Hello guys, hope you don’t mind me posting in the wrong section but my forum is a bit quiet and I’m on a proper downer so just looking to find out the cause of my cars problems.

 

The car is a Roomster scout 1.9tdi pd engine.

it has 63000 miles, I have only owned it a few weeks and it was running very well.

took it in today for a full service and a cambelt change.

turned up to pick it up at the arranged time and it was sat in the side of the road with three mechanics looking under the bonnet.

they asked me if I have ever had any problems with a hot start and I told them I hadn’t, they said it won’t start so pushed it into the garage and plugged in a code reader which flagged up a problem with cam sensor - so they ordered a new one fitted that and no joy.

He then said it could be a problem with the crankshaft sensor so said he has ordered a new one and told me to come back tomorrow.

he got the car to start by unplugging the cam sensor so I could drive home, it starts, but like a bag of ****. It seemed to drive home fine on the 30 mile journey home.

im pretty gutted so just hoping the car that I thought would be amazing after a service is not damaged in some way.

really appreciate any replies, thank you 

ray

 

The garage are morons, the timing is out, hence the sensor error, the ECU will complain about the sensor if it doesn't like the readings it's getting from it.

6 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

The garage are morons, the timing is out, hence the sensor error, the ECU will complain about the sensor if it doesn't like the readings it's getting from it.

So is there a good chance I will have some permanent engine damage?

Oh and another thing started the journey home and the fuel reading said I had 600miles left till empty, by the time I got home it said 415 but it was only a 30 mile journey and the needle on normal gauge remained in the same place (full tank)

3 minutes ago, RoomsterRay said:

So is there a good chance I will have some permanent engine damage?

 

No, the timing would have to be way out and the car simply wouldn't start at all.

 

2 minutes ago, RoomsterRay said:

Oh and another thing started the journey home and the fuel reading said I had 600miles left till empty, by the time I got home it said 415 but it was only a 30 mile journey and the needle on normal gauge remained in the same place (full tank)

 

Ignore the fuel gauge nonsense, the car will be thirsty until the timing is put right.

I'd get it back to the garage  (or another, and send the bill to the original)- probably best towed to avoid any damage  - to re do and check the cambelt. It has been misfitted. If the engine is damaged they can sort that as well although by the fact you've managed to drive it you probably have got away with it.

 

 

Edited 12 February, 20197 yr by bigjohn

Do you think I should go elsewhere, if they could not set it right in the first place and sent me home without fixing it, can they fix it tomorrow? Maybe not?

1 minute ago, RoomsterRay said:

Do you think I should go elsewhere, if they could not set it right in the first place and sent me home without fixing it, can they fix it tomorrow? Maybe not?

 

Possibly yes - then send them the bill! Avoid driving as if badly fitted you still have the possibility of wrecking the engine!

 

Edited 12 February, 20197 yr by bigjohn

I supplied my own cambelt and filters and oil, he was supposed to charge me £125 for the work. I said when I left should i pay you for what you have done so far, he said no sort it out tomorrow once it’s sorted.

So I have paid him nothing yet.

How many hours labour do you think it would be to sort the timing out please?

And sorry one last question, why would disconnecting the cam sensor make the car start when the timing was out, and why would a mechanic even suggest it?

Sorry one more, will a different garage be happy to mess about with somebody else work that is possibly incompetent?

It's an easy fix and no permanent damage will have happened, it just needs the crank lock fitting and the cam sprocket bolts loosening so the cam can be tweaked until the pin will slide in and lock it, then tighten the sprocket bolts and voila, timed.

After that it should start on the button.

2 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

It's an easy fix and no permanent damage will have happened, it just needs the crank lock fitting and the cam sprocket bolts loosening so the cam can be tweaked until the pin will slide in and lock it, then tighten the sprocket bolts and voila, timed.

After that it should start on the button.

Thanks mate appreciate it

2 minutes ago, RoomsterRay said:

Thanks mate appreciate it

 

You're most welcome, it can be wearing ploughing through all the catastrophism we get on here, in my experience a PD engine will not start and run at all if the timing is out far enough to damage the top end, doesn't prevent it being damaged by the starter motor but you've driven yours so it must be ok.

I have only had it a few weeks, was really happy with it and spent a bit more than I usually would to get something reliable. 

