This is my car :eek: , in the rather remote town of Shap, on the A6, on Saturday morning. We'd gone away for a relaxing weekend, and it almost ended here.

Who can be the first to guess what it was that caused the rather unceremonious end to my plans for a day out ? Beleive me, it's not difficult.

Answers on a postcard please, to my dealer, Mitchells Skoda in West Kirby.

Thank's to the AA, all was not lost, and SWMBO is still speaking to me!

Chris

Flat battery!

Flat battery!

Nope, but you're in the right department ...

Coil Pack

Headlight unit messing with the clutch?

Congrats MonkeyHanger.

And the reason I'm so cross?

When I asked my dealer, Mitchells, to confirm if the coils on my car were from the likely-affected part number range, they refused, despite the fact that I didn't even ask them to replace them FOC. I'd have paid for new ones myself, for peace of mind, because there are ocasions when a breakdown would cost me a lot of expense and inconvenience.

The dealer that the AA used, Thorners in Carlisle, on the other hand, replaced all four, not just the affected one, under warranty, because they were on the 'hit-list'.

Different dealers, different attitudes to customers I suppose. I know which one I prefer.

Chris

Chris,

Re Mitchells.

Get onto Skoda Customer Services and tell them your dealer refused to change the coils even though they have a clear instruction from Skoda UK to do so.

You'd have been well & truly stuck if the Carlisle dealer had adopted the same attitude, so how about a positive comment for them in the "Dealer Reviews" section too ?

Geoff,

I did the "Dealer Review" bit a few minutes ago. I was going to bite my tongue about Mitchells, until now, but I put a review of them on as well.

The REALLY lucky bit was that when it happened, in the middle of nowhere, we managed to limp to Shap, just in time for the AA to get there and solve the problem before midday, when Thorners in Carlisle closed. Otherwise it would have been an extra night in the hotel or a recovery truck back to Wirral .

Top marks to 'Des', the AA mechanic. Good bloke.

Chris

Those packs should of been replaced when the first one went, they only take 15 mins each (well maybe a little less in total) can't see how it would affect them so much. Anyway, those 1.8 T engines are good, we had one turn up at the garage running on only two cylinders, guy said the light had come and the engine was alittle lumpy :dunce: . The fact the car was still moving on two cylinders is a great achievement by VW (even though it never should have beeen running on two) showing the robustness and quality engineering of their engines.

Matt

Out of interest, which cars were affected with dodgy coil packs. Mine is an august '03, could this develop the problem in the future.

Cheers.

There was a post on here before Christmas that contained the affected part numbers. It was from Lady Loki I think. You should be able to find it somewhere.

If not, PM me and I'll let you have the details (I haven't got them in work).

Chris

Chris' date='

Re Mitchells.

Get onto Skoda Customer Services and tell them your dealer refused to change the coils even though they have a clear instruction from Skoda UK to do so. QUOTE']

YEAH.... cos *that* works...

Out of interest' date=' which cars were affected with dodgy coil packs. Mine is an august '03, could this develop the problem in the future.

Cheers.[/quote']

Pretty much anything with a 1.8 engine really. Other types were affected but not in such large numbers.

It's the old H type coils that are iffy- J and L's are fine.

See this thread...

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/showthread.php?t=4286&highlight=ignition+coil

Now if *that* doesn't ruffle a few feathers....

:P