newbiemtl

URGENT ADVICE REQUIRED


I've been a honda boy for 15 years and decided to go with the audi a4 1.8t quattro 2001

The car has 140k, timing belt was done at 90k

I picked it up for a very good price and it needed work therefore i decided to go ahead as I knew a mechanic who worked for import car garage figuring a decent budget would cover all costs

It was inspected by Concept 1 on August 30, 2010 (29 Point Vehicle Inspection)

Things to note are the following:

1) Condition of radiator Coolant -33 degrees celcius

Needs immediate attention

1) Engine or transmission oil leaks

Notes : Turbo burns oil

When i picked up the car i got a deal and had a budget of 2500 for all repairs.

The guy said the turbo was gone and thats why it was smoking

I brought to mechanic and got a upgraded turbo KO4 brand new in box from another source

The car was misfiring so the mechanic had to do a tuneup for 420$


the tuneup included 4 ignition coil, 4 spark plug, engine oil, air filter, oil filter and labour was 1.5 hrs (85$)

he installed the turbo and i never got a receipt i paid cash 500$ and i don't know how much more to owe... I have not seen the book and will take care of it on monday

I picked up the car a MONTH later because he took his sweet *** time and after all said and done he said he test drove it and it was okay.

The car was fine when i picked it up but when i drove home soon after the check engine light went on.

I figured it could be due to the turbo being installed and not being familiar with audi's the car felt fine.

I drove the car a "little" hard and later went to go pick up my wife from the airport. When i got their i noticed a cloud of smoke really really crazy so i stopped the car and parked it. Someone in the lot said it was egr but i did not take the chance and towed it back to the shop (150$)

Now the mechanic reviewed the car and did a diagnostic and finally gave me some time but was telling me to replace the engine because i blew the head. I figure you can rip an audi a little and nothing should happen....i was having some fun.

HIS REASONING WAS THAT THE HEAD BLEW BECAUSE THE TURBO WAS COLD and now i need a HEAD Or ENGINE

Now i spoke to the gentleman that sold me the turbo and said you had to oil it properly etc... i have no idea how it was installed. He also said the MECHANIC IS BULLSHITING with the turbo being cold reason for HEAD TO BLOW.

The gentleman who sold me the turbo gave me a HEAD that has 50 k on it for the same car and we also ordered a head gasket so i have all parts for the job.

The gentleman came and saw the car with me and said it seems like the turbo is gone because engine sounds smooth but he was also unsure and just listened and viewed. His advice was to bring the HEAD to the mechanic and get him to replace it because if i tow the car to another shop then if the turbo is gone its on me to find another one and fix it. Give the HEAD to the mechanic and that way the turbo is protected... i have no reciept yet but unsure how to proceed because now this car is turning into a nightmare!!

My question now is should i proceed with this mechanic to fix the head or go to another shop and what do you think happened to the car with the above information. As a consumer what can i do and what are my rights....


REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE

Regards,

adamstasiak

Tow it to a german car specialist now and forever. This is what audi is. You will have an expense but this will be the only one. Tweeting with back door mechanics will give you more trouble.
I do some repairs myself but the cost of learning was high. The car is different than all the other ones and it takes skill and experience and knowledge to fix it. You also need special tools. The mechanics still learn things about them. The time of 1978 Chevys where you would tweak carburator or EGR Valve is gone.
One thing that I learned is that if something goes wrong it is not in the place where I expected.

One example to describe the complication:

Audi has a sunroof and the fan does not work - obvious thing take look at the fan's motor or fuse - WRONG.

Turns out like this - The sunroof is a solar battery. The car wants to take power from the sunroof during day time. If there is no power coming from it it will switch to battery for a little while and than go back to sunroof for power. Fan works intermittent. There is a relay that controls all that and the relay is not related to the fan.
It was related to the power source choice supply.

So this is the general idea about AUDI. Do not even approach cheap mechanics because nothing in this car is similar or works as in a conventional car.