I will try and make this short, but please let me hear your opinions and if you want more detail let me know.
Here is my story:
Mid December my 2012 Jetta TDI (113k miles I am only owner) stopped starting. After about 5 days I bite the bullet and get it towed to dealership and find out the high pressure pump went out. (Yay)
Dealership right away started to say I put gas in it not diesel. They said it failed in house test twice and I asked to still send it out to VW official lab for testing. Lab test came back positive and warranty kicked in and they fixed it. While fixing it I agreed to get timing belt replaced because it was time and it was in same place so labor would be less.
Well few days go by and I get the call it is fixed but not running well. Lots of white smoke and low compression. Service tech tells me I have bent rods or damaged cylinders. (how can this be It was running fine before it stopped starting) However they would not know for sure unless they took engine apart ($300) and looked at it. After some back and forth I got them to agree to do an oil change (about 5-6k overdue) and take off oil pan to look for sludge to see if that was the cause for low compression.
A few days later I hear back yes there is a bit of sludge. The service tech also said he had good news, rods are not bent, but I blew out 3 out of 4 piston rings. Now the service tech tells me my options are throw in towel or replace engine. Again few days later I get call back he found a engine with 27k miles and no turbo but can move my turbo over. Total cost $5,700!!! (BTW isn't replacing piston rings a lot cheaper?) Well I don't have this in my bank account, so I arrange to have it towed back home in a few days return the loaner and bring it back when I have the funds.
Today I go to dealership to turn in loaner and decided to talk to a mechanic about the issue, as I have only been talking to the service tech. He was super helpful and friendly. He explained that it was policy to not fix anything internally and that is why rings can not be replaced there, but it would be "night and day" on cost. I also confirmed they have not seen the piston rings as they would have to pull apart the engine to see it but doing a special compression test would point to it. (dry cylinders and test the drop some oil in and test to see a change in PSI)
We talked a bit about the events leading to it and different ideas and theories as to why it is has low compression and white smoke (he also explained the 3 colors of smoke and what it meant) White smoke being water and I explained the night before it stopped starting I drove it about 75 miles with no issues and it was dry conditions. I also keep it parked in garage, so getting water in it somehow seemed vary unlikely.
He agreed to do the compression test in front of me. But alas the tool is locked up in another mechanics box and won't be able to get it until Monday. But the other service tech that was there today found the paper work from the HPFP replacement and it had compression readings on it. Compression was normal readings, not anywhere near the low end of wear.
So I ask to just see my car before it gets towed back and start it to see the white smoke and hear what it sounds like. Again I bring up past due oil change and sludge in engine (Mechanic said these cars can go 10k past oil change and not have issues) The mechanic makes sure the engine is indeed put back together (Remember it was arranged to be towed out today) and he noticed no oil on dip stick. He put some oil in the engine, kept checking dip stick. 2 quarts later still no oil on dip stick. He is puzzled as am I. I did pay for the oil change (not just a drain). He goes back to get more oil and receives call from the other mechanic and found out that after the oil pan was dropped that no oil was put back in and on top of that the oil pan is just barely on by 4 screws.....Again I was supposed to have it towed home today!
Needless to say I am a bit upset. I feel like there is something not right here. Am I paranoid that they are giving me false information to have me give up on my TDI as it is one of the effected models for the emission issues? Is it a crooked dealership? Is it a bad service tech? Is this on purpose or just ignorance?
Things just don't add up....
Please discuss.
Here is my story:
Mid December my 2012 Jetta TDI (113k miles I am only owner) stopped starting. After about 5 days I bite the bullet and get it towed to dealership and find out the high pressure pump went out. (Yay)
Dealership right away started to say I put gas in it not diesel. They said it failed in house test twice and I asked to still send it out to VW official lab for testing. Lab test came back positive and warranty kicked in and they fixed it. While fixing it I agreed to get timing belt replaced because it was time and it was in same place so labor would be less.
Well few days go by and I get the call it is fixed but not running well. Lots of white smoke and low compression. Service tech tells me I have bent rods or damaged cylinders. (how can this be It was running fine before it stopped starting) However they would not know for sure unless they took engine apart ($300) and looked at it. After some back and forth I got them to agree to do an oil change (about 5-6k overdue) and take off oil pan to look for sludge to see if that was the cause for low compression.
A few days later I hear back yes there is a bit of sludge. The service tech also said he had good news, rods are not bent, but I blew out 3 out of 4 piston rings. Now the service tech tells me my options are throw in towel or replace engine. Again few days later I get call back he found a engine with 27k miles and no turbo but can move my turbo over. Total cost $5,700!!! (BTW isn't replacing piston rings a lot cheaper?) Well I don't have this in my bank account, so I arrange to have it towed back home in a few days return the loaner and bring it back when I have the funds.
Today I go to dealership to turn in loaner and decided to talk to a mechanic about the issue, as I have only been talking to the service tech. He was super helpful and friendly. He explained that it was policy to not fix anything internally and that is why rings can not be replaced there, but it would be "night and day" on cost. I also confirmed they have not seen the piston rings as they would have to pull apart the engine to see it but doing a special compression test would point to it. (dry cylinders and test the drop some oil in and test to see a change in PSI)
We talked a bit about the events leading to it and different ideas and theories as to why it is has low compression and white smoke (he also explained the 3 colors of smoke and what it meant) White smoke being water and I explained the night before it stopped starting I drove it about 75 miles with no issues and it was dry conditions. I also keep it parked in garage, so getting water in it somehow seemed vary unlikely.
He agreed to do the compression test in front of me. But alas the tool is locked up in another mechanics box and won't be able to get it until Monday. But the other service tech that was there today found the paper work from the HPFP replacement and it had compression readings on it. Compression was normal readings, not anywhere near the low end of wear.
So I ask to just see my car before it gets towed back and start it to see the white smoke and hear what it sounds like. Again I bring up past due oil change and sludge in engine (Mechanic said these cars can go 10k past oil change and not have issues) The mechanic makes sure the engine is indeed put back together (Remember it was arranged to be towed out today) and he noticed no oil on dip stick. He put some oil in the engine, kept checking dip stick. 2 quarts later still no oil on dip stick. He is puzzled as am I. I did pay for the oil change (not just a drain). He goes back to get more oil and receives call from the other mechanic and found out that after the oil pan was dropped that no oil was put back in and on top of that the oil pan is just barely on by 4 screws.....Again I was supposed to have it towed home today!
Needless to say I am a bit upset. I feel like there is something not right here. Am I paranoid that they are giving me false information to have me give up on my TDI as it is one of the effected models for the emission issues? Is it a crooked dealership? Is it a bad service tech? Is this on purpose or just ignorance?
Things just don't add up....
Please discuss.
