I have broken down in France in reims. My car has been taken to a local garage.

Sounded like it could have been an engine problem. Was extremely noisy and rattley.

Any odds someone nearby may have a spare 1.8t vrs engine going spare/pay etc.

I really want my beloved car back on the road.

Was permanent oil light on if it helps. Tappets sounded like a diesel car or worse

Aw jaysus thats not what you want! Theres bogall i can do from tipperary but il give the thread a bump.. keep it up top..

Pickup pipe?

+1 for blocked up oil pickup strainer.. Get the garage to remove the sump & check the oil strainer.  You maybe lucky & got away without wrecking the engine internals, & turbo due to oil starvation.

Hopefully they will ring me Monday worth an assessment of the problem. Almost back in the UK now.

If it is that and is OK, then I will be the happiest man alive.

Thanks guys

S.o.s. - save our skodas

If it is this, would fitting a catch can solve the problem?

No, you need to replace the oil strainer which is cheap and hope for the best.

Not sure if a catch can would help.

It's usually caused by a lack of servicing at the correct intervals without using genuine VAG filters & VAG approved oil, which eventually leads to a build up of sludge blocking the oil pick up strainer, resulting in oil starvation.

They'll have to pull the sump off to find out if that's the case, & if they're not aware of that this problem afflicts many VAG 1.8T's they may not think to do that.

If you weren't bellowing black smoke behind you then the turbo at least has probably survived, but if you were I've never known the engine to survive unscathed.

Was permanent oil light on if it helps. Tappets sounded like a diesel car or worse

How long did you run the engine with the oil light on? If the main and big end shells have been starved of oil then the crank could also be damaged.

From experience of managing Roadside Assistance for a car manufacturer, breaking down in France can be a nightmare. 

 

If they've not started work on your car, or unless your French is really good, can't you get it recovered back to the UK ? Or are you 'all-in' now ?

The whole case is being managed by aa international. They have been fantastic in dealing with it. They are multi lingual. Getting it back to the UK costs quite a lot for the recovery. I have made them aware of the issue of the strainer and they are ringing the garage first thing tomorrow. It ran for maybe half an hour or so with the light on add I was on the toll road with nowhere to stop and the engine sounded fine art the time.

It might be curtains...half an hour!

When the mechanic started out up it sounded fine for a few minutes, then just sounded like noisy tappets. And that was his wording in French. Then the oil light came back on.

Hi sorry to hear of your predicament but I do have a cylinder head off a 2003 cupra 20 valve also a good spare turbo yours if you pay for delivery  good look BARRY  ps engine code is AUQ

Had the quote back, and it's not good news. They reckon it'll cost more than 2000 euros to fix it. Got to strip it they said. But no decent details of what the problem is or what they're replacing.

cant you get it home and sort at home cheaper

For some reason I'd expected them to simply transport the car back to the UK, especially the AA.  Is that the norm then, break down and they spend a lot of time & money repairing the car?

don't know what the rules are as far as recovery goes your at the mercy of the AA

Even in yoyos 2k seems stupid money, youd buy a spare vrs and whip the engine for that...

Good engine in Devon for £300 here.

Regardless of what they're saying, I'd ask them to change the oil strainer & cover the cost yourself.. If it doesn't solve the problem you haven't lost much money, & at least you know that the engine really is toast.

They will transport it back for a fee. Finding out today.

The AA only transport back from Europe up to the value of the car. So if the cars only worth say a grand...

Had this when I took mine to the south of France last year.

Already had it in my head that if it broke I'd be locking it up, walking away and getting a flight home :(

The AA only transport back from Europe up to the value of the car. So if the cars only worth say a grand...

 

Makes sense.  I've gone with the RAC this year again and it's a similar rule to the AA.  I'm assuming it'd be a massive bill to warrant leaving my car over there but I guess anything is possible.

 

Blueriver, I'd be interested to know what price they quote to bring the car home.