I bought an Amarok a decade ago. I took it back after a week and told the mechanic it's a bit gutless, I think there's something wrong it. He drove it and said it's normal. Seven other Volkswagen mechanics also worked on it and drove it and considered it normal. My nephew is a second year apprentice mechanic now, so I got him to do a service. He drove it and instantly decided something is wrong. He found the linkage to the boost valve flap, or whatever it's called, wasn't connected. Eight Volkswagen mechanics over a ten year period didn't notice the turbo not working!
On the plus side, it's actually pretty nice to drive now... finally.

Were they 'dealer mechanics'? I guess you are learning that there are good mechanics and the others...

Ahhh! You got the amarok used in the emissions test

Similar deal with a Multivan, took it back to dealership noting it sounded like a truck and had exhaust smell in cabin, they said it was probably just coming through ventilation. I said that still wasn't great, can you please check.

A mate took a look under the bonnet, noticed that the air filter box seemed to be pulsating and leaking exhaust gas.
Took it back to dealer, who said "yeah, that's a known issue with the exhaust love on camshaft being too flat so valve doesn't open and instead the cylinder exhausts back up the intake"

Does that stuff come up on the car computer?

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myscreenname said..
Does that stuff come up on the car computer?

You would expect so, but no. He had to confirm his suspicions with a boost meter.

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psychojoe said..
You would expect so, but no. He had to confirm his suspicions with a boost meter.

Kind of explains why this wasn't picked up previously.

Got a service and rego check on my Multivan few months ago, from the VW dealer.

Had a booking at the tyre shop for new set of tyres, but they couldn't do it until after the time I had the service book for. No problem I thought, I'll get the service and rego check, then go straight to the tyre shop, them go straight back to get the rego signed off. Works OK like that in NSW. If you fail rego you get free re-check on the failed elements within a certain period of time. Would only take a couple of minutes to get the new tyres re-checked.

So - went to pick it up after the service and they were running through things -

"passed the rego, but the service technician noted brake pads will need changing before long. Tyres also marked as needing replacement before next service" he started off with...

"what" I yelled, "you passed those tyres. Be-jeezus, I wouldn't have passed them and its my car. All four are past the wear markers, couple are completly bald on the outside halves. I can see canvas on the spare.."

"yeah, umm, well... we don't sell tyres so we tend to be quite lenient on those things" the VW dude says.

I am stunned. Then he just carried on if nothing happened - "you needed new wiper blades, we changed them, that was $90".

**** - me, I guess they make up for lost revenue on tyre sales with the price their wiper blades.

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D3 said.. "yeah, that's a known issue with the exhaust love [lobe??] on camshaft being too flat so valve doesn't open"

Going back some time... [in the good ole daze of superior Aussie craftsmanship that we all fondly remember]
A run of Ford 6 cylinder engines had dodgy camshafts which were wearing down the lobes much too fast, so to get them through the warranty period Ford dealership mechanics fitted longer pushrods to take up the slack.
Much easier [and cheaper]than replacing the camshaft.

If it makes you feel better I think Subaru service is just as sh!t
Happy new year everyone

This thread reinforces the realization that when one finds a reliable, HONEST mechanic, stick with them. I am lucky, found a gentleman that has proven so, thanks Pete.

A couple of years ago, I realised I only had a days rego left, but my regular mechanic was on holidays, so I had to ring around and settle for whoever I could find to do a rego check that day. I drove straight there and waited in the workshop while the mechanic did the check. Admittedly, my 455,000 km, 23-year-old Camry has only been washed once in the 21 years that I've owned it and looks like it might not even make it around the block, but it's actually in excellent mechanical repair. The mechanic starts shaking his head and says, "Not even close mate, those CV joint boots are totally shot and will need to be replaced. I can do it for you today if you like."

I replied with, "Hmmm, interesting. I replaced them myself two weeks ago when I fitted the new CV joints."

I've never seen someone's face go so red, so quickly. He started to back pedal as fast as he could, awkwardly mumbling all sort of excuses. I should have given him an earful, but the poor guy was so incredibly embarrassed that I actually felt sorry for him, lol.

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Harrow said..
A couple of years ago, I realised I only had a days rego left, but my regular mechanic was on holidays, so I had to ring around and settle for whoever I could find to do a rego check that day. I drove straight there and waited in the workshop while the mechanic did the check. Admittedly, my 455,000 km, 23-year-old Camry has only been washed once in the 21 years that I've owned it and looks like it might not even make it around the block, but it's actually in excellent mechanical repair. The mechanic starts shaking his head and says, "Not even close mate, those CV joint boots are totally shot and will need to be replaced. I can do it for you today if you like."

I replied with, "Hmmm, interesting. I replaced them myself two weeks ago when I fitted the new CV joints."

I've never seen someone's face go so red, so quickly. He started to back pedal as fast as he could, awkwardly mumbling all sort of excuses. I should have given him an earful, but the poor guy was so incredibly embarrassed that I actually felt sorry for him, lol.

People like that **** me to tears. They are preying on people who they think don't know anything. A genuinely good mechanic will get return customers all the time and not need to do this sort of thing.

I remember a tyre place in Penrith or somewhere around there, where the owner walked past my car which had its back wheel off, getting replaced, and somehow his laser-sharp eagle eyes saw that my rear brake pads needed replacing. He walked past and did this theatrical double-take. Given that you can only see the pad thickness through a 3cm long slot in the caliper and he was at least 3 metres away and at the wrong angle to even see, he somehow seemed to think they needed replacing.

