i think the garage has done one over on me..

[BIGNICK]

Right, so i've had trouble with an EGR fault for some while now, its been to three garages and it still hasn't been sorted..
First place found the problem on vagcom but they weren't a diesel specialist and tried but couldn't sort it out..
Second place also used vagcom saw the problem and said he mapped the EGR out, this had no effect and was still playing up..
so went to a third place explained the problem and said clearly i wanted the EGR valve replaced, so i went in half way through and he had the egr n18 vacuum valve in his hand (i didn't know what it was at the time) i thought it had been done before (which it had) but he was sure that was the EGR and thats what i had asked him to do.. So there's no surprise the problems still there, but he said he changed what i asked him too and he also said he plugged it in to Snap-On diagnostics and that the fault code had been removed, which it cant be because the problems still there and he hasn't touched the EGR.. £135 later i feel robbed problem is i cant check that the fault code has gone so i don't want to kick up a stink in case I'm wrong..
i feel like he's done a number on me and would be more than happy to threaten him with trading standards if he has actually lied to me..


can anyone offer any advice please?

[hedge]

where are you based? if your near me I could scan it for you.

the egr can only be disabled by someone with remapping software (normally as part of a remap)
personally I would get it disabled and remove it (at the back of the engine bay on the top intercooler pipe) and you would then have a nice power increase too!

[Doc]

Bad form fella, Hedge won't put you wrong, that's for sure.
P.S.
Is there any way to remove the EGR but retain the anti shudder on switching off the engine?

[BIGNICK]

where are you based? if your near me I could scan it for you.

the egr can only be disabled by someone with remapping software (normally as part of a remap)
personally I would get it disabled and remove it (at the back of the engine bay on the top intercooler pipe) and you would then have a nice power increase too!

I'm in Reading pal, just down the M4..
I'd appreciate any help you could offer, would you be able to disable and remove the little bugger? i'd pay you for your time, i just need to find some one that knows what they're doing..

[pappa smurf]

sorry to hear about your problems fella garages are a right rip off its hard to find a decent one

[Firing-line]

Garages just guess these days, they see a problem, figure(Guess) its one thing and change that and if it don't fix it they still charge you and then go for the next usual suspect, in a hit and miss way! They fix cars by the process of elimination at your expense.. Good honest mechanics are getting rare.. I think a lot of mechanics thses days use Google to diagnose problems with cars..

[BIGNICK]

Cheers guys, it really does my nut..

im self employed, like a lot of us are..
if i do a job i see it through till the problems fixed, if its not done the first time i'll go back free of charge until it is fixed..

[hedge]

I'm in Gloucestershire so not a million miles away!
I can't disable the warning but I can help scan, and disconnect it (unless there is some new magical different thing they are doing on the later engines lol!)

Doc, you can block the pipe going from the manifold to the egr with a plate or block and remove the pipe, but not the tube on the top and this keeps the anti shudder working but tbh it doesn't really do a lot if a tdi wants to run it will lol!

[topher]

Dude can't believe it's still not sorted! I tried to pm you a while ago but i cant send pm's for some reason. For the record, it's an SDI engine and the EGR configuration is completely different to a TDI. It has one mechanical valve which looks a bit like a big thermostat and the N18 solenoid. The ecu reports an issue with the solenoid, thats the one that we went looking everywhere for to replace, only to find the fault code still remained.. so if all your man has done is swapped that again, chances are the fault code returned the second the engine was started. Replacing the actual mechanical EGR valve probably won't work, but i guess it's worth a try before investigating wiring/ecu faults (which would be my guess at this stage) which can get costly. I can get you one at trade and fit FOC but it means driving all the way up here again

[Firing-line]

What about cleaning the egr plumbing out? they do tend to clog up.. or can you delete the egr altogether on the SDi?

[Willis]

Whats your engine code ?

[BIGNICK]

Chris - yeah still doing my nut in, the smoke issue doesn't seem to be so bad in the cold weather, that or my mirrors are too dirty! But it still really chugs on deceleration and when I pull away from the light, not fast or owt, it skips a beat and then bolts off.. I'd reall appriciate your help pal, what's the egr cost at trade?

Firing line- i don't have a socket set with right extension..

Willis- are you asking about the fault code?

[pappa smurf]

yeah nick the engine code on sdi is bdj

[Willis]

Nick, the engine code of your van, it's on the timing belt cover 3 letters.
And post the fault code too

[Willis]

Which bits have been changed ???