2002 Beetle Fuel Injection Pump issues

kehughes90265

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Location
Malibu California
TDI
Beetle
I have a 2002 Beetle TDi with 69,000 miles, it wouldn't start last Friday and I have been using B5, I have only been using Dino Diesel for the last few weeks. I assumed that the filter was blocked and had it towed to the VW Dealer (Neftin in Westlake, CA).

They told me the FIP needed replacing but will not tell me why, they told me that it would not be covered by VW warranty because any Biodiesel use invalidated the warranty, they say they were told this by VW.

I have called the VW Customer Relations and they say I should not hold out much help of it being covered because they trust the Dealer technicians. They want $2000 for the fix

I have pointed the dealer to the B5 news release in 2005 by VW, who is now asking VW again if it is covered by the warranty. Since Friday I have had to phone them 8 times to get an update and they have returned only one of my calls, meanwhile I am having to rent a car

Any advice welcomed
 

tditom

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Location
Jackson, MI
TDI
formerly: 2001 Golf GL, '97 Passat (RIP) '98 NB, '05 B5 sedan
why would your 2002 with 69K miles still be in warranty anyways?

if they're not going to fix it for free, then you'd best get it to a tdiclub guru. Try Harvieux.
 

kehughes90265

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Location
Malibu California
TDI
Beetle
Apparently ther is a California Emmissions warranty to 70,000 and the fuel injection pump is part of that

They have told me that is would be covered but for using Biodiesel
 

tditom

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Location
Jackson, MI
TDI
formerly: 2001 Golf GL, '97 Passat (RIP) '98 NB, '05 B5 sedan
I don't see how the pump is part of the emissions warranty. If they are stonewalling you on the B5 issue, then here is my advice:
get it away from the dealer and into the hands of a tdiclub guru. There is a good possibility that the pump has a leak and can be fixed with a $10 part.
 

kehughes90265

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Location
Malibu California
TDI
Beetle
Just called again to get progress (of course they did not call me) and was told that only new cars can use B5, not an old (2002) new Beetle (and if you need warranty work done you have to have reciepts from the fuel stations for the B5 or they assume it has been made in the back yard (which it wasn't).

I am getting really angry with the lack of customer service at the dealer, but there does not seem to be any route to enforce the warranty except in court. They are suppsed to get me a final decision today from VW, I assume that I will not get a call even if they do hear back.

Does anyone have any connections in VW corporate or any other ideas.

At the end of today I will probably have the car towed to Wild Rose who did a great job at a timing belt change a while ago, and they were pleasant to deal with!!
 

tditom

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Location
Jackson, MI
TDI
formerly: 2001 Golf GL, '97 Passat (RIP) '98 NB, '05 B5 sedan
i can't post the .pdf, but I have a brochure from VW printed in 2005 that says:
As a result of a major joint research project between Volkswagen Group and the prominent agricultural products firm Archer Daniels Midland Company, and improvements in the specifications for biodiesel fuel in North America, Volkswagen has determined that diesel fuel containing up to five percent biodiesel meets the technical specifications for VW vehicles equipped with TDI engines imported to the US. Therefore, the diesel fuel commonly known as "B5 biodeisel" is acceptable for use in all our TDI vehicles.
the brochure appears to be Part No. W42VWBOD05

Look, they are probably doing you a favor by denying you warranty coverage. If they are like 90% of the dealerships out there, they will throw expensive parts at your problem and screw it up worse than it started off with.

You already have done business with Leonard. There is no reason not to remove it from the incompetent ones and give it to a guru. ;)
 

weedeater

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 17, 2001
Location
Reston, VA
TDI
Jetta, 2001, Baltic Green
I would like to know how they determined it was a pump issue.

There are some pump issues (fuel temp sender, some of the seals, etc) that are easy fixes and don't require replacement of the pump. But a VW dealer will only replace the pump as a single unit at $2grand a pop.
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
weedeater said:
There are some pump issues (fuel temp sender, some of the seals, etc) that are easy fixes and don't require replacement of the pump. But a VW dealer will only replace the pump as a single unit at $2grand a pop.
This is correct, but don't go hatin the dealer for that. That pump is a sealed unit and the only people that are supposed to open it is a certified repair shop that will return to as new condition. If the dealer opened up that pump, they could be hit with something like a $100,000 fine. (maybe it's $10,000, but anyway...)

Then there is the liability of just opening it up. From that point on, if anything goes wrong with that pump, the customer will say that the dealer screwed it up and it's just not worth the potential problem.

That's why it's better to take the car to someone other than the dealer for injection pump problems.
 
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