Mechanic cracked my TDI plastic engine cover

Ry-dog

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Location
Central Mass
TDI
2014 Jetta Sportswagen
And of course they won't return my phone calls about it. I was just under the hood the day before it went in to the mechanic and it was perfectly fine. When I got it back from the mechanic and was looking under the hood the next day, I could see a long crack along the back of the cover. I attempted to take the cover off, but it was already broken and was breaking in two. Upon closer inspection, it is clear to me that an attempt was made to glue it because flaky glue residue is all around the crack/break.

I want a new cover or a good used one and I believe it should be the mechanic's resposibility to take care of this.

Is this unreasonable to think the mechanic should take care of this?

He probably thinks its this stupid ornamental plastic gizmo, but its a 2004 Golf and I want it to look good both inside the hood and out.
 

bjwhite41

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 19, 2005
Location
Jonesboro, AR
TDI
'05 TDI Golf
Hiding behind the phone. They just admitted that they did it. I'd take a drive back down there. It's amazing what an in-person visit can accomplish.

Good luck.
 

Bob_Fout

Oil Wanker
Joined
Sep 5, 2004
Location
Indiana
TDI
2003 Jetta - Alaska Green (sold) / 2015 GTI 2.0T
If he broke it, he should replace it. It does deaden the sound and keep heat in.
 

Bob_Fout

Oil Wanker
Joined
Sep 5, 2004
Location
Indiana
TDI
2003 Jetta - Alaska Green (sold) / 2015 GTI 2.0T
bjwhite41 said:
Hiding behind the phone. They just admitted that they did it. I'd take a drive back down there. It's amazing what an in-person visit can accomplish.

Good luck.
Yes, it's pretty hard to ignore someone standing there when there are other customers around.
 

BDison

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2005
Location
In a 2000 Jetta GLS TDI
TDI
2000 Jetta GLS TDI
Mine is broken also. Mine broke because one of the bolts got stuck and would just spin so more forceful methods had to be used to get it off. About how much does a cover cost new at the dealer?
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
BDison said:
Mine is broken also. Mine broke because one of the bolts got stuck and would just spin so more forceful methods had to be used to get it off. About how much does a cover cost new at the dealer?
On the 2004, there are no nuts or bolts. Just lift in the front and pull forward.
 

Ry-dog

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Location
Central Mass
TDI
2014 Jetta Sportswagen
Thanks for the encouragement. I am already in a situation with this company. They made an error on a custom WVO kit install, so I called them on it and they made good and repaired the problem. It wasn't the smoothest process, and I don't feel all warm and fuzzy about the whole scene (I had to call them a lot and was frustrated by their slow communication and it felt like I was pulling teeth). And now to top it off, they made another error on something else, albeit, its not detrimental to the operation of my vehicle, but I shouldn't have a cracked cover for being a nice guy.

One thing about the repair process involved me towing the car to them and then they towed it back to me (it was about 85 miles oneway). So when I got the car back, I didn't have any of the mechanics around to talk to about the crack in the cover.

I plan to be a patient for a while longer and give them a couple more chances to call me back. I do have the leverage to post an "unpleasant post" on thier own forum (they are a fast growing WVO conversion company with large internet marketing/following on their forum) - but that never really accomplishes too much other than to piss them off real bad.

So there would be no live customers to view an unsatisfied customer complaint if I were to pay a personal visit. But if it comes to it, I will go there in person.
 

Doug Huffman

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2000
Location
Washington Island, on the other side of Death's Do
TDI
Jetta Wagon 2K3 Silver gone to new home
Remember, VW exists to sell cars, NOT to make them last forever or to make us owners happy. The monkanic returned mine with the rear escutcheon, nut and stud gone, saying 'it must'a fell out'. I asked the SA if I should get under my car and count the bellypan fasteners. Meanwhile the no-service manager has clean hands and polished seat-of-his-pants
 

PDJetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 6, 2003
Location
Northern Virginia
TDI
'04 Jetta GLS TDI Pumpe Duce Platinum Grey w/ Leather
whitedog said:
On the 2004, there are no nuts or bolts. Just lift in the front and pull forward.
I broke the attachment point on the cover on my '04 the second time I installed it. I pushed firmly (not too hard, I thought) and one of the ribs that holds one of the front rubber bushings in the cover broke off, so now the cover is loose on that corner.

Now, when installing the cover, after I place it on the engine and over its mounting points, I slip my hand under the cover and press on the rubber bushings to engage them in their retainers.

--Nate
 

Ry-dog

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Location
Central Mass
TDI
2014 Jetta Sportswagen
I tried calling again to my mechanic that broke the cover. I could hear the guys voice in the background, they put me on hold, then said he was not available. Typical - I can't believe that they want to risk their reputation on a $130 plastic cover. If they don't step up, I'll let 'em have it on their forum board. Then I'll go in person and have them look me in the eye and let them tell me they won't replace it.
 

owr084

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 20, 2004
Location
Northern Virginia (NoVA)
TDI
Passat GLS, 2005, Stonehenge Gray
Reminds me of the time the guy at the tire store tried to remove the fake lug nuts on my wheel cover with an impact wrench :rolleyes: It worked :eek:
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
Ry-dog said:
Wow!! They called me back and will work with me to resolve the issue!!
Good for them. Did you have to threaten posting to their site before they would do anything?
 

fireboy

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2005
Location
Wyoming, MN
TDI
04 Jetta GL
I would wait until you are fully satisfied with the situation and then post it on their forum AND post it here so that they don't cop out on the next guy who get's something broken at their shot. If your a grease monkey and you break something on someone's car you are going to have to pay for it eventually they should at least have called right when it happened and said that you don't have to worry they ordered the part and are installing it on their dime. Then at least you would tell everyone you know "yeah they broke my car, but they offered to fix it right away and pay for it too" rather than "those incompetent fools tried to cover up the fact that they busted my car by glueing it back together!" I call it Personal Accountability
 

PDJetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 6, 2003
Location
Northern Virginia
TDI
'04 Jetta GLS TDI Pumpe Duce Platinum Grey w/ Leather
owr084 said:
Reminds me of the time the guy at the tire store tried to remove the fake lug nuts on my wheel cover with an impact wrench :rolleyes: It worked :eek:
The '85 Jetta I had had the plastic lug bolt caps too. My '04 has them. Like on the '85, I will remove the plastic caps BEFORE I take the car to the tire shop for new tires. I'll put the caps back on when I get back home. My experience is either the caps stay on at the shop and get f***ed up, or they get lost.

Even after I did this once (1985 Jetta), the trainee at the tire shop started my (front wheel) lug bolt with an impact wrench and cross threaded it and left it that way, with the lug bolt cocked sideways and in only a quarter of an inch! I saw this happen, so I got the manager and told him and asked that it be fixed. I wanted a new hub, but they were able to tap the threads well enough to hold the proper torque.

Another time, I asked that the lug bolts be torqued with a torque wrench to 85 ft-lbs. I saw the "technician" really beating on the lug bolts with the impact gun when putting the wheels back on. Then he took out his clicker-type torque wrench and checked each wheel, and the torque wrench immmediately clicked, without tightening the bolts first. When I got home, I checked. 240 ft-lbs on those bolts:eek: Last time I used that tire shop. It was National Tire & Battery.

--Nate
 

redline_r

Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2003
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
12 Touareg
broken cover

so my engine cover broke too because one of the screws was stuck, and my question is:

will a mk4 (early, with the ahu/1z engines) cover fit the mk3 engine?

i have a mk3 and like the blue emblem of the later ones much better!
 
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