I regret not chewing him out over this as I was sort of caught by surprise, but instead I just laughed and said 'it's okay mate, I do all that stuff myself and I will take care of it later'. I just wanted the tyre replaced. Instead, I should have asked him why he thinks he can rip people off that way. When I checked later, the pads still had a lot of material left in them.

I think my face must give it away these days, as the last time someone tried to rip me off with car parts and repairs, he suddenly decided I was not interested in being a customer and knew not to keep going. In that case it was a quote for over $3000 to fix the AC on a car worth $10,000, which ended up costing me $650 and a few hours of my time.

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FormulaNova said..
People like that **** me to tears. They are preying on people who they think don't know anything. A genuinely good mechanic will get return customers all the time and not need to do this sort of thing.

I remember a tyre place in Penrith or somewhere around there, where the owner walked past my car which had its back wheel off, getting replaced, and somehow his laser-sharp eagle eyes saw that my rear brake pads needed replacing. He walked past and did this theatrical double-take. Given that you can only see the pad thickness through a 3cm long slot in the caliper and he was at least 3 metres away and at the wrong angle to even see, he somehow seemed to think they needed replacing.

I regret not chewing him out over this as I was sort of caught by surprise, but instead I just laughed and said 'it's okay mate, I do all that stuff myself and I will take care of it later'. I just wanted the tyre replaced. Instead, I should have asked him why he thinks he can rip people off that way. When I checked later, the pads still had a lot of material left in them.

I think my face must give it away these days, as the last time someone tried to rip me off with car parts and repairs, he suddenly decided I was not interested in being a customer and knew not to keep going. In that case it was a quote for over $3000 to fix the AC on a car worth $10,000, which ended up costing me $650 and a few hours of my time.

It does make wonder what they must get away with.

My family uses the same mechanic as my grandmother used to use. He's retired now, but we've stuck with his apprentice who bought the business from him and it's great to have someone who is capable and honest. I need to stop telling people about him because it's taking longer to book things in with him lately.

My old mechanic was the former apprentice of my retired neighbour mechanic; well trusted. Until he charged me $70 for a headlight globe. "Yeah it's a special Volkswagen part, the regular bulbs don't fit" which is typical of Volkswagen, so I didn't question. The next week the other headlight went and it cost me 5 or 10 bucks for a standard H7 Globe to replace it.

I went to a newly opened mechanic that was near my house that touted their 100-point safety check as part of the service. Dropped wife's car off, they didn't pick anything up. Asked them if they had actually done the check as the rear brake light was out.

"must have blown after we checked it"
"no, it was blown before I dropped it off"
"why didn't you tell us about it then"
"because I thought you'd do your f-kn job, check it, and replace it"

Not sure what I'm gunna do when my current mechanic retires!

I went to a newly opened mechanic that was near my house that touted their 100-point safety check as part of the service. Dropped wife's car off, they didn't pick anything up. Asked them if they had actually done the check as the rear brake light was out.

"must have blown after we checked it"
"no, it was blown before I dropped it off"
"why didn't you tell us about it then"
"because I thought you'd do your f-kn job, check it, and replace it"

Not sure what I'm gunna do when my current mechanic retires!

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psychojoe said..
My old mechanic was the former apprentice of my retired neighbour mechanic; well trusted. Until he charged me $70 for a headlight globe. "Yeah it's a special Volkswagen part, the regular bulbs don't fit" which is typical of Volkswagen, so I didn't question. The next week the other headlight went and it cost me 5 or 10 bucks for a standard H7 Globe to replace it.

Did you fill the H7 globe with required level of halogen before you fitted it ?

^^ That was a joke BTW

There seems to be a thing with VW servicing. This is in the back window of a Kombi parked near my house. The sign gets updated periodically. The saga has been going on for years.

As others have said, it's not just VW mechanics. When I bought my third Subie with the same boxer engine, the test drive and report didn't show that it was down on power but as soon as I got onto the open road it was apparent that it didn't sound or feel like a boxer does. I told several mechanics, including the local Subie specialist, that the car was very reliable but didn't sound or feel like a boxer.

After running reliably for years it basically lost almost all power and then died. It turned out to be a catalytic converter problem; the front one had been stuffed before I bought the car and the pieces eventually shot into the back one and stopped the car. The dealer quote was about what I paid for the car so I got another local guy to fit a used exhaust. The next problem was that I got a couple of speeding fines because finally with clear catalytics it finally sounded and went like a boxer should, and I kept on getting caught by surprise. So the whole time the engine had a crap forward converter and none of the people I'd specifically asked to consider why it didn't sound or go properly had even considered whether the car had a real issue or not. FFS, the Subie boxer engine has a very characteristic sound and surely a mechanic would have been able to hear something wasn't right.

It's recently made it to 300,000 km after a near miss when a clutch slave cylinder seal (IIRC) broke. No big deal and only the second problem the old paddock basher has ever had, apart from the fact that one of my daughters was driving at the time so she just smashed the gearlever down and eventually the fork broke, turning a minor repair into a major one. Sigh.....we've already replaced two of her own cars that she stuffed up.

Our electric car isn't also maintenance free like they claim - we've had to replace the windscreen wiper fluid TWICE.