November 2007
Hi there,
I have a 99 model year passat 1.8 20v petrol & has had a ticking noise from from passanger dash area for the past 8 months. This would seem to be related to the V71 air flow flap motor. I've had this confirmed by my local specialist & also that this is a dash out 8 hour job for replacement of this £100 motor.
Is anyone aware of a workaround to avoid this or has completed / experience of this job themselves perhaps with a shortcut ?
I've had a quick look myself, glovebox out etc but stopped when looked like i'd need to start removing some more serious stuff to get near it.
Any advice would be appreciated, i'd find it hard to swallow a £700 garage bill for something that doesn't impact the running of a perfectly good car (just the annoying noise !
Many thanks in advance
Kevin
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Where do the much-vaunted independents learn their trade? At franchised dealers, I've no doubt. And from where do they get their technicians? Probably those sacked by franchised dealers for incompetence. From past experience I'd choose a franchised dealer over an independent any day.
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L\'escargot. Read more
And so many people wondered why so many trade people have left this site!
There is room for main dealer and independant, and a reason, demand and requirement for both in this trade!
For an independant to be poor (and not busy) then he/she has no one to blame but his/her self. For a main dealer to be poor then it is wrong to automatically assume its their techs! 99% of the time the fault lies with the management (doesnt it always?)
Poorly trained staff, management issue.
Poor repairs, tech fault? management issue.
Poor customer care, management issue.
Poor pricing policy, management issue.
Expensive pricing, customer choice.
etc etc.
But most independants choose to leave the main dealer safety net because of being exploited and/or fed up with doing the same job day in day out.
A typical main dealer (not all) will employ an apprentice or junior to do ALL or Most routine service work (but charged at normal rates of course). A junior, possibly qualified, person will do warranty work etc, and keep eye on apprentice if you are lucky! Any senior person, if there any at your dealer will do the problematic, or harder to diagnose, or even awkward customer jobs.
But why slag the techs off? Reading all the complaints of experiences on here, very few, if any, are the fault of the tech?
At a dealer how many times will the person doing the work actually be told exactly what the customer has said? And a good proportionof the time he would be able to identify the problem if he was allowed to talk to the customer! Hence the general trend of independant being better!
Biggest (most employees etc) is not always the best.
A good test of a good garage, at any level, is how busy they are. As bb said before most good independants are not generally looking for more customers; and that attitude probably wrankles with a few people who demand to be looked after before they will trust anyone with their prized possesion!
If you dont want to trust any one then dont. DIY it ! But just remember that trained guy is probably doing work you cant or wont; for a fraction of what you are earning!
I did post on this site a while back regarding my "poorly" Espace (2.2DCi 2002) with the fuel pump/injector problems.
The upshot of it all was that I had all 4 injectors replaced at a cost of some £1300!
Anyway, recently another problem has raised its ugly head! Namely a loss of power when half way down on the accelerator. In all gears and at all speeds this seems to occur. I can be cruising down the dual carriageway for example with my foot half way down to maintain speed and it feels like the car is jerking every second or so. I can accelerate through this and there is no problem but i soon as I ease off it comes back again!
I wondered if this went back to my original diagnosis of a fuel pump problem but why would that be if I stick my foot down and get more acceleration no problem? Could it be the injectors as I'm not sure how they work at the varying rpm's.
Either way the problem is getting a bit worse all the time! There is no fault light coming up on the dash to signify anything!
With the previous problems and recent mot failure which cost another £500 i'm getting a bit reluctant to spend more money on this heap of pink fluffy dice unless I can see an end to all my woes!!
Any ideas folks??
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No, didnt get it fixed.
Did a long run in it down to Kent from Northampton last month, practically there and back with only a 10 minute stop to collect something.
After that the problem went away for a few weeks!!..... but has since returned now its back to just doing short hops to work and back!
Anyway, its off the road again!! Possible alternator failure this time!! Over the past week the battery warning light came up in red and told me to "STOP"... came to start today and completely dead! Have bought a new battery anyway as the one that's on is old, but cant get the old one out!
I'm doomed I tell you! Doomed!
