ESP Fault and Transmission Control Unit

[Oxylis]

Hey all,

I have a 2009 1.8T A3 with a 7 Speeds gearbox. As you may know these DSG were recalled (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2507401/Volkswagen-recall-cars-worldwide-faulty-gearbox-light-fuses.html)for oil change recently.

Anyway just got the car back after the oil change and this morning (15-20 miles since the car was with Audi) I got a ESP Fault at ignition and the car won't start.
I call the road side assistance which diagnotise the car with a fault in the Transmission Control Unit (short circuit according to the tech as the fuse keep blowing).

Anyway, I'm wondering, can this actually be a coincidence or is it be linked to what Audi could have touched while changing the DSG oil.
I haven't heard yet from Audi but I'm expecting them to push for me to pay the repair to be honest.

Any details about this or experience to share would be really appreciated :)

Thanks.

[Crasher]

That is nothing to do with the oil change I know about which is the final drive oil, in the dry clutch box the mMechatronic oil cannot be changed under any circumstances. Can you find out the recall number and your cars engine and transmission types codes.

[Oxylis]

Hi Crasher,

I'm not sure I can have these, I actually don't really know how to get them.
All I have is a "Warranty free of charge" document from Audi saying they carried out "34f4 workshop action". That from Wednesday for the recall. I haven't received anything yet for the new issue described in the original post as they will call me on Monday morning.

Just found this online, seems to be related:
Audi Australia P/L—A1 (8X), A3 (8P), A3 (8V) & TT (8J) (https://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1053853)

[Crasher]

34F4 is the "Campaign" code (VAG Don't like the "R" word") so if you do not have the cars service book which has all the info on the inside front cover, PM me your REG number and I can look up some details, not as much as when I am at work, but enough. Also on the service data sticker there will be a "Type" code that starts 8P, that would also be very useful.

[Oxylis]

I'll use the C word instead from now on ;)
I'll definitely do that. The manual is in the car... Which has been towed to Audi dealership so I won't get anything before Monday but I'll keep you in the loop.

[Crasher]

The oil change carried out more than likely has something to do with the Mechatronic units failure, basically it was too late!

[Oxylis]

The oil chnage carried out more than likely has something to do with the Mechatronic units failure, basically it was too late!

That's good to hear to be honest as I think that means they would repair/change the unit as part of warranty.
I'll keep you updated on Monday.

[Crasher]

I hope so, the point of the "campaign" is to prevent this exact same failure.

[Oxylis]

Quick update to let you know there is no update.

So far Audi has been very evasive as when it will be fixed. When I called again they said they had but didn't know what was wrong. And then again they said they needed to check...

My guess... They haven't actually checked anything yet... :(

[Oxylis]

Sorry for double posting.

Just back from Audi and they haven't looked at the car but it is in the workshop for investigation as I speak. I'll probably know more tomorrow-ish.

They couldn't give me a car though but ended up find a freaking Polo... Which they will swap on Wednesday for a decent car if mine isn't fixed.
Speaking to the customer care manager it seems he had confirmation from the technician that the issue is indeed linked to the campaign and the reason they changed the oil.

[Crasher]

Nothing wrong with a Polo, fine cars.

[Oxylis]

Great car indeed but I wasn't expecting a VW even though it's the same group.

They could tempt me with a new A3 instead :)

[Oxylis]

Got some news and they confirmed the mechatronic unit is fried because of a short circuit.
They have now sent the unit for "expertise" to find the root cause to either replace is as part of the campaign, or charge me for it (£1700!!).

Hopefully these would be covered as part of the warranty.

[Crasher]

I think they would be on dangerous ground not covering it being as the fault is expressly what the recall is intended to prevent and yours failed AFTER the recall had just been done.

[Oxylis]

I think so too but the fact that they are doing an "expertise" doesn't seem like a standard procedure to be. Hopefully they'll cover it let's see.

[Oxylis]

No much news today I had to call to get an update but there is no update really.
They are waiting for Audi to authorise a "goodwill gesture" to start fixing the car.

On a positive note, they are waiting for a car tonight for me to swap with the Polo.

[Oxylis]

Just got an email from Audi which confirmed, they would pay 100% of parts and 50% of labour.
This means I would have to pay £350! What do you guys think?

[alankru]

I would perhaps look at it this way; your DSG was faulty because at the time of purchase it was supplied with oil which has caused it to fail. Audi/VAG know this, which is why they are replacing the oil. As Crasher says, unfortunately it was too late for your gearbox. Therefore, you really have a case under the sale of goods act, which would mean that your labour cost should be 100% covered. See: https://www.moneyforce.org.uk/Managing-crises/Problems-with-things-youve-bought & http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/sale-of-goods-act . On this basis, if you feel up to it, I would quote the sale of goods act and push them for 100% labour or if you have no joy with this, try again for paying a smaller percentage of the labour. You might as well try.

[Oxylis]

Thank you alankru this is what I actually doing now with Audi UK directly who seems to be much better at listening than West London Audi.

