My future with VW

[andykram]

9 days since my last update and nearly three weeks in total without the Beast now. They've been waiting nearly a week for a door control unit to be made and shipped from Germany. Fitted today and it still hasn't fixed the LED problem.
So I have a question. Morty diagnosed a faulty inclinometer sensor when he had the car on VAGCOM the other week. Whatever the dealer hooks the car up to doesn't show this fault so they haven't replaced this sensor. Now I've no idea whether this is what causes the LED to intermittently malfunction but why can't the dealer see a fault Morty's VAGCOM can?
Anyway, the dealer (who to be fair to them have tried everything VW UK Technical have told them and have kept me informed throughout) is again waiting for advice from Milton Keynes and meanwhile I'm beginning to get a bit hacked off with it all. Ultimately I have a highly nickable GTi with no obvious alarm defence, nobody seems to be able to fix it and I'm not prepared to keep such an expensive car which the manufacturer can't even sort. This inability to fix the cars is what sent me away from VW after the crappy Mk4s I had - I fear I'm starting down the same road again. This time, however, it'll be permanent. I won't return and I'll flog the Mk2 too out of protest. I'll be gutted but it's really not good enough.

[am1w]

So it goes on and on with no solution in immediate sight.

I have a notion that the dealership is attending to the alarm system piece-meal and is following the directives from VW Technical to the letter as they have little or no initiative or the depth of knowledge themselves. At least they are trying. Very trying for you! 
Even though the LED is intermittent, have they tried to activate the alarm by activating the inclinometer/motion sensors? Have they at any stage got the alarm sounding? There seems to be no mention of this.

Maybe I am being too simplistic, but if Darren has identified the fault code and they have not, surely the inclinometer should be the first thing that should replaced?

You have now got me a bit worried, and I might ask Darren or Steve to check my car. The reason for this is that, as the car was in and out of the body shop seven times for the rear and front bumper paintings, they might have disconnected the battery. They assured me they had not. Well they had said that before and had as Darren discovered a huge number of fault codes.

I hope you get your alarm and rattles resolved so that you may commence enjoying 'The Beast'.

All the best.

[andykram]

Cheers am1. I agree totally that that's what the dealer is doing. When they ring me (hopefully today or more likely on Monday) my first line of attack is exactly what you have said - get them to replace the incline sensor or at least try and activate the alarm.
I still don't understand why their computer doesn't show the fault codes VAGCOM does though??

[Exonian]

VW techies have a set work plan that they get from VW before the dealership gets a warranty claim approved. Why your VCDS faults don't show on the VAG equipment is anyone's guess, you can't really say you've been plugging in aftermarket electronics into the ECU or the dealer will probably get really upset. Maybe tell a white lie and say you had an issue with the car and the VW Assist guy did a scan and it found an inclinometer fault(?)

[mortygt140]

Andy 2 things mate come round for an hour and you can pick the v7 disc up plus Ill whip your glovebox out and disconnect the inclination sensor and see if it needs re-booting?

See if its just a glitchy module?  could also be that the glove box has been taken out and the sensor has not been fitted back in its right place?

All sorts of things could be the problems but until that glovebox is out I cannot give a solution.

Cheers

Darren

[andykram]

Cheers Darren. I'll see what they say tomorrow and bring it round then.
I did mention this intermittent LED problem at its 1st service in July and they obviously said it didn't show on their computer. But at least I know it was nothing to do with the aftermarket stuff which I've had done since then.

[The Doc]

I am not a Crash Bandit!

Er.....

[andykram]

Well finally I have the car back 3 weeks to the day since it went in. I'm going to give Donny VW credit cos all the rattles and creaks are gone and the car is now back to its brilliant best. Still love it.
The alarm issue, however, has proven an unsolved mystery in that it will still only engage if you do a lock, unlock, lock routine i.e. the second time you engage it, not the first time. They have changed door control units, inclination sensors (the fault code Darren spotted they did eventually see on their system), checked voltages and God knows what else so I can't fault them for trying. They've also been constantly in touch throughout which also helps as many dealers just don't bother.
Anyway, VW have now told them to strip parts off another GTi and swap them onto mine. Fair enough I suppose but Donny don't have any GTis to swap with so I said I could quite easily live with it until they find a donor car.
Now, I suppose one could argue that VW is effectively admitting they don't know how to fix it. However, I'm feeling magnanimous since I've got my pride and joy back so will let them off. The dealer showed me the file of reports, emails and technical directives that now belongs to my car and it looks like War and Peace but at least I know there have been efforts to sort it.
So, well done Donny for fixing all the other issues. I now have a car that feels like new again. Shame about the alarm but I'll survive with it for the time being and Donny will continue to get my custom.

[andykram]

Well if I get a few months rattle free driving I'll be happy!!!