I hope someone out there can offer some advice, Driving to work on Tuesday 30/09/14, my exhaust starting blowing loads of bluish smoke and I was only about a 3/4 of a mile from work so decided to nurse the car to work and call the AA.

 

The AA got there only an hour after I called them and checked over the engine and checked the engine oil which was very low (only barely registering on the dipstick), the AA guy filled the car with oil to the correct level and asked me to start the car while he stood at the back, as soon as I started the engine he shouted me to turn it off.

 

Just as I suspected the diagnosis was the turbo had gone and under no circumstance that the car is started until the turbo is replaced, so he stuck a massive sticker over the steering wheel which said in big letters something like do not start the engine blablabla, he also said that I was very lucky I could have damaged the engine if I drove it further, he towed me to my local garage.

 

Later on that day I had a call from the garage saying that their diagnosis is the turbo and would I like to get them to quote me for the repair, I had decided to go ahead with the repair as I had a lot of things done to the car and I knew that it wouldn't need much after this (I was hoping), the work done this year on the car was replace the dual mass flywheel with a single flywheel, new brake discs and shoes all around, timing belt kit with water pump, new tyres, new from driver window electric mechanism, front nearside wheel bearing, I am sure other stuff but can't recall.

 

I had the quote back from the garage, which was £550.00 for turbo and 40.00 for oil change and filter excluding VAT, I agreed to the repair, they estimated that the car would be ready on Wednesday 01/10/2014 PM, later on they called me and said that the turbo feed pipe had sheared off and needed a new one at 30.00 + VAT, I had agreed to this as I had fitted a turbo myself previously and knew that these pipes get corroded solid and could break very easily while removing.

 

I had a call later in the afternoon informing me that the car was ready, it was taken for a test drive and is all good, I agreed to collect the car before they closed at 17:00 Hrs, I had a lift from a mate at work and paid and collected the car, on my way back to work about 500 meters from the garage a plume of bluish smoke was bellowing from the exhaust yet again, the same as previously, loads of it, so I decided to take the car back to the garage, I drove it very gently accelerating only when I had to and coasting.

 

When I got to the Garage I immediately turned the ignition off, the garage of course was closed at this time, so I called the owner on his mobile whom told me that this was normal after a turbo repair and the car would be smoking for at least a couple of months, taking his advice (as he was the expert), I jumped back in the car and started for work smoke bellowing, people staring in disbelief, a woman pedestrian had even waved to me pointing to the back of the car as if I wasn't aware of it.

 

Barely a mile from the garage and the car started revving very high with loads of smoke coming out of the exhaust, I put the clutch down as well as breaking to stop the car, the car cut off and I rolled to a house driveway, I went and knocked on the door and apologised for blocking the house driveway and told him that I would be calling the AA to come and tow me, the house owner said that this is ok as they weren't going out and asked whether I needed a phone to call the AA, I thanked him informing him that I had a mobile phone and would be calling straight away.

 

The AA turned up just before 20:00 Hrs, towed me back to the garage at my request, then drove me to where I had broken down, I walked to work and got a lift home, the time was after 21:30 Hrs, I was hungry and very tired by this time.

 

On the Wednesday morning I borrowed a car from work and took my keys back to the garage, after a longish conversation they had said they will look at the car and call me later.

 

I called the garage to find out on the progress and was told that the car started and is running and they'll make further diagnosis and let me know the outcome, I called again later during the afternoon and was told the car wouldn't start and they're performing further tests to find the fault.

 

Today I had a call saying that they've changed the fuel filter and the glow plugs and where did I want to take it from here, I made it quite clear saying that I was not prepared to pay any more money as the fault was theirs as the turbo wasn't correctly fitted in the first place, the guy said that the car was running but they think that one of the injectors was blocked and would like to change it would I pay half for the injector, I had agreed to this as the only thing I want is get the car back on the road.

 

Well the garage will have the car until Monday PM, where they will call me with the progress, by Monday 06/10/14, I would have to return the pool car to work and would either find a lift home, hire a car or walk if the car is not repaired.

 

I had a wedding to go to this week end and ended up cancelling and not bothering to go as I am not in a good spirit to be with people.

