Mobile mechanic Huntingdonshire, recommendations please

[Barley53]

Hi all, recommendations please for a mobile mechanic that will be able to visit my poorly van currently sitting in VW Huntingdon. VW can't even look at the van for 3 weeks, and I have a trip booked up....and tbh I just want my van back and healthy asap...

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dellmassive]

What's the problem with it?

 

[DaveD]

Coolant temp warning started flashing, temp stayed the same for a couple of hours then racked nearly into the red so pulled over, a load of black fluid burst out over the pipes under the coolant tank.

AA tech reckons that the oil has somehow started mixing with the coolant fluid, and looks to have been fairly recent as the colour is still black. Am I looking at a serious repair here?

The above is from Barley53's last post.
I suspect that VW Huntingdon won't allow a mobile mechanic to work on the van on their premises and you'd have to take it out of their yard, if the mobile mechanic can't fix it you're most likely to end up at the back of the queue with an even longer wait.

 

[Barley53]

Thanks @DaveD, if necessary I'd get the van picked up, just trying to think of alternatives to what might be a long wait at the moment.

 

[DXX]

IF and it is a big IF it is a gearbox cooler leak as suggested earlier in the thread I would get a gearbox specialist on it.
Decontaminating the cooling system from oil is a fairly straight forward job.
Decontaminating the gearbox from coolant isn’t, especially if it’s been left for a while, get a specialist on it.

 

[Barley53]

OK report back from VW, they want £6.5 grand to resolve...they state that the issue must have been happening for months, yet the first I was aware of any problem was when the coolant warning went off, but the temperature didn't rise. I stopped for an hour, then carried on, an hour later the temperature started to climb so I pulled over and called the services.

Van has been fine since new 3.5 years ago and has only done 14k miles. Anyone seen this before? Is it normal not to have any earlier warning of such a major issue?

Again, any suggestions appreciated.

 

[DXX]

OK report back from VW, they want £6.5 grand to resolve...they state that the issue must have been happening for months, yet the first I was aware of any problem was when the coolant warning went off, but the temperature didn't rise. I stopped for an hour, then carried on, an hour later the temperature started to climb so I pulled over and called the services.

Van has been fine since new 3.5 years ago and has only done 14k miles. Anyone seen this before? Is it normal not to have any earlier warning of such a major issue?

Again, any suggestions appreciated.

What have they diagnosed and how?

 

[Barley53]

Apologies for the ropey recording...

 

[Barley53]

 

[Nick Fox]

I'm sure you can find someone to look at it for less than £327 per hour. unless they are implying they need to replace the engine.

 

[DXX]

Look on the bright side, if the coolant had flowed to the engine oil it would be at least double the cost.
Odd that coolant didn’t flow into the engine oil circuit as when the engine is hot and stopped the coolant pressure is higher than the static oil pressure.
I’d get a thorough breakdown of the costing as £6500/20hours is £320/hour!

 

[Kevthegas]

Presuming the van was serviced per schedule ?
I would be contacting VW UK and asking for a good will contribution towards the repairs.
I would wait for conformation from them before removing the van from the dealer.

 

[DaveD]

Your van has done 14,000 miles so you have every right to expect no big repair bills or major failures.

 

[Barley53]

Thanks all.

@Kevthegas, all servicing with VW. Fortunately I took out vw's all-in plan a couple of months ago which includes AA assist, a couple of services and mot's and, crucially, an extended warranty which as far as I can tell means I'm covered for this.

I was aware of the breakdown bit and used it to the full, but I'd genuinely forgotten the warranty aspect...

I'm getting a slight sense that vw are implying some level of negligence on my part, I've reminded them that they carried out a full health check prior to issuing the all-in plan, so if the problem had been present for some time they should perhaps have spotted it...

Currently with the claim assessors who are presumably going over the text and reports looking for a way to avoid paying out....

 

[3crispies]

Are Huntingdon Vw commercial thought they were cars only ! Live 15 mins from them and also Peterborough who are Vw commercial, only had two warranty claims with Huntingdon and they tried to get out of replacing a simple door seal. Go to commercial customer services at MK I think....

 

[Barley53]

@3crispies vw Vindis Huntingdon are commercial and cars. Think I'll see what they come back with, but thanks for the suggestion

 

[MrD]

I've had one experience with them only so far for bowden cable recall, all done quickly however one of the door cards was put on carelessly and came back to me sitting 5mm proud up at one end and a gap of 5-8mm down the sides. Only noticed when i got home btw. So I removed the door card to find a bent channel at the top next to window a bent inwards plastic tab on the door card which should fit into said channel but wasnt and a broken door clip. I couldnt be bothered going back as 40 min drive and fixed it myself , all good now. Didn't inspire my confidence in them.

 

[Barley53]

Update; after 7 weeks I've got my van back. The techs at Huntingdon recommended a full replacement of the coolant system, the bean counters administering the extended warranty refused to authorise this and instead insisted that where possible, parts should be flushed and replaced. Can't fault the guys at Huntingdon who've flushed and tested repeatedly (at least 15 flushes apparently) before they felt confident that the van could be returned to the roads, but I still have to return for at least a couple of tests/flushes. Glad to have her back, but not sure if the van will be the same as before.

 

[DaveCrampton]

I used to live in Bury At Edmunds and worked in Cambridge. I used Vince White at VW Cars in Burwell, just north of Newmarket. He looked after my VW for five years and was excellent! Vince is a great guy, honest and reliable. Google him, he has no website but has a Facebook page. It's one of those places that doesn't need to advertise as their custom come from word of mouth recommendations. When my wife's car broke a spring which tore the tyre, he organised a local recovery guy who collected it and delivered it to him where he repaired it same day.