My Fabia VRS 78k fsh 55 plate lost all engine drive while in Snowdonia last week. Just like I had turned the ignition off. EMP perhaps? (joke) There was a slight twang noise underside when it happened, changing from 4th to 5th about 60mph.

Once I had coasted to a stop, I checked for leaks, overheating, fluid levels and so on but nothing looked odd. The battery had power, and the engine turned over but would not start. Filled up 100 miles before with diesel, not petrol. I walked down the road and there were no debris, parts or oil anywere. The 4.5 hour wait for Skoda/RAC/Welsh Contractor assistance resulted in just a tow back to where we were staying. The next day the car was loaded on to a transporter back to West Yorkshire.

I have to now find a local West Yorks Skoda dealer to diagnose what is wrong, and hope that I don't get ripped off as usual. The diagnostic is £70 first off at one place. One RAC bloke suggested that it may be the larger of the 2 fuel pumps, as he could hear the small one in the tank operating.

Any ideas, advice or experience of this problem is much appreciated

I hope I can persuade Skoda CS to consider honouring 3yr part of the warranty if it is a failure and not wear and tear. After keeping on at them, they are already looking into sorting out a A/c+fan dial fault, window switch fault, and the false temp warning light often mentioned on here.

Thanks, Philip

Things like this when you are looking for goodwill are always placed in your favour if you have a full Skoda service history.

Turns out to be the Injector Wiring Harness and the Injectors need replacing. The harness is sat in hot oil above in the head apparently - bad design. £600 fix :(

Urm - wow that seems a bit drastic :eek:

Turns out to be the Injector Wiring Harness and the Injectors need replacing. The harness is sat in hot oil above in the head apparently - bad design. £600 fix :(

Considering I'm starting to feel my way in DIY diagnostics, I'd love to know how they came to that conclusion. AIUI, oil (hot or otherwise) shouldn't interfere with electrics, so I don't see how they'd have found the fault without stripping your head. There are a couple of people on here with experience of stripping PD130s, so maybe they'd know more about it... :confused:

There seems to be a far amount of info on google by putting in tdi pd injectors. Diagnosis, noted wiring harness problems and costs seem to be about right. £380 is parts, £220 labour. Its the fact they are PD injectors each with their own pump that is the main reason for the cost, v common rail. The recommended garage I am using is open about the issue and reasonable for the labour costs involved. I am certain Skoda dealers will be less open about it, and also charge more for labour - basically I am yet to find a good Skoda service centre withing 100 miles of Leeds. Don't get me wrong, I wish the RAC could have just fixed the problem - he spent an hour checking all he could right infront of me - and I am not at all happy about shelling out such a chunk of money just so the car moves. Always just out of warranty when these things happen, sods law. Must get one of those little japanese cars with 5 or 7 year warranties next time

Thank, Philip

That is just bad luck.

But kind of what you expect when buying a car.

Unfortunatly they are f**king expensive, and always go wrong when you dont want them too.

Although for the work being done, that isnt a bad price.

As it means you can once again drive your car. Which is worth every penny.

You getting a courtacy car in the mean time.?

You reliant on your car for work.?

More bad news is that the Turbo has gone. I am having a new VW turbo fitted inc labour for less than the cost quoted by Skoda for just the part (to me). Seriously p**sed about it, taking the bill to £1.6k. The Shell diesel in the tank is being empted and I am going to get it tested incase it is contaminated - I don't know if it would have made any difference even if it was. Upto 5 seconds before the car broke down I would have said it was running like a dream.

Does anyone know how or where I can get the diesel sample tested? I am in West Yorkshire. It was the garages idea to keep a sample and from the discussions I have had with them I put my trust in them especially after the shocking service of many Skoda garages..............The RAC bloke recommended them, who spent an hour himself tryng to find the fault, plus he only lives 5 minutes away, and I have his tel number so I can track him down it if goes t*ts up

I agree about the expectation of the repairs of an expensive car being well, expensive. I was in the extremely lucky position of going from an old Corsa to the VRS, due to generous family financial help, said that my side of the family would not help me buy a tank of fuel (irrelevant I know but had to say it). I was spending a minimum of £400 a year to keep the Corsa on the road with repairs.... I did assume though that the major parts in the TDi would last much longer than this. Still on same brake pads, exhaust etc, don't ride the clutch, change at 3k revs... I got 40k out of the stock tyres. Mind you the Proxes are like chewing gum but only last 15k to 2mm. I am going to write a stern letter to Skoda CS but don't expect anything towards the bill with it at 78k even on a 55 plate. For a car of this type I seriously don't drive it hard change, - I used to thrash the Corsa to bits! I did think that things would pick up for me since I got it, so that I could trade it in (sell) every 3 years, but it looks like this is a keeper for the next 5+ years.... When I looked around for a new car I was supprised that even a boring Fiesta or Corsa diesel etc were nearly £10k anyway - the VRS was a bargin in my eyes at £11k new from a Skoda dealer. It costs the same in fuel/mpg as the Corsa 1.2 I got a Corsa as a courtesy car - and it is suicidal on roundabouts and joining the motorway it is so slow. I would have more confidence on a push bike! I thought the VRS was a bit slow off the mark in 1st but the Corsa is a joke....Makes you greatful for what you have (when it works)... Will let you all know how I get on - maybe the car will have better performance than before with the new parts, to make up for it a bit. Lets hope

