Turbo whistle, limp mode, VAGCOM codes.... what am I in for?

[TopBear]

This and the cam wear issue is the reason I've just coughed up for a warrantee.

Good idea.. though I had problems initially with WD covering my cam wear repair, but they came through in the end, after some persuasion.

PM me if this happens, and you need more info\help.

[GregorFuk]

Yep thinking bout going back to mine with WD. Who you use GregorFuk?

I've just gone with WD. They're sending out an engineer to inspect the car, if it passes I get instant wear and tear cover rather than having to wait for 3 months. The car has a full history and runs absolutely fine at the moment but the thought of a multi thousand pound repair bill makes me shudder, better safe than sorry.

[mbelle]

Errrm... are we saying here that you shouldn't hear any whistle noise from the engine bay under throttle; the turbo's should be completely quiet??

[mylife98]

Errrm... are we saying here that you shouldn't hear any whistle noise from the engine bay under throttle; the turbo's should be completely quiet??

Mine were always pretty silent from within the car - very difficult to pick out any discernable turbo noise over the engine hum. Really cold mornings were the exception: you could just hear them winding up in the lower rev ranges.

No news yet from the garage but I know they were busy today and might well not get a chance to have a look. Another stiff drink for me tonight I guess!

Interesting, people think the WD warranties are good? I took one out for my first year of ownership to cover anything unexpected. However, having chatted to them about a prospective claim, I found them rude, unhelpful and dismissive. Spoke to my mechanic about them and he said they were a pain in the A to deal with as a mechanic: fussing over parts, labour rates etc. The amount of small print also seemed to exclude an awful lot when I actually read it.

Got to the end of my first year and decided not to renew based on my negative exposure to them indicating the likelihood of having to make a claim being highly challenging and unpleasant, and that it had got me through my initial worry scenario (collect a new (used) car and two weeks later the engine blows-up).

Also – I don’t remember it being cheap. £600-700p.a.

That said, turbos are specifically called out as being covered.

Well if I make it through this little episode as ‘just’ a boost leak, might well consider taking the policy out again.

Anyone had good experiences with WD?

[davs4]

Sorry, didnt want to cause you any concern, but IIRC, to supply & fit both turbos was in the region of £3000-£3500, or am I completely way out with these figures? My worry about that bill was a reason I got out of my RS.

Or you have a contingency plan like I did Mark

[Contigo]

This and the cam wear issue is the reason I've just coughed up for a warrantee.

Good idea.. though I had problems initially with WD covering my cam wear repair, but they came through in the end, after some persuasion.

PM me if this happens, and you need more info\help.

Did you have the cam wear problem reported in the thread specific to the hardening material and the exhaust cams? Out of interest did they pay all the claim? I am worried about this now and might go back to them if you say they have covered this and will pay out. The 5k limit is good too!

[A20LEE]

My warranty runs out in May and just had a quote from WD for £500. Warrantywise quoted £447.

[Contigo]

Yep got quote for 500 notes online too. Let's all check for things like turbo etc and no get out clause?

[GregorFuk]

Errrm... are we saying here that you shouldn't hear any whistle noise from the engine bay under throttle; the turbo's should be completely quiet??

Mine are quiet when I'm just toddling around at low revs. If I give it beans though I can hear a whistle from the turbos, usually when pulling hard in 3rd & 4th. I consider that to be perfectly normal.

[carlosfandango]

My Turbos did not whistle at all until I had the remap, if I turn the Revo code off then no whistle. I think the whistle comes from running the extra boost.
As a note on a warranty, I had a warranty with Warranty wise I found them good except for when the car had done higher mileage they have a clause that says when it is over (I cant remember the mileage) they will only pay out up to 50 % of the cost of replacement. Now this is still pretty helpful but is far short from the real costs I think they also have a capon the labour costs at £30 per hour. Replacing my Turbos cost me £3,500 + VAT. I had a whole new engine in the car last year including another set of turbos so contacted Warranty wise to find out if they would waive the 50% clause and they wouldn't, I argued the toss that I had a new engine all stamped in my book at a cost of 14k (insurance claim) and receipts that I could send over to prove it but still no joy. So be aware worth checking at what mileage this clause kicks in as you could pay for a policy click over the said miles and find that the cover is not the cover you think it is.

[TopBear]

Just to bring a dose of realism to the warranty discussion. So you can decide whether or not to take one.....

Your (Warranty Direct and perhaps other) warranty only covers you for :

the cost of mechanical and electrical failure. Wear and tear to a covered part and damage to an insured part caused by an uninsured part is also covered.

They do however cleverly sell you the notion at the selling stage of the policy that wear and tear damage is covered, however their 'independent' engineer examined my car and arrived at the conclusion that my cams had suffered from 'progressive wear', and as such hadn't suddenly failed, nor had anything else suddenly failed, and thus their policy didnt cover the problem. Now if the oil pump had failed, and starved the engine of oil, destroying the block, pistons, heads, cams, and turbo's to name but a few...then I technically should have had no problem with the claim according to their T's & C's.

Only after some considerable effort on my part to challenge their findings, against what they claim to cover, and escalating the claim to their underwriters (Lloyds) did they eventually payout.

[GregorFuk]

Hmm, what's the difference between progressive wear and "wear and tear"?

My Turbos did not whistle at all until I had the remap, if I turn the Revo code off then no whistle. I think the whistle comes from running the extra boost.

Could mine be chipped then? I didn't think it had been, there is no evidence in its pretty detailed history of any chipping.

[Contigo]

Just put a policy in place for mine and it's running now with WD. The helpful guy there put me on the Extra care even though car was over their normal 7yr policy as it was under the 60k miles. So for 47 notes a month I have the extracare policy which covers up to 7.5k claims a year and allows me to take car to Metwork VAT registered garage and will pay 100% labour at a rate of 40 notes an hour and 100 parts up until 60k then it will go down to 90% parts.

I asked them about Progressive wear and they said they wouldn't replace worn components but failed components definitely.

We'll see how it goes and if it's worth it again for another year then reassess.

[ollys]

I have WD cover precisely for the cam issue (no known problem as yet). I fail to see how they can wriggle out of paying for it under 'wear and tear'. Surely all wear and tear is progressive? And why does a component have to fail completely (whatever that means!) for the wear and tear to be covered. Surely when the wear reaches a point on the cams such that it is noticed by affecting the performance of the engine in some negative way or another, the cams have failed? It should not matter that at that point the failure hasn't caused the engine to go bang.

It's good to know, Top Bear, that you succeeded here, as you should. It's just the way that these companies make everything (apart from taking your cash) so bl@@dy difficult that makes my blood boil!

Olly

[Nige_RS4]

I took the decision to save £500-700 a year and put it into a slush fund for any problems I might have.