Took my car to a reputable garage last week as ;

 

1 - I was having problems starting, it would turn over and not fire up and then just click when I turned the key. Eventually starting after much cursing (suspected duff battery)

2 - The temperature guage was on during morning start up. (possibly the sensor as a few forum items on this)

3 - Turbo was beginning to whistle on boost.

 

was in most of the day with the result;

 

1 - Battery replaced - was still under warranty after being replaced last year

2 - Coolant topped up and checked for leaks (maybe not the sensor then)

3 - After much checking discovered a small boost leak (which was rectified) and a new MAF sensor fitted (as the old one had a hole in it) - after a road test however the noise was still there and thoughts were that the turbo vanes were catching - after inserting a camera it could be seen that some of the vanes were scoured - turbo now needs to be sent away!!! which is sounding expensive as it is a custom turbo

 

This was last week and was told that I should drive sedately and not drive on boost too much.

 

Since then the car is still not right;

 

1 - The temp light is still coming on (and is losing coolant)

2 - The car is still having problems starting (not the battery then)

3 - When the car starts, even after being driven there are plumes of white smoke - in fact the wife thought it was foggy the other morning but it was just me reversing off the drive. 

 

Sorry for the length of the thread but it is at times like this when you think its time I was selling up!!

 

Good times

 

is it loosing a lot of water? and is it white smoke (i.e unburnt diesel) or steam?

I wouldnt say its a lot of water, topped up today about 1/4 ltr - smoke is a bluey/white  

would have to have a good check round pipes and radiator looking for leaks .... but if the smoke is unburnt diesel rather than steam ... this could be part of your starting probs  

maybe similarish to this ??
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1086611

Foggy-ness sounds like possible head gasket.

The clicking noise on start up is your starter. - Strange they think battery? A very easy diagnosis could rule that out...

Have you worked out where the water is going yet?

 

If no leaks why didn't they do a compression test (or did they?)  to see if it's the head gasket?

 

 

 

 

 

PS.  If you sell I want first dibs.

The garage suspected it was just low and said they had checked for leaks - I am not sure what this involved so can't say if they did a compression test.

 

I must admit I havent got much patience when things dont work especially when I came away from the garage thinking all was sorted (apart from the turbo)

 

Of course you can have first dibs, but I thought you were trying to reduce your fleet?

Sorry to hear about your troubles Darren, things like this are frustrating. Hope it gets resolved quickly and cheaply.

My temperature light started flashing a few weeks ago, a couple of days later the radiator went pop. New radiator all is back to normal no temperature light on start up.

Going to a local garage tomorrow so hopefully may get the starting and coolant sorted at least (fingers crossed)

 

Turbo will still need sorting though

A lot of garages are all FECKING useless with the exception of a rare few.

As my recent justified annoyances with them has found with a local "good garage". Good at what I don't know, certainly not to listening or fault finding.

 

Maybe worth looking into your own problems ? at least you can rely on yourself to look into a problem UNTIL its solved and don't charge by the hour to waste your own time?
Every time I think its worth investing a little trust and time into a garage I'm usually quickly proven wrong.

 

I will grant you that there are exceptions

Like Unit 18 are a good garage, well respected here, sadly quite out my way now or I'd be using them more but I have used them for a few services, timing belt replacement and bushes and never had a complaint to say about them.

I hope the garage is good.

 

Such a highly tuned Fabia needs to go to someone who at the very least has a decent bit of VAG experience IMO.

It is an independent VW/Skoda garage so hopefully - I guess its a lottery at the end of the day.

 

To be fair I didnt get sorted fully at the "well known" garage as per the original post which involved taking a day off work and over 100 mile round trip.

Yep, amazing, a whole day and how much did you get fleeced for this "elementary" approach to fault finding ?

Comparing with my own fault, if you can't hand them a problem and the solution to it on golden platter, what bloody chance do you stand ? I'm miffed and it was only £50 (and my time) wasted.

 

I'd be bloody explosive in your shoes ! I trust you didn't pay them for this lack of resolution ?

 

Short of actual major work (clutch replacement etc) I reckon you could do a fair amount of trouble shooting yourself, e.g. with diagnostic interface, discussion on the forum and so forth.

The verdict from the garage - The white smoke is steam and diesel.

 

Will need to take the head off to see what the damage is - it does not look good at this stage.

 

I am surprised this wasn't picked up from the garage last week - it's at times like this you lose faith in garages - a forum sponsor too.

 

Also - not likely to be able to do anything this side of christmas to add to the pain.

 

Frustrated is an understatement!!!!!

From the sound of it you're having a hard time.

 

With a hole in the MAF and turbo impeller damage I suspect your car has been sucking unclean air, do you have an aftermarket filter perchance?

 

I'm amazed the garage didn't do a sniff test right away to see if the HG had gone, if they're taking the head off make sure they get it pressure tested, I had a Golf 16v years ago that had a crack in an inlet port which only opened up when the head got hot, it was a nightmare to diagnose until a high pressure leakdown test revealed it.

 

Good luck, fingers crossed you don't need a new head casting as well although they're not actually that expensive.

It is a Jabbasport stage 3 and has a cone in a box filter.

 

I guess I don't know what the damage is or what caused it until the turbo is sent off.

 

Will have to see what the damage is to the head when it is removed - fingers crossed.

 

Need to get it all fixed though and depending on how I feel afterwards it could appear in the for sale section.

Well now without the car until January as most places on shut down, so won't know the extent of the damage until then.

have u tried flushing the coolant, just drain the pipes, the stick a hose pipe in the reservoir and blast it through,, should find and leaks that way easy,, all been well water should just blast out drain tap when tap is open. then get yourself to the skoda dealer pick up the correct coolant,, make sure you get the mix right, 50/50 if u buy concentrated g12 plus, or g13, and use distilled water, can use tap water for the mix if u like but for the sake less than a fiver distilled is better cos tap water is near always a least a little infected with chemicals you dont really want in your coolant.

 

then be sure to bleed out any air pockets after, just keep running it and taking it for short spins to say end of street and back to start with,, then checking air nipples and topping up as required , and repeat till satisfied all air pockets are eliminated, during process gradually make bigger runs, from end of street and back to round the block and so on to insure success before your happy to take on a long journey,, and then still check air pockets, after longer journeys, keep a close eye on it in fact, for about a week.

 

also one last tip, when originally filling up with coolant after flushing, fill up and then drain again using drain tap, watch the fluid drain out the tap becasue originally any left over tap water in the pipes from the hose will be pushed through and out, drain untill you can see the colour change of the coolant draining out so u know you have rip of the water u used to flush

I have left it with a VW/Skoda specialist now - will be taking it apart after Christmas.

 

Will hopefully know the extent of any damage then - and the turbo will have to go off too !!

Just to update, and it's not good news.

 

 

The garage have now had time to get the head off and have discovered that the engine block is cracked !!! - new engine time. :sweat:  It had only got 35000 on it too

 

I guess it is the only part of the engine that has not been replaced/upgraded!!!

 

Expensive times ahead

ouch...gutted for you mate. As they say tinker tinker bang. Contacted Jabbasport about the problem? 

 

worth stripping it and then just sell the bits off as i expect theres a few quids worth there instead of a new engine

You should be able to get an engine block for next to nothing, assuming the rest is still serviceable.

The garage are phoning around, I have given them Jabbasport's number.

 

The head and other bits on the engine are all upgraded so if the garage can source a block it's probably worth putting together - guess this will be expensive!!

+1 on what Manny said, between £ 2- 400, lots on ebay.

 

Or 1.8T it