EPC/Exhaust lights passed off as Transport Mode?

[delta5215]

Hi folks.

 

Just newly joined looking for someone with better mechanical knowledge to consolidate my current understanding & potential suspicions on the below.

 

Was looking to replace 1.6TDI Golk Mk6 61 plate Jan 2012(EA189 nightmare version...glow plugs and injector replaced 1 month after 'the fix') with something newer/more reliable and despite my reservations on the VAG group, a shiny new Spaceback caught my eye.

 

2017 (17) Skoda Rapid Spaceback
1.2 TSI 110 SE Sport 5dr, Rallye Green, Style pack - Rapid SE Sport with the usual bells and whistles.

Pre registered 30th July 2017 with 10 miles on the clock at £12998. Given these are £16/17k new it seemed a decent price.

Obv this is the last of the 1.2TSI as it's no longer offered on brand new models.

 

Now the fun part begins as soon as attempt to take it for a test drive.

Dealer up front says it needs fuel so it can be very short test or we need to go fuel. Don't even get to the exit of the forecourt and the messages indicates it's more or less empty and 0 miles left so we start to go to garage. Get no more than 500m along the road and we notice the EPC and Exhaust lights are on constantly since turning on and the car feels like it's in limp mode as not going above 20mph. It's at this point which he apologises mentions it appears that the PDI checks have not been completed correctly and that transport mode is still engaged - end of test drive and back to the dealership.

 

As trusting as I am, decided to reserve it at that price pending actual test drive £100 deposit.

 

Now i've heard of transport mode before but my understanding was that it is designed to save battery power during transport & not a lot would be working if this was still switched on. i.e. radio, remote key unlocking (i'm sure there would be more) however all of these were working. Having looked further into it, there should be a message in the dash to indicate transport mode is on. Of course, there was no message in the dash or 'TRA XX.X' to indicate how much voltage was in the battery however i'm not sure if this is a feature of Skoda to show this as with other manufacturers.

 

My sneaking suspicion is that they will simply fuel the car, clear the dash lights & the error codes with it (do the codes still appear in history with a good ECU reader?) and hope that if I proceed further that it won't come back on again until after sale completed and effectively shift this to potentially now being my problem and not theirs.

 

It's a very sceptical view of course and would be decidely underhanded if this is the case but it's not filling me with any confidence whatsoever, which was the main reason I was wanting move from the dieselgate Golf.

 

My current thinking is to steer well clear and get the deposit back which we fully agreed on if I wasn't happy to proceed.

 

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Edited 23 August, 2017 by delta5215

[PerArdua]

Of course 'buyer beware' etc, however you are buying what is, in essence, a brand new car. Yes the salesman was probably testiculating wildly about 'transport mode' and the like so you wouldn't get scared and walk away from the potential sale (if you can prove s/he was being misleading, take it up with the manager as a customer service complaint) but remember you are protected by a 3 year manufacturer's warranty and by the sale of goods act. It should be delivered to you free from faults and errors.

 

Remember that those of us who ordered our cars brand new from the factory never test drove the actual car we bought - they may have had all manner of hiccoughs when they rolled off the transporter at the dealerships - but we would never know because they would get sorted on the PDI.

[eyegr]

The transport mode shuts off the Radio, lights, A/C and the like. Also, when the transport mode is on, it is clearly displayed on the dash panel. So in my opinion, the transport mode was OFF.

Most likely it was an issue with the very low fuel quantity -OR- it could be a rodent having chewed something. This happened to my car only two days after I bought it. They really like the smell (and taste) of new cars.

[delta5215]

PerArdua, eyegr - thanks for the input. Going back at the weekend as planned but will certainly be asking the question about the fact this doesn't really appear to be true transport mode, can't hurt...surely.

 

"it's transport mode Jim, but not as we know it."

[camelspyyder]

I was once talked by a dealer into buying a (used) car that had misbehaved on the test drive.

 

Never again.

 

If there's any doubt steer clear.

[theandywaite]

If you're anything like me that doubt will always prey on your mind even if the car turns out to be fine.