 

My question is, can a runaway engine be repaired, of course this depends on the extent of damage that has been caused to the engine and I fear for the worse, in my mind a new engine for sure but have no cash left to pay for another engine, I personally think that the garage should repair that car at their cost even if this means they need to get a refurb engine.

 

I am pondering over getting the Ombudsman Services, trading standard or my solicitor involved over this and would like some advice, apologies for the long post, this will serve as a memory jogger if/when I need to take this further.

How long was it revving high for? By the sounds of it, it isnt a run away

Sounds like to me that the garage didnt remove the intercooler & drain the engine oil out of it that had built up in it due to the turbo failing hence the engine running away,ideally the exhaust should be removed & any old oil drained out,you may get a bit of smoke as the oil in the exhaust burns off but not much. 

How long was it revving high for? By the sounds of it, it isnt a run away

 

Not long, possibly 20 or so seconds.

20 seconds is well long enough to cause damage

Where was the rev counter needle when it was revving fast??

 

Was it off the scale??

Sounds like to me that the garage didnt remove the intercooler & drain the engine oil out of it that had built up in it due to the turbo failing hence the engine running away,ideally the exhaust should be removed & any old oil drained out,you may get a bit of smoke as the oil in the exhaust burns off but not much.

+1

It's also worrying that they wouldn't have repaced the oil feed pipe if it hadn't snapped. Any turbo warranty would have been void if the pipe had not been replaced.

When the engine 'ran away', what rpm did the tacho show?

I diden't look at the tacho, the speed was at 50 mph.

If the engine was "running away" it wouldnt of turned off with the key it would carry on running with the key removed because its running on the oil in the sump

What  you describe is not a runaway engine, you would well and truely know if it was. The key would not work, and the engine RPM would have been off the scale past the red.

 

It sounds like the garage who did the repair has to be polite messed it up, and forgotten several key things when replacing a blown turbo, and as a result has caused yet more damage. When a turbo goes, oil gets into all the places where oil is not meant to be (thats why your oil was low, the oil had to be somewhere else) and as a result the entire intake system should be cleaned of oil and other debris from the turbo before the engine was even started. So the intercooler, all the pipework, the intake manifold, the exhaust, all should have been inspected and cleaned. You cannot simply whack on a new turbo, expect the sysyem to sort itself out and it all be fine.

If the engine was "running away" it wouldnt of turned off with the key it would carry on running with the key removed because its running on the oil in the sump

 

Is that true?  As I though the anti-shudder valve fitted to our diesels would stop run-away by killing the air supply to the engine.  The engine won't just run on oil alone.

We had a forklift truck destroy itself after running away , the fitters just pushed it out of the workshop and left it , the rpm was unbelievable eventually it threw a rod .

The anti shudder will stop a run away, I know this from first hand experience.  Even if the fuel to the engine is totally unrestricted, it isn't going to run without enough air.

The anti shudder will stop a run away, I know this from first hand experience. Even if the fuel to the engine is totally unrestricted, it isn't going to run without enough air.

Exactly, just cap the air if the ASV isn't working or has been removed and it will slowly choke to a stop

It had stopped on it's own, I diden't turn the key off or anything at this point just pushed the clutch down and braked, probably stopped after it consumed all the oil from the sump.

Edited 4 October, 201411 yr by nbat58

Think mannyo has summed this one up. Looking at the cost of £550 for the turbo was that a fitted including vat price? I assume it was a reman exchange part. If there was any destruction to the blade wheel of the turbo then the entire boost system must be removed inspected cleaned and likely the intercooler replaced. What does it state on your invoice? Otherwise any old piece of metal from the old turbo will sit in the charge air side and ruin your newly fitted turbo.

Think mannyo has summed this one up. Looking at the cost of £550 for the turbo was that a fitted including vat price? I assume it was a reman exchange part. If there was any destruction to the blade wheel of the turbo then the entire boost system must be removed inspected cleaned and likely the intercooler replaced. What does it state on your invoice? Otherwise any old piece of metal from the old turbo will sit in the charge air side and ruin your newly fitted turbo.

