I feel that I must post this warning to any VAG owners in the North East of the UK (Tyne and Wear area). If this is you PLEASE READ!!!

I did, for about a month or so, have problems with the temperature gauge on my 04 Passat Tdi. It would randomly go up and down while driving. After consulting numerous posts I realised that it could be either my temp sensor/sender (the one on the radiator inlet), or my thermostat. I replaced both to no avail. I tried a few other things and discovered that the water in the system wasn’t circulating so I decided to take it to a specialist. This is where things got VERY frustrating and expensive.

I found a “VAG specialist” in Newcastle called Pitstop (near to the Metro Radio Arena) and called in to see if they could help, Within a few minutes of talking to one of the mechanics he diagnosed a faulty water pump, repair cost £230. He also told me that I could cause major damage driving the car so I parked it up for about a week until they could fit it in.

I dropped the car off on a Thursday morning before going to work; the guy said it would be sorted by mid afternoon. I phoned the garage at about 2pm to see how things were going, the guy told me that it wasn’t my water pump causing the problem and that he thought that my radiator was blocked, he said that he didn’t have enough time to change it out so it wouldn’t be ready until Friday lunchtime. Fair enough I thought, at least it’ll be sorted. I took a half days holiday from work to go and pick it up. I called the garage at about 13.00 to say that I was on my way, only to be told that changing the radiator had not resolved the problem and that they thought that it was the temperature sensor/sender (the one I’d already replaced). “Could you give us an hour or so to sort it?” said the guy. Ok, I’ll go for a walk around the town.

My phone rang at about 14.10, it was the garage “It’s all sorted you can come and pick up your car”, brilliant I thought, took a while but got there in the end. When I got to the garage my first question was “what was the problem and is it fixed?”

“Yes it’s spot on, we’ve had it out for a test drive and its fine, It was your thermostat”.

But I had changed my thermostat a week ago, as well as the temperature sensor/ sender. What the hell was going on?? And the bill £280. The guy said that “I’ve had to charge you for the removal & refitting of the water pump and timing belt as we had to check it. “Ok” I said “was it ok then?” “yes” was the response I’ve had it in my hands and it looks fine. I paid the bill and jumped into my car, within 500 yards the temperature gauge started to do its merry little jig again. As you can appreciate I was none to pleased, so I raced back to the garage to complain, after much to’n and fro’n (and a lot of bad language on my part) the guy gave me my money back (less the cost of the radiator £140).

Out of shear frustration / desperation I went to my local VW dealer, the guy there had a good look at the car, pulled a couple of pipes off and then said “your water pumps knackered!” I booked it in and they replaced the water pump and a sensor on the BACK of the engine block that sends the temperature to the gauge on the dash. The mechanic at VW said that when he removed the pump it was “obviously faulty” and that in his opinion the guys at Pitstop could not have removed it or they would have known it was damaged. Since picking my car up from VW it has been fine the gauge dose what it’s supposed to do and my water is circulating with no problem at all, the cost this time £395.

I am now talking to trading standards who have said that I should NOT have been charged for the replacement of the radiator as it did not solve the problem and that the old radiator would not have caused the water pump to fail. I will let you guys know what happens.

I am sure that many people have used this garage and had no problems, but after talking to VW I feel that Pitstop should not promote themselves as specialists when they can’t sort a problem that the had diagnosed correctly in the first place.

Moderators.
I have tried my best to be as impartial as possible (given the circumstances), and I don’t think that I have breached any of the posing rules, If I have, I will endeavour to resolve any issues contained within my post.