Kapitaler Motorschaden . AFB, 3 Jahre + 3 Tage mit 125.000km | Posts 16+

@Markus
"So far, that's correct; the 100% thing is the issue. That's why, supposedly (I know there are exceptions), VW generally doesn't offer 100% coverage. Instead, they always provide at least the statutory warranty on the installed parts. With 100% coverage, the manufacturer can legitimately find loopholes, otherwise there would be no incentive to be generous beyond the statutory warranty. You, yourself, theoretically don't have any disadvantage from this action, since you don't have to pay anything extra. Of course, your existing warranty claims remain in place, although they are already subject to the statute of limitations."

Regarding the burden of proof issue that was mentioned earlier:
According to the new civil code, for the first 6 months of a consumer transaction (from seller to customer), the seller bears the full burden of proof. After that, the situation reverses, as it was previously, but the timeframe is not limited to 6 months; instead, it extends to a total of 2 years.

Hello!

'Last week, my car's engine seized.'
(VW V6 TDI engine, 110kW, with 125,000 km, used for 3 years and 3 days).



Okay, I just wanted to chime in again...

Same car... now my car has almost 297,000 km on the odometer... still the second engine, which was replaced back then (see original post) at around 128,000 km.

Yesterday, I heard a loud bang on the highway and I was swerving towards the emergency lane... The friendly car service employee looked very concerned and just said, 'Sounds like the timing belt.' Well... those quick diagnoses don't tell you much, so let's see what the workshop says about it today.

Here's the translation:

'The following situation (I like to be prepared):'

'The timing belt was replaced 11 months and one week ago... by a certified automotive workshop, with the entry recorded in the service booklet along with the mileage. All other inspections and oil change intervals have been followed.'

Here's the translation:

'Regarding this: if the timing belt is cited as the cause of the engine damage, what about the warranty on the replacement part and the installation? Does that also cover consequential damages caused by it?'

Here's the translation:

'There's also the CarlifePlus insurance policy. However, according to Audi, it only covers up to a maximum of 2000 EUR in damages. The defective part (the engine) would only have a mileage of just under 160,000 km. There are deductions here as well... but I'm hoping for some goodwill in this case as well.'

Well... let's wait and see... I'm still curious to know what you all think about it.

Best regards.
Felix.

P.S. Oh, and just so everyone knows, in the last 4 years, even more things have broken down. Hardly anything in the cockpit electronics works properly anymore. The car phone is dead, the navigation system can't find GPS signals anymore, the CD player in the Symphony is broken, and the entire instrument cluster has already been replaced. Also, I had the rear hatch gas struts replaced, and now they're the new type ('in the customer's interest') that don't fully open, so you have to push them up again to reach the final position (supposedly for garage owners), but I'm constantly bumping my head. The rear hatch is starting to rust badly, and all the interior trim pieces are slowly falling off.

But what surprises me is that the more things break on parts that aren't essential for moving forward, the better it seems to drive. I'm generally quite satisfied.

All in all, I'm still very dissatisfied with a vehicle that is only 7 years old and, with its nearly 300,000 km, should actually still be good for another 100,000 km.

"A rusty trunk lid? Your A6 is fully galvanized. Rust only appears if there was an accident or other damage, and it was improperly repaired."

How long does Audi actually offer a warranty against rust? I seem to recall reading something about 10 years.

I'm not familiar with the warranty terms right now, but usually the mileage of the body is the determining factor.
You would also have statutory warranty. The problem is that you have the burden of proof to demonstrate both 1) that the damage to the timing belt was present from the beginning and 2) that this damage caused the engine damage.
"Especially for item number 2, Audi will probably require an expert's report, which will incur extra costs."
It's a lot of effort, and in the end, the expert report might, with a bit of bad luck, conclude that the problem might not have been solely caused by the belt or belt drive.

Just a side note...
Honestly, I wonder if it's not more worthwhile to forgo the Audi warranty and goodwill benefits for a car with high mileage and instead have it serviced by a competent independent workshop. The time the car spends out of service due to warranty issues could be used to rebuild a more affordable engine.
I once had to replace the turbocharger on my old Lupo TDI at 102,000 km at a VW dealership (never again), because it was leaking, probably due to frequent overboosts. Although the boost control started malfunctioning as early as 10,000 km (causing jerky acceleration), and I was repeatedly put off by five different dealerships (I had ordered the car new from Audi because I received better service there), there was no possibility of getting any warranty coverage. Since then, I prefer to take care of things myself to ensure everything runs smoothly on the car. It's less hassle and more cost-effective... Of course, it's a pain when you don't have enough time to do it yourself. In those cases, you usually end up paying disproportionately more.
I would almost say that a full lease is worthwhile in this case. We did it with our 530i. It costs a little over 1000 euros per month. That includes all repairs, fuel, car washes, and a replacement car if needed. Unfortunately, full leasing becomes very expensive with very high mileage.