Philip

Edited 31 July, 200817 yr by PHILE

Got the Turbo and Injectors plus a service. Sickening outlay when I did not expect it. The car is most certainly BETTER than it has been for a while - well before the car broke down last week. You do not realise often who poor equipment can be performing until you experience better. I had been a bit dissapointed with the car recently, but really I cannot remember it ever performing this well. The good news is that I have found an excellent independant garage, who put Skoda dealers to shame on labour costs and advice.

Thanks for those who replied to the thread, and I hope not to be posting this type of question for a long time now.........................

Interestingly the issue of the temp warning flashing on the first start of the day - a problem noted many times here - is now gone. The garage did nothing with the expansion bottle as far as I know so maybe it is worth watching incase it is a sign of other problems with the engine. The car must have been under performing for months before the turbo went kaput - I just put it down to being too used to or bored the car.... never got the kick around 2k revs I do now so happy VRS driver now though I am not looking forward to when the next card statement next arrives.......

Does anyone have experience of getting diesel tested for contamination? I don't now think this was the issue due to the lack of performance prior to the turbo it going, just a coincidence that I filled up in an unfamiliar place just before it went

Thanks

Were you quoted for 4 new PD injector units? As they're around £400 EACH from Skoda usually. Just curious about the parts price quoted. I am worried they replaced just the wiring harness, which is relatively easy in comparison to swapping out the injector units (I know how much of a pain having done it myself recently)

Would like it if you could break down the exact repair costs to date.

Deleted by MODVRS

Edited 20 June, 200917 yr by MODVRS

Would like it if you could break down the exact repair costs to date.

2 Injectors - they had to order them. Same with the Turbo. I am assured that they are new VW parts, and indeed they phoned Skoda to price up the Turbo and it was loads more expensive from them. Here are the costings, including Vat calculated in my head!

Diagnostic £45

2 PD Injectors £350

Wiring harness £47

Turbo £910

6.5hrs Labour @ £45 per hour

PD Oil 4.5l £45

Oil+Air Filters £21

Service £53

I know DM Keith want £70 for a diagnostic (oil on hinge sir?) so I assume the labour charge at a dealer would be at the same rate.

Cheers

Fuel contamination is very rare. If you contact Shell they will be able to trace the fuel back through their system and advise if there were any other problems; they may arrange some tests, but it depends how you took the sample and whether it is representative of what you bought (what else was in your tank?). Sounds like you had engine running problems before the Shell went in, which would also suggest the fuel was probably OK.

Yes I agree with your advice. The fuel sample was kept from when the tank was drained. If it was contaminated fuel that was the problem I did not want to run the repaired car on it! All the fuel in the tank was Shell - which I tend use mostly. I feel likewise that the mechanical problems were creeping up on me beforehand, and that the fuel was probably ok. I would have liked to test the fuel but I am unlikely to spend a couple of hundred £s to do so, in light of the above.

Thanks

RAC called out again on A64 nr Malton. - my thread is becoming like a personal diary now!

On throttle the Turbo was making an air like whoosh / fan sound. Phoned garage for advice and they said to call out RAC just incase it was serious enough to need a tow. Did not notice much other than the sound being wrong with the car.

Turns out the rubber seal ring had been nipped and split on the air intake to the Turbo when fitting - naughty garage. They had not secured the clip properly either so a few bumps on the road shook it free. The RAC bloke fixed it as best he could with tape and clipped it in fully.

Even better performance now, but it is still leaking some air but sounds quite cool. Just need a new "couple of quid" sealing ring for the collar of the pipe.

HOWEVER it has been most interesting in using the air sound to get the best out of the throttle controling the point at which the turbo comes on and when the max boost is available, to gentley plant it even more.

RAC bloke said the car has a silent dump valve but some people put one on to make the turbo sound - I assume that sneezing sound some Subaru and boy racer turbos have.....at 35 maybe I am to old?

Finally the garage were a bit slack not clipping up some of the other small hoses......maybe to keep me as a customer?

Thanks

They are all ' a couple of quid' bar the alloy pipe to intercooler bits, you can now only buy 90 degree bend pipe that enters the cooler, the pipe IIRC is about £50-£60 so better hope it's one up top

PS no silent dump valve - diesel, would recommend not letting said RAC guy near your p&j again......