I've noticed a progressive problem on my golf that has now got unmanageable. When starting, the car ticks over nicely but won't fire. It got to a point that it would take up to 15 minutes for the engine to start. So I booked in the car for an overdue service and a diagnostic. Two faulty glow plugs were replaced but that didn't solve the problem. The car was booked in again for a glow plug relay replacement. That still did not solve the problem.

The garage are now telling me that it maybe a ECU problem with an estimated cost of £700 to £1,000 to replace the ECU! I'm not technical so I'm a little naive as to what to do. Are there any alternatives that I could try? Can a ECU be re-programmed? Can I go elsewhere to get a better deal? I'm sure everyone will agree with me that in the current climate, a £1,000 is money that nobody wants to part with.

Any advice would be appreciated, many thanks.