Warning about the "Friendly" ones

Hi,

I need to vent here.

Last week, I had the coolant thermostat replaced in my Audi 100 because the temperature was stuck at 60 degrees.
Unfortunately, I made the mistake of having it done at a so-called brand-authorized workshop.
On the way home, the temperature then dutifully rose to 90 degrees.
Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, the coolant warning light started to blink.
So, I stopped immediately and checked.
Result: Expansion tank almost empty!!!
Since it was evening, no one felt like making the trip to the workshop after my somewhat unfriendly phone call.
It wasn't until the next morning that someone came to take care of it.
Of course, the workshop tried to explain to me that this wasn't their fault, but that a burst hose could certainly be the cause.
Upon closer inspection (I was standing next to him, like a foreman), it turned out that the workshop was too incompetent to provide a gasket for the new thermostat AND to properly tighten the housing!
If I had driven a little further, my previously overheated engine would have suddenly died from heat - a cruel irony and a testament to incompetence.

Okay, that's been on my mind, and I needed to get it off my chest.

P.S.:
As a small tip -
A faulty thermostat doesn't necessarily manifest itself through significant fluctuations in the temperature gauge, for example, when stuck in traffic.
In my case, it remained stubbornly stuck at 60 degrees, to the point where everyone thought the display was malfunctioning.

Hi!

With my second-to-last car (a Golf TDi with 110 horsepower), I experienced something similar. The thermostat was replaced, and then, because I had to work longer hours, I ended up parking the car outside. So, at least I could still pick him up in the evening.
Right after starting, the water temperature warning light started blinking. However, since the engine was still very cold, it was unlikely to be due to overheating. So, I stopped again and checked. The container was empty!
However, since there was still water in the hoses leading to the radiator, I drove the two kilometers home, and the next morning I went to the VW workshop with the same water level.
Besides some silly excuses, there was nothing about an apology or anything similar... and everything was just 'isolated incidents' because no test drive or final inspection was done... yeah, right... and Santa Claus really exists .

DENNIS

Hi!

And what can we learn from this: Do everything yourself these days!!! It's not just the VW workshops: I sent my cylinder head to www.motorensuche.com to have two defective glow plug threads repaired. Supposedly, the delivery time was 4 days -> now I've been waiting for 4 weeks and have to go outside every day to protect the engine block from rust with oil. Aside from the fact that they are completely unfriendly, they are also lying to me, claiming they sent the Zyko last Monday... Now I have gone to a lawyer... It's sad, and it also casts a shadow on the many good workshops...

Best regards, Christian.

Hello Christian!

Being curious, I just visited the website. Apparently, the news hasn't reached Troisdorf yet that we no longer have DM . At least, their price list for AT engines isn't in Euros. And when it comes to shipping, they unnecessarily advertise 'order by 5 PM and it will be with you the next morning.' I would say, based on what you've said so far, it might be something like 'order by 5 PM and receive it next month.'
Is it really unfair when the actions of a few 'black sheep' lead to generalizations and prejudice against an entire group?

Perhaps the forum should include a kind of 'blacklist' of companies where people should be cautious or better avoid altogether!

I just hope that you manage to find your 'center' again, at least this year.

Regards,
DENNIS

Hi,

@christian
Of course, it's really frustrating when you occasionally want to use your car...
The thing about having a lawyer is, of course, not bad - but sometimes, just threatening to involve one is enough; it's also cheaper .

@garfieldMZ
We've discussed the issue of a 'blacklist' before, in the context of 'terrible tuners.' The problem is simply that it's difficult to verify whether the company is truly bad, or if it was just an isolated incident – something I wouldn't rule out in my own case.
There's always the risk of someone reporting you when something like that happens.

Overall, I'm increasingly finding that smaller businesses are often (though not always) better.
The workshop that almost ruined my engine is full of chaos, with countless 'masters' and thousands of mechanics running around. It's completely hectic.
Another VAG company only has one master mechanic --> much better.

Hi!

How about a list of truly good workshops?

Best regards,
Uwe

GarfieldMZ wrote:

Perhaps the forum should include a kind of "blacklist" of companies where people should be cautious or better avoid altogether!

Hi everyone!

I also think this is a good idea! It also helps to reduce the frustration for those affected. I do believe that, in my case, we're dealing with a company that operates in a borderline criminal way. No one says anything when someone makes a mistake and admits it... but I won't be lied to. It's also sad that the legal situation in this country is completely messed up: the customer is always the one who gets the short end of the stick. Normally, they should pay for a rental car plus the ongoing costs associated with the vehicle.

Best regards, Christian.

Hey!

How about a list of truly good workshops?

Best regards,
Uwe
Bitte gib mir den deutschen Text, den du übersetzt haben möchtest.
I think that's a very good idea, especially to avoid causing offense.

Hi,

@Uwe
Sure, a positive list naturally has advantages - especially because it's not so negative...
This then creates the problem that some people may only want to promote their own products or services. That's really difficult.
However, it still wouldn't be a bad idea to create a 'workshop database,' similar to the 'error database.'
Then, eventually, we would have a widespread network of high-quality facilities.
I'm not sure what the 'person in charge' thinks about it.

Hi!

Even though the suggestion came from me, I do see a problem with the potential for denouncements (which can't be prevented) or excessive promotion of individual businesses. For example, if someone asks me for a recommendation for a chip tuner, I have a good and clear suggestion. However, I only know of one, but there are certainly many other good tuners, as well as workshops. I think we'll get a distorted picture if we evaluate workshops here.
What do the diesel mechanic enthusiasts think about it?

Best regards,
Uwe