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Old 27th March 2009, 16:01   #1
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Five Star Hotel destroy's cars clutch plate

Something really shocking happened yesterday when my friend went for dinner at a leading five star hotel in new delhi.

He went to the hotel with his friends in his Maruti SX4 and gave the car for valet parking. they all had their dinner and came back outside after 2 hours or so and asked for the car to be bought by the valet driver.

he tells me that as soon as he sat in the car he felt something strange with the clutch but started driving out thinking it to be nothing. as soon as he left the hotel the car's clutch started slipping, changing gears started getting hard as hell and he quickly turned around and headed back to the hotel. it was clear that the valet driver that smoked the clutch.

after reaching there and asking for a manager, a duty manager came as it was around 11.30pm. the only answer they gave was that either my friend did it or it was a technical snag and the valet driver was not at fault. after trying to get a response from the staff they only said that you either leave the car here or go home and we will call a mechanic and get the car checked up and then we will talk.

my friend was not satisfied with the answer as it seems a clear cut way of wiping their hands off the matter and delaying it. when it got enough my friend called the police and lodged an FIR. the police said they could not do anything as its not a criminal case and that he would have to go to the consumer courts.

now the car is in such a condition that its almost impossible to chnage the gears. its been sent to a authorised maruti workshop for repairs with an estimate of Rs8000 for cultch assembly replacement.

i wanted to know what legal options or other methods to pursue a case against the hotel.
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Old 27th March 2009, 16:23   #2
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First things first, mention the hotel's name. These guys are scared of bad publicity.
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Old 27th March 2009, 16:31   #3
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its The Taj Palace Hotel, Sardar Patel Marg, New Delhi
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Old 27th March 2009, 16:32   #4
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I'm going to ask a really noob question. Is it possible to destroy the clutch of a new car while parking it in a 5 star hotel? How?
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Old 27th March 2009, 16:41   #5
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Im not surprised.

Usually,star hotels have a steep driveway and I've noticed that valet drivers almost always rev the cold engine very hard and slip the clutch at these high revs to go over the steep incline.
Not to forget the "made of butter" factor - the maruti clutch.
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Old 27th March 2009, 16:41   #6
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Maybe the valet wont out for a joyride and revved the engine really high. Maybe on that drive, he made a couple of really bad shifts, etc...

I'm not an expert. I'm just assuming.
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Old 27th March 2009, 16:41   #7
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Just a different POV, even if the driver had been hard on the clutch, it is not quiet easy to do such big damage within 5KMs of driving (which I assume is the max the hotel would have done while doing the valet parking). I have personally heard of multiple complaints with the SX4 clutch so it is possible your friend's car was defective already.

That said, even if the hotel was responsible, it is very hard to get them to accept it once the car is out, also because the cars are parked at the owners risk.

As a rule, I never give my car to valets when there is an option to park it myself, even if it means I will have to walk back to the hotel/restaurant. This saves the heart burn later on.
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Old 27th March 2009, 16:46   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi View Post
I'm going to ask a really noob question. Is it possible to destroy the clutch of a new car while parking it in a 5 star hotel? How?
that is exactly what is shocking. its a five star hotel, in this case it was a maruti sx4, but people take their beemers or mercs or whatever costing crores. but the problem here seems that the valet driver that was appointed by the hotel was not really an experienced driver and might have damaged the clutch while bringing the car up on the main porch.
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Old 27th March 2009, 16:48   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi View Post
I'm going to ask a really noob question. Is it possible to destroy the clutch of a new car while parking it in a 5 star hotel? How?
Almost impossible to fry the clutch in such a short distance from the drive way to the parking. Unless the valet driver was an ex-rally driver and did some drag launches to see the best possible time from driveway to the parking lot.
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Old 27th March 2009, 16:50   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by quicksilver View Post
Just a different POV, even if the driver had been hard on the clutch, it is not quiet easy to do such big damage within 5KMs of driving (which I assume is the max the hotel would have done while doing the valet parking). I have personally heard of multiple complaints with the SX4 clutch so it is possible your friend's car was defective already.

That said, even if the hotel was responsible, it is very hard to get them to accept it once the car is out, also because the cars are parked at the owners risk.

As a rule, I never give my car to valets when there is an option to park it myself, even if it means I will have to walk back to the hotel/restaurant. This saves the heart burn later on.
the car has done only 7000kms and the clutch was in perfect shape. i was with my friend day before yesterday and was driving his car and there was absolutely no problem. and even he is a expert driver, he knows what he is doing while driving.
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Old 27th March 2009, 16:59   #11
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i don't think this is possible at such a short distance,how old is the car & how much Reading it has on the display
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Old 27th March 2009, 17:03   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008 View Post
Maybe the valet wont out for a joyride and revved the engine really high. Maybe on that drive, he made a couple of really bad shifts, etc...
Exactly my question: will a couple of bad shifts and a joyride make the clutch from being PERFECT to being finished?

Quote:
Originally Posted by vid6639 View Post
Almost impossible to fry the clutch in such a short distance from the drive way to the parking. Unless the valet driver was an ex-rally driver and did some drag launches to see the best possible time from driveway to the parking lot.
So a couple of drag launches will finish a perfectly working clutch then?

I'm just trying to understand.
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Old 27th March 2009, 17:04   #13
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Originally Posted by karankapoor View Post
i don't think this is possible at such a short distance,how old is the car & how much Reading it has on the display
the car is year old and has only 7000kms on the odo
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Old 27th March 2009, 17:05   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by quicksilver View Post
As a rule, I never give my car to valets when there is an option to park it myself, even if it means I will have to walk back to the hotel/restaurant. This saves the heart burn later on.
Thats the best way to do it. In case thats not possible, I go to a different hotel.

Like some other members said- its impossible to destroy a clutch, in such a short distance, unless its done wilfully. Ofcourse, then anything's possible.
 
Old 27th March 2009, 17:06   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi View Post
I'm going to ask a really noob question. Is it possible to destroy the clutch of a new car while parking it in a 5 star hotel? How?
Very possible.

Here are a few easy steps to achieve it.

1. Go to JW Mariott in a slightly old and confusing car. Something like a Sierra will work best.
2. Drive up to the upper lobby entrance and give the car to a valet.
3. Sign the tag that relieves the hotel of all responsibility with respect to parking/ driving your car.
4. After a few minutes, ask for the car.
5. Observe, as the valet driver comes up the ramp with smoke fuming out the bonnet.

There, you now have a car with a fried clutch. And an even more fried owner who's both angry and embarassed at the spectacle but can't do anything about it.

This, btw, has happened to me. With the Sierra. The bloke started the car and drove it up in 3rd gear.
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