Regards,

Olaf.

P.S.
@bastion
It's not about preventing rust, but about preventing corrosion. That's a difference!

This post is quite old, but it's relevant again (due to a warranty/goodwill gesture). I've reread the post and would like to respond to the following:

ulf wrote:

5000 km since the belt change... and that reminds me, the crankshaft sprocket probably came loose again. However, I don't know if this needs to be addressed during the V6 timing belt replacement. If so, a faulty installation followed by subsequent (independent) loosening and, consequently, incorrect valve timing leading to valve damage would be a significant clue.

The tip is correct, but the crankshaft pulley is not loosened, and it doesn't seem to be the problem with the V6 engine. However, the timing belt can slip if one of the pulleys or the hydraulic tensioner is not tightened properly. I don't see that as a major issue. Also, I doubt that the timing belts are actually slipping.

What's likely, and Ulf was right about this, is that the camshaft gears have come loose. These are removed during a timing belt change. If something is rotating there, the lifters or rocker arms can break (or the hydraulic lifters can fail) because the valves will eventually hit the pistons. If the mating surfaces aren't properly cleaned, or the torque specifications aren't followed, this risk is quite high.

"If the pistons are okay, I would first try using new or reconditioned cylinder heads. I saw someone here who got a complete set of heads with everything included for just EUR 2,200.00. Considering that the valve guides, lifters, and rocker arms already cost around EUR 1,400.00 normally, that's a good price."

It's not really relevant to the author anymore, but maybe someone will read it someday...

A rusting trunk lid? Your A6 is fully galvanized. Rust only appears if there was an accident or other damage, and it was improperly repaired.

For how long does Audi actually offer a warranty against rust? I once read something about 10 years.

It's an A4. It's fully galvanized. It's not the trunk lid itself, but the license plate holder. There's rust in the gap between the trunk lid and the holder. It's likely that increasing vibrations damaged the paint, and now it's rusting.

The warranty likely only covers 'rusting through.'

Felix.

bastion wrote:

A rusting trunk lid? Your A6 is fully galvanized. Rust only appears if there was an accident or other damage and it was improperly repaired.

Ha, the advertising machine of the automotive industry has certainly been successful. Normally, one would expect things to be different, but that's just wishful thinking. They are built with components that are prone to rusting, even though they are supposed to be durable.
For example, on the Passat, the handle trim is located on the rear hatch (3B), on the front doors, directly below the window on the rear hatch, and below the roof rails (mainly on the 3BG model).

Bye.
peace

In principle, a fully galvanized body should not rust! As far as I know, Audis are galvanically zinc-coated in a dipping process. This means there are no gaps where an ungalvanized area could be hidden.

It's possible that the body was not cleaned thoroughly enough, and that the zinc coating was not applied correctly in certain areas.

Quote:

[...Bitte gib mir den deutschen Text, den du übersetzt haben möchtest. For example, on the Passat, the door handles are located on the rear hatch (3B), on the front doors, and directly below the rear window and under the roof rails. [...]

In the areas mentioned, these are places that are not always cleaned thoroughly because they are difficult to reach, or they are areas where dirt can accumulate over time, requiring scrubbing.

By the way: Is the Passat fully galvanized, or only partially galvanized like the Audis since the year 2003?

Quote:

The timing belt was replaced 11 months and one week ago... by an authorized specialist workshop, with an entry in the service booklet and the mileage recorded.

All other inspections and oil change intervals have been followed.

I would be interested to know the condition of the water pump and whether it was replaced as a preventative measure during the belt replacement.

In my opinion, the water pump (when driven by the timing chain) is a weak link in the system that should be replaced for just a few euros. When you look at the design of the pumps, you wonder why there are no mandatory replacement regulations for them.

AJM (from year 2000) - Timing belt replacement at 90,000 km (VAG standard). Water pump should be replaced at the same time.
120,000 defective.
- Engine damage.

ATJ 2. ZR - Replacement at 180,000 km, Water pump inspection reveals bearing damage.
renewed

AVF engine, 80,000 km mileage, water pump housing cracked, belt looks strange.
No warnings issued.