Hi I have an astra 1.4 merit. while stood at the lights or a junction it will cut out. all the lights come on. will turn over great, but will not start. there is power to the plugs, fuel and air. if I leave it for about twenty minutes it will fire up as sweet as anything then drive for maybe a couple of weeks befor it does it again. i have tried reading the fault codes, but the only code i get is 12 (the start code for reading), then nothing, it just keeps repeating the same code (12). can anyone help. thanks. barry. Read more
glad to help, nice to get some feedback
These cars have been sitting here for years
www.brewerauctionservice.com/ question is does anyone know what the car is in thumbnails on top line right corner - It is numbered but not listed
Dave Read more
"an American trait to let cars sit in the yard for years"
They do it with aircraft, too..
airchive.com/SITE%20PAGES/VIN-MOJAVE.html
Possibly connected to the climate, and having lots of room!
Do any of you out there know how to by pass the immobiliser system on a Rover 414i N Reg. I am unable to start the car and have been informed it will cost £130.00 to have this done, but if we know how my partner can do this. The car is only worth abouth £200.00
We have gone down the route of the emergency key code (which was missing from the car info) but no Rover records exist prior to P reg and have tried a new battery in the fob but no luck.
I realise we don't want this info public on the website but if you can help please reply and I will give you my email to send the info. Thank you
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www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=5358&v...f
That's the one I assume. Easy enough to find on the forum search, even filed into the drop down menus. Almost exactly two years ago, how strange.
I'm looking for advice. I need a smallish car, manual, not too powerful (up to 1.4 or something) with no silly gadgets - just power steering, central locking and a/c.
I've been thinking about a golf but it would be quite old for that money - do I look by age or mileage? Alternatively a newer peugeot 206 perhaps?
Please advise as I'm very ignorant!
Abbyzeeble Read more
Can get 03 plate (or even younger) Xsara petrols for that money very very easily. Not bad to drive either, with all your modern goodies.
Seeing the nippers off outside the house a bit after seven this evening, heard the usual bangs and skidding noises as a scooter coming down the middle of the busy road like a bat out of hell glanced off the offside of a right-turning people carrier, crossed the road into the first of the parked cars where the rider departed from it, and skidded down the cycle lane past my house, being finally stopped after hitting the rear wheel of a Mercedes driven by a very respectable chap which fortunately had been able to turn into an empty parker. It suffered no damage.
The rider limped up to the scooter and picked it up. He started the engine but the scooter was all twisted and shattered, unrideable. He ran it into the residents' slot behind my car, propped it up leaving the engine running and scarpered on the back of another similar scooter also driven by a rather forbidding youngish guy with rough noli me tangere body language. Plod, who later took down what I had actually seen and could remember, told me the scooter had been stolen yesterday just round the corner in the Moroccan quarter.
It's an advantage in a way living where there's plenty of action, but it's a disadvantage too as your car is somewhat at risk from glancing blows and so forth. Indeed I had one written off once by an over-amitious Toyota Supra driver on a wet night. Read more
woodbines haven't you forgiven me for being a bit slow to thank you the other day?
Yes, it contributed, I must admit, an added zest to my counter argument - I'm fallibly human.
My case where the unlicensed lady was concerned was that on the information given she may not have really deserved that, given the complexity of life in this country today and the difficult time some people have.
But what information (or lack of) did you have about the scooterist? Some 'difficulties' may have attached to his life also. Not that I know the personal stories of either the woman or scooterist of course, but I would have supported reporting (or sanction) of both on the evidence.
www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/212556/...l
new XJ looks quite tasty
hope i've done the link right, apologies if i haven't {It's fine. Thank you for making it non clickable - rival site and all that - DD} Read more
Hmm... that's just another one of AutoExcess's photoshops. Take it with a fistful of salt
I am keen on getting a nearly new polo 1.4 automatic as I like VW's and want a ''proper'' 4 speed auto.Can't find any reviews does anybody have any experience of this car please ? Read more
Thanks for the info - I will probably get one
Browse
Thanks for that, suppose i may have to live with it.
I wonder if there is a way of isolating the power to this motor, that should stop the noise but not sure if it would leave the flap in the open or recirculating position, i could live without the recirculating function.
Woud appreciate any more feedback to help me out with this.