Has anyone else experienced seized brake nipples on the front caliper? Had mine booked in for a service and asked for a brake fluid change whilst they had it. The mechanic sheared the front offside bleed nipple and claimed it was seized solid so I had to foot the bill I have never come across this before in a 5 year old car! When I used to service my own cars if one was seized I could always manage to free them without snapping them off. Was I just lucky or did I get a mechanic??

Im afraid the monkey didnt have time to free the nipple off, so he wants to fit nice new parts at your cost.

What's wrong with removing the broken nipple with a stud extractor?
Apart from the fact that you can charge more for a new caliper.

Yes I have sheared nipples before, more likely on vehicles that are used in corrosive conditions such as quarries or by the sea Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

Seized Nipples!!

I was probably reading to much into your thread heading, thought it would be more interesting.

Never had it happen, even on old land rovers which were well rusted. Grease monkey probably used a wrong spanner, rounded the nipple, tried a molegrip and wrecked it.

I recently replaced my front brake pads and bled the brakes at the same time. The front bleed nipples were very tight and I was worried about shearing them off. By using the correct size spanner ( 9mm?) and gradually increasing the pressure after a good dousing with WD40 they unscrewed just as I was about to give up. Far too tight as they only need to be fairly gently secured. It sounds as if I just got away with it!

Is this another JLR assembly fault? - 2007(57) XS Auto, Rimini Red, Alpaca Leather.
- GCS Hawke - Sports, BRG, Vulcan 2.1 inj'. My toy - built it myself in 2001.

Labradorslave - they are barking up the wrong tree!

You have to let them take some responsibility on this, we pay exceptional costs per hour for repairs, they could have very easily have applied a little bit of heat to the 'nipple' (err this sounds saucy) to remove it I.e. whilst the original piece was exposed before they snapped it off - followed with a little water to cool it down!

I used to do this myself when in the motor trade - they are at it!

At worst they should offer to pay half of the component price! Stand back and see the response, they will miraculously tell you they have managed to removed it using an extractor!

Gees no wonder the motor trade gets such bad press  'There is thunder' then 'There is the warble of a V8'

SD4 HSE Fuji White (my car): sidesteps, door protection
Golf 2.0 tdi White (wife's car)
Triumph Stag (my 1975 V8 toy - 37,600 miles... Just started its 2nd restoration... had it since 1986)

Tiguan Summit (gone, but nice car)
Porsche Boxster (gone, it was too fast)
SLK (gone, did not like it - lost loads £s)
Discovery Cairngorm (gone,very tractor like)
+ loads of other cars

Many thanks for the replies-you have confirmed my thoughts on the matter. I think that will be the last time I use Hunters Land Rover Derby!

So can you clarify......have they charged you for a complete new caliper or just the labour and a new nipple?
If the later then that is OK in my view, if the first then think it is bang out of order.

Regards (GONE) FL2 2008 SE (manual) Santorini Black, the expensive one
(LEFT WITH) 300tdi Defender 90 the cold, reliable & sensible one

...sorry guys but I cannot see the point of this thread - as a mechanic I know that sometimes this happens and its not a job you want to do every day.I think its also not a fault in JLR assembly as brake calipers comes from ATE/Teves completed and are the same as on Mondeo and Galaxy.As the car is 5 years old I suppose the brake fluid was changed before and the mechanic who changed it simply overtightened the nipple.

They charged me for a whole new caliper 75.85+vat, fitting 38.00+vat and brake fluid change 28.50+vat! I was less than happy as the car is also under extended warranty (land rover refused to cough up as well ). All in all I was left thinking I'd just been mugged!

...fitting 38 GBP + VAT ? Go and shoot them...its a 10 minutes job...

Outrageous, go back and tell them that this whole saga is on a LR forum and many will be viewing it. Do not speak to the mechanic speak to the service manager and tell him all of the above.
Absolutely no way should you be paying labour costs for something that they should at least take some responsibility for!

Tell them that if they do the honourable thing forum members will at least get to know that they are a reasonable outfit, until they are prepared to do this, well I would not use them!

Never heard so much nonsense in my life! 'There is thunder' then 'There is the warble of a V8'

SD4 HSE Fuji White (my car): sidesteps, door protection
Golf 2.0 tdi White (wife's car)
Triumph Stag (my 1975 V8 toy - 37,600 miles... Just started its 2nd restoration... had it since 1986)

Tiguan Summit (gone, but nice car)
Porsche Boxster (gone, it was too fast)
SLK (gone, did not like it - lost loads £s)
Discovery Cairngorm (gone,very tractor like)
+ loads of other cars

I recently changed my rear pads and, following the LR procedure, opened the nipples when compressing the pistons back. One nipple undid fine the other had been way over-torqued when the fluid was changed by a main LR dealer 4 weeks before............ FL2 HSE Auto Galway Green
Evoque SD4 Auto Blue.
FL1 HSE TD4 Manual Black - Gone.
RR Classic V8 EFI - Gone

They damaged the caliper and made no attempt to repair it, you can ask for the damaged caliper to check, if you paid by credit card that may provide some help?

This is where to go if you get no luck with the dealer principle

http://www.inchcaperetail.co.uk/aboutus/customerrelations.aspx