Volkswagen polo bluemotion 2010 - Help my fuel injectors busted a second engine!

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Tue 9 May 2017 14:21
Volkswagen polo bluemotion 2010 - Help my fuel injectors busted a second engine! - Robyne Wilde

Any advice would be appreciated.

About a month ago my car broke down with a billowing of white smoke. It was transferred to a fuel specialist where they said one had became trapped open causing unburnt diesel to flood the engine, they replaced this fuel injector (£500) and then transferred my car to another specialist to have a new engine put it. The new engine was put in the car and I paid £2,500 for the works. So 3k in total to fix the problem. I was told bring the car back in 1,000 miles for a service. Last week however I noticed the engine play up on one journey (loud knocking noise and shaking) so i brought it in. They couldn't find anything wrong with it.

Last night it broke down again, in another billow of white smoke. It's been taken to the garage who put the new engine in and they informed me that it sounds like another fuel injector issue and if so that's because the new engine has the original injectors on.

I'll find out more later, however I just don't know what to make of all this. I can't afford to replace another engine only a month after the first one went (I'm a newly qualified nurse and I live too far from my hospital without a car).

I generally want some advice in the situation and just to know if all the injectors should have been changed? If the original injector totalled an engine wouldn't the others have been assessed before being put on the new engine? Why transfer them?

Any help or advice would be really appreciated.

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Tue 9 May 2017 18:16
Volkswagen polo bluemotion 2010 - Help my fuel injectors busted a second engine! - SLO76
Sounds very fishy to me. I suspect you've had £3,000 hoovered off you and there's been no new engine at all. The likelihood of a replacement engine suffering from exactly the same fault that supposedly killed the origional is zero...

You need to get the car recovered to another garage along with all paperwork and receipts you have.

Out of curiosity what mileage is on the car and does it have a service history?
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Wed 10 May 2017 07:49
Volkswagen polo bluemotion 2010 - Help my fuel injectors busted a second engine! - Robyne Wilde

The original engine was 71,000 the new engine is supposedly around 10,000.

I think it has most it's service history (not at home to check atm) but the previous owner didn't use VW so I didn't either.

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Wed 10 May 2017 09:09
Volkswagen polo bluemotion 2010 - Help my fuel injectors busted a second engine! - gordonbennet

The original engine was 71,000 the new engine is supposedly around 10,000.

I think it has most it's service history (not at home to check atm) but the previous owner didn't use VW so I didn't either.

Used engine sourced? 10,000 miles only? how lucky to find such a low mileage engine, no possible proof that this engine came from a 10,000 mile vehicle unless you saw it physically removed from the vehicle or can link the engine number to the (presumably) written off vehicle it came from and judge that vehicle's mileage for yourself.

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Wed 10 May 2017 10:04
Volkswagen polo bluemotion 2010 - Help my fuel injectors busted a second engine! - Stanb Sevento

It sound fishy to me as well. Why would you fit a new injector to an engine that was going to be replaced ? A 10,000 mile engine would have 4 pretty new injectors anyway, fishy.

Every engine has a unique number stamped into it so it is possible to confirm if there is a different engine fitted but may need the help of a VW dealer

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Wed 10 May 2017 09:53
Volkswagen polo bluemotion 2010 - Help my fuel injectors busted a second engine! - SLO76
You've been had. There's no way a low mileage replacement engine would've failed like this. They've taken £3k off you, got your original engine (which would only just be run in at 71k) going and handed the car back to you or fitted a high mileage replacement. You need to verify by checking the engine no against the original which should be listed on your V5. Not sure where the engine no will be but I assume it'll be stamped on the block somewhere. I'll bet it's the origional engine.
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Wed 10 May 2017 10:13
Volkswagen polo bluemotion 2010 - Help my fuel injectors busted a second engine! - joegrundy

I just read this. I have no technical advice comments to make, but it made my blood boil.

It appears that OP has been well and truly ripped off, and as a newly-qualified nurse on crap pay and with the need for a reliable car to cope with unsociable hours shift times etc. can least afford to be.

It's no wonder that some parts of the motor trade have such a poor (I'm being kind) reputation.

I have no doubt that some posters here could have pointed OP to a decent and reliable car for the £3k spent (and failing to fix) on a 7 year old Polo.

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Wed 10 May 2017 10:30
Volkswagen polo bluemotion 2010 - Help my fuel injectors busted a second engine! - jc2

If it is the original engine,then straight to Trading Standards and the Police.

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Wed 10 May 2017 14:56
Volkswagen polo bluemotion 2010 - Help my fuel injectors busted a second engine! - RichardW

It's quite common for a 2nd hand diesel engine to be offered without injectors, pipes, injection pump and other anciliaries. It's quite possible therefore that some underlying fault (eg misfuelling the past) has caused an injector failure, and the 3 old injectors were transferred over to the replacment engine, and a further one has suffered the same failure as the first one. Unlucky and unlikely for sure, but not impossible.... I would check the the engine number has changed however. Not sure where you would go from here.... depending on what damage if any has occured to the engine, then it mgiht be possible to fit 3 new injectors and get it going - at which point I would flog it. Otherwise; put it on e-bay spares or repair, and buy something cheap and petrol. Might be worth seeing if there are any diesel specialists in your area that will have a look and give an honest (!) opinion.

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Wed 10 May 2017 17:34
Volkswagen polo bluemotion 2010 - Help my fuel injectors busted a second engine! - Robyne Wilde

Hi everyone.

Garage has phoned. The specialist garage who replaced my fuel injector put a recon one in (for £500 i assumed new) which failed. The garage who did my engine and have my car taken it back to them, made them put a brand new one in and watched them test the remaining ones which all passed too. They've got it back with them now and aren't going to charge me as it wasn't my fault (though they're angry with the specialist) and knowing my circumstances (nurse and my cat has been diagnosed with cancer yesterday) are going to drop my car off at home for me and post the keys through the letterbox.

It's been rough but I'm grateful for their kindness.

Apparently I did everything right this time which saved the engine (put the clutch straight in to cruise to safety and wouldn't let anyone start it)

Thank you everyone for your support (and anger on my behalf - it helped)

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Wed 10 May 2017 18:20
Volkswagen polo bluemotion 2010 - Help my fuel injectors busted a second engine! - SLO76
The story still sounds unconvincing, I'm still pretty certain they've been trying to fiddle you. I may be wrong but I'd ask someone to check the engine number against the V5. I'm not convinced you've had that new engine at all or that you needed it.

It's too common for those who've little motoring knowledge (90% of the population) to be cheated at garages. I've heard some horror stories over the years including one fairly recently who was told she needed a new gearbox in her 60,000 mile Fiesta with a quote of £1,200. Fortunately she picked up the phone to me to get a second opinion. All that was wrong was a noisy and leaking water pump believe it or not that cost a fraction of that amount, £26 for the pump and a £90 fitting. I advised her to replace the t/belt at the same time but she declined since she wasn't intending on keeping it much longer.
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