Pickard1
27-01-2013, 04:06 PM
I don't use this forum regularly, but I thought the members might find this experience I had with the local VW dealership interesting.
My sister has a 2006 2.0 TDI golf. She was contacted out of the blue by VW about a recall on the injectors. She doesn't usually use the main dealers, but as the recall was free and safety related she booked it in.
When she turned up to collect it they told her that they had found a hole in the engine and that they couldn't let her drive it away as it was severe enough that all the oil would drain out. They could replace it, but it would cost 2,500 pounds.
My sister smelt a bit of a rat - the hole wasnt there when she took the car in. She asked me (I used to work for an OEM in their engine factory) to look into it. In the meantime she had the car towed to her local garage where I took a look, and could confirm a hole in the back face of the cylinder head, right behind the exhaust cam. I suspected that something had been dropped down the back of the cam when they did the repair and that it was then forced through when the engine was turned over.
I called the dealership and put this to them. They accused me of insulting their intelligence that I could believe they would do such a thing and were very rude. I wrote them a letter putting the allegation to them in writing and a day later they offered to cover 80% of the cost as a 'goodwill' gesture.
I still wasnt happy with this as 20% of the repairs was still 500 pounds.
I had some more discussions with the workshop manager where he was trying all sorts to worm out of responsibility, saying that the head must have been cracked all along. Saying that non-VAG servicing was the cause etc. Eventually when I threatened them with the costs of an independent engineers report and the small claims court they changed the head at their cost. Still they were saying that this was purely a goodwill gesture and that they hadnt caused the damage.
They still hadn't changed the cambelt though. I was unhappy with this as I felt that the belt would have been jarred if a foreign object was jammed behind the cam and it should have been changed.
In the end I asked for the head back as I intended to try and force them to change the cambelt as well. It cost me 264 pounds for the scrap head as it was an exchange item! They were very obstructive to me getting the head back, and this is what I found:
Here is the hole
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/phy8dop/generalviewofhead_zps0b1765d8.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/phy8dop/closeup_zps4c83bd70.jpg
The top cover/camshaft bearing cap casting had clearly been removed previously as some bolts were missing
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/phy8dop/boltholesringed_zpse11d0d71.png
and there was a pry mark at the joint line
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/phy8dop/prymark_zps07101fc4.jpg
Once I had the cams out I realised that one of the roller followers was missing:
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/phy8dop/rollerfollower_zps7bb05824.jpg
and that behind the missing roller follower was some damage
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/phy8dop/arrowtofollowerdent_zpsca322740.png
The followers are basically like a hinge and with the follower flipped backwards it aligned exactly with the damage
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/phy8dop/followerfoldedback_zpsa26c1235.jpg
It appears that they had removed the cam and then tried to re-fit it with the follower in the wrong position. I'd guess they were tightening the bolt down with an air tool and not the proper tightening sequence, or I think you'd realise!
What has shocked me the most about this is that they clearly must have known what they had done, and they had fiddled with the evidence to put the follower back the right way and then tried to make my sister pay for their negligence.
I still don't understand why they were taking the cam out to begin with - I assume this isn't part of the injector recall?
My sister has a 2006 2.0 TDI golf. She was contacted out of the blue by VW about a recall on the injectors. She doesn't usually use the main dealers, but as the recall was free and safety related she booked it in.
When she turned up to collect it they told her that they had found a hole in the engine and that they couldn't let her drive it away as it was severe enough that all the oil would drain out. They could replace it, but it would cost 2,500 pounds.
My sister smelt a bit of a rat - the hole wasnt there when she took the car in. She asked me (I used to work for an OEM in their engine factory) to look into it. In the meantime she had the car towed to her local garage where I took a look, and could confirm a hole in the back face of the cylinder head, right behind the exhaust cam. I suspected that something had been dropped down the back of the cam when they did the repair and that it was then forced through when the engine was turned over.
I called the dealership and put this to them. They accused me of insulting their intelligence that I could believe they would do such a thing and were very rude. I wrote them a letter putting the allegation to them in writing and a day later they offered to cover 80% of the cost as a 'goodwill' gesture.
I still wasnt happy with this as 20% of the repairs was still 500 pounds.
I had some more discussions with the workshop manager where he was trying all sorts to worm out of responsibility, saying that the head must have been cracked all along. Saying that non-VAG servicing was the cause etc. Eventually when I threatened them with the costs of an independent engineers report and the small claims court they changed the head at their cost. Still they were saying that this was purely a goodwill gesture and that they hadnt caused the damage.
They still hadn't changed the cambelt though. I was unhappy with this as I felt that the belt would have been jarred if a foreign object was jammed behind the cam and it should have been changed.
In the end I asked for the head back as I intended to try and force them to change the cambelt as well. It cost me 264 pounds for the scrap head as it was an exchange item! They were very obstructive to me getting the head back, and this is what I found:
Here is the hole
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/phy8dop/generalviewofhead_zps0b1765d8.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/phy8dop/closeup_zps4c83bd70.jpg
The top cover/camshaft bearing cap casting had clearly been removed previously as some bolts were missing
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/phy8dop/boltholesringed_zpse11d0d71.png
and there was a pry mark at the joint line
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/phy8dop/prymark_zps07101fc4.jpg
Once I had the cams out I realised that one of the roller followers was missing:
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/phy8dop/rollerfollower_zps7bb05824.jpg
and that behind the missing roller follower was some damage
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/phy8dop/arrowtofollowerdent_zpsca322740.png
The followers are basically like a hinge and with the follower flipped backwards it aligned exactly with the damage
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/phy8dop/followerfoldedback_zpsa26c1235.jpg
It appears that they had removed the cam and then tried to re-fit it with the follower in the wrong position. I'd guess they were tightening the bolt down with an air tool and not the proper tightening sequence, or I think you'd realise!
What has shocked me the most about this is that they clearly must have known what they had done, and they had fiddled with the evidence to put the follower back the right way and then tried to make my sister pay for their negligence.
I still don't understand why they were taking the cam out to begin with - I assume this isn't part of the injector recall?