If anyone is interested I've got one front air strut left for sale. £90 including postage. The fronts fit either side, a good thing to keep as a spare maybe? Now that I've got all new ones there's no point in keeping this, the others have sold. It's in excellent condition and fits from 2000-2006.
I guess the obvious first questions would be how old is your battery, and how tight are the terminals? You'd be amazed at how things can just freak out when the battery isn't up to scratch.
Just picked mine up! I know they often have these sales but not always 50% off wipers. And I know there are many alternatives out there but the Denso ones are direct fit whereas others aren't always.
When I replaced my transmission cooler hoses I used fuel hose, a very experienced local parts supplier told me it's absolutely fine for transmission fluid. I don't know about silicone hose either, I've not had experience with it. I do know cheap jubilee clips don't always work well. As mentioned, unless you've got a pin hole in the metal part I would have thought it's simple enough to rectify.
I don't think it's unreasonable for an alternator to last that long, just as it's not unreasonable for it to last for only 120k. Luck of the draw really, which goes for many car components.
I see there are some new air struts on eBay for the 600h, £318 each including delivery......from China. Sometimes the things they copy are good. Not that I have one or would want one but I did wonder why they make them for that model and not others.
P0660 code could quite possibly be an inlet manifold off job, no easy task. I'm not sure I would do any more work on the car unless you think it's worth spending on. I'd want my money back, but as you're dealing with a man who clearly has no morals or conscience it may be hard work. If you do ever get to meet him again take a mirror with you to see if he has a reflection!
Keep at them, don't let them win. I was driving through Kent yesterday in a van, near Tenterden, the worst potholed roads I've ever known, so dangerous as everyone weaves around them.
Is this totally safe? I'm thinking when we go on our next road trip to Austria in April we might want to recline one evening with bellies full of wine and schnitzel and watch something on iPlayer!
Sadly you've fallen foul of one of the biggest crooks out there. He's been prosecuted recently so it's really important you contact trading standards, they're very aware of him!
I do understand the logic in the replies, and separate parts for anything are always expensive, be it a car or a boiler, it's just the extremes that bug me. Still, I'm very thankful that there is plenty of competition if we delve.