Repair warranty help

[Paulro]

Our California went into limp mode last July in the middle of Spain.
VW assistance were superb and the vehicle was towed to a VW main dealer in Placencia where they diagnosed it needing a new turbo.
This took 5 days but eventually I was on my way with my wallet £1800.00 lighter.
The van didn't run as well as expected on route to the Algarve and on my return some weeks later the warning light appeared again and the van went into limp mode again.
It was towed back to the UK from Spain where Heritage in Bristol fitted a new intercooler.
Just before we went to France 3 weeks ago I took it to Heritage for a service and a free 34 point inspection where they diagnosed a leak from the manifold but said it was safe to travel.
It was a mistake with fumes causing headaches and drowsiness whilst driving and having to drive with the windows open in the cold and the rain.
Anyway, and to the point.
The Cali is in for repair and needs a new manifold that Heritage admit is damaged as a result of poor workmanship in Spain. A gasket was damaged or incorrectly fitted while the new turbo was being replaced.
I understand that work done under warranty is covered by VW and was told by one of their service managers that this work would be done through warranty but Heritage today have dismissed my compensation claims and the work will cost over £1000.00.
I can see that it is not Heritage's fault. They accept the damage is the result of poor work but not their work.
Just to add. The Cali has a full service history, all with main dealers from new.
What should I do?

 

[Amarillo]

What a nightmare for you!

Speak to Heritage again and find out who the decision maker was, and then find out how to appeal against the decision maker's decision, while trying to keep Heritage on your side.

Keep in mind that the problem might not be poor workmanship in Spain. It is very easy to pass the buck onto someone in a distant land, although in this case the Spanish garage might well be to blame.

 

[ArunAlec]

Have you spoken to VW Customer Service?

 

[Paulro]

Have you spoken to VW Customer Service?

Not yet. I am waiting for an email from Heritage and I'll do that next.

 

[VW Guru]

Hi I can see from your profile you have a 2007 140? I’m assuming it’s a 5 cylinder BNZ 130 engine ? If this is the cases then The manifolds were a common issue on these engines they used to warp due to high temperatures caused by dpf regen and the studs used to snap on cylinder 1 causing the leak. The manifold does not need to be removed to replace the turbo so I’m wondering what gasket they are on about? The fix is normally a modified exhaust manifold gasket and new manifold along with new studs and nuts.

 

[Eber123]

Good afternoon,

I am sorry to hear your ordeal. I think it is scary how high repairs can get - and most of them are out of the blue.

In about 4 weeks we are off to Europe and as part of the preparation I will contact Volkswagen Ireland with the query who will look after repair warranty?

If an official Volkswagen dealer does, using Volkswagen repair processes and Volkswagen original parts, a repair is this repair under warranty from Volkswagen or the dealer?

Surely if you are in a different country it is more then impractical to raise a claim against a dealer abroad.

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[Paulro]

Heritage have told me that the gasket on the manifold was fitted incorrectly and has caused the problem with the manifold.They even confirmed the work was warranty work last week then changed their minds seemingly when they had to order a new manifold. All I know from the Spanish end was that they asked me if I lived near a beach because the nuts were very tight. The guys at Bristol Heritage wondered if the manifold was removed to gain better access to the turbo.?

 

[Paulro]

Hi I can see from your profile you have a 2007 140? I’m assuming it’s a 5 cylinder BNZ 130 engine ? If this is the cases then The manifolds were a common issue on these engines they used to warp due to high temperatures caused by dpf regen and the studs used to snap on cylinder 1 causing the leak. The manifold does not need to be removed to replace the turbo so I’m wondering what gasket they are on about? The fix is normally a modified exhaust manifold gasket and new manifold along with new studs and nuts.

This is from Heritage Vw. What do you think?
We have found leak from the gaskets between the turbo and exhaust manifold and also oil from the turbo O-ring. The vehicle would require new gaskets and O-ring, we suspect this is due to a repair carried out in Spain, where they have crushed the gasket on fitting.

 

[VW Guru]

This is from Heritage Vw. What do you think?
We have found leak from the gaskets between the turbo and exhaust manifold and also oil from the turbo O-ring. The vehicle would require new gaskets and O-ring, we suspect this is due to a repair carried out in Spain, where they have crushed the gasket on fitting.

