1.6cr TDI EGR issues help....

[4743hudsonj]

Long story short; my EGR valve is clogged up and my extended warranty doesnt seem to cover EGR valves. The garage agree to take a second look but I'm not overly confident they will accept liability. 

 

I bought the car in January so I believe I have a pretty strong claim under the Sale of Goods Act against the garage I purchased it from. If it comes to it, I am prepared to push this through small claims court. Because it hasn't been 6 months since purchase, the burden of proof lies firmly with them (hence why my case is so strong) however i think its still worth me putting together my case. My questions are:

 

1) Is there an official life expectancy of an EGR valve or is it a 'life of the engine' part? 

2) Is there a need to replace rather than just clean? 

3) Do you personally feel this is classed as a wear and tear item such as tyres and therefor should not be covered? 

 

The reason for these questions is that if it went to court, the decision is usually based on the balance of probabilities and what "average consumers would deem reasonable" so the more opinions i get the better idea i will have.  

 

[DanSej6]

How old is the car, how many miles? I.e. How far is it out of manufacturer's warranty?

Skoda are usually pretty decent with EGR replacements on the 1.6CRTDi engines, there's also a software update to prevent it from reoccuring again too.

 

For the work involved to remove it, it's best just to replace it that try to clean it.

I've taken one apart before and it's not the best design imo. Internal structure is very easily clogged up

[4743hudsonj]

How old is the car, how many miles? I.e. How far is it out of manufacturer's warranty?

Skoda are usually pretty decent with EGR replacements on the 1.6CRTDi engines, there's also a software update to prevent it from reoccuring again too.

For the work involved to remove it, it's best just to replace it that try to clean it.

I've taken one apart before and it's not the best design imo. Internal structure is very easily clogged up

I don't think the milage is entirely important to answer the questions I posed but its safe to say that it is well outside any warranty from Skoda. This has been purchased from an independent garage so any claim will be against them.

Thank you for your input; I'm intrigued about the software update. Is there any information online regarding it that you could point me to?

Thanks

Edited 7 June, 2014 by 4743hudsonj

[wiilydog]

Ergs do get clogged up with mileage so hence its a wear and tear item. Personal i dont think you have a case against the garage as the item failed after serveral months and anything can go wrong with 2nd handcars. If it went after a few weeks you might have a case.

[4743hudsonj]

Just an update for anyone in the future with a similar issue. I was persistant and i managed to get a full repair and a service thrown in F.O.C. Best of all i got it done whilst on holiday so there was no hassle. 

 

The car has done 107,000 miles but this is irrelevant as Skoda state that the EGR is NOT a wear and tear item and is a "life of the vehicle" component. This is reflected in all their warranties.  Of course the reality is a little different but this was an important point when forcing the garage to admit liability for the fault under SOGA.

 

The car drives much smoother and seems to pull more than it ever did.