I'm wrting a timeline of what happened if you guys want to have a read I'll post it here (removing the names of people involved).

[Oxylis]

If you guys want to read the details of the story, here it is:

_______


Early June
I contacted West London Audi to enquire about the new A3 e-tron. I requested to be informed as soon as display/test drive car would be available as I am very interested in replacing my 2009 Audi A3 (1.8T FSI S-Tronic) by an A3 e-tron. As we progressed through the discussion I was informed that my current A3 required the cam belt to be replaced in July. I was also informed of this in 2012 by Finchley Road Audi in their report when I serviced my car (I have this report if required).


Mid-June
I connected to Audi.co.uk and book a service for the Wednesday 2nd of July with a courtesy car for the day.


Mid-June
A few days later I was contacted by West London Audi who informed me that on top of the cam belt my car was recall for a security matter on the 7 speed semi-automatic gearbox. I was also informed that to avoid a short circuit in the mechatronic unit the synthetic oil in the gearbox would have to be changed to mineral oil. I was surprised and insisted that I was under the impression that this gearbox was sealed and shouldn't be serviced. I was told by West London Audi that it wasn't an issue as they had the tools and expertise to actually reseal these type of gearbox.
The car was then book for the 2nd and the 3rd of July to proceed with Cam Belt change and the recall campaign.


Wednesday 2nd of July morning
As I brought my car to West London Audi, the workshop manager informed me that there was no cam belt in my car but instead it was a timing chain which does not required to be changed. The car would now be booked only for the 2nd of July for the recall campaign.
I also mentioned my car is using about a litter of oil every 1500 miles and I was inform this was within standards which I was happy to get confirmation even though it does sound a lot.
On this day I was given as courtesy car (Q3 TDI S-Line manual).


Wednesday 2nd of July evening
I returned the Q3 to pick up my car and everything was ready. The car was still being tested on the road but was returned at about 6pm.
I was handed a Warranty free of charge invoice informing me that “34F4 workshop action” was carried out.
I was also requested to fill a survey to which I responded that I was satisfy with xxxxxx's work (She has now left the company).


Saturday 5th of July morning
I was going to start the car and nothing happened. After a few seconds of ignition the car beeped and displayed an error on the dashboard: “ESP Fault”.
There was nothing I could do so I call West London Audi who didn't want to assist even though the car was in their workshop in couple of days earlier. They requested that I call road side assistance and tow the car to their workshop.
Before towing the car the AA offered to look into the issue and noticed that the transmission fuse blew. As the technician replaced it, it instantly blew again. At this point the technician plugged a laptop to the car to check what was the issue.
After a few minutes the diagnostics came back with “Transmission unit issue” (This report was provided to West London Audi with the car).


Saturday 5th of July early afternoon
I contacted West London Audi to confirm they have received my car and they are able to look into it as a matter of urgency as it just came out of their workshop.
I was informed that they wouldn't be able to do anything before Monday morning and someone would contact me.
At this stage I was also informed that no courtesy car was available. I offered to rent a car and cross charge it West London Audi but it was refused.

Sunday 6th of July
I received a text message on my mobile indicating that my car was booked for Monday 7th of July at 8:20am.


Monday 7th of July 11am
No further contact was made so I contacted West London Audi who said they haven’t looked at my car yet. I request a courtesy car but again it was declined/unavailable. My contact at this point was xxxxxx who joined the company recently. I insisted that this was an usual case and should be dealt with by a more senior person in he team as most of his answers were "I need to double check" or "I'm not authorised to...".
I was informed I will be called back early afternoon when my car was inspected.


Monday 7th of July 3pm
I called again West London Audi for an update as no communication was made. I was informed my car was being investigated and I will receive an update later in the afternoon.
I took this opportunity to request again a courtesy car as it seemed this investigation would be taking a long time and I couldn't go to work on this day but had to be in my office on the next day.


Monday 7th of July 5pm
I received a phone call from xxxxxx informing me that he had a Volkswagen Polo available as courtesy car and it was the only car West London Audi could provide me with. I did not argue this as I really needed a car but I informed xxxxxx that it is too small and I would need him to swap the polo as soon as any other courtesy car came in.


Monday 7th of July 5:30pm
I met xxxxxx at West London Audi to pick up the VW Polo and reiterate the needs for it to be replaced or my car fixed ASAP. I was told that I was “pencilled in” for the next available one.
I was also informed the workshop suspects the mechatronic unit failed
I asked to be informed on the next steps in the morning.


Tuesday 8th of July morning
No one called me and I chased West London Audi who confirmed there is a short circuit in the mechatronic unit. They would now require more time investigate the issue.
At this point I explained that I’m very worry that it took 30 minutes for the AA to find the issue and a few minutes for me to research it online and connect all the dots to the recall campaign 34F4 with the help of other experts on Audi forums. It was clear to all that the issues are linked and I really felt everything West London Audi was doing was trying to reject the fault on other factors which they are not responsible for, hence the extra inspections and investigations.
I was also informed that the replacement of the mechatronic unit would cost £1.700. I refused to pay this amount as the issue is clearly linked to the work done on the car which was taken under warranty as part of the 34F4 campaign. I also explained that this issue could NOT be a coincidence.
Finally I was also informed that no courtesy cars were returned on this day and it was not possible to swap the VW Polo with an Audi car.

