Tensho_C
New member
- Dec 1, 2023
- 2
- 0
I wanted to share a factual timeline regarding my experience with the Rötheli Racing oil cooler kit and the support provided after a critical component failure.
The kit was installed directly by Rötheli Racing in February 2024. After 28 months and 50,000 km of mixed road and infrequent track use(around 5 times total), the car suddenly developed a severe engine oil leak. A dealership in the Netherlands inspected the vehicle and found that the high-pressure line had been routed tightly against the chassis. Constant vibration had worn a hole straight through the metal pipe. The dealer performed an emergency weld to keep the car mobile.
I reached out to the owner of Rötheli Racing to report this. He denied liability, stating a third-party mechanic must have accidentally twisted the sandwich plate during a standard oil change—a vulnerability he never communicated when installing it. I initially asked him to handle the repair himself. However, his available date did not line up with my travel, and his quote for the full service, installation, and an oil change was too expensive, especially after the €555 I had already spent at the dealer (plus the inherent additional risk of driving 1,000 km to his shop in Switzerland before having the pipe properly replaced).
To manage my costs, I shifted the request and asked if he could just fabricate the replacement line for me to pick up during my upcoming trip to Switzerland. Once the job went from a high-revenue workshop service to a simple CHF 100 part purchase, his cooperation stopped.
He emphasized to me that the dealer's weld was dangerous and could destroy my engine from metal debris, but then made sourcing a replacement as difficult as possible. When I asked for the basic schematics or dimensions so a custom shop in the Netherlands could replicate it accurately, he declined, stating he had no schematics for the hoses and that it was a simple job for a shop to figure out. His solution requires me to drain the oil, remove the broken pipe, and leave my car completely immobilized on a garage lift while a local shop tries to reverse-engineer it from scratch.
Wanting to avoid that logistical mess, I decided to move past the initial repair costs dispute entirely. I explicitly agreed to his terms and confirmed I would pay the full CHF 100 just to pick up the line this coming Friday (which he had initially mentioned was possible). The moment he realized he wasn't getting workshop labor and that I was dropping the argument, he completely backed out, informing that he suddenly did not have the necessary fittings in stock to make the line anymore.
If you run this kit, check your chassis clearance immediately. It lacks any built-in anti-rotation protection, making it highly vulnerable during routine maintenance. More importantly, be aware that if a critical failure occurs, this vendor is entirely comfortable leaving you with an engine-threatening component if he cannot secure the full repair revenue he wants from you.
(Note: In accordance with rules regarding private correspondence, I have not posted screenshots or direct quotes from the emails. However, I hold full, unedited email documentation of this entire exchange and will gladly provide it to the forum moderators upon request to verify the facts stated above).
The kit was installed directly by Rötheli Racing in February 2024. After 28 months and 50,000 km of mixed road and infrequent track use(around 5 times total), the car suddenly developed a severe engine oil leak. A dealership in the Netherlands inspected the vehicle and found that the high-pressure line had been routed tightly against the chassis. Constant vibration had worn a hole straight through the metal pipe. The dealer performed an emergency weld to keep the car mobile.
I reached out to the owner of Rötheli Racing to report this. He denied liability, stating a third-party mechanic must have accidentally twisted the sandwich plate during a standard oil change—a vulnerability he never communicated when installing it. I initially asked him to handle the repair himself. However, his available date did not line up with my travel, and his quote for the full service, installation, and an oil change was too expensive, especially after the €555 I had already spent at the dealer (plus the inherent additional risk of driving 1,000 km to his shop in Switzerland before having the pipe properly replaced).
To manage my costs, I shifted the request and asked if he could just fabricate the replacement line for me to pick up during my upcoming trip to Switzerland. Once the job went from a high-revenue workshop service to a simple CHF 100 part purchase, his cooperation stopped.
He emphasized to me that the dealer's weld was dangerous and could destroy my engine from metal debris, but then made sourcing a replacement as difficult as possible. When I asked for the basic schematics or dimensions so a custom shop in the Netherlands could replicate it accurately, he declined, stating he had no schematics for the hoses and that it was a simple job for a shop to figure out. His solution requires me to drain the oil, remove the broken pipe, and leave my car completely immobilized on a garage lift while a local shop tries to reverse-engineer it from scratch.
Wanting to avoid that logistical mess, I decided to move past the initial repair costs dispute entirely. I explicitly agreed to his terms and confirmed I would pay the full CHF 100 just to pick up the line this coming Friday (which he had initially mentioned was possible). The moment he realized he wasn't getting workshop labor and that I was dropping the argument, he completely backed out, informing that he suddenly did not have the necessary fittings in stock to make the line anymore.
If you run this kit, check your chassis clearance immediately. It lacks any built-in anti-rotation protection, making it highly vulnerable during routine maintenance. More importantly, be aware that if a critical failure occurs, this vendor is entirely comfortable leaving you with an engine-threatening component if he cannot secure the full repair revenue he wants from you.
(Note: In accordance with rules regarding private correspondence, I have not posted screenshots or direct quotes from the emails. However, I hold full, unedited email documentation of this entire exchange and will gladly provide it to the forum moderators upon request to verify the facts stated above).