ALH, 90,000 km. Water pump leaking, signs of bearing damage.

Personally, I always refuse to perform a timing belt replacement without also replacing the water pump if the water pump is driven by the timing belt.
Exception = Considered a "normal" case if no abnormalities are found.

bastion wrote:

Is a Passat fully galvanized, or only partially galvanized...?

3B, 3BG: yes; 3C: according to the brochure, "galvanized," which likely means partially galvanized; otherwise, they would probably have stuck with the older terminology of "fully galvanized."

My statement is also meant to highlight that not only improper repairs, but also errors in vehicle production/design can lead to rust, even with full galvanization.

Bye.
peace

My brother had a 3B model, and it wasn't fully galvanized! Suddenly, he noticed some rust bubbles on the roof. He then scrubbed everything off and had it repainted. There was definitely no zinc underneath.

Hi!
'Last week, my car's engine seized.'
(VW V6 TDI engine, 110kW, with 125,000 km, used for 3 years and 3 days).

Okay, I just wanted to chime in again...
Same car... now my car has almost 297,000 km on the odometer... still the second engine, which was replaced back then (see original post) at around 128,000 km.


*Wink* Here I am again...

The likely cause seems to be a faulty fuel pump in the tank, and due to the lack of fuel, the fuel injection pump also failed. This is probably quite expensive for a V6 TDI, because - even though CarLife plus has confirmed its written commitment to providing support of 2000 EUR per incident, I still have to pay 1500 EUR (gross). The mechanic at the workshop couldn't tell me whether I would get a new or a refurbished pump (for both the fuel and fuel injection systems), but he suspects they will be refurbished ones.

Okay, so what should I do now? I'm leaning towards letting someone else handle it and having them quickly assess the value of the item so I can sell it to a dealer and get paid. However, I probably want to switch brands.

What do you think one can get for a mill like that on the used market? See the description in this thread...

Regards,
Felix.

Well, the V6 isn't very popular on the used car market... If there's nothing else wrong (right now, at this moment), I would just keep driving it. It already has 297,000 km on it (besides the engine, but that doesn't matter either).

If I understand correctly, you broke down because of a bang, right? The broken pre-feed pump caused the broken VP (vacuum pump). I can imagine that, but normally it only fills a "buffer tank," and when that buffer tank is empty, a safety mechanism kicks in. And above all, how did the bang happen? Are they trying to cover something up, because this should be free of charge? Especially EUR 3,500.00 .

EUR 3,500.00 for the VP44 and the pre-injection pump. A refurbished (practically new) VP44 costs at most EUR 1,700.00. Replacing it is not a big deal and should cost around EUR 400.00 at most (for my Passat). Then, the pre-injection pump, including installation, costs EUR 1,400.00?

You yourself are not capable of doing the whole thing yourself. At 3,2,1, you can get a new pump for approximately EUR 900.00, possibly even cheaper. Then you still have EUR 600.00 left for the pre-pump (which, by the way, costs about EUR 300.00 as an accessory!).

I think that if you're lucky, you might find one for under EUR 1,000.00. It will have been refurbished and will include a new pre-feed pump.

If the price includes a new timing belt, then I would have it done.

You yourself are not capable of doing the whole thing yourself. At 3,2,1, you can get a new pump for approximately EUR 900.00, possibly even cheaper. Then you still have EUR 600.00 left for the pre-pump (which, by the way, costs about EUR 300.00 as an accessory!).

I think that if you're lucky, you might find one for under EUR 1,000.00. It has been refurbished and includes a new pre-charge pump.

If the price includes a new timing belt, then I would have it done.

No. Price does not include the timing belt. However, I don't have the time to do it myself. And, even if I could manage it in just under 4 hours (which would require a lot of luck), and considering the time it would take to get the parts, it's really not worth it.
My last experience working on cars was with a Ford Granada V6 with similar power, but you could comfortably stand next to the engine in the engine bay to work on it, and you could often get by with just a hammer and a large screwdriver. I suspect that it's not going to be quite that easy here .

Aside from the then-missing warranty (whether that would be useful to me is another matter), and the rental car, which I would then have to pay for myself for perhaps 2 days.

Well... let's wait and see.

Regards,
Felix.

flaufer wrote:

You can often manage with a hammer and a large screwdriver, but I suspect that this is not going to be that simple.

I would not use these two tools .

I would like to know how the explosion happened and why/how a booster pump killed your ESP (Electrical Submersible Pump).