but I don't believe I've don't anything wrong here. I just want others to know about my experience.

[Audi5000s]

Originally Posted by MFactory

- I never said they were the same person/place. That doesn't really matter in this case
- If their assessment is that there are "issues" with the driveshaft that they received (as per their report), I accept that, which is why I was willing to pay for shipping the driveshaft back to us so that we can check it ourselves to verify
- However, it is impossible for them to determine that it was not an install issue if they did not check the condition of the flange itself (where it bolts onto the guibo); if they did, they most certainly would have mentioned it, which they did not. It is very obvious there was a connection issue that caused damage to the flange
- The issues "as per the report" cannot cause the damage to the flange if the flange/guibo were bolted together correctly
- The damage to the flange, however, can cause the issues "as per the report"
- The driveshaft certainly did not leave our facility in the condition that it is in just now (i.e with the damaged flange), otherwise it would have been very obvious when you received it
- Something did go wrong, but that is not your fault (so nothing for you to own). The fault lies with whomever installed your driveshaft in the first place

I guess we will have to agree to disagree. The driveshaft company that looked at it said the driveshaft was out of balance and that could've only been from factory. I'm just going by what they are telling me. They said it was not a matter of a faulty install, but a matter of a faulty out of balance driveshaft that can't be fixed.

[Gossypiboma]

All this back and forth about this being an install error is beyond ridiculous. Installing a driveshaft is as simple as they come. Any remotely competent mechanic can do so without much thought and there is nothing special about this specific DS. If the OP admitted to installing it himself then maybe you have a leg to stand on, but he took it to two professionals who say its a manufacturers defect. There's nothing more to this story. At this point just call it what it is and send a new DS.

[DukeofAlexandria]

Originally Posted by Gossypiboma

All this back and forth about this being an install error is beyond ridiculous. Installing a driveshaft is as simple as they come. Any remotely competent mechanic can do so without much thought and there is nothing special about this specific DS. If the OP admitted to installing it himself then maybe you have a leg to stand on, but he took it to two professionals who say its a manufacturers defect. There's nothing more to this story. At this point just call it what it is and send a new DS.

Yeah...kinda on board with this thought....it's a shop that does this all the time. Send a new DS and call it a day guys.

-Duke

[nycplumber]

That's a long winded way of saying " Once you buy our product you're on your own and we don't care" I 100% was going to buy from this company and now I'm 100% not going to buy from it. Thanks OP for posting your interaction.

[tdott]

Lets see pictures of this "Damage".

I find it hard to believe.

[Gossypiboma]

Where's the pictures of the so called flange damage?

[GeorgeA]

Originally Posted by nycplumber

That's a long winded way of saying " Once you buy our product you're on your own and we don't care" I 100% was going to buy from this company and now I'm 100% not going to buy from it. Thanks OP for posting your interaction.

This..

The $200 they’d spend on return shipping/helping this customer out would go a LONG way with community confidence. I was going to buy their shaft as well until I read this and other reports of failures.

Doesn’t make sense to me

[Audi5000s]

Originally Posted by GeorgeA

This..

The $200 they’d spend on return shipping/helping this customer out would go a LONG way with community confidence. I was going to buy their shaft as well until I read this and other reports of failures.

Doesn’t make sense to me

I look at the bright side. I'm out of pocket for the cost of the driveshaft, the cost of the install, the cost of the removal, and I don't even have the driveshaft anymore. It's in China unless I want to cover the cost of shipping back so it can sit in my garage as an expensive mistake. The driveshaft place here locally said it is not repairable. Never mind, nothing too bright about that.

I tried. I just don't want others to go through this mess.

[Redd]

Yes any pics of the damage please? I'm also curious....

[MisterClutch888]

To me, after reading the last page of u guys going back and forth. Pretty sure you guys both speaking with facts, but M factory, man, You as a retailer, manufacturer, sponsor of the forum, the more you explained yourself (repeatedly, same thing over again and again), i just think it actually makes u look very bad.

You as a service or product provider, can actually just make it less of a hassle and just send a replacement (the buyer already went thru the trouble to proof that the driveshaft is defective). It just as easy as that. And i bet the buyer will much appreciate your effort and your reputation will actually bring more business to you.

*sorry my english and grammar ain't great*

[AceBeezy]

*in Michael's defense*

Bottom line up front: it was either a damaged product that was installed correctly or a perfectly fine product that was not installed correctly. Without proof that it was a defected DS prior to installation, how can Mfactory justify a replacement?

Implied task/lesson learned: inspect your product upon receipt. Bonus points if you take pictures.
(Donning flame suit)

[Delete]

Originally Posted by AceBeezy

Bottom line up front: it was either a damaged product that was installed correctly or a perfectly fine product that was not installed correctly. Without proof that it was a defected DS prior to installation, how can Mfactory justify a replacement?