Hi ok so there is a gasket and a collapsible washer between the turbo and exhaust manifold however if the gasket is not correctly fitted then the three m8 securing bolts that’s secure the turbo to the manifold flange don’t normally fit back in. It is easy to get the gasket twisted slightly as the turbo is fitted however this normally leads to the aforementioned fitting problem. For this to have happened the workmanship must have been very poor. Have heritage taken your vehicle apart already?

 

[Paulro]

Hi ok so there is a gasket and a collapsible washer between the turbo and exhaust manifold however if the gasket is not correctly fitted then the three m8 securing bolts that’s secure the turbo to the manifold flange don’t normally fit back in. It is easy to get the gasket twisted slightly as the turbo is fitted however this normally leads to the aforementioned fitting problem. For this to have happened the workmanship must have been very poor. Have heritage taken your vehicle apart already?

They have taken the turbo off. I have asked them to take pictures of what they found to be poor workmanship. Also vw customer service have told me that I’ll have to take this up with the Spanish. I foresee problems. One point you may be able to help with. Having had a new turbo fitted I expected the van to run really well but it was very flat and my mpg to Portugal from Spain was terrible. Also just before I left the algarve to come back home the diesel particulate light came on. This had never happened before. The van was still very flat and drinking petrol on the way back before a warning light appeared again and the van went into limp mode. It was taken to the same Spanish garage who spent 4 days looking before they admitted they couldn’t fix it. I had it towed back to heritage vw in Bristol where they immediately found a leaking intercooler which was replaced. Could these things be linked?

 

[TripleBee]

They have taken the turbo off. I have asked them to take pictures of what they found to be poor workmanship. Also vw customer service have told me that I’ll have to take this up with the Spanish. I foresee problems. One point you may be able to help with. Having had a new turbo fitted I expected the van to run really well but it was very flat and my mpg to Portugal from Spain was terrible. Also just before I left the algarve to come back home the diesel particulate light came on. This had never happened before. The van was still very flat and drinking petrol on the way back before a warning light appeared again and the van went into limp mode. It was taken to the same Spanish garage who spent 4 days looking before they admitted they couldn’t fix it. I had it towed back to heritage vw in Bristol where they immediately found a leaking intercooler which was replaced. Could these things be linked?

If the Spanish do a repair and don't find anything wrong when there is definately something wrong after the repair, these things can be linked.
Unless they fixed the turbo for nothing, not really diagnosing the problem and just think that it may be that because they already had the turbo going dead before.

 

[Paulro]

If the Spanish do a repair and don't find anything wrong when there is definately something wrong after the repair, these things can be linked.
Unless they fixed the turbo for nothing, not really diagnosing the problem and just think that it may be that because they already had the turbo going dead before.

The van was in limp mode when it arrived at the Spanish Vw dealership. They identified a new turbo was needed although I’d have to say the van was running beautifully on the same morning as the light came on. They didn’t repair it free of charge. It wasn’t under warranty and cost £1800.

 

[Perfectos]

Did you pay for the Spanish repair on credit card?
If so contact your credit card company
Even if you only partially paid on cc

 

[Paulro]

Did you pay for the Spanish repair on credit card?
If so contact your credit card company
Even if you only partially paid on cc

No I didn’t but I think you are correct. I have one but I don’t use it but in this case I’d have a much better chance of being able to claim something back.

 

[Paulro]

They have taken the turbo off. I have asked them to take pictures of what they found to be poor workmanship. Also vw customer service have told me that I’ll have to take this up with the Spanish. I foresee problems. One point you may be able to help with. Having had a new turbo fitted I expected the van to run really well but it was very flat and my mpg to Portugal from Spain was terrible. Also just before I left the algarve to come back home the diesel particulate light came on. This had never happened before. The van was still very flat and drinking petrol on the way back before a warning light appeared again and the van went into limp mode. It was taken to the same Spanish garage who spent 4 days looking before they admitted they couldn’t fix it. I had it towed back to heritage vw in Bristol where they immediately found a leaking intercooler which was replaced. Could these things be linked?