 

The total price including VAT was £744.00, whether they tried to do the job on the cheap and just replace the turbo internals and hoped that this would work I don't know as I haven't had the chance to inspect the turbo when I had the car back, I will do a thourough check if/ when it's running again.

Unlike they they would have replaced the internals, as it would need to be sent away and balanced for that....  a VAG turbo is more like £700 + labour (and a few gaskets - inlet, exhaust x 2, oil return), and that was the pricing a good few years ago from a Skoda dealer, sure things have increased since then

 

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Skoda_Octavia_1.9_2001/p/car-parts/engine-parts/turbos/turbocharger/?719441330&1&940f7fd76c7a1e8b5e79d6bdc5cfd7245518cf3e&000352

Is that true? As I though the anti-shudder valve fitted to our diesels would stop run-away by killing the air supply to the engine. The engine won't just run on oil alone.

Ok so maybe not true of vag diesels but i know most others runaway that way.

Unlike they they would have replaced the internals, as it would need to be sent away and balanced for that....  a VAG turbo is more like £700 + labour (and a few gaskets - inlet, exhaust x 2, oil return), and that was the pricing a good few years ago from a Skoda dealer, sure things have increased since then

 

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Skoda_Octavia_1.9_2001/p/car-parts/engine-parts/turbos/turbocharger/?719441330&1&940f7fd76c7a1e8b5e79d6bdc5cfd7245518cf3e&000352

 

You can definitely get them cheaper than that, it would be more expensive of course going to a skoda dealer.

 

http://www.carparts4less.co.uk/cp4l/c/Skoda_Octavia_1.9_2002/p/car-parts/engine-parts/turbos/turbocharger/?719442550&1&d349b606fe2695bd9acb03ab9cb37b0231cd27f2&000352

Edited 4 October, 201411 yr by nbat58

The anti shudder will stop a run away, I know this from first hand experience.  Even if the fuel to the engine is totally unrestricted, it isn't going to run without enough air.

+1

That's why it is a really bad idea to delete the butterfly valve with the EGR. You lose your last line of defense against a runaway.

Definitely dearer going to a dealership but on the other hand it will guaranteed for 2 years and not one year.

What a joke, today I phoned the garage and they are saying now that I need a new engine at £300.00, the only thing I wanted is get my car on the road, now a week on and still without a car, they've asked me to go down and see them so we could discuss it, how I am suppose to do that if I haven't got a car? I will try and get a lift to go down and sort this mess out tomorrow.

A new engine, for £300 that sounds cheap - that can't include fitting.

 

Have you you got an mechanically savvy mate who could come with you?  If nothing else pay by credit card, and you might be able to claim your money back in the future....  Basically ou gave the garage a car with a functional engine, with possible oil in the pipework, and they have changed the turbo and broken your engine.  Sounds like a garage best avoided in the future.

A new engine, for £300 that sounds cheap - that can't include fitting.

 

Have you you got an mechanically savvy mate who could come with you?  If nothing else pay by credit card, and you might be able to claim your money back in the future....  Basically ou gave the garage a car with a functional engine, with possible oil in the pipework, and they have changed the turbo and broken your engine.  Sounds like a garage best avoided in the future.

 

I went down today to see them and they have offered me my money back, basically what I have paid for the turbo, take the car away with a broken engine, or they will source an engine from ebay with 3 to 6 months warranty price between £300.00 and £500.00, I will pay half and the garage will pay half and they would fit the engine for free.

 

I have taken option 2, which they said will take about two weeks for the car to have the fitted engine, I have expressed my worry about the engine state and how many miles it had done and they said that the engine that they will purchase will have between 80000 to 100000on the clock, my other worry is I would have the timing belt kit to replace which I had just done a half a year ago on this engine.

 

I was contemplating going the route of Trading Standard, but that will be no good for them or for me as it will take a while to get sorted and would probably damage their reputation and I thought that I would give them a chance to put it right first.

 

Once the job is done I would take the car for a good drive to see whether the work was done right or not, after all it will be warranted for at least 3 months and this would give me a good chance to test it properly, I would definitely plug my VAGCOM on it for starters.