Garage hasn't fixed car properly, what to do? | Technical matters | Back Room Forum

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Mon 28 Jan 2019 12:56

Garage hasn't fixed car properly, what to do? - jonnyjjbean

My car (Golf, 2005) developed a fault just before Christmas which brought up the engine management light but no other symptoms. I read this on my phone and it was a post catalytic error.

I booked it into the garage but continued to drive it for a period. In this time actual physical symptoms started to show by way of the car occasionally hesitating on acceleration.

The car was with the garage 2 days and they diagnosed a faulty EGR valve and £120 for a new EGR valve and £45 for a code read (not inc VAT).

I picked the car up and as soon as I started driving I noticed the engine light was flicking on/off and the car was still hesitating, albeit less than before.

I drove it straight back to the garage and the mechanic drove it, returned saying there was no problem and no light so what could they do. He advised we take it away and see if it get's worse over the course of the next week or so.

I then drove it the 2 miles home and it didn't hesitate and the light didn't come up, so I was happy the mechanic wasn't lying.

Over the next couple of weeks however it started happening more and more until the light came permanently back on and the same error code popped up.

I wasn't happy to rang the garage who said to bring it in, they then diagnosed the need for 4 spark plugs and 4 coil packs for another £200.

I questioned the original diagnosis and whether what they did really needed doing and they said regardless of whether it was the cause of the issue, the EGR valve needed doing so I didn't have much complaint.

They assured me this was the correct fix and sure enough, I drove the car home with no hesitation and no warning light.

He gave me some line about the car being old and possibly burning oil and that would / could be throwing the sensors off and advised we get rid of the car sooner rather than later.

That was 2 weeks ago and now the light is back and the same error code is back, it isn't hesitating but I am guessing, s before, that comes next.

I am frankly furious at having to pay for 2 jobs for 1 problem as it is, now and suspicious this work was misdiagnosed and never really needed doing.

I'm looking for advice on how best to treat this from here. They are not under the garage ombudsman scheme.

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Mon 28 Jan 2019 13:21

Garage hasn't fixed car properly, what to do? - jonnyjjbean

Update: I spoke to the garage and asked their advice on the best way to proceed and they at first simply said it looks like this is the engine burning oil and covering the spark plugs / coil packs. He said this will be a much bigger job if I wanted to repair it.

He said they changed them because they were covered in oil. I questioned why, if that is the case, did they fix the EGR valve and he couldn't answer as he didn't work on it.

He then went on to claim I was told this was a possibility (that the car was burning oil) and I pointed out yes, but this was in a general chit-chat after I picked the car up and only after I asked what happens if the car develops the fault.

I was never told anything about oil burning or being possibly a bigger problem when I took it in, not the first time nor the second.

I then spoke to the manager who said fixing the car is like making a pigs ear out of a purse, and we could go round and round making diagnosis.

I pointed out that was his job and what I paid him for and he said they can only fix what's in front of them and both parts needed replacing which is what they did.

He's offered me an opportunity to take it up a third time for yet another diagnosistcs but frankly they don't seem cooperative, they are defensive rather than apologetic and I'm not wanting to throw more money at them.

Best way to proceed?

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Mon 28 Jan 2019 16:37

Garage hasn't fixed car properly, what to do? - elekie&a/c doctor

Are you able to post up the error code being flagged when the engine fault light illuminates?

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Mon 28 Jan 2019 23:01

Garage hasn't fixed car properly, what to do? - Avant

As well as following Elekie's advice, look in our Good Garage Guide (link at the very top of the page) and try to find a suitable independent VW specialist garage near you. The one you're going to is clearly no good.

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Tue 29 Jan 2019 01:38

Garage hasn't fixed car properly, what to do? - thinkpad

The charge for diagnostic doesn't seem like they've done any sort of parts removal / testing as it would have been a bit more. They've probably just based it on some test drives and fault codes.

In fairness to the garage, the EGR valve and ignition coil is a common fault on this car (I'm guessing FSI) so it would be difficult to prove that they have been incompetent.

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Tue 29 Jan 2019 21:52

Garage hasn't fixed car properly, what to do? - Lrac

If it is burning an excessive amount of oil you would need to top it up to maintain the level, is this the case?

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Tue 29 Jan 2019 21:59

Garage hasn't fixed car properly, what to do? - Lrac

Try letting it tick over for a few minutes when hot then blip the throttle and look for a cloud of smoke..

