Right guys I had my 2005 VRS into a local garage 2 weeks ago getting new track rod ends and my back discs and pads done. The next day my coolant light came on, I checked the header tank and sure enough the level was way down.I topped it up and continued my drive to work about 30 miles each way. The next morning the coolant light was on again  I thought this was strange so started looking around for a leak, I found a ruddy great big spanner through my fan and stuck in my radiator. I went straight down to the garage and they agreed to fit a new radiator free of charge. I gets the car back 2 days later and the next day the coolant light is on again, I take it back to the garage who keep it for another day and tell me it is fixed. I drive to work the next day and the coolant light comes on on the way home, I take it back to the garage and they have it for another day before calling to say the cylinder head gasket has gone due to the coolant and spanner scenario. They have agreed to fix the car at their cost but I am a bit wary, they have had it since last Wednesday and still no call to say it is fixed. Will it be ok once I get it back? It has a stage 1 map on it, will the power be affected? I love my car and have had it for nearly 4 years. has anybody else had their head gasket done and was the car the same after it?

I've done a few head gaskets and noticed no difference. Most have been taxi's though.

Try not to worry about it, chances are it will be fine. I know they have made a fault with the spanner, but are they a decent garage or very backstreet job?

A lot of bolts need to be replaced since they can only be used once, on the cams etc, but if they are paying you can almost guarantee they will use them again.

I bet the spanner responsible for the spanner will be spannering the car in his own time after work, which is why it's taking so long.

 

Try to ignore Hutchy about the bolts, assume everything will be ok :sun:  (even though the car will probably never be the same again)

once the head bolts are replaced it will be ok

Thanks guys, I am stressing big time about my baby lol,

When i did the Head gasket on mine, i changed the head bolts (a must)

 

Drove great afterwards, i didnt have any problems with it  

You can guarantee it will be done on the cheap side if there paying ie most things that need replacing will be going straight back on ... All id do is look up what needs to be done to do it right like head skim and tested all new gaskets and bolts timing belt ect then when you go back to pick it up say you want to know how and what's been done with recipets to prove it for if you ever want to sell it and if it turns out it's been bodged then that's when you start kicking off and say well you can replace this this and this as well like you should of done to do the job right .... Also if some one had done that with a spanner then they would be working no where near any engine of mine ....

DO NOT SKIM THE 1.9TDI cylinder head!

It'll be fine, just get a thicker head gasket, next notch up.

DO NOT SKIM THE 1.9TDI cylinder head!

 

I thought we'd been through all this, why not?