Friend has just bought a secondhand Golf from local dealer, and asked for cambelt to be changed as part of deal. Job delayed, apparently by mechanic getting hurt during job (?)
Went to pick it up today, and within a few yards found the car to be kicking out black smoke and down on power.
My gas would be cambelt a tooth or so out, but does anything else come to mind. It just seems such a coincidence for the MAF to play up, or sensor fail to go onto "limp home" mode.
Car back at dealers, but alas my friend paid in cash when he dropped his old car off
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Paying with cash makes no difference. You still have all the normal consumer rights you'd expect.
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Yes, but as they have his old car and his cash AND his new car he has few cards in his hand for the poker game.
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I think something has to be reset with VAG-COM when the cambelt is replaced...maybe the mechanic forgot to do this?. Even if it isn't anything to do with him and it is the MAF that has gone I can't imagine that it wouldn't be covered by warranty. Something about sale of goods act and faults in the first 6 months are presumed to have exisited before the purchase.
What poker game?, he gets a courtesy car while they sort out the duff car they sold him. Well not exactly, but thats what I would be shooting for.
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There should not be excessive visible smoke from this engine.
"Excessive" , I'll answer this later, maybe.
Was it a registered VW dealer?
Does "paid in cash" really mean back-street garage with no receipt?
"Get what you pay for" really springs to mind. A top-range Golf with scrimped-on servicing? Let us see.
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Trancer et al
Any of the specialists any idea what is meant by "I think something has to be reset with VAG-COM when the cambelt is replaced" or shall I go with my first list of suggestions.
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Hi CD,
This is a straightforward job to swap the belt.
Theoretically, you should check the timing post-swap, but if it's done properly, I've never seen the need.
To give you some reassurance, have a look at:
tdiclub.com/articles/A3-TimingBelt/
An excellent article from a very good site.
Good luck,
Sean
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Wish I could go into more detail, but I am hardly a specialist in anything other than lurking on various automotive forums which is where I picked up that info.
I believe it was on the UK VW Golf site that I saw it.
www.uk-mkivs.net/forum/uk_home.asp
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To change cambelt, charge air hose from turbo compressor to intercooler has to be removed. If this is omitted, or re-fitted, but left disconnected at one end, the engine will be starved of charge air, thus the black smoke, and low performance. The MAF will see a normal flow of air, as the turbine is driving the compressor.
The hose in question is buried within the o/side wing, and could easily be missed by a change in mechanic.
Just a theory.....
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Nice to see cryptic Sean back :-). And I mean it.
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Thank you to all who responded, particularly sean with that excellent link
I had always expected the VW system to be purely mechanical,and never anticipated the need for a laptop and software etc to change a cambelt
Owner picked up the Golf, and was happy with the explanation that "a pipe had been missed off". Seems as happy as a canine with enhanced genitalia (let's see the swearchecker pick that one up!)
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