I just want to say that these reports suggest a vehicle that is a huge problem when in fact it has hardly missed a beat in the 8 years that we’ve had it. It’s cherished and loved and serviced on time at main dealers. It’s had new discs and pads, turbo, intercooler and now a new manifold, all in the last 2 years. It’s a late 2007 van so I guess that this is normal for a nearly 12 yr old van. We can’t wait for our next trip in less than 3 weeks time to France, Spain and Portugal and, fingers crossed it’ll do what it always does. Put a smile on our faces. However, I don’t appreciate poor workmanship, especially from trained technicians that VW are happy to commend and that are the basis of their reliable after sales peace of mind that leads to product alliance.

 

[Perfectos]

I just want to say that these reports suggest a vehicle that is a huge problem when in fact it has hardly missed a beat in the 8 years that we’ve had it. It’s cherished and loved and serviced on time at main dealers. It’s had new discs and pads, turbo, intercooler and now a new manifold, all in the last 2 years. It’s a late 2007 van so I guess that this is normal for a nearly 12 yr old van. We can’t wait for our next trip in less than 3 weeks time to France, Spain and Portugal and, fingers crossed it’ll do what it always does. Put a smile on our faces. However, I don’t appreciate poor workmanship, especially from trained technicians that VW are happy to commend and that are the basis of their reliable after sales peace of mind that leads to product alliance.

Hi Paulao,
The fact that VW took your vehicle to their prefered repairer should give you a strong legal position.
I.e your vehicle was taken to a repair centre that VW chose, not you.
Therefore the repair should be covered by VW regardless of where the vehicle was repaired.
Once again the question of integrity of VW guarantee promise has been brought into doubt.
Was Your repair is guaranteed ?
You just need to make VW honour that guarantee.
I suspect the logistics of the paperwork will make your task more difficult, but you should be able to persuade VW that you havE a very valid case, considering that VW exclusively arranged and effected the repair, regardless of whom and where the repair was carried out !
Legally there is a case to answer by VW under European law !
It is for VW to correct, but I suspect you will need to draw their attention to the fact.
Do you pay for VW assist ? I suspect yes, this further strengthens your case as you entrust VW to recover your vehicle and present it to an “authorised” VW repairer to carry out a proper repair ( that you paid for, not a free repair)
The fact is VW did exactly that, you entrusted “VW” the company, to select their prefered repairer, the repair has been found to be substandard and is faulty, as has been identified by another approved VW Repairer, therefore the original repair was defective and is covered by the VW group (world wide) warranty?

 

[Paulro]

Hi Paulao,
The fact that VW took your vehicle to their prefered repairer should give you a strong legal position.
I.e your vehicle was taken to a repair centre that VW chose, not you.
Therefore the repair should be covered by VW regardless of where the vehicle was repaired.
Once again the question of integrity of VW guarantee promise has been brought into doubt.
Was Your repair is guaranteed ?
You just need to make VW honour that guarantee.
I suspect the logistics of the paperwork will make your task more difficult, but you should be able to persuade VW that you havE a very valid case, considering that VW exclusively arranged and effected the repair, regardless of whom and where the repair was carried out !
Legally there is a case to answer by VW under European law !
It is for VW to correct, but I suspect you will need to draw their attention to the fact.
Do you pay for VW assist ? I suspect yes, this further strengthens your case as you entrust VW to recover your vehicle and present it to an “authorised” VW repairer to carry out a proper repair ( that you paid for, not a free repair)
The fact is VW did exactly that, you entrusted “VW” the company, to select their prefered repairer, the repair has been found to be substandard and is faulty, as has been identified by another approved VW Repairer, therefore the original repair was defective and is covered by the VW group (world wide) warranty?

Thanks for this. Your points give me some hope and point me in the right direction.

 

[VW Guru]

They have taken the turbo off. I have asked them to take pictures of what they found to be poor workmanship. Also vw customer service have told me that I’ll have to take this up with the Spanish. I foresee problems. One point you may be able to help with. Having had a new turbo fitted I expected the van to run really well but it was very flat and my mpg to Portugal from Spain was terrible. Also just before I left the algarve to come back home the diesel particulate light came on. This had never happened before. The van was still very flat and drinking petrol on the way back before a warning light appeared again and the van went into limp mode. It was taken to the same Spanish garage who spent 4 days looking before they admitted they couldn’t fix it. I had it towed back to heritage vw in Bristol where they immediately found a leaking intercooler which was replaced. Could these things be linked?

