Engine 4 and counting-Thats VW genuine parts!!

[flyferrari 0]

As those that saw my last engine related post will note that I bought my car with a 4000mile/16 month old engine in it that had been fitted by VW using all genuine parts, including the lump itself. It went porous and blew the head gasket just after I got it. New engine fitted by my local dealer under warranty last week. That lasted 15 miles.....yes 15!!!!!...before the gasket went on that. Today they fitted ANOTHER new engine. That didn't even make it out of the workshop before the gasket blew. What the f**k is going on.

 

Just to add insult to injury, the rear-most subframe captive nut has stripped/broken free and they are saying I will have to pay for this to be fixed. Is this even reasonable? Apparently they will have to cut into the chassis leg to remedy! Does anyone know what is really involved to fix this properly?

 

Thanks in advance for any help/advice.

 

Regards

 

Kevin

[double-6s 0]

WTF!!??

 

What engine is it mate? Valver?

 

Has anyone said why they think it keeps happening? What are they replacing each time? Head or complete engine?

 

Very odd!!

[flyferrari 0]

Sorry, should have said. Its a VR and they are replacing the WHOLE engine each time. Just ancilliarys are swapped over. They say the block/head is porous but I'm not convinced they know what is really wrong.

 

Kevin

[Dubsingh 0]

take the car to vince at stealth

[dr_mat 0]

take the car to vince at stealth

 

Bit late for that.

 

Why did they break the subframe mount point when swapping the engine? That's just sloppy.

 

Might be worth having a strop if the *next* engine dies too and insist that you will take the car to *your* chosen repairer and *they* will pay for it. (They might be pleasantly surprised at the price if you go to somewhere like Stealth! :) )

[Yandards 0]

It could actually be a dodgy batch of engines but the VR block is not know for going porus, unlike the Rover K series, and the porus issue usually takes some time to occur.

 

Are they even swapping the engine?

 

As for the subframe nut and bolt.

 

Find out if it has stripped or if it has broken free.

 

If it has stripped then tell them to refer to the Corrado General Body repairs manual 40-10 for how to fix it. (its basically drill and re-tap it.)

[flyferrari 0]

Hi Guys,

 

New engines are going in each time, fully built up by VW in Germany. Only the ancilliaries (alternator, starter motor etc.) are being swaped over.

 

The subframe problem is this. The rear, off-side mounting captive nut has broken free and is spinning. I now know that this involves removal of the interior carpet, cutting a hole in the floor and welding in a new captive nut. This is BIG money and VW are saying I will have to pay for this myself. B******ks to that. I will get the engine side of things done and then I'll be getting the beast up to C and R in Nottinham for a proper repair. I don't want a YTS body shop bloke anywere near my interior.....I need a company that has done this work before, not a learn-on-the-job outfit! I'm hopping mad now and I'm frankly surprised I haven't yelled at anyone yet. I can see lawyers getting involved with this.

 

Thanks for the info chaps.

 

Regards

 

Kevin

[Pickard1 0]

Does the 'ancilliaries' include water pump?

 

Are they putting all the pipes back right? I had a mate who changed his head and routed a coolant pipe into oil and vice versa. The result was the engine instantly dieing and mayonaise everywhere!!!!

 

Hmmm...what about the oil cooler......

 

It all sounds like bollocks to me, the block and head castings should be pressure tested before leaving the supplier.

[Skimask 0]

I don't think the VW garage have thought this one through. the first Engine is goosed - find out what caused the problem, that should be their first port of call. The only porosity they've encountered is in the fitters heads! You'd think after the second one went they would start looking at (a) the ancillaries (common denominator here) or (b) their methods.

It's probably something simple like the thermostat is stuck shut - making the engine overheat like crazy. On a new engine with everything tight, it's disastrous!

[Crasher 3]

take the car to vince at stealth

 

Hasn't it already been there Kev?

[flyferrari 0]

Hi Guys,

 

It hasn't been to Stealth but, to be honest, if I had a choice about who was going to do the work it would be at C & R already. Unfortunately they would charge for their labour(outragous!!!!) and VW will not. Mind you at the rate they are screwing other things up then there may be a break even point soon. The water pump was new just before the latest two engine were fitted. Whilst we're at it the engine was new, the rad was brand new, the hoses are new, the heater matrix and heater box are new (you should see the price of those from the stealers!!), the ignition leads are new, the thermostat/housing are new. You see the problem. VW are taking the head off this latest engine to see if they can see what is going on. I shall wait with baited breath....not!!!

 

Regards

 

Kevin

[Kevin Bacon 5]

It's cheaper for VW to send over new engines than pay some dingbat £100 an hour to diagnose a problem. They have zero interest in finding the root cause, they just want the customers out of the way as soon as possible so that they can get on with selling new cars instead.

 

If the head gasket keeps failing, then it's a production line problem. Head isn't machined flat, not torqued up properly, etc etc.... but it's their problem. Ask them to send over a 24V instead ;-)

 

As for the captive nut failing. That is unfortunately 'an act of nature'. VW are not responsible for breaking a nut/bolt caused by 14 years of corrosion and are right to claim the labour costs. It's a discretion thing. I've known Stealth to swallow the bill for a broken captive nut quite a few times. It's either that or charge the customer £5 billion in labour and never see them again, and get lambasted on forums and at meets etc. VW have no interest in repeat custom unless it's for a new car so have no qualms in handing you a bill for a grand in labour.

[coolrado 0]

I know you said the thermostat has been replaced but are you sure it is actually working, i have heard a few stories now of new OEM stats that are stuck closed, one person even went through 6 new ones before they found one that actually worked.

I had one faulty stat from VW so I decided to use a non OEM stat instead, i now allways check new stats with the old boiling water in a pint glass test before I fit them.

[flyferrari 0]

I take your point about the captive nut being an "act of nature" but that would apply the first time they removed the subframe. The first time they removed the engine it all went back together fine so the any element of siezed bolt syndrome had been dealt with. To take the engine out that way is questionable anyway but to do it twice is asking for it. The nut became free during the second removal and frankly that screams cross thread carelessness to me. Hell, there's even a VW approved procedure for how to deal with a cross threaded nut. I will be fighting any charges that head my way vigorously upto and including the likes of watchdog. I imagine VW would love to see their parts reliablilty questioned so publicly.

 

Regards

 

Kevin

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yeah that's true, it's usually the first time the bolt is removed after X amount of years that it goes twang, but as you say, they'd already removed it a couple of times (which I overlooked) so the most likely cause is cross threading then.

 

Anyone who knows what a spanner is should be familiar with cross threading, but they probably just blasted it in with an airgun and didn't know until it was too late. So yep, you do have a case there for negiligance. I suspect the dealers just drop the whole subframe as they do in the factory. They have the necessary tools and ramp clearance to do it and it's a lot quicker than pulling the lump out from the top.

 

The trick with the subframe bolts is to first tighten them to crack off any loose rust, loosen them a turn or so, soak with release spray, then continue loosening, tightening, loosening till it eases out. Then, with new or the existing bolts, cut two vertical slots down the first cm of thread with a grinder and wind them back in, which will recut the threads in the captive nut and clear out any crud....and of course, tonnes of copper grease!