Tuesday 8th of July 1:30pm
I contacted again… West London Audi to request an update but reception informed me that no one could take my call.
After a few phone calls in the afternoon I am put through xxxxxx who kindly re-explained the situation but didn’t have any new details. She informed me that xxxxxx would call me when he is back to his desk.

Tuesday 8th of July 3pm
I received an email informing me that West London Audi requested a goodwill gesture to Audi UK on my behalf. This would cover 100% of parts and 50% of labour which would leave me liable for £348 of labour. Under normal circumstances I would have been delighted to receive such news but I was very surprised that a good will gesture was request as this is clearly a warranty related issue (or worst case scenario a human error in the workshop which should still be 100% covered).
I was informed by xxxxxx that there is nothing he can do from here and I needed to call the Audi UK customer service.
I requested again a courtesy car but was informed again that none of them were available to be swapped with the VW Polo. I insisted that I did not see why someone else could have the Polo. At this stage I also insisted on the fact that I have been patient and polite and felt that because I was not making a scene I was not placed in a priority queue.


Tuesday 8th of July 5pm
I contacted Audi UK customer service (xxxxxx took my call) who kindly assisted me on escalating this issue.
He also informed me that he couldn’t help the immediate issue of courtesy car but could help within 48 hours when the case manager contacts me this Friday.


Wednesday 9th of July morning
I received an email from West London Audi informing me that they were investigating my car service and I quote “transmission oil was not changed at 40000mls/4 years, this could have a bearing on things.”.
I immediately called West London Audi and informed them that the 7 speed s-tronic gearbox should not have its oil changed as it is a sealed gearbox. I pointed out that it was in the service book and I had this confirmed by West London Audi in July 2013 as well as Audi UK and was guaranteed it wasn't required.
I raised concerns about this as it is quite an important factor to understand what should and shouldn’t be done. No clear update or next step were explained so I have informed xxxxxx that I wouldn’t be communicating with West London Audi anymore and would only go through Audi UK in-writing for now.
I also requested again for a courtesy car swap but was informed that “only” 28 cars were available. I have offered to returned the VW Polo and rent a car for a few days but this was declined. I also suggested to simply give the Polo to someone else but this isn’t possible either apparently.
I finally informed xxxxxx that due to the lack of technical competency and lack of communication I would raise s formal complaints with Audi UK regarding this issue.

[alankru]

Thanks for that. Sadly, pretty much every paragraph of yours rings true of my experience of my local Audi dealership as well (high turnover of staff, lack of communication, incorrect technical advice, suitable courtesy cars and messing up the simplest of tasks either mechanically or billing wise). I'm glad to avoid Audi dealerships if I can help it. Unfortunately you cannot on this occasion and I wish you well in getting your issue resolved promptly and satisfactorily. Just something for you to think about - have you asked how long it will take for a mechatronic unit to come? (phone up the dealership parts department to ask)

[Oxylis]

Sad to hear you had issues too.

To be honest I never had any issue in last 5 years with the car (just service and normal maintenance) but I never was impressed with Audi customer service but I believe it is linked to the whole franchise thing in the UK. I called Audi UK a few times and they've been quite good.
Although it does worry me about the A3 e-tron which would be quite a new technology in term of service and repairs.

Regarding the unit they confirmed they had some in stock a couple of days ago (Edit: should I trust this? :D) and would "only" take 4-5 hours to replace it.

PS: Just clicked you FuELLY app link this looks, cool I'm going to give it a try :)

[Oxylis]

Another update if you are interested.

Friday afternoon I got a call from Audi UK who agreed I had a strong case and they would "suggest" to the dealership to cover 100% of the cost of the repairs as goodwill gesture.
I explained that it didn't make sense to talk about goodwill gesture and something is clearly under warranty as part of the campaign 34F4 but she said she couldn't do anything about this as it was "at the dealership discretion".
I found this interesting as the dealership was telling me that it all depended on Audi UK.

Anyway, I think I'll know more on Monday now, but it sounds like a lot of effort now for just £350 but I guess it's not about money anymore, it's about being heard and someone to take responsibilities!

Can you believe that all of this started because I wanted to buy a new car from them?! I guess Mercedes will be happy to sell an A250 (A45? ;)) very soon!

[Oxylis]

Great news, got a call from Audi and they are fixing the whole issue for free (including a brand new mechatronic unit with 2 years warranty) and refund the cost to tow the car. :)

[Crasher]

Excellent and what they should have done. The tow car refund is a nice touch, I hope it restores some of your faith in the brand so next time you don't buy a "foreign" car!

[Oxylis]

I guess I'll have a look at this e-tron after all. But I'll need a bit more convincing :)