My experience is overall negative with VW autoworks. One of the worst experiences I've had with any mechanic, filled with dishonesty and unethical behavior.
I had a Glow plug CEL code that required me to replace the Glow Plug fuse on my 96' B4 (everything else relevant was replaced already, although I wasn't entirely confident to rule that out). It's a pretty common issue on these cars. I couldn't find the fuse, and as it turns out it was VERY hidden (I read this is caused by a variety of people installing them in different locations at the factory).
Glow plug reference sticky for B4
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=204372
So I decided to take my
running car it in to this local VW shop and tell them to diagnose it and replace the fuse. They initially came back to me and told me that it was the coolant fuse on the firewall, I told them that wasn't it and that it was under the dash,(see the reference sticky above) I needed them to find it and I thought their experience might would be better served finding that
Anyway, I guess I wasn't believed so they suggested trying different spare relays that would be relevant, including the 109 and the my 96' model GP 103 relay. I provided the photos and text of the relays (see reference sticky). I figured no harm. No results. I mentioned that the 97' model used a 180 relay but that it didn't apply to this car (may have been a big mistake to mention this) as shown in the 97 photo, but it showed the GP fuse..so I showed it. I suspect that the tech ali inserted it and tested it although he denied it for about 3 days until a seriously confronted him on it.This alone is completely unacceptable.
It was plain dishonesty.
After this, All future tests of the GP harness getting voltage/power failed... on top of it..my engine wouldn't start and the power windows/radio wouldn't work. Also, I noticed the door chime and cluster lights on the bottom were no longer working when the key was inserted. I later realized my radio wiring was shorted out as well when I got home.
from B4 GP sticky
Important Note: The wiring harness change in the B4 TDI took place part way through the 1997 model year. According to the Bentley manual the change over took place at the end of October 1996 for the last of the early, BK/GQ/103 wiring harness, with a November 1996 start for the later, FA/180 wiring harness. Very early 1997 models, those built in June through October of 1996, might therefore have a harness similar to the 1996 models and would require the "103" relay.
The glow plug relays are not interchangeable between harnesses. The relays and/or the wiring harnesses can be damaged, and wiring harness fire inside the cabin is a real possibility, due to the dead shorts created by improper glow plug relay use.
Lug Nut, can you comment on any variations in GP relay locations for Canadian-supplied TDI's? (maybe they are not different...?)
A good friend of mine "lost" his TDI to a fat-fingered mechanic here in South Carolina who decided to plug a "180" into position #12 on his 1999 Jetta. it's too late for the car, but someone else might have a Jetta from "up-Nawth" and run across this same problem.
Mine was similarly 'serviced' with a duplicate glow relay in #12 when I rescued it from the prior owner's mechanic. There was no apparent damage from this period.
There was some wiring insulation melted through and shorted wires, but once those were cut out and replaced, and the offending relay removed, the starter no longer spun up and engaged each time the clutch was pressed to the floor to shift.
"Friend's" computer got toasted.
Shop offered him the blue-book $...the car had over 150K miles on it (and got 52 mpg+ on the road.)
No-one around here uses this shop any more...
Their excuse was "Oh, it must have come from CANADA" (!) since he originally bought it in Maine.
There is no end of ways to screw-up something when you don't know what you are doing!!
Lug_Nut said:
it was due to the wrong glow plug relay being installed instead of the correct one. A fuse would have oveheated and opened the circuit before damage occurred, the wrong relay made an unfused circuit and the wire itself became an electric heater.
A bundle of about 8 wires overheated from electricity constantly flowing through the wrong relay and through one wire. The heat produced within this one wire melted the vinyl insulators where the other wires were touching this overheating one.
remove the complete fuse cover over the pedals, remove the clam-shell around the steering column. Carefullt check the wire harnesses behind / above the fuse block and along the steering column. All the wires should be separate, maybe cable tied to, but not bonded to, any other wires that touch.
I eventually had to show them where the GP fuse was after searching thoroughly (It was a b*). That got replaced. I should have just done it myself
Continuing to get the car running again. Ali suspected the alarm control module was the starting issue because no signal was being transmitted after turning the key. Ali jumped the alarm control module and was able to get the starter to engage when turning the key. I ended up buying an Alarm control module because he thought it could be defective. This did nothing. Even after jumping however, no power was getting to the fuel pump and the engine did not start. This alarm module bypass did nothing for my cluster lights or windows either.
Testing voltage and other places revealed that the ECU was only getting ground when the key was turned.
I confronted Ali early in the morning 4 days after my car was dropped off about inserting the 180 into my 96' model and finally after about 3 days of denying inserting the wrong fuse. Stating in fact I saw him take it to the car. He admitted to it and said it would fit rather weird and not well. I took this as a sign of honesty, finally. Ali was working hard on my car and had offered to fix all of it for free. My wife showed up, as I obviously didn't have a ride and made some comments. I was rather upset, mainly for being lied to about it but I declined his free offer due to his sincerity and that I wanted my car out asap.
Continuing on the car. the ignition switch was suspected the previous day and it came in. it worked. My Radio power connections are still shorted out to this day however.
I ended up getting billed $240. This was just for my car to get running on an new ignition switch (not installed) and fuse installed +labor. Air bag not installed, just enough to get moving. Keaton has since told me he didn't know Ali offered to fix it all for free.
The GP still throws the code, btw..even when cleared. The fuse is good, not burnt.
My experience was a waste of time and full of dishonesty on their part.
I wasn't gonna post this experience at all as I had settled things reasonably with my visit Ali, and I just wanted my car on the road. But the arrogance and inaccuracy of the crap just annoyed the **** out of me. Keaton posted this about me and my wife on my car issue.
Keaton: i dew knot knoe why n.a.s.a. engineers think thye know everything but cannot apply it! why? they come over with all this paper nicely printed and stapled showing me there opinion. well why did you bring it here? u couldnt fix it so , as i ask, dont mess up my steps to diagnose.
11 hours ago · View feedback (13)Hide feedback (13)
Keaton: the nasa guys wife came over telling me were suppossed to fix cars not break them. so while shes yelling at ali i did what i wanted to do in the first place and what do you think happened??????????? i found the problem and started the car! relax!!!!!! let us do our jobs and u can go and do yours ! dont need u to push us
Pretty ****ing unprofessional