Implied task/lesson learned: inspect your product upon receipt. Bonus points if you take pictures.
(Donning flame suit)

I'm with you and mfactory. Op is not even the original owner who knows if it was damaged prior to him buying it. if it was installed incorrectly.. Mfactory has gone beyond what they should have. It is absolutely ridiculous for someone to assume that they should pay for shipping on a second-hand item.

The comments made about the cost of accepting this shipping for something that's out of warranty to save faith will just open a can of worms for anybody that has improperly installed or damaged and or out of warranty items to have a way out of their mistakes.

[Delete]

Originally Posted by Gossypiboma

All this back and forth about this being an install error is beyond ridiculous. Installing a driveshaft is as simple as they come. Any remotely competent mechanic can do so without much thought and there is nothing special about this specific DS. If the OP admitted to installing it himself then maybe you have a leg to stand on, but he took it to two professionals who say its a manufacturers defect. There's nothing more to this story. At this point just call it what it is and send a new DS.

I have worked around a lot of mechanics in dealerships when I was younger and they make mistakes all the time most of witch can com from being in a rush. I work around mechanics now but in regards to extremely large construction equipment and the same thing happens someone's in a hurry.

What if the joint was not properly torqued.? What if the mechanic thought he could just run down one bolt and it didn't properly line up and then ran down the rest and torqued it. It doesn't take much. I have a hard time trusting anyone to work on anything.

At a local well-known BMW independent shop I had my oil changed on my car. The invoice said some other weight that was used and not the 10-60 I called out the mechanic right in front of everyone and he had said he put the oil that was on the invoice. This guy was a bmw trained tech.

I do my own oil changes now!

[Audi5000s]

Originally Posted by Mog-10

I'm with you and mfactory. Op is not even the original owner who knows if it was damaged prior to him buying it. if it was installed incorrectly.. Mfactory has gone beyond what they should have. It is absolutely ridiculous for someone to assume that they should pay for shipping on a second-hand item.

The comments made about the cost of accepting this shipping for something that's out of warranty to save faith will just open a can of worms for anybody that has improperly installed or damaged and or out of warranty items to have a way out of their mistakes.

This is incorrect. I am the original owner of the driveshaft and purchased it brand new from M Factory. My point is that the driveshaft company that I had inspect the driveshaft said the driveshaft is defective and it's not from install.

[Ajolives]

Originally Posted by AceBeezy

*in Michael's defense*

Bottom line up front: it was either a damaged product that was installed correctly or a perfectly fine product that was not installed correctly. Without proof that it was a defected DS prior to installation, how can Mfactory justify a replacement?

Implied task/lesson learned: inspect your product upon receipt. Bonus points if you take pictures.
(Donning flame suit)

Agreed, really is no way to tell for sure now. The marks on the flange is a smoking gun to me. Plus as stated before, a solid unit that has no slack will take the brunt of force from any worn component directly involved. Even Bill may have made the marks when bolting it to his machine (possibly without seeing them myself). We're just passengers in this and left to speculate.

IMO, anything aftermarket is an inherent risk. My exhaust that was "assembled on a jig" and fits like shit on the drivers side, however I also have 157k miles on the chassis so who knows how much things have sagged/tweaked in the rear.

Either way, just read the entire thread again and really do feel for both parties - not every business exchange turns out to be a good one unfortunately.

[Adriano917]

Maybe it was a bad DS, its bound to happen just like any other product. If the DS was inspected by a professional DS place and they deemed it bad. Its messed up that it went out of warranty with all the back and forth and now Mfactory wont cover it and its just pointing fingers.

[Gossypiboma]

Where's the pics?

[Audi5000s]

Originally Posted by Gossypiboma

Where's the pics?

Below is what was sent to me. Let me know if you can see the pics.

[Ajolives]

Originally Posted by Audi5000s

Below is what was sent to me. Let me know if you can see the pics.

[IMG]https://chi01pap002files.storage.liv...#38;height=799[/IMG]

[IMG]https://chi01pap002files.storage.liv...#38;height=666[/IMG]

Only the bottom pic is coming through on the app. If that's the extent of the damage seen in the top pic I'd say MFactory is out of their goddamn minds. That little nick could have been caused by literally anything.

From their description I was expecting a backyard special or something lol

[Vedubin01]

Don't know if this will come though but there are many more out there with this issue from Mfactory

https://**************/blogs/news/mfactorys-v3

Sorry posting from my phone inflight


Looks like the link is banned but it's euro con ex site with a huge write up on this