Hi @Paulro sorry for the late reply yes these two things are linked and I would suspect that it was your intercooler that had gone the whole time the steel braces that hold the intercooler to stop them blowing apart under boost pressure corrode after a while and snap the intercooler then expands and contracts every time you accelerate and decelerate after a period of Rhine the aluminum cooler cracks normally on the reverse side against the normal radiator. This then leads to a lack of power and black smoke from the exhaust. Which in turn would have coaked up your dpf and caused the dpf light to come on. Poor workmanship and diagnoses entirely by the garage you want to in Spain unfortunately.

 

[Perfectos]

Is this the Spanish dealer ?

Santano Automoción, Concesionario Audi, Volkswagen, Das Weltauto, Audi Service, Volkswagen Comerciales en Cáceres, Cáceres | Coches segunda mano, nuevos y de ocasión en Cáceres

Concesionario Oficial Volkswagen y Audi en Cáceres y Plasencia

www.santanoautomocion.com

 

[Paulro]

No, it was the VW dealer in Plasencia

 

[2into1]

Hi I can see from your profile you have a 2007 140? I’m assuming it’s a 5 cylinder BNZ 130 engine ? If this is the cases then The manifolds were a common issue on these engines they used to warp due to high temperatures caused by dpf regen and the studs used to snap on cylinder 1 causing the leak. The manifold does not need to be removed to replace the turbo so I’m wondering what gasket they are on about? The fix is normally a modified exhaust manifold gasket and new manifold along with new studs and nuts.

I've had the soapy water out today trying to trace some weak exhaust fumes in the cab. I've the BNZ 130 engine with the cast manifold. I had some slight bubbles on the EGR pipe gasket (fixed easily enough) but am now seeing probably a bigger leak (I think) near the turbo.
I wonder if @VW Guru could give any advice based on the following photo (looking down the back of the engine towards cylinder 5...offside of the van).
Hoping for an ID on which part or gasket is likely to have failed based on the limited photo, and if its a manifold off job to swap it out. Any help much appreciated!

 

[VW Guru]

I've had the soapy water out today trying to trace some weak exhaust fumes in the cab. I've the BNZ 130 engine with the cast manifold. I had some slight bubbles on the EGR pipe gasket (fixed easily enough) but am now seeing probably a bigger leak (I think) near the turbo.
I wonder if @VW Guru could give any advice based on the following photo (looking down the back of the engine towards cylinder 5...offside of the van).
Hoping for an ID on which part or gasket is likely to have failed based on the limited photo, and if its a manifold off job to swap it out. Any help much appreciated!
View attachment 51541

Hi if I’m looking at the picture correctly it looks like your turbo is covered in soot ? If so then either the nuts have become loose on cylinders 1 and 2 or a stud has snapped normally the manifold is also severely warped in cylinder 1 a new manifold, studs and gasket is required. The engine runs cylinder 1-5 from air box cyl 1 to gearbox end cyl 5

 

[2into1]

Hi if I’m looking at the picture correctly it looks like your turbo is covered in soot ? If so then either the nuts have become loose on cylinders 1 and 2 or a stud has snapped normally the manifold is also severely warped in cylinder 1 a new manifold, studs and gasket is required. The engine runs cylinder 1-5 from air box cyl 1 to gearbox end cyl 5

Thanks @VW Guru. I'm not sure of the layout down there (I could do with finding a nice schematic @WelshGas always manages to find! I've uploaded a short video showing the bubbles from soapy water spray. Engine had been stopped a couple of hours and this was moments after start up. Focus improves after half way.

 

[westfalia]

Thanks @VW Guru. I'm not sure of the layout down there (I could do with finding a nice schematic @WelshGas always manages to find! I've uploaded a short video showing the bubbles from soapy water spray. Engine had been stopped a couple of hours and this was moments after start up. Focus improves after half way.

Did you check the manifold also with fairy?

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks @VW Guru. I'm not sure of the layout down there (I could do with finding a nice schematic @WelshGas always manages to find! I've uploaded a short video showing the bubbles from soapy water spray. Engine had been stopped a couple of hours and this was moments after start up. Focus improves after half way.

Any help?

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