Help!!! UPDATE - possible ecu error

[c0v3rt]

So, car has spent the day in vw worshop and am now £180 (2hrs labour) poorer but no wiser!
Initial call form vw was to tell me it was the throttle pedal, despite being told all info as above.
After a bit more investigation I get another call...
The lady tells me they've looked into it further, then puts me on hold for 10mins - then proceeds to scan read through the workshop notes mumbling how she doesn't understand etc.
Final result of this call is that she'll have to speak to workshop in morning and then call me again.
She mentioned that the info was being sent to vw hq too, and i quote, "so not to cost me (the customer) more time, or waste anymore of their (vw) time...!

I'm not happy, poor customer service imo, and am now £360 down (180 aks, 180 vw) and no wiser to the issue!
My confidence with vw is now fading based on the well planned call as above, and am dreading how long/ how much it's I'd going to cost to diagnose, let alone price of parts/labour to actually fix whatever is wrong!

Any ideas/experience with dealers? Any help gladly received!

[Eddie-NL]

sorry to hear about your troubles, shame you are not nearer to me.

what exactly have vw done to locate the problem?

[Andy]

if they haven't cured the fault then i don't see why you have to pay more

[Hedge]

The fault codes shown when in limp mode were:

P0123
P2122
P0222

AKS did additional scans but don't think he noted them.

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/16507/P0123/000291

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/P2122/008482

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/16606/P0222/000546
 

[c0v3rt]

Thanks all.
Thanks Hedge for the links; these all point towards throttle pedal or body, but am told these items have been tested/ new bits seapped in, and fault remains. So does that mean its wiring?

I would have thought vw should be able to find the problem within hours though?!?
Where do I stand with paying etc?

I feel like they have me over a barrel - they charge by the hour to find the problem but can't say how long it's actually going to take! I know very little about cars so am not in a position to challenge them, I just have to trust what I'm being told!

[Andy]

I would tell them that any part they fit to your car and doesn't cure the problem then your not paying for it

[c0v3rt]

^ thanks
I've only incurred 'labour' charges so far, and that's already killing me.
I have visions of this going on for weeks where they don't find anything just keep charging for searching haha

I've got no car either and apparently they have no courtesy they can offer me; is that normal procedure?

[Andy]

^ thanks
I've only incurred 'labour' charges so far, and that's already killing me.
I have visions of this going on for weeks where they don't find anything just keep charging for searching haha

I've got no car either and apparently they have no courtesy they can offer me; is that normal procedure?

Its still money they're charging you -

[mortygttdi]

Sounds like a poor earth connection somewhere? maybe throttle body or ecu??

[mortygttdi]

By the way I fried my ECU on the VXR and it was constantly in limp mode with ecu light on, the inlet temps and boost where always showing a fault and temp reading -40 I know for a fact it wasn't that cold

I tried every sensor and wiring connection and in the end bit the bullet and found a brand new never fitted ecu on German eBay for £130 had it fitted and every thing back to normal.

Hope it goes well for you mate but If I was you I would be using an independent VW place like Statlers or JKM someone who strip these cars for fun and know what they are looking for, If VW dealer can not find it with a diagnostic computer they are stuck

[c0v3rt]

If it is a bad earth connection should vw find this easily/ quickly?
It shouldn't be the throttle body or pedal as AKS tried these independently with the error still returning.
Vw have ignored all this info I gave at booking in!

Thanks Morty!
Is an ecu a straight swap in? Or do you need to change more?

[mortygttdi]

It will be a straight swap in but cos it connects to the clocks via a pin number it needs coding, had Ed said best bet is Kalu for this he's a magician with this sort of thing

VW don't usually like to hear anything other people put in front of them if its not something they can see then sorry computer says NO

Earth connections on any car are awful to find problem with has they go off in all sorts of places but if your methodical and have wiring diagrams then you can check and trace all the connections, I was watching the guy do my Zaffy and checked all the wiring from the ecu to the AMM and MAP sensors and all was fine which is why we finally decided the ecu needed to be changed.

[Andy]

The dealers are useless if the computer doesn't show the fault they haven't a clue

[c0v3rt]

I thought it was probably a case of computer says no!

What cause the ecu frying? Is it just unlucky?

[mortygttdi]

Unlucky does spring to mind mate has ECU are usually very robust, I think in my case the car had taken on water at the front intake and damaged the engine, possible water got into the boost/MAP sensor and spiked the ecu before the engine blew???

In your case sounds more like bad luck mate