Nice letter to my local VAG dealer

[Mike <mike@padd.press.net>]

I just got the invoice through for the repair to my car the other week 
from the local VAG...interesting read.

"Work Completed: carried out various tests and found loss of spark at 
plugs. Carried out further checks and found fault caused by excessive 
free play in crankshaft pulley causing timing points to be incorrect. 
Replaced worn gear and retimed engine."

After talking to a guy who seems to know a damn sight more about 
quattro's than the VAG dealer does, Ive just sent them a letter querying 
the bill:

        1) The symptoms from my car were that it had 'loss of spark' at the
        plugs. I am interested to know how 'excessive free play' in the crank
        shaft pulley would cause my engine not to fire. 
        The reason being that the spark is triggered by two sensors on the
        fly-wheel and one in the distributor, not by the crankshaft pulley.
        Wear in the crankshaft pulley would not stop the engine from firing,
        it would only cause the engine to fire in the wrong place compared
        to the position of the camshaft.

Ok, Im not 100% on this one but now read this:

        2) If the above were to be true, (i.e the pulley wheel worn) 
        which I don't doubt, I find it hard to believe that you did not spot 
        this when you replaced the cambelt around 6500 miles earlier when I 
        first  brought the car to yourselfs for service.
        The conclusion from this is that you did not notice any wear on the
        pulley wheel when you changed the cambelt, hence you are now
        expecting me to pay the labour costs of a job that could of been
        done when I had the cambelt changed, or the pulley wheel was not
        refitted properly when the cambelt was changed causing it to wear
        prematurely. Either way Im still expected to pay the labour costs 
        for a job which could of been carried out on an earlier service.

I look forward to some kind of explanation to my above queries as Im sure
you will agree that paying over four hundred pounds in labour costs is quite
hard to swallow, when it could of been avoided had the job been done
correctly at an earlier service.

okay okay, my english is not the best in the world, but I would hope it 
makes some kind of sense. After all, it only took my time to write the 
letter, and if it saves me 50quid on my bill, its worth the effort.

Im going around Audi Sport tomorrow BTW, should be interesting.

Michael Burton
Systems Administrator, PA Data Design
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4 Wheels - Audi Quattro - 88 Model	UK Audi Quattro Owners Club
2 Wheels - Suzuki RG500 - 88 Model	It's coming, it's coming.....
4 Legs   - Dexter			He's a funky kind of horse
2 Legs   - Shanks Pony                  Last resort
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