If it is bore wear then yes its a load of grief but it could be vale stem oil seals which could include a decoke and give the engine a new lease of life. There is even an outside chance that something as simple as a blocked breather could be to blame but I am not familiar with your particular engine.

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Wed 30 Jan 2019 10:08

Garage hasn't fixed car properly, what to do? - John F

An illuminated EML for no obvious reason is a licence for garages to print money. The stuff about 'oil covering the spark plugs and coil packs' seems nonsense. And these code reading gadgets seem to add to the expense - encouraging mechanics with little diagnostic knowledge and experience to blindly replace things until they get lucky.

The same thing happened to our 135,000m X plate Focus last year. Disconnecting and reconnecting the battery worked for a bit, but eventually, having decided upon the most likely uTube fix for the ubiquitous EML problem, I decided to clean the edges of the butterfly valve in the throttle body, removing carbon/dirt build up. It's fine now. So I suggest you look on uTube for 'VW Golf throttle body problem' and see if it works for you. Garages hate doing this sort of work; it's fiddly, there is no spare part mark up, and it might not fix the problem. In the meantime, if the engine feels and sounds OK, ignore it.

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Thu 31 Jan 2019 19:48

Garage hasn't fixed car properly, what to do? - Lrac

An illuminated EML for no obvious reason is a licence for garages to print money. The stuff about 'oil covering the spark plugs and coil packs' seems nonsense. And these code reading gadgets seem to add to the expense - encouraging mechanics with little diagnostic knowledge and experience to blindly replace things until they get lucky.

The same thing happened to our 135,000m X plate Focus last year. Disconnecting and reconnecting the battery worked for a bit, but eventually, having decided upon the most likely uTube fix for the ubiquitous EML problem, I decided to clean the edges of the butterfly valve in the throttle body, removing carbon/dirt build up. It's fine now. So I suggest you look on uTube for 'VW Golf throttle body problem' and see if it works for you. Garages hate doing this sort of work; it's fiddly, there is no spare part mark up, and it might not fix the problem. In the meantime, if the engine feels and sounds OK, ignore it.

Do you have to top up the oil ? If it does need regular topping then this would support their statement and you could expect it to foul the plugs and obviously this would have the potential to throw up codes relating to oxygen sensor / cat to state the obvious.

"stuff about oil covering the spark plugs and coil packs seems nonsense." as the coil packs are external I wonder how they could be covered in oil (obviously an unrelated rocker cover issue that anyone could have dealt with) but it is entirely feasible that the plugs could be covered in oil.

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Wed 6 Feb 2019 17:26

Garage hasn't fixed car properly, what to do? - jonnyjjbean

An illuminated EML for no obvious reason is a licence for garages to print money. The stuff about 'oil covering the spark plugs and coil packs' seems nonsense. And these code reading gadgets seem to add to the expense - encouraging mechanics with little diagnostic knowledge and experience to blindly replace things until they get lucky.

The same thing happened to our 135,000m X plate Focus last year. Disconnecting and reconnecting the battery worked for a bit, but eventually, having decided upon the most likely uTube fix for the ubiquitous EML problem, I decided to clean the edges of the butterfly valve in the throttle body, removing carbon/dirt build up. It's fine now. So I suggest you look on uTube for 'VW Golf throttle body problem' and see if it works for you. Garages hate doing this sort of work; it's fiddly, there is no spare part mark up, and it might not fix the problem. In the meantime, if the engine feels and sounds OK, ignore it.

Do you have to top up the oil ? If it does need regular topping then this would support their statement and you could expect it to foul the plugs and obviously this would have the potential to throw up codes relating to oxygen sensor / cat to state the obvious.

I fill it up probably 3 times a year.

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Wed 6 Feb 2019 20:00

Garage hasn't fixed car properly, what to do? - Big John

Not sure you have mentioned yet - what engine do you have in the car? and how many miles has it done?

Edited by Big John on 06/02/2019 at 20:10

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Fri 8 Feb 2019 10:00

Garage hasn't fixed car properly, what to do? - Lrac

As above if you do only 3,000 per year and needed to "fill it up 3 times a year" then that's one thing if you do 30,000 and simply fill to the high level with .5L then that would put a completely different perspective on things.

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Fri 8 Feb 2019 10:49

Garage hasn't fixed car properly, what to do? - andrew bairsto

I never touch the oil in the Mercedes or the Suzuki at all it has oil changes at 30000 KMs.

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