I took my 96 1.9 diesel polo to a garage the other day due to poor starting. But whilst fixing the problem, they managed to set fire to some of the wiring (the battery had run flat and they were using a mains powered device to turn the engine over). After repairing the alternator, they were unable to work out why the alternator light was still on (the battery is charging fine) and why the rev-counter was reading artificially high (about 3000 rpm) whilst idling. In addition to this, when the engine is first turned on, the oil warning lamp flashes until the accelerator is depressed for the first time. Does anybody have any ideas as to what might have caused all this and how I can fix it?
many thanks,
~James
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I'd take it back to the garage and get them to fix it : it sounds like they've screwed your car's electrics up pretty badly : particularly if they 'set fire to some of the wiring' eeekkkk
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Agree, take it back and insist its fixed. Sounds like a poor engine/body earth to me, (which may have caused the hot wires in the first place)
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thanks for all your replies so far - I have been having a really rough time lately (girlfriend has been seriously ill in hospital but is a lot better now etc.) and your replies have really helped to cheer me up. If it's any help, I don't think the oil pressure is spot on because the engine has been running dog rough every time it's been started since then (until you press the accelerator and then it's fine). Might the oil pump have been fried too (i.e. just an idea, but is the speed that the oil pump works at related to the engine speed at all?).
Thank you very much again for all your help so far...
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Blimey.
Don't sign anything that clears them of the blame when they say it's fixed, cause it might not be.
On the plus side, next time something goes wrong with the car electrically you can blame it on them.
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Sounds like they have fried the wiring loom by starting it with a poor earth (possibly left disconnected whilst doing their tests!). I'd insist on a new loom to be fitted, along with all electronic components (ecu etc).
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another thing I have just remembered is that the mains-powered device they were using kept blowing fuses so they just put bigger and bigger fuses in (I think it was, 3, 5 and then 13Amp). Since my knowledge of electronics can fit on the back of a postage stamp, would this fit in with your theory?
many thanks again for all the help,
~James
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>the mains-powered device they were using kept blowing fuses so they just put bigger and bigger fuses in (I think it was, 3, 5 and then 13Amp
Blimey, did you take it down to Chimp's Motor Engineers of Whipsnade? Did they tell you they all do that?
Good luck with this because it sounds very bad to me. I would take some kind of legal advice sharpish. What does everyone else think?
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Personally, I wouldn't trust them with any repair work, seeing how much damage they have already caused.
If they are a main dealer you might get a sympathetic ear and some compensation. If it's a small outfit, I dont think threatening them with legal action will help you.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place comes to mind.
I would get it in running order, and sell it, as it will only hold problems for the future.
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The weird thing is, most electrical stuff seems to work fine still. It even starts OK when the engine is warm. In the meantime, I have bought another cheap car because I need to get to work every day and sadly public transport is not an option being out in the sticks.
I am going to take it back on Saturday and ask them to fix it. I have looked into it briefly and found that the law is firmly on my side (Supply of Goods and Services Act). I will keep you informed as to how I get on!
I found a couple of very good websites for legal stuff, if anybody else needs information:
www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog
www.compactlaw.co.uk
Many thanks for all your help - I am feeling much more positive now, being armed with the legal info. Taking somebody to the small claims court can cost as little as £27 - worth thinking about!
~James
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> another thing I have just remembered is that the mains-powered device they were using kept blowing fuses so they just put bigger and bigger fuses in (I think it was, 3, 5 and then 13Amp). Since my knowledge of electronics can fit on the back of a postage stamp, would this fit in with your theory?
No wonder it set fire to your wiring loom - that's 3000W of power they were sending through your car. (Same as 3 electric fires.)
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I should maybe have specified that the fuse that kept blowing was the fuse in the mains-powered thing although it still seems pretty dodgy to me.... But I do know that they replaced some fuses in the car also because when I took it in, the instrument panel light didn't work and it does now (I hadn't got round to replacing it myself).
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Give them one more opportunity to fix it then get quotes from a couple of other sources, get the work done, then file the claim.
PU where are you??
Moderators, this may be a technical/discussion hybrid.
Hugo
"Forever indebted to experience of others"
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Some news back from the garage - I would have chased this up a while back but I have just been too busy.
They now suspect that the alternator is causing the problems (they repaired it when they burned out the electrics originally). Obviously it could cause the battery warning light to stay on, but could an alternator fault cause the rev counter to over-read?
Many thanks for all your time and effort.
~James
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Yes, a faulty alternator could cause an incorrect reading on rev counter ,because many diesel engine cars pick up engine speed info from alternator as there is no spark ignition system.
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just a quick follow up to this. The garage now want *me* to pay for all the damage they have caused. They are witholding my car until I pay them. I have threatened them with action in the small claims court but they still haven't replied to my letter and hang up every time I try to call them...
does anybody have any advice?
why me? I always seem to choose dodgy garages
~James
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James,
if they are refusing to give the car back or communicate with you i'd say it's now time for a solictors letter. I believe you're looking at quite a small cost for a quick chat with one and subsequent letter.
You took the car to them with a fault - they damaged the wiring and caused other faults that were not present before. Also i guess that if they've only patched the wiring up rather than properly repaired it or replaced the loom then there's a very definate future potential for a fire!
We all make mistakes, it's how we deal with it that counts, they've shown themselves to be thoroughly incompetant. You might want to get your solictor to show that the letter they write has been c.c to BBC watchdog and / or the Sunday Times watchdog / Honest John! Don't know if it'll cut any ice but you never know!
Worth checking - i had a Transit a few years ago that had a duff axle, first of all they refused to fix it, but mysteriously sorted it straight away when we found out that they had not been paying their "subs", on the warranties they were advertising!
Good luck!
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