2009 118tsi Golf. Exhaust fault light flashing on dash.

[hoi polloi]

Sorry to hear about this - a blight on an otherwise fine car...

- Anthony

[cktsi]

Hope it doesnt cost you anything to fix. I read in some other threads a while back that for older mk6's VW were unofficially honouring the new 5year warranty.

If you owned the car since new, and particularly if you have been using them for servicing which sounds to be the case, if they want to charge give them the customer loyalty guilt trip.

My DSG clutch needed to be replaced a second time just before the warranty ran out. Whilst they refused to acknowledge anything was wrong, i appealed to them in a calm way that even if the shudder was slight that i would be left in the cold if something happened after the warranty ran out. I pointed out that it would be rough of them after having bought 2 Golfs and having them both serviced with them.

Pity had to come down to using such tactics, but it worked. Let us know how you go.

[Brooke3844]

Another update! But not really an update. They have been very coy with actually telling me what is going on with my car. This is week number three and they still have my car.
Twice in the three weeks I have spoken to the dealership. The first conversation he told me they were doing some compression tests etc and were waiting to hear back from Volkswagen.
The second phone call was to tell me they were under instruction from Volkswagen to take some photos of the pistons to send to them to evaluate.

I am hoping this means that when I receive the third phone call it will be to tell me my car is fixed with no cost to me!

In the mean time I am quite happy driving around the demo model Suzuki Swift they have given me! Having already clocked up over 1000 kms, I'm sure they will be ever so happy with my efforts! lol

I have also been doing a bit of car hunting, just incase things don't really go according to plan. I'm also not really sure I want to keep this car after the troubles it's had.

I have test drove the Mitsubishi ASX and the Subaru XV
Has anybody had any run ins with either of these cars...?

[Lucas_R]

Sounds like your getting a new engine - you don't do compression tests and inspections of pistons unless there is something majorly wrong. Sounds like the same old problem continually killing these 1.4L twincharge engines.

Personally i would be doing as you have suggested, and shopping for a new car. Although in saying that, the Mitsubishi ASX is rubbish and the Subaru XV isn't much better. Depending on your budget, the Mazda CX-5 is a good looking small SUV thing, and providing you stick with the petrol engines, a reliable and proven performer. The Mazda diesels are a bit of a hit and miss, but the petrol engines are a good solid basic engine.

[logger]

?... Sounds like the same old problem continually killing these 1.4L twincharge engines.

yes, Except that his is a 2009 model. So it is the old problem killing an effected engine. If he scores a new updated engine chances are he may have years of reliable motoring from it without the expense of buying a new car.

[Lucas_R]

yes, Except that his is a 2009 model. So it is the old problem killing an effected engine. If he scores a new updated engine chances are he may have years of reliable motoring from it without the expense of buying a new car.

Yes that is possible of course - but i wouldn't be risking it. These engines just have one problem after the other, and when matched to the 7 speed DSG, it'a inevitable that you will have some sort of major problem sooner or later.

[logger]

I haven't heard of too may problems with the recent CAV engines, so I am not sure what your one problem after the other refers to. Given every older 7 speed DSG should now have a new improved mechatronic unit fitted, several firmware updates and some will have new clutches to-boot, I am not concerned about it either. Oh well each to their own. I will be keeping mine.

[cme2c]

I'm with you, Logger. Ours has had clutch, engine, injectors and mechatronic unit replaced. The mechatronic will be replaced again, apparently, with 2 year warranty on all warranty work. Couple that with the fact that it's a really nice car, and has the trade in value of a bucket of prawns, the decision to keep it is a no brainer.

John

[Brooke3844]

Another update! 3 weeks without my golf I received a phone call from the dealership letting me know the car was ready to go! So, I gave them a call letting them know I'd be in late. I got in there, they handed the keys over and told me she now drives like a dream! The problem was that 2 of the 5 pistons were cracked. They replaced all of them with Volkswagen forking out for the whole lot!
I was so excited to get my car back FINALLY! I decided to call my mum and dad and let them know that I had picked it up and it was running really well. About 5kms down the road, engine light flashes up. ECP light flashes up. Engine fault warning something about take it to a workshop also flashed up! I pulled off the road straight away and the car started to shudder quite badly so I turned the car off.
Hanging up on my mother and ringing back the dealership straight away before they all went home for the night, I managed to catch the service department and told them what had happened. His response...? Turn the car back on for me. Yep, done. Are all the warning lights gone...? Yep. Well that's probably fine now, it would have just re-learned itself.

Excuse me...!? I said to him, I really don't think probably is good enough! So they told me to bring it back and take the loan car back and they would look at it again today for me.
Being extremely frustrated by now, I rang my brother up and got him to speak to them today for me and find out what they had done to fix it etc as I don't know much about cars.

So now they're saying its a problem with the computer, not anything mechanical as the faults were this time logged into the computer.
This time around it sounds like it's going to get a new computer and coil pack...

[GTI4ME]

Yeah that 5th piston is a killer lol

[AdamD]

The problem was that 2 of the 4 pistons were cracked. They replaced all of them with Volkswagen forking out for the whole lot!

I would have expected VW to fit a brand-new crate engine. Might be worth clarifying with the service manager if this is in fact a new engine, or if they've just done extensive work replacing the pistons and other damaged internal components. I would certainly hope the former is the case.

So now they're saying its a problem with the computer, not anything mechanical as the faults were this time logged into the computer.
This time around it sounds like it's going to get a new computer and coil pack...

Can you ask them specifically what fault(s) were logged? Just because the car has logged faults does not mean the computer is at fault! If the car has logged a misfire, it may be an indicator of a failed coil pack, but it may also mean that the loss-of-compression issues you experienced previously have not been corrected. (And of course there are multiple other possibilities also.) A failed coil pack can make the car misfire and run extremely rough, but it's an extremely quick and easy fix - just pull out the faulty pack(s), and push in new ones. This should take the dealer no more than a few minutes at most.

If the dealer has only repaired your existing engine, and a misfire was logged, and they change the coil packs and this issue continues, I'd be pushing very very hard for a new crate engine. If they change the coils and this is the last of your troubles, then that will be a great outcome.

[grtuned]

Can you please name and shame these clowns???
This is Volkswagen service at its best!!
The car Spends more time in a workshop than with the owner. How can the ECU now be faulty if they found issues with the pistons??