Help!!! UPDATE - possible ecu error

[c0v3rt]

It's been a bad few weeks...
Boiler repair so no heating for 2wks, washing machine packed up, and had to get a new rear tyre due to a screw!
And now all this!
Do vw have a limit to how long they'll investigate? Or do they just keep going until they've bled you dry?!?

Any way out of paying diagnostic/labour charges?

[Andy]

ring vw customer service and explain the situation with your car,that you haven't got money to let vw guess what the problem is

[mortygttdi]

To be honest if you explain to the dealer that you have a limited budget for repairs and say that anything done from that moment on needs to go through you no matter how big or small then im sure they can come to some arrangement with you.

Otherwise you'll take your business somewhere else.

[c0v3rt]

Thanks for all the advice!

Spoken to vw this morning, they say errors still point towards throttle pedal or body, and want to speak with the previous garage regarding the work they have done.
So I'm waiting for a call back, again...

[c0v3rt]

Finally spoken to VW – and to a technician rather than the front of house staff, but am still no further to understanding the problem...
I’m told they have checked all wiring, which is fine, but without ripping the looms apart they canot to totally sure.

The error code still points towards throttle body so I have two main options...

To replace throttle body at cost of £535
To replace ECU unit at cost of £968 – this part would be a 10 day wait to come into them, and they cannot guarantee this will fix it, and will have to charge me even if it doesn’t work (I presume the same stands for the throttle body)

I am reluctant to go for the throttle body option as AKS have already been through this with no success.

Other option is I send away my ECU to ‘BBA Re-man’ or ‘The ECU Doctor’ for fixing/replacement etc – cost for this is significantly cheaper than the above, but am told would I need to pay an hours labour to have it refitted on return.

Does anyone have experience of this procedure?

I asked VW for the part number for the ECU (so I can get an accurate fix/replace quote, as requested by these companies themselves) - lady got quite annoyed with me for asking, asked why I needed it, and when told why said ‘oh, hat’s ok, I thought you were going to put it into the internet and try to find the part – you can’t do that!’


Any advice on by next step?!
I’m leaning towards sending away the ECU
...but think this will mean no courtesy car from VW in the mean time.

[Eddie-NL]

Not good, it is one thing to spend that sort of money if it fixes the issue.
but with no guarantee then it wouldn't be a good idea.

do you have any local scrapyards near by?

did you send kalu a PM

[c0v3rt]

Thanks Ed.
That's it exactly; I don't mind paying if its going to sort it.

I don't of any scrapyards near me if honest - I'm in Bedfordshire if anyone knows of any?

Yeah Kalu said he could help if I could source an ecu.

What's the best option?
Ecu doctor in Plymouth have been helpful on the phone so far and sound reasonable.

[c0v3rt]

VW Bedford have been more than useless today...

Today started with a call where I had to play a guessing game... "hello, guess what I have in my hand?!"
After a few times of me saying I didn't know it turns out it was the ecu from my car!
I hadn't asked for this to be removed either - only mentioned I was thinking about sending it off and how much it would cost to do so.

I asked if they would be able to send it off, she didn't know and said she'd ring back.

Decided to speak to VW UK to see if they could help or advise, or put some weight on from above.
They where very helpful but seems the general outcome seems to be:

1) they do not have the ability to test ecu to say it is definately faulty;
2) change ecu at cost of £970 but cant guarantee it will fix it (error says throttle body but think it's ecu sending duff signal, but again they can't be sure)

I was thinking about sending the ecu away but I don't think I trust vw to refit and fix; probably paranoid but am thinking they could just say the fixed/recon unit didn't work to force me into their original options.

I've decided to take my car back from vw (it can be driven at low revs) in order to investigate elsewhere as I cannot afford to throw money at a problem they cannot guarantee to fix, especially not at their rificulous rates!

[mortygttdi]

Why not get hold of an auto electrician and let him investigate, it will prob be cheaper than sending your ecu off...and defo far cheaper than replacing it.

[c0v3rt]

Thanks Morty

Car is now at my uncles garage (normal mot type place) and awaiting a visit from a vw electrical specialist - hopefully he'll get to the bottom of this soon!

Really doing my head in!

[nickg123]

What's the latest mate??

[skard]

When I got my last mk5 TDI (55 plate), it was two months out of VW warranty when it would occasionally not start up, over a week it got to the point where it'd start once every 10-15 attempts, but when it started it ran perfectly.

Diagnosis was it needed a replacement ECU at the cost you mention. Never got told what was wrong with the original other than it needed swapped out.

If it was to happen again I'd definitely get a used one put in, or send it away to BBA Reman type people. I think you've done the right thing by looking at alternatives.

The error I had on my modules was -

01314 - Engine Control Module
            004 - No Signal/Communication

My ESP light was always on.

VW had no interest in contributing even although this is not a serviceable item and the car was literally 38 months old.

Hope you get it sorted.

[scopes]

What did the problem end up being?

[vRSAlex]

What did the problem end up being?

New tb sorted it.

[scopes]