My problem goes back to May when a local mechanic took my car in to sort out an engine management light. He left the car back later in the day and said that he had to replace the Throttle Control Actuator and asked me for £300 plus £30 for labour. I was a bit taken aback as the car was running well, so he should have told me of the cost before fitting. I have known him for over 30 years so just paid him.

The warning light came on again the next day. He promised to look at the problem again but asked me to wait until he purchased newer diagnostic gear. This actually took several months and he then told me that the car must have developed a wiring fault. In my mind I had written off my £300 as the wrong part fitted. I had originally told him to keep the old part and, after pestering him incessantly, he eventually produced a part in a plastic bag.This was only a few weeks ago and when I checked later, it was a filthy EGR valve, so my suspicions were aroused. I now know the throttle flap is easily seen at the left back top of the engine bay, looking in from the front of the car, and the EGR valve connects to it.

Today, I phoned a local VAG Trade Centre with the story that I couldn't get in contact with my mechanic but that I had been told that the throttle flap was faulty on my car. It should be under warranty, having been replaced in May. The assistant checked the date and yes, the part had been booked out, but returned a few days later!!

Luckily I had paid by cheque but have no invoice. The assistant at the Trade centre should not have divulged the information, so I would prefer not to involve him, also I may not be able to rely on written facts for a legal claim.

Here's where I need help; most items are now stamped with a date of manufacture. There are numbers printed on the valve but I cannot see anything resembling a date. Can anyone advise me on this, I would prefer to say that I can prove that the part on my car is the original from new, rather than involve the trade centre. I have not contacted this mechanic as yet.

Edited 23 December, 201015 yr by kenbo

I am a little confused and may have misunderstood what you have said.

Your car is 2008. UK Skodas have 3yr warranty - I know Northern Ireland is sometimes treated differently - do you have a 3yr warranty? If so why did you pay anything?

Does this mechanic work for a Skoda dealership? Did you take the car to a dealership or did he fix it on the side? A non-Skoda workshop cannot do warranty work. You have to take it to a Skoda dealership.

How is it that you have no invoice? Without it you can't prove that he ever touched your car let alone whether he actually did the work you thought you were paying for.

I am a little confused and may have misunderstood what you have said.

Your car is 2008. UK Skodas have 3yr warranty - I know Northern Ireland is sometimes treated differently - do you have a 3yr warranty? If so why did you pay anything?

Does this mechanic work for a Skoda dealership? Did you take the car to a dealership or did he fix it on the side? A non-Skoda workshop cannot do warranty work. You have to take it to a Skoda dealership.

How is it that you have no invoice? Without it you can't prove that he ever touched your car let alone whether he actually did the work you thought you were paying for.

The car is out of warranty on mileage. The local mechanic works from home but specialises in Renault and Vauxhall electronics, but I regarded him as very knowledgable in many vehicle issues. I have always done my own work on previous cars and he was often a very good source of advice.

I paid by cheque, I am no longer self employed so didn't pursue an invoice, as i said, I know him well, or thought I did. He lives near me, I just want to be well prepared before I request my money back. Afterwards, I will then tell everyone about this.

Just ask him, if he is honist then he should spill and give you the cash back.......

I know it is going to sound strange but when i comes to work on my skoda, which i know skoda are to do i will only send it to Adamsons.

Coilovers went on by a mate mechanic. i know skoda would froun at it

Anyway you have evidence. so confront him.

if you can prove that the part he has given you isnt from that car/not the part he's said he's replaced then will that suffice? i work for a VAG trade centre so can help you out as much as i can

Quite often there is a date code or small 'clock face' embossed in the casting. Unless you can find that, and its dated newer than your car's date of registration, then proving anything could be very difficult.

if you can prove that the part he has given you isnt from that car/not the part he's said he's replaced then will that suffice? i work for a VAG trade centre so can help you out as much as i can

Very glad to see your post. The local TPS centre told me that the mechanic got the part but returned it. I wasn't entirely honest to them to get my information, so don't want to get anyone into trouble for divulging someone elses' account info. If I thought I could get a copy of that info all would be sorted.

My car has been covered in about 8 inches of snow this past week but if I was to quote you the numbers on the unit on my car, do you think you could date it as I think it will be from late 2007 ? Another possibility is that he actually fitted the new unit, cleaned up the old one and sent it back to TPS!

Ken.

yeh i work for another tps centre, unfortunately i couldnt date you a part, but if he's given you an old egr valve back then he couldnt have replaced your throttle flap, then again if he sent the part back anyway i dont suppose he's fitted you anything. whats your engine code? problem is your tps centre wont want to get involved as your dispute is with the mechanic and its his job to provide the invoice for parts fitted, but i suppose if you know he's sent that back your one up on him

This all sounds very messy, I think you would be best to cut your loses, move on and find a person you can trust.

yeh i work for another tps centre, unfortunately i couldnt date you a part, but if he's given you an old egr valve back then he couldnt have replaced your throttle flap, then again if he sent the part back anyway i dont suppose he's fitted you anything. whats your engine code? problem is your tps centre wont want to get involved as your dispute is with the mechanic and its his job to provide the invoice for parts fitted, but i suppose if you know he's sent that back your one up on him

Thanks for your input. I may still bluff that I have evidence that the part on my car is the original. I'm not normally so devious but he took advantage of my trust.

I'll confront him after the holidays. He recently assured me that the used EGR valve he returned to me was the actual item originally replaced. I just checked, an EGR Valve retails for under £90 so I'll start with the £330 bill and let him dig himself into that hole first.

The initial problem was a fault code referring to an open circuit at the throttle control actuator and, at the time, he told me that this was the unit he had to replace. That's the problem for him now, he has lied but cannot remember what he previously said.

I will keep you posted of developments, the money isn't the main issue, it's the dishonesty!

Hope you sort it out.

This is why I always ask for the old parts back.

yeh i thought that when i had a look how much the egr was, if he has changed the part next to that the flap is around £300. and to be honest these are fairly common i just think the guys tried to have your pants down keep us all posted