Long distance welsh VRS problems - good garage in Swansea?
Discussion
My (8 months preggers) sister in law has a 130K octavia vrs which she bought from a friend of mine 3 years ago. Its a 52 plate (mk1?) and has been loved throughout its life but not necessarily given more love than regular garage servicing in the past 3 years.
Over the past 5 weeks it's changed from being a faultlessly reliable steed to "flashing its engine light lots".
Every time the EML comes on the car gets taken to the local regular back street inde who plugs it in to the computer and reads the fault code, and "fixes" it.
Thing is, all the fault codes are different and I don't believe that they are the problems, merely symptoms. SIL is unsure as to what work has been carried out (she's not technical at all and just trusts the garage, rightly or wrongly) but includes "cleaning the inlet or throttle" and the latest one is "something to do with turbo boost" which will cost "more than 800 quid in parts alone". There have been others she cannot recall the details of.
She also reported that she has lost confidence in the car as "sometimes the brakes don't work properly and they have to push the pedal a couple of times before the end of the lane to check they actually work" but when the car was put on the rolling road to test, it was within spec. It has also started to not start first time, every time, which it has always done before.
I don't think much of the garage at the best of times and to me it sounds as if there is a inlet manifold/servo/something fault or leak causing all the fault codes to be thrown up, but they're not seeing, listening, interested in or capable of resolving the problem.
Thing is, I'm 100 miles away with a broken arm (happy new year!) so am pretty powerless to help. Sis in laws next suggestion was trade the car in quick to avoid the latest 800 odd bill, or go see the main stealer for a.n.other diagnosis.
I think this is crazy - my question is...
Does anyone know a vw / skoda specialist, or merely a competant, honest mechanic in the swansea area who could have a proper look and fix it for her? I'm convinced there is only 1 problem which has not been addressesed by the garage and were someone competent to look at it, it would be easy to return the car to its previous faultless service. I'm not from the area and don't know it, or anyone else there at all, so am at a loss as to how to solve this at arms length, especially as the arm is in a sling!
(I'm aware it sounds like an x-factor sob story, injuries, brakes, nasty rip off garages and, OMG, will no one think of the (unborn) children! but any helpful advice will really be appreciated!)
Over the past 5 weeks it's changed from being a faultlessly reliable steed to "flashing its engine light lots".
Every time the EML comes on the car gets taken to the local regular back street inde who plugs it in to the computer and reads the fault code, and "fixes" it.
Thing is, all the fault codes are different and I don't believe that they are the problems, merely symptoms. SIL is unsure as to what work has been carried out (she's not technical at all and just trusts the garage, rightly or wrongly) but includes "cleaning the inlet or throttle" and the latest one is "something to do with turbo boost" which will cost "more than 800 quid in parts alone". There have been others she cannot recall the details of.
She also reported that she has lost confidence in the car as "sometimes the brakes don't work properly and they have to push the pedal a couple of times before the end of the lane to check they actually work" but when the car was put on the rolling road to test, it was within spec. It has also started to not start first time, every time, which it has always done before.
I don't think much of the garage at the best of times and to me it sounds as if there is a inlet manifold/servo/something fault or leak causing all the fault codes to be thrown up, but they're not seeing, listening, interested in or capable of resolving the problem.
Thing is, I'm 100 miles away with a broken arm (happy new year!) so am pretty powerless to help. Sis in laws next suggestion was trade the car in quick to avoid the latest 800 odd bill, or go see the main stealer for a.n.other diagnosis.
I think this is crazy - my question is...
Does anyone know a vw / skoda specialist, or merely a competant, honest mechanic in the swansea area who could have a proper look and fix it for her? I'm convinced there is only 1 problem which has not been addressesed by the garage and were someone competent to look at it, it would be easy to return the car to its previous faultless service. I'm not from the area and don't know it, or anyone else there at all, so am at a loss as to how to solve this at arms length, especially as the arm is in a sling!
(I'm aware it sounds like an x-factor sob story, injuries, brakes, nasty rip off garages and, OMG, will no one think of the (unborn) children! but any helpful advice will really be appreciated!)
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