muckingfuppet

And to finish the story, the car has sold. Or specifically to a dealer in px for a mk1 mx5. Smiles for miles!

Buy the plugs, and ask for a block exemption cert from the supplier. Any replacement parts used in a service must be of equal or greater quality than the OEM part, and in this instance, greater quality would seem to apply.

Cheers guys. The case is with the financial ombudsman so we will see if anything comes of it before it sells. If it sells first then so be it. Just sick of this at the moment, want shot of it. Seems to be plaguing me at the moment, had two new tyres last week off the back of the MOT, and theyve both bulged already.... It never ends!

Yeah the car is back to spec now apart from the wheel bearing (rear right). I don't really want the car any more truth be told, I've had too much hassle and if I'm honest it's too switched off. I want to get back into something RWD again, a proper drivers car, instead of a jumped up shopping car. Put me back in a mk1 mx5 and I'll be happy again.

So basically the upshot is the best that VW Finance can do is the original selling dealer buying the car back off me. I've rejected this offer and am awaiting a final decision notification from them, which will in due course all be forwarded to the financial ombudsman. In the mean time I have posted the car up for sale privately with VW finances permission and a settlement figure in hand. And to top it all off a wheel bearing is now on its way out, so back to my local garage she goes next week... So if anyone is interested in buying a VW Polo GTi...

Just a new block and head, both CAV spec. Intake manifold forward and exhaust manifold back, plus ancilliaries were transferred from the old engine to the new. I questioned them about the cat, and asked about the turbo as well seeing as that would have had bits of spark plug and piston flying through it. They couldn't answer, but I took the car off them anyway. I had been away again for 6 weeks, and I had asked them to do a couple of other bits while they had it (MoT amongst others), which they hadn't apparently managed to fit in, so I took the car to a local garage and gave them the money instead. Still pushing the route with VW Finance to get rid of the damn thing at this stage, I want nothing more to do with it or VW. As for warranty, I asked this also, apparently because it was an approved warranty repair, the new components are only covered for a year. Financial Ombudsman and Trading Standards have been involved now, just waiting on the paperwork to come through from the FO to get it all started in earnest with them.

Sounds more like a hunting idle rather than something caused by ancilliaries, my CAV engine was doing this when I picked it up from the garage on Wednesday. seems to have settled down and stopped now though...

I had this happen in my Polo GTi... Long and veiny of it was a replacement block and head from VW, manifolds back and forward were swapped to the new from the old. Work was covered under warranty, but it wasnt a complete job, I picked up the car yesterday morning and it is going straight back to the garage as it is hunting for an idle, and idling very high when in gear or neutral or park sat at lights etc. Check out the Polo Oil Consumption thread if you want the full read up, but its very very possible that a sparkplug failure was caused by excessive heat in the cylinder caused by it burning oil...

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=395730 Check this thread out, converting a Cupra K1 to haldex AWD from an R32, different car I appreciate, however most of the work you will need to do is very similar and should give you some idea of what work will need doing.

Hallo, back again. Was deployed away, so to recap and update...: Spark plug electrode dropped out and punched a hole through the piston in cylinder number 2. Took the dealer 4 weeks to diagnose this and get the ball rolling with the warranty company for the replacement engine. Before I left I asked them to complete the other service items that needed doing, plus the recall on the DSG gearbox, and also to sort out the tracking and alignment. I then deployed out of country for 6 weeks, came back to the country on Monday morning and phoned the dealership... I was told that all the work had been completed "except for the alignment as we havent been able to squeeze that in yet". I replied that they had had the car for 6 weeks, and that it was unacceptable for that work to have not been completed, and that I would be picking the car up immediately and having the work completed elsewhere. I got delayed, ended up picking the car up yesterday lunchtime. On the paperwork the list of the work said that a replacement block and head had been fitted, but everything from the manifolds forward and back had been stripped off the old engine and refitted. I asked whether anyone had bothered checking the catalyst or turbo due to them possibly being fragged by bits flying out when the spark plug gave out, and was told that no they hadnt, but they must be alright because they were fine on the test drive. I expressed my concern and displeasure at this but took the car anyway. On the drive home however I noticed a couple of issues, the car wasnt idling smoothly, it was hunting between 600-1000rpm for an idle, and coming to a halt at the lights it was idling steady at 1200rpm. Knocking it into neutral or park, still idling at 1200 rpm. Handbrake on, footbrake off and it returns to a hunting idle again. Pushing down on the footbrake and knocking it back into neutral it returns to the high idle again. Phoned the garage this morning to let them know and it is now going back in to them Monday evening for continuation work. I have made it clear that I will not be paying for any of this as it is an extension of work that should have been completed properly. My guess would be a sensor somewhere is either bust or not fitted correctly on the rebuild, educated guess the supercharger idle bypass valve or something in that region, but we shall see. Phoned VW Finance to let them know the score also, they havent yet resolved the issue so I have contacted the Financial Ombudsman and got the ball rolling there, although in fairness to them VW Finance are the only ones making an effort to sort it out. I have had a callback from my complain handler this afternoon. He is still having trouble with the original Nuneaton dealer who sold me the car, so we will see what happens when he eventually is able to make headway. Stay tuned....

Not sure what the standard warranty is that people have been given with their replacement engines, I have been told by the repairing dealership this morning after I phoned them that I will be given a 2 year/unlimited mileage warranty on the components that are being changed. I asked if anybody had checked the exhaust system and cat, my concern being that as a spark plug has disintegrated and gone through the engine, and that bits of piston had also flown about that shrapnel had gone back through and damaged the cat. The service advisor said she would ask someone to look into it.... Nice to know that they are covering all the bases...

Buy an OBD2 reader, plug it in and go for a drive, get up to your speed and itll log whats going on in the engine and any error codes it throws up.

Indoor or outdoor track? Outdoor is so much better, been at Thruxton on 60mph karts where they have a speed trap on the back straight, got clocked at just over 56mph...

No it doesn't. Basically because the fault appeared within 6 months of purchase, the onus falls on the dealer to prove that it wasnt underlying at the point of purchase. Regardless of any warranty, if you are sold a product that is faulty at the point of sale then the dealer is in breach of contract under consumer law which obligates them to offer a refund if demanded. This particular dealer is trying to refute that it was faulty, but hasn't been able to prove it so far, so I am taking the case to trading standards and citizens advice tomorrow to start legal action against them.

I only did a quote with them to get a ballpark of what I would be offered in sale for the vehicle is all. A warranty underwriter, apparently Mondial, underwrite the approved warranties for VW, as I said I'm going to citizens advice tomorrow to start the ball rolling. Unfortunately on my pennies, paying for a solicitor wouldn't be viable. So trading standards and financial ombudsman it is.