So you can imagine, was not in the best of moods at all. Don’t seem to get a lot of luck with cars.

your words have calmed me some though, so thanks again 

13 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

 

all the catastrophism we get on here

 

That pretty much sums up a fair few of the posts!!  I'm stealing that word and may use it again.

23 minutes ago, Lofty said:

 

That pretty much sums up a fair few of the posts!!  I'm stealing that word and may use it again.

 

Help yourself sir, there is a tendency for some to indulge their inner drama queen rather than solving the OP's problem, it's a form of attention seeking.

1 hour ago, sepulchrave said:

 

Help yourself sir, there is a tendency for some to indulge their inner drama queen rather than solving the OP's problem, it's a form of attention seeking.

 

Except where a cambelt is concerned caution is a good idea - reduces the chance of  a real "catastrophism"

19 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

The garage are morons, the timing is out, hence the sensor error, the ECU will complain about the sensor if it doesn't like the readings it's getting from it.

Well you where right and the story had a happy ending!

took it back to the garage today and they tried the new crankshaft sensor and it made no difference.

so he then re-checked the cambelt and said it was not even a tooth out just a small fraction of a degree, so adjusted and tried to start it, no luck again.

so then removed the new crankshaft sensor and the new cam sensor and put the old ones on, reset the computer errors and VOILA. 

Starts in a heartbeat and runs sweet as a nut. 

Thank you Sep and all the others who took time to comment. Credit to the garage as well really, he was totally honest throughout and corrected his error, can’t really ask for much more than that.

Did not sleep very well last night, woke up at 4am and started googling possible answers, lol.

But all ends well, next up brake service, then She’s as good as new.

One happy Skoda owner =D 

Edited 13 February, 20197 yr by RoomsterRay

^ Glad it's sorted 

4 hours ago, bigjohn said:

 

Except where a cambelt is concerned caution is a good idea - reduces the chance of  a real "catastrophism"

 

What are you talking about, the OP had already driven it home from the garage, which is how I knew it was fine.

3 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

 

What are you talking about, the OP had already driven it home from the garage, which is how I knew it was fine.

 

All I am saying is the original fitters didn't  seem to know what they were doing - so was everything else fitted OK? (inc tensioner and water-pump) and was the important tensioner bolt/stud replaced? (usually best to replace as can be easily damaged and has to be carefully torqued). 

 

All may be fine but if it was my engine that could be destroyed I would have it towed to the garage!  Sorry if I seem glass half empty but I've had three cam belts(or tensioners) fail in the past:-

• One long ago (Sherpa van- write off!) ,
• Ford Capri 2.0 Pinto (fortunately valves missed , just replaced belt and all was OK)
• and on my 2001 1.416v Octavia - Plastic tensioner at about 50k miles - fortunately the cam belt somehow stayed on,  replacement interval was revised down from 110k miles to 40k miles shortly after by VAG 

 

The 1.9 is a great engine and worth looking after, getting rare at only 63,000 miles

Edited 13 February, 20197 yr by bigjohn

4 minutes ago, bigjohn said:

 

All I am saying is the original fitters didn't  seem to know what they were doing - so was everything else fitted OK? (inc tensioner and water-pump) and was the important tensioner bolt/stud replaced? (usually best to replace as can be easily damaged and has to be carefully torqued). 

 

All may be fine but if it was my engine that could be destroyed I would have it towed to the garage!  Sorry if I seem glass half empty but I've had three cam belts(or tensioners) fail in the past:-

• One long ago (Sherpa van- write off!) ,
• Ford Capri 2.0 Pinto (fortunately it missed , just replaced belt and all was OK)
• and on my 2001 1.416v Octavia - Plastic tensioner at about 50k miles - fortunately the cam belt somehow stayed on,  replacement interval was revised down from 110k miles to 40k miles shortly after by VAG 

Apprecite your concern. I have had a similar bad experience on an old VW T4, somebody messed up the cambelt and ended up with another recon engine that went wrong as well, ended up getting shot for peanuts after dumping a ton of cash into her, bad times.

 

This bloke is a decent mechanic, just a simple mistake that we got away with this time.

anyone reading this though thinking about getting the cam done, I would highly recomend doing your research and picking perhaps a VW / Skoda specialist with all the right tool including the VAG diagnostic equipment.

 

not worth chancing it with the cambelt, it only needs doing once in a while and does not cost the earth anyway.